Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Mail-In Ballots To Date


As you can see, there are still more than 19,000 ballots still out that need to find their way back to the OC Registrar of Voters.  According to the OC Registrar, Neal Kelley, his office has received record-breaking mail-in ballot returns to date. 
October 26, 2010 - A truckload of ballots arrived at our Santa Ana facility today in what is one of the largest returns of vote-by-mail ballots in a gubernatorial election. 40,096 ballots arrived amid heavier than normal returns to date. We are working late into the evening to process, open and scan these ballots. Our plans call for all vote-by-mail ballots received by Monday afternoon to be processed for Tuesday´s results. And no, we don´t know the results - votes are not tallied until 8 p.m. on Election Night.
Help me get out the vote this weekend. Click HERE for details on how you can help!

Monday, October 25, 2010

8 Days

With 8 days left I am walking daily and talking with Fullerton voters and concerned taxpayers.  Voters are fired up and tired of the business-as-usual attitude of City Hall.  Few are content with the direction the City of Fullerton is headed and most are upset that city "fees" (taxes) continue to rise while services are scaled back.  Taxpayers see this as civic mismanagement and they want accountability and transparency.

I have been contacted by several residents who are concerned about overnight parking in their neighborhoods.  Some really want overnight parking and some really don't want to see the neighborhood teens and their cars on the street at night.  Others don't want their neighbor's RV left out curbside. 

I have had a few calls from public employees interested hearing my ideas for pension reform.  Some are scared, some are embarrassed, but most are just concerned about their future.  And who can blame them considering the magnitude of the fiscal crisis.  Many retired Fullerton firefighters have made it clear that the current pension formula just isn't right.  All of them said it was the nature of the work which attracted them to the fire service, not the pay or pension.  They each signed up because they wanted to serve their community and they enjoyed the hours.  Until recent years, they pay was not particularly high nor was the pension.  They point back to 9-11 as the definitive moment when public safety employees garnered major attention and support from taxpayers.  Everyone could see the dangerous work they do and they could justify the higher pay and generous pension formula.  But thankfully not every day is 9-11.  Each expressed that the job just isn't as dangerous as it used to be thanks to emerging technology, new building safety standards, and training.

The campaign trail has been an amazing endeavor which, sadly, few will venture.  It is an expensive process if you hope to win which, unless you are wealthy, requires you to hold your hand out and ask for donations.  As I have repeatedly said, political campaigns are the most unworthy cause for anyone to donate to.  Often, your money would be better spent on supplies for the soup kitchen or investing in a food bank.  But in order for the common man or woman to run and win an election, it takes money and boots on the ground.  Despite being out spent 10:1 by other candidates who have received support from special interest groups, I have been able to run a strong campaign and have received tremendous support from residents, small business owners, family, and friends.

There are just 8 days left to get out the vote.  If you would like to walk with me, call Fullerton voters, or make a donation, please contact me via my campaign website, www.GregSebourn.com

And don't forget to vote on November 2nd!!!

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...