The pleas for help from the Womens Transitional Living Center - which houses battered women and children as well as victims of human trafficking - have apparently fallen on active ears, with the county’s employee union and State Senator Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, stepping up to host a fundraiser on Monday for the group.
Also, Supervisor Bill Campbell just told me that the Orange Community Foundation today stepped up with a $120,000 grant to help the group.
I wrote about the group yesterday when they approached the Board of Supervisors asking for some sort of help because the Sacramento budget mess had shorted them more than $300,000 and the group was struggling to survive.
Yesterday, I noted the relative silence from board members. But today, that silence is cracking and it appears the shelter may have got caught in the midst of a political battle between Supervisors’ Chairman John Moorlach and Supervisor Chris Norby.
Nick Berardino - general manager for the Orange County Employees Association - said he was stunned by the silence at the board of supervisors and wants to step up to help the shelter.
“The board failed a vulnerable constituency,” Berardino said. “It demonstrates a lack of compassion.”
Beradino said he’s hosting a fundraiser for the shelter on Monday at 11:30 a.m. at the OCEA headquarters at 830 N. Ross Street in Santa Ana. Berardino said his union is ready to pony up $5,000 and Correa said he’s chipping in $1,000. The famous hot dog cart will be out and organizers expect the lunch crowd to be generous with donations for the shelter, and a hot dog.
Last night, I started to get indications that supervisors were frustrated at how the item came before them.
There were indications that the shelter had received a $218,000 allocation from the county earlier this year. And Norby was criticized for trying to use a board park fund to get the shelter $90,000 to help shore them up until the state paid up.
But today, a visibly irritated Norby said he was surprised when Chairman Moorlach refused to grant his late Friday request to agendize the item for consideration.
“The frustration started Friday,” Norby said. “when the request to have this agendized was denied.”
Moorlach declined comment on the issue.
Norby said that the park fund in question has money just sitting there. He’s also fine with anybody voting against his proposal to help the shelter. But he thinks they should have gotten the right to have a vote.
“They didn’t get fair consideration,” Norby said.
This Board has given money to some tourism group to promote Disney….as if Disney didn’t have money to promote itself, but refuses to help battered women and children. These guys appear to be disciples of the Wall Street mentality. Its wonderful to see others stepping up to protect these women and children.
I wonder how janet Nguyens supprters in the Democratoc Party of Orange County are feeling about their backing this horse for the BOS?
How can the Board of Supervisor refuse to help defenseless, battered women and children? If it was a for profit orginization being run by cronies of the Board would it have illicited the same response? I tire of the greed and coldheartedness displayed by this Board and specifically by Chairman Moorlach. We as a society must protect those in most need.
Why does it take a public shaming to get people to do the right thing? Compassion should be an innate quality in our local politicians. I see them regularly at public functions where the “look at me” crowd gives lip service to helping our communities and those who most need it.
Kudos to Supervisor Norby, Senator Lou Correa, Nick Beradino and Supervisor Campbell for doing the right thing. Politics and Union BS aside, this was the right thing to do and I for one plan to attend the lunch time function.
Typical of Chairman Moorlach to have his head firmly implanted up his own rear-end. The jerk doesn’t even have the courage to agendize the item.
Funny how he has no trouble finding more than a million dollars to sue the employee’s retirement system but won’t even agendize a vote to grant emergency funding to a shelter. Funny how he can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to remodel his office, but won’t even consider lifting a finger to help. funny how Moorlach can beat his own chest about how much he cares about Orange County, yet turn a blind eye to a crisis in our own back yard.
Well, maybe not that funny. I think, just sad.
The Board of Supervisors once again raises its ugly head to hurt the less fortunate of Orange County! Why can’t they see fit to help those who face real danger?
Moorlach is too busy doing deals in the back rooms with his cronies to see a blatant human tragedy in the making. When are the citizens of OC going to wake up and see how much damage Moorlach is doing? He is the classic one issue politician that rode a fear message into office. He continues to sow fear and division in the public forum with no regard to regular Janes and Joes. He only wants to drive his own “rich get richer - poor get the shaft” agenda.
Wonder how John would feel about a shelter for abused and battered supervisors. May need one the way these clowns are acting.
What is wrong with this country, 700 billion for wall street con men, but abised women have to wait. Shame on us all.
It is a shame that our Board of Supervisors allowed the protection of battered women and children degenerate into a political issue. If this were a for-profit orginization or one that was politically connected I don’t think the Board would have reacted this way. The citizens of Orange County should question the leadership they have elected and even in such difficult economic times that we are all facing understand that others out there need our help. I hope that other politicians, business, labor and civic leadears will follow the non partisan, common sense actions taken by Senator Correa, Supervisor Norby and OCEA General Manager Nick Berardino.
