OC Political

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

Posts Tagged ‘Anaheim’

Mark Your Calendars! Candidate Forum: Tuesday, February 2, 2016 at 7:00 p.m.

Posted by Craig P. Alexander on January 9, 2016

CANDIDATE FORUM – FREE AND OPEN TO ALL!

MEET THE FOUR REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES FOR ASSEMBLY RUNNING IN THE 68th ASSEMBLY DISTRICT

SPONSORED BY THE CALIFORNIA REPUBLICAN ASSEMBLY

68th Assembly District includes all or part of the communities of Anaheim, Orange/Villa Park, North Tustin/Tustin, Irvine, and Lake Forest, including the former Marine Corps Air Station at El Toro.  The seat is currently held by Assemblyman Don Wagner who is termed out this year.

The Candidate Forum will be held on Tuesday, February 2nd starting at 7:00 p.m. at Orange City Hall (the Council chambers) located at 300 E. Chapman Ave., Orange, CA. The event will be recorded and the media will be invited. This forum will be free and open to the public as a service to the community by the California Republican Assembly. For more information about CRA go to: http://cragop.org/

For further information, please contact CRA Executive Vice President, Craig Alexander at cpalexander@cox.net or CRA Vice President, Dale Tyler at edt@tylerent.com.

Posted in 69th Assembly District, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Councilmembers Murray and Eastman Cost Anaheim Taxpayers $2 Million

Posted by Allen Wilson on January 8, 2014

KrisMurrayGail Eastman

The protracted issue regarding how Anaheim councilmembers are elected has come to an end but with a steep price.

Councilmembers Kris Murray and Gail Eastman has cost the taxpayers of Anaheim at a tune of $2 Million.

The City of Anaheim has already racked up $1.2 Million to defend itself and now must bear the cost of paying the litigants legal bills of over $1 Million, the ACLU and Anaheim Community Activists, who brought the issue to it’s head two years ago.

The Orange County Register reports that Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait says, “the cost of fighting the lengthy lawsuit could have been avoided if the City Council in August 2012 had approved his call for similar ballot measure.”

The two councilmembers joined with then-Councilman Harry Sidhu in 2012 as council majority stubbornly rejected Mayor Tait’s proposal.

The issue centers around Latino activists who echoed the need to change how councilmembers are elected from at-large to districts, because no Latino currently sits on the dais and 52% of the community are Latinos.

The settlement was agreed upon from a case Moreno, et al. vs. City of Anaheim that was slated to go to trail on March 17, 2014 regarding the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA).

The Voice of OC reported that Councilmember Murray called the deal “a win for our citizens, for our residents, for the taxpayers of Anaheim.”

Ironically, the Orange County Register reports that Councilmember Murray says, “I am still opposed to a form of single-member district election.  I think this lawsuit and the fees attached to it are unfortunate for this city.”

In the January 8th, 2014 edition of The Anaheim Blog contributor Matthew Cunningham asserts that the ACLU and Jose Moreno are at fault for costing the taxpayers huge legal bills:  “The fault lies with the plaintiffs’ stubborn insistence on bypassing the voters in favor of the imposition of single-member districts by judicial fiat.”

Frankly, Mr. Cunningham forgets that Councilmembers Murray and Eastman have an fiduciary duty to protect the city’s assets such as taxpayer funds and settle the issue back in 2012 as suggested by Mayor Tait to let the voters decide how their councilmembers are elected.

Councilmembers Murray and Eastman should realize that the buck stops with them and they have the power by finding a consensus with Mayor Tait instead of fighting against him and the community.

The bottom line is this:  consensus is cheap, litigation is expensive.

Posted in Anaheim, California, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , | 35 Comments »

Anaheim Campaign Finance Database

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on March 21, 2013

We are adding a new feature to our humble blog. Readers will soon be able to go to one location to find campaign finance data on all 2012 candidates for local elected office. As far as I can tell no other website currently has this information. While this project will take a while and we will be releasing one city at a time (if we get some donor support) it should be well worth it. Here is a little sample for you to glance at:City_of_Anaheim_Seal_svg

We are looking for donors to help us fund this project for every City, School District, and Special District in Orange County. Please send an e-mail to info@custom-campaigns.com if you want to help sponsor this project.

These candidates took in less than $1,000 in contributions thus making them eligible to file a much more simplified disclosure form that does not have donors listed on it:

Duane Roberts
Jennifer Rivera
Rodolfo “Rudy” Gaono
Linda Linder

Here are the rest of the candidates along with a pie chart showing what percentage of their money came from each category of entities:

Jordan Brandman Total $$$
Individuals  $ 32,739.00
Unions  $ 18,950.00
Businesses  $ 25,929.51
Trade Associations  $   9,100.00
Political  $   6,042.27
Total  $ 92,760.78

brandmanchart

Steve Lodge Total $$$
Individuals  $ 14,985.00
Union  $   1,800.00
Businesses  $ 17,399.00
Trade Association  $   7,050.00
Political  $   1,800.00
Total  $ 43,034.00

stevechavezlodgechart

Brian Chuchua Total $$$
Individuals  $   269.00
Union  $          –
Businesses  $   500.00
Trade Association  $   250.00
Political  $          –
Total  $ 1,019.00

brianchuchuachart

Lucille Kring Total $$$
Individuals  $ 14,975.00
Unions  $            –
Businesses  $ 30,514.00
Trade Associations  $   5,300.00
Political  $   1,000.00
Total  $ 51,789.00

lucillekringchart

John Leos Total $$$
Individuals  $  9,046.00
Unions  $ 10,000.00
Businesses  $  3,600.00
Trade Associations  $  1,800.00
Political  $     500.00
Total  $ 24,946.00

johnleoschart

If you click the link to read more, you can find out who each individual donor was to each campaign broken down by category.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Anaheim | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Research Report on Anaheim

Posted by OC Insider on March 19, 2013

I have been hired to create a research report on the City of Anaheim and have decided to share it here before I turn it in to my employers.

Anaheim, California

Anaheim (pronounced /ˈænəhaɪm/) is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 336,265, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California,[2] and ranked 54th in the United States. The city anticipates that the population will surpass 400,000 by 2014 because of rapid development in its Platinum Triangle area as well as in Anaheim Hills. The Platinum Triangle is the fastest growing area in Orange County.[3] Anaheim is the second largest city in Orange County in terms of land area (after Irvine), and is known for its theme parks, sports teams and convention center.

