Anaheim Insider here.
In explaining its reasoning for endorsing Keith Curry over Matt Harper in the 74th Assembly District, the OC Register made this case:
The beginning of politics is disagreement. The promises made by lawmakers, the votes submitted by citizens and the deals hammered out behind closed doors – we do these things as a civil way of dealing with disagreement.
At the heart of it all is compromise. Instead of taking every disagreement to arms, it is the ability to compromise that lets us solve problems and make progress on major issues.
That is also why, when considering a candidate for office, it is important not only to consider their positions on major issues, but also their ability to get things done.
It is why, in the race for state Assembly in District 74, we endorse Newport Beach Councilman Keith Curry over Huntington Beach Mayor Matthew Harper.
I agree with this reasoning, the OC Register’s own criteria argue strongly against an endorsement of Tom Tait’s re-election (and his remaining hand-picked candidate, James Vanderbilt). The inability to compromise has been a hallmark of Tait’s term in office. As the editorial puts it, Tait takes “every disagreement to arms,” as I chronicled last week in this post. How many allies has he alienated and thrown overboard because they weren’t 100% on board with his positions?
If a candidate’s “ability to get things done” is of equal weight when it makes endorsement decisions, it’s difficult to see how the OC Register can endorse Team Tait. What accomplishments the Mayor can point to largely took place when he still had a working relationship with his former allies. His approach to the Angels negotiations is a good example of his difficulty showing the kind of leadership cited above by the OC Register. His tendency to take “every disagreement to arms” and difficulty “solving problems” through “compromise” have been major obstacles to his “ability to get things done.” It’s difficult to see how the Register, if it applies its own criteria, can endorse Mayor Tait for re-election.
Alright. Let’s take care of this right now.
I watched Kris Murray accuse Tom Tait of being an anti-semitic misogynist on television in response from the interviewer’s questioning of her vote on the Anaheim Stadium MOUs.
I watched four members of Anaheim’s city council strip its mayor of his ability to agendized items for discussion in an emergency meeting at 8am on a Monday in response for disagreement on the Angel’s MOU.
I watched those same four council members strip half of the mayor’s staff budget away in response for disagreement on the Gardenwalk Hotel $158m giveaway.
Time and time again, the council majority led by Kris Murray took ACTIVE and demonstrative steps to not only avoid compromise, but to straight up take a large dump on the fundamental principle of representative democracy: Dissent.
This blog, in turn, has maliciously distorted the truth in an effort to vilify a man who has done nothing other than HIS JOB in standing up for what he believes is best for his community.
Tom Tait has taken nothing away from anyone in response to a disagreement. He’s defended and promoted his position– which is what he was elected to do.
Ya’ll write some really smelly poop from time to time. This takes the cake.
Comrades, this has been an announcement from the Ministry of Truth.
More mockery, Matthew?
Shocked.
Yes. Deserved mockery. But not childish name-calling or baseless accusations or whiny protestations.
Really? That’s all you can say?
And “comrades,” a socialist reference? Really? You’re calling Ryan a socialist and by inference Tom Tait because they oppose the corporate socialism of the other four?
Rock. Bottom.
Sorry, Dave. There’s a limit to what I’ll type from an iPhone, even when it comes to Ryan’s revisionist history. Unlike you and Ryan, my life does not revolve around commenting on blogs. And in the case of you two, commenting on this blog, then copying and pasting the comment onto Orange Juice, and then telling your other buddies about how you commented here and then copied and pasted those comments on OJ.
And in the case of you two, commenting on this blog, then copying and pasting the comment onto Orange Juice, and then telling your other buddies about how you commented here and then copied and pasted those comments on OJ.
Yes it’s awful, isn’t it? By the way, When are you going to permit Allen Wilson to post comments again?
It isn’t awful. It just makes you guys look ridiculous: “Hey guys! Come here! Look what Ryan and I did!”
Allen isn’t barred from commenting. He doesn’t even go into moderation. He’s welcome to post one of his Twitteresque slogans anytime.
Also, this is coming from the guy who routinely posts his conspiracy fantasies on Orange Juice Blog as if they had anything to do with reality. You must be on your umpteenth glass house by now.
