Category Archives: Local Government
Saying Goodbye
You may have heard by now that former Orange County Sheriff, Sandra Hutchens, passed away a few days ago. Hutchens, the third female sheriff in California and the first in Orange County, was 66 at her passing. Current Sheriff Don Barnes wrote an eloquent press release of admiration and respect, calling her a mentor and friend. “She led the department with courage, grace and dignity.”
Sheriff Hutchens took office in a time of strife and crisis in the OCSD. The former sheriff had been tried and convicted of federal charges of witness tampering, stemming from a year long investigation of corruption in the department. The department, to say the least, was left tattered and worn.
Hutchens was appointed for the remainder of the term and went to work immediately to repair the damage done by her predecessor(s). She made substantial changes to the department that left many conservatives wondering about her ability to lead. She was, after all, a product of a liberal Los Angeles County law enforcement agency. But, she was determined to restore the honor and dignity of the deputies who worked for her.
When the federal courts found in favor of the gun-toting crowd in 2014 (Peruta vs. San Diego), Hutchens complied by relaxing the standards for which a concealed weapons permit would be issued. She gained further favor and respect with the conservative crowds when, after the courts overturned the initial order, she left the looser standards in place.
Hutchens’ instincts helped her give the department direction and purpose again. She made changes to the jails to keep prisoners and deputies safer and more accountable. She brought the department into the 21st century regarding the use of electronic databases for record keeping – records that could not be altered. She withstood attacks from the DA’s office and criticism from the Board of Supervisors. Where there was praise, it went to staff; when there was criticism, she readily took the blame. She had high ethical standards and expected the same for those who worked for her.
I met Sheriff Hutchens when she first took office in 2008. I was a board director of the union that represented the sheriffs special deputies and most civilian employees of the department. I found her to be affable, intelligent and respectful of others. She was genuinely interested in the welfare of her employees and it showed. Her demeanor commanded respect, not fear. I liked her.
Sheriff Hutchens retired in 2019 I think due mostly to her long standing battle with breast cancer. She was diagnosed in 2012 and she successfully fought it into remission. She successfully ran for two terms as Sheriff, choosing not to run for a third. Unfortunately, cancer became the ultimate winner and, after a brief relapse, she succumbed to the disease over the weekend.
OC Sheriff Don Barnes said, “She restored our pride, gave us back our dignity and rebuilt trust with the people we serve. She kept her oath, kept her promises, and ended her time in office leaving this agency better than when she started.”
I agree. RIP, Sheriff.
Foley’s In – The Republicans are Screwed
So, a week or so ago, I was writing about how failed….uh, I mean former state senator, John Moorlach, had come home to roost in the 2nd Supervisorial District of Orange County. Moorlach who, if nothing else espouses self-confidence and possesses the ego of a caesar, has been busy convincing others that he is the best person for the position. His competition, curiously, was primarily from his own Republican party in the form of Newport Beach City Councilman, Kevin Muldoon and Huntington Beach Councilman, Mike Posey. Moorlach has been successful in warding off two other contenders, convincing them he is the best man for the job. Muldoon and Posey aren’t impressed.
Even so, Moorlach seemed the likely winner in a three way race between them. After all, he has name recognition and, as he likes to remind everyone, the experience.
Yes, Katrina Foley, Costa Mesa Mayor and Democrat, did file papers to run for the seat. But what Democrat would challenge what has been a staunch conservative seat since the turn of the last century? There have been more than a few elections for the seat, in years since, that went unopposed. Democrats haven’t bothered because the district is comprised of some of the most conservative portions of Orange County.
But the time are changing…..and so is Orange County
So, maybe that is why Foley has dropped her hat into the ring. And, she has received the blessings of the OC Democratic Party as well. Foley, the first directly elected mayor of Costa Mesa is no stranger to a fight with Republicans. In 2018, she was removed as mayor when conservative councilmen Jim Righeimer and Alan Mansoor garnered the support of previous ally, Sandy Genis to boot her from the position. Genis had mud on her face (and I would say lost a friend) when Foley walloped her in the 2018 mayor’s race, garnering over 52% of the vote.