Founded by fifty German families in 1857 and incorporated as the second city in Los Angeles County on February 10, 1870, Anaheim developed into an industrial center, producing electronics, aircraft parts and canned fruit. It is the site of the Disneyland Resort, a world-famous grouping of theme parks and hotels which opened in 1955, Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Honda Center and Anaheim Convention Center, the largest convention center on the West Coast.

Anaheim’s city limits stretch from Cypress in the west to the Riverside County line in the east and encompass a diverse collection of neighborhoods and communities. Anaheim Hills is a master-planned community located in the city’s eastern stretches that is home to many sports stars and executives. Downtown Anaheim has three mixed-use historic districts, the largest of which is the Anaheim Colony. The Anaheim Resort, a commercial district, includes Disneyland and numerous hotels and retail complexes. The Platinum Triangle, a neo-urban redevelopment district surrounding Angel Stadium, is planned to be populated with mixed-use streets and high-rises. Finally, The Canyon is an industrial district north of SR 91 and east of SR 57.

Etymology

Anaheim’s name is a blend of “Ana”, after the nearby Santa Ana River, and “heim”, a common German language place name compound originally meaning “home”.[4]

History

Aerial view of Anaheim and Disneyland in 1965

The city of Anaheim was founded in 1857 by grape farmers and wine makers from the region around Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Franconia in Bavaria. The first such settler was Daniel Kraemer. The colony was situated on 1,165 acres (4.71 km2).

Anaheim in 1879

Settlers voted to call the community Annaheim, meaning “home by the Santa Anna River” in German. The name later was changed slightly, to Anaheim. To the Spanish-speaking neighbors, the settlement was known as Campo Alemán (Spanish for German Field). The grape industry was destroyed in the 1880s by an insect pest. Other crops – walnuts, lemons and, of course oranges – soon filled the void, fruits and vegetables having become viable cash crops when the Los Angeles – Orange County region was connected to the continental railroad network in 1886.

Aerial Of Disneyland Resort in 2004

The famous Polish actress Helena Modjeska settled in Anaheim with her husband and various friends, among them Henryk Sienkiewicz, Julian Sypniewski and Łucjan Paprocki. While living in Anaheim, Helena Modjeska became good friends with Clementine Langenberger, the second wife of August Langenberger.[5] Helena Street[6] and Clementine Street[6] are named after these two ladies, and the streets are located adjacent to each other as a symbol of the strong friendship which Helena Modjeska and Clementine Lagenberger shared. Modjeska Park[7] in West Anaheim, is also named after Helena Modjeska.

Anaheim in 1922

During the first half of the 20th century, before Disneyland opened its doors to the public, Anaheim was a massive rural community inhabited by orange groves, and the landowners who farmed them. One of the landowners was a man by the name of Bennett Payne Baxter. He owned much land in northeast Anaheim that today is the location of Angel Stadium,[8] He came up with many new ideas for irrigating orange groves and shared his ideas with other landowners. He was not only successful, he helped other landowners and businesspeople succeed as well. Ben Baxter and other landowners helped to make Anaheim a thriving rural community before Disneyland changed the city forever. Today, a street runs along Edison Park[8] which is named Baxter Street. Also during this time, Rudolph Boysen served as Anaheim’s first Park Superintendent from 1921 to 1950. Boysen created a hybrid berry which Walter Knott later named the boysenberry, after Rudy Boysen. Boysen Park[9] in East Anaheim was also named after him.

The Disneyland theme park was constructed in Anaheim from July 16, 1954 to July 17, 1955, and opened to the public on July 17, 1955, and has since become one of the world’s most visited tourist attractions. The location was formerly 160 acres (0.65 km2) of orange and walnut trees, some of which remain inside Disneyland property. Hotels and motels began to spread and residential districts soon followed, with increasing property values. In 2001, Disney’s California Adventure, since renamed Disney California Adventure Park in 2010, the most expansive project in the theme park’s history, opened to the public.

In 1970, the Census Bureau reported Anaheim’s population as 9.3% Hispanic and 89.2% non-Hispanic white.[10] In the late 20th century, Anaheim grew rapidly in population. Today, Anaheim has a diverse ethnic and racial composition.[10]

During the large expansion of the Disneyland resort in the 1990s, the city of Anaheim then recognized itself as a resort epicenter, thus creating the Anaheim Resort. It includes the Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, the Honda Center—home of the NHL Anaheim Ducks (formerly known as the “Mighty Ducks”), and Angel Stadium, home to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The city has undergone a rigorous transformation in creating metropolitan beautification to attract tourism. In 2007, the city celebrated its sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) by opening the Anaheim Walk of Fame near the Harbor Boulevard entrance to the Disneyland Resort. The first star to be placed on the Anaheim Walk of Fame was Walt Disney, the man most responsible for making Anaheim the hugely popular tourist destination it is today.

In 2012, fatal police shooting in Anaheim sparked violent protests.[11]

Anaheim in 1890

Geography

Anaheim is located at

 WikiMiniAtlas

33°50′10″N 117°53′23″W / 33.836165°N 117.889769°W / 33.836165; -117.889769.[12] and is approximately 25 miles (40 km) south east of Downtown Los Angeles.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 50.8 square miles (132 km2). 49.8 square miles (129 km2) of it is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2) of it (1.92%) is water.

The current federal Office of Management and Budget metropolitan designation for Anaheim and the Orange County Area is “Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA”.

Cityscape

The city recognizes several districts, including the Anaheim Resort (the area surrounding Disneyland), The Canyon (an industrial area north of the Riverside Freeway and east of the Orange Freeway) and the Platinum Triangle (the area surrounding Angel Stadium). Anaheim Hills also maintains a distinct identity.

