OC Sheriff Interviews Today
Posted by: Jubal | 05/27/2008 6:36 AM
The big day has arrived: a marathon public interview session with the Board of Supes by the nine OC sheriff finalists.
Here's the schedule.
You can watch it online here.
Should be interesting.
I've had the opportunity during the past couple of months to meet with five of the nine finalists: Craig Hunter, Bill Hunt, Ralph Martin, Paul Walters and Jack Anderson. I largely agree with the assessment OC Register editorialist Steve Greenhut wrote up two weeks ago, and I think it will come down to either Walters or Martin. If I had to bet, I'd wager the nod goes to Walters, but the mindset on the 5th Floor is fluid and the Supes are going into today's interviews with unmade up minds. I think today's interviews will have an impact on the Supes decision-making, rather than being a pro forma ritual.
Here's the schedule.
You can watch it online here.
Should be interesting.
I've had the opportunity during the past couple of months to meet with five of the nine finalists: Craig Hunter, Bill Hunt, Ralph Martin, Paul Walters and Jack Anderson. I largely agree with the assessment OC Register editorialist Steve Greenhut wrote up two weeks ago, and I think it will come down to either Walters or Martin. If I had to bet, I'd wager the nod goes to Walters, but the mindset on the 5th Floor is fluid and the Supes are going into today's interviews with unmade up minds. I think today's interviews will have an impact on the Supes decision-making, rather than being a pro forma ritual.
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OC's Next Sheriff
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A voice from the past said: http://www.redcounty.com/orange-county/2008/02/handicapping-the-sheriffs-race-1/
Paul Walters: He started out as a strong contender: narrowly lost to Mike Carona in 1998 as the deputies union candidate; is chief of a big city police force that runs a good size jail, and has almost half the AOCDS members' support. I think the Walters wave has crested, however. The big city of which he's police chief is dysfunctional and not exactly the safest part of OC. His pattern of switching political parties at opportune times smacks of, well...opportunism, and in this era of growing taxpayer resentment toward generous public safety pensions, the double-dipping thing won't sit well. Plus he's 62, and revitalizing the OCSD is more something for a younger man with a couple of vigorous terms left in him.
Craig Hunter: I'm coming to the opinion he is the sleeper candidate in this race. I met with him a couple of weeks ago, and came away very impressed. He's the deputy chief of a large police organization, the Anaheim Police Department. He's a lifelong OCer. He's been a law enforcement officer for 30 years, but at 49 is young enough to serve two or three terms and the energy to vigorously pursue revitalizing the department. He's from outside the OCSD, but as an Anaheim PD chief has experience working with OCSD. He's a Republican, and in Orange County that helps. With the AOCDS membership split between Hunt and Walters, Hunter could very well be an acceptable compromise.
Ralph Martin: As an LA Sheriff's Department division commander, he had the "He's the most qualified alternative to Carona, too bad he's running a lousy campaign" thing going in 2006. And he's still sort of the first blush favorite of a number of insiders for that reason: He seems like a guy who could step into the job and take charge from day one. And Martin is trying to raise his profile by making the political rounds: you see him at events, but he's just sort of there. I think the Supes are ultimately going to favor appointing a guy who can get elected instead of a caretaker, and Martin gives off more of a caretaker vibe than a fire-in-the-belly candidate vibe.
This will be the top three contenders
Isn't it interesting how time and additional information can negate first impressions?
Frank Mickadeit's column today was the final nail in the coffin of Ralph Martin's candidacy. As he pointed out Ralph Martin is one of 28 Commanders who are each several layers below in the organizational chart. Recruiting from LA itself has its downside.Selecting someone from LA that low in authority and decision making is unfathonable.
No Anderson? How can you think the supes are interested in anyone other than Anderson?
Video Link at BOS meeting crashed at 2:03 p.m.
Jack isn't to dynamic..
Wrong, Missy. There are several campaign consultants with their oars in the water. We'll have to wait until tonight to see which member of the consultanarchy has the most juice. Does that sound too cynical?
I keep hoping the Supes will make a non-political decision. But I really don't believe it.
Walters and Martin are previous loosers. Jack Anderson has taken command and has done a pretty good job. Appoint Anderson and let the people decide in the general election two years from now.