Disclaimer: This is the opinion of Aaron F Park as an individual, and does not Represent any group I am affiliated with.
John Allard is a Conservative, and always has been.
Bonnie Gore the same.
I have known John Allard since about 2008 and I knew Bonnie Mertus when she worked for Rico Oller, first meeting her 17 years ago. The relationships go back a long way. Both have been remarkably consistent and as such are desperately needed on the Roseville City Council. They both have had my endorsement for a long time.
This election cycle finds me supporting two Democrats and two independents across all the local offices and actually voting for the two dems. That brings my lifetime total to 4 dems and two independents.
The Roseville Chamber of Commerce is ardently opposed to Scott Alvord and also made a baffling endorsement of Richard Roccucci.
I have known Phil Ozenick as long as I have known Bonnie Gore and much longer than I have known John Allard. I have seen firsthand, Ozenick campaigning for liberal democrats over Republicans in one-on-one races… including in 2012 when he was walking precincts against Kirk Uhler and stealing his signs. I caught him on camera posting signs for Rene Aguilera in 2014, a man who is widely reviled in Roseville. And as I was typing this, he is out removing Julie Hirota and Andrew Tagg signs and putting Aguilera signs in their place.
Mr. Ozenick is also 92 years old. He should be writing his memoirs not running for office. His life story is amazing, even when he is not embellishing it. I’d buy a copy of his book!
I like the old man, I really do despite him trying to wipe out Kirk Uhler – but he has opposed progress in Roseville since the day my family came here in 1997. I’ve also yet to see him really do much if anything to help elect any Republicans running for office.
Richard Roccucci is a liberal democrat, easily to the left of Scott Alvord ( who actually is a dem). Seeing the endorsements Roccucci got from groups that normally opposed him gave me severe pause. I have theories as to what happened that I will share at a time of my choosing.
Pictured here is Roccucci a “Republican” with Rene Aggielairuh and other Local Dem Leaders at a Richard Pan reception.
For those of you living under a rock – Richard Pan beat Andy Pugno for Assembly, stealing a GOP seat (that is still in the hands of Ken Cooley) in 2010. Pan is also the author of the nazi forced vaccination bill and Roccucci helped him in to office with Rene Aguilera.
If you don’t believe me, look at the second photo of Roccucci with Chief Ganja Jack Duran, Rene Aguilera and the aforementioned Richard Pan.
At least Scott Alvord is honest about his political allegiance while Mr Ozeinck and Roccucci are not. I give Alvord hell over his support of Hitlary Clintion while I have no doubt that Ozenick and Roccucci are voting for her while being registered Republicans.
Scott Alvord supported expanding the Galleria. Scott Alvord supported building the Fountains. Neither “Republican” Roccucci or Ozenick did, as they are both famous NIMBY’s. Yet, somehow business groups are supporting Richard Roccucci now?
While a lot of people I respect have coalesced behind Roccucci, I can’t. I have done professionally what I was hired to do without complaint, and when called upon to help local business groups I will do so again in the future. These are good people that made a bad choice.
I know Richard Roccucci is a “nice guy”. I get that, he was very warm and friendly when I saw him at an event for a client who withdrew from the Council Race. Should Roccucci get elected, I am sure the other council-members will be able to work with him to try to get him to come along on a few things. I don’t dislike Roccucci, I disagree with him a lot as he is a liberal democrat that is a registered Republican.
(Roccucci was also central in getting the League of Placer County Taxpayers fined $5000 by the FPPC in a past election over a paperwork snafu. That would be the same League that is supporting him today at the behest of Roccucci’s sudden business group suitors.)
Scott Alvord? The same business groups dislike him a lot, I am not sure what the issue is beyond personality. My issue with Scott Alvord is that he is on the endorsement list of every democrat running for local office (and President) and I see him endorsing few, if any of the Republicans. This is a problem for me.
For me – I agree with Allard and Gore 90% of the time, I agree with Alvord 50%, Roccucci and Ozenick 10%. Since there are 5 people running for three seats – there is the scorecard.