We don’t sell advertising because of conflict issues… instead we take money from Nick Berardino and the OCEA.
“There is no fluff. We’re very very focused on ‘what is the product that we offer?'”
Video courtesy of Barbara’s Bits.
The Voice of OCEA, Norberto Santa penned this gem yesterday about a gathering of useless RINOs, government parasites and supposed “insiders.” The thrust of the story is that these creeps predicted a Sidhu victory. Why?
Just check out this image borrowed from The Voice of OCEA site:
Yep, there’s the useless pension spiker Bill Campbell on the left standing next to another useless pension spiker who actually did it twice, the pathetic Tom Wilson, former Supervisor of the 5th District.
Good God! What a collection of RINOs and repuglicans of the worst kind: the ones who champion Redevelopment, and who use other tools like Matthew J. Cunningham to pitch the delusion that discretionary land use entitlements are some sort of “property right.” Hey there’s Lucy Dunn who backed the Hairball, too.
Of course Campbell supported Sidhu as part of his and John Lewis’s master plan to get rid of both Nelson and Hairball.
Apparently Curt Pringle, Anaheim’s sleazy Mayor for Sale was hand to prop up his tottering boy Sidhu; but talk about too little, too late! Pringle sure took it on the chops yesterday, and making fun of the party chairman Scott baugh ain’t gonna win him any Brownie points for that High Speed Rail merit badge he’s been working on for so many years.
Of course for Santana, a last minute, pro-Sidhu piece tinged with a little gratuitous anti-Nelson shit is par for the course. Poor little Norberto! He wants people to think he’s a real journalist instead of what he really is: a toady to a union boss with no reportorial integrity or scruples.
I first became dimly aware of Fullerton politics back in 1993 when I saw a performance of then councilwoman Julie Sa. Sa was incapable of communicating in English, understood nothing, and was completely at the mercy of the City Manager, Jim Armstrong. The worst part of her reign of error was the evident truth that she was just using the office to promote herself.
In 2000 she was busted for not living in Fullerton and she gave up on running for third time. Fullerton had set the bar so low that any idiot with money could get over it. But at least Sa was gone.
So why am I bringing up Sa now? Because those folks who remember Sa have a useful frame of reference to assess the potential of one Harry Sidhu, who wants to be our Supervisor.
Like Sa, Sidhu doesn’t live in the jurisdiction he wants to represent. Sidhu cannot communicate his thoughts to his would-be constituents in English. Although I presume he can read English better than he can speak it, his grasp of simple grammar doesn’t portend a great understanding of the language. His well-documented manglings of simple statements has been nothing less than embarrassing – not for him, he doesn’t seem to possess the faculty of shame – but for those of us who have been subjected to it. His public admission that he didn’t know the impact of defined benefits was pitiful; his statement that he wasn’t taking union money was the closest thing to a million dollar lie that you will ever witness.
Sidhu’s self-interested supporters just love to accuse his critics of racism; nuh uh. Like Sa, Sidhu is an immigrant who made some money in the fast food business – more power to ’em (although Sa went bankrupt). But this economic success in no way qualifies Sidhu to run for elective office, and it certainly doesn’t make him immune from honest assessment of his abilities – or lack of same.
In 1992 the unknown Julie Sa ran for Fullerton council by sending out a bunch of slick, well designed mailings that masked the fact that she was utterly unqualified for any public office; and her subsequent performance proved this assessment true. In 2010 Harry Sidhu is running a vicious and hollow campaign lubricated with a million dollars of union money to in an office that he is patently unfit to hold.
Let’s not make that mistake again.
In the comments thread to our post this morning on Matthew Cunningham billing the taxpayers $200 an hour to have lunch with former Register editorialist Steve Greenhut in September, 2008, an observant Friend “nobody” drew our attention to a July 2008 blog article written by Greenhut. In the article Greenhut calls for getting rid of the Children and families Commission altogether.
Well that wouldn’t do! So what does the Commission do? It sends its Ambassador to Conservatives, Matthew J. Cunningham and its Executive Director, Michael Ruane to lunch with Greenhut. Did Greenhut learn the errors of his ways? I wonder. Steve?
What I don’t wonder about is how much this lunch cost the taxpayers.
