
The Voice of OC wrote this first but last week, when it was apparent that State Rep. Chris Norby was going to lose his assembly race to Fullerton Mayor Sharon Quirk-Silva, a number of calls were being made within County Government to place Norby in the job. Our sources tell us that the man who replaced Norby on BoS, Shawn Nelson, has been particularly active not so much to help Norby but to find Norby aide Bruce Whitaker, the top vote getter for Fullerton City Council, a job. Whitaker will be unemployed when Norby steps down.
What is it about these anti-public employee labor union Republicans that they have to turn to the public sector for continued employment?
Norby really isn’t qualified for the Clerk Recorder’s position although it appeared that he and Tom Daly were going to run for each other’s seats in county government back in 2010, when Norby suddenly went rogue and ran for assembly endorsing Nelson. Norby frankly lacks the management experience needed by the clerk-recorder’s position. As an elected official, Norby has tendencies of showing up late, saying something for the record, and leaving early. The Clerk Recorder’s position is more hands on management which simply isn’t Norby’s background or experience.
But we hear Nelson will overlook all this so Norby can bring Whitaker on board in a staff position. The not so quiet lobbying as begun.
As today’s LA Times points out, the OC Republicans are in disarray. They conmpletely misread the growing Latino voting block and the desperate hunt for conservative minority candidates is well underway.
The Clerk Recorder’s office is one place that the OC GOP and BoS can get it right. Renee Ramierez is Tom Daly’s assistant clerk recorder. She’s a conservative and she’s Latina. That aside, she’s experienced in the office, has effective management background, and the entire department wouldn’t miss a beat if she was appointed.
Other candidate’s being talked about are Hugh Nguyen, whom Daly trounced by a 4 to 1 margin in 2010, would would help with the Vietnamese community for the OC GOP or Laura Cunningham, a Latina who served as Supervisor Bill Campbell’s chief of staff. Cunningham was considering a run in 2010 before declining to clear the way for Nguyen.
The big question is does the OC GOP push for Norby, a failure in the State Assembly, or make a choice to promote a conservative Latina to a position of power?
This is a tremendous opportunity for the OC BoS to prove, once and for all, their political tone deafness. What kind of clowns seriously consider appointing a guy who just lost his current position?
The voters of AD65 essentially just fired Norby. Now the supes want to pick him up to work on our behalf? Outrageous!
This is the very reason the clerk-recorder/registrar of votes should NEVER be an appointed positon.
The votes are in and Chris will be the next Clerk/Recorder and probably do a good job and keeping much of the existing management in place. Termed out Moorlach will then have his votes lined up to be appointed Auditor Controller next spring and then Righeimer will win the special election for Big John’s board seat and get 10 years there. Then someone’s lawyer buddy will be appointed Public Administrator. Any bets on Dick Ackerman? Anyone notice how suddenly nicey nice Righeimer is to the city employee’s association now and wanting to hold off on layoffs? Retreads, recycled whatever but they all stay as the chairs are all moved around on deck.
Its not so much about Norby; its about hiring Norby so he can hire Whitaker. Haven’t these guys ever heard of Monster.com? HotJobs.com? Shoot, I bet there are jobs on Craigslist.
I’m not sure this is about Whitaker. I heard the two of them had a falling out over the Fullerton council race. Whitaker back Levinson but Nelson backed Fitzgerald.
No complaints – the dems do this regularly.
Chris was a high school teacher/councilmember before full time government work. He could easily return to the classroom.
Does anyone know what Bruce did before starting with Chris?
I caught some of last night’s Fullerton city council meeting and Bruce was definitely subdued. I’m sure he has a family to support and bills like all of us, and I sincerely hope he finds a decent job. No matter how much I may disagree with his politics and his tactics, I’d never wish destitution on anyone. But given his public employee bashing crusade since being on the council (trips to Costa Mesa and Downey to join in public safety union-bashing sound bites, and constantly demeaning staff in his own city), out of simple decency he should seek employment elsewhere. I believe he was in retail management before gluing himself to Chris/Tony B. He is a forceful and articulate speaker and would probably do well in retail again.
This one hits close to home, I often earn a living (such as it is) in those buildings doing research. The truth is that the public neither knows nor cares who the Clerk Recorder is or what they do. Sadly, most candidates for the office have no idea what they do either. Renee Ramirez is the only person on that list with any background in the job, but it will never go to a staffer. So of the bunch, I am kind of OK with Norby. A history teacher might actually understand that one hundred year old ledger books need to be microfilmed and kept in temp and humidity controlled storage, which puts him a step above the rest of the candidates. What does Laura Cunningham know about materials conservation or the title industry? At least with Norby we get Bruce Whitaker, and I can overlook a lot of headache for Bruce Whitaker. They will make sure the right people are hired to do the work, and since they will be under scrutiny for cronyism maybe we can clear out some of the dead wood over there in the executive offices. Perhaps we can even hire an Archivist with an actual background in Archives? A radical thought, I know. Of the list, I will take Norby.
