OC Register Endorses Sebourn, Paden for Fullerton Council

Editorial: Paden, Sebourn for Fullerton Council

ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Published: Oct. 15, 2014 Updated: 5:14 p.m.

Fullerton is recovering from a largely negative bout in the public limelight. A high-profile prosecution for police brutality cast shame on city governance, prompting a recall of three council members and engaging the city in questions of oversight for law enforcement.

The resulting scrutiny bore fruit: Fullerton became a pioneer in using police body cameras and is pondering a civilian review board. Yet, residents are now facing another important election, one that will no doubt greatly influence how the city engages a whole range of issues: Homelessness, infrastructure, pensions, development and more.

To continue the city on its positive path, the Register recommends the mayor pro tem, Greg Sebourn, and challenger Sean Paden for City Council.

Read more...

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/sebourn-638666-city-paden.html 

Sean Paden, JD

Greg Sebourn, PLS

Join NOCCC To Meet Your Local Candidates - TOMORROW

North Orange County Conservative Coalition 

www.nocconservatives.org 

Local elected officials go on to become our State and National leaders. The important decisions we make at the Ballot Box on June 5 and in November effect our daily lives and our future. 

REMINDER
Join NOCCC To Meet Your Local Candidates 
THURSDAY 

Please invite your neighbors, friends and familyand especially NEW VOTERS!

 

TOMORROW! Thursday, April 12, 2012
7:00 – 9:00 pm

Let's talk about how Orange County 
and the media will cover the elections 
          with special guest speaker and Master of Ceremony

Brian Calle        

Please join us as Brian introduces many of our invited local candidates running for office including 3rd District Orange County Board of Supervisors; Anaheim, Brea, FULLERTON, La Habra, Orange, Placentia, Yorba Linda City Council; School Board and Orange County Republican Party Central Committee.

Brian Calle is an Opinion Columnist for the Orange County Register and President of the Young Executives of America. He is also the Managing Director of Gambit Consulting Group, a Senior Fellow at the Claremont Institute, Editor of FreedomPolitics.com, a Distinguished Speaker in the Friedman Foundation School Choice Speaker's Bureau and a member of the Board of Governors for the University of Southern California.

**One hour from 8:00pm - 9:00pm will be set aside for
folks to meet and chat with candidates who wish to stay. 
       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Foxfire Restaurant Conference Room, 5717 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road, Anaheim, 91 Freeway @ Imperial Highway 

Dessert & Coffee provided. $5 suggested donation to help cover costs.
Please RSVP to Desaré deseric@sbcglobal.net or Karlakarladowning@aol.com
Why not dine at the Foxfire Restaurant before the meeting?
Separate reservations required through the restaurant.

Please visit our website www.nocconservatives.org
for news, events and updated election information.

Free Speech or Trashy Signs

Is the placement and displaying of a political sign on private property protected by the 1st Amendment?  Not if it's in the City of San Juan Capistrano! 

The Orange County Register's Brittany Levine has an article on the issue HERE. 

The question has come up after a real estate developer,  Advanced Real Estate Services, received a notice of violation from the City for signs placed on private property.  The municipal code has restrictions on size and location of the signs but ARES spokesman Stephan Gregg told the Register that "We did receive a notice, but the signs are on private property and we have the constitutional right to free speech."  He explained that ARES is trying to work with the City to resolve the problem.  Though it is not immediately clear just how freedom of speech will be worked out with the municipality.

Political signs are an important part of our freedom of speech.  I cannot imagine a better example of a form of communication than those used on either side of an issue to proclaim a cause and show support one way or the other...so long as they are on private property with the consent of the owner or tenant.

The OC Register article gives some of the contentious background but at the heart of the sign issue is our inalienable right to speak freely through varied media including signs, even large billboards.

For the sake of San Clemente taxpayers, I hope City officials will drop the case and move on to more pressing civic matters.

________________________________________________

From the Orange County Register

ELECTION SIGN RULES
San Juan Capistrano has the following regulations for election signs on private property:
• No sign shall exceed 6 feet in height if free-standing, 6 square feet in area, and shall be located below the roof eaves if building-mounted.
• No sign shall be illuminated, revolve or otherwise function with mechanical parts or devices.
• No sign shall include flags, valances, pennants, lights or other similar attraction devices.
• Signs shall not be supported from any tree, utility pole or other utility installation on private or public property.
• Signs shall be posted no more than 30 days prior to the election date.
• Temporary signs shall be placed no less than 50 feet apart from identical or substantially similar temporary signs, and in no case shall more than one temporary sign per candidate or ballot-issue position be allowed per parcel.
• Signs shall be taken down and removed no later than five days following the election date.
Source: municipal code

Cal State Fullerton Out of Touch with Reality?

