So 11332 people in my city voted for a nutjob who was arrested for stealing ketchup
- Thread starter Mark Wein
- Start date
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Rocco_(politician)
Orange Unified School District's Board of Education
In 2004, Rocco ran for the Board of Education of the Orange Unified School District, a California school district that has a budget of $230 million and serves over 32,000 students at 42 schools.[1] After filing his candidacy, Rocco ignored mail from district officials and the teacher's union.[1] The local Parent-Teacher Association sent him an invitation to a candidate forum, but the letter was mailed back, unopened.[1] On the ballot, Rocco identified himself as a writer and educator.[1] Rocco was up against local park ranger Phil Martinez, who had three children in the district, and was an active volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America.[1] Surprisingly, on November 4, 2004, the mysterious Rocco won 54% of the vote, beating Martinez.[1] News of Rocco's victory ran in the New York Post, Ottawa Citizen, and USA Today.[2] Paul Pruss, a middle school teacher and president of the local teacher's union, said in an interview with USA Today that "nobody has seen this guy", and called the election bizarre.[1]
Many thought that Rocco wouldn't show up for his December 6 trustee swearing-in ceremony. However, soon after the election, a man identifying himself as Rocco called KPCC-FM, a public radio station based in Pasadena, California, and promised that he'd be present at the ceremony.[2] Rocco did show up, and became well-known for always dressing in black, wearing shades and knit caps, and never willingly allowing himself to be photographed.[4][5] Some parents claim that Rocco wasted time during meetings by giving long speeches about his parents' medical issues, charter schools, credit unions, and a group of politicians, business leaders, and education officials that Rocco calls "The Partnership", which he claims are taking over the United States.[6][7] Rocco alleged that the "Partnership" tried to kill him for speaking out against them. In his autobiography he also revealed that he weighs 140 pounds, and was a camp counselor in Northern California in 1979.[7]
[edit] Recall attempt
On June 28, 2007, "The Committee to Recall Steve Rocco" filed a notice to circulate a petition to recall Rocco. The petition notice stated that "Mr. Rocco refuses to participate in closed session meetings, refuses to vote on most issues". Rocco filed a response with the Registrar of Voters Office, where he alleged that the attempt to remove him was due to cronyism and nepotism. To get a recall vote on the ballot, the committee needed to collect signatures of 11,097 voters, which was 10 percent of all registered voters in the Orange Unified School District. The committee, led by area parent Teri Rasmussen, originally planned to garner enough signatures by December 5 to put the item on Orange County's June 2008 ballot. The committee then decided to try to get the required signatures by September 21 to put the recall vote on the February 2008 ballot. However on the September 21 deadline, only about 5,000 had been gathered, and the timetable was pushed back. The committee still didn't have the required signatures by December 5, so the attempt to remove Rocco was abandoned.[8]
After the failed recall effort, Fred Smoller, an associate professor of political science, began to produce a documentary, titled Rocco The Vote, about Rocco's election and the attempt to remove him from the board. Other producers included Jay Boylan, Brenda Brkusic, Ed Miskevich, and Janet English.[9] On October 31, 2008, KOCE-TV Public Television premiered the 24-minute Rocco The Vote.[10] Smoller also posted video clips of Steve Rocco speaking on YouTube. In an interview, Smoller said that "The YouTube website has 41,000 hits, but, unfortunately, that is from a large group of people who are convinced that Rocco is Andy Kaufman. Others think Rocco is cool because he is giving it [to] the 'man!', but I think there is a big difference between his incoherent rants and effective challenges to authority."[11]
[edit] Board censures Rocco
On October 12, a vote was held on a resolution to censure Rocco, and was passed by vote of 5 to 2.[12] Rocco responded by calling the resolution "censorship", and claimed that he had "tried to bring up the issues people are not willing to bring up".[12] Rocco, with assistance from Richard McKee, president of the California First Amendment Coalition, sued the Orange Unified School District, but lost the case and was ordered to pay $37,000 in legal fees.[13]
