The county’s new sheriff Sandra Hutchens has taken a bit of criticism from me and others for being wet behind the ears. She’s a newbie in OC politics and has more of a bureaucrat’s approach than the approach of a sophisticated player who knows how to negotiate the complex political world here.
Critics were proved right today. She made a newbie’s blunder at the Board of Supervisors. She blindsided DA Tony Rackauckas by wanting to continue an item to let the DA hire an architect to design his new DNA lab. It’s OK to oppose the DA’s plan to wrest the lab from the Sheriff’s Department, but she a) never gave Rackauckas a call letting him know that she opposed this item and was going to speak out against it, which is normal courtesy; and b) was too naive to understand that the DNA lab transfer already has been approved by the board — this was merely a formality to let the design process move forward. Hutchens not only screwed up the politics of this process, but she dissed the DA and seems ignorant of the huge problems within her own department’s dysfunctional lab.
But she did get a sole-source contract to pay up to $250,000 for an audit of the jail — something she could figure out on her own for a lot less taxpayer money if she had the slightest clue what she was doing. The contract is for an astoundingly long six months, so don’t expect any changes anytime soon, if ever.
Note: The vote for the sole-source contract was 3-1. Pat Bates, Bill Campbell and John Moorlach voted for it, Chris Norby voted against it and Janet Nguyen is on vacation.
I hope the ’sole-source’ outsourcing based on ‘we have no time to lose!’ lame excuses aren’t going to the MO of our new sheriff….who knows what other SFoS (Special Friends of Sandra) will get the nod without competition under the guise of expedience…
Steve,
Glad to know you missed the whole point completely. By moving forward with the DA’s request there is now a duplication of services within the County.
Instead of criticizing the new sheriff, you might want to focus on the wisdom of that decision by the Board.
Of course your too much in love with Paul Walters to have seen that.
Hutchens is not very educated on the workings of Orange County. She will stumble around doing as she says: “What I think is right”
She needs to do things that is right for Orange County, Not for what she thinks is right. Big difference… this is not LA county.
A month into her administration, she’s had 3, maybe 4 big public bad moves (depending on whether you count the sole source contract as a bad move) and NO good ones.
If she’s not planning on running for re-election, she’s doing a wonderful job. With each day she’s looking more and more like Brad Gates. Who wants to bet that the outside auditor is someone she has had a long relationship with?
I’m no fan of Walters, but Richard Beemer or Beau Babka would have been better than this. Sheriff John (60’s kids TV host on Ch. 11 ) would have been better than this.
Can we have a new tag, so we can file stories under Hutchins - the Affirmative Action Sheriff?
Greenhut, I think we’ve seen enough of those “sophisticated players in OC politics.” Put-downs like “wet behind the ears” and “newbie in OC politics” are totally unprofessional of a seasoned journalist, but we’ve come to expect comments like this from you. And speaking of “normal courtesy,” I submit that you don’t have a clue what these two words mean.
“Dissed the DA,” indeed. Poor Rackaukas………do you think he’ll recover, or should we taxpayers send him a pacifier?
BTW, how much taxpayer money was wasted by paying out lawsuits? 250K for an audit of the jail is cheap. Maybe she knows more about “OC politics” than you think she does.
Does the OC Register actually pay you for writing this tripe?
Well done, Greenhut. Glad to see someone still cares enough about OC to keep the new Sheriff’s feet to the fire.
No bid contracts? Hmmmm. Smells fishy; like LA County fish. I thought OC was different.
And don’t mind the critics. In the comic profession, we have a saying:
“Professional comic, amatuer audience.”
“Dissed the DA,” indeed. Poor Rackaukas………do you think he’ll recover, or should we taxpayers send him a pacifier?
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Rackaukas will NEVER recover.
Ed Morgan: $250K for a sole-source contract is a dangerous precedence to set. Based on her reasoning, every vulture will be circling, waiting for their uncontested handout. Greenhut is correct, if she had more experience in OC politics, businesses and comprehensive knowledge on how to build, run and maintain a correctional facility, she would not be picking the taxpayer’s pockets for this venture.
Excuse the grammar…that was supposed to be ‘precedent’ not precedence
Should have had an election. There were opportunities in Feb and June, and another in Nov. But no, the inept and controling supes wanted the power to choose. Let’s just hope the New Sheriff grows into the job despite the taint of the supes.
“Let’s just hope the New Sheriff grows into the job despite the taint of the supes.”
Hope is nice. It’s like prayer, only without a plan.
I HOPE there won’t be traffic on the way home. I HOPE my contractor will finish on time and under budget. I HOPE money will fall from the sky.
And I HOPE Sheriff Hutchens has the sense to stop doing stuff just to have her stamp on it.
Hey, Walt–that would be pretty damn funny if it weren’t so pathetically true. I don’t understand why we were given a sheriff who has to ‘grow’ into anything. Wasn’t one of the qualities everyone was looking for in a new sheriff the ability to hit the ground running? Looks like she is already tripping over her own shoelaces.
Sludge Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Seriously, go screw yourself, Greenhut. You’re a major scumbag.
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Meltdown.
Johnny, go back to sucking off Greenhut and ranting about GED’s everywhere.
Dumb quote of the week:
“True evidence is physical evidence,” Hutchens said during the news conference. “Everything else can be disputed.”
