OC Political

A right-of-center blog covering local, statewide, and national politics

Rep. Campbell Questions Treasury Secretary on New Entitlement Spending, IMF Funding

Posted by Newsletter Reprint on April 19, 2013

This came across the wire a couple of days ago from the office of Congressman John Campbell:

For Immediate Release: April 17, 2013

Rep. Campbell Questions Treasury Secretary on New Entitlement Spending, IMF Funding

Click to Watch Video

“In the president’s budget, it shows that this new entitlement, at the end of the 10 year budget window, has a deficit of $5 billion. And, over time, the entitlement will increase while the revenue source will decrease. Isn’t this exactly what got us into the deficit problem we’re in? Aren’t you just replicating it with a new program?”

Washington, DC – At a House Budget Committee hearing on the presidents FY 2014 Budget proposal, Rep. John Campbell (R-CA), a senior Member of the House Budget Committee, questions Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew on how the president expects to use a new cigarette tax that he hopes will discourage smoking to perpetually pay for a new, permanent government program.  Moving to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Campbell asks Secretary Lew if President Obama thinks it is wise to send $63 billion in taxpayer dollars to the IMF when so many domestic programs are currently under pressure due to Sequestration.

Full Transcript of Line of Questioning Between Rep. Campbell and Secretary Lew:
Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in 45th Congressional District | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

Senator Joel Anderson Endorses Jesse Petrilla for CA State Assembly

Posted by Newsletter Reprint on April 19, 2013

This came across the wire yesterday from the office of Jesse Petrilla:

Senator Joel Anderson Endorses Jesse Petrilla for CA State Assembly

ORANGE COUNTY, CA – Thursday, April 18, 2013 – Rancho Santa Margarita City Councilman and Army reservist Jesse Petrilla today announced that he has received the endorsement of State Senator Joel Anderson for his campaign for California State Assembly in the 73rd District. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in 73rd Assembly District | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

Onward To The Next Orange County Vacancy

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on April 18, 2013

I want to thank our readers for what was a very successful event yesterday on the blog. The debate set a record for most readers in a single day for one post. We will continue to do this monthly and are open to topic suggestions from our readers. Feel free to e-mail info@custom-campaigns.com with your suggestions.

Now that we have seen Hugh Nguyen get appointed as OC Clerk-Recorder and Jan Grimes appointed as Orange County Auditor-Controller, we now move on to the process of Orange County Public Administrator. I already know who three of the applicants are based on them announcing on Facebook or during the Orange County Clerk-Recorder procedure.

Here are the applicants that we are aware of:

Bruce Peotter
Steve Rosansky
Ken Lopez-Maddox

Unfortunately, I do not have a lot of information on this process at this point but stay tuned as I fill in the blanks as soon as information becomes available.

Posted in Orange County Public Administrator | 2 Comments »

Mark Bucher Vs. Keith Curry: Debate on OCGOP/Lincoln Club Union Pledge

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on April 17, 2013

My apologies for not including any text on this until now, it was a busy morning/afternoon. This morning I had the great pleasure of moderating a debate between OC GOP Treasurer Mark Bucher & Newport Beach Councilmember Keith Curry. The topic of the debate was the pros/cons of the union pledge that is currently required by any candidate that applies for endorsement with the OC GOP/Lincoln Club of Orange County. No matter which side of the issue that you are on, this debate was extremely thought-provoking as both speakers did an absolutely excellent job articulating their stance on the issue.

This debate was an experiment of sorts, as it is not the traditional audio interview that we post when a typical audio post goes up. Based on the great e-mails, text messages, and phone calls that I received today from readers that have my contact info, we will try to host at least one debate every month on something that is relevant to Orange County politics.

Posted in Orange County, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , | 12 Comments »

Interview With Supervisor Shawn Nelson

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on April 17, 2013

As promised yesterday, I am finally getting around to posting the interview I was lucky to get with Supervisor Shaw Nelson about the Orange County Auditor-Controller appointment. In the next hour our readers are in for another treat with a debate that was recorded earlier this morning discussing the OC GOP and Lincoln Club union money pledge with Mark Bucher of the OC GOP and Newport Beach Councilman Keith Curry.

