We keep hearing from his supporter that Harry Sidhu is all about jobs. Fast food jobs, we reckon, but hell, a job is a job.
So weren’t we shocked to learn that Sidhu is shipping work right out of the county! How so, you ask? Well we received a blast-spam e-mail attacking Shawn Nelson for having three traffic tickets in seven years (the horror!). The English in the e-mail was mangled and the time stamp indicated that it was sent from India!
Time Zone GMT +0530
Bad boy, Harry! Bad Boy! Outsourcing your opponent research and hit pieces to India?
How about keeping jobs right here in Orange County, Harry?
Yesterday we related how Board of Supervisor Chair, Janet Nguyen, Supervisor for the 1st District, has taken into her noodle to employ two new folks in Chris Norby’s former 4th District office – even though there is no supervisor there.
Now we are informed that the OC Register’s Jennifer Muir was calling around the Hall of Admin later in the day and asking about the new staffing arrangements.
Geez, pretty soon the Register may just have to give FFFF its own column.
Our Friends over at the Orange Juice Blog just pointed out that Assemblyman Chris Norby has selected Freydel Bushala as his 2010 “Woman of the Year.” Bushala received the award from Mr. Norby yesterday at the Capitol in Sacramento. Norby said that Freydel was chosen because of her drive and ambition as a business owner, mother and involved community member.
As we reported, March 1, 2010, FFFF’s Travis Kiger, Fullerton businessman Larry Lazar and myself sat down with Bill Hunt, 2010 candidate for Orange County Sheriff. The round table discussion was an opportunity to ask some important questions that we think are on the minds of voters. No topic was off-limits.
Hunt Speaks Out About Haidl & Co.
Back in 2003, Greg Haidl, son of Assistant Sheriff Don Haidl, was awaiting trial (where he was eventually convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious teen) when he was picked up by deputies in San Clemente after they found marijuana in a car driven by Haidl’s friend.
FFFF: “You’ve taken a lot of criticism for some events that happened a long time ago with Haidl’s son, specifically the October 26, 2003 incident. Can you tell us what happened?”
Bill Hunt: “Here’s what happened. At the end of the day, me and my captain were sold out by a sheriff and assistant sheriffs, Jaramillo and Haidl, who were involved in this thing behind the scenes and then lied about it and tried to hang it on me. And you’ll remember by that time I was a candidate for the office [sheriff].”
Hunt went on to describe in great detail the events behind the criticism that eventually lead to his resignation. The following is a synopsis of Hunt’s full explanation:
Gregory Haidl was out on bail on rape charges and living with his mother in San Clemente. On October 26, 2003 at around 10:00PM Haidl was skateboarding with a couple of friends in an industrial complex when Deputy Roche spotted them and made contact. It seems everyone agrees that there was marijuana in a car that the teens used to get to the industrial complex. After a brief interrogation by Deputy Roche, a sixteen-year old male confessed to possessing the pot. Based on an audio record of the incident, it was a solid bust based on a solid confession.
Deputy Roche, knowing Haidl was involved, called his supervisor, Sergeant Richard “Dick” Downing. Downing arrived, reviewed the circumstances, and called his watch commander. At some point, Haidl was driven home to his mother’s house by Sgt. Downing and the sixteen-year old was allowed to leave with the third suspect in the third suspect’s car. It is at this point that the cover up seems to begin.
Sgt. Dick Downing called his watch commander, Lloyd Downing. Lloyd Downing then called Jaramillo who told him “Don’t log it, take care of it.” Lloyd Downing said, “It’ll be our little secret.” Then Lloyd Downing called Dick Downing and told him not to log the event. But Sgt. Downing wasn’t dumb and he wanted to do the right thing. He told Roche to log it in the deputy’s log and then he intentionally did not enter it into the sergeant’s log. This way, Sgt. Downing could say he followed orders without really doing anything wrong. Next, Jaramillo called Carona and a six minute conversation ensued.
Sgt. Dick Downing decided to call Hunt and explain that Roche found Haidl and his friends with some dope and that Haidl had been taken home. He didn’t tell Hunt that he had already spoken with the watch commander or what the watch commander had told him. Hunt then called his captain to let him know what happened.