Panorama of Anaheim

Communities and neighborhoods

The Anaheim Convention Center

Downtown Anaheim is located in the heart of the Colonial District. Downtown is the administrative heart of the city where you find City Hall, Anaheim West Tower, Anaheim Police Headquarters, the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce and the Main Library. Anaheim Ice (formerly Disney Ice), the Downtown Anaheim Farmer’s Market and the Center Street Promenade are also located in Downtown Anaheim. In the Fall of 2007, The Muzeo,[13] the newest major museum in Orange County, opened its doors for the first time and is located next to Anaheim West Tower. Pearson Park[14] is also located in Downtown Anaheim, and is named after Charles Pearson,[6] who was Mayor of Anaheim during the time Walt Disney opened Disneyland in Anaheim. One of the major attractions located in Pearson Park is the Pearson Park Amphitheater.[15] In the Colonial District just west of Downtown Anaheim is the Mother Colony House,[16] which was built by George Hanson],[17] the Founder of Anaheim. Today, it is Anaheim’s and Orange County’s oldest museum still open to the public. The Stoffel House[18] is a Victorian Mansion located next door to the Mother Colony House. Originally the Victorian Home was occupied by the Stoffel Family,[19] early pioneer residents of Anaheim. The home served as headquarters for the local Red Cross until the early 1990s. In 2010-2011, the Woelke-Stoeffel house became refurnished and is now part of the Founder’s Park complex. Founder’s Park includes the Mother Colony house and a carriage house, which serves as a museum of Anaheim’s agricultural history. These three buildings are open every first Saturday from 9 to 12 pm.

The bulk of the Hispanic population of Anaheim, and other less prosperous portions of the population, lives in the western portion of Anaheim, “the flatlands”. Much of the more prosperous portion of the population, and most city council members, live in Anaheim Hills, a planned community in the eastern portion of the city with a median household income of $123,000 a year as of 2010.[20][21][22]

Climate

Like many other South Coast cities, Anaheim maintains a Mediterranean climate, enjoying warm winters and hot summers.[23]

[hide]Climate data for Anaheim, California
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 65 (18) 67 (19) 68 (20) 73 (23) 75 (24) 79 (26) 84 (29) 86 (30) 80 (27) 75 (24) 70 (21) 66 (19) 74 (23.3)
Average low °F (°C) 45 (7) 47 (8) 48 (9) 51 (11) 56 (13) 60 (16) 61 (16) 63 (17) 61 (16) 56 (13) 48 (9) 45 (7) 53.4 (11.8)
Precipitation inches (mm) 2.4 (61) 2.8 (71) 2.5 (64) 0.6 (15) 0.1 (3) 0.1 (3) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0.1 (3) 0.2 (5) 0.8 (20) 1.3 (33) 11.3 (287)
Source: U.S. Climate Data[24]

Law and government

City government

Under its city charter, Anaheim operates under a council-manager government. Legislative authority is vested in a city council of five nonpartisan members, who hire a professional city manager to oversee day-to-day operations. The mayor serves as the presiding officer of the city council in a first among equals role. All council seats are elected at large. Voters elect the mayor and four other members of the city council to serve four-year staggered terms. Elections for two council seats are held in years divisible by four while elections for the mayor and the two other council seats are held during the intervening even-numbered years. Under the city’s term limits, an individual may serve a maximum of two terms as a city council member and two terms as the mayor.

Anaheim City Hall.

  • Mayor: Tom Tait (since 2010)
  • City Council
    • Jordan Brandman (since 2012)
    • Gail Eastman (since 2010)
    • Lucille Kring (since 2012)
    • Kris Murray (since 2010)
See also: List of mayors of Anaheim, California

Emergency services

Anaheim Police Department’s MD500E helicopter, “Angel”

Fire protection is provided by the Anaheim Fire Department, Disneyland Resort has its own Fire Department, though it does rely on the Anaheim Fire Department for support, and for Paramedic Services. Law enforcement is provided by the Anaheim Police Department. Ambulance service is provided by Care Ambulance Service.

Anaheim Public Utilities

Anaheim Public Utilities is the only municipal owned water and electric utility in Orange County, providing residential and business customers with water and electric services. The utility is regulated and governed locally by the City Council. A Public Utilities Board, made up of Anaheim residents, advises the City Council on major utility issues.[25]

Anaheim is the only city in the United States that has decided to bury power lines along their major transportation corridors, converting its electricity system for aesthetic and reliability reasons.[26] To minimize the impact on customer bills, undergrounding is taking place slowly over a period of 50 years, funded by a 4% surcharge on electric bills.[27]

Federal, state and county representation

In the United States House of Representatives, Anaheim is split among three Congressional districts:

  • 39th, represented by Ed Royce (R) since 1993
  • 45th, represented by John Campbell (R) since 2005
  • 46th, represented by Loretta Sanchez (D) since 1997

In the California State Senate, Anaheim is split among three districts:

  • 29th, represented by Bob Huff (R) since 2008
  • 34th, represented by Lou Correa (D) since 2006
  • 37th, represented by Mimi Walters (R) since 2008

In the California State Assembly, Anaheim is split among three districts:

  • 65th, represented by Sharon Quirk-Silva (D) since 2012
  • 68th, represented by Don Wagner (R) since 2010
  • 69th, represented by Tom Daly (D) since 2012

On the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Anaheim is divided between two districts, with Anaheim Hills lying in the 3rd District and the remainder of Anaheim lying in the 4th District:

  • 3rd, represented by Todd Spitzer since 2013
  • 4th, represented by Shawn Nelson since 2010

Economy

Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland

Anaheim’s largest and most important industry is tourism. Its Anaheim Convention Center is home to many national conferences, and The Walt Disney Company is the city’s largest employer. Many hotels, especially in the city’s Resort district, serve theme park tourists and conventiongoers.

The Anaheim Canyon business park makes up 63% of Anaheim’s industrial space and is the largest industrial district in Orange County. Anaheim Canyon is also home to the second largest business park in Orange County.[28][29] Anaheim Canyon houses 2,600 businesses, which employ over 55,000 workers.[citation needed]

Several notable companies have corporate offices and/or headquarters within Anaheim.