Rocco was redistricted out of his Trustee Area into another board member's Trustee Area, and did not move to the new district. Thus, he failed to run for reelection.[14]
[edit] Santa Ana City Council run
On July 14, 2008, Rocco pulled filing documents to run for Santa Ana city council against incumbent Carlos Bustamante.[14] On the candidate worksheet he turned in, Rocco claimed that his occupation was to "Prevent the further incursion of PARTNERSHIP/ORGANIZED CRIME into the OUSD, as represented by MEXICAN MAFIA... their CAUCASION PUPPETMASTERS...JUDICIAL MISCREANTS... REGISTER...Law Enforcement".[5] Rocco also listed several local Latino politicians as members of the "Mexican Mafia", and other white politicians and business leaders as their "Caucasian Puppetmasters".[5]
After the final election results were tallied, incumbent Carlos Bustamante had won less than fifty percent of the vote, but that still was enough to beat blogger Art Pedroza who had nineteen percent, and Rocco with eighteen.[8]
[edit] Ketchup theft and arrest
On September 29, 2008, Rocco was arrested, detained, and charged with stealing a bottle of Heinz ketchup from the cafeteria of Chapman University at 10:30 a.m.[4] According to Sgt. Dan Adams of the Orange Police Department, "One of the security guards saw [Rocco] take a 14-ounce bottle of ketchup off of one of the tables. [Rocco] concealed it and started to ride away on a bike".[4] Police said that Rocco was "cooperative", but faces a possible $250 fine for the theft and up to 45 days in jail.[4][7]
Fred Smoller said in an interview, that Rocco may have been looking for him.[15] Smoller said that Rocco "started coming to the school asking about [Smoller]. [Rocco's] presence was of concern to some people who had seen [Rocco]."[15]
On April 16th, 2009, a jury convicted Steve Rocco of stealing a half-full bottle of ketchup from a Chapman University cafeteria. Rocco refused to comment on his way out of the courtroom except to say, "This is not over". A spokeswoman for the Orange County District Attorney's Office said they will recommend probation. Rocco could have avoided a conviction altogether, if he had simply made an agreement with authorities to keep away from the university. Instead he insisted on a jury trial. At an informal press conference held at Hart Park in Orange, Rocco accused Professor Smoller and Chapman University President Jim Doti of conspiring to have him killed. Rocco said that an unknown man named "Vanover" was hired by Smoller/Doti to do him in. [16]
Orange Unified School District's Board of Education
In 2004, Rocco ran for the Board of Education of the Orange Unified School District, a California school district that has a budget of $230 million and serves over 32,000 students at 42 schools.[1] After filing his candidacy, Rocco ignored mail from district officials and the teacher's union.[1] The local Parent-Teacher Association sent him an invitation to a candidate forum, but the letter was mailed back, unopened.[1] On the ballot, Rocco identified himself as a writer and educator.[1] Rocco was up against local park ranger Phil Martinez, who had three children in the district, and was an active volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America.[1] Surprisingly, on November 4, 2004, the mysterious Rocco won 54% of the vote, beating Martinez.[1] News of Rocco's victory ran in the New York Post, Ottawa Citizen, and USA Today.[2] Paul Pruss, a middle school teacher and president of the local teacher's union, said in an interview with USA Today that "nobody has seen this guy", and called the election bizarre.[1]
Many thought that Rocco wouldn't show up for his December 6 trustee swearing-in ceremony. However, soon after the election, a man identifying himself as Rocco called KPCC-FM, a public radio station based in Pasadena, California, and promised that he'd be present at the ceremony.[2] Rocco did show up, and became well-known for always dressing in black, wearing shades and knit caps, and never willingly allowing himself to be photographed.[4][5] Some parents claim that Rocco wasted time during meetings by giving long speeches about his parents' medical issues, charter schools, credit unions, and a group of politicians, business leaders, and education officials that Rocco calls "The Partnership", which he claims are taking over the United States.[6][7] Rocco alleged that the "Partnership" tried to kill him for speaking out against them. In his autobiography he also revealed that he weighs 140 pounds, and was a camp counselor in Northern California in 1979.[7]
[edit] Recall attempt
