WRB: How can you compare Washington politics to SCV Politics?
JM: Where does it start? Buck McKeon was a School Board member,
City Council member, Congressman. Cameron Smyth, City Council member, a State Assemblyman. In Washington the money comes from large corporate sponsors; in small cities it comes from prominent local business owners. BUT as some of us have done in the past, we have convinced the small business owners that all their “giving and support” have netted nothing other than more indebtedness for favors owed. We get the support and the dollars to win.
WRB: Then don’t those newly elected fall into the same trap?
JM: Then vote them out..! There are many in this valley that don’t bow down to the political elites, they push back. Because they didn’t get elected to stay there; I push back on a regular basis. I NEVER think about getting re-elected just getting the job done.
WRB: The piece you wrote below sounds like sour grapes because of your inability to gain ground with your party and because the FPPC didn’t come down on your side?
JM: Lets clarify, there is no my side as I said in the article the board as a whole decided to send the documents to the appropriate agencies for clarification and to cover the board for what might have been a KNOWN Conflict of interest issue. We were counseled by several law firms including School District general council that this should be investigated further. As far as the Party goes, I don’t care. I do what’s right for ALL not a select few. EVERYONE in the party should have equal access to party resources.
WRB: You talk about the OLD GURAD and THE MACHINE in the article. Care to elaborate?
JM: Not in great detail because it would bring attention to people who give me information and that won’t be good. BUT “The Machine” is the select group of power and political people in the valley that decide and then financially support the candidate of choice. It’s that simple. However should you resist you will be punished and “the Machine” will also give resources to keep you from winning. I and others in this valley have been a victim of that on several occasions. I am sure you will get push back for publishing this. I would openly discuss with anyone who dares to argue I am wrong and it doesn’t exist.
In closing let me say, I have received MANY emails and phone calls and comments on the article, “keep up the pressure Joe”, “I always felt there was an inside organization now I know, thanks for info Joe” and many more. I had a few phone calls from elected officials who said they have felt the same way BUT had to do business in this town, so thanks for taking it on.
The following is a re-print from Joe Messina’s Right On SCV blog http://rightonscv.com/blog/Politics-in-the-SCV-is-like-an-ongoing-episode-of-The-Sopranos/
Politics in the SCV is like an ongoing episode of “The Soprano’s”
Many of you know me. I’m the one who regularly fights against the status quo. I hate the ”do what your told” and “when I tell you to” politics that take place in this Valley. I have been told by Republican elites that I was not to run because “THEY” were choosing or backing someone else. I have been told that I needed to vote a certain way because it would make Mr. So-and-So happy and I might get favor. I have seen, heard, and witnessed people basically being told do it our way or you may find you will have a hard time conducting business in this valley (Thank God most of my business was in Orange county at the time it happened to me!).
And all of this from my own party members.
I moved away from Boston because I didn’t like the heavy-handed mafia influence in the day-to-day business and family lives of those in the inner city. As long as you did what was expected it was paradise.
When I came to the SCV it was refreshing to see families out and about in a safe community. People seemed engaged and willing to work with public entities and elected officials to make life good here. I came to find out, as long as you did what was expected it was paradise.
I have fought to help others get elected. I had to fight against MY OWN PARTY to get elected. Not to say that there were those in the party who didn’t agree with the LOCAL party politics so they supported me monetarily and with votes and resources. They were willing to fight “The Machine” but only from behind the scenes.
You know you have them nervous when they start to smear you. Rumors come out. Nasty mailers go out. Blogs go up from a mysterious person. On my fourth try I succeeded, but only with a lot of grassroots help that were very tired of “The Machine”. I was told by a prominent Republican leader that if he had put his person up sooner, I would have been toast. BUT because they thought they were all powerful and that they had control of their people they lost! They weren’t paying attention to their people. They only cared about the power.
I have, since that day, been fighting the “mainstream party establishment” to try to make sure the “regular Joe” had a chance. I get in a lot of trouble for NOT towing the party line, BUT, it’s not about that. It’s about doing what’s right for the greater good, not the party line.
Many of us are thrown a bone once in a while and encouraged with something like… come on out for a special lunch in a special seat and sit next to this special person, usually after being asked to make 200 calls an hour, do mailers and walk precincts for the greater good of the party. Until you ask for help and are told “Not your turn”. Many of the party critics will say it’s a free country no one will stop you from running! Really! Well, if you can’t get in to see certain elected officials and can’t get their endorsements, it’s hard to raise money. And if you think you don’t need money or endorsements you need to stay out of politics. The money is needed to get your message out, period. And the endorsements help you raise money.
Some, when they get into office, really do it for pure reasons to make a difference. To give the people a voice and make the community a better place to live.
We have over 45 elected officials in our little Valley. Some you will never hear about. Some you hear a lot about.
The quiet ones usually get on for a specific reason. They don’t feel the need to make noise unless things are really egregious. They can usually work things out with their colleagues to accomplish the desired goal.
Then there are the noisy ones. They run into roadblocks or find issues that simply cannot, in good conscience, be glossed over.
I am not a career politician. I campaigned on two issues and was elected because of them. I am working hard to accomplish those goals and move on.
Some electeds will do anything to stay in office or to hold on to power. This Valley is notorious for that!
I got hit twice the other day with political garbage… Yes, I said garbage.
The first issue was on a matter that had been going on in the school district for years. It has to do with a Trustee and her actions with a charter school organization. First, she had been lying about her place of employment to the district. Once that lie was exposed, her real employer was identified as a local charter school for whom she had been a consultant. For years, the board felt that voting for an institution whose income is reliant on your vote may be a conflict of interest when you are being paid by that charter school. BUT the majority of them were reluctant to do anything about it because it wouldn’t look right or they didn’t have the votes or??? I wasn’t there, so I don’t know for sure. But, whatever the reason, it never got handled.
