Election 2008: The day after
"It is really the thing that carried me to what looks like a very strong win for me tonight."
---District One Riverside County Supervisor Bob Buster to the Press Enterprise about his campaign supporters. Buster is current leading Schiavone by over 5,000 votes.
Dave Novotny: Jim, come on, I don't need a lecture on ethics.
Jim McAllister: I'm not talking about ethics, I'm talking about morals.
Dave Novotny: What's the difference?
---Election (1999)
On Tuesday, June 3, 2008 the residents of Riverside County showed up at the polls and voted.
Voter turnout was anticipated to be fairly low statewide, because the federal primary election process had been bifurcated with the presidential primary held several months ago and the primaries for Congressional seats held now.
Still, people did hit the polls throughout the day. In Menifee, the majority of them voted to become a city, which in most cases ups the political intrigue of the local government exponentially.
Here are election results. The last report was at 1:56 a.m.
Incumbent Bob Buster had taken a large lead over incumbent and Riverside city councilman Frank Schiavone in the District One Supervisors race, never wavering from receiving about 60% of the vote for a seat which has been hotly contested through a campaign. For what some people thought would actually be a competitive race, it turned into a route beginning at the first report which was two minutes after the polls closed and has remained one so far. In fact, Buster's romp against Schiavone was much easier than his more competitive race against former candidate and current Community Police Review Commission member, Linda Soubirous who endorsed Schiavone this time around after declining to run again.
The Press Enterprise has declared Buster to be the winner.
As of about 2 a.m. June 4, 2008:
Buster: 13,941 61.32%
Schiavone: 8,713 38.68%
Buster's huge lead over Schiavone which so far has expanded through the night shouldn't be surprising.
If you stack them up, Buster comes out ahead of Schiavone who for all this audio taped complaints about mudslinging against him stuck to that path most of his campaign as some predicted he would do so, running against a popular incumbent with only six years political experience at the city level. One of the arguments raised by that camp was that the fourth ward which Schiavone represents on the city council constituted 55% of District One's voters, which of course carries along with it the assumption that this vote is going straight to him. Not so, as issues like the DHL debacle which even a last-minute announcement of a "resolution" against it spearheaded by Schiavone and another candidate up for reelection soon, Mayor Ron Loveridge, had little effect especially once DHL announced that it might be handing off its domestic business and problems to its rival, UPS. Then people started asking if these city officials pushed this resolution through already knowing that DHL might pull its night flights due to economic reasons rather than public pressure or civic action.
That and a growing number of folks in Riverside believe that Schiavone thinks he's outgrown the city council, given that he was not interesting in honoring his commitment to his Ward Four residents to finish out his term rather than jumping ship as his colleague Ward Seven Councilman Steve Adams tried to do for "higher" office. That probably left more than a few ward voters with a bad taste that they might have taken to the polls with them.
Maybe news about the dais antics of several city council members including Schiavone has spread across the county. Maybe the residents of District One don't feel like being personally attacked by their elected officials or having their access to redressing their elected government restricted, especially since many of them have longer distances to travel to meetings than those in Riverside. The attitudes of city council members who worked towards restricting or discouraging public comment turned off many of those city's voters in the last city election. The city council members might have hit their Rolodex to call down their supporters to complain about people who criticize the city council but it's clear that it's the latter groups which are speaking out at the voting polls. Most likely, that trend will continue into next year's city government elections in Riverside.
Maybe the rumors going around about how one sitting councilman has bragged to anyone who cares that he and another city councilman are personally responsible and more than happy about reducing the numbers of people who speak out during public comment and at other times during weekly meetings. Some people were confused by the audio recorded message which had Loveridge urging voters to join him and all Democrats in voting for Schiavone whose a Republican. This was particularly interesting given that the other elected officials on Riverside's dais who have declared themselves as Democrat (given that Ward Three Councilman Rusty Baily is a "declined to state") put their eggs in Buster's basket in terms of endorsing him.
Speaking of Ward Four, the race already began to stack up before the election but none of the individuals who are thinking about throwing their hats in the ring are ready to do so publicly.
