Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: 2012 Elections

50 million reasons to vote against Measure Q

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Education, Labor, Santa Ana, Taxes 1 Comment

In 2003, the Rancho Santiago Community College Governing Board placed a union-crafted Project Labor Agreement (PLA) on all Measure E bond work.
Measure E had been passed by voters in 2002 with no hint of a controversial PLA would be used.

The PLA vote occurred despite vigorous opposition from local workers, taxpayers, apprentices, contractors and contractor associations. The board was told that a PLA was simply a payoff to union bosses and that it openly discriminated against the 85% of the local construction workforce that was union-free. Continue reading→

Santa Ana’s voters should reject East L.A. style candidates

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, 2014 Elections, Claudia Alvarez, Culture, David Benavides, Elections, Eric Alderete, immigration, Latinos, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 100 Comments

As the stumbling “Santa Ana Spring” movement continues to unimpress, it is becoming obvious that David Benavides, the bogus revolution’s candidate for Mayor of Santa Ana, is going to lose on Nov. 6.  He is barely campaigning.  He is using recycled signs and he has yet to send out any campaign mailers.  His campaign appears to be centered on Facebook ads and ubiquitous blog comments by his number one supporter, Art Lomeli, a resident of Orange Park Acres.

Benavides, and his number one Council ally, Michele Martinez, were born here.  Benavides hails from East Los Angeles, according to his bio.  Martinez was raised here in Santa Ana, but apparently wasn’t born here as that information is absent from her own bio.  But she most certainly was born somewhere in the U.S. Continue reading→

Our SAUSD School Board and RSCCD Board endorsements

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Art Pedroza, Cecilia Iglesias, Claudia Alvarez, Dave Chapel, Education, Jose Hernandez, Mark McLoughlin, Myriam Tinajero, Santa Ana, Tony Tapia 6 Comments

After hearing SAUSD Board of Education candidate Ceci Iglesias affirm her support for the Dream Act at last night’s Santa Ana School Board forum, I have decided to endorse her after all.  I am also endorsing Myriam Tinajero and  Jose Alfredo Hernandez.

Iglesias is a single mom and a social worker.  She ran for Congress as an independent a few years ago.  She is against tax increases and a firm believer in our kids.  Tinajero is also a social worker and she is the sister of former SAUSD Trustee Sal Tinajero.  Sal is also currently a Council Member here in Santa Ana.  Lastly, I am backing Hernandez, who is an immigration lawyer, because of his support for our current SAUSD Superintendent, Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Our Santa Ana Voter Guide for the Nov. 6 election

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Civic Affairs, Claudia Alvarez, Elections, Estela Amezcua, Jose Hernandez, Jose Moreno, Karina Onofre, Loretta Sanchez, Measure GG, Miguel Pulido, Myriam Tinajero, Politics, Santa Ana, SAUSD, Shane Barrows, Shane Ramon Barrows 32 Comments

There are quite a few key races coming up in the November 6, 2012 General Election, here in Santa Ana.

I have written dozens of posts in recent weeks about many of the candidates for the City Council, the SAUSD School Board, and the Rancho Santiago Community College District.  After much deliberation, here are my endorsements:

Santa Ana City Council: Continue reading→

Where are Benavides’ mailers?

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, David Benavides, Elections, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Santa Ana 37 Comments

Santa Ana residents have been voting via absentee ballots for about a week.  During that time Assemblyman Jose Solorio has mailed a letter to all the voters in support of Mayor Miguel Pulido.  And Santa Ana’s Firemen and Paramedics have also been featured in a mailer in support of Mayor Pulido.

Santa Ana Council Ward 3 Candidate Eric Alderete sent out a nice mailer the other day.  So did Councilman Vince Sarmiento and Ward 5 candidate Roman Reyna (the infamous mailer that featured Reyna wearing a clip on tie). Continue reading→

Santa Ana’s only School Board Candidates Forum is happening tonight!

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Education, Elections, Entertainment, Politics, Santa Ana, SAUSD 1 Comment

Announcement: Santa Ana Youth & Government presents:

A forum for Santa Ana School Board Candidates for the Rancho Santiago College Community District & Santa Ana Unified School District

Announcement: Santa Ana Youth & Government presents: FORUM FOR SANTA ANA SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES for Rancho Santiago College Community District & Santa Ana Unified School District Board Candidates. Thurs., Oct.18, 2012, 6:30-8:30 pm at 1532 E Chestnut St, Santa Ana, CA 92701 (Across the street from the SAUSD office). Continue reading→

Mark McLoughlin goes full raza in his campaign for the RSCCD Board

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Education, Loretta Sanchez, Mark McLoughlin, Politics, Santa Ana 24 Comments

Overheard: “Is this guy the Colonel from KFC?”

