When Santa Ana’s gay bar, Velvet Lounge, was granted a C.U.P. (Conditional Use Permit) by the City of Santa Ana’s Planning Agency, they got most of what they asked for – except that they were forbidden from engaging in “adult entertainment.” Well, judging from the pictures on their website, it looks like they might be violating their C.U.P. – regularly. Take a look for yourself – the pictures below tell the story better than I can: Continue reading
MEDIA ADVISORY, For Immediate Release: December 13, 2011
For More Information Contact: Carol Chamberlain – office: (916) 319-2069, mobile: (916) 804-5355
State Assemblyman Jose Solorio and the City of Santa Ana to hold groundbreaking ceremony for long-awaited water pipeline improvements to Santa Ana’s Diamond Park neighborhood
Construction to connect small community to City of Santa Ana’s water system will finally bring community safe, clean drinking water
SANTA ANA – State Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D-69) and officials from the City of Santa Ana will hold a groundbreaking ceremony in the Diamond Park neighborhood of Santa Ana to kickoff the long-awaited water pipeline project that will finally connect this small neighborhood to the City of Santa Ana’s water system. Continue reading
An employee at Mariscos Zamora
Mariscos Zamora has been around for twelve years, but when their owner asked the Santa Ana Planning Agency for permission to serve alcohol until 2 am, they rejected his request. They cited the usual reasons, which you can read in the Planning Commission agenda for tonight’s meeting. But what really struck me was the chart (see below) showing that out of 15 competitors, three are not allowed to serve alcoholic beverages after midnight – but the rest of them have no limits at all.
How is Mariscos Zamora supposed to compete with restaurants that can stay open later and serve alcohol later? And why is it that new restaurants, with bars, in Downtown Santa Ana, have gotten pretty much everything they wanted? Continue reading
Al Amezcua and his daughter Valerie Amezcua led a contingent of angry Usual Suspects at last night’s Santa Ana Code of Ethics Committee meeting, which was held at City Hall. They were accompanied by a wandering blogger from Long Beach.
The Code of Ethics Committee is comprised of Council Members Vince Sarmiento and Sal Tinajero, who chaired the meeting. Tinajero was forced at one point to intercede when a teetering vintage Usual Suspect tried to talk over Sarmiento. That brought on an angry tirade from former Councilman Tom Lutz who objected to Tinajero’s attempt to run a professional meeting. “She’s not one of your students Sal,” proclaimed Lutz, who was right – Tinajero’s students are much better behaved than the Usual Suspects. Continue reading
Mike Harrah can start building his One Broadway Plaza Tower now!
“The 4th District Court of Appeal last week reversed an Orange County Superior Court ruling that had put a stop to the construction of One Broadway Plaza, a 37-story office tower in Santa Ana that voters approved in 2005,” according to the Voice of OC.
The Appellate Court decided that the voters voted for a zoning ordinance, not for a development agreement. What this means is that developer Mike Harrah can finally start building his One Broadway Plaza tower. That means over two thousand union construction jobs are on the way. Continue reading
Unethical behavior is abundant in Santa Ana politics…
The Santa Ana City Council is holding a meeting on Dec. 6, at 5:30 pm, to review the “Code of Ethics,” which voters passed when they voted for Measure D, which extended Council term limits. The Council appointed a committee of three Council Members, including Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez, Vince Sarmiento and Sal Tinajero, to conduct this review.
Alvarez has since backed out – in the wake of the Code being used by Council Members David Benavides and Carlos Bustamante to try to punish her after she made a bad Hitler analogy in referring to controversial Downtown Santa Ana landlord Irv Chase.
None of the other Council Members, including Benavides and Bustamante, want anything to do with the Review Committee. I can’t blame them. The Code of Ethics was designed to muzzle bloggers who were put on City Commissions. Ironically it is now being used by the Usual Suspects to attack Santa Ana’s Council Member. And that obsessed Long Beach blogger has written not one but two posts about the Santa Ana Code of Ethics Review Committee. Good grief! Continue reading
It is looking like the City of Santa Ana is going to outsource its fire department, to the Orange County Fire Authority, saving over ten million per year. Some of my readers are asking why we can’t just negotiate those savings with the Santa Ana Benevolent Firemen’s Association. My sources at City Hall are telling me that the union won’t cooperate.
So why not outsource the award-winning Santa Ana Police Department too? Simple. The Santa Ana Police Officers Association is cooperating and savings are expected to be over ten million a year – and quite possibly as high as thirteen million a year. It doesn’t hurt that our Chief of Police, Paul Walters, is also now our Acting City Manager! He knows his police budget better than anyone.
