Well, How Did We Do?

Last night was a mixed bag in the California Primary.  Here are my choices compared to the actual results.

GOVERNOR - Meg Whitman.  Whitman won big.  Race was called almost as soon as the polls closed.  She spent $71 million of her own money to define herself as a conservative, so the real question now is whether she'll run to the center and moderate her positions for the general election.  She'll be facing the hard left union-supported dinosaur Democrat Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown, who of course, will not be urged by the press to run to the center.

Loser Steve Poizner, who dropped $24 million of his money in the effort, was rumored last night to say he wouldn't support Whitman in the general election.  If true, my concerns about Poizner were well-founded.

SENATE - GOP - Carly Fiorina.  Fiorina also won big, but with not quite the margin that Whitman had.  Again, will she feel it necessary to run to the center?  She'll be facing wacky far lefty Barbara "Dumb-as-a-Box-of-Rocks" Boxer.

SENATOR - DEM - Mickey Kaus.  Kaus was tromped as expected, but good for him for showing how out-of-touch the Democrats have become.

Lt. Governor: SAM AANESTAD.  Aanestad lost to Abel Maldonado, former Senator and current Lt. Governor.  He will run against the detestable Mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom.  As much as I dislike the arrogant Newsom, it is my goal to see that Maldonado is run out of California electoral politics.  He sold his vote for the largest tax increase in CA history, and in exchange got Prop 14 which passed  last night and essentially destroys California's primary electoral system.  More about that later.  In this race I'll do the unthinkable and vote for a Democrat I detest just because I detest Maldonado even more.

Secretary Of State: DAMON DUNN.  Dunn won huge against Birther Lawyer/Dentist Orly Taitz and will face Debra Bowen in November.

Controller: TONY STRICKLAND.  Strickland won comfortably and will face John Chiang in November.

Treasurer: MIMI WALTERS.  Walters was unopposed and will face Bill Lockyear in November.

Attorney General: JOHN EASTMAN.  Eastman lost to L.A. District Attorney Steve Cooley who will face San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris in November.

Insurance Commissioner: BRIAN FITZGERALD.  Fitzgerald narrowly defeated GOP turncoat Mike Villines, who also helped the Democrats pass a huge tax increase,  and will face Dave Jones in November.

Congress, 42nd District: LEO MCGROARTY.  McGroarty finished a distant third to incumbent Gary Miller who will likely win reelection against Michael Williamson in November.

School Superintendent: LARRY ACEVES.  Aceves got only 18.8% of the vote but still came out on top, beating the second place finisher by .7%.

Orange County Sheriff: BILL HUNT.  Hunt finished a distance 2nd to incumbent Sheriff Sandra Hutchens.

CALIFORNIA BALLOT PROPOSITION

PROPOSITION 13 - YES.  13 won big.

PROPOSITION 14 - NO, NO, A THOUSAND TIMES NO!!.  Prop 14 won, so third parties may now disband because they'll never have a candidate in a general election in CA ever again.  We now have a primary system worthy of a High School prom queen election featuring all candidates from all parties in one race, with absolutely no requirement that any candidate disclose truthfully or otherwise his political party.  The top two vote getters will go to the general election.  A very stupid move by Californians who were clearly mislead by the advertising and didn't bother to get the facts.

PROPOSITION 15 - NO, NO, HELL NO!!.  Prop 15 lost rather handily, and once again  California is safe from public funding of elections.

PROPOSITION 16 - NO.  When I turned in last night it looked like 16 was going to win.  The power companies, led by PG&E, poured millions into ads for this measure, but it lost by 5 points.

PROPOSITION 17 - NO. Again, looked like it would win last night but lost by 4.  Insurance companies put a lot of money into this one which I'm sure will show up in our rates.