Once again CSUF is in the news because of budget cuts. And once again students are stuck holding the bill.

For those who might be new to my blog or have a short memory, here are a few posts about CSUF and the strange way the Administration operates:
Cal State Fullerton President - Lifestyles of Our Rich Public Employees at the El Dorado Ranch

Cal State Fullerton’s Pension Tsunami Shell Game and Our Kid’s Future

The El Dorado Ranch - Is it Public or Private

Cal State Fullerton Reporter Slammed for Speaking Truth


In the most recent OC Register story, several students and professors, none in economics though, spoke out against the cuts and are urging for HIGHER taxes! The students need not worry about higher taxes since it is assumed they would fall into the lowest tax bracket. The professors need not worry either since paying 5%-10% more in taxes is better than taking a 20%-30% cut in pay!

Unfortunately, unless meaningful cuts are made and Sacramento reallocates funding, students and taxpayers are both hurt by the poor financial management of the CSU system.Even the Fullerton Observer Can See the Problems at Cal State Fullerton

California Assemblyman Chris Norby to speak at Fullerton CRA

This Thursday, Assemblyman Chris Norby will be speaking at the Fullerton Unit of the California Republican Assembly (CRA).  Norby represents several cities in North Orange County's 72nd Assembly District, including his home town of Fullerton. 

The CRA is encouraging all conservative constituents to attend this meeting.

Assemblyman Norby will be presenting "Sacramento: Looking into the great abyss". 

Date

Thursday, January 20^th

Time

Dinner 6:15 pm – 7 pm (on your own)

Meeting 7:00 pm -8:30 pm

Place

Sizzler Restaurant

1401 North Harbor Bl.(Brea Bl.)

Fullerton California 92835

Questions: Please call Zonya Townsend 714 525-9441

Too Many Laws

It seems that California legislators have a lot of time on their hands.  As the editorial staff of the Orange County Register aptly points out in the January 14th, 2011, Sunday paper, state legislators have been busy passing lots of new laws.

Unfortunately, this is par for Sacramento.  How many laws do we need?  Seriously, how many do we need to be reasonably safe and secure?

How about one law that repeals at least half of all laws passed in the last 10+ years. 

Passenger Admits To Drinking In Downtown Fullerton Moments Before Fatal Crash

The Orange County Sheriff's Department is using the words of a passenger involved in a fatal crash in Fullerton to point out the dangers of drunk driving. 

The Orange County Register reported on the crash on December 22, 2010.  The article states that the unidentified passenger admitted he and the driver, now identified as 22-year old Ryan Rivera, had been drinking in Downtown Fullerton.

As the OC Coroner waits for the toxicology report there is the usual rhetoric and sentiment that thankfully only the drunk was killed.  The incident unfortunately just adds fuel for those who would like nothing more than to shut down the the Downtown Fullerton bars. 

What should happen (but likely won't) is for the servers to be held responsible for over serving patrons.  On any given night a watchful eye can witness the drunks stumbling out of the bars, some even being carried out by friends. 

The Fullerton Police Department and the Alcohol Beverage Council (ABC) should have tackled this problem years ago.

I believe these sad deaths represent numerous failures in our broken community:

• The patrons fail to recognize their bodily limits and take responsibility. 
• Servers look the other way and continue to serve those clearly and visibly impaired.
• Police continue to set up checkpoints rather than targeting the source.
• The ABC is nowhere to be found. 
• Citizens, residents, business owners, parents, patrons, and public officials have failed to come together to address binge drinking and drunk driving. 

It's time for City Hall to wake up. 

A Question To Ponder This Weekend

Adam Townsend from the Orange County Register wrote an article on the demolition of the World Citrus plant in Fullerton.  Some key points in the article are:

• The city was involved in a year-long lawsuit to obtain the property through eminent domain, finally settling to pay the owners $10.5 million for the property in October 2008.
• The parking garage will be a key component in the city's redevelopment plans for the area, which it calls the Fullerton Transportation Center. 
• The Orange County Transportation Authority and state had set aside $43 million in funding for the land, site clearance, remediation, acquisition and construction of the 35-foot structure, city officials have said.
• Before the Fullerton plant closed, workers in Florida filled 50 to 60 5,400-gallon tankers weekly with pure orange juice to haul to Fullerton. The local plant also bottled Arizona Tea.
• 90 jobs or more were lost or moved to Florida
• The move ended Fullerton's link to the citrus industry – it was the last plant processing juice in the county.