Oh, and for extra fun, read the one and only comment on Greenhut’s post. It’s by a guy named “Michael” and he’s he’s defending the Commission from State budget raids, calling that a new tax. Here’s the money quote from “Michael’s” comment:
“Granted, there are always imperfection and waste when government doing anything, but at least with Prop 10 the money returned to the counties where anybody could see if there is a misappropriation and fix it.”
Ho, ho! Imperfection and waste? Hoo boy, he nailed that one! But anybody could see if there is a “misappropriation?!” If by anybody, “Michael,” you really meant almost nobody, then we are agreed. How many people know the Commission has a $195,00 a year contract for PR with Pacific Strategies? How many people knew the Commission was paying Cunningham $200 an hour to read blogs, Facebook, recycle the same “op-ed” piece over and over again, and do all those lunches? For the love of God, Michael, please tell us you were only joking!
Hmm. Come to think of it now I wonder if Pacific Strategies didn’t write that comment for “Michael.”
Those rascals in the white van have done it again. After a night of hard binge drinking that included shots of denatured alcohol and grapefruit juice, the FFFF Surveillance Unit sprang into action and arrived outside the State College/Katella Denny’s in time to capture part of the conversation between Hide and Seek Harry Sidhu and OC Register’s intrepid reporter, Jennifer Muir, that we reported on here.
The following transcript has been deciphered from the somewhat poor quality sound recording, and the written notes submitted by the crew, although the handwriting is a bit jittery. Invest any amount of credence in this that you think it deserves.
Jennifer Muir: …so in other words you did not live at the Calabria?
Harry Sidhu: Yes. I mean no. There was a refrigerator.
JM: Excuse me, what?
HS: A refrigerator was delivered and even plugged in. But I had to go skiing. In Colorado. Uh, no in my opinion it was Utah.
JM: And so you signed your name to that voter registration form thinking that you were going to live there, but you never did?
HS: Yes. Yes, indeed. I was always meaning to live there, of course. And may I say you are looking very attractive this morning?
JM: Um. Thank you. What about the DA investigation?
HS: Oh, let me tell you all about that. Politically motivated! I have been cleared of all wrong doing. I came out of that smelling like a daisy.
JM: Uh huh. So then what happened was your wife refused to live in a stucco box behind a bowling alley?
HS: Yes. Such a wonderful woman. You know, we are still sweethearts after all these many years. Sometimes we will hold hands for no reason at all as we walk along the path. Maybe you saw the picture? She even voted for me at the CRA nominating meeting.
JM: Why did you tell people that you had bought a house in the district?
HS: Well, you know, I don’t know anything about that. I will get back to you. By the way, I am very fond of your shoes.
JM: The fact is that up until December you lived in the 3rd District. The issue of carpetbagging has dogged your campaign. Any comment?
HS: In my opinion I have represented 40% of this district for so many years I have forgotten, so I am not only qualified but the people of the 4th District deserve to be having me represent them. In my opinion I truly believe they have been calling for me. I hear the the voice of those people. I am responding to their many calls.
JM: Right. Well. Let’s move on. Some of your critics point to your lack of knowledge about County issues. What would you say to them?
HS: I will be learning all about that later. For now I would say we need jobs. Jobs. Jobs.
JM: Yes, but how, exactly would you create any jobs as a Supervisor?
HS: I am a businessman, not a politician. I know all about creating jobs. I have a plan. We will have a big jobs fair! I will be turning “The OC” into one giant jobs fair.
JM: Excuse me?
HS: There are many fast food franchises that are hiring. In these hard times people eat more fast food than ever. It is a well known fact. I did very well during the last recession. We need to match them up with people looking for jobs. It’s very simple. A jobs fair.
JM: (Unintelligible gurgling sound) Uh, um, how does that tie in with the supervisor’s duties, exactly.
HS: Jobs, of course. We need jobs.
JM: You say you’re not a politician, but you seem to keep running for different political offices. Why is that?
HS: Uh, why is what?
JM: What?
HS: What?
JM: Why all the political campaigns?
HS: Well, this is because I am not a politician, of course. I am running these races because people need me because I am not a politician!
