As there are only days left in the year 2006, me and my husband have decided to look back on the year and remember some the issues.
I will start most with the recent elections that saw a "Carpetbagger" from Newport Beach try and fool the residents of Orange. Thats right Carol "Beach Bunny" Rudat, came to town to try and buy the election. My understanding however is that, the more she campaigned the less people liked her, and my own personal interactions with her, left me saying to myself...what a witch! By some accounts out there Rudat spent around $250,000 to try and convience people she lived in the City. But again, she failed. She was also being investigated by the OC District Attorneys office for voter fraud and residency issues, but I haven't heard any thin new in those regards!
I will move onto the next interesting fact of the 2006 election, that is of candiancy of Denis Bilodeau. Now I was e-mailed from a now dead e-mail address the following link for a possible RECALL of Bilodeau. Denis found himself smacked around pretty good in his race for the City Council, and he got himself arrested during the contest aswell. Yup, he was charged with criminal charges during his final days of the campaign. It was reported just the other day that he is going to be before a judge shortly. The question is if he is convicted, does he resign from the City Council?
Of course who could forget, Mike Alvarez, "I will enforce the laws when it applies to Boarding Houses"....oops, I didn't know I had a boarding house under my control. He should have done some of his own checking to make sure he was violating the very thing he was against....that goes into the idiot file. While, the race was pretty harsh, one thing for sure was the involvement of a group from the City of Elk Grove, which located in northern California. This race was very harsh on Alvarez and I think at this point he will not be able to re-enter political life for some time.
I will start most with the recent elections that saw a "Carpetbagger" from Newport Beach try and fool the residents of Orange. Thats right Carol "Beach Bunny" Rudat, came to town to try and buy the election. My understanding however is that, the more she campaigned the less people liked her, and my own personal interactions with her, left me saying to myself...what a witch! By some accounts out there Rudat spent around $250,000 to try and convience people she lived in the City. But again, she failed. She was also being investigated by the OC District Attorneys office for voter fraud and residency issues, but I haven't heard any thin new in those regards!
I will move onto the next interesting fact of the 2006 election, that is of candiancy of Denis Bilodeau. Now I was e-mailed from a now dead e-mail address the following link for a possible RECALL of Bilodeau. Denis found himself smacked around pretty good in his race for the City Council, and he got himself arrested during the contest aswell. Yup, he was charged with criminal charges during his final days of the campaign. It was reported just the other day that he is going to be before a judge shortly. The question is if he is convicted, does he resign from the City Council?
Of course who could forget, Mike Alvarez, "I will enforce the laws when it applies to Boarding Houses"....oops, I didn't know I had a boarding house under my control. He should have done some of his own checking to make sure he was violating the very thing he was against....that goes into the idiot file. While, the race was pretty harsh, one thing for sure was the involvement of a group from the City of Elk Grove, which located in northern California. This race was very harsh on Alvarez and I think at this point he will not be able to re-enter political life for some time.
As for Carolyn Cavecche, who was succesful in her bid to win the mayoral race in the City of Orange. Nothing really surprises me with her, she will need to stick her promises, after all she is up for re-election shortly. Her involvement with Carol Rudat in this past election was pretty glaring, however only from a purely rumor mill...the stuff I got in the mail from both of them were very simliar in message, design/layout and when they arrived at my home. Also, interesting is that Cavecche never acknowledges any of her counterparts in Orange in the flyers. Either way, I will be watching and lets see what comes forward and what is passed.
Mark Murphy, is now a councilman, not much to say here.
Dumitru and Smith over the last year didn't get in the paper that much, however, watching the meetings and reading what I could find. They both are doing a good job, are truly trying to make Orange a better place. Dumitru fought to protect the dollar and Smith fought to protect Old Town.
Overall, the City Council in 2006, did a good job of protecting our neighborhoods and watching the money. They should receive B+ on their report card.
*****
The City in 2006, saw much in the way of interesting stories...>>however this city must attack the following issues in 2007....
Boarding Houses, whether its multiple families or college students, it affects a neighborhood....and needs to be enforced.
Day Laborers Loitering....Crack down and do more of those sweeps. They are truly an eyesore and threaten our children's safety as they go to and from school.
Traffic....a lot needs to be accomplished to get us from one point to another....the city council has done a good job so far, they got the 22 freeway open again and Chapman Ave is moving again..as well as City Drive. But more is needed.