About Our Blog
What comes to mind when you think of Orange County? Luxury? Nice homes? Republicans? Sure, we have all that but this County also has an astounding level of political corruption. The Orange County government is used like a piggy bank by both the Democrats and Republicans – and the special interests have a lock on our water districts, school boards and city governments.
There are plenty of blogs out there for you to read but this one is dedicated to outing the corrupt matrix of OC politics, from lobbyists to politicians and political appointments. If you are looking for brainless cheerleading, please look elsewhere.
I started Orange County’s first political blog, the Orange Juice, back in 2003. Over time it became the dominant political blog in Orange County. I stepped away from it in November of 2010 – and turned the Orange Juice over to uber-liberal Vern Nelson. I had started a new civic blog in Santa Ana, called the New Santa Ana blog, and wanted to focus on growing its readership. Mission accomplished. The New Santa Ana blog is now a very dominant voice in Central Orange County.
I missed reporting on County politics though so this blog was born, much to the chagrin of OC political hacks from the right and the left.
If you are a candidate or would like to let my readers know about a political event, please email me by clicking here.
Thanks for reading this blog!
Art Pedroza
Editor
OC Politics Blog
(714) 606-7622
An OCPR and eMedia Solutions publication.
Great News!
An another blog I can troll.
eat your hearts out Vern Nelson and Esq. Gregory Diamond.
Somewhat I am embarrassed to say this but last night I have fell sleep while trolling via the Orange Juice Blog and have missed the New Year countdown.
I am sure it ain’t gone happen here in https://ocpoliticsblog.com
Welcome aboard Stanley!
I don’t know what happend to the administration part of this blog and I don’t know when it exactly happened but the navagation of this blog doesn’t work right anymore. I used to be able to click on the email you sent me and go right to the story but not anymore. I sent you an email about it by haven’t heard anything and this website is still really messed up. It’s nice to have people who are willing to take to time to keep us informed and I hope you can fix this site because it’s needed. But if one can’t get to the story from the emails you send…..what’s the point?
It sounds like there’s a problem with our feed. I’ll check it out tonight. Thanks!
“The Orange County government is used like a piggy bank by both the Democrats and Republicans ”
Spoken like a shunned Republican.
Look this is OC, as Republican as it gets. Yet you lump Democrats in the same pool, as if they are equally responsible. This is a lame attempt at balance. What has ruined OC is largely attributable to Republicans. Largely being the operative word.
Robert Citroen notwithstanding
There are plenty of Democrats who are happy to play ball with the Republicans. Jordan Brandman, the Anaheim Council Member, is am acolyte, for example, of Curt Pringle. And many Democrats, including your past Chairman and Lou Correa, endorsed our disgraced and now incarcerated former sheriff, Mike Carona. Many Democrats were also complicit in our public employees pension crisis.
That would be three you named, barely recognizable as players. Citroen makes four.
You know who else endorsed Carona?
That would be George, son of George.
http://bit.ly/18EItBf
So seriously, Republicans and Democrats being responsible for the governance of Orange County to near the same levels of responsibility? Is that anything like HANNITY and colmes being a balanced program?
Overall the Republicans of course bear most of the blame, but I don’t see many Democrats making much of a difference. They are mostly out to serve unions and other special interests.
Art your mission statement is right on target! It is not Republican vs. Democrat, Conservative vs. Liberal or Progressive vs. Libertarian. It is simply the honest vs. the corrupt, the insiders vs. the outsiders, the power players vs the powerless and the decent vs. the indecent. Unfortunately, with few exceptions, the latter groups represent our local politicians and the other hacks who run our city governments. This blog is desperately needed and I salute you Art for starting it and running it!
Correction:
I meant to say above that those with the power, those who are corrupt, those who are the insiders and those who are indecent too often fits the description of our elected local officials and there crony city government city managers, police chiefs, etc.
Thanks for the kind words!
I happened upon your blog, Art! Glad I did! Is been a very long time since I’ve talked to you; hope you’re doing well!
Brooke Stewart
Thanks Brooke! You too!
My friend Jack received an unfair decision from commissioner Carmen Luege. In a small court hearing Jack sued his former employer for lost wages in 2012. Jack had all the documents to prove his case, but Ms. Carmen Luege’s acted very biased against Jack. Commisioner Luege was very rude to Jack, yelling at him and rejected all his documents by throwing them up in the air. Commissioner Luege treated Jack like he was a criminal or terrorist. Commissioner Luege even attacked other U.S. government agencies by saying it was their fault that Jack did not receive fair wages from his former employer. Commissioner Luege was very short with Jack and gave him an unjust verdict, in less than 5 munities. Jack’s former employer was told by Commissioner Luege that they were not required to pay any money at all. But Jack‘s former employer had mailed Jack several letters with a check and agreed they owed Jack some of the wages. My friend Jack is telling everyone the truth about commissioner Luege’s poor judgments. There must be many other people that commissioner Luege has done wrong by. Please do not vote for a person with such poor judgement to serve as a Judge of Superior Court in Orange Country.
