With so much cash in his campaign funds, no opposition in the primaries, and with full expectation to win the general easily, Assemblyman Van Tran is giving away money left and right.
In contrast, Van’s opponent in December Ken Arnold (whose wife is Vietnamese, by the way) has raised a total of $2,812.08 and has a current balance of $684.29.
Now in his second term, Van Tran is enoying his incumbency and has successfully translated it into campaign contribution from all the usual PACs. All that money ought to go somewhere, and since Tran is not really campaigning, he gave it away.
Dina Nguyen was an early and big-time beneficiary. In March of this year, Van Tran contributed a whopping $20,000 into Dina’s past city council campaign. “It’s a debt-retirement contribution,” Van Tran explained to the Bolsavik.
Truong Diep, Van’s staffer, received $10,000 toward his current campaign for Westminster City Council. Kermit Marsh, whose judicial campaign cleared the way for Diep to get into the Westminster City Council, received $500 in his judgeship race.
Even one non-candidate benefited. Tri Ta, the Westminster City Councilman who’s not running for anything, in March received a $5,000 contribution.
“It’s to pay for loans my campaign incurred,” Ta told the Bolsavik. “I held a debt-retirement fundraiser six months ago and Van helped out.”
Help out Van did again in May, just when the primary was heating up, with a $500 contribution. And then just this month Tri Ta received another $250.
Campaign spending by Van includes several slate mailers. Now, the Bolsavik has no idea how slate mailers charge their customers, but at first glance it seems that Van’s campaign was so rich it got gibbed.
For many of the same slate mailers, Van Tran paid a lot more than Dina Nguyen, who actually needed to reach more voters than Van.
Dina paid $500 to Continuing the Republican Revolution, but Van paid three times as much, $1,500.
For the Republican Woman’s Voice, Dina paid $190, Van more than four times that, $910.
For the Vietnamese-American Voter Guide, Dina paid $300, Van paid four times as much, $1,375.
For the Non-Partisan Evaluation Council Voter Guide, Dina paid $319 but Van paid six times as much, at $1,875.
I think the math is wrong. Nhien, you shouldn’t be shocked that the 68th assembly district covers 4 times as much voters to reach than the 1st Supervisory district? In case you don’t know, mailers are charged by the number of households.
where did you come up with “4 times?” the supervisory districts are larger than the assembly districts throughout oc. there are appx 400K people in assembly districts while each supervisor represents close to 700K
beside wasn’t Little Saigon Godfather running in the primary partisan election without an opponent? so that should even cut down on his cost?
101 Campaign,
The First Supe race has by far the lowest number of registered voters than any other Supe Dist. Your numbers are highly inflated for the the First Supe while deflating the numbers of an Assembly District.
Like everything else in life, costs depend on lots of things including the universe of the mailers, how “deep” the mailers will go to the households, the targets these mailers are aiming at, and of course, when are the slates purchased which will affect their prices, and whether these costs also icnlude a deal for slates with the general election or not. Lots of factors that you don’t seem to know or understand.
Poli Sci Pol,
We are not stupid the evidence is write there stop trying to spin. Van didn’t have an opponent in the Primary nor does he have a credible opponent in the General election.
Concerned viet voter
Concerned fried rice brain, you can’t compare the California state Assemblyman to lowly county supervisor who is merely one step above city mayorship!
For instance, every single legislation made by the state assembly must be followed by the entire population of this state.
Concerned Viet Voter(?)
We didn’t know that you were Van Tran’s campaign manager? Are you even qualified? Or may be you are a mind reader?
If I am a mind reader, I think you are a jack ass. Now, you can call that spin, but don’t try to put down things that you don’t know anything about, or even assume anything.
Van looks like he’s been eating very well.
Wow! Looks like someone got their nerve popped….. YOU GUYS ARE CAUGHT RED HANDED!!!! Van paid for the difference to Dina’s slate mails. Oh by the way folks guess who owns most of those slates. Chad Morgan Does……. WOW! I wish Bolsavik would have put the difference with the National Guard slate where Dina had her pictue on it and Van Tran didn’t but he paid more…. Jung Kim I find it funny that your say so much bull shit about Janet but you guys keep trying to put someone in that seat.
Stupid Viet Voter,
The only thing that’s popping are your ears for being high on altitude and thin air. Just like Janet Nguyen and Andrew Do, who have a hand in your posts, you like to make up stories and invent fantasies without any facts or evidence, just like the Bolsa Bridge story in the OC Register this weekend. Did you read that?
Even Margie Rice, your buddy, sure smack both of you Janet Nguyen and Andrew Do down for your lies and faslehoods. Shame and more shame on you. Same MO –lots of BS and no substance.
I am sorry about Janet’s collapsing bridge plan on Bolsa street. The rumors are floating in the air about Janet’s pro commie business investors are getting very upset over Janet’s mis handling the issue with Westminster city hall.
Janet pee wees, do not attempt to spread lies to cover up your hot issue of “abusing pork- chop funding” with your political piggy bank uncle Frank Jao.
Concerned burned rice, worry about Janet’s play boy white husband who is in the midst of “exploration mode” of seeking our young tender Viet girls even during at his lunch break. Well, unemployed lawyer Andrew do can offer his free service to play boy Tommy…….maybe drawing up a multiple child support payment plan for the each babes.
Why don’t you like at your Boss Van Tran’s 460 Forms…. and then compare to Dina’s…..
Stupid Viet Voter,
Didn’t Bolsavik do that job for you already, or you gave the info to him so that you can continue to spread your filth on your political opponents? I for one am glad that Chad Morgan is making money as a slate seller, or are you jealous of him too?
Jung Kim is right about you. Either you are Janet Nguyen herself or Andrew Do posting crap on this blog, or you are one of their pee wees.
Concerned burned rice… I will check Janet + Andrew’s atatement filing with Frank Jao’s commie friends check books.
Get your life straight with loser association
People wants to find out what kind of “deal” Frank is getting with Janet’s under the table “free bridge deal” for Frank Jao!
Maybe he might receiving a steep auction price from Janet…………
I need a new house.
Janet, can we use some of your pork barrel county funding?
LOL! Frank Jao only gave Ms. Nguyen 250 bucks. Now how much did he give Andy Quach and Van Tran….
Van Tran should be laughing all the way to the bank. Good for him!
Concerned fried rice, Andrew Do told me otherwise………. can you also add up his pro commie friend’s contributions? He said it was a “package deal”!
Did anyone read Van Tran’s form 460? He gets money from all over the country, and a lot of money from San Jose. Now just why would a local elected politician get these kinds of contributions from all over the country – from labor unions even?
@American Woman: To be fair, practically all Assembly members take money from these countrywide PACs, including casinos, labor unions, etc.
It’s what runs Sacramento.
Vivian kirkpathetic has no concept about state wide office. She has been losing against our Viet candidates. Vivian is on our anti-viet community loser’s list.