.
Well, SORRY, to any of you who live in Santa Ana or central Anaheim who kinda wanted to have a choice of who to vote for to represent you in the Assembly.
That choice is made for you! There’s only one name on your ballot now, the Anointed One, the choice of Big Oil, Big Insurance, and Anaheim’s Hotel industry, the Whitest Man in Orange County, Clerk-Recorder Tom Daly. Yes, even as we await the results of the investigation into his long-rumored boinking and promotion of multiple female County underlings, Tom Daly IS your Assemblyman.
For the threats to family man Joe’s employment with the County, based on an over-strict interpretation of the Hatch Act and driven by unnamed complainants apparently including The Liberal OC [*see their denial below] – the threats that have been dangling over him like the Damocles sword since the spring, have come to a head: He was ordered this week to choose between losing his job and dropping out of the race.
And for the father of six, this was no choice. Joe Moreno’s name will still be on your ballot, but will only count as a protest vote. And there would be plenty to protest that way: the installation of the most corporate-friendly Democrat by staggering independent expenditures from unsavory and out-of-state special interests, the failure of Daly to denounce any of the lying mailers these interests sent out on his behalf, the Machiavellian machinations of Jose Solorio and others to install the quintessential DINO, the imposition of this dazzling caucasian on the most Latino district in the state, and the latest example of the Hatch Act run amok as a political weapon.
For was the Hatch Act really intended to keep guys like Joe from running for offices like state assembly? Why should someone whose current employer gets Federal dollars be barred from running for STATE office anyway? Taken strictly and literally it is an absurd and undemocratic law trampling on the civil rights of way too many people, and pending reform it should only be applied sparingly. Ironically, as Joe pointed out back in April,
… I have absolutely not politicized my employment position to benefit my campaign. I do not have the ability to award jobs, government contracts, grant pay raises or give any other special favors in exchange for political support yet my main opponent, who is a County official, has done so and he is continually allowed to do so with no repercussions.
While some might say that this is business as usual, I say it is wrong regardless of one’s political point of view. This extrajudicial attempt to end my candidacy will not end government corruption, nor will it strengthen our democracy, instead it only serves to undermine our electoral process.
Well, whatever, right – just replace Joe with the third-place runner-up, the worthy Julio Perez, or have the OC GOP quickly replace Joe with another Republican candidate. Right? NOT. This is the new, Prop 14, Top-Two universe, which you can blame on Abel Maldonado all you like, but the VAST MAJORITY OF YOU CHUMPS VOTED FOR IT TWO YEARS AGO. You’re stuck with Daly and nobody else, just as – if the case against Mimi Walters stands – you Newport-area Republicans are gonna be stuck with Senator Steve Young for four years. (*snicker*)
*
And this desmadre hits the fan just as I’d been preparing an article on what a great guy Joe Moreno was, and how – even if he had had the proverbial snowball’s chance – I would have happily voted for him had I lived in the 69th AD.
I already knew that he was an honest, thoughtful person – when we met in the Spring he described to me his opposition to Anaheim’s TOT giveaway, and how his initial reaction was all tax breaks are good, until he thought about it a little more and realized that Anaheim’s wealthiest and most powerful forces were merely passing along the cost of necessary services to the average taxpayer, while the local government also “chose winners and losers.” I.E. a non-corporatist conservative in the mold of Tom Tait, Cynthia Ward, Brian Chuchua and Tim Whitacre.
But I still would have been reluctant to send a Republican to Sacramento, where all the Republicans do is obstruct anything Democrats try to do, until I met with Joe earlier this month. He emphasized that he was strongly opposed to Republican obstructionism in Sacramento and Washington, that he would happily work with both sides and be beholden to neither Party or special interests. He mentioned his great admiration for Nathan Fletcher (who was unfortunately driven to leave the GOP) as a “citizen legislator rather than a Party legislator.” Joe could have conceivably become the most important guy in the Assembly, someone who would’ve needed to be courted by the Democrats and convinced of the fiscal responsibility of each of their ideas.
Joe did not want to see taxes raised on those who couldn’t afford it, but was eager to get necessary revenue from those who could: Specifically he would have been an enthusiastic vote for an Oil Extraction Tax as long as it was ensured the cost would not be passed on at the pump. It’s unclear if Tom Daly with his six-figure Big Oil contributions would be allowed to do that.
Joe was happy to not be indebted to Unions, and fully supportive of reasonable pension reform, but he also opposes Prop 32, seeing clearly that it kneecaps the voice of working people while offering buku loopholes for the corporations that fund it.