And what's becoming more apparent in local elections is that having the backing of public safety employees such as police officers and fire fighters doesn't guarantee a victory either. The Riverside Police Officers' Association Political Action Committee was 0 for 4 (and the Riverside Firefighters' Association PAC was 1 for 4) in the most recent city council election and had endorsed Schiavone in the District One supervisor race, opting not to place an endorsement in the District Three contest. Even though police chiefs and other management personnel from the Riverside Police Department stumped for one of their boss's boss, so far it appears that the majority of voters have gone the other way. Many people have a lot of respect for public safety employees but might not be as comfortable with them when they're playing political roles. Perhaps too, the shaping of the supervisor election around the ongoing conflict between the management of the Sheriff's Department and its supporters on the county dais and the sheriff's union presented a much different picture than what the majority of the county's District One voters actually prioritized when casting their votes.
Riverside's SEIU local unit that represents a large group of city employees split its campaign contributions towards both camps. Its success rate in the last city election was not much better than the other city unions.
District Three incumbent, Supervisor Jeff Stone took a huge lead and never was caught, receiving over 70%, much higher than that of challenger Deane Foote.
Attempts to unseat Mayor Kelly Chastain in Colton have failed, with the majority of voters there opting not to replace her.
Some called the mayoral recall campaign trail in Colton the nastiest of all in the Inland Empire.
(excerpt, Press Enterprise)
The campaign had been fierce, with accusations flying in mailers, during the public comment portion of council meetings and even on the dais. Election signs on both sides had been vandalized or stolen, candidates said.
The recall began in November, after a political action committee formed by Gary Grossich and Frank Navarro began gathering signatures to unseat Chastain.
Although the group did not argue that laws had been broken, members did have a list of grievances against the mayor. Navarro said Chastain had ignored her campaign promises and has increasingly kept citizens and even some council members out of her circle of trust.
In Los Angeles County, former Los Angeles Police Department Chief Bernard Parks is heading into a runoff with Mark Ridley-Thomas.
Voters passed Prop. 99 and rejected Prop. 98 and those who supported the latter are blaming the confusion over the dueling initiatives for that loss. Nonsense. What killed Prop. 98 was the provision dismantling rent control laws. Prop. 99 might just save your house from eminent domain if you're White and live in a "good" neighborhood (and not for example, a redevelopment zone). If you're not, it might be easier for the city or county to take your home from you.
The Raincross Cafe is open at City Hall in Riverside on the first floor. Oh wait, it is the first floor. And it looks a lot like the restaurant at the county administrative center, down to the realistic looking models of the daily specials that are on display to look at, not nibble.
Not a bad club sandwich though it's tricky to master it with sour dough bread and it's served with personally made potato chips. The medium price for a sandwich or burger is about $7 though there are daily specials. Between the opening of this cafeteria and the construction that will be taking place in the pedestrian mall until probably well into 2009 because these construction projects rarely run on schedule, it's not known the impact that will be felt by nearby cafes and restaurants or vice versa.
With the futures of two of the city's libraries up for debate, another library is finally reopening after a long period of renovation.
If you take a radio, it provides a perfect opportunity to listen to political advertising in the Riverside County District One supervisor's race between incumbent Bob Buster and challenger and Riverside Ward Four City Councilman Frank Schiavone. This morning, on 99.9 FM, there were advertisements for both of them almost back to back.
The arrest of a mother who left her son after he jumped out of the car is the focus of much discussion.
In the midst of the state budget crisis, the Riverside Unified School District rethinks about $3 million of its cuts.
Redlands might be cuttingpublic safety management positions in response to the budget crisis.
Is the economy in the Inland Empire slowing down? Some experts answer that question.
And now there are two! Two finalists for the job of the sheriff in Orange County.
Paul Walters, the current chief of Santa Ana's police department and Sandra Hutchens, the division head of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. Both are up for the job vacated by Sheriff Mike Carona who left to focus his time on defending himself on federal corruption charges.
(excerpt, Los Angeles Times)
Walters, who ran a close race against Carona in 1998, maintained Tuesday that he had the experience to execute his sweeping transition plan, which is aimed at changing the culture of the department and restoring integrity to the leadership.