  • Anaheim Memorial Medical Center
  • AT&T
  • Banco Popular, a bank based in Puerto Rico, has a North American headquarters in Anaheim.
  • Bridgford Foods, develops, produces, sells and distributor of food products
  • CKE Restaurants, the parent company of the Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s, Green Burrito, and Red Burrito restaurant chains
  • Extron Electronics, designs, manufactures, and services A/V electronics worldwide
  • Fisker Automotive[30]
  • Fujitsu, computer & peripheral manufacturer
  • Ganahl Lumber, oldest lumberyard in California
  • General Dynamics
  • Hewlett Packard[31]
  • Isuzu[32] North American headquarters
  • Kaiser Foundation
  • L-3 Communications
  • Pacific Sunwear
  • Panasonic[33]
  • Pendarvis Manufacturing[34]
  • Raytheon
  • Seagate[35]
  • Sunny Delight[36]
  • Taormina Industries
  • Targus, a computer peripheral manufacturer
  • Tenet Healthcare
  • Universal Alloy
  • YKK Corporation,[37] world’s largest zipper manufacturing firm
  • Yogurtland
  • Zyxel, maker of routers, switches and other networking products

Top employers

According to the City’s 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[38] the top employers in the city are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Disneyland Resort 22,660
2 Kaiser Foundation Hospitals 3,660
3 Northgate González Markets 1,900
4 Extron Electronics 1,724
5 Anaheim Memorial Medical Center 1,185
6 AT&T 1,000
7 Honda Center 1,000
8 Hilton Anaheim 920
9 West Anaheim Medical Center 774
10 Anaheim Marriott Hotel 730

Retail

Larger retail centers include the power centers Anaheim Plaza in western Anaheim (347,000 ft2),[39] and Anaheim Town Square in East Anaheim (374,000 ft2),[40] as well as the Anaheim GardenWalk lifestyle center (440,000 ft2 of retail, dining and entertainment located in the Anaheim Resort).

Crime

In 2003, Anaheim reported nine murders, this rate was one-third of the national average. Rape within the city is relatively low as well, but has been increasing, along with the national average. Robbery (410 reported incidents) and aggravated assault (824 incidents) rank among the highest violent crimes in the city, but robbery rates are still only half of the national average, and aggravated assaults are at 68% of the average. 1,971 burglaries were reported, as well as 6,708 thefts, 1,767 car thefts, and 654 car accidents. All three types of crime were below average. There were 43 cases of arson reported in 2003, 43% of the national average.[41]

Despite the 1992 Los Angeles Riots reaching almost all of Los Angeles county, Anaheim, and other cities of Orange County, were spared from violence and the city was mostly calm.

 July, 2012 protests

Main article: Anaheim police shooting and protests

In July 2012, political protests by Hispanic residents occurred following the fatal shooting of two Latino men. Other issues included significant gang activity, failure of the city to provide appropriate services to residents, domination of the city by commercial interests, and lack of political representation of Hispanic residents in the city government.[20][21][42]

Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1880 833
1890 1,273 52.8%
1900 1,456 14.4%
1910 2,628 80.5%
1920 5,526 110.3%
1930 10,995 99.0%
1940 11,031 0.3%
1950 14,556 32.0%
1960 104,184 615.7%
1970 166,408 59.7%
1980 219,494 31.9%
1990 266,406 21.4%
2000 328,014 23.1%
2010 336,265 2.5%

2010

The 2010 United States Census[43] reported that Anaheim had a population of 336,265. The population density was 6,618.0 people per square mile (2,555.2/km²). The racial makeup of Anaheim was 177,237 (52.7%) White (27.5% non-Hispanic White alone), 9,347 (2.8%) African American, 2,648 (0.8%) Native American, 49,857 (14.8%) Asian (4.4% Vietnamese, 3.6% Filipino, 2.0% Korean, 1.4% Chinese, 1.3% Indian, 0.6% Japanese, 0.2% Pakistani, 0.2% Cambodian, 0.2% Laotian, 0.1% Thai), 1,607 (0.5%) Pacific Islander, 80,705 (24.0%) from other races, and 14,864 (4.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 177,467 persons (52.8%); 46.0% of Anaheim’s population is Mexican, 1.2% Salvadoran, 1.0% Guatemalan, 0.4% Puerto Rican, 0.4% Peruvian, 0.3% Cuban, 0.3% Colombian, 0.2% Honduran, 0.2% Nicaraguan, and 0.2% Argentinean.[44]

Anaheim has historically been predominantly white.[10] The city’s formerly most populous ethnic group, non-Hispanic white,[10] has declined from 89.2% in 1970 to 27.5% in 2010.[45]

The Census reported that 332,708 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 2,020 (0.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 1,537 (0.5%) were institutionalized.

There were 98,294 households, out of which 44,045 (44.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 52,518 (53.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 14,553 (14.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 7,223 (7.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 6,173 (6.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 733 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 17,448 households (17.8%) were made up of individuals and 6,396 (6.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.38. There were 74,294 families (75.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.79.

The population was spread out with 91,917 people (27.3%) under the age of 18, 36,506 people (10.9%) aged 18 to 24, 101,110 people (30.1%) aged 25 to 44, 75,510 people (22.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 31,222 people (9.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.4 years. For every 100 females there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.

There were 104,237 housing units at an average density of 2,051.5 per square mile (792.1/km²), of which 47,677 (48.5%) were owner-occupied, and 50,617 (51.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%. 160,843 people (47.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 171,865 people (51.1%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the census[46] of 2000, there were 328,014 people, 96,969 households, and 73,502 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,842.7 inhabitants per square mile (2,587.8/km²). There were 99,719 housing units at an average density of 2,037.5 per square mile (786.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 55% White, 3% Black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 12% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 24% from other races, and 5% from two or more races. 46% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.

Of Anaheim’s 96,969 households, 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.34 and the average family size was 3.75.

In the city the population was spread out with 30.2% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.

The median income household income was $47,122, and the median family income was $49,969. Males had a median income of $33,870 versus $28,837 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,266. About 10.4% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Schools

As of May 2006, Anaheim is served by eight public school districts:[47]

  • Anaheim City School District
  • Anaheim Union High School District
  • Centralia School District
  • Magnolia School District
  • North Orange County Community College District
  • Orange Unified School District
  • Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District
  • Savanna School District

Furthermore, Anaheim is home to 84 public schools:[48]

  • Elementary 46
  • Junior High 9
  • High School 14
  • Alternative Education 6

Private schools in the city include Acaciawood Preparatory Academy, Cornelia Connelly High School, Fairmont Preparatory Academy and Servite High School.

[edit] Higher education

The City of Anaheim hosts two private universities: Anaheim University and Southern California Institute of Technology (SCIT).

[edit] Libraries

Anaheim has eight public library branches.

Transportation

In the western portion of the city (not including Anaheim Hills), the major surface streets run east to west, starting with the northernmost, Orangethorpe Avenue, La Palma Avenue, Lincoln Avenue, Ball Road and Katella Avenue. The major surface streets running north-south, starting with the westernmost, are Knott Avenue, Beach Boulevard (SR 39), Magnolia Avenue, Brookhurst Street, Euclid Street, Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim Boulevard and State College Boulevard.

