Gov. Newsom’s run for the presidency

• July 9, 2024

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s presidential ambitions couldn’t be more obvious. Faced with a multi-year structural budget deficit facing the state and a litany of pressing public policy issues, the governor has been busy inserting himself into presidential matters while asserting he isn’t.

“I think the governor has been focused on wanting another job, so he’s not doing the job that he currently has,” one state Democratic lawmaker reportedly told Politico last week.

Hence, Californians have seen the governor play shell games with the state budget that will come back to bite taxpayers.

As Sen. Roger Niello, R-Fair Oaks, told Fox News of the budget, “It relies on budget gimmicks, draws down our savings, and saddles future generations with debt.”

And as Sen. Brian Jones of San Diego described it, “They shifted, swept and shuffled money around, stealing it from disabled kids and taking money from a host of necessary services to fund unneeded social experiments and pet projects.”

That’s by design, as it gives Newsom time to punt the hard questions for now.

Last week, we also saw Newsom suddenly propose and then suddenly pull back a sweeping ballot measure to address crime.

Reported Politico, “the ordeal has left many legislative Democrats feeling jaded that they did the governor’s bidding with nothing to show for it.”

Politico continued, “For months, legislators have grown increasingly disillusioned by Newsom’s efforts to grow his national name ID before a widely anticipated presidential run in 2028.”

Of course, Newsom no doubt sees an opening even earlier than 2028.

Newsom made sure he was in Atlanta, Georgia for the disastrous presidential debate. He’s also been busy campaigning for President Biden across the East Coast, including Pennsylvania and New Hampshire.

With increasing numbers of Democratic leaders voicing concerns about President Biden running for re-election or even explicitly suggesting he step aside, Newsom no doubt is trying to maintain visibility in case the opportunity to seek the Democratic nomination presents itself.

Newsom knows as well as anyone that, if Biden decided against running again, Vice President Kamala Harris would be a remarkably poor replacement. Already resoundingly rejected in her own run for the presidency, her time as vice president has been marked by historically low approval ratings.

Newsom is probably also aware of his own short-comings and the bad optics of being seen as outflanking the first Black and first female vice president. So he has to present himself as merely a passionate advocate of the Democratic Party standing by the elderly President Biden.

Only time will tell if Newsom’s gamble pays off for him. But what Californians should know for certain is that Newsom’s ambitions have been at their expense. At the end of the day, it is Californians who have suffered the deleterious consequences of his mediocre and myopic leadership.

​ Orange County Register 

OC officials say they are still waiting on audit of Viet America Society spending for meals program

• July 9, 2024

Orange County officials are expected to meet with Viet America Society representatives today, July 9, on the status of a required audit that is supposed to show how the nonprofit spent $4 million of federal pandemic relief money on providing meals to seniors.

County CEO Frank Kim, who retires on Thursday, July 11, said he wants the audit completed before he leaves the role.

Contracts for the hot meals program were directed to Viet America Society by First District Supervisor Andrew Do from his district discretionary funds – each county supervisor district was allocated $10 million from the federal funds the county received. Though not required by state law or county guidelines, Do’s channeling of funds to Viet America Society without publicly disclosing that his daughter, Rhiannon Do, was a leader within the organization raised questions about the county’s policies.

Since February 2023 county officials have warned the nonprofit that the documents it filed did not contain required information, such as the number of meals delivered and number of residents served. One county warning letter also said the organization was delinquent in providing the audit – called a “single audit” – that is required by the federal government after spending more than $750,000.

The organization failed to meet deadlines on March 14 and 18 – there were two contracts in question – to provide county officials with requested documentation. County officials said earlier this month that Viet America Society had been expected to complete its single audit on June 30. As of Monday, no reports had been filed by the nonprofit, according to Alexa Pratt, public information officer for OC Community Resources, the agency overseeing the contract.

Sterling Scott Winchell, lawyer for Viet America Society, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Pratt said an accounting firm hired by the group told county officials that VAS needs to provide additional documentation in order to complete its single audit.

“I’ve been meeting with their principals and their CFO, had a meeting recently with their external auditor and (am) trying to ensure that they’re on a reasonable timeline to accurately collect their records, turn them over to the auditor, and get the single audit work complete,” Kim said. “I’ve been pushing them, trying to get it done before I leave because I’d like to tie that off.”

