Here are some quick updates on what’s happening in politics and government this week:
- In a beautiful town, with spectacular ocean views, where the median home price is about $1 million, there seems to be a big problem at City Hall. On Monday, an Orange County Superior Court judge ordered three of the five Councilmembers in Mission Viejo be removed from office. The move stems from the Councilmembers’ illegal actions to extend their terms in office. The city is expected to appeal.
- Folks standing around the water cooler spend a lot of time looking at lists of candidates. Some give us a chuckle, so we wanted to share them with you. Our favorites: Steve Ding is running for San Joaquin County Supervisor. His name is not funny, but we greatly enjoy his email address: thedingdog@yahoo.com. History buffs will be entertained by the candidate for Assembly District 1 – Belle Star Sandwith. Maybe the most creative name on the ballot this year goes to Congressional District 30 candidate G “Maebe A. Girl” Pudlo. The winner for best ballot title in the General Election goes to Oceanside City Council candidate David Turgeon who listed his job as “Lineman/Ornamental Horticulturalist”. And looking ahead to 2024, we have Barack Obama Mandela running as a Republican for U.S. Senate from California.
- Can a Riverside Congressional seat turn blue this year and oust a 30 year incumbent? Some liberal PACs are preparing to spend big to make it happen. Republican Congressman Ken Calvert was first elected in 1992 and is currently running for re-election in the new 41 CD. Reapportionment and shifting populations make the district more liberal, so Calvert appears to be moderating some of his policy positions in order to hold onto his seat. For instance, Calvert used to oppose marriage equality and other pro-LGBTQ policies, but recently has voted to support marriage equality. Time will tell if his opponent, Democrat Will Rollins, can bring an upset to the Inland Empire.
- Now that the State Legislature’s 2021-2022 session has ended, all eyes turn to campaigns. There will be significant changes to the power players in Sacramento next year. How significant, we all wonder? We will know after the November 8 election, which is just 66 days away.