In steps the “newbee” (that’s me). I don’t understand politics so I simply ask if this might be a problem. Let’s clear it up. The Trustee is asked repeatedly if they work for this charter school. They keep denying it. Finally the answer is “I asked the attorney and they said all is ok”. But that isn’t substantiated. Then the employer that the Trustee says she has been working for states she hasn’t. So we just keep getting tangled up in this web.
The board on a 5-0 decision (including the Trustee in question) votes to do an audit on the schools to make sure there is no conflict. If not, it’s done, it’s over. If so, send to the FPPC and Attorney General for clarification. The FPPC looks at it from a different angle than does the AG’s office. The FPPC goes by the book as stated in the law. The AG looks at intent of the law and possible issues.
Here’s the RUB… The AG’s submission has to be done by a Senator or Assemblyperson. POLITICAL SUICIDE! Maybe. WHY? Because the Trustee is a female and of Hispanic descent. Fear comes across the elected as if they just saw the iceberg as it hit the side of the ship. BUT aren’t we supposed to do the right thing, be open, honest, and not play word games? That’s what I thought. BUT that’s only if you are an elected official in DISNEYLAND!
The Trustee was given MANY chances to clear it up and could have saved the district about $20,000 in legal fees. They could have requested the FPPC to explain, in writing, the issue and getting an opinion letter that would have covered themselves and the entire board. All would have been put to rest for the price of a stamp.
AGAIN, it was a 5-0 decision, just to make sure you’re all clear. The only elected official that would step up to the plate was Tony Strickland. Great! Tony stuck up for Governor Gray Davis to sue him for the bad electricity contracts he had signed and hidden. Surely Tony wasn’t afraid of anything! The letter was written and sent. No real fanfare usually a quick and quiet investigation from the AG’s office and it would have been cleared up.
Inside word is Senator Strickland’s office phones rang off the hook! Charter schools were calling from up and down the state. They were pressuring him to pull the letter. WHY, you ask? Obvious! If the AG found that this scenario was a problem, that an elected Trustee could make upwards of $200,000 being employed by a charter school system by being able to vote on what could be precedent setting issues for charter schools, it would be disastrous for them.
A little side note here, I have no problem with charter schools they are necessary in some scenarios. It’s the transparency and full disclosure of the board members that is at issue.
The right thing to do would have been to let it play out and allow the AG to put it to rest. My understanding is that Tony and his wife have done some consulting for the charter school industry and I can see where that might be an issue.
BUT AGAIN, it’s about doing the right thing.
And it gets better… The “Old Guard” or “The Machine”, as it’s called, has a presence on the Board of Directors of almost every major club in the Santa Clarita Valley. Not just because they love the clubs, but for control! Last year some fed up Republicans and some Tea Party people took over the local Republican Assembly club. Basically the OLD GUARD was asleep because they were so sure they could maintain the status quo. They got beat at their own game.
They accused the new team of all kinds of wrong-doing. Just basic political garbage and infighting. My suggestion? Let it play out. They will either flourish or die! “Old Guard” didn’t like that. So after many maneuvers to crush them failed, they started another club. HUH?! Yup, I can’t have it my way so I will just take my bat and ball and go somewhere else. But aren’t we all on the same team? “Republicans at all costs”? OH! Just the ones you agree with! AGAIN, what happened to doing the right thing?
Division grows again. Republicans are divided and confused. Can’t we all just get along?
I guess not! Now there’s this week’s announcement that Patricia McKeon is entering the Assembly race. Wonderful woman! I know her. Seems to be a great wife, mother, and companion to Mr. McKeon. But Patricia for Assembly? Why?
Because “The Machine” has decided yet again who we are going to have to back and run! The same machine that “forced” us to back Meg Whitman, because “she’s the only one who can win”! Yup, that worked out well!
“The Machine” is wrong! There were two people interested in running for that seat that have worked hard for this Valley in many ways. Hard for ALL residents in the Valley. Hard for the Republican party. Hard for other candidates they believed in to get elected.
As of late I saw Scott Wilk working hard to make sure that this Valley got a fair shake on redistricting, fighting with the consultants, rallying the troops, and leaning on people who could help him get the job done until all hours of the night. Mr. McKeon can thank Mr. Wilk for his new boundaries and the fact that he kept Mr. McKeon in a solidly Republican district. Where was “The Machine” in all this? Yup, a big fat nothing!
I am overdone with party infighting. I am overdone with the “We will tell you when and how” that we see from our party on a regular basis. I am done with being on the losing side.
HEY OLD GUARD! HEY “THE MACHINE”!! The definition of insanity is doing the same thing the same way and expecting a different result. So “STOP THE INSANITY”!! Do it the right way for all the right reasons or GET OUT OF THE WAY and let us win back California.
We lose races in California because we keep putting up the “My Turn” and “Friend of So-and-So” candidates. That’s why we got a MAJOR LEAGUE butt whipping in the last election. We were the only state that lost… It’s because of this INSANITY!!
My advice… members of the Republican party… do what you ask your elected officials to do. GROW A SPINE and take a stand to do what’s right. Back the people that have worked hard for the party and have the qualifications to do the job representing the people. Back the people who fight in the trenches and have a track record of making things work for the better. And push back hard against the people who don’t.
Joe Messina
Joe Messina is active in the SCV Republican Political scene, host a local radio talk show The Real Side, and is a member of the William S. Hart School Board. His commentaries represent his own opinions and not necessarily the views of any organization he may be affiliated with or those of the West Ranch Beacon.
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