Days later Hunt ordered Deputy Roche to submit his report and book the confiscated marijuana which had been stored in Sergeant Downing’s file cabinet. Roche wrote up the report and submitted it to the shift supervisor, Sergeant Nancy Gafner, who reviewed it and determined that there are subjective opinions in it. Roche stated that, although the sixteen-year old minor confessed to possessing the marijuana, he believed it to be Haidl’s. Gafner felt that the opinion should be omitted because there were few or no facts to support it and asks Hunt if he concurred. Hunt read it and decided that he wanted Roche to explain why he was so sure was Haidl’s dope. Roche explained that he just felt that the kid was covering up for Haidl but he could not articulate exactly why. Hunt then told Roche to omit the opinion and only include the facts.
Greg Haidl
Later, Carona and Jaramillo conspired to dump the entire case on Hunt’s shoulders. Hunt said “So if you look at the indictment of Mike Carona, that’s on page 19. It says in there defendant Carona, defendant Jaramillo, and co-defendant Don Haidl conspired to arrange for preferential treatment for co-defendant Haidl’s kid. And they don’t mention me in there. But remember, the attorney general didn’t know about this. They didn’t do an independent investigation. They didn’t pull phone records. They took a corrupt Sheriff’s word on an investigation that only looked at us and didn’t look at their involvements. My captain went to Jaramillo several times and said ‘let me go to the media and explain it. This is a nothing deal that you let spin out of control.’ They wouldn’t let us and that’s why. If they found out what our involvement was it didn’t make sense with what happened on the back end. They wouldn’t be able to get the stories straight.”
All of these details come to light through the media over the course of years. David Lopez of KCAL9 news and R. Scott Moxley of OC Weekly were able to corroborate the much of the story. Lopez ultimately caught Carona in a lie when he asked “Did you get involved with this on October 26, 27, or 28?” Carona responds, “No. No sir.”
There is so much more to this story and we encourage you to read Hunt’s own words on the case and decide for yourself. Hunt names names and tells it like it is.Read the full transcript.
UPDATE: ALTHOUGH THIS STORY BY MS. MUIR APPEARED ON-LINE, APPARENTLY IT DID NOT APPEAR IN ANY PRINT EDITION – CAUSING SOME OF OUR FRIENDS TO WONDER WHAT SORT OF THRESHOLD OF PUBLIC MISFEASANCE/MALFEASANCE NEEDS TO BE SURMOUNTED IN ORDER TO ACTUALLY BE PRINTED BY THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER.
THE ANSWER: WE DON’T KNOW. BUT MUST IT MUST BE PRETTY HIGH.
WELL, I’VE GOT MORE GOOD STUFF ON DALY AND WE’LL SEE IF THAT’S OF ANY INTEREST TO THEM.
– Grover Cleveland
Jennifer Muir of the OC Register picked up on the Brett Barbre hall of fame brainstormin’ fiasco that cost the taxpayers $48,000 – courtesy of County Clerk Tom Daly’s reckless largess with our money. Interestingly, Muir cites a County rule that any expenditure more than $50,000 has to be approved by the Board of Supervisors. Hmm.
I am a fiscal conservative. I am a fiscal conservative. I am... aw the hell with it.
The funniest quote in Muir’s piece was Daly claiming that the whole deal was within his purview and that he paid Barbre for ideas, not “long reports.” Of course he got neither.
Worked my synapes to the bone, I tells ya...
Hilariously, Barbre claims to have worked 40 hours a month on the project. That would be an average of 2 hours a day. Every working day. For 18 months. That’s 720 hours – with nothing to show for it. Is there a single person in OC stupid enough to believe any of that?
He seemed to be soliciting sympathy with the big revelation to Muir that a trip he made to Boston was paid for out of his own pocket! What self sacrifice!
Barbre also seemed indignant that somebody (us) might imply a nexus between his windfall and the $1000 he gave to Daly’s supervisorial campaign. His self-exoneration? He didn’t even give Daly the maximum amount of $1700! What a guy.
Additionally, we have received an e-mail that really sheds light onto just how feeble Barbre’s and Daly’s “research” efforts really were. Here it is:
Subject: Orange County Sports Hall of Fame
I am a founder of the Orange County Sports Hall of Fame. We began in 1980 with a huge banquet at the Anaheim Convention Center. Over the years, we inducted more than 70 athletes, coaches and contributors from Walter Johnson and Mickey Flynn to Jack Youngblood and Jim Fregosi. We eventually had a museum at Anaheim Stadium that has since been replaced by Angel offices (our artifacts are in storage). Nobody contacted me or other founders (including Cal State Fullerton Sports Information Director Mel Franks and long-time OC business and political leader Buck Johns) regarding research into a Hall of Fame — that existed 30 years ago. If someone was paid nearly $50,000 to do research they did an amazingly poor job. Sincerely, Pete Donovan
Thanks for the e-mail, Mr. Donovan. Just as we expected.