Posted in 4th Supervisorial District, Orange County Auditor-Controller | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

Senator Huff to Host Education Summit in Fullerton

Posted by Allen Wilson on April 16, 2013

Senator Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) sent over this Press Release regarding a upcoming Education Summit in Fullerton.  (Note:  An ASL Interpreter will be provided for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing participants)

How California’s Schools can Help Prepare Students for College and the Workforce

 

SACRAMENTO: Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) will host an Education Summit this Thursday, April 18th at the Fullerton College Campus. The Summit, which will feature a number of dynamic speakers, will focus on how California schools can help prepare students for college and the workforce.

 

Fullerton College is located at 321 E Chapman Avenue in Fullerton. The summit will be held at the Campus Theatre facility, and will run from 4:00-6:00 PM. Members of the public are encouraged to attend.

“I believe in and promote education policies that serve the best interests and needs of California schoolchildren,” said Senator Huff. “That’s why I’ve introduced education measures this year to keep and retain the best teachers, increase school choice options for students and give parents more of a voice when it comes to the education of their children.”

 

The Education Summit will feature a number of guest speakers. They include Dr. Vu Pham, President and Managing Partner, Spectrum Knowledge, Marshall Tuck, CEO, Partnership for Los Angeles Schools and Dr. Rajen Vurdien, President of Fullerton College.

 

“This summit is open to students, parents of students and all others interested in the myriad of education issues facing California students,” said Senator Huff. “There will be a roundtable discussion of how we can ensure that every student succeeds. This will also include questions from the audience.”

 

To RSVP for the Education Summit, please contact Senator Huff’s District Office at (714) 671-9474.

 

Senator Huff serves as the Senate Republican Leader and is a member of the Senate Education Committee. He represents the 29th Senate District covering portions of Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino Counties. Follow Senator Huff on Twitter at @bobhuff99.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Jan Grimes Appointed OC Auditor-Controller: We Have Vote Totals

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on April 16, 2013

My iPad died earlier, right after the final update and I did not get the chance to do an official post announcing that Jan Grimes was appointed Auditor-Controller. It was fairly easy to track the vote totals since only four candidates even made it to the interview process. Following up from earlier I am posting a list of votes that each Supervisor cast yesterday for Auditor-Controller. Later tonight stay tuned for an interview with Supervisor Shawn Nelson that we will be posting in its entirety. Now onto the vote recap:

Round 1

In this opening round, each Supervisor could vote for up to two applicants to advance to the second round with an applicant needing to finish in the top two in order to advance. Here’s the breakdown:

Janet Nguyen

Eric Woolery

John Moorlach

Jan Grimes

Todd Spitzer

Jan Grimes

Shawn Nelson

George Beck
Jan Grimes

Pat Bates

Eric Woolery
Jan Grimes

Here are the results from this round:

Making The Cut

Jan Grimes (4 votes)
Eric Woolery (2 votes)

Missing The Cut

George Beck (1 vote)
James Benuzzi (0 Votes)

Round 2

In this second round, each Supervisor could vote for up to one applicant in order to give an idea of who would be the top choice. Here’s the breakdown:

Janet Nguyen

Eric Woolery

John Moorlach

Jan Grimes

Todd Spitzer

Jan Grimes

Shawn Nelson

Jan Grimes

Pat Bates

Eric Woolery

Here are the results from this round:

Jan Grimes (3 votes)
Eric Woolery (2 votes)

Final Motion

With the top vote getter being Jan Grimes, John Moorlach made a motion to appoint Jan Grimes. Todd Spitzer seconded the motion and the vote which was more of a formality at this point was as follows

Janet Nguyen- Aye
John Moorlach- Aye
Todd Spitzer- Aye
Shawn Nelson- Aye
Pat Bates- Aye

This made it a 5-0 vote on the actual appointment.

Posted in Orange County Auditor-Controller | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Auditor-Controller Interviews: Time To Vote

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on April 16, 2013

4:55 PM- We are now voting on the top two choices for the office among the four applicants.

4:57 PM- Jan Grimes and Eric Woolery appear to have advanced to the final round but it is not looking good for Eric Woolery.

4:58 PM- We are now voting for the top candidate with the previous total being Beck with 1 vote, Woolery with 2 votes, and Grimes with 4 votes.

5:00 PM- Janet Nguyen is advocating for Woolery but states that she will work with Jan Grimes if necessary.

5:02 PM- Spitzer is talking about his vote as one that is to create an open seat since he is certain that Grimes will not run for re-election.

