The Third Man
The election to fill the vacancy caused by 3rd District Supervisor Bill Campbell’s 2012 departure is starting to shape up as a slugfest between Todd Spitzer and Chuck Devore.
An interesting choice, but one that may cause some to wonder if a better choice isn’t available to succeed Campbell. The departure of latter, who has been just about as liberal, big government a RINO as is humanly possible, presents an opportunity for some real small government conservatism.
Enter Todd Spitzer. Fired by the DA last August for, well forget what for, it hardly matters anymore, Spitzer brings a huge campaign bank and an equally monstrous Board of Supervisors legacy as one of the green lighters of the disastrous retroactive 3@50 that has saddled the County with a huge unfunded pension liability. When he was on the Board, Spitzer developed a well-earned reputation as a megalomanaic media hound and shameless self promoter. He’s backed every measure designed to separate the police from accountability for what they do. The unions, particularly the cops, just love Todd to death. He’s one of theirs.
Then there’s Chuck Devore, the former assemblyman, whose earnestness and willingness to engage his constituents is commendable; he’s also been pretty good on fiscal issues although apart from budget time he wasn’t able to do much in Sacto. Devore also believes that permitting gays to get married will open the floodgates of Gomorrah as the degenerates seek to marry their pets and potted plants. Also Chuck’s neo-con blather is pretty typical of the misdirection of American foreign policy. Fortunately as a supervisor the last two points are virtually irrelevant.
How would Devore do as one of the overseers of the vast County welfare machine? Hard to say. He has zero experience on a five person executive board where politicking happens every day and where the shifting sands of alliances make things a little uncertain over a four-year term. Spitzer has been there and done that. He’s a known quantity. And that may be his biggest problem.
The really fun part about this potential match-up is the way the repuglicans will break. One wing of OC repuglicanism, the Schroeder-Rackauckas-Mike Carona crowd will back anybody but Spitzer and will do it loudly and financially. Others will no doubt follow Spitzer – like Supervisor Pat Bates and the unspeakable Janet Nguyen have already appeared to do. And Spitzer has signed up ‘pug lobbyist John Lewis to work his camapign – and that speaks volumes right there. How will the Campbell/Pringle club go? I don’t know. But the Third District has been their little playpen, and Spitzer has ruined their plans to hoist and foist the mannequin Carolyn Cavecche.
The possibility of two well-supported republicans may suck in a Dem from Irvine or Anaheim to take a shot at the brass ring and maybe even take the top spot in a primary. And then there’s the clown-like Will-o’-the-Wisp, Harry Sidhu, who may just try another ego trip even though he has zero chance of ever being elected anything again, even in a district in which he actually lives.
Then there’s the fact of decennial redistricting. Some lines are bound to redrawn, but which ones? Will it matter?
Stay tuned and enjoy the fireworks!
DeVore, despite his moral convictions, is the ONLY well principled name in the blog post.
Pringle, et al will join up with Spitzer.
With the Lewis’ and Pringles, some FFFFers might find themselves in agreement with Schroeder and support DeVore. (the enemy of my enemy is my friend)
Half-Ass Hairball isn’t gonna run.
The WORST thing that can happen to OC is having Spitzer back to f@ck taxpayers…AGAIN.
I wonder if those (principled traditional) “irrelevant” moral convictions might provide any insight into how well DeVore would withstand the “daily executive board politicing” which seems to concern you?
Rain, gay marriage and Arab-bashing are not relevant to County governance.
You may agree with his belief that gay marriage would lead to people marrying their dogs, but I find that sort of cheap moralizing to be appalling. BTW, there is nothing moral about blind and supine support for a foreign nation – Israel. I find it virtually treasonous, but hey, that’s just me.
Not that Spitzer would be any better.
Well one thing I know for certain is Chucks credentials don’t mean shit as a County Supervisor. I mean, the isreali-Palistienian issue has about as much to do with the third district as Lindsey’s shoplifting. My point is, the mere fact he continually brings up (and makes up) this stff is to rally the blue hairs.
For a “ARMY VETERAN” I am wondering how much time he spent in Iraq and Afganistan as a soldier?