How important are our police, to our community? Well, a recent study identified that communities get a lot of bang for their buck, when they hire police officers. Here is a recap of that study, from an L.A. Times editorial by Greg Ridgeway and Paul Heaton, published on Nov. 22 of this year: Continue reading
The Friends of the Santa Ana Library are actively opposing the possible outsourcing of the City of Santa Ana’s public library system – which would entail joining the Orange County Public Library system, according to the O.C. Register. Their President, Sue Stewart, told the Register, ““Any time you become larger, you lose flexibility and services in order to serve a larger population and culture.”
Stewart also said, “This library says we are open to help you serve your needs. It is a place to get assistance without being judged.” Really? Well, the fact is, Lupe Moreno, the notorious Minuteman (hater of Mexican immigrants) is the manager of the Santa Ana Friends of the Library bookstore, according to their website. How are you supposed to take these people seriously when their board includes Moreno, who advocated deporting many of our residents? Talk about being judged! Here is a video of Moreno calling the children of many our residents “anchor babies:” Continue reading
The City of Santa Ana could save over ten million dollars a year by signing on with the Orange County Fire Authority, according to a proposal submitted to our city manager by OCFA Fire Chief Keith Richter.
According to the proposal, “OCFA will be offering a Division Chief position to the current Santa Ana Fire Chief, who will be instrumental in the transition process for the City. The Division Chief provides a level of local control for the City Council and staff by participation on relevant public safety committees, participation at city staff meetings and attendance at city council meetings. The option also includes the transition of 192 sworn personnel and 141 non-sworn personnel*.” Continue reading
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is admitting he goofed by allowing his city to be occupied. The price tag for the clean up and eviction could top one million dollars, according to the L.A. Times.
“Every cent that’s going to go into the park is coming from taxpayer dollars, and that could mean less programming when we get to springtime at our rec centers,” said Jon Kirk Mukri, general manager for the Department of Recreation and Parks.
While the Santa Ana City Council voted to support the Occupy movement they were smart enough to reject their camping request. Thank goodness for that! Our city is already broke. The last thing we need is to blow a million cleaning up Occupoo! Continue reading
The proposed new Santa Ana City Council Ward Map
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jose Gonzalez, City Manager’s Office, 714-647-5200 – Office, 714-822-4415 – Cell
CITY OF SANTA ANA IS SET TO CONSIDER CHANGING WARD BOUNDARIES
SANTA ANA, CA (November 15, 2011) – The City of Santa Ana is proposing to change the City’s Ward boundaries. A public hearing has been set for December 5, 2011, at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber, located at 22 Civic Center Plaza, in which testimony will be received and considered by the City Council. Continue reading
Acting Santa Ana City Manager Paul Walters took on a tough job when he replaced retired City Manager Dave Ream. The city was left in the the red by Ream, to the tune of $25 million a year in pension obligations. Now, according to the L.A. Times, Walters is acting to make sure that the city’s union workers are paying their fair share of pension obligations.
“A Times analysis based on 2009 payrolls shows that cities and counties in California would save an estimated $1.3 billion if local government workers statewide paid what the governor’s office determines to be the normal employee share of pension contributions. Brown says workers should be contributing about 8% of their paychecks to their own retirement. Police and firefighters, who have more generous pensions, should pay about 9%, Brown says,” according to the L.A. Times. Continue reading
Check out the baby anteater at the Santa Ana Zoo, for free this Sunday!
This Sunday, November 20, is the third Sunday of the month and you know what that means… Free Santa Ana Resident’s Day at the Santa Ana Zoo, at Prentice Park. Click here for directions. Click here to visit the Zoo’s Facebook page.
If you live in the city of Santa Ana, get free admission to the Zoo on Sunday, November 20.
The third Sunday of each month is a free day for residents, and one of the perks of living in the city. Come and see what’s new at the Zoo! (Up to 4 per household, proof of address required). Continue reading
The Santa Ana Planning Commission is considering new rules for Downtown Santa Ana bars – and several of the more controversial bar owners and other Downtown Santa Ana gadflyes showed up at this evening’s meeting to speak up in support of a proposed expansion sought by Proof Bar.
You may recall that Proof owner Joey Mendes got ripped by the OC Weekly a few months ago when he refused to allow a member of a band that was set to play at his bar to enter his establishment, because the poor guy was using a Matricular Consular card as I.D. Mendes was there tonight as well. Continue reading
SAUSD Superintendent Thelma Meléndez de Santa Ana, Ph.D., will be the special guest speaker at the Com-Link meeting on Thursday, November 17, which will start at 6:30 pm. The meeting will be held at the Heninger Park Elementary School, located at 416 W. Walnut, in Santa Ana.
The theme of the meeting is “A Special Celebration and Tribute to our Veterans.”
Here is the meeting agenda: Continue reading