Kim said he didn’t know of the group when its contracts were first issued, but said he has since learned that its leaders have very little experience working with government.

Related links

Supervisors got millions to use at their discretion; Do’s choices draw spotlight on public money
Nonprofit Viet America Society given deadline to show proof of senior meals funded by county
Deadline passes for nonprofit Viet America Society to show proof it properly spent county funds
Viet America Society given more time by county to produce documentation on spending

“Doing work with government, particularly with federal funds, there’s a lot of administration,” Kim said. “You’ve got to keep your records separate. You have to have a separate accounting set of books. There’s a whole thing that you have to do. I think that they did not have a lot of experience doing that.”

Administration issues have also led to Warner Wellness, a dba of Viet America Society, being terminated by the National Alliance on Mental Illness Orange County as of June 6, Amy Durham, NAMI CEO, said in an email Monday.

Durham previously said Warner Wellness failed to provide several administrative items or set up a meeting to discuss its ability to fulfill its contract.

NAMI operates the mental health WarmLine under a contract with the county and had hired Warner Wellness as a subcontractor in June 2023 to serve Vietnamese-speaking callers.

“We never received any response from Warner Wellness, we provided them a 30-day notice to terminate the contract on May 7,” Durham said in an email. “We continue to serve the Vietnamese community internally with an extensive Vietnamese bilingual staff.”

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​ Orange County Register 

Tom Lackey: Californians deserve a governor who prioritizes them

• July 9, 2024

California is experiencing an extended heatwave with scorching temperatures of 100 plus degrees.

Firefighters are battling over 3,000 active wildfires throughout the state.

Approximately 17,000 residents have been evacuated from their homes and taken refuge with families, friends or in a shelter. Evacuees are worried about the condition of their houses when they return. Sadly, for some, their houses may not be intact.

To make matters worse, some of these wildfire victims may be told that they are not adequately insured, due to California’s insurance crisis. Major insurance companies have either left the state or stopped writing new policies resulting in homeowners turning to the costly plan of last resort, known as the FAIR Plan.

Consumers are facing financial anxiety.

The cost to live in California is out of control. Californians cannot afford to pay for basic necessities from food to utility bills, forcing many to turn to credit cards. According to Bankrate.com, the average credit card debt of Californians is $6,576. It will take 14 months for the consumer to pay off this debt.

The state budget the Governor signed in June is unsustainable. It papers over the root causes of the massive deficit he created. Under his reign, the state went from a historic $75 billion surplus to a $68 billion deficit according to the nonpartisan legislative analyst.

A vast majority of Californians feel unsafe. Retail theft is rampant. There’s not a day that goes by where there’s not a news clip or an article of a brazen retail theft, which sometimes happens in broad daylight.

These heists are occurring in every community – from rural areas to urban centers. Recently, a tourist from New Zealand was robbed and killed in a parking lot of an upscale shopping center in Newport Beach.

California is drowning in crises.

Yet, the Governor’s priorities are elsewhere.

A day after announcing his “robust measure” to reform Proposition 47, the Governor dropped it. The Governor claimed he could not get the amendments done in time for the deadline to place his deceptive measure on the November ballot. This is not true. In 2008, the Legislature passed Proposition 1A “Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act” on August 13 to place it on the November ballot.

There is wiggle room in the Elections Code regarding the deadline to place legislative measures on the ballot. If the governor truly wanted to work with law enforcement to reform Proposition 47 and curb retail theft and other crimes, it could have been done.

The governor simply was not focused on California.

The next day – the day that Democrat lawmakers scheduled an unusual evening session – he left the state to campaign for the President, and some would argue, for himself.

In his desire to conduct a whisper campaign for the presidency, he completely abandoned his duty to act on two bond measures. The Senate pro Tem had to step as acting governor to sign those measures so that they can be placed on the November ballot.

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Ignoring the state’s crises and residents’ hardship, the governor selected to gallivant around the country to promote himself on national television and introduce himself to voters in battleground states.

No one should begrudge the Governor for having higher aspirations. It is his right. But he must not do this at the expense of Californians.

California voters trusted him with their precious vote.

The governor should be duty-bound to carry out his responsibilities for the people who elected him.

The people of this state deserve his respect and attention. He needs to be here – in person – to work with the Legislature and solve the state’s crises. Californians deserve to be prioritized over other states.

