This is my own take on world, national, state, AND local events. It may seem scatter-brained for me to talk about Iraq, gay rights issues, and the state of the Democratic Party in Central Orange County all in the same week... But I like to think of it as an eclectic mix of various important issues.
That's right, my friends! If you love your country like I do, AND you love Barack Obama like I do, then you need to be here tonight. We're open to EVERYONE in Orange County who would like to know how they can get involved in the local campaign to elect Barack Obama as our 44th President, and nothing could possibly make us happier than to see YOU join us for all the fun.
Come on, now! Don't you want to follow me down below to see all the details on tonight's meeting? You know you want to... ;-)
The time has come for anyone interested in getting involved in Senator Obama’s campaign to step forward. Recently, many Obama OC members have spent the past few weekends getting trained on how to organize and run an effective campaign. Now we have the opportunity to share what we have learned with the hundreds of individuals in the Orange County area who have expressed an interest in volunteering for this historic campaign. Among the topics that will be discussed at the next meeting will be:
1) Overall Campaign Strategy a. Nevada Caucus b. Nevada road trips from Orange County i. August 17th and 19th ii. September 21st -23rd
2) California Strategy
3) Orange County Strategy a. We will be dividing Orange County into congressional districts. b. Congressional districts will be further broken down into precincts c. Finally, a plan will be made to reach a specific number of voters in each area.
4) Finally, we will discuss opportunities for those volunteers who prefer to work behind the scenes in an administrative capacity.
Needless to say, there are a lot of details that we will discuss at the meeting to clarify our Orange County strategy. We hope that you can attend, and help us get the ball rolling in the OC.
Rest assured, you will not be asked to do anything without receiving training and proper materials.
Location: 101 Pacifica Suite 240 Irvine, CA 92618
We look forward to seeing you at the meeting.
Sincerely,
Giovanii Jorquera OBAMA OC
Date: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 Time: 7:00pm-8:30pm Duration: 90 minutes Access: Public
So now, it's up to YOU. Are you ready to go out and "Barack your world"? If so, then I'll see you in Irvine tonight. :-)
It's hot. It's scorching. It's crazy. Thank goodness I have the Pacific Ocean so close to me now! Ah, I feel better! Nothing like that to turn a frustrating hot day into a happy beach day! : )
It's not supposed to be sleepy time for me yet. But for some reason, I just want to sleep. I know, I know, my life is boring. But hey, I'm sleepy. Enough. Good night. : )
Today, I noticed an article in The Register warning of YET ANOTHER HEAT WAVE striking us in Orange County this week. maybe for some people, this just means another chance to go to the beach or to throw a "BBQ by the Pool" party. But for me, I see more than just that. I see yet more evidence of a global climate in crisis that has already begun to affect us locally.
It goes without saying that injecting any degree of skepticism toward the figures and findings wafting from the climate change industry will likely lead to being branded a "traitor" by the Mahdi of Climate Change, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. -- but it's still a free country in which we can voice such skepticism. In the old Soviet Union, dissent was treated as a form of mental disease -- which isn't too different from the way the EnviroLeft views any who don't unquestioningly follow the party line.
And that's my point -- we ought to be skeptics on this issue, especially since the policy solutions being pushed by the Left involve the expansion of government power over our lives. Barbara Boxer flies over a glacier and to her that's "proof" of climate change -- as if she needs proof -- the aggrandizement of government power inherent in the Left's "save the planet" strategies is enough for her to believe in global warming.
HUH?! What on earth is happening to those folks at OC Blog? I guess they haven't been able to wake up and smell the inferno the way the rest of us in the reality-based community already have.
OK, first off... When did the far right begin to value dissent? After all, Matt has called all of us who oppose this disastrous occupation of Iraq "defeatists". So when did it become acceptable to question known science, but not bad foreign policy? Now I'd never want to take away Matt's right to question known science, but I'm just wondering why he has a problem with people like me who don't see any value in continuing Bush's failed war.
