Orange County Blog

• Pair of Jacks: To build the impressive Great Park that it has promised, Larry Agran’s Irvine political machine is desperate for new sources of revenue. Congressman John Campbell (R-Nothing Down; Drive Off The Lot) wants to block Agran, a Democrat, from partnering with the Juaneno Mission Indians, who are shopping for locations to build a casino if they soon win federal recognition of their tribe. Vanja Petrovic and Vik Jolly at the Register report that Campbell, a longtime Agran nemesis, introduced legislation this week that “would ban any American Indian tribe from building a casino for 25 years after it has been federally recognized.” According to Campbell, the idea is to make sure tribes are seeking federal status “to preserve their cultural heritage and not to establish a casino.” The Bureau of Indian Affairs is set to announce it’s decision regarding the OC-based Indians by Nov. 26. Campbell notes that the tribe has already hired a lobbyist, Billy Horton with Hard Count Inc., to explore Irvine options. San Juan Capistrano Mayor Sam Allevato tells the paper that Campbell’s interference is “a little unfair.” Right. Either a tribe meets the standards for federal recognition or it doesn’t. If it does, who is John Campbell or any other politician to restrict its ability to earn money?
• M'm! M'm! Good! Campbell Soup Company announced a voluntary recall yesterday of 72,000 18.8-ounce cans of its Chunky Baked Potato with Cheddar and Bacon Bits. Pprobably a good idea, considering that the company accidentally inserted bits of hard plastic into the soup. If a can code is “JUL 08 2009 07097,” return it to your grocery store for a refund, Campbell’s officials request. By volunarily recalling the product, the company wins immunity from lawsuits.
• Mayor Mansoor: You Disrupted The Meeting: Alicia Robinson at the Daily Pilot declares the Costa Mesa government’s persecution (my word) of student Benito Acosta “officially dead” now that a state court of appeal has refused to ignore the city’s legal miscues. You may remember Acosta—or perhaps you know him better as Coyotl Tezcatlipoca. During a 2006 city council meeting, Acosta attempted to speak against a Minutemen Project-endorsed plan to use local cops for federal immigration enforcement. Mayor Allan Mansoor, a member of the Minutemen and a sheriff's deputy in real life, turned off Acosta’s microphone, closed the meeting, allowed cops to drag Acosta away. The tiny fellow was arrested and charged with crimes. Yep, this is the condition of the United States--or, at least, Orange County--in 2007.
• He Loves Jewelry: South Coast Plaza owner Henry Segerstrom, a natty 84, sits with Hang Nguyen and declares that his mall, which takes in $1.5 billion annually, is superior to any other shopping venue in the U.S. “When a retailer wants to open a store these days, the thought is: "'Should we go to Russia?,” he tells the Register reporter. “Should we go to China? Should we go to Japan? Should we go to South Coast Plaza?' That's about the way it stacks up.” His secrets to success? Personally lobbying the owners of exclusive shops—especially jewelry dealers—to come to South Coast Plaza and the pursuit of foreign—especially Asian—tourists as shoppers. Indeed, go to the place almost any day and there are moments you’d think you’ve landed in Tokyo.
• Clean Rats? We mentioned yesterday that Orange County lawyer Gregory Lee Parkin has been named a slumlord by the city of Fullerton for the nasty condition of a family owned apartment complex that is routinely roach- and rat-infested. The Reg reports that Gregory’s 43-year-old son, Eric (also a lawyer), blames “dirty tenants” and adjacent fast-food restaurants for the rats at the South Gilbert Street property. What conditions are you talking about Eric? “We’ve been through many audits that have shown a clean bill of health,” he told reporter Barbara Giasone. So Eric: You’re blaming the rats for the clean bills of heath? I guess this dispute will be sorted out in court, where criminal health and safety code charges have been filed against the family.

My colleague R. Scott Moxley loves to paint an aura of homoeroticism around Orange County Register columnist Gordon Dillow whenever the crank writes about men in uniform, but the Dillow-nator (as former Weekly managing editor Matt Coker loved to call him) also has a hard-on for Know Nothings. Yet nothing Dillow has ever published will ever compare to the spilled load that was today's piece on deposed Anaheim Union High School District trustee Harald Martin. Martin, you may recall, was appointed by AUHSD trustees to fill a vacancy this summer but resigned last week in the face of a pitchfork-and-torch-wielding recall effort. Harald--who previously, controversially served from 1994 through 2002--vows to run again. In the meanwhile, however, Martin told his side of the recall to Dillow--not a big shock. But, wait--there's more after the jump...

Anaheim Union High School District trustees claim that they reappointed former board member Harald Martin because he was the most qualified candidate for the job. That's bull--nothing more than political payback, as I noted in the above link. But I forgot to mention something else: AUHSD trustee Brian O'Neal was also appointed while Martin served on the board the first time around. This puts the number of current AUHSD trustees appointed by Martin at two; coupled with longtime supporter (and Miss Manners heir apparent) Kathy Smith, it's really no wonder that Martin is where he is today. Political boss, anyone?

Martin is already flexing his power.

Turns out everybody's favorite Mexican-suing, rape-victim-blaming, Zapatistas-supporting school trustee is actually Anaheim's only defender of poor, hopeless Mexicans--and he's getting hell for it. At least that's how Harald Martin describes himself. In a long, rambling letter sent last Friday to anti-Mexican movement madrina and California Coalition for Immigration Reform president Barbara Coe, Martin--a former trustee for the Anaheim Union High School Distict who was controversially re-appointed last month--claims "pro-illegal immigration groups" are behind the movement to boot him out, a laughable premise considering such noted Aztlanistas as OC Blog god Jubal, Orange County Register editorialist Steve Greenhut and Anaheim mayor Curt Pringle have blessed the anti-Martin masses. And that's just where the fun begins. Click after the jump for more!

By now, ustedes have no doubt heard that the Anaheim Union High School District Board of Trustees recently appointed Harald Martin to fill a vacant seat. Martin, old-timers may recall, once compared himself to Zapatistas leader Subcomandante Marcos, refused to apologize after blaming a 13-year-old for her molestation at the hands of a teacher, said "diversity is a killer," and once tried to sue Mexico for $50 million for educating the children of illegal immigrants. The move has sparked a rightful uproar in the blogosphere, and there is already a movement afoot, according to the OC Blog boyos, to get Martin booted out of office.

Good for those activists. But I, for one, am glad with the AUHSD Board's decision.