"We're ready to go, if that's the decision they make," Walters said. "I'm just honored to make it this far. And I look forward to the board's final decision so the department can start the healing process."
Hutchens, a Dana Point resident and the only woman to interview for the job, said she was equally qualified to take the reigns. She downplayed the role her gender might play in any decision.
"Nobody wants to get picked because they're a woman. I want to get picked because of my qualifications," she said. "I think they want a change here. I think I can provide that change and serve the men and women of the department who have not had leadership in a long time. To me, that's the key."
Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca endorsed his former colleague. "I don't think the issue is that she's an outsider; it's that she has vast experience in solving problems," Baca said. "And that's really what's needed in Orange County."
But if you recall, Walters in 2000 led the list of candidates for the chief of the Riverside Police Department but used the process to garner a pay hike for him back home.
Still, he did launch a losing campaign to Carona back in 1998.
The question is, will he be sheriff or will he get a raise? Stay tuned.
There will be many challenges waiting for the new sheriff of Orange County and one of them will certainly be fixing the jail system which was the focus of a scathing county grand jury report. That person will be one of nine remaining finalists who were interviewed by the county board of supervisors in a marathon session.
In Minneapolis, the police department's internal affairs division will be reviewed by the Police Executive Research Forum from Washington, D.C. And guess what, the forum's not afraid to host public forums for input from community members on the process as it currently is.
Two Miami Police Department officers were charged with accepting bribes from criminals, according to the Miami Herald.
(excerpt)
''These officers sold their badges and their loyalty to the highest bidder, disgracing themselves,'' said Miami Police Chief John Timoney.
Both were relieved of duty without pay, police said Friday.
The federal prosecutor over the case is Edward Stamm, who also oversaw the arrest of four Hollywood police officers last year in a similar undercover operation. The men later pleaded guilty.
Attorneys for the Miami officers defended their clients. ''What caught my attention is that the FBI created a crime that didn't exist and then enticed these officers into it,'' said Nuñez's attorney, Michael Catalano, who will defend him with Michael I. Zemon.
Hernandez's defense attorney, David O. Markus, said he will defend his client with ``zeal and vigor.''
''These are never happy days when a police officer of 16 years, a family man, is charged with a crime,'' Markus said.
Both officers had fairly extensive disciplinary records ranging from yelling at demonstrators to domestic violence allegations.
Richard Rosenthal, the independent monitor of Denver, has been outspoken about how that department disciplines its officers. Now, he's criticizing a union fund which pays off suspensions to officers who contribute monthly dues to it.
(excerpt, Denver Post)
"What it really comes down to is a paid vacation for the employee who has committed misconduct," Rosenthal said.
The benefit is included as part of union members' $16-per-month dues, which have generated a pool of money in excess of $700,000.
The policy will cover up to three days of suspension or up to $450 for duty-related misconduct, including use of excessive force, abuse of sick leave or failure to appear at a work assignment.
The policy also covers attorney fees for officers accused of misconduct on duty, but union representatives would not disclose how much was spent on the "payment in lieu" option, which is used when a deputy decides not to appeal a suspension decision.
Officials with the Colorado Fraternal Order of Police declined to provide any details on how much has been spent to compensate their suspended members.
Loveland police Sgt. Benjamin Hurr, treasurer of the CFOP, said just because the union gives out pay to suspended officers doesn't mean there's no punishment.
"It's not intended to replace an officer's salary fully," Hurr said. "It's just intended to help."
He said he believes perhaps 20 officers or deputies benefited from the program this past year.
"I think there's still a punishment," he said. "The officer's reputation has still taken a hit at the department."
DHL may have mellow yellow, but UPS has Big Brown. The strapping son of Habitony is set to make history this Saturday as he attempts to capture the Belmont Stakes which is the third and most elusive jewel of horse racing's triple crown.
Tuesday morning, Big Brown blew out five furlongs in a minute flat under a snug hold by his exercise rider. He breezed without having had his quarter crack patched, a task set to take place on Friday, the day before his date with destiny.
