The latest revelation regarding a controversial deal between the Rancho Santiago Community College District and Saudi Arabia is that district officials’ travel to the Middle-Eastern kingdom was likely paid for by a Saudi company or the Saudi government.
Yearly Archives: 2015
Norby: Disney Double Standard Cheapens American Dream
Former county supervisor and state Assemblyman Chris Norby writes that Disneyland may be a tribute to the American Dream, but it should not hold a monopoly on it.
Santana: Don’t Question Do
Santana wonders whether a $25,000 contribution from the Orange County Board of Supervisors to a county veterans museum at the OC Fairgrounds will be held up by an angry Supervisor Andrew Do, who wants to limit public comment.
Bolsavik: Viet Homophobes Learned it from the French and the Soviets
Hao Nhien Vu, whose popular blog The Bolsavik provided political insight into Little Saigon, writes that the LGBT prejudice that many Vietnamese culture picked up from the French and Stalinists came with them to the U.S. has been reinforced by American conservatism.
Gadfly’s Seinfeld Sex Joke Not Funny to Supervisors
Saying he was offended by a commenter who referenced an off-color scene from one of the TV show’s episodes, Supervisor Andrew Do asked his colleagues to enact a policy to further restrict speakers.
Irvine Council Adopts ‘In God We Trust’ for Council Chambers
Councilmembers also voted to have the phrase e pluribus unum – Latin for “out of many, one” — emblazoned in the meeting chambers. The gesture is a reminder of an ongoing effort by the council’s Republican majority to cast the city in a more conservative light.
Garden Grove Appoints New City Attorney
Assistant City Attorney Omar Sandoval will take the place of City Attorney Thomas Nixon, who is retiring at the end of this month. The mayor is pushing the council to consider replacing its contract firm, Woodruff, Spradlin and Smart, altogether.
County’s Juvenile Hall Population Dropping Along With Crime Rate
The number of youths incarcerated has fallen dramatically in recent years. Officials and advocates cite softening drug laws and initiatives like restorative justice as reasons for the decline.
Are Lawsuits Always the Answer to Equal Representation?
Garden Grove’s Vietnamese Americans have made significant inroads on the City Council, but the city hasn’t yet elected its first Latino despite Latinos making up 37 percent of the population. Is this something a Voting Rights Act lawsuit can fix, or does the issue run deeper?
What Happened With Spitzer’s Order on Financial Interest Disclosures?
Supervisors Chairman Todd Spitzer ordered a “comprehensive review” of who on the county payroll must file annual disclosures of their financial interests. Did he get it?








