WHY DOES THE OCEA SUPPORT JOB COSTING, FREE-SPENDING, INCOMPETENT CAREER POLITICIAN CLERK-RECORDER TOM DALY?
In December of 2008, Nick Berardino and more than 1000 union workers stormed the County’s Hall of Administration to protest the remodeling of the Board of Supervisor’s lobby. The OCEA leader and his supporters were protesting the $300,000 lobby remodeling project because it was the wrong thing to do because at the time, the County was laying off employees due to the budget crunch that hit the whole nation.
That day, Berardino used his bullhorn to make his point well known. He was also quoted by the lame duck O.C. Register as saying that “Labor knows that financial hardships are on the way and say they are willing to share in the pain. But before he has to look a person in the eye and tell them they are out of work in this economy he wants management (the County) to scratch every perk with the aim of saving jobs.”
Well, Nick it is time for you to break out your bullhorn again as you look every association member in the eye and tell them why the OCEA felt it necessary to contribute more than $4000 of their union dues to a free spending, incompetent career politician like Tom Daly. This guy’s spending has cost the County jobs!
According to records at the Registrar of Voters, the OCEA has contributed more than $4000 to Tom Daly’s campaigns since 2002. The most recent contribution was in late 2007 for $1600 – prior to Daly’s purchase of a $2.1 million money-sucking building. Why contribute to a politician who has no legislative duties or the ability to save any county jobs. The Clerk-Recorder is just that – a clerk and a recorder. It is an elected position with little political influence. Daly doesn’t know that or it hasn’t registered yet after 8 years of doing nothing but free-spending and taking care of his buddies like Bruce Matthias and Brett “The Brainstormer” Barbre.
Well, Nick where was that bullhorn when County Clerk-Recorder Tom Daly blew $2,100,000 of public money on a real estate venture that could cost another $7,600,000 to fix the problem? This happened in January 2008, months before the $300,000 remodeling project you vigorously protested.
Where was your bullhorn when Clerk-Recorder Tom Daly decided to give out a $48,000 to a political contributor to “brainstorm” an unnecessary sports hall of fame?
Where was that bullhorn when a $1700 a month retainer to a Sacramento government consulting business with no deliverables was discovered?
Why aren’t you using that bullhorn now? How many jobs does this money represent? Wake up OCEA members! It’s time for you to make Your Voices heard to tell Nick to go after every person who is wasting your association dues and tax-payer money that can be used to save your jobs.
Say, Nick. Where is that bullhorn, anyway?
UPDATED TITLE INFORMATION REGARDING THE TRANSACTIONS AT 433 W. Civic Center Drive deed 2008
Oh, but the Clerk-Recorder’s job is very political and powerful for the very reasons you said it isn’t. Daly has a huge budget and no oversight. Daly can spend whatever he likes on Lewis et al with no consequence which leads me to wonder who received the initial $2.1 million…
I’m a union member and I work at the Clerk Recorder’s office.
I didn’t know that we donated money to Tom Daly. He doesn’t deserved on penny from us.
The department is a terrible place to work. The employees are treated like crap. If you say anything management retaliate by moving you to do something else and they will tell you it’s cross training which we all know is a bunch of bullshit.
Tom Daly doesn’t even know some of our names. The guy is a moron and he needs to be voted out of office immediately.
I asked all my fellow workers to please call and ask the union why they have donated to Tom Daly.
The reason why the union didn’t donate after 2006 is because no one challenge him for the election.
The same Berardino that used OCEA member dues to start a new OC blog called “Voice of OC” that claims their MISSION to be:
“To hold government agencies, elected officials and other power brokers in Orange County accountable through investigative news coverage”.
They need to rewrite their mission statement to read:
“To hold certain government agencies, elected officials excluding Tom Daly, and alike and other power brokers excluding Nick Berardino in Orange County accountable through investigative news coverage”.
In 2005 the property was purchased for $1,590,000. In 2008 the property was purchased by the County for $2,100,000.
While my property 1/3 of it’s value durring the same period of time, 433 West Civic Center gained 1/3!!! The seller, Silva Family Trust, made $510,000 on the deal. Not a bad investment considering the drop in real estate values in all other areas.
Hey, admin, post OC Recorder Instrument #2008000137368 so everyone can see that the Silva Family Trust may be on the hook for the clean up of the site. OC needs to recover the loss.
I just updated this post, see the link in last paragraph 🙂
Thank you much Greg!
Whoa there! Who says the site is contaminated?
Can’t wait to see Daly try to get any of that back now! Bring on the lawyers.
The building was purchased “as-is”n so presumably clean-up couldn’t be construed as anything inside the building.
No, Joe. There is one MAJOR exception to the as-is regarding human health or the environment.
Sorry, take a look at the contract. It clearly shows that the County’s inspectors reviewed the site and building. They new of the asbestos in the building, the age alone would indicate the use of asbestos during the original construction. And that alone would not preclude the building from being used as long as the asbestos is contained.
The County can’t claim ignorance when they knew what they were buying. The Trust gave the county all the time it needed to hire the appropriate professionals to determine the viability and the habitability of the structure.
If the seller knowingly did not disclose that which would affect the value of the property, then they could be convicted of fraud, but that is going to be difficult, at best.
This is suck a crock! I encourage all OCEA members to go on the OCE webpae and let them know that we dont want these kind of contributios made to politicians who can’t help us or influence anyone to fight for our jobs. This ass (Daly) was against afforddable housing, Gigante Stores and against the hotel workers at Disney who were demanding fair benefits. Everyone let OCEA to stop giving this ass clown money.