---District One Riverside County Supervisor Bob Buster to the Press Enterprise about his campaign supporters. Buster is current leading Schiavone by over 5,000 votes.
Dave Novotny: Jim, come on, I don't need a lecture on ethics.
Jim McAllister: I'm not talking about ethics, I'm talking about morals.
Dave Novotny: What's the difference?
---Election (1999)
On Tuesday, June 3, 2008 the residents of Riverside County showed up at the polls and voted.
Voter turnout was anticipated to be fairly low statewide, because the federal primary election process had been bifurcated with the presidential primary held several months ago and the primaries for Congressional seats held now.
Still, people did hit the polls throughout the day. In Menifee, the majority of them voted to become a city, which in most cases ups the political intrigue of the local government exponentially.
Here are election results. The last report was at 1:56 a.m.
Incumbent Bob Buster had taken a large lead over incumbent and Riverside city councilman Frank Schiavone in the District One Supervisors race, never wavering from receiving about 60% of the vote for a seat which has been hotly contested through a campaign. For what some people thought would actually be a competitive race, it turned into a route beginning at the first report which was two minutes after the polls closed and has remained one so far. In fact, Buster's romp against Schiavone was much easier than his more competitive race against former candidate and current Community Police Review Commission member, Linda Soubirous who endorsed Schiavone this time around after declining to run again.
The Press Enterprise has declared Buster to be the winner.
As of about 2 a.m. June 4, 2008:
Buster: 13,941 61.32%
Schiavone: 8,713 38.68%
Buster's huge lead over Schiavone which so far has expanded through the night shouldn't be surprising.
If you stack them up, Buster comes out ahead of Schiavone who for all this audio taped complaints about mudslinging against him stuck to that path most of his campaign as some predicted he would do so, running against a popular incumbent with only six years political experience at the city level. One of the arguments raised by that camp was that the fourth ward which Schiavone represents on the city council constituted 55% of District One's voters, which of course carries along with it the assumption that this vote is going straight to him. Not so, as issues like the DHL debacle which even a last-minute announcement of a "resolution" against it spearheaded by Schiavone and another candidate up for reelection soon, Mayor Ron Loveridge, had little effect especially once DHL announced that it might be handing off its domestic business and problems to its rival, UPS. Then people started asking if these city officials pushed this resolution through already knowing that DHL might pull its night flights due to economic reasons rather than public pressure or civic action.
That and a growing number of folks in Riverside believe that Schiavone thinks he's outgrown the city council, given that he was not interesting in honoring his commitment to his Ward Four residents to finish out his term rather than jumping ship as his colleague Ward Seven Councilman Steve Adams tried to do for "higher" office. That probably left more than a few ward voters with a bad taste that they might have taken to the polls with them.
Maybe news about the dais antics of several city council members including Schiavone has spread across the county. Maybe the residents of District One don't feel like being personally attacked by their elected officials or having their access to redressing their elected government restricted, especially since many of them have longer distances to travel to meetings than those in Riverside. The attitudes of city council members who worked towards restricting or discouraging public comment turned off many of those city's voters in the last city election. The city council members might have hit their Rolodex to call down their supporters to complain about people who criticize the city council but it's clear that it's the latter groups which are speaking out at the voting polls. Most likely, that trend will continue into next year's city government elections in Riverside.
Maybe the rumors going around about how one sitting councilman has bragged to anyone who cares that he and another city councilman are personally responsible and more than happy about reducing the numbers of people who speak out during public comment and at other times during weekly meetings. Some people were confused by the audio recorded message which had Loveridge urging voters to join him and all Democrats in voting for Schiavone whose a Republican. This was particularly interesting given that the other elected officials on Riverside's dais who have declared themselves as Democrat (given that Ward Three Councilman Rusty Baily is a "declined to state") put their eggs in Buster's basket in terms of endorsing him.
Speaking of Ward Four, the race already began to stack up before the election but none of the individuals who are thinking about throwing their hats in the ring are ready to do so publicly.
