Posted on Red County blog: http://redcounty.com/content/brea-fire-union-endorsed-candidates-endorse-each-other
By James Callender 9/22/10 1:35 PM EST
As mentioned in a previous Red County post, the Brea Firefighters Association (aka, Brea Fire Union) is looking to stack the Brea City Council with union “friendly” candidates (aka, those that want to outsource the Brea Fire Department to OCFA). It was learned today that Fire Union-endorsed candidates Ric Clough and Mayor Pro Tem Roy Moore mutually endorsed each other—creating an informal slate (to go along with the “Clough/Moore” signs popping up all over Brea).
It is curious that Moore (now running for his fourth term, even though when he first ran in 1998, it was under an “eight [years] is enough” platform) has endorsed Clough (see Clough’s “supporters” page on his website, which also includes Brea Fire Union steward Dan Gibson).. No one seems to remember a time where Moore has endorsed another city council candidate, much less when he is running in a race for re-election. Moore, generally seen as independent from the fray, seems to be clearly towing a union line to get Clough onto the city council—tipping the scales toward their play to go to the OCFA.
High StakesTo get Moore to endorse his own challenger – Ric Clough -- when he has never done so before, it seems the Brea Fire Union has something over Roy (e.g., free signs, free mail, continued stipends on the Vector Control Board, etc.). Perhaps Republican Roy Moore subscribes to the Brea Fire Union agenda on purely pro-union grounds (e.g. he doesn’t think there are enough six-figure firefighters working the “overtime game”). It’s hard to say. For Clough, his endorsement of Roy Moore must be his heartfelt belief that Councilmember Roy Moore is doing a stellar job on the city council, so much so that Brea residents should elect him to a FOURTH term—“un-change” that you can believe in, right?
More news from little ole Brea shall surely follow. In the meantime, I certainly hope that the Fire Union doesn’t sensationalize any medical emergency tragedies over the next 40 days…claiming that fictional lower service levels are the cause from some poor Brea resident that succumbs a life-ending malady. Frankly, that would be sick.
