Has Chris Norby Gone Nuts?

Steven Greenhut: There are few politicians I admire more than Assemblyman Chris Norby, the Fullerton Republican who has battled corporate welfare, stood up against abusive government agencies and championed pension reform. But then I saw a really crazy press release today from the Todd Spitzer campaign for supervisor. Norby endorsed Spitzer for the OC supe seat and was quoted: “I have known Todd for 20 years, since he first served as a school board member at Brea Olinda Unified where I taught high school. I have the utmost respect for his fiscally conservative principles and I look forward to working with him on behalf of our Orange County community.”

Spitzer is one of the least fiscally conservative Republicans around. He practically tripped all over himself as he retroactively increased pensions for deputy sheriffs. Spitzer only seems to take the pro-taxpayer argument, or the pro-civil liberties argument for that matter, after he stuck his finger in the wind and saw that his newfound position is blowing in the right direction. Even worse, he is a shameless demagogue.

Spitzer has functioned in the Assembly and previously on the board as the cat’s paw for the public sector unions, especially for police and fire unions. He has been a dedicated foe of the taxpayer where it really counts (pensions, light rail, prison spending, etc.) and an enemy of personal liberty, as one would expect from a full-on advocate of law enforcement unions. He in fact stands athwart most of the principles that Norby seems to have advocated in his career.

What’s up with that? I’ll try to find out.

FEB. 16, 2012