This wasn't gentle nudging and negotiation for property; it was an all out legal battle for land.  As a result, the City will lose desperately needed tax revenue and jobs so that people, many from neighboring cities, can park their cars and take a train to work, all of which is paid for on the backs of taxpayers.  It is difficult to argue that a public parking garage does not benefit the public however, is a public parking structure funded by our tax dollars worth the damage that is caused?  Does the end justify the means?   

Steven Greenhut's Election Wish and Orange County Taxpayer's Opportunity

In the June 4, 2010 Orange County Register’s Op-Ed Steven Greenhut says that June 8th will likely not bring the much needed reform that California needs.

Greenhut writes, “Love 'em or hate 'em, these initiatives are mostly self-interested deals. They don't offer major reform – and none of them get close to touching the fundamental issues that threaten California today. And none of the candidates offers real hope for taking on the vested interests and changing our state.”

Indeed, the statewide offices, regardless of who occupies them, will have little positive affect on most of us in our daily lives. But all is not lost. Voters need only to look at their local elections to see the winds of reform blowing in. Local elections offer taxpaying voters an opportunity to hold our incumbents accountable for their misdeeds and business-as-usual politics, to say nothing of their fiscal shell games.

Whether you take issue with wasteful spending, abuses of power, or constitutional rights, you can begin reforming your local offices and agencies by making smart choices with your vote. As Tip O’Neil said, “All politics is local.”

June 8th is the beginning of the end of Orange County’s longstanding RINO establishment. November 2nd, 2010 stands to be the nail in the political coffin for those who have reaped constituents with their bad policies. All you have to do is vote.

Voting is the quickest path to reform. Elect only those candidates who are ready, willing, and able to do what’s right in the face of controversy and opposition.

An excellent source for public policy and voter information is Cal Watchdog.

From the OC Register: Dan Walters - High-speed train way off track

By DAN WALTERS

Sacramento Bee columnist
dwalters@sacbee.com
 
"California's high-speed rail project leaders tell us it's on track and that the state's residents can confidently look forward to a future of super fast bullet trains whisking them from one end of the state to the other at airline-like speeds.

However, the state auditor's office is saying officially what outside analysts already had concluded – the bullet train isn't ready to roll, lacking the tens of billions of dollars in federal and private financing the project will require.

California voters have approved a $9.95 billion bond issue, but it's supposed to pay for no more than 50 percent of construction costs. With total estimates running beyond $40 billion, the bond would be good only for a quarter at most.

The High-Speed Rail Authority is hoping for a big wad of federal funds – about half the total – but so far has received just a fraction, with no commitments for any more.

However, the biggest unknown, as state auditor Elaine Howe points out in a report issued Thursday, is whether private investors would be willing to commit at least $10 billion.

The enabling legislation says the bullet train will not have any state operating subsidies, but the authority's own documents say that private investors need "revenue guarantees" to protect their investments. That raises the specter of operating subsidies, as another recent report by the Legislature's budget analyst also points out.

"To plan adequately for private investment, the authority should further specify the potential cost of revenue guarantees and who would pay for them," the auditor's report recommends.

An indication that something's amiss is found in the defensive reaction of Curt Pringle, the authority's chairman, to the auditor's report, calling its title "inflammatory" and "overly aggressive" and promising that the questions will be answered as the business plan is revised.

There is a fundamental conflict between voters being told that if they approved the bonds the bullet train would be self-supporting, without operating subsidies, and the apparent requirement for "revenue guarantees," which probably could come only from tapping a state budget that's already awash in red ink and/or imposing some new special tax.

The auditor's report, coming just weeks after the legislative analyst's report and a critique by the Senate Transportation Committee staff, indicates that specific route planning, now under way throughout the state, should be placed on hold until the financial kinks are worked out – if, indeed, they can be.

The danger – and perhaps the hope of bullet train advocates – is that the authority will make so many commitments that the state will be politically compelled to pony up more money for construction and operation, regardless of financial viability.

Big public projects often become financial sinkholes via that process."

OC Register: Racism, Illegal Immigration, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and Bill Hunt

The OC Register just can’t get enough of Bill Hunt. From the looks of the headlines, Hunt just might be the best thing that’s happened to the failing media company in a long time. It seems that protestors and allegations of racism no matter how patently false are great gimmicks to sell papers. Indeed, they are right up there with sex.