Janet Nguyen. Why is she trying to horn in on the 4th District office?
We have heard from reliable sources that Board of Supervisor Chair, Janet Nguyen, has very recently hired two individuals to join the remaining staff in Chris Norby’s ex-office. How?
Under board policy the chairman is supposed to take oversight of that District office.
But, I have to wonder why.
Since there is no longer a supervisor to report to, and hence no staff work preparatory to supervisor’s meetings, the staff should be reduced, not increased. There would seem to be less “constituency” type work to be done since there is no supervisor to direct it, and in any case the replacement election is just three short months away. So what gives?
Is Nguyen just planting “her” people in the office to report back to her directly? And are these “her” people that she intends to keep in place in the wildly remote chance that her boy Harry Sidhu should actually win the upcoming election?
The Tom Daly Experience. The closer you look, the worse it gets...
It’s looking like County Clerk Tom Daly figures he can peddle any old bullshit to a Register reporter and get away with it. And he probably figures on an easy re-election this spring. That’s the arrogance of a career politician for you.
When questioned by the Reg’s Jennifer Muir about his sports hall of fame fiasco in which he paid “consultant” and campaign contributor Brett Barbre $48,000 to “study” the notion, Daly said he paid Barbre for “ideas, not long reports.” Not quite right, Mr. Daly. See, we read your contract with Barbre even if you didn’t. He was supposed to be doing research on the feasiblity of the scheme – a scheme, by the way, that falls way outside the County Clerk’s job description. That specifically included contacting similar entities.
Hey, those guys weren't in the phone book!
And here’s the kicker: we already had a hall of fame in the County – which apparently was located in Angel’s Stadium in the 80s and subsequently mothballed. And we got an e-mail from a gent who says he was one of the founders: Pete Donovan. Mr. Donovan asserts that nobody ever contacted him or fellow founders about this idea. Here’s Donovan’s e-mail:
Subject: Orange County Sports Hall of Fame
I am a founder of the Orange County Sports Hall of Fame. We began in 1980 with a huge banquet at the Anaheim Convention Center. Over the years, we inducted more than 70 athletes, coaches and contributors from Walter Johnson and Mickey Flynn to Jack Youngblood and Jim Fregosi. We eventually had a museum at Anaheim Stadium that has since been replaced by Angel offices (our artifacts are in storage). Nobody contacted me or other founders (including Cal State Fullerton Sports Information Director Mel Franks and long-time OC business and political leader Buck Johns) regarding research into a Hall of Fame — that existed 30 years ago. If someone was paid nearly $50,000 to do research they did an amazingly poor job. Sincerely, Pete Donovan
Gee. Barbre had time to go to Boston to “study” the issue at Fenway Park, but not not enough time to make a couple of local calls to people who had already given it a go. Come to think of it, maybe those were exactly the people Barbre and Daly didn’t want to talk to!
Well, that pretty well sums up the incompetence and/or corruption of the whole stinking pile.
My good friend Chriss came this close to beating the rap...
Reading Harry Sidhu’s list of endorsers really makes you pause. I checked out the list of “honorary host committee members” to his upcoming fundraiser.
Harry and I are in complete agreement. Government is all about service. Self-service!
Oh, look! There’s Brett Barbre, the OC Municipal Water District creep who gouged County taxpayers for $48,000 to study an athletic hall of fame, and who kicked back a $1000 campaign contribution to Tom Daly – they guy who gave him the do-nothing job at our expense.
I think Harry has a bright future...even brighter than mine.
Look again and you see the name Chriss Street, the County Treasurer who yesterday was found guilty by a judge of breaching his fiduciary obligation by systematically plundering a business trust that was his responsibility. He was ordered to pay over $7,000,000 by the judge in the case. John Moorlach has called for his immediate resignation.
And Street had previously gotten into hot water by having hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of remodeling work done at his office without soliciting bids. How did he do that? He split up the work into dozens of small purchase orders. He also got County employees to dummy up fake bid solicitations after the fact. Chris Prevatt did a pretty good job describing the DAs subsequent whitewash, here.
What slimy rocks does Sidhu turn over to find these miscreants?
