Whether it’s before the Republican Orange County Board of Supervisors or the Democratic Santa Ana City Council, the public safety debate at the local level is one characterized by a toxic mix of unchecked spending and secrecy.
Category: Norberto Santana Jr.
Columns by Norberto Santana Jr., Voice of OC’s publisher, on Orange County government, public records and the habits of the people who run the county. He has written this column since the newsroom started.
Posted inCorrections, Countywide, Investigative, Norberto Santana Jr.
Santana: County Government’s Full Employment Act for Local Politicos
County Supervisor Andrew Do’s chief of staff, Brian Probolsky, is the latest top-level staffer to depart from the fifth floor of the Hall of Administration and take a job in the county bureaucracy, again fueling speculation about how political patronage plays a role in hiring.
Posted inCountywide, Investigative, Norberto Santana Jr.
Santana: Orange County’s Criminal Justice Complex in Crisis
Jeff Lalloway’s departure as Supervisor Todd Spitzer’s chief of staff is another window into the dysfunction that is Orange County government. It’s fitting that it comes as more records violations come to light in the jailhouse snitch case.
Posted inCountywide, Investigative, Norberto Santana Jr.
Santana: Searching for Watchdogs in Orange County
Three central countywide oversight agencies — the Office of Independent Review, the ethics commission and the performance auditor — are all funded but remain vacant.
Posted inCountywide, Norberto Santana Jr.
Santana: Local Officials Have the Power to Alleviate Housing Crisis
Orange County residents carry the highest housing cost burden in California, according to a new state report. Local elected officials can change that by developing smart policies and engaging with the communities they serve.
Posted inCountywide, Housing & Homelessness, Norberto Santana Jr.
Santana: Focusing Homelessness Policy is Biggest Challenge of 2017
In 2017, county officials have the opportunity to build on the successes of last year — notably the Courtyard shelter in downtown Santa Ana — and fashion a full-fledged, realistic policy to combat homelessness.
Posted inCountywide, Norberto Santana Jr.
Santana: OC Superior Court Judge Cools County Attack on First Amendment
OC Superior Court Judge Walter Schwarm this past week granted a Voice of OC motion to quash a county government interrogation demand for Publisher Norberto Santana Jr., in connection with an open records lawsuit against the County of Orange involving County Supervisor Todd Spitzer and his handcuffing of an evangelist at a Wahoos restaurant.
Posted inCountywide, Investigative, Norberto Santana Jr.
Santana: Confronting the Little Fidels That Surround Us All
This week as we say goodbye to the iconic Caribbean tyrant Fidel Castro, we must remember that every day, even in a democracy, we all have to fight public officials who threaten our basic rights and freedoms.
Posted inCountywide, Housing & Homelessness, Norberto Santana Jr.
Santana: What Happens After Elections Also Matters
As we prepare for Thanksgiving, let’s hope our county supervisors can refocus themselves on leadership, crafting a realistic regional plan for attacking homelessness. All of Orange County — not just Santa Ana — has to step up.
Posted inCountywide, Norberto Santana Jr.
Santana: Plugging Into the New Reality
After getting beat by Republicans both nationally and locally, OC Democratic Chairman Henry Vandermeir says he’s done. Meanwhile, OC Republicans look to a Trump era with surprise and cheer.