Next off, when did the real science of climate change become "a matter of controversy"? And when did it become "anti-business" to recognize that in finding solutions to this crisis, that new opportunities may arise? The science is real: Nearly all scientists agree that climate change is happening, and that we humans are contributing to this. Oh yes, and even most businesses today recognize that they need to be a part of the solution not only to survive on this planet, but to also survive in the global marketplace. I guess these right-wingers who want to continue denying reality are the ones who are truly "anti-business", as they don't want our economy to remain competitive against other nations' economies that have already adapted to the new environmental reality.
And finally, why must all of us who believe scientific reality be branded as "EnviroLeft extremists"? When did reason become "extreme"? When did science become "extreme"? And when did science denial become "normal"? I just don't get that.
Maybe I'll never be able to enlighten the folks at OC Blog who aspire to become the next Flat Earth Society in their extreme denial of scientific reality. Whatever... If they want to deny reality, let them. I just hope that we, as a society, never base public policy on the denial of reality. That's all.
Apparently, Dana Point Mayor Diane Harkey has been seeing black helicopters in the sky for quite some time. Last week, the Recall Diane Harkey campaign released a voicemail that Harkey had left to a former supporter, in which she was accusing one of her colleagues on the city council of conspiring with certain constituents who were "out to get" her. Take a listen for yourself, and you'll wonder why you can't hear the black helicopters in the background.
OK, OK, so maybe there isn't a grand conspiracy to undo Diane Harkey. But still, there's something pretty sinister that's happening in Dana Point. And perhaps Diane Harkey isn't paying attention to what's truly wrong in Dana Point... Because Diane Harkey is part of it.
Dana Reed is an election law attorney based in Los Angeles. He once ran for State Senate in a Republican Primary in Orange County against John Lewis years ago, but he unfortunately lost. However, he has more than made up for that loss in building quite a lucrative law firm that represents many Republican candidates for office and Native American Casinos in their legal battles.
Darryl R. Wold is listed as "of counsel" to Dana's law firm and on the firm web site, and is therefore a lawyer paid by the firm. Wold is also Harkey's personal election lawyer. Notice the numerous payments directly to Wold by Harkey's 2006 State Senate campaign. Harkey's Senate campaign paid Wold $15,600 for his services, and her City Council committee paid Wold $2,370 in 2006. Oh yes, and Wold's boss, Dana Reed, gave Harkey $250, which is listed in her most recent disclosure report for her Assembly campaign. So there we have it, we now know who's behind this "Dana Point Today" nonsense.
But for some reason, Diane Harkey won't take any credit for the fine PR work that she and her supporters have done for her campaign. In a recent email response, she just claimed that this is all the product of the "wild imagination" of one former council member. But wait, how could that be? Could Jim lacy truly have fabricated all the reports on the Secretary of State's web site? And did Debra Bowen fabricate all these reports as if she were really "out to get" Diane Harkey?
It's bad enough that Diane Harkey feels that she must deceive Dana Point residents into voting for her by having her supporters create an "official-looking newsletter" that's actually acting as a campaign flyer. But then, Harkey and her supporters won't even admit that they're the ones behind "Dana Point Today". So what are they afraid of? Are they afraid of facing misdemeanor charges for violating Dana Point Municipal Code Chapter 1.04?
1.04.070 Penalties.
Any person or persons violating the provisions of Sections 1.04.010 through 1.04.050 shall be guilty of an offense chargeable as a misdemeanor and subject to punishment in accordance with Section 1.01.200 of this Code. Each and every day during any portion of which the provisions of Sections 1.04.010 through 1.04.050 are violated, shall constitute a separate offense and may be punished accordingly. (Added by Ord. 93-01, 1/12/93).
Hmmm, that wouldn't look good for someone running for State Assembly! Wouldn't the Dana Point Mayor know better than to misuse the city seal for a partisan campaign? And wouldn't she also tell her campaign advisers, consultants, and attorneys to not misuse the city seal in the way they have now done? There's something so wrong about a mayor misusing her own city seal for something that definitely is NOT "official city business".