CITY OF MISSION VIEJO MEASURE D - YES.  D lost big which concerns me that the City Council will feel newly empowered to rezone the city at will, thus giving us high density apartments and other residences that will increase traffic and crime.  The city's Master Plan was well-thought out and has given us a very nice place to live.  I'd hate to see that diminished by developers and their minions on the Council.

HolyCoast California Primary Picks

I'm rerunning this item in advance of tomorrow's primary election with some corrections I've made since it was first published on June 1st.  I changed my mind about a couple of candidates
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GOVERNOR

I don't think I've ever been as conflicted between two GOP candidates as I have been on this one.  The choice is between Meg Whitman, former eBay CEO who rarely ever participated in the political system by voting and hasn't held elective office before, and Steve Poizner, the current Insurance Commissioner and former Silicon Valley businessman.  I met Poizner at a small campaign event on May 8th, and while he talks a good game, there's a deal killer in his background that's going to be a problem.

Many conservatives are concerned that Whitman will be another version of the Governator, someone who's never been in elective office and will cave to the left when the pressure's on.  I don't know if that't true or not.  It is true that she's the candidate the Dems are most afraid of.  Right now Democrat organizations are pouring money into pro-Poizner ads, not because they like his politics, but because they think he'll be easier for Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown to beat in November.  That's a big concern because California cannot afford a liberal legislature and Jerry Brown as governor.  Meg may not be Ronald Reagan, but if she can beat Brown we're still ahead of the game.

The deal killer I mentioned before is Poizner's support for Al Gore in 2000 and his contributions to the Florida recount.  That to me is the unpardonable sin.  I don't care what he's saying today, anyone who worked to overturn the election results in Florida 2000 is not going to get my support.

Therefore, the HolyCoast pick for Governor:  MEG WHITMAN


SENATE - GOP

This is another tough race with three candidates: Carly Fiorina, Chuck DeVore and Tom Campbell.  I can write Campbell out of the equation immediately because of his continuous support for higher taxes and bigger government.  Classic RINO.  We've already got a liberal in office, the GOP doesn't need to send another one.  Polls suggest he's the only one that can beat Boxer, but I think that will change after the primary.

Carly Fiorina's past somewhat matches Meg Whitmans - CEO of big business who rarely even voted.  Her politics are somewhat unknown - there's fear she could be another RINO masquerading as a conservative.  Hard to say, but given that her general election opponent Barbara "Dumb-as-a-Box-of-Rocks" Boxer is borderline communist, even a mystery guest would be an improvement.

Chuck DeVore is the classic conservative, hitting all the right issues.  He also can't win.  He's trailing Fiorina by a huge margin and would probably trail Boxer by even more.  While my heart supports DeVore, it would be a guaranteed loser in November.

Therefore, the HolyCoast pick for Senator on the GOP ticket:  CARLY FIORINA


SENATOR - DEM

I have no interest in seeing a Democrat elected Senator again, but Boxer does have an opponent in the primary that she and the media have tried hard to ignore - journalist Mickey Kaus.  Mickey's a smart guy and certainly far more centrist than Boxer.  That's why I'm going to make a Dem pick.

The HolyCoast pick for Senator on the DEM ticket:  MICKEY KAUS


Some of the rest of these I'll do quickly:

The HolyCoast pick for Lt. Governor:  SAM AANESTAD

The HolyCoast pick for Secretary Of State:  DAMON DUNN

The HolyCoast pick for Controller:  TONY STRICKLAND

The HolyCoast pick for Treasurer:  MIMI WALTERS

The HolyCoast pick for Attorney General:  JOHN EASTMAN

The HolyCoast pick for Insurance Commissioner:  BRIAN FITZGERALD  
I took another look after I was reminded of Villines' role in pushing a huge tax increase.

The HolyCoast pick for Congress, 42nd District:  LEO MCGROARTY 

The HolyCoast pick for School Superintendent:  LARRY ACEVES

The HolyCoast pick for Orange County Sheriff:  BILL HUNT

CALIFORNIA BALLOT PROPOSITION

As always there are a bunch of contentious ballot propositions in this primary:

PROPOSITION 13 - YES

Just seems like a good idea.