Let’s look at this:
I watched Kris Murray accuse Tom Tait of being an anti-semitic misogynist on television
Is that so? When and on what TV station/program was that?
I watched four members of Anaheim’s city council strip its mayor of his ability to agendized items for discussion in an emergency meeting at 8am on a Monday in response for disagreement on the Angel’s MOU.
That’s one way to twist it. The mayor can call an emergency council meeting anytime, Ryan. What the council did was repeal a year-old policy permitting the mayor to place items on the agenda in between council meetings. The mayor before and since has the same power to agendize items as any council member.
I watched those same four council members strip half of the mayor’s staff budget away in response for disagreement on the Gardenwalk Hotel $158m giveaway.
Really? They waited four months to do that? What happened is the council gave the mayor the same budget every other councilmember has. The mayor has a city employee with full benefits as his aide – a more expensive option than some of his colleagues have pursued – and his budget was exhausted more quickly.
Time and time again, the council majority led by Kris Murray took ACTIVE and demonstrative steps to not only avoid compromise, but to straight up take a large dump on the fundamental principle of representative democracy: Dissent.
So many times, in fact, that Ryan fails to provide a single example – while generously ladling out the meaningless, melodramatic rhetoric.
This blog, in turn, has maliciously distorted the truth in an effort to vilify a man who has done nothing other than HIS JOB in standing up for what he believes is best for his community.
But wait – you just said that dissent “is the fundamental principle of democracy” (I would have said voting). So dissent a wonderful thing unless it involves dissenting om what you or Mayor Tait believe – in which case it must be condemned and the dissenters accused of being corrupt grafters who should be thrown in jail. Got it.
Tom Tait has taken nothing away from anyone in response to a disagreement. He’s defended and promoted his position– which is what he was elected to do.
Leaving your ridiculous naivete aside, I’ll note that his allies do everything they can to personally and professionally vilify, attack and harm those who oppose or criticize those positions.
Ya’ll write some really smelly poop from time to time. This takes the cake.
Coming from a guy who wallows in what you describe along with the other OJers, THAT comment really does take the cake.
Whoa whoa whoa, Matthew wants to ACTUALLY HAVE A DEBATE for once?
You got it champ. You take me out of moderation and agree to play fair, you’ve got yourself a game.
By the by, do better than that. ^^^ This isn’t high school. Step it up.
“This isn’t high school.”
Then stop acting like it is.
And you’re staying moderation. And please stop whining about it.
Come on, Matt. You’ve deleted two replies to this comment.
Ryan: stop the smashmouth approach. Stop being deliberately antagonistic toward everyone on this blog. In short, stop acting like a jerk. Other commenters don’t bother with you, until you start acting like a mogwai who someone fed after midnight. I would much rather you would behave respectfully and reasonably so that it wasn’t necessary to direct you to moderation; you are a timesuck.
You’ve managed it in the past.
So . . . No debate then. Just you calling me more names and additional mockery.
Your blog; your call. Unfortunately, I now owe someone $5. I bet you’d gentleman up, he bet you’d just duck and call me another name.
Darn.
You’re serious? You want me to waste my day going back-and-forth with you in the comments section? Sorry, man. I don’t have time to indulge this need you have. I don’t know you do have time.
And if you think my description of your behaviors equates to “mockery”…then you’re going to take any critique of your behavior that way. As you say, it’s my blog. I outlined what acceptable behavior is: be respectful and reasonable. And you find that insulting.
http://video.pbs.org/video/2365091844/
I’m watching the video Ryan. Murray doesn’t accuse the mayor of being an anti-semitic misogynist. She does criticize him for not taking control of hate speech in the chamber.
The Mayor wasn’t stripped of his ability to agendize items for discussion; he needs a second like everyone else and it must be done in a public setting.
The fundamental principle of representative government is you elect council members to represent voters and the majority rules.
You have completely misrepresented your central argument.
I also assume that is the video Ryan was referring to. If so, you are right, and Ryan’s claim about what Kris Murray said is completely false.
I guess Ryan didn’t want to debate the facts of the video he says he saw because it contradicts what he wrote in his first comment here
My terms on debating are pretty clear, Dan. Read ’em again.