But wait, what's wrong with all of this doesn't end with the city seal. There is a bigger issue of trust here. This is yet another example of Diane Harkey betraying the trust of her own community. The people who received this "newsletter" are being duped into thinking that this is nonpartisan information. But now, we know that this "newsletter" is actually tied to a partisan political campaign. This may not just involve an illegal use of the city seal, but also a very unethical ploy to gain votes in a State Assembly race. And I don't know how else to say this, but that's just wrong.
So perhaps there really is a strange conspiracy going on in Dana Point, one that's deceiving voters into believing what's false and dismissing what's true. And maybe, just maybe, this conspiracy is happening totally "under the radar". No wonder why Diane Harkey senses those black helicopters.
OK, I just had to do that! I just came from a birthday party honoring my twins nephew and niece who just turned 1. I sat there while all those other kids were running wild and playing. So now, it's my turn! : )
Apparently, everyone now has something to say about the Tuesday night "occupation" of Loretta Sanchez's Congressional District Office and the arrest of the antiwar protesters . Digby says that this is a larger indictment of the military industrial complex, and David Dayen seems to be agreeing with her at Calitics. Meanwhile, OC Blog is using this as an excuse to talk about Ward Churchill and post a sexy photo of Loretta. And now, Art Pedroza is joining in on the fun at Orange Juice by asking why out-of-town peace activists (joining up with some locals) are targeting Loretta instead of going after their own pro-war Republican Representatives. And judging by the overwhelming response to my story at The Liberal OC, it seems like plenty of folks here want to talk about this.
From what I see, it looks like we all look at this story and see it as part of a bigger picture. For some, this explains why we are so addicted to the military-industrial complex, and to the "war system". For others, these protesters are just "crazy hippies" who are going after someone for not being "left wing" enough. And for others, this is just one huge media circus gone mad. I can see why each person sees this story as part of one's own "big picture", and for me I see it my own way.
For me, I see this as a larger question for the Democratic Party and for the progressive movement in Orange County. What is our primary focus here? Do we want to elect more Democrats in Orange County? Do we want to see more progressives in charge of the Democratic Party? Do we want to advance our progressive causes? And if so, how do we want to do it?
So where do we go from here? Do we support Loretta Sanchez because she mostly supports us and our causes? Do we castigate her because she's not a "true progressive"? Do we support the local Democratic Party, and do whatever we can to elect more Democrats like Loretta Sanchez to office? Or is there a "higher calling" than the Democratic Party that we must answer to?
I think you all have a clue as to where I stand on these issues. And at a later time, I'll discuss my own views on these matters. But in the mean time, I want to keep hearing from YOU. How are you seeing this story in terms of "the big picture"? And where do we all go from here?
Go ahead and continue to tell us your thoughts on Loretta Sanchez, the protesters, and what this all means in the end. The dialogue on this site, as well as in the larger blogosphere inside and outside Orange County, has amazed me. Let's keep the conversation going.
And now that I have been reunites with my precious Treo, I need to go outside. The sun is shining. The temperature is high and warm. Now that I have reconnected with my mobile magic machine, I need to reconnect with Mother Nature! : )
Today was a scary day. I almost lost my Treo. It went crazy this morning. It kept turing off and restarting on its own. I thought I had lost my baby forever.
But to my relief, Sprint fixed the problem. We went to the repair center, and the technicians there were actually helpful. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they were ready to help me get my precious Treo back.
And now, this crazy mobile blogger can smile again. : )
Many kudos to Total Buzz for this! Oh yes, and more kudos to them for this. Check out what Chriss Street has been buying for his office using our tax dollars. All in all, Street has so far spent a grand total of $950,754 of OUR TAX DOLLARS on luxurious furniture for his office. And believe it or not, officials in the Treasurer's Department expect this price tag to rise above $1,000,000!