JM: What would you say to (sounds of crashing dishes) to the critics who complain that you always seem to be running for office?
HS: Well those are people who don’t know me because…
Unidentified female Voice: Can I warm up that cup for ya, hon?
HS: …if they knew me they would know how important it is to be electing me to something. Soon. It’s really all about a job. I mean jobs. Jobs for everybody.
JM: Hoo-kay, then. At the GOP Central Committee meeting you seemed to be a little fuzzy on the subject of defined benefits. Have you cleared up that point?
HS: Well, let me tell you, that was a trick question by my good friend Mr. Scott. I have been in deep consultations. And it is my opinion that in my opinion, I have not yet looked into the impact on that and will continue do so in the future.
JM: That’s a pretty important issue. Don’t you think the voters will want you to understand that?
HS: After the election I will try, but of course there will be many, many things to be getting on with. I will hire only the best people to explain these things to me. Mr. John Lewis has promised to help me with that.
JM: Your website takes credit for the High Speed Rail project but at the WAND forum you specifically claimed you have not made up your mind. Care to comment?
HS: Ah, Jennifer I have so much respect for your journalism ability, let me tell you.
JM. Thank you. How about answering the question.
HS: Well this is a very delicate matter because you cannot be for something without understanding all of the complications and implication. Implications are very tricky. And you cannot be against something until you have thoroughly examined all the details. As I say, the devils is in the details. Well, it’s all a great muddle in my mind, really…
JM: So is that a yes or a no?
HS: Please repeat the question.
JM: Let’s move on.
HS: Okay, jobs.
JM: Pardon me?
HS: Jobs. Jobs Jobs. Oh, I see that white van again. It is becoming quite a bother and now I must be pushing off…
(at this point intelligible audio was lost)
When The Voice of OC, which portentously calls itself “a non-profit investigative news agency” started, a lot of people were skeptical. Despite the “non-profit” tag that was obviously meant to make people think that something non-partisan and even objective was going on, it was well-known that the Orange County Employees Association were putting up money to fund the effort.
After several months of posting completely inane and worthless drivel, and completely ignoring stories like Harry Sidhu’s fake addresses and perjury and Tom Daly’s serial misfeasance, the issue is no longer in doubt.
Today all the true colors of this effort and it’s puppet manager Norberto Santana were run up the mast with what amounted to a gratuitous attack on Shawn Nelson, basically parroting Berardino’s recent hit piece and including some lame ass press release by the Fullerton cops who are mad at Nelson for using pictures that he owns.
But get this: the title of the post was changed after it was first posted!
It started out as: “Who is Supporting Nelson and Who is He Defending?” and was altered to the more salacious: “Has Nelson Defended Sex Offenders? Either Way, He’s in Trouble with the Cops.”
Whatsa matta Nick? The first title not nasty enough? No problem you own the editorial board!
Of course the “article” includes friendly links to Matthew J. Cunningham the Prop 10 welfare king, and the creepy Chris Prevatt, one of Berardino’s other tools.
The Voice of OCEA cannot let Shawn Nelson win this election. There is too much at stake for the union. And next time you come across Norberto Santana you may rest assured he is the proud bearer of the union label – bought and paid for. Let him know you know.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmwB-oKwk5U
Here’s what the people at the “Voice of OC” think is pressing: Santa Ana tops Anaheim in population. Really? Who the hell gives a damn? The writer tried to make it relevant by noting that some funding is allocated by population. Again, so what? the difference is a few thousand people – and a pro rata share differential is negligible.
C’mon you guys! May we humbly share some real issues? What about the repeated malfeasance by County Clerk-recorder Tom Daly? What about an out of control Children and Families Commission that pays a political operative $200 an hour to hand out toothbrushes? What about the County Cemetery District that paid Anaheim Mayor-for-Hire Curt Pringle $72,000 per year to find a graveyard site? Sweet Jebus, you guys, what’s wrong?
Do you folks really want to be taken seriously, or not?
I had some hopes for “The Voice of OC” as a source of information in Orange County, even though it was started by a former Democratic officeholder and funded by the County employee’s union.