And what's becoming more apparent in local elections is that having the backing of public safety employees such as police officers and fire fighters doesn't guarantee a victory either. The Riverside Police Officers' Association Political Action Committee was 0 for 4 (and the Riverside Firefighters' Association PAC was 1 for 4) in the most recent city council election and had endorsed Schiavone in the District One supervisor race, opting not to place an endorsement in the District Three contest. Even though police chiefs and other management personnel from the Riverside Police Department stumped for one of their boss's boss, so far it appears that the majority of voters have gone the other way. Many people have a lot of respect for public safety employees but might not be as comfortable with them when they're playing political roles. Perhaps too, the shaping of the supervisor election around the ongoing conflict between the management of the Sheriff's Department and its supporters on the county dais and the sheriff's union presented a much different picture than what the majority of the county's District One voters actually prioritized when casting their votes.
Riverside's SEIU local unit that represents a large group of city employees split its campaign contributions towards both camps. Its success rate in the last city election was not much better than the other city unions.
District Three incumbent, Supervisor Jeff Stone took a huge lead and never was caught, receiving over 70%, much higher than that of challenger Deane Foote.
Attempts to unseat Mayor Kelly Chastain in Colton have failed, with the majority of voters there opting not to replace her.
Some called the mayoral recall campaign trail in Colton the nastiest of all in the Inland Empire.
(excerpt, Press Enterprise)
The campaign had been fierce, with accusations flying in mailers, during the public comment portion of council meetings and even on the dais. Election signs on both sides had been vandalized or stolen, candidates said.
The recall began in November, after a political action committee formed by Gary Grossich and Frank Navarro began gathering signatures to unseat Chastain.
Although the group did not argue that laws had been broken, members did have a list of grievances against the mayor. Navarro said Chastain had ignored her campaign promises and has increasingly kept citizens and even some council members out of her circle of trust.
In Los Angeles County, former Los Angeles Police Department Chief Bernard Parks is heading into a runoff with Mark Ridley-Thomas.
Voters passed Prop. 99 and rejected Prop. 98 and those who supported the latter are blaming the confusion over the dueling initiatives for that loss. Nonsense. What killed Prop. 98 was the provision dismantling rent control laws. Prop. 99 might just save your house from eminent domain if you're White and live in a "good" neighborhood (and not for example, a redevelopment zone). If you're not, it might be easier for the city or county to take your home from you.
The Raincross Cafe is open at City Hall in Riverside on the first floor. Oh wait, it is the first floor. And it looks a lot like the restaurant at the county administrative center, down to the realistic looking models of the daily specials that are on display to look at, not nibble.
Not a bad club sandwich though it's tricky to master it with sour dough bread and it's served with personally made potato chips. The medium price for a sandwich or burger is about $7 though there are daily specials. Between the opening of this cafeteria and the construction that will be taking place in the pedestrian mall until probably well into 2009 because these construction projects rarely run on schedule, it's not known the impact that will be felt by nearby cafes and restaurants or vice versa.
With the futures of two of the city's libraries up for debate, another library is finally reopening after a long period of renovation.
If you take a radio, it provides a perfect opportunity to listen to political advertising in the Riverside County District One supervisor's race between incumbent Bob Buster and challenger and Riverside Ward Four City Councilman Frank Schiavone. This morning, on 99.9 FM, there were advertisements for both of them almost back to back.
The arrest of a mother who left her son after he jumped out of the car is the focus of much discussion.
In the midst of the state budget crisis, the Riverside Unified School District rethinks about $3 million of its cuts.
Redlands might be cuttingpublic safety management positions in response to the budget crisis.
Is the economy in the Inland Empire slowing down? Some experts answer that question.
And now there are two! Two finalists for the job of the sheriff in Orange County.
Paul Walters, the current chief of Santa Ana's police department and Sandra Hutchens, the division head of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. Both are up for the job vacated by Sheriff Mike Carona who left to focus his time on defending himself on federal corruption charges.
(excerpt, Los Angeles Times)
Walters, who ran a close race against Carona in 1998, maintained Tuesday that he had the experience to execute his sweeping transition plan, which is aimed at changing the culture of the department and restoring integrity to the leadership.