5:05 PM- Pat Bates feels that Woolery is the best choice for the job based on his experience and wants to back somebody that will run for it.

5:07 PM- Jan Grimes is appointed by a vote of 3-2.

5:10 PM- Check that. The paper ballots were 3-2. The appointment of Jan Grimes was a 5-0 vote.

5:24 PM- We are now adjourned and I am calling it a day. Now interview will be available because all of the applicants are gone and are not accessible for any interviews.

Posted in Orange County Auditor-Controller | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Auditor-Controller Interviews: James Benuzzi

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on April 16, 2013

4:36 PM- We are now on to our final interview with James Benuzzi who has entered the room.

4:39 PM- He is giving his opening statement about his background and experience in the world of finance. I must say that he was really brief with his statement.

4:40 PM- Supervisor Spitzer asked about his education, Benuzzi responded that he has an MBA from Chapman University and has experience implementing accounting systems in different realms. His experience in Placentia showed him how government can effectively fail.

4:43 PM- On a follow up question Benuzzi stated that he will run for re-election and feels strongly because he believes that making a commitment requires following through on that commitment. If not appointed he stated that he would strongly consider running because he likes the idea of committing to public service.

4:46 PM- Supervisor Nguyen asked about what improvements can be made to the current office. Benuzzi answered that he would fully implement the property tax management system.

4:47 PM- His interview is flying by, which is not a very good sign. Considering two weeks ago Dick Ackerman, Harry Sidhu, and Michael J. Fox were the only interviews to run short. On a personal note, he is a very likeable guy.

4:50 PM- Supervisor Bates asked about the internal audit function. His answer was very technical although he appears to like the current system in place which is having an internal auditor currently reports to the Board of Supervisors.

4:52 PM- Supervisor Nelson asked about his integrity and if it has ever been tested. Benuzzi talked about doing fraud audits and how he would always do his job without bending the rules on any investigation. On a follow up question Benuzzi talked about his leadership skills being an asset that he would use without being autocratic.

4:54 PM- in response to the questions from Supervisor Moorlach; he is not receiving a public pension, has an MBA from Chapman, has not been sued or involved in any investigation.

4:55 PM- In closing he looks forward to the opportunity to serve.

Posted in Orange County Auditor-Controller | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

Auditor-Controller Interviews: George Beck

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on April 16, 2013

4:06- We are taking a sixty second break but George Beck is in the room. Stay tuned, we’ll be right back after these messages from our sponsors.

4:09 PM- In his opening statement he talked about his undergraduate work at UCLA and has done graduate work at Cal State Fullerton. He currently works for the Los Angeles Unified School District and works directly with the food services department. He was the city auditor for Houston, Texas and has an extensive background in the business world.

4:14 PM- He talked about this being a calling for him and not just a job.

4:15 PM- Supervisor Spitzer asked why LAUSD has not broken up into smaller districts. Beck answered that LAUSD has had major problems in the past and breaking it into smaller districts requires certain stakeholders such as unions and other influence groups to get behind it.

4:18 PM- On a follow up question Beck stated that he ran for office in high school (jokingly), but in all seriousness stated that he would run for reelection. Though he does not know if he would run of not given the appointment.

4:20 PM- Supervisor Nguyen asked what operational areas need improvement, if any. Beck answered that he would first have to learn about what the office is like. How automation is going, would be a question he would ask immediately and focus in on this.

4:23 PM- Supervisor Bates asked about his experience with a property tax management system. He answered that his only experience is through paying his own property taxes. On a follow up question he answered that an internal audit function would be appropriate to have under the right circumstances.

4:27 PM- Supervisor Nelson asked about a time when his personal integrity was tested. beck answered that he has not been put in the position to have to make a stand on integrity. In Houston he did have on instance when he was doing an audit and felt that issues existed. Instead of keeping quiet he did bring issues forward to his supervisor in Houston.

4:31 PM- Supervisor Moorlach asked his questions. Beck is not receiving any public pension, has not been sued or involved in any investigation, has never run for public office, and has a Bachelors degree. His CPA license is from Virginia and he talked about his inability to qualify for the license in California or Texas because he did not have the experience requirement met.

4:34 PM- In closing he talked about his appreciation for the opportunity to interview and admitted that his chances to get the job may be slim but he will make the commitment to be a great Auditor-Controller.

Posted in Orange County Auditor-Controller | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

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