Foley has been a Costa Mesa City Councilwoman for more than 10 years. She has a long history of community service and she is an attorney who owns her own law corporation. That corporation handles contracts and business litigation for high profile clients, an area of experience that would serve her well at the county level. To say professionally she is a threat to John Moorlach, is an understatement. She also has name recognition in the county. That makes her a very real threat to any Republican.
But, will it be enough to win? Surely, with Muldoon and Posey pulling votes from Moorlach, it could be. Muldoon and Posey both say they have a strong following in their own cities. And, although the Democrats have a slight edge in Orange County overall, they lag behind by 5 points in the district. And, according to the Voice of OC, had an even larger turnout in the recent election. If they can rally the troops, or better yet get Posey and Muldoon to drop out, Moorlach will likely win. The question is, just how tired are the voters?
Can We Please Get a Procedure?
First, it was Letitica Clark’s first official meeting of the city council as Mayor or Tustin. I think she did, and will continue to do, a fine job as Mayor for the coming year. I will say that she needs to take more command of the “room”, however. This isn’t her first rodeo and she knows how to lead. She just needs to do it a bit more decisively. Don’t let these guys intimidate you. You are in charge (ceremonially, of course).
That said, one item on the council agenda took up the most time and I’m left wondering why. You see it turns out that, what I thought was a regular procedure, was really just the good old boys on the council doing what they do best. And, there really is no regular procedure at all.
If you watched the city council meeting the other night, you know that I am talking about the selection process for upcoming vacancies for our various city commissions. In years past, I remember the council selecting an ad hoc committee to winnow the applicant pool to a realistic few and then presenting their recommendations to the full council. I just assumed it was a procedure set in stone. It isn’t.
So, for 30 minutes (of a 53 minute meeting), the city council wallowed around on Zoom kicking back and forth several suggestions from a staff report on how to proceed. In contrast, it took the 2018 city council, under Mayor Chuck Puckett, a little over 2 minutes to decide this process. In that time, Puckett also appointed two members to the ad hoc committee who would eventually present their findings to the council.
I realize that then Mayor Puckett has over 25 years of experience to guide him in how to handle what should be a routine matter. But the fact is, three of the current city council members -including the mayor- were on the council back then. Maybe they should’ve taken notes. Councilman Cooper’s desire to establish a participation trophy for all the applicants aside, the discussion took entirely too long.
No, no one wants their feelings hurt when they don’t get selected. Yes, everyone gets stressed over the interview and selection process. But, if you can’t handle the stress of an interview, then you certainly shouldn’t be handling city business. And all the millennial jokes aside, most of us can handle disappointment. We don’t need a feel good pat on the back for trying. So, what’s the problem? Why do we need to have a 30 minute discussion on how to proceed?
This is a process that should have been codified long ago. And it is certainly overdue now. Even back in 2017, then city councilman Al Murray called the ad hoc committee process, “the system we have in place.” As long as I have been writing this blog, the city has used the same process. And, while I may have had some trepidation in the past about how “the system” worked, it is a good system. As Councilman Lumbard remarked, interviewing 30 people is time consuming and stressful for everyone. Having a sub-committee to thin the applicant pool is the best method to deal with that.
It would seem the city council eventually agreed as the ad hoc committee (members of which Clark failed to nominate at the time) process will be used….again.
So, maybe the mayor, as one of her goals, could use this to have the process codified rather than having to have this debate every other year? I’m sure she could make use of our city attorney to write a properly worded citation to adopt.
More of the Same?
A few short weeks ago, I was pondering the election numbers of local races. It was interesting to see the “Blue Wave” of the midterms had more or less petered out and conservatives had moved back into some of their old haunts. All in all, not much had changed on the political landscape.
Of course, one conservative that did not fare well was State Senator John Moorlach. Moorlach was ousted by Democrat Dave Min who garnered a 12,000 vote lead in what had previously been considered a Republican stronghold.
Moorlach won a special election in 2015 to elevate from 2nd District OC Supervisor to 37th California Senate District. He won the regular election the following year and, since then, has served without distinction. Of the several bills he has authored or sponsored, most were inconsequential. Of the few that did pass most, if not all, were cosponsored by Democrats.
So, what’s an out of work, former state senator to do?
