Thus far — now adjourning for 15 minute break.

Bidder # 1$6.5 Million

Bidder # 2 represented by Advanced Real Estate Services $17 Million

Bidder# 3 Tel Phil Enterprises $1,000 (yes, just $1,000)

Bidder # 4 represented by Facilities Management West $55 Million

Bidder # 5 represented by Anaheim Sports Holding $20 Million

Bidder # 6 represented by Craig Realty Group $42.5 Million

Bidder # 7 represented by Ford and Molrich $2 Million

Following the break, active bidding begins.

The current high bid document will be announced (Bidder 4 at $55 Million), then state will ask bidders if they want to increase bids.

More later.… Read More

Highest bidder was Bidder #6 represented by Craig Realty Group at $56.5 million. Auction is closed.

The high bid will now be taken to Sacramento for consideration and authorizing legislation. The time frame for state evaluation and action begins immediately and may extend into March, with a potential executed sales agreement in April. If the sale falls through, the next highest bidder becomes the high bid and will be evaluated.… Read More

Below is a video of Tom Campbell talking about why he is running for the United States Senate (again — third time’s a charm?). Needless to say he doesn’t spent much (read: any) time talking about why he is no longer running for Governor. In a release this morning, Campbell announces that former U.S. Secretary of State George Schultz will serve as his Campaign Chairman. Enjoy…

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California Republican Party Chairman Ron Nehring was on Foxs News this morning talking about the announcement by the ACORN folks in California were going to split off from ACORN National and become their own entity. Check out this clip…

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The U. S. Supreme Court today stopped any broadcasting of the zoo of a trial in Federal court in San Francisco on the constitutionality of Proposition 8’s ban on gay marriage. Opponents to the initiative wanted the trial broadcast wherever it could be, namely on YouTube. Supporters of the ballot initiative enacted by the People of California by majority vote, argued that a broadcast of the trial could open the door to intimidation of witnesses, and proffered evidence of harassment of supporters of Prop. 8, including boycotts, threatening calls and anonymous mailing of "powdery substances" to supporters. The liberal trial judge supported, a la Judge Ito, broadcasting of the trial, but Prop. 8’s keen legal team took the matter all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and today won a 5-4 victory against the anti-Prop. 8 harassment teams. The ruling will reduce the rings of this circus of a trial from three to just one. It is fairly clear now that the appellate courts will have the final word on Prop. 8.… Read More

[Cross-posted from RedCounty.com]

As has been reported here and elsewhere, it seems fairly certain that former Congressman and state Senator Tom Campbell will abandon the governor’s race and run for U.S. Senate instead.

Query: does it really matter?

In my opinion, the practical result of Campbell’s decision is he’ll finish third in the U.S. Senate primary instead finishing third in the gubernatorial primary. 2010 is going to be a year of voter discontent and back-lash. An under-funded, mild-mannered economic professor who supported extending last year’s massive state tax increase is ill-suited to ride that wave. Campbell’s chances largely depend on the unlikelihood of lightning striking his campaign — and i think he probably stood a better chance of that in the gubernatorial campaign on the off-chance that Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner nuked each each into… Read More

I’ve been engaged in politics, either as a volunteer or professionally, for over two decades now. During that period of time, I have seen Tom Campbell successful run for state and federal legislative offices with success. The area in which he lived, south of San Francisco near San Jose, during the 90’s was home to a lot of GOP officeholders who tended to gravitate more conservative fiscally and more liberal socially. Time having gone by, no that turf isn’t even friendly to moderate Republicans anymore.

Tom Campbell has made runs for statewide office three times now (if you include the current quest for the GOP nomination for Governor). In 1992 he narrowly lost (by less than 3%) the Republican primary for U.S. Senate to conservative icon Bruce Herschensohn (who went on to then Congresswoman Barbara Boxer). In 2000, a cycle with which I am very familiar as I was Executive Director of the California Republican Party at the time, Campbell won the primary (besting then… Read More

Today’s OC Register reports that the Anaheim City Council has cut 11 jobs and reduced the Tourism Bureau’s budget in order to keep control of the city budget.Interestingly, the city also decided to privatize trash and litter removal, as well as restroom cleaning, in city parks, for a combined annual savings of $566,000.Anaheim’s city manager told the paper that city coffers were suffering due to reduced sales and bed tax revenues.

Most every city is experiencing a downturn in revenues as California’s economic problems hit families, businesses and governments alike. But not every city is responding by tightening their belts. Frankly,it’s refreshing to see responsible government budgeting.If only we had such discipline in Sacramento!

(Full disclosure—I do some work with Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle.But, although his leadership was clearly at play here, his name is not mentioned in this article.)… Read More