Friday, May 21, 2010

OC Register Op-Ed

Worth re-reading is the OC Register's editorial on the 4th District race from March 22, 2010 titled "Editorial: Fourth District supervisor race draws six".  Here is a sampling to wet you whistle.
"Two members of the Anaheim City Council, Harry Sidhu and Lorri Galloway, have filed their intentions to run. Mr. Sidhu said he is running to "alleviate some of burdensome regulations in the county" in an effort to help create "more makers and less takers."
Ms. Galloway says in a video on her Web site that she wants to focus on jobs and the economy, though an example she gives as a job generator is high-speed rail, a tax-funded, big-government boondoggle."
The editorial closes out with this:
"The Register's Editorial Board plans to talk more with the candidates for supervisor in the coming weeks, assessing their positions and competence for the nonpartisan job. At the very least, the next supervisor must be a staunch advocate for property rights and opposing eminent domain, for reducing the size of county government, and, most importantly, for hard-nosed pension reform."

For those who missed it, the OC Register said that "At the very least, the next supervisor must be a staunch advocate for property rights and opposing eminent domain, for reducing the size of county government, and, most importantly, for hard-nosed pension reform."  It is clear who that person will be, Shawn Nelson.  He is the only candidate who meets ALL of the Register's requirements.  June 8th is fast approaching and I smell victory!

Harish "Harry" Sidhu - OC Carpetbagger

I saw these signs in front of Walgreen's at Chapman Avenue at Raymond Avenue in Fullerton.  With the June 8th Primary approaching quickly, I thought it would be good to remind my friends what it means to be a carpetbagger in Orange County.  
Back on February 3, 2010 I told you about Carpetbaggers and Their Luggage.  The term carpetbagging refers to a politician who runs for public office in an area in which he or she is not originally from and/or has only lived for a very short time.  It is implied that the politician does not fully appreciate or understand issues facing the constituents in the new jurisdiction.  The politician assumes that he or she knows best how to lead and manage the affairs of the servient tenement.  This arrogant elitist attitude is prevalent in carpetbaggers as the swoop in to a community to "save" them from their own undoing. 

Of course, this assumes that the carpetbagger's intentions are pure.  However, qualities related to purity as they may also relate to politicians are on their face questionable for a myriad of reasons.  I don't think anyone would necessarily want a politician that has NEVER strayed or deviated from what their constituents might believe to be core values.  Rather, I believe that constituents with certain life experience look for those and identify with others who have had similar experience.  Therefore, constituents look for familiarity at the expense of purity.  I believe when a politician sets their political platform's bar too high, constituents see this as a fraud being perpetrated on them by an outsider.  This higher-than-thou attitude is painfully obvious and seems to me to encourage a disingenuous pretense.  False purity in a politician has the same inverse effect on people as does someone who has to stoop to see through the eyes of their constituents that which is clear and obvious to all but the politician.
Looking inside the carpetbag we find an opportunistic political predator.  They tend to be career politicians who are either termed out or are simply looking for a promotion.  A politician facing term limits and who chooses to run for another office within their jurisdiction, I believe is an unfortunate fact we are faced with.  However, when the  politician is so desperate that they seek offices outside of their jurisdiction, we have to question their loyalty to and understanding of the people for whom they wish to represent.  

An important point to mention is that carpetbagging, so far as I know is not a crime.  Although I am not an attorney, I can think of no law in California that says a candidate shall be a resident of a jurisdiction for a specific period of time prior to seeking election to a public office within a given jurisdiction.  So, for the sake of discussion, we must assume that the carpetbagger has not committed perjury by stating a false address on their voter registration form thereby committing a crime.  Absent the fraud and perjury, what is it that makes carpetbagging an undesirable trait?  I return your direction to the second paragraph above:
"The term carpetbagging refers to a politician who runs for public office in an area in which he or she is not originally from and/or has only lived for a very short time. It is implied that the politician does not fully appreciate or understand issues facing the constituents in the new jurisdiction. The politician assumes that he or she knows best how to lead and manage the affairs of the servient tenement."
How do you know that "the politician does not fully appreciate or understand issues facing the constituents"?  Just ask them detailed and specific questions about some of the issue on your mind.  If you are concerned with government spending, ask them what will be the first program that is cut?  If you are concerned that the local women & children's shelter will get cut, ask them what they plan to do to save it.  Be direct and listen to their answer.  A politician worth your vote will likely have one of two answers.  Either they are sympathetic to your concern and will give a detailed response or they will quickly and directly admit that they know nothing about your concern but are willing to learn more before making any hasty decisions.  Conversely, if they stutter and search their notes for the answers, you need not give them your vote.  These are true with any candidate; you have to learn who they are and what they represent. 

