There are several intense races going on here in Orange County, but I’d like to focus on one in particular: the 2nd Supervisorial District.
It’s a match-up between OC Treasurer John Moorlach and Stanton City Councilman Dave Shawver.
Some quick background. Moorlach originally ran — and lost –a race against the incumbent OC Treasurer in 1994, warning that the incumbent’s risky investment strategies were going to push Orange County into bankruptcy. The usual suspects denounced Moorlach as an alarmist and dismissed him. We all know what happened next.
After the county went bankrupt, the chastened Board of Supes appointed John to the vacated Treasurer’s spot.
Fast forward 12 years. Incumbent OC Supervisor Jim Silva is termed out and running for Assembly. John Moorlach is running to succeed him, and warning that the recent round of county employee pension spiking places county finances at serious risk.
The local government employee unions are apoplectic at the prospect of Moorlach on the Board of Supervisors. They had originally agreed to back Tom Harman for the seat, but Harman bailed on them and ran for the state Senate instead. The government unions had been casting about for a candidate ever since, and finally came up with Stanton Councilman Dave Shawver shortly before filing closed.
Those readers who don’t live in Orange County have probably never heard of Stanton, a run-down little central OC city next to Anaheim. I’ve lived in central OC all my life and didn’t know Stanton existed until Ii was a senior in high school. It’s a real jewell in the Orange County crown.
In any case, Shawver, denies he was recruited by the public employee unions. In fact, he is "insulted" by the claim.
Let’s see: an obscure councilman from a tiny city that flirted with financial insolvency for much of the past decade all of sudden decides, "I think I have what it takes to be a county supervisor, so I’ll challnege the the incumbent county treasurer who has way more name ID and campaign funds than I do!"
Since then, Shawver has raised enough money to buy campaign signs, get onto a couple of slates and send out an absentee mail piece three weeks ago.
Since then, the county employee unions have spent almost a $250,000 on independent expenditures: phone banks and at least half-a-dozen mailers blasting Moorlach and extolling Shawver.
So let’s review: Dave Shawver’s efforts to elect himself pale in comparison to the
quarter-of-a-million dollar exertions of the government unions on his behalf.
You’re right, Dave: it’s ridiculous to think the unions recruited you to run!
I recommend reading some of the attacks the unions have been launching. I’ve posted almost all of it on OC Blog.
One in particular is this Moorlach-is-against-widows-and-orphans mailer. That is literally what it says.
Still, I believe Moorlach will prevail. JohnsonClark Associates have been producing some very good mail for him, and I really believe the governmernt union IE campaign is so over the top and at odds with public perception of Moorlach, that it will fall flat.