I guess she doesn’t remember OJ.
Amateur hour Steve? Don’t you think that’s a bit harsh? I suppose you’ve never been the new person in town?
Hutchens is doing a prudent thing by conducting an assessment of the OCSD. Paul Walters said he would hit the ground running but I’m sure in these financial times his mistakes along the way would be costly if he didn’t take the time to study the problem. Even Jack Anderson who tried to impliment Correctional Officers in the jails within 6 months didn’t come remotely close to succeeding during his window of opportunity (5 months).
Hutchens has 2 years to implement her plan. It’s barely 2 months and the whiners and naysayers have already come out of the woodwork. Sure she may make a few “political blunders” by failing to notify another elected official that she opposes him, but so what. I’m tired of these slick politicians playing back door games. If Tony Rackaucas (sp) gets his feathers ruffled then he’s clearly out of touch. It’s no secret that the OCSD opposes his effort to split or take over the DNA labs. He should have expected Hutchens to want to take a longer look at it. If not, then who really is the political rookie?
I say give her a chance. So far all I’ve heard is naysayers. When it comes right down to it, they are a dime a dozen. Greenhut can label her all he wants but if/when she succeeds I hope he gives her the props she deserves.
“….Janet Nguyen is on vacation” at time of the vote; is that a euphemism for out to lunch?
I’d have to agree with Oldski. Rather than going after someone like Hutchens, Steve ought to go after that empty self serving suit.
Yukon: The problem is not Hutchens conducting an assessment, it’s that she appears to have not done any of the homework the other candidates did PRIOR to her appointment. She was held to a very different set of standards than the other candidates–which is to say a much lower set. The other candidates had to have a plan, they had to be very strong in jail experience–not just working in a women’s jail as a deputy. They were even criticized for double-dipping, something which no one (Moorlach) has even mentioned in the same sentence as Hutchens. She did not have to give any solid answers to anything for which the others were raked over the coals. Even Pat Bates’ issue of more contract city experience seems to overlook the fact that Hutchens didn’t actually work directly with contract cities, rather, she handled the admin paperwork side–a glorified secretary. You are assuming that Walters would hit the ground running without looking both ways first, when in fact, he–like most of the other serious candidates, spent most of his time prior to the appointment in meetings with OCSD brass, rank and file, electeds from contract cities, researching the jail system and putting a solid plan in place–all requirements that were thrown out the window when Hutchens, deciding she was bored being at home, threw her resume into the pile. She is a nice person, I suppose, but she is in way over her head.
It’s still better than Carona.
Know Em All: That’s a bit like asking, “Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?”
I for one, had a belly full of Mike Carona’s “sophisticated OC politics.” He ran a great organization into the ground through his corrupt deeds and self-serving political agenda. It sickens me to hear his narcissistic mind exposed through the transcripts we have all read and trust me, this is all the tip of the iceberg. Perhaps Carona’s “sophisticated OC politics” is a view into a self-serving political world Greenhut should be reporting about, not accepting. I have been a cop for over 30 years and I know Sheriff Hutchens. I will take her honest mistakes any day over Carona’s demonstrated decimation of a great organization. Give Sheriff Hutchens the time, resources and support so she can get a true assessment of the damage done by Carona, and then fix the problems in a professional manner.
Redux,
I know Walters and Martin took tours of the jails and met with a few people but they hardly developed a serious game plan. That’s not to say that Walters didn’t have some ideas about what he wanted to do but that’s a far cry from a detailed plan. I heard Walters say he wanted to hire civilian guards for the jails. How long would that take? training, recruitment etc…? I’ve heard Hutchens say she was in favor of a hybrid system that includes deputies and SSO’s. Both ideas have merit but at least Hutchens is conducting a study to determine what is most appropriate.
I don’t know a lot about Hutchens but I have talked to my LASO contacts (lieutenant, investigator and deputies). They all spoke highly of her (not so highly of Martin) and given a few months I get the sense that many in the department and outside as well will think differently.
I should point out that Hutchens wasn’t my initial choice for sheriff and I’m not sold just yet, but I have met her and I believe Greenhut and others are underestimating her. All I”m saying is give it some time before anyone draws any conclusions.
Take Greenhut’s glasses away and steal his lunch money…
Lots of information which is really speculation from so many here. All the candidates for this position indicated having “detailed plans” to reform an agency they hadn’t worked for. I for one, would prefer the candidate that had a reasoned approach to determining what in the department functions well, what doesn’t then charting a course for effective and efficient changes to improve the delivery of the OCSD services. The only way to make effective and efficient long term changes is to FIRST assess the current state of affairs throughout the department and then make the necessary changes. Keep up the good work Sheriff Hutchens.
Hey listen, “She doesn’t understand OC politics.” Your a joke, your smallt own county, is nothing compared to LA, and really nothing on th scale of poltics. When people think of California poltics, they think of LA, not your little OC. She doen’st need to call, Rackaccaus, she can do what she wants.
Oh an what did you expect, the company she hired to do the audit helped her get into ffice. Go explore that, She brought in a Chief from LASD, he should be able to do the audit. If not, he shouldn’t be there. There is acompany, where Retired lasd Undersheriff Bill Stonage is on the chair board. This company builds jails and can also do audits. This her paying them back, for helping her. And yes go investigate what they did, it will turn OC upside down.