The Santa Ana Freeway (I-5), the Orange Freeway (SR 57) and the Riverside Freeway (SR 91) all pass through Anaheim. The Costa Mesa Freeway (SR 55), and the Eastern Transportation Corridor (SR 241) also have short stretches within the city limits.

Anaheim is served by two major railroads, the Union Pacific Railroad and the BNSF Railway. In addition, the Anaheim Amtrak station, a major regional train station near Angel Stadium, serves both Amtrak and Metrolink rail lines, and the Anaheim Canyon Metrolink station serves Metrolink’s IEOC Line.

The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) provides bus service for Anaheim with local and county-wide routes, and both the OCTA and the Los Angeles County Metro offer routes connecting Anaheim to Los Angeles County. Also, the not-for-profit Anaheim Resort Transit (ART) provides local shuttle service in the Disneyland Resort area serving local hotels and both the California Adventure and Disneyland theme parks, and Disney GOALS, operates daily free bus service for low-income youth in the central Anaheim area.

Anaheim is equidistant from both John Wayne Airport and Long Beach Airport (15 miles), but is also accessible from nearby Los Angeles International (30 miles), and Ontario (35 miles) airports.[48]

The city will also be the home to the ARTIC transportation center, which will connect bus, rail including the California High-Speed Rail Network and the proposed Anaheim Fixed-Guideway Transit Corridor.[49][50]

Attractions

  • Adventure City
  • Anaheim GardenWalk, 440,000 s.f. of retail, dining and entertainment located in the Anaheim Resort
  • Anaheim Convention Center, Largest convention center on West Coast
  • Angel Stadium of Anaheim
  • Battle of the Dance dinner theater (closed in 2012)
  • Disneyland Resort
    • Disneyland
    • Disney California Adventure Park
    • Downtown Disney
      • ESPN Zone
      • House of Blues
  • The Grove of Anaheim, formerly the Sun Theater, formerly Tinseltown Studios
  • Honda Center, formerly the “Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim”
  • Anaheim Ice, Public rink for 6,000+ skaters per week
  • American Sports Centers, Home of U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team
  • Anaheim Hills Golf Course
  • Dad Miller Golf Course
  • Oak Canyon Nature Center
  • MUZEO, Art Museum located in Downtown Anaheim
  • Anaheim/OC Walk of Stars[48]

Sports teams

Street banners promoting the Mighty Ducks, now the Ducks and Angels.

Current teams

  • NHL team: Anaheim Ducks – 2007 Stanley Cup Champions
  • MLB team: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – 2002 World Series Champions
  • PASL-Pro team: Anaheim Bolts

Defunct teams

  • NLL team: Anaheim Storm (Folded after 2004–2005 season because of low attendance)
  • NFL team: Los Angeles Rams played in Anaheim from 1980 through 1994 before moving to their current home of St. Louis.
  • World Football League team: The Southern California Sun played at Anaheim Stadium from 1974–1975.
  • Arena Football League team: Anaheim Piranhas played at the Arrowhead Pond from 1994 to 1997.
  • Roller Hockey International team: Anaheim Bullfrogs played in the RHI from 1993 to 1997 and 1999, winning the Murphy Cup Championship twice.
  • American Basketball Association team: Anaheim Amigos played at the Anaheim Convention Center during the 1967–68 Season, then moved to Los Angeles.
  • ABA2000 team: Southern California Surf played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2001–2002.
  • NBADL team: Anaheim Arsenal played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2006–2009. The team is moving to Springfield, Massachusetts and being renamed for the 2009–2010 season.
  • World Team Tennis: The Anaheim Oranges[51] played in 1978.
  • Continental Indoor Soccer League Team: The Anaheim Splash, played from 1994 to 1997.
  • California Surf of the now defunct North American Soccer League played from 1978 to 1981.

Court battle against the Angels

Main article: City of Anaheim v. Angels Baseball LP

Angel Stadium of Anaheim in 2003.

On January 3, 2005, Angels Baseball LP, the ownership group for the Anaheim Angels, announced that it would change the name of the club to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Arturo Moreno believed Team spokesmen pointed out that from its inception, the Angels had been granted territorial rights by Major League Baseball to the counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, Riverside, and San Bernardino in addition to Orange County. The new owner knew the name would help him market the team to the entire Southern California region rather than just Orange County. The “of Anaheim” was included in the official name to comply with a provision of the team’s lease at Angel Stadium which requires that “Anaheim” be included in the team’s name.

Mayor Curt Pringle and other city officials countered that the name change violated the spirit of the lease clause, even if it were in technical compliance. They argued that a name change was a major bargaining chip in negotiations between the city and Disney Baseball Enterprises, Inc., then the ownership group for the Angels. They further argued that the city would never have agreed to the new lease without the name change, because the new lease required that the city partially fund the stadium’s renovation but provided very little revenue for the city. Anaheim sued Angels Baseball LP in Orange County Superior Court, and a jury trial was completed in early February 2006, resulting in a victory for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim franchise.

Anaheim appealed the court decision with the California Court of Appeal in May 2006. The case was tied up in the Appeals Court for over two years. In December 2008, the Appeals Court upheld the February 2006 Decision and ruled in favor of The Angels Organization. In January 2009, The Anaheim City Council voted not to appeal the court case any further, bringing an end to the four year legal dispute between the City of Anaheim and the Angels Organization.

