The Orange County Board of Supervisors, or at least three of the five, should be commended for voting to reject federal grant money available through Obamacare to the county’s health care agency. It was a bold decision that more local elected officials throughout the state and country should emulate. It sends a message to President Barack Obama and his administration: We do not want nationalized health care, and we will not help implement it.

By a 3-2 vote last week, the board opted to reject a grant application of $40,000 for a workplace-wellness program with funding tied to the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, dubbed Obamacare by critics. In June, for similar reasons, the board voted against another grant that would have provided $10 million over five years.

Supervisors Shawn Nelson, John Moorlach and Patricia Bates voted to block the grant; Janet Nguyen and soon-to-be termed-out Supervisor Bill Campbell voted to accept it. All five are Republicans though Mr. Campbell and Ms. Nguyen, in this instance, did not demonstrate a commitment to historical Republican ideals or even good fiduciary sense.

We wondered how two candidates to fill Mr. Campbell’s seat, former Supervisor Todd Spitzer and Villa Park Councilwoman Deborah Pauly, would have voted on the grant. Ms. Pauly said she would have voted “with the board majority on the HCA federal grant application” and said she had voted against taking stimulus money in her city. Mr. Spitzer also said he would have voted “to deny the HCA request for the Obamacare grants”.

Sally Pipes, president of the Pacific Research Institute and author of two books critical of Obamacare, cheered the board and hopes “other municipalities will come to the same conclusion and not take the funding.”

Board Chairman John Moorlach said in an email Thursday: “The federal government spends some $100 for every $60 it receives, and it continues to give away tax money that it does not have. How do I, in good conscience, take money from a government that is structurally bankrupt? How do I, also in good conscience, take money from a program that I believe is destined to fail? Socialized medicine will fail, and will fail miserably. When do grant and funding recipients collectively stand up and say, ‘Don’t make us complicit in your poor fiscal management!’”

If more counties followed Orange County’s example in rejecting Obamacare-related funds, implementing a bad law would be far more difficult, assuming that Obamacare, with its mandate that all Americans purchase government approved health insurance, survives its encounter this spring with the Supreme Court.

Read more at California Political Review

“Supervisor Nelson understands the vital public safety issues facing Orange County,” said Sheriff Hutchens. “He is working diligently to make sure safe homes, schools and neighborhoods are a priority of Orange County government.”

Shawn Nelson was elected in June to finish the term of former Supervisor Chris Norby. He is on the November ballot for a four year term. His opponent is the second place finisher from the June ballot.

Nelson easily won in June in spite of a record-breaking $1.4 million campaign from public employee unions promoting his opponents. He is a former Fullerton City Councilman and a youth sports coach. Shawn and his family reside in Fullerton.

“Shawn Nelson is a staunch friend of the taxpayers in Orange County and a champion for private property owners,” said HJTA Executive Director Kris Vosburg. “Shawn is leading efforts to reform the public employee pension system that is threatening to bankrupt local governments.”

Supervisor Nelson was the top vote-getter in the June election to fill the seat vacated by Chris Norby upon Norby’s election to the Assembly. Nelson overcame a $1.4 million campaign by public employee unions and took the seat in June. Nelson is now the incumbent and faces a November election against the second place finisher, Harry Sidhu.

SACRAMENTO, CA – This morning the Board of Directors of the California Republican Party voted to convey the official endorsement of the  California Republican Party to Orange County Supervisor candidate Shawn Nelson. Last week, Nelson was overwhelmingly endorsed by the Orange County Republican Party, and the state organization followed suit, at the request of Scott Baugh, Chairman of the Orange County GOP.

“Republican voters in North Orange County should know that Shawn Nelson is official candidate of the local and state Republican parties,” said California Republican Party Chairman Ron Nehring. “With the unions already spending big bucks, and the presence of a viable Democrat in the race, it is critical that Republicans rally behind Nelson’s candidacy.”

California Republican Party Vice Chairman — South Jon Fleischman, who made the motion to endorse Nelson, had this to say about the vote, “It is critical that we elect Republicans to local office who understand the challenges presented by the insidious influence of public employee unions, and their insatiable appetite for unsustainable taxpayer-funded benefits. Shawn Nelson is clearly the candidate who is prepared to deal aggressively to curb the influence of public employee unions.”

Former Supervisor Norby is endorsing Nelson, as is U.S. Representative Ed Royce and many other Republican leaders, including Senator Mimi Walters, Supervisor Pat Bates and Supervisor John Moorlach. Last week the Orange County Republican Party officially endorsed Nelson.

Councilmember Shawn Nelson is a fiscal conservative who was elected to the Fullerton City Council in November 2002. He served as Mayor in 2004-05 and 2006-07. Nelson is a California native who was raised in Fullerton. The Sunny Hills High School graduate holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from USC, and a Juris Doctorate from Western State University College of Law. He was named the “Local Elected Official for 2009″ by the Orange County Republican Party. Active in the community, Councilmember Nelson is a member of the Fullerton Elks Lodge and the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce. He is actively involved as a member of Zion Lutheran Church, is a sponsor and “Soccer Dad” for the Fullerton Rangers youth soccer club, and is head coach and a parent sponsor for Fullerton Pop Warner Football’s Junior Peewee Team.

TUSTIN, CA — After witnessing a debate between the two leading Republican candidates for Supervisor in the 4th District, Orange County Republican Party members officially endorsed Shawn Nelson, giving him a resounding  85% of the vote, far exceeding the two-thirds needed to secure an endorsement.

“With public employee unions threatening to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to elect a liberal to replace Chris Norby, the committee felt that it was vitally important to get behind the strongest Republican to hold this seat,” said OCGOP Chairman Scott Baugh. “Based on his record on the Fullerton City Council, and his performance in last night’s debate, it was clear to an overwhelming majority of our members that Shawn Nelson is a deeply principled and articulate conservative and the strongest candidate for our Party.”

Former Supervisor Norby is endorsing Nelson, as is U.S. Representative Ed Royce and many other Republican leaders, including Senator Mimi Walters, Supervisor Pat Bates and Supervisor John Moorlach.

Councilmember Shawn Nelson is a fiscal conservative who was elected to the Fullerton City Council in November 2002. He served as Mayor in 2004-05 and 2006-07. Nelson is a California native who was raised in Fullerton. The Sunny Hills High School graduate holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from USC, and a Juris Doctorate from Western State University College of Law. He was  named the “Local Elected Official for 2009″ by the Orange County Republican Party.  Active in the community, Councilmember Nelson is a member of the Fullerton Elks Lodge and the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce. He is actively involved as a member of Zion Lutheran Church, is a sponsor and “Soccer Dad” for the Fullerton Rangers youth soccer club, and is head coach and a parent sponsor for Fullerton Pop Warner Football’s Junior Peewee Team.

I have been struck lately by the supporters of the high-speed rail and their seeming lack of common sense when it comes to problem-solving. My observations have led me to believe that the current leadership of the program has become more focused on getting a pot of government gold to spend (the more the merrier) and enriching the myriad players involved in the process. By ignoring existing opportunities to run the rail project on existing Metrolink and Amtrak lines, the current design for the HSR to run from Anaheim to Los Angeles provides a windfall to those in the consulting industry by requiring countless hours for public outreach and environmental impact study.

Why aren’t the leaders of the program asking the basic questions and looking for basic answers? Case in point: I went to a presentation in Anaheim two weeks ago given by the project team of HSR. They explained that the HSR will be able to connect Anaheim and L.A. in 23 minutes. Of course, to accomplish this the tracks would need to be able to cross existing streets that are not presently separated from the rail line (think rail crossings with the drop arms and flashing lights) and some improvements to a curve in the tracks in the Buena Park area. They admitted that the first leg could be a stand-alone service in case the rest of the project was never built!

After a few follow-up questions we learned the existing system only takes 30 minutes, and, with a few of the improvements that are necessary for the HSR the Metrolink will be able to achieve the same speed as the HSR from Anaheim to L.A. With a few of the upgrades being made to the existing system we could all make it to downtown L.A. in about 26 minutes.

In layman’s terms, the first leg of the HSR project is a likely multibillion-dollar effort to shave a few minutes off the average commute from Anaheim to L.A. It would save zero time if we just made the grade-separation improvements and ran an express train line (i.e. no stops in between) once per hour. Is there anyone on the HSR board that is thinking this through? Clearly we do not need to spend billions of dollars to avoid running an express train once an hour to L.A., do we?

The concept of HSR in California could be a useful in tying the central parts of the state with the major metropolitan areas of the San Francisco Bay Area and greater Los Angeles. Why isn’t the current effort focused on getting the communities in between tied in to the anchors on each end? Couldn’t Amtrak funding be tied in if the train went to the exact same locations on the route? As things stand now both ends of the line have operating rail systems that could be used and result in tens of billions in savings. Can’t the HSR start out by connecting the southernmost terminus of the Bay Area Rapid Transit system with the northernmost terminus of Metrolink?

Art Leahy, former OCTA president and now the current head of the MTA in Los Angeles, has gone on record acknowledging the problems with the existing approach. I applaud Art for standing up. He has a working knowledge of these systems, and we should listen to him. I hope he takes a prominent role in the discussion going forward.

Another public figure to recently demand some common sense be included in this process is Assemblywoman Diane Harkey of south Orange County, who recognized the disaster we are walking into if we sell bonds to cover the costs for the current proposals.

There are a number of other problems, such as why would our Measure M dollars be used to fund the vast majority of the HSR train storage facility/transit link planned in Anaheim? Isn’t Measure M money generated here for the purpose of helping all commuters get around Orange County? This is a state and federal project, not a local project. Getting people from San Francisco to Anaheim was never the purpose of Measure M.

To make matters worse, the $140 million or so in Measure M funds being proposed for the train parking facility are desperately needed by cities like Placentia and Fullerton to finance underpasses at railroad grade crossings – projects that will make life better for everybody in North Orange County.

The road we are on now is going to exhaust all the funding available at the state and federal levels, enrich a few well-connected consultants, ruin many neighborhoods that don’t need disturbing and accomplish virtually nothing but duplication of service already provided. Why can’t common sense have a place at the table? Government doesn’t have to be the home of poor execution, but in order to get results that are good for the citizens we need to demand accountability before it is too late.

“Shawn Nelson is a proven watchdog for taxpayers in Fullerton. I am confident he will be a tremendous asset to the Board of Supervisors as we continue to lead the state in our fiscal pursuits, including downsizing, balanced budgets and public employee pension reform. Shawn will bring the financial acumen needed to deal with the annually increasing pension costs that Orange County is facing,” said Supervisor Moorlach.

Nelson now enjoys the support of two prominent Supervisors, Pat Bates and John Moorlach, as well as former Supervisor and current Assemblyman Chris Norby. In addition, Nelson is endorsed by U.S. Representative Ed Royce and the Lincoln Club of Orange County.

Shawn Nelson is a Fullerton City Councilman and the leading candidate for Supervisor in the 4th district, which is currently open due to the election of Chris Norby to the Assembly.

“Shawn Nelson will be a strong ally in the work to make government more efficient, transparent, and responsive to the people of Orange County,” said Supervisor Bates. “His experience as a strong advocate for taxpayers will serve the constituents of the Fourth District well.”

Pat Bates was the founding Mayor of Laguna Niguel and served as a Council Member in that city from 1989 to 1998. Pat was elected to the State Assembly in 1998. After finishing three terms in the legislature, Pat was elected to represent the Fifth District on the Orange County Board of Supervisors. During the past year, Supervisor Bates served as Board Chair and led the County through a time of great economic challenge.

“Shawn shares my values of fiscal responsibility, limited government and individual liberty. I am proud to endorse his candidacy and look forward to working with him on such issues as balancing the County budget, reforming the pension system, and making county government more accountable to the people,” said Pat.

“Finally, I am also troubled by the false charges and character assassination already going on against Shawn. I believe voters will reject these tactics, just as they have in the past,” Bates concluded.

Shawn Nelson is a strong fiscal conservative who was elected to the Fullerton City Council in November 2002. He served as Mayor in 2004-05 and 2006-07. Nelson is a California native who was raised in Fullerton and he lives in the district with his wife and children. Nelson was named the “Local Elected Official for 2009″ by the Orange County Republican Party.

“Shawn Nelson is a strong fiscal conservative and a hero to taxpayers in Fullerton,” said Assemblyman Hagman. “With government at all levels facing fiscal calamity due to years of reckless spending, we need Shawn on the Board of Supervisors.”

Hagman represents parts of north Orange County that overlap with the 4th Supervisorial seat. He is currently the Republican Floor Leader in the Assembly and Vice-Chair of the Committee on Public Safety.

“It is an honor to have Assemblyman Hagman’s support and I look forward to working with him to implement fiscally responsible policies that benefit the taxpayers in Orange County,” said Nelson.

Councilmember Shawn Nelson is a strong fiscal conservative who was elected to the Fullerton City Council in November 2002.   He served as Mayor in 2004-05 and 2006-07. Nelson is a California native who was raised in Fullerton. The Sunny Hills High School graduate holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from USC, and a Juris Doctorate from Western State University College of Law. Councilmember Nelson was named the “Local Elected Official for 2009″ by the Orange County Republican Party.

Active in the community, Councilmember Nelson is a member of the Fullerton Elks Lodge, the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce, and the Orange County Bar Association. He is actively involved as a member of Zion Lutheran Church, is a sponsor and “Soccer Dad” for the Fullerton Rangers youth soccer club, and is head coach and a parent sponsor for Fullerton Pop Warner Football’s Junior Peewee Team.

“Shawn Nelson is a man of principle and a natural leader. Since Shawn joined the Fullerton City Council in 2002 I have watched him lead on issues of importance to the taxpayers in North Orange County including fiscal restraint, limited government, property rights and personal accountability. Shawn Nelson is the right person at the right time to take on the challenges facing the Orange County Board of Supervisors. I proudly endorse Shawn for the office of Orange County Supervisor 4th district.”

“I am honored to have the support of Chris Norby,” said Nelson.  “The results from last Tuesday’s election demonstrate the high regard that the people he represents have for Chris, and I hope to be able to carry on his work on behalf of taxpayers.”

Councilmember Shawn Nelson is a strong fiscal conservative who was elected to the Fullerton City Council in November 2002.   He served as Mayor in 2004-05 and 2006-07. Nelson is a California native who was raised in Fullerton. The Sunny Hills High School graduate holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from USC, and a Juris Doctorate from Western State University College of Law. Councilmember Nelson was named the “Local Elected Official for 2009″ by the Orange County Republican Party.

Active in the community, Councilmember Nelson is a member of the Fullerton Elks Lodge, the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce, and the Orange County Bar Association. He is actively involved as a member of Zion Lutheran Church, is a sponsor and “Soccer Dad” for the Fullerton Rangers youth soccer club, and is head coach and a parent sponsor for Fullerton Pop Warner Football’s Junior Peewee Team.