Im so upset i cant even write straight!
Let’s all thank Geriatric Jerry Brown for allowing public employees to unionize.
When I was a new OC hire I tried to NOT join OCERS. Someone (I don’t recall who – supervisor, HR, OCERS rep) said I had to join. They would deduct the dues whether I was a member or not. Being very young I didn’t pursue it further. Now I wish I had! The Ca. Teachers Ass. did the same damn thing.
OCERS has a duty to bargain for employees but that is limited by the fiscal health of the agency. Look at Irvine Ranch Water District (granted they are flush with cash). No union. No layoffs. Just a lot of well-paid and happy employees (or a Friends says).
Not OCERS. I meant OCEA. Although OCERS might have also contributed.
I encourage everyone to call OCEA and tell them how disappointed we are. To stop giving career politician our association fees.
Phone: 714-835-3355
I don’t think the Silva’s will be too happy to see the cost to clean it up. It will be less than the $2,847,000 price tag to completely remodel the inside but I’m sure it won’t be cheap. Add to that the structural and seismic issues noted in the report and the cost will get a lot closer to $2 million…
In the end its Daly’s pet project. And why buy a buiding in the 1st place. It is a complete waste of tax payer money specially during a down economy. Every one seemed to be asleep at the wheel but Daly was driving that bus so if he crashes that bus there will be no loss of sleep on my part.
Poster #8 is correct about the purchase. The seller gave the County all kinds of time to evaluate the building, which the County did. They County real estate department had several trades and real estate people evaluate the building. Almost everyone told Clerk Recorder staff and tom daly the building had major issues and it would need major renovations at the very least just to occupy it (and much more to make it public accessible). During the two walk through before the building was purchased, most of the trades people verbally said the building needed to be demolished and rebuilt.
The building is actually one very old building, with another built right next to it. It is a structure that contains a bunch of small little offices. It was never designed to have large display areas (but that’s what daly plans to do with it). The electrical is very old and exposed in many places. There have been several electrical repairs which have all been have assed. It would never pass the current building code or an inspection. There is no plumbing on the second floor. There are no bathrooms on the second floor. The building is not ADA compliant for many reasons. It has no elevators. The HVAC systems are old, inadequate and non operational. The building had major water damage, leaks, mold, and is in a dilapidated condition. All this was documented and known by daly BEFORE he bought the building. Maybe thats why they couldn’t sell the building. The building sat and sat with no buyers for several years. Well that is until they found the biggest idiot in the world. No, not Nick Beradino, TOM DALY. You talk about devaluation, I wonder how much the building had devalued in the last two year? How much money has the county lost on this debacle.
Does Nick really care about county employees? No, if was really concern about employees he would be hollering at the top of his lungs, with the biggest bull horn he could steal, about this waste. Instead of lining Daly’s pockets with union members hard earned money.
Everyone else may bash Tom Daly about the purchase of this building, but i applaud him. Yes, I applaud him. You bashers are all short sighted. Tom is the only one with vision and compassion.
Just the other day I saw a homeless man sleeping at the front door and another one on the back stair well. Who else in the County has built a homeless shelter? Come on tell me. All these other politicians just talk about helping the homeless, but do nothing. Here Tom Daly goes out and buys a homeless shelter and all you can do is criticize? So what if its a littly run down, homeless people arent so picky. Who else has been more philanthropic and generous with your money? Tom Daly should not only be paid for his hard work as Clerk Recorder, he should also be paid as the County’s Homeless Coordinator! You all are lucky to have such a dedicated public servant!
Nick Berardino is a two faced fraud. He bellows and stamps his foot over inconsequential remodels and executive cars, but turns his back on real county waste and situations the effect rank and file jobs. He grandstands at board meeting and in front of the media, over items that don’t really effect our jobs. Does he take his friend Tom Daly to task over wasteful spending and loss of union jobs? No, instead he gives him money. Over the last several years Tom Daly has hired his friends and cronies while many county employees have been laid off. There have been many opportunities for tom to hire back laid off OCEA members, but instead he hired his friends and gives other lucrative contracts. Is not that Nick Berardino does nothing, its worse. He gives him money! Nick Berardino, you are a hypocrite.
Tom Daly’s homeless shelter. Classic!
Yes, this building was a poor choice and a bad investment; but lets not miss the point that is was for the Archives. A department that was always housed in the basement of the old courthouse; and only entertained a handful of visitors a week! A situation where the employees (tom’s friends) out number the visitors. Factor that in, and you get some idea of the magnitude of Tom Daly’s incompetence, or stupidity. Im not sure which.
Now hold on folks, don’t judge this archive building until it’s finished. Just give my friend Tom Daly a chance here. He plans to renovate the building and make it real nice. He is going for the opulent overstated government office look; but that takes time and money. So you have to be a little patient. We have finalizing my lucrative contract, and it will be executed once my $1000 check to his campaign fund clears the bank. So be sure to watch the renovation as it takes place on my new reality show “this old dump”.
How can clown #2 (nick) give clown #1 (Daly) our money without our approval?
This is bullshit that OCEA Nick Berardino is proctecting Tom Daly. Nick you work for us the OCEA members no the other way around.
Tom Daly is wasting the tax payers money and OCEA has not said one word about it.
Shame on OCEA!