“What does Laura Cunningham know about materials conservation or the title industry?”
And what do you know about my wife, Cynthia? About what she knows, her experience, talents and abilities? Nothing – not that ignorance has ever been a bar to your bloviating.
FYI, my wife has expressed no interest in the Clerk-Recorder position, and is not seeking it. She told Norberto as much when asked, so I don’t know why her name was included in his article.
But please, do not extend your obsession with me to my wife.
Uh Matt, that is why I asked what kind of knowledge base she has. Note I did not say she has none, I asked what she knows. I do understand she can manage an office, so she is qualified for an Executive Position, I want to know if she has a background with archives and materials conservation, I thought it was pretty straightforward, but you always have to ascribe the worst motives to anything I say.
As far as obsession, you do not find me commenting on you all over the blogs, nor do my readers taunt you to come over and play. So who is obsessed with whom? I would be perfectly content for us to pretend the other does not exist and move on with our lives. You have zero impact on mine, I would like to believe I have none on yours, so why the constant comments about me? Let this personal pissing match go Matt.
I brought up your wife not because she is Mrs. Cunningham, but because she was mentioned in the blog post, recognizing that she is her own person, with her own career apart from you and your self-perception of widespread influence in politics. I brought her up but because she is among a list of people capable of running an office, but we have zero knowledge of the candidates’ understanding THAT particular office.
One would almost think that you see your wife as nothing more than an extension of you, to be subject to examination merely because she is Mrs.Cunningham, not because she is a perfectly capable woman being considered for an executive appointment, and therefore subject to the same critique as any of the men who were named in the blog post.
Get over yourself, son.
Riiiight. Demanding in comments here and elsewhere to know my wife’s qualifications for a position she isn’t even seeking.
“I would be perfectly content for us to pretend the other does not exist and move on with our lives.”
Riiiiight. That’s why you have been filing public record act requests about me with public agencies asking for contracts, e-mails, etc. — an interesting way to pretend I don’t exist and move on with your life, Cynthia.
I am looking into a number of programs that scream “wasteful government spending”, if those requests happen to catch you in the wide net, so be it. But when was the last time I dragged you through the blog mud, like you and your commenters do to me? You guys slam me for story lines that have nothing to do with me, talk about personal vendettas, your blog is rife with them. This isn’t personal for me Matt, but if you continue to make it that way we can go there. I am done with this trash, sick to death of watching my city turn to crap while special interests pocket money diverted from projects that could have helped everyday citizens. I am especially horrified at the way those same corporate interests and their elected puppets are openly demonizing Mayor Tait, whose only crime is trying to clean up the corruption that keeps City Hall from being able to make Anaheim a better place. Whatever part you may play in that fiasco is something you have to live with Matt. My “obsession” is with wasteful government programs lining the pockets of Orange County’s well-connected insider club, sorry if requests loop you into that special membership.
Now to return to the original content of the LibOC post, how were any of us to know your wife is not interested in the position, when you pointed out it was not reported? I was not questioning your wife because she is your wife, I was questioning her qualifications as an otherwise capable executive whose specific skill sets required for this job aren’t well known. But you tell yourself whatever you want, you will anyway. You might want to see someone about that raging paranoia. I understand the symptoms usually cease just about the time folks stop hanging out with Pringle and accepting him as their primary (and one sided) source of information. Other side effects may include a sense of entitlement and delusions of grandeur. See a doctor immediately if you experience the urge to obsessively attack perceived political opponents for more than 4 hours.
“I am looking into a number of programs that scream “wasteful government spending..”
Riiiight. Like how you file PRA requests about the council assistants who have worked Kris Murray — but not regarding those of any other Anaheim councilmember. Is having a council assistant “wasteful government spending”? If so, why single out Kris Murray?
“I am looking into a number of programs that scream “wasteful government spending…
Riiiight. Your PRA reqest to Anaheim didn’t specify any city programs or initiatives. You just asked for any contract the City of Anaheim had with me going back ten years. Don’t play coy.
And spare us the “you see your wife as an extension of yourself” psychobabble, Cynthia. Once again, you are talking about a topic of which you know nothing.
Norby is a classy guy. Just ask his many ex- wives
I don’t think Norby or whitaker should even be considered for any position here. Just because of their friendships and the fact they both will be out of jobs shortly doesn’t make them the most qualified people for the positions. My guess is there are people in the office right now that would be better suited.
When politics is involved “most qualified” doesn’t mean diddly.