Domestic Policy

California Assembly Passes Immigrant-Friendly TRUST Act; OC's Dem Assemblymembers Join GOP in Not Voting for It

The Trust Act made its way once more through the California Assembly yesterday by a final vote of 44-22. The legislation was vetoed late last year when it reached the desk of Democratic Governor Jerry Brown. Supporters say the bill authored by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano will limit deportations fueled b ... More >>

OC Deputies Union Gives to Boston Victims, Reward Funds and Lobbies Sanchez to Boost Homeland Security Dollars for Local Agencies

The Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs (AOCDS) has contributed to a fund for victims of the Boston terror attacks and to the reward for the capture of whoever planted the bombs. But the Santa Ana-based AOCDS wants to loosen up even more funding, calling on Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Gr ... More >>

Latin Grammy Nominated and Sin Papeles: The Story of La Santa Cecilia's Pepe Carlos

La Santa Cecilia's music video for its latest single "El Hielo (ICE)" premieres today, but this writer got a sneak peek two weekends ago! With Chris Newman of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) present in Anaheim for an event in celebration of jornalero Jose Ucelo, he took the occas ... More >>

Consider This

Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine & Cocktails

OC Health Care Agency's Veil of Vomit

Why are they still covering up an April outbreak of E. coli at a local restaurant?

[UPDATED with Loretta Sanchez: "This is a Victory":] Supreme Court Upholds Arizona Paper Check Provision But Tosses Other Parts of SB 1070

See update at the end of the post with reaction to the Supreme Court ruling by Rep. Loretta Sanchez:ORIGINAL POST, JUNE 25, 8:35 A.M.: The U.S. Supreme Court this morning rejected nearly all of Arizona's controversial immigration law yet upheld SB 1070's most controversial provision: the one requiri ... More >>

Accused Orange County Terrorism Suspect: FBI is Using Secrecy to Mask a Bad Case

A lawyer representing an Orange County CVS pharmacist accused in 2011 of lying to the FBI about her role in funding international terrorism claims the government's case is weak and that prosecutors are abusing foreign intelligence secrecy rules.Defending Oytun Ayse Mihalik against the charge when th ... More >>

OC's Happiest Pro-Tax Increase Cheerleaders Are Democrats, Right?

​Those of you who don't believe that Orange County is loaded with ironies aren't paying attention.We've got vociferously anti-gay public figures who are secretly gay or bisexual. We've got Democrats who are more Republican than, well, Republicans. And, perhaps most amazingly, we've got self-descri ... More >>

[UPDATED WITH CITY'S NEAR CLUELESS REACTION] Long Beach Pot Ordinance Ruled Illegal: Cannabis Activists Winning?

​UPDATE, OCT. 7, 12 P.M.: Long Beach city officials are scratching their heads about how to respond to an appeal court decision that appears to overturn the city's medical marijuana ordinance. According to an article by Greggory Moore posted yesterday evening on Long Beach Post, the city attorney ... More >>

Reefer Madness: Marijuana Now Accounts For More Than Half Of All Drug Arrests in U.S.

​According to statistics released yesterday by the FBI, 2010 saw more people arrested in the United States for marijuana than any other year, with pot cases now accounting for more than half of all drug arrests in the country. Specifically 853,838 people were placed into custody for marijuana rela ... More >>

Foothill-South Toll Road Foes Call Bullshit on TCA's Jobs Creation and Economic Stimulus Ploy

​Foes of the 241 Foothill-South toll road carving through San Clemente are calling bullshit on the Transportation Corridor Agency's latest ploy to win public support: propping up their unpopular project as a statewide job creator, economic stimulus and deficit buster.

Chris Norby Gaining Prominence in Marijuana Decriminalization Debate

​Chris Norby, the Republican state assembly member from Fullerton, is giving James P. Gray, the former Orange County Superior Court Judge, a run for his money when it comes to providing the conservative voice of marijuana reform. As an LA Times story points out today, there's a wave of legislation ... More >>

Obama Administration Announces Ban On New Offshore Drilling; Thank The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Hopefully not for at least another 7 years.​In direct conflict with its previous proclamations, the Obama administration today announced that there will not be any further new offshore oil drilling along the Atlantic Coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico or the Pacific Coast. At least, not for th ... More >>

Tancredo vs. Arellano: Where to Watch--Here!

