I was having lunch over the weekend with a pal, a Republican who will never vote for an OC Reep due to their rank hypocrisy. I, as a lefty nut, shared with him my frustrations with the Democratic Party of Orange County, the group and people that blindly support Irvine politico Larry Agran and his pal, SanTana Mayor Don Papi Pulido, despite their gross abuses of the political process solely because they're Dems.
Then Dan Chmielewski of the Liberal OC asked yesterday whether I liked any politician, after I left a comment on their blog expressing my dislike for Anaheim councilmember Lorri Galloway, who's progressive enough but is also a carpetbagger that moved from her Anaheim Hills digs to a live-work place in a former barrio where my cousins lived that the city knocked down about 20 years ago (really down with working people there, Lorri!) so she could legally run for the Fourth Supervisorial District race.
Really: is there any worthwhile elected official in Orange County, any pol not corrupted by money or apologist tendencies? I think the better question is to ask who's the least reprehensible politician, as every Republican is tarnished by their standing by convicted felon/former OC sheriff Mike Carona, and every Dem I know worships Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez despite her questionable record and refusal to stand with undocumented college students.
Anyhoo, OC's five least reprehensible elected officials:
1 and 2. Joe Aguirre and Greg Sowards, Placentia councilmembers : The only truly righteous politicians in Orange County. They helped depose a council that nearly bankrupted the small North County city with conflict-of-interest choo-choo plans, in the only successful grassroots movement I've ever witnessed in my career that united folks of all factions. Aguirre (a Democrat) and Sowards (Republican) don't get any credit from their respective parties, because they actually believe and practice a bipartisan approach that cares for their cities and doesn't give a shit about political advancement or party triumphalism. Sowards is currently on a leave of absence due to liver cancer–pray for his health, and for more politicians like Sowards and Aguirre.
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3. Katrina Foley, Costa Mesa Councilwoman: The sole voice of reason left in the Costa Mesa City Council, that collection of bigots and pendejos (and both, in the case of hate-group pal Allan Mansoor). And anyone who causes so much vitriol to spew from the keyboard of Costa Mesa racialist (and Allan Mansoor puppetmaster) Martin H. Millard is fine by us!
4. Sergio Contreras, Westminster School Board trustee: Local boy done good who helped take down the trustees who didn't want to include anti-discriminatory language in the district's charter because it dared offer protection to transgendered folks. Great guy who doesn't hobnob too much with the gentry.
5. Chuck Devore, Assemblymember, 70th District: Sure, his politics are to the right of John Schmitz, and he's played the conflict-of-interest game before, but I've always liked Chuck because he so damn accessible–get in a Twitter fight with him, go ahead and do it! Not a terrorist-hater poser like Dana Rohrabacher, doesn't get some flunky to do some tweets for him ala John Campbell. Just plain ol' Chuck–weird. Also, need to side with my fellow failed author…
Okay, cabrones: rip me a new one!
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