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OC Sheriff will send sunshine ambassadors to Canada
December 16th, 2008, 6:30 am · 25 Comments · posted by Teri Sforza, Register staff writer
(Vote! Should the county send the sunshine ambassadors?)
As the jobs of hundreds of county social workers dangle by a thread, five Sheriff’s deputies and one Supervisor’s rep will head to Canada next month to be Sunshine ambassadors.
“The Sheriff-Coroner requests authorization for five Department members and one member from the Board of Supervisors to travel to Canada as goodwill ambassadors to meet with officials of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Sunshine Foundation of Canada,” the agenda report says.
To be perfectly fair, the county will not pay their travel expenses - that’s picked up by the children’s charity that invited them and its sponsors. (Um, might that money be better spent directly on kids?)
The county will, however, pay the salaries for five people for four work days (Jan. 26 through 29) as they spread international good will. That would cost thousands of dollars. (The good news: The Sheriff promises that “the positions will not be backfilled by the use of overtime.”)
It’s a little item on today’s consent calendar - home for small-potatoes, non-controversial items that the Orange County Board of Supervisors can approve en masse. And they did so this morning. Given the current state of affairs, we anticipate this sunshine thing may not be greeted, er, warmly.
The request continues thusly:
“The Sunshine Foundation of Canada, assisted by its commuity partners, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, makes dreams come true for children challenged by severe physical disabilities or life-threatening illnesses. Every year for the past 19 years, the Sunshine Foundation’s “Dreamlift” program has fulfilled the dreams of critically ill or disabled children by sponsoring a trip to Disneyland or Walt Disney World for groups of these children from their region….
“Once the children arrive in Orange County, California, they are greeted by members of the Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Department who volunteer their time to escort these special children throughout Disneyland. Transportation to Disneyland and the return trip back to the airport is provided by the Saddleback Valley Unified School District at no cost to the County. The Disneyland tickets for Sheriff’s personnel are funded by the Sheriff’s Advisory Council in partnership with the Sunshine Foundation of Canada. The tickets for the “Dreamlift” children and Sunshine Foundation personnel are funded by the Sunshine Foundation of Canada. This year’s trip to Orange County will occur in December 2008.
“Each year, the Sunshine Foundation of Canada and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police invite members of the Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Department to attend events with them in Canada to assist in promoting the trip to Disneyland. This year, the Sunshine Foundation of Canada
and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have invited five members of the Sheriff-Coroner Department and one member from the Board of Supervisors to travel to Canada to meet with officials of both organizations to recognize the County of Orange and the Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Department and to strengthen the international connection between Orange County, California and Canada.
“The “Dreamlift” program results in significant positive community interaction and will be covered by local/national television, radio and newspapers from both the Canadian and local media. It is anticipated that this proposed trip to Canada will also result in positive coverage for Orange County.
“The travel costs for County personnel will be paid for entirely by the Sunshine Foundation’s corporate sponsors. If approved by the Board, it is projected that one Captain, one Lieutenant, two Investigators, one Deputy, and one member of the Board of Supervisors will travel to Canada as Orange County goodwill ambassadors, and to promote the spirit of cooperation within the international law enforcement community….
“These County employees’ positions will not be backfilled by the use of overtime.”
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Let’s see:
According to the Sheriff’s own website, Part 1 crimes (the most violent, including homicide, forcible rape, armed robbery, etc.) are up from last year for 4 of the 5 months since she’s been in office. She’s done nothing to address the situation in the jails, wasted hundreds of thousands of department dollars revoking CCW permits (only to un-revoke them later after getting her comeuppance at the November BOS meeting), destroyed department morale, and generally destabilized law and order in what used to be one of the safest and most desirable places in the nation.
Ah, heck - at least we have “Sunshine Ambassadors”! A girl’s got to have her priorities, you know…
These a-holes make so much money that they could care less about the workers being laid off!!! what in thwe world are they thinking??!!!!
The Sheriff is spending money like it is going out of style. If she like s the project, she spends the money. She does not cares about the layoffs.
Overtime is going through the roof!
When will this nonsense end !
new furniture ,vacations ,agencies in court , some just not doing a good job , next to layoffs
people suffering and dying in the road
lets see.
LET’S go for the furniture and vacations.
LET’S, those of us that can , pretend.
When will this nonsense end !
new furniture ,vacations ,agencies in court , some just not doing a good job , next to layoffs
people suffering and dying in the road
lets see.
LET’S go for the furniture and vacations.
LET’S, those of us that can , pretend.
Shiny Happy People holding hands…… Come on Sheriff. Judging dog contests? Sunshine ambassadors? Paying their salaries and paying others overtime to work their shifts while they are gone? I thought one of the issues you were going to look at when you were given that office was the overtime? Just who sets your priority list? Is it the three year old down the street?
Who is the member from the Board of Supervisors that is going? They should be ashamed of themselves.
“Once the children arrive in Orange County, California, they are greeted by members of the Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Department who volunteer their time to escort these special children throughout Disneyland.
No duty pay?…vacation days?…overtime?
If approved by the Board, it is projected that one Captain, one Lieutenant, two Investigators, one Deputy, and one member of the Board of Supervisors.