One of the funniest campaign mailers I have ever seen arrived in my mail box today, from Mark McLoughlin, a Rancho Santiago Community College District Trustee who is running for re-election in Area 3.  He went full raza!

The flier is in Spanish and it erroneously states that McLoughlin is an educator. no he isn’t!  His opponent, Dave Chapel, actually is an educator.  McLoughlin is just a suit with zero experience as an educator. Continue reading→

Study reveals that Rancho Community College Trustees are overpaid

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Education, Santa Ana 4 Comments

Mike Moodian, a candidate for South Orange County Community College District board of trustees in Area 7, where he is running against disgraced former public administrator John Williams, has written a new report, which exposes Orange County’s community college trustees’ wasteful spending (all four districts).

Moodian’s report is based on extensive research of documents gained through public records requests. The report is posted here.

Moodian’s key findings and recommendations are: Continue reading→

Why did Benavides blow off the ribbon cutting at the Bao Quang Temple?

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Churches and Religion, Claudia Alvarez, David Benavides, Elections, Karina Onofre, Little Saigon, Miguel Pulido, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana, Vietnamese, Vince Sarmiento 13 Comments

“After a long time, through many difficulties, under the enthusiastic help of effort and money from donors and Buddhists in many places, especially Council Member Santa Ana, Bao Quang Temple was officially inaugurated on Sunday morning, with the spacious, majesty and the splendor, before hundreds of religious clergy, visitors and community members,” according to Nguoi Viet.

Mayor Miguel Pulido was there.  So was Ward 5 Council candidate Karina Onofre.  They were joined by Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez, a candidate for the Rancho Santiago Community College District’s Area 3, and Santa Ana Council Member Vince Sarmiento.  But mayoral challenger David Benavides and his clip-on tie wearing sidekick, Ward 5 challenger Roman Reyna, were missing in action. Continue reading→

SAUSD School Board candidate Ceci Iglesias addresses the Dream Act

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Cecilia Iglesias, Dream Act, Education, immigration, Latinos, Santa Ana 8 Comments

I asked SAUSD School Board candidate Cecilia Iglesias to clarify her position on the Dream Act.  You may recall that her fellow Republicans, Robert Hammond and Charles Hart, brow beat her at a meeting of the OC GOP Endorsement Committee into disavowing the Dream Act.

But now Iglesias says she is not against it at all although she does not refer to the Dream Act by name in her statement.  Here then is her statement clarifying her position on the Dream Act: Continue reading→

Tony Tapia launches his RSCCD Trustee, Area 3, campaign website

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Education, Santa Ana, Tony Tapia 3 Comments

Tony Tapia has launched his campaign website, for Area 3 on the Rancho Santiago Community College District’s Board of Education.

Tapia is the only candidate running for Area 3 who actually has business experience.  He helps to manage a family business and he also works as a construction laborer, out of a trade hall here in Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Assemblyman Solorio asks Santa Ana’s voters to support Mayor Pulido

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Elections, Jose Solorio, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Santa Ana 34 Comments

Assemblyman Jose Solorio has always been a staunch supporter of Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido.  He stepped that up a notch this week sending a personalized letter to every voter in Santa Ana, asking them to vote for Pulido on Nov. 6.

Solorio’s letter focused on Pulido’s many achievements, including: Continue reading→

A clip on tie Roman? Really?

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, David Benavides, Elections, Karina Onofre, Michele Martinez, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana 18 Comments

It is a rite of passage in just about every Western culture.  You watch your dad put on ties, perhaps on Sunday while getting dressed for Church.  One day, perhaps when you go to you first prom, your dad teaches you how to put on a tie yourself.

Santa Ana City Council candidate Roman Reyna apparently has not yet learned how to put on his own tie.  He sent out a mailer that a friend of mine received today, wherein Reyna appears to be rocking a clip on that is far too short (see the picture above).   Continue reading→

Mayor Pulido to speak at ribbon cutting at the Bao Quang Temple

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Asians, Churches and Religion, Civic Affairs, Entertainment, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Santa Ana, Vietnamese 9 Comments

Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido will be speaking this Sunday, October 14, at the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Bao Quang Temple Buddhist Cultural Center, located at 713 N. Newhope St. (Newhope & Hazard),in Santa Ana.

Here is the event program: Continue reading→