Tony Rackauckas has gone public with his opposition to an effort to expand county supervisors’ oversight of his office. Whether there’s enough support for the expansion should be revealed during today’s supervisors meeting.
Author Archives: Nick Gerda
Nick covers the city of Santa Ana, as well as the County of Orange, often reporting on issues like homelessness, public safety, mental health, and the role of money in politics.
Since joining Voice of OC in 2011, Nick has regularly shed light on topics that are often kept in the shadows. He’s reported on systemic problems in the county’s mental health system. He also led a reporting team that produced sophisticated looks at how the Disney corporation campaign contributions influenced recent elections in Anaheim.
Nick also revealed evidence of elected leaders using their official powers to apparently pressure government contractors into donating to their election campaigns, in an article that was awarded best news story of the year by the Orange County Press Club. He firmly believes journalism should inform the public and help hold the powerful accountable.
An Orange County native, Nick first started covering local government in his mid-teens, before attending Santa Ana College, the American University in Cairo, and UC Irvine, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science.
Languages spoken: English, elementary Spanish, minimal Arabic and minimal Japanese
Areas of expertise: Local government, local politics, homelessness, mental health policy, campaign finance, California Public Records Act, Ralph M. Brown Act, County of Orange government, Santa Ana city government and municipal finance.
Posted inCountywide, Top Stories
Republicans Succeed in Kicking Santa Ana Mayor Off Air Quality Board
Miguel Pulido’s ouster is part of a behind-the-scenes effort by state Republicans leaders to make regional regulatory agencies more business-friendly.
Posted inCountywide, Government, Politics & Elections, Top Stories
A Peek Inside the World of Todd Spitzer, Inc.
Over the past several years, county Supervisor Todd Spitzer has spent lavishly from an unusually large campaign account tied to his seat on the Republican Central Committee.
Posted inEconomy, Government, Health & Wellness, Investigative, Top Stories
DA Criticized for Plans to Spend Settlement Money on Gang Program
Business leaders are concerned it will lead to more lawsuits to keep paying for the program, while county attorneys have raised concerns about its legality.
Posted inGovernment, Health & Wellness, Investigative, Top Stories, Transportation
Report Reveals Uneven Progress Toward Well-being of OC’s Children
Teen pregnancies and high school dropout rates have plummeted in the past decade. But housing insecurity and mental illness hospitalizations are skyrocketing.
Posted inSanta Ana, Top Stories, Transportation
Santa Ana Youth Get Statewide Attention for Bike Safety Work
Local youth took the stage in San Diego at the state’s largest conference on bicycle advocacy, sharing how they’ve organized a push for improvements to make it safer to bike and walk around town.
Posted inEconomy, Government, Health & Wellness, News Briefs, Top Stories
OC Supervisors Sign Off On Raise for Home Care Workers
The publicly funded workers help elderly, blind and disabled people with housework, meal preparation and other daily tasks.
Posted inGovernment, Investigative, Top Stories
Shirley Gets Her Wish: Ethics Commission Plan Will Go Before Voters
Thanks to years of work by political watchdog Shirley Grindle, Llocal voters will get a chance in June to make OC the largest county in California with an added layer of political accountability.
Posted inGovernment, Investigative, Top Stories
Amid Informants Scandal, Supervisors Discuss Larger Role for Watchdog
Meeting focused on whether the purview of the Office of Independent Review, which is currently limited to the Sheriff’s Department, should also include the District Attorney and other agencies related to law enforcement.
Posted inAnaheim, Garden Grove, Investigative, Orange, Politics & Elections, Santa Ana
Candidates for Sanchez’s U.S. House Seat Play Nice in First Debate
The race is on for the 46th District congressional seat, which Loretta Sanchez is vacating for a Senate run, and all four Democrats worked Saturday to establish their progressive credentials in one of the county’s few decidedly blue districts.