So ladies and gentlemen, this is how the person collecting our taxes is spending them. So why hasn't "taxpayer hero" John Moorlach come to save the day? Why hasn't he called on Street to resign after hearing of this gross misuse of public funds, as well as the the FBI investigation into Street's mismanagement of a bankrupt trucking company whose assets he may have misused for such "necessities" as a family vacation, gym memberships, and Botox injections? Why hasn't Moorlach taken on Street in the same manner that he's challenging our law enforcement officers over their retirement benefits?
Moorlach claims that the current retirement benefits for our hardworking deputy sheriffs are somehow a "gift of public funds" that must be stopped. He's so outraged over our law enforcement officers getting a nest egg to retire on, but where's the outrage over really disgusting "gifts of public funds" like the lavish remodeling of Chriss Street's office? Oh, is that possibly because Moorlach himself also partook in "Extreme Makeover: OC Government Edition"? And may Moorlach be overlooking Street's sins because the two have such a long history of sticking together?
Well, I guess it's nice to see such a strong bond of friendship between Moorlach and Street continue to grow. Yes, it continues to grow... Kinda like that final bill for all that "remodeling" in Street's office! How precious. ;-)
"(This agreement) adds one more brick to the solid financial foundation of the Orange County Great Park."
That was Irvine City Council Member and Great Park Board Chair Larry Agran, quoted by The Register about the Great Park Board's decision to approve a deal to give the Great Park $134 million and develop 35 acres of Irvine city land. The Great Park Board approved the deal with no dissenting votes, though board members Stephen Choi, Christina Shea, and Walkie Ray were absent at the time of the vote. Choi actually was at the meeting early on to ask staff members questions, but after he was rebuked by Agran over refusing to stop mixing questions and comments while not allowing Agran to speak, Choi just left the building. Wow, talk about raw emotions!
OK... And in other Great Park related news, the board also gave final approval to a $27.3 million contract with Ken Smith's design team in order for the lead designer of the park to continue making the dreams of the Great Park into a reality. According to The Register:
Under the contract, the designers will refine the park plans in the next year to the point of "schematic design" – or 30 percent of the detail needed to build the park. The designers also will work on construction-ready drawings for mass grading of the park site, along with everything needed to build a wildlife corridor and a stream.
I guess as this process goes on, we'll need to regularly check up on how the park is doing. So how's the park doing? When will these dreams of a perfect natural retreat in the heart of our urban area become reality? Is we having proper oversight over this project? And of course, is this all what we were hoping for when we approved Measure W in 2002?
So I want to know what you think about the Great Park. Do you like the design so far? Do you like the governance so far? And are you glad that we'll have a little more nature in the heart of Orange County instead of another airport?
As Jubal/Matt would say at OC Blog, this just came over the transom from our dear Assembly Member Jose Solorio (D-Santa Ana):
State Assemblyman Jose Solorio, Chairman of the Public Safety Committee invites you to a Town Hall meeting
Confronting Gangs and Youth Violence: Community-Based Solutions
Friday, August 31, 2007 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Rancho Santiago Community College District Board Room 2323 N. Broadway Street, Santa Ana, CA 92706
The Town Hall will provide panelists and attendees an opportunity to discuss the impact community-based and public organizations can have on our youth through innovative prevention, intervention, and re-entry strategies.
To RSVP or for more information, please contact Assemblyman Jose Solorio's District Office at (714) 939-8469 or email to juan.flores@asm.ca.gov.
I plan to go. Want to go with me? We can ask him all about his efforts as Chair of the Assembly Public Safety Committee to pass meaningful legislation to make our neighbors safer. Doesn't that sound good? Yes, that's just what I thought! I'll see you there! ;-)
Have you read "Dana Point Today" lately? This newsletter bills itself as a publication that's "keeping the residents of Dana Point informed on issues affecting our beautiful coastal community". How nice. So where's the news on the issues affecting this beautiful coastal community? This seems like an innocent public interest newsletter, but something just doesn't seem right about it. I wonder why I have this uneasy feeling about "Dana Point Today".