Joe didn’t want me to make a big deal out of this, but now why shouldn’t I – in the spirit of Mayor Tait’s slogan “Fiscal responsibility, freedom and kindness,” he supports marriage equality. He supports the Dream Act and is driven crazy by his Party’s hostility to Latinos and immigrants. I’m pretty sure he told me he opposes the stupid, failed Drug War (correct me if I’m wrong on that one, Joe.) But he stays a Republican, in the fond hopes of helping to make it a better Party.
I could go on and on, but what’s the point. I would have been proud to endorse and vote for Joe Moreno, but now he is a private citizen. With a job and kids.
Best wishes to Joe Moreno, condolences to democracy, and let us try to get on with Tom Daly, who may very well be representing us in Sacramento for many years – Let us hope he proves to be a far better Assemblyman that we would expect from his campaign and his supporters!
*Dan C calls and Chris also writes, to protest that the Liberal OC had nothing to do with getting Joe busted. If they say so. You can read these words of their mysterious “Joe Hill” yourself and see if it sounds like innocent inquiry or impatient advocacy:
LiberalOC asked the Social Services Agency [Joe’s employer] whether they had sought an opinion from the U. S. Office of Special Counsel regarding the possible violation of the Hatch Act by Moreno, they declined to answer because they “do not comment on personnel issues.” When asked whether the Agency was aware of the Hatch Act, Social Services Agency spokesperson TerryLynn Fisher said; “the Agency is acutely aware of the Hatch Act.”
Wow. Another article by the Mysterious Joe Hill? Who is this man? Is he even real?
This really sucks for the 69th. I would expect the Daly allegations to be whitewashed in short order (On November 7, of course).
All right, all right — I won’t blame just Abel Maldonado. But I can blame him partly, right? Anyway, Maldo is in what may be the closest Congressional race in the state, CA-24 (Santa Barbara and San Luis Opispo) — and if you want to punish him you can send money to his opponent Lois Caps: https://secure.actblue.com/entity/fundraiser/12680.
My condolences to Joe. (I didn’t even know that one could drop out of a race until the Prop 14 regime; I think that we signed a pledge not to, but that was only regarding our current intentions and didn’t apply to something like this.)
No Write – In Alternative? “Top – Two” was only for Primaries, Right?
HOLY C–P! WE’RE SCREWED! Note to self: (Google first, THEN post.)
The Latino’s screwed up.
Back during the redistricting they marched in force demanding all of them be put into one super district.
I thought, and said so, that there are enough Latinos to make two (2) districts with 1 centered around Anaheim and another centered around Santa Ana.
I hope they are happy now with the white guy in charge of their single district, and maybe for the next 10-12 years.
He’ll be there for two years — and that presumes that the anonymous charges levied against him aren’t true.
Well, now if people are prevented from expressing their voting preferences, doesn’t Prop 14 violate the CVRA? Where’s that phone number for the ACLU? I’m gonna go for $20M!
There is a famous line in “Three Days of the Condor”….”Contingencies…..we play games….they have games…….just in case this happens……or that happens…..”
The famous ….”backup plan”……funny stuff…isn’t it?
Good idea! If Jose moreno’s name is still on the ballot then I will have to send my protest vote his way.
I’m so disgusted with men, like Tom Daly who use there position to try to get laid. Where’s that investigation?
IF it’s true, Mario, if it’s true…
Joe reminds me that he actually filed a complaint against Tom for violating “other provisions of the Hatch act.” So we COULD end up with NO candidates in the 69th.
no candidates for the 69th? We can only dream and hope.
@ Vern N:
You ask, “Why should someone whose current employer gets Federal dollars be barred from running for STATE office anyway? Taken strictly and literally it is an absurd and undemocratic law trampling on the civil rights of way too many people . . . ”
We may not like certain rules, and some may need to be reformed, but the rules are there for a reason, and there is a process for changing them.
I don’t actually buy into the “poor me, look how the rule is impacting me . . . can we just ignore it and call it a day” attitude.
There is another MAJOR GROUP of potential candidates, in our society that is barred for good reason from running for or serving in a federal office . . . see Article 1, Section 6 of our US Constitution:
“No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time; and [NO PERSON HOLDING ANY OFFICE UNDER THE UNITED STATES, SHALL BE A MEMBER OF EITHER HOUSE (House of Representatives or Senate – my insert) DURING HIS CONTINUANCE IN OFFICE”.