The consummate carpetbagger will try in vein to hide or discount the relevance of being deemed a carpetbagger, but it is important to understand just how significant the negative impact of carpetbagging really is.  Carpetbagging is an indication of a candidates lack of ethics and their insincerity towards the office they seek and the constituents they represent.  In my opinion, carpetbagging is prima facie evidence contrary to that of traditional conservatism.  In fact, carpetbagging is rather strong evidence of a liberal philosophy that concedes a candidates position on certain topics is sufficient reason to vote for them without regard for the candidates clearly unethical behavior.  I believe this to be a strong indicator of a serious character flaw. 

This June 8th, I hope you will take a moment to consider all of the implications resulting from your vote for a carpetbagger and the detriment it will place on our community.
Now for some fun!  Can you identify these carpetbaggers?



And in case you missed a history lesson:



Northern General Milton S. Littlefield,
"The Prince of Carpetbaggers"
This former general was notorious for his role in the North Carolina railroad frauds. He was aided and abetted in his schemes by Wilmington carpetbagger George Z. French and fellow Northern general and carpetbagger Joseph C. Abbott, who came ashore at Fort Fisher in February, 1865.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Harish "Harry" Sidhu's Clueless Response on Pension Benefits

Thanks to Friends For Fullerton's Future for this video which lifts the veil on Sidhu's ignorance when it comes to public employee benefits, a subject which many voters consider to be the single biggest issue facing OC tax payers as the County attempts to avoid a second bankruptcy.  It is amazing that this man was ever voted to serve on the Anaheim City Council.  I hear he is a nice guy, but is nice enough??  How about some clue, a pinhole of light, a glimmer of hope as to what happens at the county-level of government and the challenges the OC Board of Supervisors are currently facing!

Harish "Harry" Sidhu Rally Bumbles Along

This is amazing!  And this guy wants to represent the Orange County's 4th District?  No thanks!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Sidhu's Own Words - "I'm a positive guy."

Exactly two years ago, after trying unsuccessfully to

smear Republican Mimi Walters, Harry Sidhu held a

press conference and shredded the remaining “hit pieces”

he was planning to mail.



Here is what he had to say about his own negative campaign:



"I'm a positive guy."



"Our voters deserve better."



"I'll be focusing only on positive campaigning for

the remaining two weeks left in this race."



"I've pulled and will not mail any printed campaign

material that contains any negative attacks..."



"I will be shredding all those materials

that is here right in front of you today."



"That is the message I will be sending."



"Now it is time to shred."






That was then, this is now...

Shawn Nelson Precinct Walk - Placentia

I've been able to do a few precinct walks and I found them to be lots of fun and full of exercise!  My first time out I thought someone was surely going to slam the door on me but they didn't.  I found many people to be warm and engaging. 
Please take an hour or two out of your day to walk for Shawn Nelson!

OCGOP Central Committee - Allan Bartlett and Shawn Nelson

You may have read a rant or two regarding how I feel about the OCGOP and the lack of ethical leadership and the fact that we need to make some changes. The ONLY way to change a political party, at least on the local level, is to change it from within by electing quality leaders to the central committee. For the non-political types, central committees are the official representative bodies of political parties in a given county. The committee is made up of representatives from each of Orange County’s State Assembly Districts. For example, the 72nd Assembly District, which covers several north OC cities, has 6 representatives on the central committee. Each county may be different depending on how many assembly districts are in the county. Each member is elected by the voters who are registered members of recognized parties in their respective district. From what I have read, if you are registered as DECLINE-TO-STATE or DS, you cannot vote for any party’s central committee candidates. So, the first step to reformation of the Republican Party is to register as a Republican. The second step is to elect to the central committee only those candidates who demonstrate values similar to yours. With that understanding, let’s look at a couple of candidates who are running for the OCGOP (OC Republican Party) central committee. I have met each of these candidates and have seen the way they battle against the old regime which has fostered a culture of corruption.