So please do follow me down below... We need to talk...
Where's the news on whatever is being done on affordable housing? Where's some real news on the Headlands? Where's some real news on improving the nasty water quality at Doheny? I guess there's a little blurb about Doheny in there, but there doesn't seem to be much discussion on the real issues affecting Dana Point. All this newsletter seems to be is happy talk on city projects. There's even a letter on the city budget from Mayor Diane Harkey. Oh wait, that must be because this is from the City of Dana Point! After all, this does have the official city seal.
Oh wait, but this can't be a city publication. This is not from the city. So where is this thing coming from? Maybe this can help us find the answer. Dana Point Today's headquarters happens to be conveniently located right next to Harkey for Assembly headquarters on Del Prado. And while Harkey penned a nice, long letter about the city budget for this publication, there's nothing official from the city in this publication... Not even the seal.
And speaking of the city seal, whatever happened to Dana Point Policy #102?
The use of the City Seal/Logo or facsimile or reproduction of, or make or use of any seal/logo or any design which is an imitation of said seal/logo or which may be mistaken for said seal/logo, for any purpose other than official business of the City, its City Council, City Advisory Boards, Commissions, Task Forces and Staff, shall be prohibited unless otherwise approved by the City Manager and/or City Council. In addition, the use of the City Seal/Logo for any political campaign materials or literature shall be prohibited. (Refer to Ordinance No. 92-14 for specific regulations.)
Oops. I guess whoever did this newsletter for the Harkey for Assembly Campaign forgot about that. So did the Harkey Campaign (or whoever did this for them) receive approval from the city to use the deal in this publication? This may not seem like a major issue, except that this may coax unsuspecting Dana Point residents into believing this is some type of community interest newsletter or some city related publication, when this appears to be something connected to Harkey's partisan campaign for State Assembly. If this is actually the case, then this is not something that the campaign should be engaging in.
Even if we forget the whole specific issue of a possible violation over the use of a city seal, this is still wrong. People are being duped into thinking that this is nonpartisan information when this may actually be tied to a partisan campaign. At best, this is playing fast and loose with basic ethics. I don't even want to talk about the possible worst-case scenario here.
So if people connected to the Harkey for Assembly Campaign are publishing this "newsletter", then they need to cut it out. This just isn't right. And yes, the people of this truly beautiful coastal community deserve better than this.
I know there are many reasons to love Laguna Beach. Who doesn't love the art? Who doesn't love the scenic hillsides and canyons? Who doesn't love the rustic landscape of this crown jewel of the California Coast?
But today, we have a new reason to love Laguna, a reason that I just discovered at The Register. The NRDC has named Laguna as one of the nation's top "beach buddies", which means that Laguna ocean water is some of the cleanest in the entire nation. Wow, isn't that just amazing? Out of all the beaches in the nation, Laguna has better water quality than just about everywhere else! How fabulous!
However, this report wasn't all good news for California. Avalon (on Catalina Island), in Los Angeles County, and Venice Beach, in San Mateo County, were both named as "beach bums", meaning that water quality at these beaches is among the worst in the nation. How sad. Maybe they need to come to Laguna, and learn how they can follow Laguna's good example.
Still, I feel quite heartwarmed and very much relieved after seeing this report. As I love spending time at the beach in Laguna and enjoying the gorgeous Pacific down there, I feel much better about going in the water. And now that you've also seen the report, you can too! ;-)
I am a student, an activist, and a blogger. I enjoy good books (e.g. Atwood, Eco, Morrison), great music (anything from Celia Cruz to the Grateful Dead), and new adventures. When I am not studying or enjoying other aspects of my life, I am also a hard-core progressive Democrat. I do my best to support great candidates and push forward great ideas.
