Now We Know Who The Union Candidate Is: Firefighters Union Picks Cassie DeYoung

The outlines of the 5th Supervisor District race are becoming clearer. This just came over the transom from the Cassie DeYoung for Supervisor campaign:

County Firefighters Endorse Cathryn DeYoung

The Orange County Professional Firefighters Association, representing over 700 professional firefighters and emergency medical personnel, has endorsed Laguna Niguel Mayor Cathryn DeYoung in the race for 5th District Supervisor.

Association President Joe Kerr said that they are confident that she will put public safety first as a member of the Board of Supervisors.

“The 5th Supervisor District covers some of the most fire-sensitive areas in Orange County. It is vitally important for this district to have a Supervisor that is as committed as we are to protecting the life and property of South County residents. Cathryn DeYoung will be that kind of Supervisor. We are proud to endorse her,” said Kerr.

Cathryn DeYoung expressed her appreciation for the Firefighters’ endorsement, saying, “I am proud to have the support of men and women who are willing to put their lives at risk to protect us. Throughout my career in local public office, I have always put public safety first and I will continue to do so as your 5th District Supervisor.”

How quaint -- pretending this endorsement is actually related to fighting fires. In modern politics, the phrase "putting public safety first" in this context is code for "giving the unions what they want."

This calls for responding with a certain-to-be-ignored e-mail to the DeYoung's voluble campaign manager, Bill Kogerman, asking if DeYoung still plans on cracking down on public employee pensions -- which was a centerpeice theme of Cassie DeYoung for Supervisor, Version 1.0.

While the tough talk is till on her website, somehow, I think the "public employee pension crisis" has already been popped down the memory hole at DeYoung HQ. One can only hope the county firefighters are as effective in this race as they were for Measure D.

UPDATE: Here's Steve Greenhut's take.

Comments

[Reality Check]

Mobilizing those Guys on the Street in the South could be invaluable for Cassie.

Many of Bates supporters are the armchair, self important foolish folks of the infamous South OC...

For all of the Hot Air they blow down South there, I seriously doubt if anyone other than the faithful YRs will be walking for Pat thru those hills...

[Fighting Fire with Fire]

This is not good news for Bates no matter how you try to spin it. I'm supporting Bates but this worrys me.

[Northcountystorm]

So the union slate is Hunt & DeYoung?

[Big Mo]

Bash the DeYoung campaign and her supporters all you want.

But I detect her campaign as having all the momentum.

Outside of an ad on this blog, you haven't posted any of her campaign material. or if you did I missed it.

Didnt DeYoung see how the firefighters support of Measure D failed at a record level? Most skilled politicians know the OCFA endorsement is meaningless. The greed of OCFA showed in measure D and the public sees the OCFA for what they are......whining babies who make 175k a year!

[SOC Watcher]

I received a Bates mailer yesterday. That is the second one in less than a month. She may be stepping it up a little.

This endorsement of DeYoung is not surprising. She will go in any direction she needs to if she thinks it will suit her political agenda. She has no principles. This is one reason why she was voted off the OCTA board by the 5th district cities two years ago. This is why she has called for "another EIR" on the toll road extension down south, playing into the stall tactics hands of the environmental lobby, along with her "terrible tunnel" mantra. She claims to be supportive of improved transporatation, but her record speaks otherwise.

I also find it funny that she claims to be a "leader" in the El Toro debate. She claims she sits on the board (ETRPA) that stopped the airport. True, she does. But she was only appointed to the board last year, long after the issue was decided and ETRPA was shutting down (which it has). There are far more people that served on that board that were leaders in that fight than DeYoung. She was a bit player at best, and contributed little in the grand scheme of things. But this is typical of her, taking credit for other people's hard work to achieve her political agenda.

In the end, she may claim to be a republican, but clearly she is a democrat. Will it do her any good? Probably not. She will force a runoff, which was a given anyway, but in the end, she may find that her strategy may have backfired. Does this endorsement really help? Look at what happened on Measure D. The firefighter's support certainly didn't do much good there. I am not so sure that any union, even public safety unions, carry a lot of clout anymore overall in this county, in particular in south county.

One must also wonder why 3 city councilmen in her own city are supporting Bates. If DeYoung can't even get a majority of her own city council to support her, then there is something wrong with that picture.

But as I have said before, until someone releases a credible poll, we are all just speculating.

[Big Mo]

Aside from two mailers. It still looks like DeYoung has the momentum.

I doubt the firefighters endorsement does anything to slow that down with the exception of those on this board.

Of whom very few (if any) were voting (if they could) for DeYoung anyway.

[OC FIre Storm]

>>>Didnt DeYoung see how the firefighters support of Measure D failed at a record level? Most skilled politicians know the OCFA endorsement is meaningless.

Duh...got anything else stupid to say? Go ask ten voters if they remember what Measure D was about and you'll be lucky to get one that can tell you. Then ask them who they're gonna call when their house is on fire or when their kid gets hurt; they'll know the answer to that one.

Also, OCFA is not supporting anyone. Orange County Professional Firefighters Association is.

Gosh Jubal, thanks for interpreting what Cassie really meant by "putting public safety first". I didn't notice any "context" whatsoever.

Does this mean that any candidate who is supported by any labor group is going to be a lackey for the union? Please enlighten us?

As I recall, a number of firefighters and cops endorsed and supported Governor Schwarzenegger and President Bush. Did these two republicans give the public unions what they wanted?

I bet if the firefighters bought a flashing ad on this blog supporting Pat Bates you would be a little kinder.

I bet if the firefighters bought a flashing ad on this blog supporting Pat Bates you would be a little kinder.

I would welcome the opportunity to prove you wrong.

[Union Goon]

It always cracks me up when I read how the term 'union' is used on this board and by Greenhut as a pejorative.

Especially considering how many union members are registered with the GOP.

Greenhut seems to have a special dislike for firefighters.

I bet the girl of his dreams ran off with one never giving him a second look.

what else could cause such enmity?

[Out of touch....]

As I recall, a number of firefighters and cops endorsed and supported Governor Schwarzenegger and President Bush. Did these two republicans give the public unions what they wanted?

Hey Anon. Shhhh. Now the blogpen knows how out of tune they are with reality.

[Union Goon]

Check it out. Greenhut posts my entry on the Orange Punch blog.

He then goes on to say, "She was smart, too, really, given that we're all getting older and thinking about pensions any more!"

He should've stopped after the third word. It's obvious.

[Union Goon]

And he didn't answer. Did she?

He posts on his Orange Punch blog with righteous indignation but doesn't explain why he only posts about firefighters. Why doesn't he post the top salaries of other public employees.

He's really a pretty sad person.

[Inquiring minds]

I think Greenhut makes a good point. But why does he only single out one group? Why doesn't he post the salaries of top county executives, bureaucrats, cops, etc.