FFFF supports causes that promote intelligent, responsible and accountable government in Fullerton and Orange County
Category: Chris Norby
Chris Norby is State Assemblyman for the 72nd District. He is a former Orange County Supervisor for the 4th district, and a former Fullerton City councilmember.
With the disgrace and unavoidable collapse of our State Assembly-zit Mike Duvall of Yorba Linda, a perfect opportunity has arisen for our termed-out 4th District County Supervisor Chris Norby to step into the picture.
Whoo-hoo! The best part is it'll drive Ackerman crazy!
Chris has taken some heat here from some of our fellow FFFF bloggers for his County Clerk campaign which to some of them gave off an aroma of desperation for a job. Well, the politico gods seem to have placed a job right in Norby’s lap – a job at which he would excel – statewide policy – particularly Redevelopment reform. Do it Chris!
A couple of weeks ago a girlFriend forwarded an e-mail she received from County Clerk candidate Chris Norby – who also happens to be our termed-out 4th District County Supervisor. The e-mail and the website to which it directed us, made a big deal about all the money Norby had accumulated in his quest to “preserve our vital records.” We wrote about it here and here and here .
Although we understand the importance of the moolah, we have to say that we were struck by the unseemliness of this pitch. Could it really backfire?
The only reason Norby can command a fundraising advantage over his competitors is because he is a sitting county supervisor, a job that permits him to exert more than a little fundraising leverage on the squadron of lobbyists and interests that normally pour money into County political campaigns. The idea that Norby would get support from lobbyists for any other purpose is ridiculous. No lobbyists care who the County Clerk is and have no incentive to invest in one. And in any case nobody believes that Norby is better qualified to be a County Clerk than some guy picked at random walking down Main Street.
If I did it you could do it. What about that guy over there?
Seen in this light, suddenly the money advantage starts to look a lot like a political fire sale, a sale in which the proceeds will continually diminish as Norby’s second term winds down and lobbyists perceive that their “investments” in him have passed the point of diminishing returns.
Government shouldn’t be for sale – at least not seen to be for sale. At the very least the appearances of probity should be observed.
A few days ago County Supervisor Chris Norby sent out a solicitation for contributions to his County Clerk campaign. Nothing unusual there. But apparently some of them were sent to County employees at their work e-mail addresses. County employees are forbidden to use their computers for this type of activity so even if the e-mails were sent from a private computer (they were) it raises problems for the recipients thereof.
Others have raised the seemliness and propriety of a supervisor asking for money of employees during a time of layoffs. The issue of coercion seems to be the focus.
Chris is getting roasted alive by just about everyone under the sun for this transgression, including apparently the good folks at KFI. The upshot of all of this remains to be seen, but so far the fallout hasn’t been too good for Norby.
Anyhoo, we got a hold of a copy of the offending e-mail. Here it is:
Dear Friend & Supporter,
I’ve officially announced that I am running for OC Clerk-Recorder in
the June 2010 primary. I’m the only elected official so far to
declare for this seat and current incumbent Tom Daly is vacating to
run for Supervisor.
Please visit my website at www.Norby10.com for my goals, list of
supporters and campaign updates.
I’ve already raised over $140,000 for the campaign and hope to
double that in the coming months. I ask for your support and your
help. Contributions up to $1,700 may be sent to Norby for
Clerk-Recorder / 214 N. Yale Ave. / Fullerton, CA 92831.
I stand on my record and experience in Orange County government and
look forward to serving in this new capacity.
— Supervisor Chris Norby
Candidate, OC Clerk-Recorder
www.Norby10.com
The OC Register did a story today about Chris Norby’s attempt to solicit campaign contributions from County employees at their work e-mail addresses here . Apparently this is a big no-no, although lawyers aren’t sure if the law has been broken.
Hand it over, sucker...
We reported the other day about the seeming fundraising focus of Norby’s website, and it could have been this mania that caused the e-mail boner here .
According to the Reg story, Norby campaign consultant Matt Holder admitted error and says any monies collected would be returned. Great. Meantime Chris racks up some more bad publicity due to Lewis Group LLC.
Geez, now we really hope Chris isn’t paying these chuckleheads too much.
Okay, we really couldn’t resist it. Yesterday we posted here about Chris Norby’s County Clerk campaign website. The slogan that appears on the site is so funny that it invites humor: Preserving Your Vital Records. Wha?
That was the really best campaign consultant John Lewis could come up with? Preserving your vital records? If that doesn’t mobilize the troops, then we don’t know what will!
But, seriously we feel compelled to offer Norby helpful alternatives, such as:
Red Tape is Fun!
The Job Ain’t Over ’til The Paperwork’s Done!
Bureaucracy Drives the County Forward!
Your Non-vital Records Will be in The Dumpster By Morning!
Okay, Friends. Now it’s your turn to share your ideas. Let’s give Mr. Norby a hand here since John Lewis seems to be so useless!
