As readers know, I’m a member of the DPOC Central Committee. There was supposed to be a meet and greet for the candidates tonight, but per an email from Fran Sdao, party chair, this event has been cancelled. Here is her note:
The planned MEET THE CANDIDATES meeting scheduled for tomorrow night, 1/9/19, is cancelled.
Instead, we will host a Meet and Greet for the candidates for DPOC officers before the election meeting on Monday, January 14th. Door will open at 6PM. The election meeting will begin promptly at 7:00PM. Light refreshments will be available during the Meet and Greet.
We hope to have a bio from each of the candidates that we will share prior to the meeting. Copies will also be available at the meeting.
Each candidate will address the Committee prior to the vote. ONLY the nominated candidates will be permitted to address the Committee.
Nominations for each position will be accepted from the floor during the election meeting. Should you wish to run for one of the officer positions, please submit a 300 word bio at your earliest convenience. For anyone who is undecided but thinking about it and may decide on Monday, January 14th to run – please bring 80 copies of a bio (NO more than 300 words) to distribute prior to the election.
Known candidates as of right now are:
Chair: Ada Briceño
Vice-Chair, South: Alyssa Napuri, Annie Wright
Vice-Chair, North: Jeff LeTourneau
Vice-Chair, West: Brandon Love, Victor Valledares
Vice-Chair, Central: Betty Valencia
Secretary: Luis Aleman
Treasurer: Florice Hoffman
YOUR 2019 DUES MUST BE PAID FOR YOU TO BE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE. If you are unable to attend this meeting and expect your alternate to vote, BOTH your dues and your alternate’s dues must be paid in order for your alternate to vote.
I have had telephone calls with Ada Briceno, Brandon Love and Annie Wright. I did get a message from Victor Valledares, but was too sick with a bad cough to have a meaningful conversation so I’m trying to reach out to have a chat with him. I think its important for every candidate to make an effort to talk with every Central Committee member even if you are unopposed.
I honestly wish we had more people running.
As it stands, Briceno will become chair. I have urged her to include all members of the Central Committee on committees. There is no reason for anyone to hold three postions. As it stands now, the party leadership is still that of George Orwell’s “Animal Farm.” Because “all animals are equal but some are more equal than others.”
When Sdao announced she was moving to DC, I got about 10 text messages from other members saying “anyone but Jeff” meaning Jeff LeTourneau who is currently North Vice Chair, chair of the Bylaws Committee and sits on Resolutions Committee. There is no reason for him to be anything but Vice Chair. If Briceno doesn’t mix things up and doesn’t include everyone, she’s going to lead a fractured party that is much bigger than what happens in Anaheim or Irvine. I know others have told her the same thing
In October, one of the agenda items considered suspending an endorsement for a candidate for Santa Ana city council. The party commissioned an investigation and the report came back as inconclusive that the candidate in question — Phil Bacerra — abused his then girlfriend. Bacerra addressed the party about the charges and then his ex was allowed to give her side of the story to the Central Committee. The party then voted to suspend the endorsement despite the report being no better than a “he said/she said.”
Victor Valladares is a candidate for West Vice Chair, running against Brandon Love. He is divorced and has two children. It was an ugly divorce and charges fly on social media between he and his ex-wife. The truth is obviously somewhere in between. I do know his ex-wife contacted child services about alleged abuse by Victor and his mother of the two boys last year. School officials got involved. I’m told the boys do not have to go to Victor’s residence if they do not wish to go. There are questions if child support payments are current and charges of physical abuse during the marriage. Friends of Victor’s ex-wife, Brieanna, reached out to me to see if she could address the party like Phil Bacerra’s ex-girlfriend did. I reached out to Sdao who said to have Brieanna email her. Brieanna emailed me to say Fran denied her request. It seems the party set a precedent in October over something far less serious
The Party doesn’t apply rules evenly. That’s a shame.
Fair reporting is not equivocal. This appears equivocal. Other reports call out for absolute protests upon allegations of domestic abuse, violence towards women, or sexual harassment in the workplace. Look what happened when one officer called out another officer at the State party level. It is fine to say let’s wait until there is an investigation, but where is the investigation into these charges?
Orange County Dems couldn’t find anyone who was not under some domestic or child abuse charges? Who is speaking up for the children?
Aren’t we supposed to protect the victims and whistleblowers and stand by them? Where is the #MeToo movement in Orange County?
We need bold leadership in the Orange County Democratic party. Time to stop working to protect your political post by going with the masses and start speaking real truth to power.