Notable people

  • Joseph M. Acaba – NASA astronaut[52]
  • Rebecca Black – Singer who rose to controversial fame after uploading the now much maligned video to the popular video network YouTube, “Friday”
  • Amanda Babin – 4th-placer on Cycle 7 of America’s Next Top Model[53]
  • Michelle Babin – 5th-placer on Cycle 7 of America’s Next Top Model[54]
  • Angela Perez Baraquio, former Miss America (2001)[55]
  • Larry Beckett – poet and songwriter[56]
  • Moon Bloodgood – actress[57]
  • Rudolph Boysen – horticulturist who created the boysenberry[58]
  • Jeff Buckley – singer-songwriter and guitarist[59]
  • Tim Buckley – singer-songwriter, experimental vocalist, and musician[60]
  • Austin Butler – actor[61]
  • Mark William Calaway – professional wrestler known as The Undertaker in the WWE.
  • Rod Carew – former Major League Baseball player[62]
  • Carlos Cavazo – former guitarist for the heavy metal, glam metal and hard rock band Quiet Riot[63]
  • Milorad Čavić – Serbian swimmer[64]
  • Rosalind Chao – actress[65]
  • Lou Correa – politician and California State Legislator[66]
  • Don Davis – film score composer, conductor, and orchestrator[67]
  • Joe DeRenzo – jazz musician[68]
  • Reuben Droughns – National Football League player[69]
  • Rob Dyrdek – Professional skater
  • Eden Espinosa – singer and stage actress[70]
  • Jim Fassel – head coach of the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League[71]
  • Jeff Feagles – Former National Football League player[72]
  • Daniel Fells – National Football League player[73]
  • Jim Fielder – bassist for rock group Blood, Sweat & Tears[74]
  • Jorge Flores – professional soccer player[75]
  • Lori Harrigan – Olympic softball player[76]
  • Bobby Hatfield – singer, one half of the musical duo the Righteous Brothers[77]
  • Stephen Hillenburg – creator of SpongeBob SquarePants
  • John Huarte – former National Football League player[78]
  • Tommy John – former Major League Baseball player[79]
  • Carl and Margaret Karcher – founders of the Carl’s Jr. hamburger chain[80][81]
  • Frankie Kazarian – professional wrestler[citation needed]
  • Samuel Kraemer – rancher, oilman, and businessman[citation needed]
  • Thomas H. Kuchel – United States Senator and Republican Party whip[82]
  • Mark Langston – former Major League Baseball player[83]
  • Crystal Lewis – Singer
  • Rob Liefeld – comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher[84]
  • Mike Lockwood – professional wrestler, best known as Crash Holly[85]
  • Chris Manderino – National Football League player[86]
  • Alli Mauzey – Actress/Singer
  • Donnie Moore – former Major League Baseball player[87]
  • Marcus Mumford – Lead singer of Grammy-nominated folk band Mumford and Sons.[88]
  • Bill Murphy – Major League Baseball player[89]
  • Naomi Nari Nam – figure skater[90]
  • Connie Needham – actress[91]
  • Augie Nieto – entrepreneur and founder of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis charity Augie’s Quest[92]
  • Brian Noble – former National Football League player[93]
  • No Doubt – Grammy Award-winning rock group[94]
  • Curt Pringle – politician, Mayor of Anaheim, and Speaker of the California State Assembly[95]
  • Alyson Reed – dancer and actress[96]
  • Linda Sánchez – U.S. Congresswoman[97]
  • Loretta Sanchez – U.S. Congresswoman[97]
  • Steve Scarsone – former Major League Baseball player[98]
  • John F. Seymour – United States Senator and Mayor of Anaheim[99]
  • Dana Schoenfield – 1972 Olympic Games Silver Medalist in Swimming[100]
  • Teemu Selänne – National Hockey League player
  • Harry Sidhu – politician and Anaheim City Councilman[101]
  • Steve Soto – punk musician and bassist for Agent Orange and The Adolescents[citation needed]
  • Stacey Q – synthpop and dance-pop singer, dancer, and actress[102]
  • Gwen Stefani – singer, songwriter, fashion designer, and frontwoman of the rock band No Doubt[94]
  • Tairrie B – former rapper and later alternative metal frontwoman for Tura Satana and My Ruin[citation needed]
  • Chris Tillman, Baseball player: Baltimore Orioles pitcher [103]
  • Kenneth Michael Trentadue[citation needed]
  • Mark Trumbo – Major League Baseball player[104]
  • Lisa Tucker – singer and finalist on the fifth season of American Idol[105]
  • Milo Ventimiglia – actor[106]
  • Jennifer Warnes, Oscar-winning singer of “I Had The Time Of My Life” from Dirty Dancing.
  • Tiger Woods, professional golfer.
  • Jaret Wright – former Major League Baseball player[107]

Sister cities

  • Japan Mito, Japan
  • Spain Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
  • Eritrea Asmara, Eritrea

Twin Sister cities

  • Eritrea Asmara, Eritrea

Posted in Anaheim | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

OC GOP Should Rescind Kring Endorsement

Posted by OC Insider on October 7, 2012

Word on the street, as they say, is that a request has been made for the Republican Party of Orange County to rescind its endorsement of Anaheim council candidate Lucille Kring, in light of the fact that she solicited and received a contribution from the Anaheim Police Officers PAC in June of this year (first reported on this blog).

News of the OC Political post reached the former councilmember, whose first instinct was to call left-wing blogger Vern Nelson and ask reaction was to call left-wing blogger Vern Nelson, and ask him to convey her response. Here’s what Vern commented on the earlier post:

Lucille called me from out canvassing – I guess I’m the bloggiest guy I know! – someone told her about this story, and she asked me to write:

She had been planning to give back that money since she took that pledge;  her husband is her treasurer and was supposed to do that, but he’s been traveling a lot lately partly because his mother recently died;  but she will return it POSTHASTE!

Kring took the police union contribution on June 20, as she reported on page four of her January 1-June 30 campaign disclosure. She calls a left-wing blogger to explain she had meant to return it, but still had not done so three-and-a-half months later.

This is the first instance of Kring acknowledging getting the police union donation, and only because this blog has made it public. As you can see, on page 1, the very first thing candidates are asked to sign their name to — before even answering whether or not they are Republicans — is a the “Union-Free” pledge. It is spelled out in capital letters:

“I WILL NOT ACCEPT CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS FROM GOVERNMENT UNIONS.”

She admits to blogger Vern Nelson that she was and is aware that this contribution violates the Baugh Manifesto, from which this pledge comes.

It is common knowledge in Anaheim political circles that Lucille Kring actively approached Anaheim police union officers and consultants seeking the union’s support. She did this even as she was cultivating OC GOP Central Committee members for their endorsement.

Kring is not a first-time candidate. She is aware of the Baugh Manifesto and the pledge candidates seeking the party endorsement have to take. She knows taking government union money is incompatible with seeking the OC GOP endorsement, but she still did both.

She withheld from the OC GOP Central Committee the fact that she had sought and received financial support from the Anaheim police union. That $500 contribution was still in her campaign account, three and a half months after accepting it a and almost a month after getting the OC GOP endorsement. Kring is saying she’ll return now that it has been made public, but what if it hadn’t been exposed? After all, Kring didn’t tell the Central Committee about it when she had the chance.

It’s unlikely the OC GOP would have endorsed Kring if it had known about the police union contribution. That contribution sends a message of its own: that Kring was cultivating the police union, and would have gone on cultivating it if the OC GOP endorsement had gone the other way.

