"County Government Is Being Controlled By A Handful Of Republican Thugs"
Posted by: Jubal | 01/29/2008 3:58 PM
The Board of Supervisors is going to vote next week on whether to place the revised TIN CUP ordinance before Orange County voters on the June 2008 ballot. Voters would also decide whether to create an Orange County Fair Campaign Practices Commission (OCFCPC) -- complete with the power to issue subpoenas and compel testimony. This TIN CUP 2 is the creation of Shirley Grindle and Sup. John Moorlach's office.
The point of this commission -- as both Shirley Grindle and Moorlach Chief of Staff Mario Mainero admit -- is to institutionalize Shirley Grindle's avocation in a new government agency.
Think about that for a second.
This Board of Supervisors, which we are regularly told is the most conservative in memory, is poised to expand the scope of county government and further enmesh government in the regulation of political speech, in order to accommodate the wishes of a single individual who is worried no one will carry on her volunteer work after she is gone.
That can be called many things, but conservative is not one of them.
Shirley Grindle devotes all her time to tracking, perusing and dissecting campaign reports. That is her right and she's free to do so until the day she dies. But it's quite a leap to think that somehow obligates the rest of us memorialize Shirley's avocation by infusing her soul into a new government agency. If this is such a good idea, why not simply give Shirley Grindle the right to issue subpoenas and compel testimony? Somehow, I don't think that would draw a lot of support.
The point of this commission -- as both Shirley Grindle and Moorlach Chief of Staff Mario Mainero admit -- is to institutionalize Shirley Grindle's avocation in a new government agency.
Think about that for a second.
This Board of Supervisors, which we are regularly told is the most conservative in memory, is poised to expand the scope of county government and further enmesh government in the regulation of political speech, in order to accommodate the wishes of a single individual who is worried no one will carry on her volunteer work after she is gone.
That can be called many things, but conservative is not one of them.
Shirley Grindle devotes all her time to tracking, perusing and dissecting campaign reports. That is her right and she's free to do so until the day she dies. But it's quite a leap to think that somehow obligates the rest of us memorialize Shirley's avocation by infusing her soul into a new government agency. If this is such a good idea, why not simply give Shirley Grindle the right to issue subpoenas and compel testimony? Somehow, I don't think that would draw a lot of support.
"County government is being controlled by a handful of Republican thugs who think they can dictate who runs for office, who gets endorsements, who gets backing. This county government are non-partisan offices and there is entirely too much partisan politics by people in the Republican Party, who know who they are, they know who I'm talking about."That was Shirley Grindle just two months ago on Channel 4. Do the Supervisors believe they are controlled by "Republican thugs"? Is the Board of Supervisors really prepared to institutionalize that in an enforcement agency?
Shirley is right of course, in her quote.
"expand the scope of county government and further enmesh government in the regulation of political speech"
We need to shrink county government, not create another bloated agency. We already all these obese whining cops sucking the government teet until it is chaffed and bleeding with their 100% retirement.
Matt, without this, it just makes it that much easier for politicians to cheat. Since Republicans are so against it, seems to me your side has the most to lose. If its an impediment to free speech, sue. Let the courts sort it out.
Shirley is right of course, in her quote.
Yeah, sure.
In that case, Dan, I'm sure you have some evidence to back it up: names of those "people," examples of thhose "people" controlling county government and deciding who can run, etc.
Matt, without this, it just makes it that much easier for politicians to cheat.
Dan, can you cite a problem that this will fix? Is there rampant cheating on county campaign reports?
Since Republicans are so against it, seems to me your side has the most to lose.
As ever, Dan, you are the paradigm of illogic. One does not follow from the other.
If its an impediment to free speech, sue. Let the courts sort it out.
Fabulous. Resort to a lawsuit if one loses the political battle, in order to secure the desired result. That's certainly a grown-up approach. Then again, that is the liberal way.
If this is the kind of "conservative" policy that is coming out of the 5th floor, then why does the OC GOP put so much effort in making sure that it stays all Republicans?
What a joke.
Local ethics commissions are a disaster in every city that has done this: SF, LA, SD, SJ, Ventura County. These commissions are just another agency that searches for a reason to exist. The other reason to exist is to take down high profile candidates or elected officials to prove you are preventing scandal and corruption. So what happens is the ethics commissions began to weigh in on elections and pick winners.
Who watches the watchers?
Dan: maybe you can extend the reach of this new commission to Irvine, where a single Democrat "thug" controls the city and the Great Park. Irvine has one of the county's toughest campaign laws and an "ethics" ordinance to boot. In many respects, these regulations have made holding absolute control easier for the Agranistas by making it harder for challengers to compete.
In order to watch the watchers and prevent them from influencing elections, I suggest we create a new government agency commission. If politics is the problem, more government is the answer!
Yes, a new commission is just what we need.
If this measure passes, I suggest the
Orange County Fair Campaign Practices Commission Oversight Commission (OCFCPCOC)
- a committee of regular folks designed to ensure that the OCFCPC does not oversteps is bounds and that the OCFCPC actions actually accomplishes its goals.
God help us when the OCFCPCOC needs oversight - we could endup with the OCFCPCOCRC (Orange County Fair Campaign Practices Commission Oversight Commission Regulatory Committee)
If I give you a list of names that most people would agree fit Shirely's description, you'll just refute it with the usually "official/unofficial" jab back. But you're a smart guy and I'm sure you can guess of whom I'm thinking of; as for evidence, there are usually news stories about their shenanigans.
As far as Irvine goes, sunshine is the best disinfectant; by all means use this to investigate the Agranistas. I will also remind you they have been under scrutiny for years.
What problem does it solve Matt? To make sure campaign finance laws are in fact followed.
If I give you a list of names that most people would agree fit Shirely's description, you'll just refute it with the usually "official/unofficial" jab back.
Weak.
What problem does it solve Matt? To make sure campaign finance laws are in fact followed.
Is there a problem with that serious enough to warrant even more government regulation of political speech? No.
This is about a single individual trying to institutionalize herself and her hobby as a government agency. And I'm shocked that Sup. Moorlach, of all people, is proposing it.
"Weak"
So is your argument that this is a speech issue.
So is your argument that this is a speech issue.
1) At least I'm offering an argument.
2) It is very much a speech issue. Political speech is more than writing letters to the editor or blogging or standing on a soapbox in a park.
Political speech entails communicating with and persuading your fellow citizens on the issues of the day. Contribution limits inherently limit the ability of candidates and organizations to do so. It costs money to communicate. Arbitrary, government-imposed limits limit political speech.
TIN CUP is only different from its more draconian sibling McCain-Feingold in degree, not kind.