PROPOSITION 14 - NO, NO, A THOUSAND TIMES NO!!

This measure was put on the ballot by the governor and legislature to buy off Abel Maldonado's vote for a huge tax increase.  Maldonado is a moderate who can't win a statewide GOP primary against a conservative opponent, so he demanded an open primary initiative to give him a chance to one day become governor.

This measure does away with party-only primaries.  Instead of each party choosing a candidate for the general election from their party, all candidates from all parties will be lumped together in one primary with only the top two vote getters going on to the general.  This is being sold to Californians as a way to "fix Sacramento", and "increase participation" but will in fact eliminate all the minor parties from the general election and may leave the voters with choices in some races between two members of the same party.  The law also allows candidates to hide their party affiliation on the primary ballot so you may not even know which party a candidate supports.  There's more info here.  Conservatives and liberals should be equally angry about this since this measure attempts to marginalize anyone who's not a moderate, and members of third parties, such as Libertarians, Green, Peace and Freedom, Constitution...etc. must realize they will never again see a member of their party on the general election ballot if this passes.

PROPOSITION 15 - NO, NO, HELL NO!!

This measure would take your tax dollars and use them to fund political campaigns in California.  No thanks.

PROPOSITION 16 - NO

The electricity companies seem to be pouring an awful lot of money into supporting this thing.  That makes me suspicious of their motives.  This is basically being done by PG&E go protect their market share in Northern California.

PROPOSITION 17 - NO

Looks like a disguised insurance rate hike to me.

CITY OF MISSION VIEJO MEASURE D - YES

This measure would take the responsibility from major zoning changes away from the City Council and give it to the voters.  While I have a friend on the City Council who opposes this measure, I have to support it.  I believe it's the best way to remove the influence of developers who would transform parcels in our fine city into high density apartments or other housing that would increase traffic and possibly crime rates.  This city was master planned very well and I don't want developer money screwing that up.

There you have it.  Don't forget to vote on June 8 (unless you don't agree with me in which case you should stay home).

Police Union Pulls Sheriff Endorsement Over Private Investigator Work

I'm not sure how well thought out this was:

The Santa Ana police union has withdrawn its endorsement of sheriff’s candidate Bill Hunt, citing his work as a private investigator in defense of a reputed gang member.

Hunt, a former sheriff’s lieutenant running on a law and order platform, is part of the defense team for reputed F-Troop member Victor Lua. Lua, 20, was recently bound for trial after a preliminary hearing on robbery charges.

Hunt’s court appearance set off tremors of protest among Santa Ana and other officers who believe that he should not be working on behalf of gang members while running for the county’s top cop position.

In a interview Monday, Hunt said he believes that Lua is innocent and that a criminal defense is a constitutional right.

“I could understand it if I were breaking the law, but I’m doing my job,” Hunt said. “Law enforcement is a little myopic, not everybody who gets arrested is guilty or found guilty.”

Added Hunt: “When I’m sheriff, everybody who comes into our custody will have his rights protected.”

Santa Ana Police Officers Association President Joe Perez said the 560-member union took offense to Hunt providing advice on how to weaken the prosecution’s case against Lua (pictured below right).

“He shows up and questions my officer’s expertise, this is a man who’s going to be sheriff,” Perez said. He acknowledged that a lot of former police officers work as private investigators for defense lawyers.

“But a lot of cops don’t try to come back and be the head of the department,” Perez said.

Hunt is quoted in another article:

"I'm the constitutional candidate," said Hunt. "Everybody is entitled to their Sixth Amendment constitutional rights and the right to a fair defense. I'm simply standing up for that here with someone who I believe is innocent."

