Friday, June 2015 - 10:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, June 15, 2018 - 07:40 p.m.
A couple June 5 election losses in San Bernardino County surprised political onlookers, who expected different results.
Obviously, the first is the ouster of 16-year District Attorney Mike Ramos. Voters, with their eyes now opened to Ramos’ years of countless shenanigans and abuses of power, decided it was time for a change and elected Jason Anderson.
The other loss is that of Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector Oscar Valdez.
Valdez had the deck stacked against him out of the gate, thanks to his initial campaign consultant.
It seems Valdez was hoodwinked by his predecessor, Dick Larsen, into using O.C.-based David Ellis as his advisor.
It was a move that cost him the election.
Ellis let Valdez’s challenger, Redlands-based CPA Enson Mason, buy up most of the slate voter guides, those cards that show up in the mailbox recommending whom to vote for.
In down ballot contests, such as Auditor-Controller, it’s a game changer. Add in a traditionally-low Latino voter primary election turnout, and Valdez lost.
A couple months ago, Valdez fired Ellis and hired Sacramento-based Chris Jones. But the damage was already done.
It also didn’t help Valdez’s cause when he used Larsen, who also endorsed Ramos, in an automated phone dialer call to voters.
Wanna jinx a campaign! Just use ‘Dick’ Larsen!
Larson is a dirtbag, plain and simple. Anyone associated with this creep is scum as well.
The fellow’s name is Larsen, Dick Larsen. His name uses the Norwegian spelling, ending in -en, not -on. I don’t have a particularly high opinion of him, and happen to think he was pretty derelict in his role as county treasurer, just as he made clear on a few occasions that he had a pretty low estimation of my talents as a journalist. Still, I’m not sure it is useful to refer to him as a scumbag.
If the shoe fits?
Dirtbag, Mark, dirtbag.
I didn’t vote for anyone who endorsed Ramos. Ramos was taken down in a furry like I’ve never seen. You are a scumbag if you use David Ellis.
Mark, the Norwegian spelling uses “on” the Swedish uses “en”. Dick Larsen must be Swedish.
So, Anonymous remains anonymous and still resorts to the personal attacks. Reveal who you are and then the attacks may have some significant furry meaning.
Pointing out that Dick Larsen is a dirtbag, isn’t really a personal attack. It is more like a statement of fact.
Dick Larsen is anything but a dirtbag. He cleaned up the treasurer’s office after the previous incumbent and investment officer went to jail. He was a straight-shooter who put the County Treasurer’s office on the right path and hiring honest people and the citizens of San Bernardino county should thank him.
Anybody who calls him a dirtbag doesn’t know him or anything about him.
Ok. How about hypocrite and scumbag!
Ask Little Dick about sleeping in his car when he thought the feds were going to pick him up. Yes, it was back in the aforementioned O’Donnell corruption days.
Sorry, but Larsen was abusing the county credit cards the same time O’Donnell was. @10 is absolutely correct. Larsen was an untrustworthy POS, just ask Mark Mathers and others that actually worked there under that tiny Napoleon.
9, you truly are clueless. People that were THERE at the time recall everything DirtBag Larsen did. He belonged in jail then and just barely escaped federal,prosecution. Ask him if HE thought they were going to arrest him? Go on, ask him!