The battle over KOCE has been joined by prominent lobbyists, including OC Republican Party Chairman Scott Baugh on the side of Texas televangelist Daystar. In a partisan vote,Democrats for, Republicans against,state lawmakers recently passed a bill that permits Coast Community College District to bypass a higher bid from Daystar and sell KOCE to the public television station’s support group, the KOCE Foundation. Minority Republicans voiced concern that the foundation deal would shortchange students and taxpayers; majority Democrats said the district should be able to factor in the station’s public service. Behind the rhetoric was unusually fierce lobbying even by the Legislature’s end-of-session standards. Daystar retained Darius Anderson’s Platinum Advisors to oppose the bill; Baugh, who works with Platinum, helped to deliver the GOP delegation, including OC lawmakers usually sympathetic to KOCE. The Insider notes that Baugh buddies in the conservative blogosphere also weighed in for Daystar. “I haven’t seen him (Baugh) that motivated on anything,” said George Urch, top aide to the bill’s introducer, Assemblyman Tom Umberg, D-Anaheim. The college district has its own lobbying firepower,Chris Townsend, whose Irvine firm helped to hold the Democratic majority. The game’s not over: Gov. Arnold, famous for his alternating alliances, has until the end of the month to sign or veto the bill. To help lobby the governor, the college district also has retained Schwarzenegger-friendly GOP lobbyist Jim Brulte of California Strategies …
Many conservatives find fault with public television in general and with the KOCE sale in particular. But Baugh’s actions against the hometown station still have raised eyebrows. KOCE provides the only daily TV coverage of OC and it has the support of many local Republican office holders and donors; GOP stalwart Jo Ellen Allen chairs the KOCE Foundation. Said Anaheim’s Republican Mayor Curt Pringle: “I don’t think that government’s primary purpose is to sell off its assets to the highest bidder for a one-time infusion of cash.” Disclosure: EE RR hosts “Inside OC” on KOCE and Anaheim is one of the show’s sponsors …
Orange Chamber of Commerce CEO Barbara deBoom is ending seven years of commuting from her weekend home in Rancho Mirage,she’s taking the same job with Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce. Hubbie Jim, who advises associations, will continue to spend time at his Orange office …
Who has license plate OCSUP3? Bill Campbell, of course …
Pat Douglass is two people. He’s the UCI basketball coach, she’s VP of government relations for Pacific Life.