Allan Bartlett is running for re-election to represent the 70th Assembly District on the central committee. The 70th AD is comprised of Irvine, Newport Beach, Tustin, Lake Forest, and Laguna Woods. You may have read some of Allan’s insightful and thoughtful articles on Red County Blog. The last I heard, Allan had been locked out of the blog by chief editor, Chip Hanlon because Hanlon couldn’t muzzle Allan’s criticism of the blog and OCGOP’s hypocrisy. Allan is respected by those who want lower taxes and smaller government. He is feared by those who are being fed from the government trough of consulting contracts. Allan is willing to stand up and say what we all want to say but are sometimes too concerned with what people might think. I have tremendous respect for Allan because I know he is often alone in his dissent for the old regime’s culture of corruption. Few committee members can hold a candle to Allan Bartlett’s determination to do the right thing even in the face of opposition. If you are registered as a Republican, live in the 70th AD, and you want to see the party return to its traditional platform, vote for Allan Bartlett.

Let’s now head north to my home district, the 72nd Assembly District. The 72nd AD represents Fullerton, Brea, Placentia, and parts of Anaheim and Orange. You may think it includes Irvine if your name is Ackerman. We have a newcomer to the central committee, Shawn Nelson. If you don’t know who Shawn Nelson is, go open your mail box. He is the officially endorsed Republican Party of California and OC Republican Party candidate for the 4th District County Board of Supervisors. According to the Orange County Employee’s Association, Nelson is criminal defense attorney who represents terrorists and child rapists. Of course, these are lies from the employees union who fears Nelson. For years he has been an outspoken critic of public employee unions and the outrageous pensions they demand. Nelson owns a law firm with as many as a dozen attorneys. So far as I have been able to tell, Shawn Nelson is a tort attorney. He is the guy I would call to go after a client who breaches a contract. I have asked around and NO ONE can give me a case number or criminal defendant’s name which had Shawn Nelson as the defense attorney. Then there is the Harish “Harry” Sidhu attack mailer regarding the Fox Fullerton, an old theater that is a local landmark. Sidhu seems to think that Fullerton voters would be shocked and angry that Nelson voted for the City to give the theater money. The problem is that most Fullerton residents were ok with his vote. In fact many thought the City should have done more by purchasing the Fox and rebuilding it rather than waiting for the current community group to obtain sufficient donations. The bottom line is that Shawn Nelson has pissed off a lot of people because he can’t be controlled by the public employee unions. Recently, Shawn debated various topics with Sidhu, his 4th District opponent. It was immediately clear that Nelson knew far more about County-wide issues than Sidhu. But is Nelson’s knowledge of the County sufficient reason to vote for him to be a county supervisor or even a central committee member? No.

A candidate must posses a philosophy on issues which you can identify with and I believe Shawn Nelson’s philosophy on many issues is similar to mine. I believe property rights are important and should not be unreasonably infringed upon without good cause. I believe that local government can create a business-friendly environment that attracts growth. I believe our local government is important but generally wasteful. I don’t know for a fact that Shawn Nelson would agree with me on these few issues but his voting record and the few brief conversations I have had with him indicate he at least tends to lean in the same direction as I do. Shawn Nelson most certainly will get my vote!

And, if for no other reason, I have yet to see Nelson throw a temper tantrum as a city council member like the majority of his elected peers on Fullerton’s council have done.

Remember, the central committee is the political body which endorses candidates on behalf of the party. They create policy and give the party its direction. There are other candidates running in other districts around Orange County, and probably throughout the state, but these two individuals have the right stuff to bring the OCGOP back to the basics. Try to email all of the candidates and find out what they stand for. Are they just a lot of talk?  Have they demonstrated through their political involvement and actions that they will continue to act in a manner that is consistent with their vocalized beliefs? The ONLY way to change the Republican Party is to elect like-minded conservatives to the central committee like Shawn Nelson and Allan Bartlett.

You can learn more about the OCGOP’s central committee at http://www.ocgop.org/about/committee/.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Junk Mail and Elections

If you live in Fullerton or parts of Orange County's 4th Supervisorial District, then you are probably familiar with some of the wild political ads arriving daily. Some are ridiculous boasts of good deeds and strong support while others are just down right mean. With all of the flack flying, it can be difficult to tell who is good and who is bad. For that matter, depending on your political philosophy, all of the candidates could be great. But the uninformed voter will be lost in a tornado of mud and inflammatory allegations with some being righteous and others just rude.

So who is right? Who is the best candidate and why?