So the PROHIBITION and PRINCIPLE of barring certain individuals from being BOTH an EMPLOYEE and an ELECTED Office holder is well established in our US Constitution.
This prohibition and principle applies in general also to certain MILITARY OFFICERS, who one could easily imagine as being defenders of our democracy and civil rights.
Paco Barragán
Francisco, makes a good point
You make a very good point. Maybe if we allowed military servicewomen and servicemen who served in the trenches. those who can emphasize how much destruction and death there is the world, we might have an end of military conflicts and an end of wars against humanity. I’m not talking about military people who do their 20 years during peactime but those courageous folks in the trenches who put their lives on the line for our freedom.
One would have to be a fool to not link the origins of the Hatch Act and the conduct and actions of Tom Daly during his days as the OC Clerk Recorder. I’m not talking s out the sexual improprieties but the hiring and Awarding of contracts to people who have supported his campaign. That is what brought on the Hatch Act.
I have a hard time understanding how someone who says we need a solution based focus in government can’t see the clear facts. If it is not arrogance, it has to be foolishness.
@ Mario:
Military people don’t choose how and where they are going to serve, especially not a 20-year veteran. The only true choice, in our current all-volunteer, force is whether to serve or not!
All military people, go where they are needed; or they also “hurry up and wait” for their next order.
When I was in the US Marines, we used to joke that USMC stood for: (U Signed the M###F##r Contract); and
US ARMY (Uncle Sam Aint Released Me Yet); but as Marines we also used to joke that ARMY stood for (Aint Ready for Marines Yet).
All of the above, reflected the nature of serving where needed.
SEPARATELY, The Hatch Act was enacted in 1939 and reformed around 1993; if people have allegations against any elected official, then the FACTS supporting those ALLEGATIONS should be presented . . . but I think it is foolish to hope that ALLEGATIONS should suffice as EVIDENCE or as FACTS.
“Daly’s sole opponent, Joe Moreno, hounded out of race.”
So what – who cares?
Freedom-loving people.
So Who is “Joe Hill”?
It no longer is a nod nod wink wink thing.
You just referred to his writings.
Now this wouldn’t be so ironic, had the LOC folks jumped on “JUBAL” so hard back when.
The aovoidence and accusations of ANY COMMENT QUESTIONING JOE HILL dissapearing makes me wonder: “Who is Joe Hill”?
How are we supposed to know? You know which blog tenders to ask.
According to the ROV, if Moreno wins and does not take office, either a special election will be held or the governor can appoint someone.
With the 4 of the five declaring Democrat party and one declaring Republican in the primary, and if the Republican should win and not take office.
Then the governor should declare a vacancy and special election, or appoint someone who is not, and has not been a Democrat or Republican during the preceding 10 years.
What party is Steve Rocco?
Hmmmm — can I see a citation for that? It does seem plausible.
“If Moreno were to get the more votes than Daly in November and then chose not to fill the Assembly seat, the seat would become vacant. In that case, the governor would either appoint someone to fill it or call a special election, Kelley said Friday.”
http://totalbuzz.ocregister.com/2012/09/28/moreno-again-drops-out-of-69th-assembly-race/88904/
So if many voters do not want Daly, they should vote for Moreno. And then another bite at the apple can be had.
As I see it, corporate, oil whore Tom Daly doesn’t deserve to represent the 69th which such political tricks, I won’t vote for Tom.
I enjoyed reading this story. You do write well.
Anyways, just clarify that I’m big believer in kindness, expanding freedoms and good government.
As for the comment “Party’s hostility to Latinos and immigrants” I think you might consider that while there has been hostilities from the right, there has been what I would call a “taking for granted” hostility from the left.
Considering we are talking about the most Latino and reportedly the poorest district in california, you would have no farther to look then the 69th democratic candidate. With a household total compensation income that is close to a 1/4 a million, living in a reportedly $700,000 home and not even sharing an agreement with those issues that Latinos define as important, is that someone that can empathize with the community.
Sure, being a Latino is not what should be a qualifying factor and there have been great leaders who have while not sharing the same ethnicity with the majority of residents, have served the resident well. For example, consider former Senator Joe Dunn.
I know Joe Dunn, Tom Daly is no Joe Dunn.
@ Francisco, I’m not asking for anyone’s sympathy.
Um, to clarify that – Tom Daly may be a Democrat, but he is NOT of the “left.” Otherwise, point taken.
Agreed Vern!