​Starting at 6:30 p.m. PST tonight, come back to Navel Gazing (fresh post will be at the top also!) to find where we will be live streaming from Colorado the Tancredo vs. Arellano debate on immigration.Tancredo is a former Colorado congressman known for his, uh, extreme stance on immigration refo ... More >>

Dueling Sides on Prop 19 Trot Out Research

​As California voters weigh whether to support legalization of marijuana on the November ballot, forces for and against Prop 19 are stepping up the studies, statistics and rhetoric aimed at propping up their respective sides.

Racist OC Register Reader Fustercluck of the Day

​ Headline: Westminster Council Debates Arizona Immigration LawComment by HARRYWSMINSTR: What a great idea to leave it to the voters. All in favor say "Si".

Badlands: From Ground Zero of the Immigration Crisis Along the Mexican Border

Tougher border enforcement in California and Texas has spelled disaster for southern Arizona

Progressive "Brownbaggers" Invite Teabaggers to Join Them in Government Spending Protests

Tim Carpenter hammers away at the war.​Former Orange County progressive activist Tim Carpenter, who now does his agitating for the Michigan-based Progressive Democrats of America, is inviting tea partiers to protests at congressional district offices nationwide Wednesday aimed at reducing "unjusti ... More >>

Bill Hunt Calls For "Constitutional Revolution" in DC

There's gonna be a new sheriff in town?​The Washington Times has posted an article featuring Orange County sheriff's candidate Bill Hunt and his pro-gun speech yesterday at the Washington Monument in the nation's capital.

Healthcare Celebration Today, Healthcare Protest Tomorrow

​Supporters of the historic healthcare reform bill signed into law by President Barack Obama will gather in front of the Garden Grove district office of Rep. Loretta Sanchez this afternoon to thank Orange County's only Democratic member of Congress for her yes vote on the controversial legislation ... More >>

Governor Candidates, Humboldt County Pot Growers Agree: No on Legalization!

Jerry Brown: "I've already indicated that that's not a provision I am likely to support."​The Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 was certified for November's ballot this week after backers turned in signatures from hundreds of thousands of California voters, but the three top candid ... More >>

Deborah Pauly, Villa Park Councilwoman, Needs Health-Care Reform for Her Tushy

VillaPark.orgOof!​"Applauding this Health Care Bill is like applauding a mugging or a rape. Do you feel sodomized?"-Villa Park City Councilwoman Deborah Pauly, reacting to the House passage of monumental health-care reform legislation Sunday, on her Facebook page, according to the Orange County Re ... More >>

OC Sheriff Candidate Hunter Gets Concealed Weapons PAC's Nod

Craig Hunter, OCCCWS's man​This post tells how OCCCWS, a Costa Mesa-based political action committee (PAC) that aims to expand the distribution of concealed weapons permits, told members funds were being collected to take legal action against Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, who has limited ... More >>

PAC's Fundraising Appeal: We're Suing OC Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, Helping Campaigns to Oust Her

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, the one on the right.​Funds are being collected for an upcoming court challenge of Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens. OCCCCW, a Costa Mesa-based political action committee (PAC) that aims to expand the distribution of concealed weapons permits, has posted o ... More >>

Republican Assemblyman Republicans Are Targeting for Recall Blames Orange County Republicans, Newport Beach Insiders

Local Republicans are gunning for Assemblyman Anthony Adams (R-Hesperia). Assemblyman Anthony Adams (R-Hesperia), who has been targeted for a recall election because he voted for a state budget that included billions of dollars in new taxes, swung back at his opponents today, b ... More >>

UC Irvine Seeks to Cut Through Healthcare Reform Bullshit

The AFL-CIO convention in Pittrburgh voted last night to endorse single-payer, universal healthcare for all Americans, and rU.S. Senator Max Baucus (D-Montana) just trotted out to reporters his bill to provide non-single-payer, non-universal healthcare for not-quite-all Americans. Coincidence? ... More >>

Racist OC Register Fustercluck of the Week: Special Kennedy Appreciation Edition

Until brain cancer ended his career, Senator Ted Kennedy was one of the hardest working legislators in American history, someone who even right-wing ideologues like Orrin Hatch admired and loved for his tireless dedication to public service. Ok sure, he had his faults. The man liked to drink. He cau ... More >>

Orange County Faith Leaders Pray for Immigration Reform

OCCCO recently held a prayer vigil for healthcare reform. Now immigration reform is the cause.​Orange County Congregation Community Organization (OCCCO) is teaming up with local faith leaders for a prayer vigil calling for just immigration reform Friday evening in the sanctuary at  Immaculate ... More >>

Where Have All the Anti-Tax Crusaders Gone?