 Tom Lackey is the Vice Chair of the Assembly Elections Committee, member of the Assembly Public Safety Committee and a former CHP Sergeant. He represents the 34th Assembly District.

​ Orange County Register 

I was for DeSantis because he could win. Now, I’m for Trump because he must win

• July 9, 2024

​ Orange County Register 

Niles: The new Six Flags does not need to go cheap to succeed

• July 9, 2024

Six Flags and Knott’s Berry Farm owner Cedar Fair have made it official. The two theme and amusement park companies have merged into one.

The new Six Flags Entertainment Corp. has kept the Six Flags name but Cedar Fair’s corporate headquarters, stock ticker symbol and most of its management team. So far, almost all of the information that the company has released about this deal has been aimed at Wall Street and investors. That’s fine. Investors need to support the deal for the new Six Flags to have any hope of success.

Eventually, the new company will need the support of fans and customers, too. The July 1 closing date for the merger sat in the middle of the operating season for most of the new Six Flags’ theme and water parks. That has meant that, for visitors, it’s business as usual this month at the new Six Flags’ 30 amusement and water park sites across North America, including Knott’s Berry Farm and Six Flags Magic Mountain.

More from Robert Niles

Knott’s, Universal offer different takes on kids’ lands
Disney needs to look indoors for its theme park future
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Disney finds a new challenge in The Bahamas
Annual passes have become a bad deal for theme parks

Fans have a long list of questions about how this merger will affect the operations of their favorite parks going forward. I am sure that the new Six Flags management will want to use this opportunity to consolidate purchasing, licensing and corporate operations to achieve economies of scale. The more that the new Six Flags can standardize its parks, the more money that it might be able to save to help increase the new company’s profits.

But let’s not forget that Six Flags also could boost its bottom line by winning back a lot of the customers who have felt burned by Six Flags and Cedar Fair theme parks in recent years. Slashing capacity, dropping live entertainment and cutting unique food, beverage and souvenir selections cripple a park’s appeal to fans with money to spend. As the new Six Flags management envisions what this mega-chain will look and operate like, allow me to make a pitch on behalf of the fans.

Let each park grow into a unique destination that reflects and serves its local market. Not every park needs to carry the Six Flags name. Let that corporate brand instead stand for a consistently high level of customer service and value rather than a collection of the same attractions from park to park.

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Sure, save money with volume deals from manufacturers. But invest in a creative team that employs people at the company’s sites and who work together remotely to tailor the name and decoration of each new ride, show, restaurant or store to fit each park’s identity.

Just because Six Flags sits in the market as a budget alternative to Disney and Universal does not mean that its parks need to be — and feel — cheap. Run more coaster trains and stop raising food prices to cover for low-priced annual passes. Benchmark with competitors such as Herschend to find how to deliver better value while still undercutting Disney prices.

Fans want to go to Six Flags’ parks not just because they are affordable but because they love them and the experience they provide. Ultimately, the best way to Wall Street success is to win fans’ hearts again.

​ Orange County Register 

Caretaker gets nearly 3 years in prison for sexually assaulting a disabled woman at a Mission Viejo care facility

• July 9, 2024

SANTA ANA — A caretaker pleaded guilty Monday and was immediately sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for sexually assaulting a woman with disabilities at a care facility in Mission Viejo.

Gil Franco Carpentero, 66, of Tustin pleaded guilty to two felony counts of committing a lewd act with a dependent adult by a caretaker.

A woman reported that Carpentero sexually assaulted her on Dec. 20, 2021, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. When Carpentero was arrested two years ago he had been caring for intellectually and developmentally disabled adults for the past 10 years, sheriff’s investigators said.

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​ Orange County Register 

Struggling Angels can’t keep pace with Rangers

• July 9, 2024

ANAHEIM — After the Angels welcomed back a key piece of their team on Monday night and a large chunk of their payroll, the result looked just the same.

Other than a brief surge of offense in the second inning of the series opener, the Angels couldn’t keep up with the hot bats of the Texas Rangers and lost for the seventh time in their past eight games, 9-4, at Angel Stadium.

Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon came off the injured list earlier Monday after missing 69 games with a partially torn left hamstring and the veteran third baseman went 1 for 4 in the leadoff spot with a seventh-inning RBI single.

