There’s over 100 safety violations noted by federal regulators since August 2010 in a database released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request from Voice of OC.
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 inPolitics & Elections
Public Can Weigh in Tuesday on Proposed Maps Affecting OC Representation for Next Decade
It’ll be the first hearing on proposed maps for redistricting the powerful seats of Orange County supervisors – who decide on billions a year in health, law enforcement and social safety net spending.
Posted inGovernment
Balancing Equity and Accountability: Millions in Health Outreach Contracts Draws Questions, Whistleblower Complaint
Orange County officials are looking to diversify service delivery and improve health disparities in underserved communities. But there are more and more questions about the way the proposed contracts add up…or don’t.
Posted inEmergencies & Disasters
Can Amplify Energy Afford to Pay for Oil Spill Clean-Up and Local Business Impacts?
The company declined to say whether it has enough insurance coverage for all of the spill costs.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Job Losses Amid Jail Stints Are a Key Factor in Family Homelessness, DA Says
Orange County DA Todd Spitzer said it’s time to rethink how low-level drug and alcohol offenses are handled, in order to prevent more people from falling into homelessness.
Posted inGovernment
Millions in Health Grants Face Uncertainty After No-Bid Contracts Proposed to Forfeited and Unregistered Firms
Orange County officials have repeatedly delayed – and now deleted – the hiring of contractors that health director Clayton Chau recommended without competitive bidding.
Posted inGovernment
OC Congressional Democrats Question Why Taxpayers Float Unprofitable Oil Rigs
Democrat representatives call for an end to taxpayer subsidies for offshore drilling. Republican Party leaders accuse them of exploiting the recent leak to score political points.
Posted inGovernment
Congressional Hearing on Oil Spill is Headed to Orange County
The hearing – scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday – is aimed at examining the oil spill’s damage to wildlife, the economy and residents, according to Rep. Katie Porter (D-Irvine).
Posted inEmergencies & Disasters
‘Ticking Time Bomb’: Congress Considers Decommissioning Offshore Oil Rigs in Wake of OC Spill
Congressional Democrats are calling for new rules to make oil companies put aside enough money to dismantle their rigs and pipelines. Their Republican colleagues say that will strangle domestic energy production and drive up costs for Americans.
Posted inGovernment
OC Oil Spill Takes Center Stage as Congress Debates Offshore Drilling Ban & Safety Rules
Democrats said the spill is giving them new urgency to end offshore drilling, while Republicans said Democrats are exploiting the spill to attack the fossil fuel industry.