On June 28, 2007, "The Committee to Recall Steve Rocco" filed a notice to circulate a petition to recall Rocco. The petition notice stated that "Mr. Rocco refuses to participate in closed session meetings, refuses to vote on most issues". Rocco filed a response with the Registrar of Voters Office, where he alleged that the attempt to remove him was due to cronyism and nepotism. To get a recall vote on the ballot, the committee needed to collect signatures of 11,097 voters, which was 10 percent of all registered voters in the Orange Unified School District. The committee, led by area parent Teri Rasmussen, originally planned to garner enough signatures by December 5 to put the item on Orange County's June 2008 ballot. The committee then decided to try to get the required signatures by September 21 to put the recall vote on the February 2008 ballot. However on the September 21 deadline, only about 5,000 had been gathered, and the timetable was pushed back. The committee still didn't have the required signatures by December 5, so the attempt to remove Rocco was abandoned.[8]
After the failed recall effort, Fred Smoller, an associate professor of political science, began to produce a documentary, titled Rocco The Vote, about Rocco's election and the attempt to remove him from the board. Other producers included Jay Boylan, Brenda Brkusic, Ed Miskevich, and Janet English.[9] On October 31, 2008, KOCE-TV Public Television premiered the 24-minute Rocco The Vote.[10] Smoller also posted video clips of Steve Rocco speaking on YouTube. In an interview, Smoller said that "The YouTube website has 41,000 hits, but, unfortunately, that is from a large group of people who are convinced that Rocco is Andy Kaufman. Others think Rocco is cool because he is giving it [to] the 'man!', but I think there is a big difference between his incoherent rants and effective challenges to authority."[11]
[edit] Board censures Rocco
On October 12, a vote was held on a resolution to censure Rocco, and was passed by vote of 5 to 2.[12] Rocco responded by calling the resolution "censorship", and claimed that he had "tried to bring up the issues people are not willing to bring up".[12] Rocco, with assistance from Richard McKee, president of the California First Amendment Coalition, sued the Orange Unified School District, but lost the case and was ordered to pay $37,000 in legal fees.[13]
Rocco was redistricted out of his Trustee Area into another board member's Trustee Area, and did not move to the new district. Thus, he failed to run for reelection.[14]
[edit] Santa Ana City Council run
On July 14, 2008, Rocco pulled filing documents to run for Santa Ana city council against incumbent Carlos Bustamante.[14] On the candidate worksheet he turned in, Rocco claimed that his occupation was to "Prevent the further incursion of PARTNERSHIP/ORGANIZED CRIME into the OUSD, as represented by MEXICAN MAFIA... their CAUCASION PUPPETMASTERS...JUDICIAL MISCREANTS... REGISTER...Law Enforcement".[5] Rocco also listed several local Latino politicians as members of the "Mexican Mafia", and other white politicians and business leaders as their "Caucasian Puppetmasters".[5]
After the final election results were tallied, incumbent Carlos Bustamante had won less than fifty percent of the vote, but that still was enough to beat blogger Art Pedroza who had nineteen percent, and Rocco with eighteen.[8]
[edit] Ketchup theft and arrest
On September 29, 2008, Rocco was arrested, detained, and charged with stealing a bottle of Heinz ketchup from the cafeteria of Chapman University at 10:30 a.m.[4] According to Sgt. Dan Adams of the Orange Police Department, "One of the security guards saw [Rocco] take a 14-ounce bottle of ketchup off of one of the tables. [Rocco] concealed it and started to ride away on a bike".[4] Police said that Rocco was "cooperative", but faces a possible $250 fine for the theft and up to 45 days in jail.[4][7]
Fred Smoller said in an interview, that Rocco may have been looking for him.[15] Smoller said that Rocco "started coming to the school asking about [Smoller]. [Rocco's] presence was of concern to some people who had seen [Rocco]."[15]
On April 16th, 2009, a jury convicted Steve Rocco of stealing a half-full bottle of ketchup from a Chapman University cafeteria. Rocco refused to comment on his way out of the courtroom except to say, "This is not over". A spokeswoman for the Orange County District Attorney's Office said they will recommend probation. Rocco could have avoided a conviction altogether, if he had simply made an agreement with authorities to keep away from the university. Instead he insisted on a jury trial. At an informal press conference held at Hart Park in Orange, Rocco accused Professor Smoller and Chapman University President Jim Doti of conspiring to have him killed. Rocco said that an unknown man named "Vanover" was hired by Smoller/Doti to do him in. [16]
