We could not help but notice that the usual set of local hangers-on, wannabes and coat holders showed up at the OCTA’s Pre-Proposal Conference today for the $4.7 million “Public Outreach for Interstate 405 Improvement Project”. These vendor conferences are usually scheduled by the Authority when there’s a large bid is rendered as we covered last week: I-405 Needs a $4.7M Spokeshole. 17 potential vendor representatives attended, and we particularly recognized these four: Continue reading
OCTA Board Approves Proposed Fare Increases
The OCTA board of directors approved a proposed bus fare increase after two months of community outreach and discussion about the measure to help address rising operation costs. The board approved the proposal as a way to ensure the agency’s eligibility for the state funds that primarily support its bus system. Continue reading
Former State Senator John Lewis has such a hold on the Republican Party of Orange County that he was able to force the withdrawal of Robert Hammond, their candidate for the 69th Assembly District, so as to pave the way for his Democratic pal Tom Daly. And Lewis also ran the failed campaign of Chris Norby, for the 65th Assembly District. With the loss of Norby’s seat, and the 69th, the California Republican Party ceded a supermajority in the State Assembly to the California Democratic Party.
But Lewis is not the only one to blame. OC GOP Chairman Scott Baugh (a political consultant) and OC Supervisor Janet Nguyen were personally involved in pulling Hammond out of the race for the 69th. And neither of them helped Jose “Joe” Moreno, the Anaheim Republican who, at the last minute, filed for the 69th rather than concede the victory to Daly. Moreno was however undone by allegations that he violated an obscure Federal law – the Hatch Act. Moreno, an employee of the O.C. Health Agency, was accused of this by labor, even though he is a longtime union member. Continue reading
Update: We broke this story on Nov. 20, 2012. The OCTA confirmed it today with a press release we are including below our original post:
Darrell Johnson is the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Orange County Transportation Authority, serving in the position since 2010. My sources tell me that Johnson will be appointed next week to step in as CEO of the OCTA when the current CEO, Will Kempton, leaves at the end of February, next year. Kempton is leaving to join a non-profit organization in Sacramento – Transportation California.
Here is additional info about Johnson, from his online bio: Continue reading
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 16, 2012
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Joel Zlotnik (714) 560-5713 , Laura Scheper (714) 560-5697
10 New Directors Chosen For OCTA Board
Members are appointed by the Orange County City Selection Committee and will serve one- and two-year terms
ORANGE – The Orange County Transportation Authority will welcome 10 new members to the board of directors following appointments made by the City Selection Committee of Orange County.
The new directors will be sworn in next month and in January as the current board members terms of office expire. OCTA’s 17-member board is comprised of the five county supervisors, two representatives from cities in each of the five supervisorial districts and two public members appointed by the board. In addition, the Caltrans director from Orange County serves as the 18th member in an ex-officio capacity. Continue reading
OCTA CEO Will Kempton told his employees on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012, that he is leaving the County Transportation Authority in February of next year. He is joining an organization in Sacramento called Transportation California.
Transportation California is a diversified, non-partisan, non-profit coalition representing a broad spectrum of business, labor, and planning agencies which have united to create the state’s leading transportation advocacy and public education group. The organization was founded in 1990. Today its member companies and groups account for more than 200,000 California jobs. Continue reading