It is easy to see the many messes made by incumbents. They have had time to make decisions, the results of which are evident and measurable. We can review council and board minutes as well as video recordings of the meetings. We can look at departmental expenditures and contracts. We can take public polls to see what voters think of their elected leaders. We can look at votes of confidence to see what employees think of their employers. These are all great tools for us to use in understanding the incumbent. But what about new candidates? How can we learn about someone who has never been elected? The only way to know is to ask them, their coworkers, business partners, supervisors, employees.

In the races I am primarily concerned with this June, I think I know enough about those candidates to know who I would like to see win. Do you? Have you done your homework and understand who is running and what their motivation is? When you get a mailer that quotes a newspaper article, do you look up the actual article to see who wrote it and what the author's motivation may have been? Do you try to research other stories to understand the dynamics involved? Can you trust bloggers, like me, to provide you with accurate information?
Sometimes you just have to ask the candidates about subjects that you think are important and see what they have to say. I have done that with Bill Hunt who is an outstanding man and truly a fearless leader, the likes of which Orange County has never seen. I have asked Hieu "Hugh" Nguyen, candidate for Clerk-Recorder, what he planned to do when he wins the race. Hugh made it clear that he is a leader and a mentor. He wants to lead by example, not intimidation. I have had a few brief conversations with Shawn Nelson, who is a current Fullerton councilman and candidate for OC Supervisor. Despite being an attorney, Shawn is able to speak clearly and concisely to anyone. Ask him why he did or didn’t vote on an issue and he will likely give you a good education on the topic. And if you want to know where he stands on a given subject, just ask. I haven’t looked too deep into the other county offices and the candidates who are running for them but I will do some homework and see if I can’t find a gem in the pile.

I have tried contacting several other candidates, but none would return my emails or phone calls. Two of those were incumbents who were too busy wasting our tax-dollars to talk to me. I suppose I'm just a small fish in a big pond. But this small fish has found out some disturbing things about the current OC establishment, some of which I cannot prove without blowing the names of my multiple sources who still need their government jobs. Without getting into the name calling and HE said SHE said, I will just say that OC needs to elect some fresh blood to public offices like Bill Hunt, Shawn Nelson, and Hugh Nguyen. The others in the race, in my opinion, just aren't worth my vote. Don't take my word for it, go do your homework and learn who these people are that want your vote. Try to understand what they want. Most importantly, ask what motivates a candidate to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a job that pays $100K-$200K per year? Clearly, none of them are running for the salaries (but maybe a second pension)after spending so much of their own money (or is it their own money?). Is it ego? Is it power or prestige? Ask them and they just might tell you. They may give you the old "sense of civic duty" line or they may give you their vision for what they believe to be a better future. What exactly that better future will be will likely depend on your political philosophy.

Ronnie James Dio dead at 67, 1942-2010








Greg Sebourn

The Beauty of a Storm

The Beauty of a Storm
Orange County, Ca.

My Grandma - A Eulogy

LET'S TALK ABOUT 1914 FOR A MOMENT.



FOR STARTERS, GRANDMA WAS BORN TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1914 IN HER FAMILY'S ATWOOD RANCH HOUSE.



IT IS WORTH NOTING THOSE ALSO BORN IN 1914:

JACK LALANNE

JOE DIMAGGIO

DANNY THOMAS



AND WHO DIED IN 1914:

JOHN MUIR, THE FAMOUS NATURALIST FOR WHICH NUMEROUS ROADS, PARKS, HOTELS, AND NATURE RESERVES ARE NAMED.



IT IS ALSO WORTH NOTING THAT IN 1914 WOODROW WILSON SIGNS MOTHER'S DAY PROCLAMATION AND BABE RUTH MAKES HIS MAJOR LEAGUE DEBUT WITH THE RED SOX. MOTHER'S DAY AND BASEBALL- TWO OF MY FAVORITES!! (PERHAPS HER NICKNAME "BABE" CAME FROM BABE RUTH???)



GRANDMA WAS BORN INTO A PERIOD OF TIME FILLED WITH TURMOIL. IN JUNE OF 1914 ARCHDUKE FRANZS FERDINAND WAS ASSASSINATED. WITHIN ONE MONTH WORLD WAR I RAGED ACROSS EUROPE. TWO DAYS AFTER HER BIRTH HOWEVER, GERMAN AND BRITISH TROOPS INTERRUPTED WWI TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS. (PERHAPS THEY PAUSE KNOWING THAT A GREAT WOMAN WAS BORNE) WORLD WAR I CONTINUED UNTIL THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES IN 1919.