Now Spitzer, scares me on both a personal level (based on my interactions) and his unwillingness to show any self displine.
So I too would like to know where is the advocate for the district? Certainly not these guys.
Mr. Serra, the isreal-Palestine issue may not mean much to you but when it comes to opening up the wallet of most american jews in any political race, as Mr. Sipowitz infers, they will back a zionist over someone that believes that America comes before isreal.
Point taken. Disgusting as it is.
Chuck DeVore is the kind of politician that leaves a stench around him. I won’t be surprised to wake up and read he pulled an Elliot Spitzer or David Vitter (although the diaper thing doesn’t seem his style).
hey man I just adopted the coolest lil Pug Puppy in the world. His name is Hank. Stop associating Pugs withy Reps. I hate that lol. grrrrrr says Hank.
Please explain the label you apply to OC government as “the vast County welfare machine.” Are we talking corporate welfare here, or is it the social programs the state requires all 58 counties to operate, or ??
The County dispenses hundreds of millions of dollars every year in Social Service Agency and Health Care Agency pass through programs, State and Federal.
There is a kind of corporate welfare too – dispensed to an army of consultants to do this or that and often with fairly lax oversight and that includes OCTA.
But it’s the massive social welfare that the Supervisors routinely rubber stamp. Plus, Devore has never had to deal with an in-house bureaucracy over which he has partial control.
I’ll be rooting for any non-pug. Thanks for keeping us up to date on this race.
Nice cinematic allusion. I think this story’s gonna end up in the sewer system.
I guess Tom Daly is praying that Todd Spitzer will win since Todd has hired John Lewis. Todd if you are a strong candidate willing to protect taxpayers money investigate Tom Daly abusing the Clerk Recorder office.
Todd you said you would stop nepotism than you need to investigate Tom Daly spending spree and hiring friends and supporters. The purchase of a 2.1million dollars sitting empty for 3 years. Just look at Tom Daky on friends of fullerton who are the first to report how Tom Daly is abusing his power like John William.
I challenge you Todd to do the right thing but I believe you will turn the other way since Tom Daly is connected to John Lewis your campaign guy. Only time will tell Todd.
I know Chuck Devore will not stand down and will do an investigation on Tom Daly once he receive our letter that we are mailing out to him.
The Board of Supervisors is so irrelevent. Why do we even need it? Let’s get rid of it. OH, wait a minute. That’s right…we have to keep it!What other stepping stone is there to the legislature. OH, and then there are the county water ways that they can’t afford to clean and make presentable like the one down Malvern between Euclid and Harbor. And of course, we can always count on the BS to fairly dispose of the property under its control like El Toro. Oh, my bad….that all went to one city, IRVINE! So now Dist 3 will get to chose between a guy who didn’t have the guts to stand up to a corrupt DA and his mafia machine and run against him(of course that means running against the entire OC Rep machine which apparently has no principals) and another guy who doesn’t understand that a government which governs least governs best. How about we let the govt issue “civil union” licenses and let the churches sort out who they will marry? If my church doesn’t want to marry gays im sure the universalist will. See? Even in the church free market principals can work.
Let’s hope that a less bondaged(is that a word?) candidate appears..but then again, it’s just the board of stupidvisors..did i misspell another wod?
Leland is right. The river along Malvern is a disaster.
She’s tanned, she’s rested, she’s ready: LORRI! LORRI! LORRI!
This time she wouldn’t even have to pretend to move. (“From third place … to the Third District!”) Let’s just hope she’s taken that red pantsuit to the cleaners a time or two since her last race, since it seems to be the only outfit the poor woman owns.
Yeah but that manicure sure shows off the jewelry!
Does this mean Tom Daly wont carpet bag it to the 3rd district?? Damn him!!! I was looking forward to him quitting a tough race for a third time. You know what they say, when the going gets tough, Tommy runs the other way.
Awww and I was looking forward to being treated like a human being for awhile. When Mr. Daly runs for office is seems to be nicer to the employees almost to the point of kissing our lowly asses. I wonder why. Soon after he wins its back to business as usual, he will only talk to the cute latinas and rarely comes to work.