The police chief in Santa Ana has endorsed the current sheriff, and this withdrawal of an endorsement by the Officer's Association seems based much more on professional jealousy than experience and qualifications. Whether or not Lua is guilty is up to the courts and he is entitled to a vigorous defense if he wishes to put one on. I know a lot of cops who have gone into private investigation and that doesn't make them an enemy of the police, just another part of the legal system.  And if they're employed by the defense the expectation is they will use whatever tools are available to them to help their client.  Nothing wrong with that.

A Sheriff Joe Obsession

There's a blog in Orange County called "Orange Juice" that is one of those group blogs with lots of different writers.  The politics also goes from right to far left, and at least one of the writer's has an obsession with Sheriff Joe Arpaio from Arizona and his support for Bill Hunt, the candidate I met at the Mission Viejo Tea Party.  The foolish writer, who goes by the nom de blog Zorro, posted no less than three items praising a handful of protesters who showed up to yell at Sheriff Joe:

Santa Ana protesters stand up to Joe Arpaio

Protesters in Newport Beach tell Joe Arpaio to go back to Arizona!

Protest against corrupt AZ Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Bill Hunt, tonight in Santa Ana

Add to those three two other posts by Orange Juice bloggers:

America’s Most Incompetent Sheriff Visits Orange County to do Fundraiser and Rally for Bill Hunt

Arpaio’s Comin’ To Town! (doggerel)

Arpaio really scares these guys and they're panicked at the thought Bill Hunt will be elected and follow in Sheriff Joe's footprints when it comes to immigration policy.  Based on my brief conversation with Hunt I'd say they have reason to be worried.

OC Sheriff's Candidate Calls for 2nd Amendment Litmus Test for Candidates

I met Bill Hunt last Thursday at the Mission Viejo Tea Party Rally, and Monday he was on the East Coast  speaking at a pro-2nd Amendment rally:

"The Second Amendment should be the litmus test for anybody seeking election," said Bill Hunt, a candidate for sheriff in Orange County, Calif.

Mr. Hunt compared himself to the embattled sheriff played by Gary Cooper in the film classic "High Noon."

"They found a tough man and sheriff to run the bad guys out of town," he roared to the approval of the crowd, assembled on breezy, sunny afternoon. "Let the revolution for constitutional rights go from Orange County, Calif., to Orange County, Fla."

Organizers said the Northern Virginia event, in which participants carried loaded pistols in holsters and toted unloaded rifles slung over their shoulders, was the first such rally in a national park since Congress earlier this year allowed visitors to carry firearms in national parks.

The Northern Virginia event attracted nearly as many reporters and photographers as demonstrators, and those in the crowd said the mainstream media had come looking for the spectacle of Americans carrying guns in public.

What they found instead, said Burtonsville, Md. resident Bob Culver, 64, was gun owners scrupulously observing Virginia's gun laws.

"You get a lot of people trying to find the negative aspect," he said. "We're trying to get people with a positive image into the public eye."

Among the signs at the National Mall protest was one that read, "The Constitution isn't a list of suggestions." Another, making a veiled reference to what some critics feel about Mr. Obama, read, "The difference between a communist and a socialist is that a socialist doesn't have all the guns yet."

Should he be elected Hunt's stand on 2nd Amendment issues will be very different from the Sheriff's that have preceded him. Getting a concealed carry permit in this county has been very tough...unless you were a major contributor or special friend of the Sheriff.

Permits No Longer Needed for Concealed Carry in Arizona

Looks like somebody wants to get re-elected in Arizona:

In Arizona, it's now legal for (most) adults to carry a concealed weapon without a permit. Republican Gov. Jan Brewer just signed the legislation, putting her state in the same camp as Alaska and Vermont.

The state had issued 154,000 permits under the old law, which required background checks and instruction. Gun buyers still face federal background checks when purchasing weapons from a store.

