OC Scariest Politicians

Happy Halloween everyone and if you’re to the left of center, Halloween is 365/24/7 in the OC when it comes to certain politicians.  Here’s our list the scariest ones.

10.  Don Wagner — Mr. Wagner, the state assemblyman from AD-70 often goes to a number of functions at Irvine schools which we find hysterical because he does so little to help OC schools in his district get enough money just to make state average.  Despite a career in education. Mr. Wagner has fallen into his party’s platform of never ever raising taxes and gripes about teacher’s unions.  We didn’t think it was possible for anyone to top Chuck DeVore in a lack of action to help schools, but Wagner has.  Just ask IUSD to call on Wagner for help and listen to the screams.

9.  Dana Rohrabacher — OC Weekly’s R. Scott Moxley continues to expose the rank hypocrisy of one of OC’s craziest congressmen.  Rohrabacher’s wife is a chief beneficiary of campaign contributions is particularly noteworthy.  Rohrabacher has blamed the income disparity gap on President Obama. And there’s Dana’s support of those who would later became the Taliban that’s always worth a chuckle.  Why can’t a good Dem beat this guy? We can only pray that Moxley’s continued reporting on Dana kicks in like his work on Mike Carona did.  Sooner than later.

8.  Santa Ana’s City Council — With the possible exception of Republican Carlos Bustamante, who has no redeeming qualities, every member of the Democratic-majority Santa Ana city council is capable of doing the right thing.  But so often they don’t.  The current council has been together for at least five years and the city is using some accounting tricks to make payroll until the December tax windfall checks come in, but that’s the calm before the storm.  Without major change, those up for election in 2012 are going to be hard pressed to defend their votes that will surely drive the city to the brink of Bankruptcy again.  Some blame former city manager Dave Ream for the mess, but the last time we checked, Ream didn’t make a single vote on any budget item and there’s evidence dating back to 2006 that suggests the city leaders were warned about being more responsible.  More than  half the city’s workers make six figures; compare this with Irvine were it’s 22 percent or Fullerton where it’s 28 percent.  We’d be happy to give the city council positive coverage if they’d follow the Brown Act, would adhere to their Code of Ethics, and treat members of the public with the respect of actually listening to them during public comments instead of having side meetings or leaving the dias.  There are two city councils in OC with Democratic Majorities and the difference between the two is night and day. 

7. Chris Thompson — This Fullerton School Board member is on a mission to fire bad teachers.  Which is an interesting premise considering the Fullerton School District is one of the better school districts in OC.  You have to wonder if Thompson is targeting some of the teachers his kids had.  What’s scary is how Thompson is so quick to criticize what he considers high salaries of teachers in his district, rails against government spending and high taxes, but accepts what amounts to Cadillac health benefits paid for by the district to the tune of $2,000 a month.  One of Thompson’s heroes, Shawn Nelson, and Irvine Councilman Jeff Lalloway, both refused their city council benefits either because they didn’t need it or out of principle.  We have no problem with electeds accepting meager compensation and benefits for their time, but Thompson’s rhetoric doesn’t match his actions here.

6.  Jerry Amante — The Boss Tweed of Tustin is doing his best to make sure everyone knows he is a fiscal conservative when all evidence is to the contrary.  From overspending on legal fees, to doiling out no-bid contracts for things like cleaning services, to buying iPads for the city council that don’t save a penny in paper costs, Amante bears the shame of being the second mayor of the city to be the subject of a recall.  He still owes an apology to council member Deborah Gavello and members of the TUSD board for claiming they were part of his politically motivated recall when they certainly weren’t.  Our favorite recent action — Amante wants Tustin voters to vote on city council compensation – which won’t affect him because it takes place after he’s termed out.  How convenient!  Now Jerry could do the right thing and pay the city back for all his past checks or refuse to accept another dime moving forward, but we’re guessing he won’t because it’s part of the larger narrative  — do as I say not as I do.  The good news for city staffers — hang in there.  Jerry is out in a year and you can get your lives back. 

5.  Derek Reeve — This conservative council member is all about guns and offending Muslims. But for students at Concordia University, the plagiarism scandal over writing Reeve submitted to Patch.com that was lifted from other authors without attribution means you won’t have to worry about getting a bad grade in poli-sci if you are a moderate or a — gasp — liberal.  In fact, if you are one of those and got a bad grade in a Reeve taught class, you have grounds to appeal.

4. John Moorlach — Supervisor Moorlach, a champion of budgets the the “unfunded liabilities,” has actually wasted more taxpayer money in the past few years than he’s saved.  The repeated appeals on a losing lawsuit againist AOCDS which he was told repeatedly he would lose and the subsequent legal fees settlement have cost OC taxpayers dearly…millions actually.  But Moorlach never opted out of the county’s pension plan; enjoy those benefits Supervisor!

3. The Republicans on the Fullerton City Council — for the way they conducted themselves during the Kelly Thomas case is downright scary and appalling.  The failure of this gang of three that are the subject of a recall for failing to get answers from the Fullerton City Manager and Fullerton Police Chief is a breach of their sworn duty.  If legal counsel was giving them advice to be quiet about it, it was bad advice.  We include Bruce Whitaker in this batch because we’d like to see him join Sharon Qurik-Silva’s efforts to improve the way the city deals with the homeless and those who are mentally ill. 

2. The Republican Majority of the Costa Mesa City Council — Even author Stephen King has to be impressed with the horror fiction presented by this group as fact.  And they believe their own BS. They are contracting out the same services which save the city no money whatsoever.  Money is no object to hire a consultant who will tell them what they want to hear.  We have compliants of vandalism on a councilman’s car but no police report.  We have complaints of a broken window at the mayor’s business blaming Union sympathizers with no evidence.  We have Jim Righeimer making claims about his margin of victory in the last election that don’t seem to match the votes tallied.  How do you know when these guys are lying?  Their lips are moving.

1. Deborah Pauly — Where to begin?  From comparing Obamacare to sodomy or calling Muslim women and children walking into a peaceful event “terrorists” or being the most high-profile OC political leader at a OC-based Michelle Bachman for president rally, Deborah Pauly is the new Bob Dornan when it comes to hate speech.  We await her upcoming supervisor’s race with “Glee.” But she probably hates that show too.