First, we have the OC Register story bearing the headline “Protesters rally outside O.C. Sheriff candidate’s event” http://www.ocregister.com/news/hunt-245737-arpaio-sheriff.html

The story takes you down the path of the newly minted immigration law in Arizona and then to Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. OCR: "He helped pass this ridiculous, awful, mean-spirited bill," Maureen Shrubsole said of Arpaio. "Everybody in this country is from somewhere else originally."

It seems Shrubsole forgot that citizens pledge their allegiance to the United States Constitution. So whether you are a new citizen or your family has been here for 350 years, we all must do the right thing and uphold all of our laws including those of immigration. It is our civic duty.

The OC Register makes the protestors outside of the event the headline story rather than the reason for the fuss. No, Arpaio isn’t the reason for the angst, although the protestors and news paper will have you think he is. The real story being missed is that of U.S. citizens who are burdened by immigrants who have trespassed into the U.S.A. Those who bring their poverty north of the border hoping to strike it rich and return south someday with their pockets lined in greenbacks are displacing legitimate workers, suppressing wages, and collapsing our hospitals. This is the story the OC Register misses time and again.

But that’s not all we got from the OC Register this weekend…

Our next OCR headline is “Arpaio takes immigration victory slow”. http://www.ocregister.com/news/arpaio-245704-sheriff-hunt.html?cb=1272292126

What kind of headline is that? The author assumes that Arpaio doesn’t (or didn’t) have the appropriate authority to tackle some of the immigration issues. That isn’t true.

“Under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, federal law is the supreme law of the land. State and local governments are “preempted” from enacting legislation in areas where Congress has asserted its exclusive authority or that would conflict with federal legislation. In the immigra¬tion field, the U.S. Supreme Court has recognized three tests to determine whether federal law preempts a state or local law: 1) constitutional preemption, 2) field preemption, and 3) conflict preemption. A state or local law related to immigration that fails any one of these three tests is preempted by federal law and therefore unconstitutional and invalid.” http://www.ncacc.org/annualconf/2008-b1_lawbulletin.pdf 

Therefore, Arpaio can enforce many of the federal immigration regulations as well as Maricopa County Ordinances and his own policies. Most importantly, he can screen for immigration status when the prisoners are incarcerated for other crimes.

My favorite quote from these stories is from Arpaio:

"Ten guys in a trunk. I would think that's reasonable suspicion," Arpaio said. He proudly announced that his department just arrested 22 illegal immigrants at a fast-food restaurant. "I just opened 22 jobs for people here legally."

Common sense.  And that is why Sheriff Joe Arpaio is liked by many and hated by liberal lefties.

 
 

Chasing Stupid People With Good Tax Dollars

The OC Register is reporting that OC DA Tony Rackauckas has asked Secretary of State Debra Bowen to "team" up to investigate the rash of stupid people who signed voter registration documents without reading them. This is a follow-up to the initial report by the OC Register which outlined how ignorant and completely stupid some people can be.

What a waste! It is a shame that a handful of people with ZERO common sense have managed to waste our hard-to-come-by tax dollars simply because they didn't read what they were signing or they are just too stupid to understand what was printed on the voter registration form.

It doesn't matter who gets implicated at this point. If it went all the way to Scott Baugh, OCGOP Chair, I don't think too many people would be surprised. However, I think this was the standard operating procedure for the signature gatherers - Dem or Rep. I'm pretty certain that the investigation would get sufficiently buried if it were discovered that the gatherers or their employers were somehow tied to the Democratic Party. In the end, a few paid signature gatherers will likely go to jail for a few months. Then, you and I will have to pay for this investigation, the criminal's room and board, and their healthcare while in custody.

Mike Carona Seeks Workers' Comp

As if his years of corruption and cover up weren't bad enough, Carona wants to receive workers' comp for what the OC Register reports as “pain radiating to other body parts.”

Did George Jaramillo nibble too hard on Carona's ear (see picture above) or was he injured while be allegedly groped (also see picture above)? I can only imagine his pain of being a convicted felon and the 9 long years in a federal prison.

Debra Saunders: Principal aims for Poizner's reputation

Debra Saunders from the San Francisco Chronicle wrote an interesting opinion article in the OC Register which highlights the hypocrisy of Mount Pleasant High School principal Teresa Marquez. Marquez, who accepted and apparently, at least on some level, supported Steve Poizner as a volunteer teacher, now claims Poizner doesn't know what he's talking about. The principal went so far as to confront Poizner at a book signing event.  Read the CBS5 (San Jose) story here.

I wonder if the CTA or PTA had anything to do with it...