Orton’s statement won’t hit homes

Paul Clinton

State Assembly candidate Bill Orton has lost a battle with the county

clerk to have his statement sent to Democratic voters.

County elections officials informed Orton Tuesday that they would not

publish the statement. Earlier this week, County Registrar Rosalyn Lever

promised Orton she would order a supplemental mailing of his statement

after it was accidentally sent to Republican voters.

The reversal came after Lever’s office learned Orton was not eligible

for a published statement because he had not agreed to abide by voluntary

spending limits put in place by Proposition 34.

The initiative, passed on a 60% margin by voters in November 2000,

allows Assembly candidates who promise to spend less than $400,000 to buy

a ballot statement in the voters pamphlet of 250 words of less for

$2,800.

“If you do not accept the limit, you are not allowed to purchase that

ad,” Chief Deputy Registrar Steve Rodermund said. “Had the mistake been

ours, we were going to do the right thing and get it out to those who

needed to see it. Once we were notified by the Secretary of State, then

by law we could not offer him this and were not obligated to send out the

flier.”

Rodermund, however, did acknowledge that his office should not have

accepted the statement from Orton and published it in the Republican

pamphlet.

“How it got in the ballot, I don’t know,” he said. “We shouldn’t have

done it.”

The snafu was tipped off last month when the Orange County Registrar

of Voters accidentally published Orton’s statement in the voters’

pamphlet sent to Republican voters.

Orton is the sole opponent of Republican incumbent Tom Harman in the

race for the 67th District seat.

The candidate, who graduated from Edison High School, said he has been

troubled by the mishap with his ballot statement.

“It’s a tribulation,” Orton said. “I have to find my personal sense of

calmness. It bothers me.”

Orton said he has considered challenging Prop. 34 in court. He said he

was confused by the candidate intention statement, called a “501 form,”

where he refused the spending limits.

The snafu won’t hurt Orton because he doesn’t have any competition in

March from his own party, said Jim Toledano, the former chairman of the

Democratic Party of Orange County.

“What difference does it make when he’s unopposed,” Toledano said.

“Sure, they should give him his money back.”