Posted on 08/27/2005 9:28:43 AM PDT by LNewman
With elections quickly approaching and controversy growing over the scheduling of one of the votes on a Jewish holiday, Orange County Registrar of Voters Steve Rodermund was placed on administrative leave this week without explanation.
"It's a personnel matter," said County Executive Officer Thomas G. Mauk, who relieved Rodermund of his duties on Thursday.
snip
Rodermund's removal comes a little more than a month before a special primary election scheduled Oct. 4 in the race to fill Christopher Cox's 48th Congressional District seat. The Newport Beach Republican resigned this month to become chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The scheduling of the primary election on Rosh Hashana, the celebration of the Jewish New Year, angered Jewish leaders in Orange County and elsewhere who called the move insensitive.
"If Christmas came on a Tuesday, would you schedule a special election that day? Of course you wouldn't," said State Assemblyman Keith Richman (R-Northridge), who plans to introduce a bill Monday in the state Legislature that would give the governor more leeway in election scheduling.
If passed, the bill would give the governor two options. The first would allow the primary to be consolidated with the Nov. 8 statewide election. The second would allow the primary to be moved to a later date by giving the governor the authority to waive a law that prohibits elections from being held a day after state holidays. In that case, the governor could schedule the primary election Oct. 11, the day after Columbus Day is celebrated, instead of the currently scheduled date of Oct. 4.
snip
"The special election is very critical," Spitzer said. "If the registrar's office is not completely squared away, it could open up special challenges in the court."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
It's very unfortunate: as I understand it, Orange County Jewish community is much more conservative than the Jewish community in general.
ping
Agreed. I believe that to be the case.
A) John Campbell wanted the early date. Bragged publically, in an open meeting, that they were going to get this date from the Governor as a ploy to suppress 'Democrat' (in this case Jewish) votes.
B) At least a dozen rabbis contacted the Governor's office well BEFORE the date was chosen, when it was realized that one of the few legal choices was Rosh Hoshanah. They were completely ignored.
I don't know why the Registrar is being scapegoated here. The fault for this lies with John Campbell and the Governor.
I personally think combining the special election with the state-wide election makes a whole bunch of sense and a cost-cutting decision besides.
"The fault for this lies with John Campbell. . . ."
Maybe John Campbell ISN'T the smartest man
in Sacramento.
_____Maybe John Campbell ISN'T the smartest man
in Sacramento_____
Campbell and Hugh Hewitt and the like should have as little to do with anything actually real as possible So many of these rather unimaginative small minded -- but ostensibly and probably actually very nice and pleasant -- types have brought us to where we are
Let him go on the radio as cheerleader or whatever but keep him as far away from any actual decision making or heavy lifting as possible
I think it's a nice place generally. Smart people. A bit self-absorbed, but smart and generally nice.
In my experience the typical OC denizen could not possibly be more self-absorbed if each was comprised of exactly 50% water and 50% 'Bounty'
;) Possibly true. Nonetheless, I've liked many OCers
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