I feel compelled to address an issue that should be of grave concern to us all. It’s about the perversion of the political process and a cynical attempt by one candidate to manipulate her way into public office.
I am speaking of a Candidate for the California’s 74th Assembly District Seat, a Seat that represents the voters of Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Woods, and Newport Beach. That candidate is Karina Onofre.
Let me tell you a little bit about Ms. Onofre. In 2012 Karina ran unsuccessfully as a Republican during the nonpartisan Santa Ana City Council race.
Earlier this year Karina claimed she is a friend of the Tea Party and then after months of campaigning as a conservative GOP politician she switched her political affiliation to Democratic – and did so at the last possible moment.
So please someone, anyone, please explain why Karina Onofre is running for public office and how can she possibly represent the citizens of the 74th Assembly District when she herself doesn’t seem to know what she is or even what she believes? There is something especially frightening about a candidate that in such a short time believes herself to be a “conservative Republican,” then a Tea Party sympathizer, then registers as a Democrat at the filing deadline.
Last month Onofre was quoted by the OC Register saying “It’s definitely going to take time making the switch, but I know I’m going to earn the Democratic trust.” Well I for one am tired of politicians that either don’t have or that switch beliefs on a dime and ask us to trust them. If a candidate wants our vote, first they need to get out and work tirelessly for the issues that matter. Demonstrate who you are by your deeds, don’t expect the electorate to simply accept your words. You haven’t earned that right and the Democratic Party under whose banner Onofre seeks to present, has refused to endorse her. The California Political Review, hardly a liberal publication, said of Karina: “Karina Onofre is Simply an Awful Assembly Candidate.”
But I’ll let Karina Onofre’s own words speak of her delusions:
1. “I was a Democrat before seeing the light and becoming a Republican. So I’ve been there and I know what it’s like and what they, what they do and what they’re thinking.”
2. “I can easily cross party lines and gather support, because I can genuinely relate to both. And representing the future of the Republican Party, I can help our Party grow and make our state conservative bloody red again.”
3. “I believe that people that stay home and collect unemployment are not as creative, not as innovative, and not as bright and engaged in our economy…”
And Finally:
4. “We have wonderful role models, like Sarah Palin.”
Well, at least we know Karina’s role model and apparently her intellectual inspiration. We also know Karina Onofre may be many things, but she most certainly is not a Democrat and the Democratic Party certainly doesn’t want her, regardless of her attempt to pretend to be one to obtain elected office.
In the course of two years ALL Karina Onofre has demonstrated by her deeds is conservative Republicans can’t trust her, Tea Party conservatives can’t believe her, and Democrats can’t support her. I hope and trust that the citizens of the 74th District will send a message loud and clear, that we expect better. Integrity, beliefs, and deeds matter.
Karina Onofre’s campaign slogan is “Knock out politics as usual” – SERIOUSLY my friends, we deserve better.
You should place this comment on one of our posts about her.
Great blog! A quick question – is it possible to find the result for all of your previous polls?
Unfortunately we had to remove the polling software when it wasn’t updated and git buggy.
Thanks for the quick response! Does that mean even the results of a particular poll?
Yes sadly the directories associated with that plug in are gone.
Who are the candidates for Irvine Mayor election next year ?
O.C. Board of Education: Gomez unseats Hammond
Tustin Councilwoman Rebecca “Beckie” Gomez, an administrator at Cypress College, will soon take her new post on the Orange County Board of Education after she ousted one of the board’s most conservative voices.
Gomez won the seat to represent District 1 with nearly 43 percent of the vote, topping incumbent Robert M. Hammond’s 40 percent in the June 7 election. A third candidate, Paul Zive, trailed with 17 percent.
Results for the election were certified Monday.
District 1 serves Fountain Valley, Santa Ana, and parts of Garden Grove and Tustin.
Hammond, a strong supporter of charter schools, was backed by Orange County’s conservative Lincoln Club. Gomez was backed by local and state teachers unions.
On Monday, Gomez said she’s “not strictly opposed to charter schools, but tax dollars need to be focused in the classroom.”
Political action committees, both supporting and opposing charters, poured more than $200,000 into the Orange County Board of Education races.
Hammond’s re-election bid also got the attention of organizations such as the Orange County Democratic Party and the LGBT Center OC, which called for his resignation.
Hammond has said he’s not anti-gay but has had opponents take words out of context to portray him as such.
He attributed his loss to the ongoing debate over charter schools.
“I think the people spoke,” he said. “I lost by about 2,000 votes.”
The other two incumbents, Ken L. Williams and John “Jack” Bedell, held on to their seats and will be sworn in along with Gomez at the next board meeting, on July 13.