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mattburnside
***hole. Major ***hole.
I went to a McDonald's in teh UK and had to pay for ketchup packets. In AmericaLand, McDonald's ketchup is free and plentiful. Free ketchup is our god-given right. This man struck a blow for freeberty.
Denverdave
Resident Ragamuffin
On the other hand, our keyboard player got 54% of the vote if they can get a recall going in his district:
Candidates to succeed Ken Maddox as Governing Board Member if he is recalled.
Precincts reporting
247 of 247
Name
Votes%
GARY PRITCHARD
3060554.5PAUL HEBBARD
1496226.6GARY V. MILLER
1059918.9
Candidates to succeed Ken Maddox as Governing Board Member if he is recalled.
Precincts reporting
247 of 247
Name
Votes%
GARY PRITCHARD
3060554.5PAUL HEBBARD
1496226.6GARY V. MILLER
1059918.9
huskerdude
Not Rocket Appliances
I was thinking that this was to get him ionto the board but I guess they also need to stage a recal, too? we'll see how it goes...they have a hugely messed up deal down there with the school board..
baimun
Funkasaurus Rex
Just so you know John... while you annoyed me at first when you came to the forum with all the "semi-solid" stuff about your guitar....
... I have to say that your excentricity has grown on me and I enjoy seeing you around here. Sorry about your election but hope you enjoy this forum and the good natured ribbing we do with each other. Rock on.
... I have to say that your excentricity has grown on me and I enjoy seeing you around here. Sorry about your election but hope you enjoy this forum and the good natured ribbing we do with each other. Rock on.
12Pack
Dyslexic b00n
... I have to say that your excentricity has grown on me and I enjoy seeing you around here. Sorry about your election but hope you enjoy this forum Rock on.
This.
Help!I'maRock!
Mediocringly Derivative
so we're allowed to talk politics now?
Not really. Kind of hard not to with the election and everyone has been cool so I figured I'd give it a pass. Plus, this isn't as much about politics as it is Californians being idiots
John Watt
Banned
What I'm about as a protest candidate is the secret society of crime that dominates this city.
That's not politics, just crime.
Too bad my invention, the semi-solid-body, didn't take off as much as it could, online.
But it's going to be out there for real, very, very soon, and I'll be playing it.
Now that I'm more in tune, more experienced, with online, I semi-apologize for my insistent use.
And reality is calling me more, now.
Besides, what you call eccentricity is just some left-over 1970's, put your head through spaciness.
Even if crowd surfing became where it's at, when I'm up onstage, I still like to trip over you.
That's not politics, just crime.
Too bad my invention, the semi-solid-body, didn't take off as much as it could, online.
But it's going to be out there for real, very, very soon, and I'll be playing it.
Now that I'm more in tune, more experienced, with online, I semi-apologize for my insistent use.
And reality is calling me more, now.
Besides, what you call eccentricity is just some left-over 1970's, put your head through spaciness.
Even if crowd surfing became where it's at, when I'm up onstage, I still like to trip over you.
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