For the record, I have no problem with background checks and proficiency training as required by most states that issue CCW permits. The problem I have in California is that this is a "may issue" state, meaning the local Sheriff gets to choose who to issue permits to, if any at all. In Orange County gun permits have become something of a badge of political cronyism, with friends and political supporters having a much better chance of success than the average person. In fact, average persons pretty much had better not apply, because unless they can show that their life is in immediate danger, they're probably not going to get a permit.

In a "shall issue" state the Sheriff can only deny a permit if the person does not meet the permitting requirements of that state.  Otherwise he is compelled by state law to issue the permit.

We have a Sheriff's election coming up in June, and although that won't change the law in California, it could change the attitude in the Sheriff's office towards issuing permits.  I met one of the candidates, Bill Hunt, at the Mission Viejo Tea Party, and I'm hoping to interview him on this issue sometime before the election.

Mission Viejo, CA Tea Party

I headed over to the Mission Viejo, CA Tea Party tonight, getting there about 30 minutes after it started.  Unlike the Lake Forest gathering earlier in the day, this one took place on the four corners of La Paz and Marguerite Parkway, just like last year's event.  There was a good turnout, very enthusiastic, with lots of creative homemade signs.  It's not at all like those liberal antiwar rallies where you see the same one-size-fits-all sign handed out to everybody that shows up.  These people are serious about their values and many took the time to create their own statements on poster board.

Here are some photos:

Along the way I ran into Bill Hunt, a candidate for Orange County Sheriff.  I like Bill's stand on a awful lot of law enforcement issues and I'm going to schedule an interview with him at some point for HolyCoast.com.

The rally made getting home a little tough for a lot of Mission Viejo residents.  La Paz is not normally backed up clear over the hill.

And finally, a brief video you can get the feel for what it was like to be out there today:

Could the 2nd Amendment Return to Orange County?

California has some of the toughest concealed carry laws in the country. We are a "may issue" state, meaning it's completely up to the local sheriff whether permits will be issued and what the process and requirements will be. I'm not aware of any sheriff in the state that issues permits in significant numbers. They've all drunk the gun control Kool-Aid and fallen for the mistaken belief that you reduce violence by keeping guns away from law-abiding citizens.

In "shall issue" states local sheriff's are required to issue permits to anyone who qualifies, regardless of other factors. We have a guy running for Sheriff in Orange County, Bill Hunt, who believes in returning some sanity to the process in this county. He was interviewed by Friends for Fullerton's Future:

We had some questions about concealed weapons permits (CCW’s) for the man whose slogan has been “The Sheriff should be in the business of protecting people’s rights, not restricting them.”

We asked Hunt how his stance was different from his opponent’s. Hunt told us that he is a constitutionalist and believes that the current system lends itself to corruption. Hunt believes that statistics from than 39 “Shall Issue” states are proof that CCW’s lower crime rates. Further, he believes that an armed citizenry will help keep the peace at a time when the Sheriff’s Department is looking to lay off sworn deputies.

We also asked Hunt to lay out the process that a permit applicant can expect if he is elected Sheriff. Hunt said, “If we have someone come in and they are a range owner and maybe they have one of these reciprocal CCW’s that’s good in thirteen states, and they’re in good standing in those states, then I think we need to shorten up that process. We need to verify that the permit is legitimate and have had backgrounds on them, and then do an updated background to make sure there have been no problems in the interim. Then we check their training. If they’re proficient, we have our range master check them out. If they’re proficient, sign them off. If it’s a new person with no current CCW then we need to do the full background check, send them through the full NRA familiarization course, and get them through the process!”

That's exactly correct. The approach taken by previous Sheriff's involved issuing permits to political allies and contributors while denying them to just about anyone else, regardless of need. It shouldn't be like that.

He also has a quote that's pretty good:

“When seconds count, cops are minutes away!” – Bill Hunt

Just ask the folks at the Luby's Cafeteria in Texas or the McDonald's in San Ysidro.

Oh wait, you can't. They're dead.