Shame on some of the members of the OC Board. What were they thinking when they refused to help an important safety value for some of our societies truly desparate individuals? The women and children who depend on this safe haven are going to be out on the streets unless the leadership of this county demonstrates some compassion and a minimum level of common decency. Thank god one of the county’s unions witnessed the despicable act during yesterday’s board meeting and took immediate action. This isn’t politics, this isn’t posturing,……..this is crucial to the very fabric of a good and decent society.
I happened to be watching as Chairman Moorlach gave this charity the cold shoulder Tuesday. Apparently his grudge match with Supervisor Norby trumped even giving this emergency a fair hearing. Kudos to Supervisor Campbell for putting politics aside for a moment, kudos to the union for stepping up to the plate when Supervisor Sky is Falling wouldn’t, and kudos to this great non-profit for providing a service that no one else will. By the way, how come Jubal, Greenhut, and the rest of the private charity sector are MIA?
Funny how (janet Nguyen) he has no trouble (going along with moorlach) finding more than a million dollars to sue the employee’s retirement system but won’t even agendize a vote to grant emergency funding to a shelter.
Funny how (Janet Nguyen) he can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to remodel (her) his office, but won’t even consider lifting a finger to help (demand the item be adgendized).
funny how (Janet Nguye) Moorlach can beat his own chest about how much he cares about Orange County, (Patrias Parade) (Racist mailers) (Brother in the marine Corps) (Little Saigon Welafre Office) (Bridge for Uncle Frank Jao) (Main Street Arches) (Utilizing Melahat, Gila Jones, Alicia berhow, Misha Houser and Chris Prevatt as a DPOC Spy) yet turn a blind eye to a crisis in our own back yard.
Well the look on those clowns faces atthis would be funny. bu he rest is just sad.
Maybe we should all call the DPOC and ask thenm to step up and donate some money to this cause in order to make penece for helping janet Nguyen get re-elected.
Or you can call the Orange County Business Council and ask for Alicia Berhow at (private cell number deleted at Berhow’s request). Alicia wasthe Chair of the DPOC endorsement committee that defacto endorsed janet Nguyen when she tried to prevent the DPOC from Endorsing Hoa Van Tran, while her organization was endorsing Janet Nguyen.
The Orange County Business Council has alot of money and affiliates with lots of money to help this worthy cuae when their candidate fails.
Call Melahat atthe DPOC to ask her to spend some of her 5 thousand dollar a monoth salary on this worthy cause while her candidate janet Nguyen has failed to suport it. melahat can be reached at her office at 714-835-5518.
And you can call Chris Prevatt at this office to ask him to donate to this worthy cause. Ask Chris to make up where his candiate Janet Nguyen has failed.
EDITORS NOTE: Prevatt’s phone was deleted at his request, and Berhow’s private cell phone number was deleted at her request.
The very people they represent; those in most desperate need; afraid; having suffered violence and abuse; some even with children;
These people humble themselves to come to those in a position of authpority asking not for money to remodel their building, but foir aid in getting through so they do not end up out on the street, homeless and in need. What do they get? NOTHING! Those supervisors felt above themselves and all too self important to bother themselves with these “little people.” How arogant! How rude! They should be ashamed of themselves! They deserve NO RESPECT…that is exactly what they gave to the shelter!
I have no respect for these supervisors! They disgust me!
Nick Berardino is stunned by the silence? C’mon, Nick! Look who we are talking about. John Moorlach, who spends most of his time wasting money on loser lawsuits and hating on the people who actually do keep this county running, now spends some of his time hating the people in this county who need help the most. Compassion????? Moorlach hates anyone who is not an elitist, snob, rich jerk from HB.
Nick and the County Employees, the real people who keep things running despite an uncaring, unfettered Board of Supervisors, has stepped up to the plate. The truth comes out that Little John, Janet, Patty, Power Ranger Chris and Big Bad Bill are only concerned with grabbing headlines and making their rich friends richer while not caring one bit about the people of this county. Heartless SOBs, every one. So Billy gets his “foundation” to cough up some money. What about you, Billy? Can you get your buddy John to pitch in? Everyone knows Power Ranger is broke due to his impending divorce but what about the girls club? Put your money where your mouth is.
Thank you OCEA and Nick Berardino for taking care of business and maintaining focus. Where do I send my donation?
Know what Public Employee Unions are good for? Stepping up to the plate and taking care of the people of the county and when they most need it. Know what the Board of Supervisors are good for? Absolutely nothing….
Power to the People
Keep Da Peace
This Board of Supervisors should be ashamed of themselves for refusing to help these battered women and children. I am a conservative who once supported John Moorlach, but today I urge my fellow conservatives to reconsider their support of him.
It amazes me how the Board is treating the community that is trying to support them. The only word that comes to mind is heartless.