“He’s a pro, he’s going to figure it out,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “It’s not going to take him long. As a matter of fact, it looks like he’s about ready.”

The Angels figured to perform better against Texas starting pitcher Jon Gray, who came in with a 10.00 ERA in his past four outings, but other than a four-batter stretch in the second inning, the Angels (37-53) did little to press the Rangers.

Still, the Angels managed to score more than one run for just the second time in the past six games, but also surrendered five or more runs for the eighth time in the past nine.

Gray (4-4) allowed three runs and five hits in five-plus innings, striking out two and walking one. That was enough to help the Rangers (43-48) win their fourth in a row.

Angels starter Davis Daniel (1-2) took another step back in his third major-league start. The 27-year-old right-hander surrendered seven runs and eight hits in 3⅔ innings, striking out three without issuing a walk.

Daniel’s first seven pitches were strikes and 12 of 15 hit the zone in the first inning, but he got burned on a pair of 0-and-2 pitches.

“He didn’t have anything to put them away,” Washington said of Daniel. “He gets two strikes and just couldn’t put them away.”

Rangers leadoff hitter Marcus Semien quickly fell behind to start the game, but dropped a single into left field. Daniel then threw two strikes to Corey Seager before he blasted a 457-foot home run onto the batter’s eye in center for a 2-0 lead.

The home run was the second-longest of Seager’s major-league career behind the 464-foot shot he delivered as a member of the Dodgers against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sept. 26, 2021.

“He made a real good pitch to Marcus, but he stayed on it and he just pushed it over our shortstop’s head,” Washington said. “Then he got two strikes on Seager and then got the fastball up and he didn’t miss it.”

The Angels answered with four straight line-drive base hits in the second inning to move ahead 3-2.

Logan O’Hoppe started the rally with a one-out single to left, and Brandon Drury hit the first pitch up the middle for another single. Mickey Moniak then roped a line drive just inside the right field line for a two-run triple that tied it 2-2.

Jo Adell followed with an RBI single to left with the infield in to put the Angels in front 3-2.

The Rangers moved back ahead with five runs in the fourth.

Wyatt Langford grounded a double just inside the third base line and Adolis Garcia followed with a single to put runners on the corners.

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Daniel then stumbled as he was making a delivery to Nathaniel Lowe, resulting in a run-scoring balk that tied it 3-3. Lowe then singled up the middle to score Garcia for a 4-3 lead.

After a strikeout and hit batter, Leody Taveras dropped an RBI single into right field. Taveras stole second to put runners on second and third before Semien came through with a two-run single that stretched the lead to 7-3 and ended Daniel’s day.

“They just had a pretty good approach,” Daniel said of the Rangers. “They saw that in my games in the past, I was around the zone a lot, so it looked like they shortened up and took their singles and took advantage of a couple bad pitches. I’ve just got to learn to adjust when they do. Obviously, they came out and made an adjustment in the fourth and I didn’t make the adjustment.”

Langford added a two-run homer in the seventh inning off Carson Fulmer to stretch the lead to 9-3.

Rendon’s RBI single up the middle trimmed the lead to 9-4, but the Angels left the bases loaded in the inning.

Wash discusses the loss@Angels I #AngelsLive pic.twitter.com/9vOZlVB9lj

— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) July 9, 2024

MICKEY TIES THE GAME WITH A TRIPLE@Angels I #RepTheHalo pic.twitter.com/74cJskTQ7P

— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) July 9, 2024

Corey Seager blasts one 457 feet to straightaway center pic.twitter.com/EvbE4Yt8Ci

— MLB (@MLB) July 9, 2024

​ Orange County Register 

United Airlines flight loses wheel after takeoff from Los Angeles and lands safely in Denver

• July 9, 2024

LOS ANGELES — A United Airlines Boeing jet lost a main landing gear wheel Monday while taking off from Los Angeles and later landed safely in Denver, the airline said.

There were no reported injuries on the ground or on board Flight 1001, United said in a statement.

“The wheel has been recovered in Los Angeles, and we are investigating what caused this event,” the statement said.

The Boeing 757-200 was carrying 174 passengers and 7 crewmembers.

On March 7, a United Boeing B777-200 jet lost a tire mid-air after takeoff from San Francisco. It landed on a car in an airport employee parking lot. Nobody was hurt and the plane landed safely in Los Angeles.

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​ Orange County Register