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Friday, July 23, 2010
Ballot to list Steve Rocco as “Retired Educator”
eLECTION Watch 2010
an Orange Net News Special News and Analysis Series
Local Radiation physicist pulls papers for council seat
Dr. Murari Gupta, a local radiation physicists has pulled papers for the Villa Park City Council. Gupta earned his doctorate in physics from Howard University and works for the Pacific Radiation Oncology Center in Orange.
Ballot to list Steve Rocco as “Retired Educator”
In Orange Unified, ballot occupation monikers have come under intense scrutiny since the election of controversial Orange Unified Trustee Steve Rocco in 2004. Rocco won the election with 54% to 46% of the vote after not campaigning over a well-established and better financed candidate who did campaign. The win is widely attributed to uniformed voters selecting Rocco over his opponent because of the ballot occupation moniker Rocco used was “Teacher” versus the “Park Ranger” occupation listed for his opponent.
In 2006, during her re-election campaign Orange Unified Trustee Kim Nichols was not about to let the “teacher” ballot designation for her challenger Education Alliance candidate Chris Enami stand. Enami was a walk-on girl’s basketball coach, not a California Credentialed teacher. Fearing a Rocco-effect repeat, Nichols prevailed in a court challenge to have Enami’s ballot moniker changed.
The fear of Rocco running for re-election with the ballot designation of an incumbent was a driving force behind the Recall effort launched by fellow Trustees who suffered the brunt of Rocco’s antics during Board meetings. When the Recall effort failed for lack of signatures, one of the main backers behind the Recall then Board President Kim Nichols initiated a move for a Trustee Area redistricting, which among other things, moved Rocco’s home from his current Trustee area and thus prevented him from running for re-election when his term expired. Now two years later and Rocco is back, running in his new Trustee area against Trustee Rick Ledesma.
For the November election Rocco has filed his ballot moniker as “Retired Educator/Caregiver”. The big question now is what will Rick Ledesma do? Is he confident everyone now knows Rocco enough to avoid him? Or does Ledesma think the general national current anti-incumbent feeling has a trickle down effect to local races? What ever he does, it will be a race to watch.
UPDATED 7/26/10
Orange City Council Races Two Seats
Pulled Papers:
7/12
Denis Bilodeau
Fred Whitiker
Michael Merino Filed 7/13
Chris Horton
Robert Douglas
7/19
Christian Vaughn
Kahan Chandrani
7/20
Joe Pazmany
Orange City Mayor
Pulled Papers:
Carolyn Cavecche
Jon Dumitru
Orange Unified School District Races
Area 1
Pulled Papers
7/14
Harry Persaud –Filed 7/15
Area 4
Pulled Papers
7/19
Larry Cohn
7/21
Kathy Moffat
Area 5
Pulled Papers
7/16
Kim Nichols
Area 7
Pulled Papers
7/13
Steve Rocco Filed 7/14
7/14
Rick Ledesma
Villa Park City Council Races Three Seats
Pulled papers
7/13
Jim Rheins
7/16
Deborah Pauly
7/23
Dr. Murari Gupta
an Orange Net News Special News and Analysis Series
Local Radiation physicist pulls papers for council seat
Dr. Murari Gupta, a local radiation physicists has pulled papers for the Villa Park City Council. Gupta earned his doctorate in physics from Howard University and works for the Pacific Radiation Oncology Center in Orange.
Ballot to list Steve Rocco as “Retired Educator”
In Orange Unified, ballot occupation monikers have come under intense scrutiny since the election of controversial Orange Unified Trustee Steve Rocco in 2004. Rocco won the election with 54% to 46% of the vote after not campaigning over a well-established and better financed candidate who did campaign. The win is widely attributed to uniformed voters selecting Rocco over his opponent because of the ballot occupation moniker Rocco used was “Teacher” versus the “Park Ranger” occupation listed for his opponent.
In 2006, during her re-election campaign Orange Unified Trustee Kim Nichols was not about to let the “teacher” ballot designation for her challenger Education Alliance candidate Chris Enami stand. Enami was a walk-on girl’s basketball coach, not a California Credentialed teacher. Fearing a Rocco-effect repeat, Nichols prevailed in a court challenge to have Enami’s ballot moniker changed.
The fear of Rocco running for re-election with the ballot designation of an incumbent was a driving force behind the Recall effort launched by fellow Trustees who suffered the brunt of Rocco’s antics during Board meetings. When the Recall effort failed for lack of signatures, one of the main backers behind the Recall then Board President Kim Nichols initiated a move for a Trustee Area redistricting, which among other things, moved Rocco’s home from his current Trustee area and thus prevented him from running for re-election when his term expired. Now two years later and Rocco is back, running in his new Trustee area against Trustee Rick Ledesma.
For the November election Rocco has filed his ballot moniker as “Retired Educator/Caregiver”. The big question now is what will Rick Ledesma do? Is he confident everyone now knows Rocco enough to avoid him? Or does Ledesma think the general national current anti-incumbent feeling has a trickle down effect to local races? What ever he does, it will be a race to watch.
UPDATED 7/26/10
Orange City Council Races Two Seats
Pulled Papers:
7/12
Denis Bilodeau
Fred Whitiker
Michael Merino Filed 7/13
Chris Horton
Robert Douglas
7/19
Christian Vaughn
Kahan Chandrani
7/20
Joe Pazmany
Orange City Mayor
Pulled Papers:
Carolyn Cavecche
Jon Dumitru
Orange Unified School District Races
Area 1
Pulled Papers
7/14
Harry Persaud –Filed 7/15
Area 4
Pulled Papers
7/19
Larry Cohn
7/21
Kathy Moffat
Area 5
Pulled Papers
7/16
Kim Nichols
Area 7
Pulled Papers
7/13
Steve Rocco Filed 7/14
7/14
Rick Ledesma
Villa Park City Council Races Three Seats
Pulled papers
7/13
Jim Rheins
7/16
Deborah Pauly
7/23
Dr. Murari Gupta