Then on Friday I read Norberto Santana’s follow up to an earlier post about a poll repuglican John Lewis supposedly did that included results showing Sheriff candidate Bill Hunt within 1% of Sandra Hutchens. The problem was that neither the undecideds nor a % for Craig Hunter were released. How come? Lewis said he was restrained from saying. But it rendered the numbers pretty meaningless.
Instead of telling Lewis to cram his bogus “poll,” Santana gave the guy some more free publicity – whether there was even a real poll or not. And almost no inquisitiveness into who Lewis was working for or even if (as is quite likely) he’s just working for himself.
Well Santa was too incurious to press the matter, but I’ll speculate freely. I’m pretty sure Lewis is not working for Hutchens or he wouldn’t have released the numbers at all; ditto Hunter. Is he working for Hunt? Pretty unlikely since the unindicted members of Team Carona still show little but disdain for Hunt who would be unlikely to pay Lewis to do a poll in any case.
So who has the money and the resources to hire Lewis? The AOCDS union does, and since they are backing Hunt it would make sense – although the missing Hunter data would remain odd indeed – unless he, too were catching up with Hutchens. It would also make sense since the union is also backing a candidate in another important June race.
If Lewis were working for the his old Measure D pals the Lewis poll results in the 4th Supervisor’s race will indeed be interesting. If they are even released, it’s a safe bet that Harry Sidhu will miraculously receive credible numbers despite a campaign marked by perjury, carpetbagging, ignorance, and general buffoonery. Shawn Nelson is bound to come out badly since neither the AOCSD nor Lewis can tolerate a Nelson victory. Or are we too cynical about Lewis doing a phony “push poll”? Maybe. But we do recommend counting your fingers if you ever have to shake his hand.
Anyway, Lewis also has a way of working on spec so he can make lobbying calls later, so maybe he’s just trolling. What his motivations for hiding the Hunter data might be will become clear by early June.
But c’mon Norberto. Why wait?
Hooray! The OC Watchdog of the Orange County Register has been given some sort of “public service” award by some newspaper publishing organization or other. Teri Sforza is crowing about it, here, and sharing some of the important watchdoggin’ they’ve been doing. Well, okay, they’re all in a precarious employment situation over there so a little self-promotion can be forgiven.
On the other hand, when we consider the stories that the Watchdogs have serially ignored, we have to wonder with the Roman poet Juvenal, quis custodiet ipsos custodes? or in English: who guards the guardians?
Here’s a partial list of stories missed, dismissed, or glossed over by the OC Watchdog:
Perjury by Harry Sidhu, candidate for Supervisor.
Janet Nguyen hiring staffers for the 4th District office.
Tom Daly talks Supes (including Nguyen) into buying 2.1 million dollar money pit.
Tom Daly puts do-nothing Sacramento statistic-for-hire on $1700 per month retainer, paying out well over $100,000.
Tom Daly gives $48,000 to campaign contributor Brett Barbre to study sports hall of fame (first reported and then ignored – Jennifer Muir distracted by shoes).
Tom Daly turns Clerk-recorder Department into make work office for relatives of campaign contributors.
Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle paid $72,000 per year to find new graveyard for OC Cemetary District.
Pringle paid $250,000 to lobby for OC Children and Families Commission; Pacific Strategies awarded contracts of half a million dollars in three years to run a blog and write PR pieces for politicians; Commission gives “The White House Writers Group” $150,000 to proclaim the good works of the Commission on a bigger stage.
Etc., etc., etc.
The main problem seems to be lack of curiosity and/or tenacity. Then there’s the rather disturbing possibility that some folks in authority just gets less scrutinized than others.
At the WAND candidate forum the other day Lorri Galloway asserted that she has lived in our district for seven months.
Not quite right. According to her voter registration she only started carpetbaggin’ the 4th District a mere 5 months ago. So who cares? She’s a politician and they just love to fuzz up the facts.
But wait. The really fun fact is that she began her so called 4th District residency by “living” in Anaheim’s O-P zone – on the corner of Lincoln Avenue And East Street. And even if she did actually reside there, which is extremely doubtful, that residency was illegal per Anaheim’s zone code; she was busted (by us) in January and she had to “move.” So even if the most credulous person believes that she is now actually living in the “5 Points” area, she’s only been a legal resident of the 4th District for a couple of months.
