Good News for Orange County
by Dale Tyler

There was good news this morning among the election results for Orange County. Frank Ury, the bought and paid for candidate for 5th Supervisor's seat lost to Robert Ming and will not be on the run-off ballot in November. Also, the fake Republican and union shill Anna Bryson came in last in that same race, despite a mailing blitz.

Ury has been nothing but bad news for Mission Viejo taxpayers. Since he took office, Mission Viejo's reserves have plummeted, taxpayer money has been wasted on tennis resorts and million dollar dog parks. Ury is the best councilperson the special interests ever purchased. He will be termed out in a little more than two years and we will all celebrate that day.

While not every race in Orange County went the way each of might have hoped, overall things look fairly good going in to November. If your preferred candidate was not among the top two voter getters, please consider supporting your second choice and continue to participate in one of the most important duty of any citizen: voting.

Turnout in this election was only 16.9% in Orange County. This is kind of disappointing. I received more mail, door hangers and other candidate contact than I can recall in prior June primaries. I imagine you saw the same thing. Yet, the vast majority of us decided to stay home. I wonder if the “top two” system of voting had the effect of reducing the urgency of voting in some people's minds because they were not even sure that a candidate of their political party would even be on the ballot in Novemeber. Or perhaps, as did happen in many races, they knew that the two people running for office were certain to be the same people on the ballot in November, so “why vote?”.

In any case, we need to do better as citizens and get those less connected with politics to become interested in the process and their communities.

With each election there is good news and bad news. This morning, even though some of my preferred candidates lost, I am feeling better about our prospects to elect good leaders in Orange County than I have in some time. I hope each of you feel the same way, even if not every candidate you supported will advance to the November elections.