The captain is in charge and will keep an eye on everyone. The lieutenant is second in command, and will keep an eye on the captain. One investigator will be tasked with keeping an eye on the captain, with out the knowledge of the lieutenant. The other investigator will be assigned to keeping an eye on the lieutenant without the knowledge of the captain. The deputy will be carrying the captain’s, lieutenant’s and investigator’s bags. However, the deputies union insists the rep from the board of supervisors carry their own bag. The board of supervisors rep will keep an eye on all the above and ensure no alcohol is comsumed and a 10:00 p.m. curfew and bed check.
They will travel to Canada as Orange County goodwill ambassadors, and to promote the spirit of cooperation within the international law enforcement community. How exactly do you promote the spirit of cooperation within the international law enforcement community? Is there a manual or instruction book?
We can’t even promote the spirit of cooperation between the sheriff, the deputies union and the board of supervisors. How about the money being used to have a picnic with the supes, sheriff and union. They can sit in a circle and sing Cumbia.
It’s cloudy with a temperature of 19F degrees, but feels like 9F degrees in Ontario Canada. I say send them…in bermuda shorts
Why do they need to get paid? They should show OC taxpayers “goodwill” by using their own vacation time. At the VERY least the OC Supervisor should use their own time. Those people will use that trip to improve their political/professional image anyway!!!!
Hey OC what about the kids right here that need help or a trip to DLand. I am sure their are children in OC that have never gone to DLand, that are just as deserving as the Candians…With all that is going on, they should be helping here.
Why can’t they use their own time? How can you say it is a goodwill if you are getting paid for it? Shame on all of you!
Better idea…why don’t you take a work furlough for that trip?
Get a life.
I would bet an entire pot of gold that campbell or bates will be the supervisor going on this all expenses paid trip. If I had to choose between the two? campbell, hands down.
Now that’s top down leadership! The point is to be charitable and senior management take a junket to be lauded with thanks and praise. Real nice.
Nice job Sheriff. Your priorities are so misplaced. BTW, thanks for driving down from L.A. to visit us poor folks. 2010 is looking more and more like a very good year.
The article quotes “The Sheriff-Coroner requests authorization for five Department members and one member from the Board of Supervisors to travel to Canada as goodwill ambassadors to meet with officials of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Sunshine Foundation of Canada”
I’m disappointed to find that the newly appointed Sheriff-Coroner Sandra Hutchens is insisting that a junket to Canada for five full-time deputies doesn’t count during the County’s fiscal belt-tightening.
It makes me wonder, what else has she already been wasting money on?
Sheriff Sandra Hutchens: willing to spend your money.instead of her own. That’s a good motto to remember when she runs for election just two years away. Maybe the Board of Supervisors made a mistake in appointing her as interim Sheriff.
Priority #1- Send Sunshine Ambassadors to Canada.
Priority #2- Enter Hillman’s Devil’s food cake recipe in pillsbury bake off… Take home the gold!
Priority #3- Paint entire vehicle pool new department colors- Pink and Blue
Priority #4- Send Sunshine Ambassadors to Paris France and the Monaco Film Festival.
Priority #5- Investigate abuses at the Jai…. No wait… Hire Feng Shui consultant to redecorate the Morgue.
Ten bucks says 3 of the 5 “ambassadors” are grossly overweight and hardly the poster person of what taxpayers expect to be the face or beltline of OC law enforcement.
Those attending should do so of their our accord. In other words; use your vacation time to go on a freebie vacation. To pay them in an official duty status is FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE.
The bottom line is the office of sheriff no longer serves a useful purpose in urban southern california. With so little open space left in OC open to the public, unincorporated areas in OC can easily be covered by local agencies in coordination with local marshalls or constables which are more atune to the needs of local residents. THIS WOULD SAVE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM BEING SWALLOWED BY THE BLACKHOLE OF THE OC SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT. NOT TO MENTION THE REDICULOUS PAY AND OVERLY GENEROUS BENEFITS AND RETIREMENT.
Dear Sheriff,
It’s simple…You let us keep our guns (i.e., CCW’s), then you get to stay mounted wearing the Red Coat.
Maybe she should consider a call out to PSRs to volunteer for this.
No cost to the department or the county.
Btw, the Snowball Express, an organization that brings the children of fallen soldiers to SoCal to visit Micky, Universal etc. has 2000 children arriving today. All done with VOLUNTEERS!!!
This Sheriff is so out of touch with our economy it is not even funny any more. We are facing reduced county revenues and she wants to attend this boondoggle?
Someone needs to explain to her this is not LA or Cook county..
Considering the economy, doesn’t the OC Sheriff realize that warm-fuzzy activities are probably a good thing to cut? This is just stupid.
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This is a boondoggle. Albeit a great Canadian organization that does wonderful things. Our county supervisors were elected to take care of things at Orange County not on foreign junkets -thats what the State Department is for. As for a Capt, Lieutenant, detective, and deputy, they need to be here enforcing the county laws and drawing thier precious overtime, not getting a paid vacation. Maybe they should send one or two of the Civilian Professional volunteers instead.