Chris Norby’s campaign for County Clerk has a website: http://www.norby10.com/ . When you go there you see a lot about how much money he’s raised and lots of pictures of Chris, but virtually nothing about ideas or plans on how to run the department – just lots of platitudes about accountability, etc. One “idea” actually talks about getting other counties to follow the “OC model.” Isn’t that the job of their county clerks?
He also addresses Tom Daly’s campaign for supervisor as a foregone conclusion, and we’re not too sure about that click here .
The image on the website of Chris superimposed on the Old Courthouse may not be a hot idea since it might tend to keep some old jokes about Norby sleeping there going.
"Preserving Your Vital Records?!!" Wow, throw 'em some more red meat, Chris!
Anyway, check it out for yourselves. We have sometimes supported Chris in the past, but this campaign is becoming a bit problematic. The website does not allay any of the suspicions raised by commenters on our last post that Chris is just running for this because he needs a government job click here. It is apparent that Norby is running this campaign as an “insider,” and that doesn’t bode well, either.
A few months ago we went after Sharon Kennedy and her Observer’s shameless pandering to City Hall when she passed along a letter from OC Supervisor Chris Norby opposing Redevelopment expansion to her pals in the government. Some Redevelopment flunky put together the “official” response, Don Bankhead affixed his X to it, and the two were printed side by side.
Well she’s at it again. Check out page 8 of the July edition. Same technique, same result.
Now, we have nothing against the City getting out its propaganda, even if it is full of baloney. But this habit on the part of Kennedy of sharing an editorial writer’s submission so that it can be immediately rebutted without counter response is so unfair that, well, we feel justified in accusing Sharon Kennedy of being just a wee bit biased in the stuff she prints.
Why not print the submission and let the City respond if it feels inclined to do so? Why not let the debate go back and forth – fairly, and see who can develop the more compelling argument? Oh, yeah. That’s right:
We’ve kicked around some names of potential candidates for the 2010 city council election, but here’s a new one: Chris Norby.
Norby is termed out as a county supervisor next year and so he would be available. He wants to run for County Clerk for some reason, but we have the sneaking suspicion that that post won’t be vacated by the incumbent, Tom Daly, after all.
There are all kinds of reasons for desiring a Norby return to the city council. He’s good on Redevelopment, is hip to staff’s encroachment on popular sovereignty, and maybe best, it would absolutely drive the yellowing Observer crowd bananas; not mention what it would do to the Jones, Bankhead, Ackerman RINO herd.
Hat tip to one of our readers who just informed us that Matt “Jerbal” Cunningham over at the Red Clownty blog just reported that Anaheim Councilperson Lorri Galloway has announced that she is going to run for Supervisor Chris Norby’s termed out 4th District seat. This is terrible news for Tom Daly and Harry Sudhu as Galloway’s presence in the race will split the Anaheim vote, but great news for Fullerton’s Shawn Nelson. When asked what she would bring different to the Board of Supes, she said, “I also intend to bring something different, like way cute shoes!”
Word has it that Don Bankhead has endorsed Hieu Nguyen for Clerk-Recorder, joining Dick Ackerman’s anti-Norby jihad. This is a slap in the face for the lone councilman who supported Don’s quixotic bid for Sheriff back in 1990. Ackerman supported Brad Gates, who easily turned back the Bankhead challenge.
Don was first elected in 1988 with the promise that he–like Norby–would back Molly McClanahan for Mayor (an Ackerman/Catlin/LeQuire triad had blocked her for years). That broke the annual mayoral controversy and restored the rotation that continues today. So Norby and Bankhead began as buddies. Norby even endorsed him as late as 2002, much to the ire of some longtime loyalists.
For Don, though, it’s still all about his being recalled by Fullerton voters. Norby opposed the utility tax passed by Bankhead, Catlin and McClanahan which led to their recall in 1994. He’s been sore ever since. Norby did not actually support the recall, but his later hiring of organizer Bruce Whitaker is a constant reminder of the utility tax/recall fiasco, foisted on Fullerton by then-City Manager Jim Armstrong.
Yo G, what does 1+1=
Other Hieu backers with grudges against Norby include: La Habra Councilman Tim “Taxman” Shaw (mad at Norby for pulling his endorsement when he supported the 1/2 cent LH sales tax hike), State Sen. Mimi Walters (mad at Norby for supporting Harry Sidhu against her), Ackerman (mad at Norby for beating his hand-picked council candidates) and Cynthia Coad (mad at Norby for beating her for Supervisor in 2002). It ain’t no secret, the Republican party is the party of grudge holders.
The fact that County Counsel is actively opposing the proposed redevelopment expansion further fuels Bankhead’s bile. Perhaps, Bankhead thinks the County should just lay down and let the RDA steal the County’s money for that all-important Commonwealth blight fight. But, it appears the recall is what really keeps galling Mayor Donahieu.