The OC GOP can let this go and send the message that the party can be had, that the Central Committee members can be snookered, that you can get both the OC GOP endorsement and government union campaign contributions if you can keep the former in the dark long enough about the latter.

Or it can fix this mistake. Letting this slide would be unfair to candidates who have been refused the endorsement for the same offense. The party should apply the “Union-Free” pledge the same way to every candidate. It should start by rescinding its endorsement of Lucille Kring.

Posted in Anaheim | Tagged: , , | 4 Comments »

Still Waiting For An Answer, Cynthia

Posted by OC Insider on September 25, 2012

Catch this exchange between Anaheim blogger Cynthia Ward and former RedCounty blogger Matt Cunningham, who has an issue with ballot-box policymaking like an initiative in Anaheim Ward supports. True to form, Ward turns it into a personality conflict and accuses everyone of having ulterior motives.

Speaking of ulterior, Cynthia is still staying mum on who is paying her legal fees on her failed attempt to have “Chavez” struck from Anaheim Council candidate Steve Chavez Lodge’s ballot name.  Strange silence from someone who describes her self this way:

“I am a truth-teller. It gets me in trouble. But if you ask me if a dress makes you look fat, I will tell so, and help select another, before you go on television and realize it for yourself. My real friends are expected to be truthful with me as well. A secret shared will be taken to my grave, but lie to me, and it will end up here…on these pages… especially if you are tasked with the stewardship of public resources.”

Ward, as a director of the OC Cemetery District, is a “steward of public resources.” She votes to approve or disapprove budgets, contracts, etc. Gifts are reportable. She still needs to clear  up this question mark hovering over her about whether she has violated TIN CUP.

Posted in Anaheim | Tagged: , , , | 14 Comments »

Galloway Was For “Tax Giveaways” Before She Was Against Them

Posted by HBK on September 13, 2012

As others here have noted, Anaheim politics nowadays makes for strange bedfellows and alliances.

Anaheim Councilwoman Lorri Galloway has been the toughest critic of the city’s deal with the GardenWalk project, under which Anaheim rebates 80% of the hotel project’s transient occupancy tax revenue back to the two hotels for 15 years.  This is larger than the 50-50 TOT splits the city has done in the past with resort district hotels.

Galloway has denounced the GardenWalk deal as a “tax giveaway” and declares this is not “a good time to give $158 million of taxpayer money away to one developer.”

A few years ago, she thought it was a good idea to give tax money to a developer, far in excess of normal standards. This excerpt from a October 2008 post on a now-dormant blog called “No On Galloway” explains how when it came to an Anaheim affordable housing project called the Elm Street Commons, a different view of developer subsidies prevailed:

“It seems the funding on this project got a little creative. On November 28, 2006, SADI, the developer for Elm Street Commons, came to City Council to have their standard DDA approved through the Housing Authority. Standard practice in Anaheim is to give the developer money, to be paid back over time, 85% to the City, and the developer keep 15% as profit. The 85% is then recycled into more housing projects, which keeps Anaheim building apartments for the working poor. Whether you agree with building subsidized housing or not, it is an efficient system. In the development of the Elm Street Commons, the City offered many millions of dollars in direct funding, plus incentives added later such as a sewer project the developer decided the City should do. Rather than approve the otherwise ordinary deal, now-convicted-felon Richard Chavez pulled the development from the Consent Calendar, allowing discussion. In the end, the City Council, led by Chavez and backed by Lorri Galloway, changed the condition of the agreement, bumping the developer’s profit from the standard 15% to a whopping and unprecedented 50% profit for a private corporation!!”

Increasing the traditional 50-50 TOT split to 80-20 for one developer is a “tax giveaway.” But increasing the city-funded profit margin from 15% to 50% for another developer is legitimate?

The post continues:

“Why would Lorri Galloway take money from the very people she claims to champion? Perhaps the answer is in her Council statement, as she looked at the developer and admonished him, “I hope you acknowledge how much Council has been supportive of you.”

“Well the developers at Elm Street Commons sure did remember to acknowledge that 35% jump in their profits, funded by robbing Anaheim’s working poor. Again funneling money through PAC filings with Treasurer Kinde Durkee, who is frequently under investigation by the FPPC, a donation of $15,000 was made by Elm Street, which funded the Clear Channel billboards Lorri has all over the City. They also underwrote a large mailing, and the graphic arts for the mail piece.”

Food for thought.

Posted in Anaheim | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

His Master’s Voice

Posted by OC Insider on September 10, 2012

Anaheim city council candidate John Leos was on the OCEA Board of Directors from 2008 until early this year. OCEA is the union representing County of Orange employees. OCEA also represents its affiliate, the Anaheim Municipal Employees Association. He was also a director of the OCEA Political Action Committee. OCEA spent north of $200,000 trying to elect Leos to the Anaheim Council in 2010.

You get the picture: Leos is the public employee union candidate for Anaheim city council.

Leos has tried to distance himself from OCEA. He left the union board of directors this year. He and his supporters started putting out the word that he was unhappy with OCEA and its tactics. Sure. That’s believable.

But only last year, in an interview with OCEA Magazine, Leos had this advice for fellow union members looking to get more involved:

Q: What do you suggest other OCEA members do if they want to get involved?

A: Become a steward and attend rallies. Also, read all the emails (from OCEA General Manager Nick Berardino) and ask your co-workers to do so.

Oh my. “Read all e-mail from [Nick Berardino] and ask your co-workers to do so.” That’s a bit too much of a “We hear and obey, Dear Leader” mindset for our comfort.

You can read all of the interview here.

Oh wait – sorry. The OCEA has scrubbed that incriminating content from their website. Fortunately, you can see read it in the PDF version of the Winter 2011 OCEA Magazine here. Go to page 24.

Posted in Anaheim | Tagged: , , , , | 5 Comments »

Chutzpah at OC GOP Endorsement Committee

Posted by OC Insider on September 6, 2012

Chris Nguyen’s account of last night OC GOP Endorsement Committee meeting makes it sound like it would have been a fun one to watch, especially the chutzpah of some of those doing to talking.

Here’s an example from Chris’s blogging about the Endorsement Committee’s consideration of Anaheim council candidates Brian Chuchua and Steve Chavez Lodge:

“Tim Whitacre says, “On behalf of Mayor Tom Tait, who previously endorsed Mr. Lodge, has unendorsed Mr. Lodge.”  He asks if Lodge has sought union support in violation of the non-union pledge in the OCGOP questionnaire.”