ALTHOUGH SHE WAS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD, SHE SAW THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS CREATED AND THE 19TH AMENDMENT WAS APPROVED BY THE U.S. CONGRESS GUARANTEEING THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN TO VOTE.



SHE LIVED THROUGH MANY NOTABLE EVENTS. LIKE THE 1933 LONG BEACH EARTHQUAKE OR WHEN ATWOOD FLOODED ALONG WITH MOST OF ORANGE COUNTY IN 1938 AND THE FLOOD-WATERS CLAIMED MORE THAN 50 PEOPLE, 43 OF WHICH WERE FROM ATWOOD! ALL OF THIS DURING A TIME THAT WE READ ABOUT IN SCHOOL AND KNOWN AS "THE GREAT DEPRESSION". SOMEWHERE IN ALL OF THAT SHE FOUND THE LOVE OF HER LIFE, GRANDPA LEO, GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL, GOT MARRIED, AND HAD KIDS!



THEN THERE WAS WORLD WAR II. FROM PEARL HARBOR TO HIROSHIMA, GRANDMA WAS RAISING MY UNCLE BOB AND MOM ARLINE. WITH AIR-RAID SIRENS AND BLACKOUTS SHE WAS A WIFE AND MOTHER. WHAT A TIME TO RAISE CHILDREN! I BET GRANDMA'S PARENTS WERE ABEL TO TELL HER A THING OR TWO ABOUT RAISING KIDS IN WARTIME.



GRANDMA WAS THERE WHEN THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA HELD THEIR 3RD ANNUAL NATIONAL JAMBOREE IN 1953. SHE SAW AIRBASES OPEN IN '42 AND CLOSE IN '99. SHE WATCHED WALTER KNOTT START UP HIS BERRY FARM AND WALT DISNEY TURN ORANGE GROVES AND STRAWBERRY PATCHES INTO DISNEYLAND!



SHE SAW THE HORSE AND CARRIAGE FADE AWAY INTO HISTORY AND SPACE TRAVEL EXPLODE BEFORE HER WITH THE FIRST LUNAR LANDING. JUST IMAGINE HOW MUCH TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED OVER THE LAST 100 YEARS. FROM TUBE RECTIFIERS TO SUPERCONDUCTORS; FROM TRANS-ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH CABLES TO SATELLITE TV.



SHE SAW MORE IN HER 93 YEARS THAN MOST OF US WILL EVER READ ABOUT, LET ALONE LIVE THROUGH!



OF THOSE 93 YEARS IT IS MY HONOR TO HAVE BEEN HER GRANDSON FOR 35 OF THEM. SHE WAS MY MOTHER WHEN MOM HAD TO WORK. SHE WIPED MY NOSE AND PUT FOOD IN MY MOUTH. SHE LET ME PLAY WITH GRANDPA EVEN THOUGH SHE NEEDED HIM TO TAKE HER TO THE STORE. SHE WAS MY GRANDMA AND I WILL MISS HER IMMENSELY.



JUST LOOK AROUND THIS ROOM; SHE DID THIS. SHE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING SO MANY GOOD PEOPLE INTO THIS WORLD AND TOGETHER TODAY. THIS IS HER LEGACY.



A Dedication To My Loving Wife, Stacey. Thank you for all you do for me!

Brad Paisley - I Thought I Loved You Then


I remember trying not to stare the night that I first met you
You had me mesmerized
3 weeks later in the front porch light taking 45 min to kiss you goodnight
I hadn’t told you yet but I thought I loved you then

Chorus
Now you’re my whole life now you’re my whole world
I just can’t believe the way I feel about you girl
Like a river meets the sea
Stronger than it’s ever been
We’ve come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then.

I remember taking you back to right where I first met you
You were so surprised
There were people around
But I didn’t care I got down on one knee right there
And once again I thought I loved you then

Chorus
Now you’re my whole life now you’re my whole world
I just can’t believe the way I feel about you girl
Like a river meets the sea
Stronger than it’s ever been
We’ve come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then.

I can just see you with a baby on the way
I can just see you when your hair is turning gray
What I can’t see is how I’m ever gonna love you more
But I’ve said that before.

Now you’re my whole life now you’re my whole world
I just can’t believe the way I feel about you girl
Well look back some day at this moment that we’re in
And I'll look at you and say I thought I loved you then
And I thought I loved you then...