Register columnist Frank Mickadeit is a smart guy, but I’m not so sure about his predictive abilities on the sheriff’s race. In today’s column, Frank predicts that Sandra Hutchens, the LA County retired official who surprised everyone by reaching the final round, will be the next sheriff. It’s between her or Santa Ana Police Chief Paul Walters, who was one of the favorites going into yesterday’s odd board vote.
My prediction is Hutchens – who is qualified and impressive in some respects, but who lacks significant jail experience and has served recently as a glorified speechmaker (on the unrelated issue of Homeland Security) — will get only one vote, John Moorlach’s. The other four — Janet Nguyen, Bill Campbell, Chris Norby and Pat Bates — will wisely vote for Walters.
I’ll bet a good cigar (a Padron Anniversary series) on this one, Frank.
One question I have is retirement. Walters will be retiring much sooner than will Hutchens. From an actuarial perspective, what will the annual retirement contributions be? If we only have 3 years to fund Walters’ retirement benefit because he is in a defined benefit plan, that might be substantially more than what we would put in for Hutchens.
I know if would violate every law in the book to even consider age. But this tax payer would like to know.
I agree with SG’s prediction. The new sheriff was destined to be a bona fide inside member of the OC political machine. Politics isn’t about doing the right thing anymore. It’s about doing the most politically expedient thing on a local, state and federal level. Just look at the direction the country, state and county is headed. There was a day when the taxpayers still had some control over local issues. Not any more.
Paul Walters will win the appointment, but not because he was the political insider. He’s just the better candidate. Based on postings I saw written on the OC Blog by an executive member of the Lincoln Club and another article in the Newport Daily Pilot by an influential Republican blogger, the inside guy was Ralph Martin, hence the Moorlach vote.
Paul Walters has a proven track record and received national recognition as the head of a law enforcement agency. He also has a solid relationship with the other Orange County Chiefs of Police. He has experience in running a jail (albeit it a smaller one) and utilizing “direct supervision” which is what the OCSD plans for it’s new James Musick Jail expansion. The board recognized his ability to garner support from all sides and more importantly he has credibility amongst reformers and those who may be nervous about the coming changes.
Now is the time for the Sour Grapes whiners to come out and try to tear him down, but it won’t work. Paul Walters is more than ready to overcome the negativity. Good Luck Chief Walters!