Yeah, you said a bunch of untruthful things you claim to have witnesses. A debate of lies can’t be won against someone who makes up their own facts. Why do you comment here Ryan? You have no skin in this game?
Mishal Montgomery is the ONLY political staffer taking a pension and only pays 1 percent toward her very lucrative pension – when her employer Tom Tait voted against the police and fire agreements because he says they should pay more than 15 percent toward their pensions. They put their lives on the line and 15 percent isn’t enough and Mishal Montgomery only pays 1 percent and works part time writing speeches. You are a piece of work Cantor – classic Tait thug blaming his colleagues for holding the line by having all political assistants live within a 60,000 budget for part time work. Who in Anaheim’s low income areas – who are being told they need districts to guarantee representation – wouldn’t give their right arm for $60K a year for a part time admin job?
Only in Tait’s fantasy land does this amount to “cutting his staff in half.” If this woman lives to 100 and starts pulling down her pension at 55 – how many millions will the taxpayers of Anaheim have paid her – for part time secretarial work. Tait should be strung up for defending this plan for one political hack.
Now let’s listen to the crickets that will come from the OJ blogosphere – who have found a new niche attacking women in Anaheim.
You were actually holding your own there until you did this:
” . . . who have found a new niche attacking women in Anaheim.”
I attack people in Anaheim who were elected to serve others but choose to serve themselves instead.
There are plenty of women in this country who have to deal with misogynists on a daily basis. Don’t use their strength and their struggle as a crutch to support your less than adequate understanding of the facts. Quite frankly, the only thing worse than a misogynist is the piece of work that uses misogyny to score political points.
Mishal Montgomery’s salary was cut as political retribution. While the cover story is eloquent and convenient, it will always just be a cover story.
You people are all excuses. You don’t care because it isn’t your tax dollars going to his secretary’s pocket. I stated fact and you respond with diversion. Tait can’t claim leadership on pension reform, demand police and fire pay more, and look the other way while his staffer takes the most lucrative pension out there. What’s crazy is the Tait camp universally believes that Anaheim residents should pay Mishal Montgomery $100K for part time work and anyone who attempts to restrain his budget is doing so solely for retribution. If he ever gets a full time secretary should we pay $200K? Ridiculous.
?
Anyone here trying to justify anyone’s salary?
Nope…doesn’t look like it. Who you arguing with, PC?
Hey, does Anaheim have a nepotism policy?
a wild idea, but maybe Tait can hire Mishal to work at his company and pay her whatever he wants
” . . . who have found a new niche attacking women in Anaheim.”
This is a reference to Cynthia Ward calling Lisa Lewis a BITCH for contacting Tait to ask about Pettibone and putting his whole new family through the agony of his spousal abuse charges 16 years ago. And Diamond’s attack on the woman’s character because she’s not supporting Tait. Lewis is a private citizen who’s never given a dime to any candidate; she’s not a public figure. I think the Tait bots who attached are will consider themselves fortunate no to have a defamation suit filed against them
The cut to Montgomery’s salary was then used to fund computer training at a community center in the Ponderosa neighborhood which Tait voted against. It’s not a strong mayor system of government in Anaheim, Ryan. Tait is just another member of the city council who has the privilege of managing the council meetings. In Irvine, the mayor’s budget is the same as every other council member.
I hate to repeat myself, but this has nothing to do with refuting that the funding cut was political retribution. It does contribute to the eloquence of the cover story.
So, while tactically defensible, it’s still strategically political.
Why even comment, Dan? You’ve got no skin in this game.
And what skin do you have in the game?
you don’t either. You don’t live or work in Anaheim. why do you comment?
Zenger said something that got me thinking the other day. I cant help but wonder if either he or Ryan have ever actually met Tait or more interestingly, spoken to staff at the city. Do they have any idea who it is they are supporting or is this just a forum for them to spout off rhetoric with little consideration to the reality of day-to-day governance?
“Zenger said something that got me thinking the other day.”
Outstanding!
Any chance you got past that first line?
Cue Tait’s attack dogs on this article. Cannot argue with the truth
Has any one noticed the OJB has THREE commenters: Greg, Zenger and Ryan Catnor?
That tells you all you need to know about Tait’s prospects
Save the big talk ’til November 5th.