When he wasn't running for governor, Fountain Valley's George "Nick" Jesson was associated with the We the People Congress, an anti-tax group that bought an ad in USA Today in 2001 challenging the government's right to tax income. Indeed, Orange County used to be crawling with anti-tax crusade ... More >>

FBI Spy: "Islam Itself is a Threat to National Security"

John Gilhooley / OCWCraig MonteilhIf Craig Monteilh was hoping the Weekly's recent cover story about him would provide a springboard to media fame, he probably wasn't thinking of Inside OC with Rick Reiff on KOCE. But that's exactly where Monteilh found himself last week when Reiff interviewed Hussa ... More >>

John Campbell Targeted By Withering Democrat Copy-Pasting

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sent out a press release yesterday pointing out that South County U.S. representative John Campbell, by opposing the federal stimulus bill, opposed funding for local transportation projects:Representative Campbell Votes Against Major Road Improvements ... More >>

Telcom Critics Could Have Issues With Obama Pick

A telecommunications executive today resigned from his director's seat at Newport Beach-based Mindspeed Technologies to work at the White House as Barack Obama's director of presidential personnel.Obama can thus expect heavy scrutiny from net-neutrality advocates fearful of Donald H. Gips' closeness ... More >>

True Liar: Gov. Schwarzenegger brings deceit to real life

"All [California lawmakers] know how to do is spend, spend, spend . . . Then they realize they are spending too much and so they tax, tax, tax. I will not raise your taxes. I will not cut education."--Arnold Schwarzenegger in October 2003, while campaigning to unseat then-Gov. Gray Davis in a recall ... More >>

As State OK's Tough Global Warming Rules Should Diesel Be Next?

As expected, the state this afternoon put teeth in its landmark regulations enacted in 2006 to combat global warming, adopting the nation's most comprehensive plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Such emissions must be cut 30 percent by 2020. But that is not enough for the editorial board ... More >>

Times editorial goes straight to Zell

The Los Angeles Times today on its editorial page gave Tribune Co. Grandmaster and indelicate asshole Sam Zell the finger when it criticized Prop. 98 and asked readers for a big No vote. The Times sent out a press release mentioning how they weren't going to bend to the pressure. While noble, it r ... More >>

Funniest Register Poll of the Year...

...has to be the one they ran last week asking readers what "is the most effective way to stop illegal immigration across the U.S.-Mexico border?" Reporter Amy Taxin sure knows her audience--of the options available, none included "open the borders ala the European Union," "reform the current immi ... More >>

Funniest Quote of the New Millenium

"They came legally, though." --Idiot Iowa woman whose ancestors invaded the Americas on the Mayflower, in response to the issue of illegal immigration.

Monday's Headlines. No Surprises: Shaky ground for the mayor-who-would-be-governor

Preparing for deportation: In the past fiscal year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement made almost twice as many arrests (30,396) in its fugitive operations program as it did the previous year, reports the Register. ICE also picked up more than 4,000 illegals in workplace raids - up 11 percent fro ... More >>

Illegal Immigration: Follow the Bouncing Logic

When it comes to examining the root causes of illegal immigration, some Republicans work overtime to reconcile their hatred of "illegals" (cough—Mexicans!—cough-cough!) with the Bible—something that's not always easy to pull off given that the Bible preaches goodwill to those who are less fort ... More >>

Unfortunate Acronym of the Day

Earlier today, representatives from the Arizona Interfaith Network, Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform, Kansas City's El Centro and the United Farm Workers set up a teleconference call to argue why comprehensive immigration reform is necessary. They met under the name Coalition for Comprehensive Imm ... More >>

Healthcare and that Jolly Ol' Elf

There's been a lot of talk about the governor's universal healthcare plan, but once you get past all the talk you discover… well, that plan may be too strong of a word. The governor's universal healthcare good intention may be more accurate. Anthony York explains in the Capitol Weekly. (emp ... More >>

Lock Up Your Daughters' Weaponry

The Senate has decided that trigger locks suck. A trigger-lock mandate, part of a bill limiting the liability of gun manufacturers in liability cases, has been stricken from the language. Who wants to wait a few moments to fiddle with a mechanism in order to activate their gun? In the immortal words ... More >>

Im a Complete Intellectual Fraud

Viet Dinh reveals the truth about himselfand the USA Patriot Actin UC Irvine Speech

High Frequency

A local minister has his sights on Orange County community radio

Deadly Plants

Welcome to Orange County, Now Go Home

Cops say they want to bail on INS duty

No-Show Perot

Bankruptcy? What Bankruptcy?!

OCs financial meltdown, five years later

Shot in the Arm

Why the poor resort to backroom injections