In Moorlach’s case it’s come home to roost. It just so happens 2nd District OC Supervisor, Michelle Steele, is actually going places (far, far away we hope) as she handily won the election against incumbent Harley Rouda. Steele’s departure has initiated a special election to fill her place. Hmm….
This may not be a walk in the park for Moorlach. For one thing, he has some opposition and, like him, it is mostly Republican. Newport Beach City Councilman, Kevin Muldoon and Huntington Beach Councilman, Mike Posey have both officially announced their candidacy. And, while I thought no Democrat would bother with this clearly Republican District (they hold a 5 point lead and NPPs are almost a third of the vote), one actually has.
Katrina Foley, who is the first directly elected Mayor of Costa Mesa, has wasted no time in throwing her hat in the ring. The ink was hardly dry on her certification papers when she apparently saw greener pastures in the Board of Supervisors. That alone, of course, should cause suspicion that Foley is just another wannabe career politician looking for a foothold to higher office.
Moorlach has come out strong with endorsements from the anti-taxers and the ultra conservatives. Will it be enough to win the election? “That’s my former seat. You don’t have to send a novice in,” said Moorlach recently. I’m sure there was that self-assured smirk on his face as he said it, too. But, if that self-assurance is enough, why did he feel it necessary to bully other potential candidates into dropping out?
I would like to say it would be because he is aware of his not-so-stellar record with the BoS. His constant haranguing of union officials, even calling them thugs on occasion, his refusal to shake hands with those same union officials and his near fanatical hatred of the public employee pension system did not make him a friend around the 5th floor of 333 West Santa Ana Blvd. or the public employee union headquarters just down the street.
Yes, he hated pensions….all while drawing one himself along with all the other perks of being a county supervisor. So, it turns out Moorlach only hates pensions for other public employees but thinks he deserves his own.
So, Moorlach clearly has a problem and it’s not Katrina Foley, per se. Well, in a way it is. Prior to her announcement as a candidate, Moorlach only had to fend off Muldoon and Posey. Democrats still vote. And, if they can’t vote for one of their own, they may vote for someone they think at least leans their way so they can at least feel they did their part. This being a supposedly non-partisan race, voters not seeing a candidate of their persuasion will vote for whoever has the shiniest yard sign. Moorlach might have had some of those votes. Now he won’t and he will be splitting the rest of the vote with Muldoon and Posey.
The OCGOP clearly loves Moorlach and has urged Posey and Muldoon to drop out of the race and throw their support behind Moorlach. Both have stated that they have strong support from constituents. “Right now I’m in it all the way,” Posey said in an interview with the Voice of OC. Both said they had been campaigning for months and were not going to drop out.
The good ol’ boys at the OCGOP understand the real issue. If, by some chance, Muldoon and Posey have a big enough support base, they could actually split enough votes away from Moorlach to allow Katrina Foley to win. And that would mean that, for the first time anyone can remember, there would be a second liberal vote on the Board of Supervisors.
Moorlach would like to believe he is the best candidate for the position (don’t all candidates think that?). But, is he? Yes, he is a CPA. Yes, he foretold the 1994 bankruptcy. No, he did not save the county afterwards. In fact, he was just another political lackey when the bankruptcy hit. But, it was enough to propel him to his original seat on the OC Board of Supervisors and later on to the California State Senate.
But, the county is a different animal these days, facing a different set of problems that don’t really require the expertise of a John Moorlach. Like the rest of the state and country, Orange County is trying to wade through the mess caused by the governor’s poor handling of the Covid crisis. Hard decision will have to be made and the citizens of the 2nd District may not feel he is the best candidate for the job, especially if they have several qualified candidates to choose from. There is also the fact that Moorlach lost his current Senate seat by a wide margin to a Democrat. Much of the 2nd District lies within the same territory has his senate district.
This is a special election and there are two years left on Steele’s term that Moorlach and the rest will be vying for. Whoever wins will have to run for re-election in 2022 and, because of the timing, they will also be allowed to run for another term in 2026. That’s a long time to be saddled with the smug Mr. Moorlach who also likes to surround himself with other eccentrics to help him run his office. Think long and hard before you pull the switch for him. The times they are a changing…. and, so is the county.
Our Town Tustin 