Millions of outside spending have poured into an Assembly race between Santa Ana City Councilmembers Jessie Lopez and David Penaloza – both Democrats – as election day closes in.
Penaloza’s campaign has seen support for real estate and silicon valley interests, while Lopez’ campaign has been boosted by labor unions.
The two races for Orange County Board of Supervisors seats are shaping up to be some of the most expensive in recent history as large amounts of money from the sheriff deputies’ union, firefighters union, realtor interests and oil companies have been funding things like political mailers and online advertising.
Disneyland Resort interests shuffled hundreds of thousands of dollars around political action committees to support city council candidates – including two races where incumbents are running unopposed.
After weeks of confusion, Newport Beach city officials cancelled a special election – a court-ordered one they were looking to run concurrently with the Nov. 3 election.
In the height of election season, Santa Ana city officials are facing mounting questions over just how accessible a public pool is after a ribbon cutting ceremony featured the city council.
After persistent reporting on the issue by Voice of OC, city officials announced Wednesday they would open the pools for recreational swim, lap swimming and exercise channel water walking – offering kids five hours of swim time a week on Saturdays.
A portion of PCH was shut down, along with part of Pacific Surfliner train line, in South OC as king tides and high surf batter the coast – all while rain is expected to hit this Halloween weekend.
It comes as coastal cities throughout Orange County are bracing for what’s expected to be a super El Niño this year – fortifying beaches and coastal areas in an effort to curb flooding.
Meanwhile, Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine) is facing questions over how close she is with utility interests after she was spotted hanging out with an influential Pacific Gas and Electric lobbyist at her fundraiser ahead of a committee hearing – one she chairs – on potentially bailing out public utility groups from the wildfires.
Over 400 public workers rejected a new employment contract from the county and went back on strike this week after county officials publicly downplayed the impacts of picket lines.
Voice of OC Publisher and Editor in Chief Norberto Santana Jr. notes how county officials lied about the strike’s impacts to public services, detailing how the county publicly said services like landfills were minimally impacted, yet quietly telling state officials that trash drop offs were cut by 75% at one landfill.
Residents living near the Prima Desecha landfill in San Juan Capistrano say they’ve been battling dust and debris caking the exterior of their homes and clogging up their air filters as county officials expand the facility – some also say the dust has induced asthma on them and caused health problems for their pets.
Santana Jr. highlights how a team of local activists – not politicians – pushed county officials to stop spraying herbicides in two South Orange County creeks.
Irvine City Council members refused to financially audit spending while staring down the barrel of what could be a nearly $40 million budget deficit in two years.
Santa Ana officials are cracking down on unsafe e-bike riding after city council members unanimously voted for an ordinance that bans riding on playgrounds and institutes speed limits.