Whitacre’s concern is ironic considering this spring and summer, he worked for a public employee union PAC. He ran the Take Back Anaheim Initiative, which, according to its campaign filing, is “sponsored by the Orange County Employees Association.”

“Take Back Anaheim” was a ballot-box budgeting initiative under which the City Council would cede to the voters its authority to make a very specific spending decision regarding hotel bed tax money. So very conservative.

It was funded by $66,000 from the OCEA, and led by left-wing Anaheim Councilwoman Lorri Galloway (who last month was trying to ban circus animals from Anaheim).

More accurately, according to left-wing blogger Vern Nelson, Take Back Anaheim was “spearheaded by progressive Democrat Galloway and Tea-Party Republican Tim Whitacre…”

Almost all of the OCEA’s $66,000 went to Whitacre, as you can see on Page 3 of Take Back Anaheim’s mid-year campaign report: note the $61,000 payment for petition circulating, which is Whitacre’s business.

Here’s Mr. Whitacre quoted in the OC Register in May as spokesman for the Galloway/OCEA initiative:

“We were under such a tight timeline that I felt I had to suspend the effort to continue collecting signatures until we could figure out whether it was worth moving forward,” Tim Whitacre, the campaign’s coordinator, said Friday. “Otherwise, it would be just throwing good money after bad.”

Nice that Whitacre’s so concerned about spending the OCEA’s money well.

So until a few weeks ago, Tim Whitacre is working for a left-wing Democratic politician’s initiative and being paid by the county’s biggest public employee union.

And he’s questioning Lodge has an inappropriate relationship with unions?

There’s More

Here’s another one from Chris’s post:

“Lucille Kring, who has already been endorsed by the Central Committee in early endorsements, speaks for Chuchua and against Steve Chavez Lodge for the latter’s contributions to Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez and the allegations that Lodge committed police brutality.”

Kring cites Lodge’s contribution to a Democrat as a reason for opposing him, but supports Brian Chuchua, who donated in 2010 to John Santoianni, a liberal Democrat running for Anaheim City Council (because he was “curious” about Santoianni). That must be an OK reason to give to a Democrat.

Speaking of Brian Chuchua, here he is claiming Lodge is tied to Jordan Brandman, a Democratic candidate for Anaheim City Council:

“Chuchua interjects that there’s pictures of Brandman and Lodge at events together.”

Here’s a recent picture of Brian Chuchua together at an event with fellow Anaheim council candidate John Leos (on the left):

Leos is the union’s anointed candidate. The OCEA spent more than $200,000 for Leos’ 2010 council run, spent almost $100,000 in 2011 on mailers promoting Leos, and will surely pull out the stops for him this year.

According to Chuchua’s reasoning, this picture ties Chuchua to Leos and his union backers, so Chuchua needs to inform OC GOP Central Committee members about his suspect ties to unions at the next meeting.

UPDATE: Here’s an image from the Secretary of State’s campaign finance disclosure website (search “Orange County Employees Association Issues Committee”), showing a direct payment from OCEA to Tim Whitacre:

It looks like OCEA directly hired Whitacre to set up the Take Back Anaheim campaign operation, and Whitacre was subsequently paid through the Take Back Anaheim committee.

Posted in Anaheim, Orange County, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , | 37 Comments »

Creating Wards In Anaheim Would Be A Mistake

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on July 3, 2012

It has been brought to my attention that some misinformed people are pushing for a system that would separate Anaheim into different wards for the City Council races. I will disclose up front that I am a resident of Anaheim Hills and an appointed member of the Anaheim Housing Commission. The concept of putting wards in place is simply a waste of time and resources.

Only 3 other Cities use a Ward system in Orange County (Santa Ana, Newport Beach, and Seal Beach) and Santa Ana has a bizarre system where the entire City votes for the Councilmembers despite the fact that they have to live in the wards.

Anaheim currently has 4 members of the Council (including the Mayor) that live in Anaheim Hills and one minority on the Council. These members were all fairly elected to the Council by the entire City, whether you like them or not they and according to the 2010 Orange County Registrar of Voters Statement of Votes Kris Murray, Gail Eastman, and Tom Tait all won the area covered by the Anaheim Union High School District (http://www.ocvote.com/fileadmin/user_upload/sov/gen2010/sov-web.pdf).

Lets take a look back at the winning candidates for Anaheim City Council/Mayor going back to 2002:

2002- Curt Pringle, Bob Hernandez, & Richard Chavez (All 3 did not live in Anaheim Hills)
2004- Lorri Galloway & Harry Sidhu (Both do live in Anaheim Hills)
2006- Curt Pringle, Lucille Kring, &  Bob Hernandez (Only 1 lived in Anaheim Hills)
2008- Lorri Galloway & Harry Sidhu (Both do live in Anaheim Hills)
2010- Tom Tait, Kris Murray, & Gail Eastman (2 live in Anaheim Hills)
(All data comes from http://www.ocvote.com/)

These numbers show that both candidates from Anaheim Hills and the flatlands win races for the City Council and Mayor. It is not some conspiracy that has been put together to keep candidates on the City Council that only live in Anaheim Hills as 2010-2012 is the only time frame i the past 10 years where we have seen 4 Councilmembers living in Anaheim Hills.

Voters should  have a right to vote for the best candidates running for City Council regardless of where they live and what race that they are. In my opinion this not only should be the rule for Anaheim but any City including Santa Ana, Seal Beach, and Newport Beach.

Arguably the 2 front-runners for Anaheim City Council in November are Lucille Kring and Steve Chavez-Lodge (neither on lives in Anaheim Hills). Much like the stock market Councilmembers in terms of where they live are cyclical. Sometimes candidates from the flatlands win and other times candidates from the hills win.

I can’t believe that I am saying this but one of the better articles that I have seen on statistical reasoning against switching to a ward system comes from Gustavo Arellano at the OC Weekly who penned this http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2012/06/aclu_anaheim_lawsuit_latinos.php. He and I may not agree on much in terms of policy but he absolutely hit it out of the park with this story even though I don’t agree with some of the ways he expressed his position in the article.

Hopefully the system in Anaheim stays the same and we can continue to simply vote for candidates that will represent all of Anaheim not just their specific wards.

Posted in Anaheim | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »