Busy Baugh Irks Competing Lobbyists; Stein’s Mallorca Hotel
OC Insider
by Rick Reiff
Former Assembly Republican leader Scott Baugh has been making rain for Manatt, Phelps & Phillips since joining the influential law firm in January 2001,a little too much rain, according to some competing lobbyists who are discreetly complaining to OC supervisors. A Baugh client, Diebold Election Systems, is one of three finalists for the county’s roughly $30 million contract to install touch-screen voting machines by the 2004 elections. Some observers say Diebold has the inside track, inasmuch as Baugh has been the county’s own $20,000-a-month lobbyist for close to a year and was instrumental in securing state funds for new voting machines. To that end, Baugh took Registrar of Voters Rosalyn Lever to see key people in Sacramento; now she’s overseeing the bids. But the choice belongs to the supes, who are hearing complaints that while Baugh’s representation of Diebold may be legal, it’s at least inappropriate; Dennis Carpenter never put other clients into the county mix during 21 years as the supervisors’ lobbyist, the Insider is told. Deputy registrar Steve Rodermund said, “I can tell you in all confidence that what is recommended to the board will not in any way be influenced by Scott Baugh.” Baugh said he concurred with Rodermund and noted that lobbyists are prohibited from contacting staff during the bid review …
The OC Register has laid off 10 IT workers in a back-office consolidation that is part of Freedom Communications’ on-going profit push …
Twenty-five Great Chefs of Orange County do the cooking Oct. 20 at Sutton Place Hotel, benefiting the National Kidney Foundation of Southern California. Call (310) 641-8152 …
OCBJ world update: “I’m in Kyrgyzstan installing an independent printing press,” e-mailed Mike Stone, editor 1989-90. Former reporter Roger Yu has moved from Dow Jones’ Seoul, South Korea, bureau to join the Dallas Morning News. Former staffer David Mushegain sent a hello from Paris saying he’d be in Hollywood this week to open his “Still Lives” photo exhibit …
Summer vacations: Gloria Zigner and Irv Goldberg took an Iberian cruise aboard Silversea’s 600-foot-long Silver Whisper. They visited former OC developer David Stein at his Gran Hotel Son Net on Mallorca, and met two other ship passengers from OC, Pat and Gary Wescombe. Art Barrett, editor of Martin Brower’s Orange County Report, played Oakland Hills CC in Michigan. “Hogan was right. It is a ‘monster'” …
When Jenaro Torres was honored as OCTA’s employee of the month, it was noted that he bungee jumps and skydives, prompting OCTA chairman Tim Keenan to quip, “You mean bus driving doesn’t provide enough thrills?” …
Donald Bren is the wealthiest landlord, according to the recent Forbes rich list, ahead of Leona Helmsley, Donald Trump, Sam Zell, et al. …
Irvine real estate consultant John Burns says an estimated 36,240 OC residents have turned or will turn 50 in 2002. So there are still people out there to nominate for a mention in this column …
Timely OC license plate: RLYMNKY. And EE RR likes this one: RR PHAN.