"We're ready to go, if that's the decision they make," Walters said. "I'm just honored to make it this far. And I look forward to the board's final decision so the department can start the healing process."
Hutchens, a Dana Point resident and the only woman to interview for the job, said she was equally qualified to take the reigns. She downplayed the role her gender might play in any decision.
"Nobody wants to get picked because they're a woman. I want to get picked because of my qualifications," she said. "I think they want a change here. I think I can provide that change and serve the men and women of the department who have not had leadership in a long time. To me, that's the key."
Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca endorsed his former colleague. "I don't think the issue is that she's an outsider; it's that she has vast experience in solving problems," Baca said. "And that's really what's needed in Orange County."
But if you recall, Walters in 2000 led the list of candidates for the chief of the Riverside Police Department but used the process to garner a pay hike for him back home.
Still, he did launch a losing campaign to Carona back in 1998.
The question is, will he be sheriff or will he get a raise? Stay tuned.
There will be many challenges waiting for the new sheriff of Orange County and one of them will certainly be fixing the jail system which was the focus of a scathing county grand jury report. That person will be one of nine remaining finalists who were interviewed by the county board of supervisors in a marathon session.
In Minneapolis, the police department's internal affairs division will be reviewed by the Police Executive Research Forum from Washington, D.C. And guess what, the forum's not afraid to host public forums for input from community members on the process as it currently is.
Two Miami Police Department officers were charged with accepting bribes from criminals, according to the Miami Herald.
(excerpt)
''These officers sold their badges and their loyalty to the highest bidder, disgracing themselves,'' said Miami Police Chief John Timoney.
Both were relieved of duty without pay, police said Friday.
The federal prosecutor over the case is Edward Stamm, who also oversaw the arrest of four Hollywood police officers last year in a similar undercover operation. The men later pleaded guilty.
Attorneys for the Miami officers defended their clients. ''What caught my attention is that the FBI created a crime that didn't exist and then enticed these officers into it,'' said Nuñez's attorney, Michael Catalano, who will defend him with Michael I. Zemon.
Hernandez's defense attorney, David O. Markus, said he will defend his client with ``zeal and vigor.''
''These are never happy days when a police officer of 16 years, a family man, is charged with a crime,'' Markus said.
Both officers had fairly extensive disciplinary records ranging from yelling at demonstrators to domestic violence allegations.
Richard Rosenthal, the independent monitor of Denver, has been outspoken about how that department disciplines its officers. Now, he's criticizing a union fund which pays off suspensions to officers who contribute monthly dues to it.
(excerpt, Denver Post)
"What it really comes down to is a paid vacation for the employee who has committed misconduct," Rosenthal said.
The benefit is included as part of union members' $16-per-month dues, which have generated a pool of money in excess of $700,000.
The policy will cover up to three days of suspension or up to $450 for duty-related misconduct, including use of excessive force, abuse of sick leave or failure to appear at a work assignment.
The policy also covers attorney fees for officers accused of misconduct on duty, but union representatives would not disclose how much was spent on the "payment in lieu" option, which is used when a deputy decides not to appeal a suspension decision.
Officials with the Colorado Fraternal Order of Police declined to provide any details on how much has been spent to compensate their suspended members.
Loveland police Sgt. Benjamin Hurr, treasurer of the CFOP, said just because the union gives out pay to suspended officers doesn't mean there's no punishment.
"It's not intended to replace an officer's salary fully," Hurr said. "It's just intended to help."
He said he believes perhaps 20 officers or deputies benefited from the program this past year.
"I think there's still a punishment," he said. "The officer's reputation has still taken a hit at the department."
DHL may have mellow yellow, but UPS has Big Brown. The strapping son of Habitony is set to make history this Saturday as he attempts to capture the Belmont Stakes which is the third and most elusive jewel of horse racing's triple crown.
Tuesday morning, Big Brown blew out five furlongs in a minute flat under a snug hold by his exercise rider. He breezed without having had his quarter crack patched, a task set to take place on Friday, the day before his date with destiny.
Labels: Election 2008, Making the grade, public forums in all places
posted by Five Before Midnight | 11:09 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home