New Santa Ana | Category Archives: Civic Affairs

Santa Ana Political Chismes, 7/29 edition

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Alfredo Amezcua, Civic Affairs, Claudia Alvarez, Politics, Santa Ana 1 Comment

I was going to wait a week for the next Santa Ana Political Chismes column, but I have some more Chismes and they need to get posted now, so here we go:

Sources tell me that the Santa Ana City Council announced at their special meeting on Thursday night that they are indeed suspending the search for a new City Manager for at least a few months. Apparently four of the Council Members voted to suspend the search. Not sure who voted that way but I guess it is a moot point.
Councilwoman Michele Martinez brought a birthday cake for Councilman David Benavides to tonight’s special session of the Santa Ana City Council. The Council enjoyed the moment in the midst of all their deliberating.
The demonstration that was supposed to happen at Monday’s City Council meeting has been called off. Sources tell me that whoever was targeting Alvarez has since decided to back off. Continue reading→

Council members Martinez and Benavides to host a city manager forum on 7/28

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Dave Ream, David Benavides, Michele Martinez, Politics, Santa Ana 9 Comments

Santa Ana Council Members Michele Martinez and David Benavides are going to host a community forum on Thursday, July 28, from 6 pm to 8 pm, at the Southwest Senior Citizen Center, located at 2201 W. McFadden Ave., in Santa Ana.

Santa Ana city officials are looking to residents to help identify the most significant issues the city is facing and the type of person who would make the best city manager. Continue reading→

Has the City of Santa Ana suspended its city manager search?

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Claudia Alvarez, Dave Ream, David Benavides, Latinos, Lawyers, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Santa Ana 12 Comments

Several sources in and around Santa Ana’s City Hall are reporting that the City of Santa Ana has suspended their search for a new city manager. I am told that this was also conveyed to a reporter from the Voice of OC today. However, another source reported that there is no suspension. The truth is likely somewhere in between…

My sources said that an argument will be made that conducting a national search for a new city manager is too expensive and that we ought to just roll with interim City Manager Paul Walters, who also serves as our Chief of Police, to save money.

The downside of this however is that the defacto city manager is now none other than longtime assistant to the last city manager, Jill Arthur. Apparently Walters is leaning on her a lot – and she is now effectively running the 8th floor. Continue reading→

Public Safety Committee to consider Velvet Lounge C.U.P. and bail bonds

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Arts and Culture, Bars, Civic Affairs, Claudia Alvarez, David Benavides, LGBT, Public Safety, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana 1 Comment

The Santa Ana City Council’s Public Safety Committee is meeting on Tuesday, July 26, and the meeting promises to be an interesting one. The topics on the agenda, which is below, include discussion about a proposed C.U.P. (Conditional Use Permit) for the gay bar called the “Velvet Lounge,” which is supposed to open soon, and a Bail Bond Solicitation update (we wrote about that awhile ago – bail bondsmen are illegally soliciting for bails outside our jail, and most of these guys don’t even have businesses in town). Continue reading→

Debunking the lies being spread by Santa Ana’s soccer-hating Usual Suspects

Posted on July 24, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Civil Rights, Neighborhood Associations, Planning, Santa Ana, Sports 28 Comments

The anti-soccer haters here in Santa Ana are actually very few in number – but like noisy chihuahuas they are a pain in the rear – and the media has been paying attention to them, even though they hardly represent the overall population of Santa Ana.

Now they have even started a very lame little blog, using antiquated Blogspot software – and they have even infected the Washington Square Neighborhood. The good news is that now we can go about debunking their silly arguments.

Here are the half-truths and exaggerations that these folks are passing along as if they were facts (my answers follow each of their allegations): Continue reading→

Santa Ana anti-soccer Klan of Usual Suspects rally tonight

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Civil Rights, Politics, Racism, Santa Ana 26 Comments

Few folks today remember that the KKK was big in Santa Ana back in the late 1800’s. But they were – in fact a fellow named Dr. Henry William Head lived in Santa Ana, where he served as the leader of the Santa Ana KKK, according to the OC Weekly. But they didn’t wear the usual Klan clothing or even call themselves Klansmen because they were ordered to abandon those ways – so they wouldn’t get caught.

Years later the heritage of these haters lives on. Today we call them Santa Ana’s Usual Suspects – and they gathered at a “rally” tonight, at 6 pm, at the home of XXXXX XXX, at XXX N. Heliotrope, to complain about the Chivas USA, a soccer team in Los Angeles that is very unlikely to move here to Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Usual Suspects punked? Harrah said to have found tenant and construction of OBP to begin in fall

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Development, Labor, Real Estate, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Gustavo Arellano of the OC Weekly is reporting that Mike Harrah has found a company that will lease 50 percent of One Broadway Plaza clearing the way for him to begin construction on the building and thus punk the Usual Suspects making their recent court victory a moot point. You may remember that the 2005 referendum that was supported by Santa Ana voters stated that Harrah could not begin construction until he had leased 50 percent of his building. Continue reading→

Santa Ana City Council at odds over next City Attorney

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Latinos, Lawyers, Miguel Pulido, Santa Ana 9 Comments

I got a call earlier today from a fellow who is very tight with various elements at the Santa Ana City Hall, regarding the search for our next City Attorney. He gave me the name of the Latina he said was going to get the job, and I ran with it – only to get a call later from another City Hall insider saying that the candidate in question was not yet on board, and I needed to pull my post.

So I did. However, I am being told that we are down to two candidates – a Latina who works at a public entity in a very large city, and a Filipino candidate from Los Angeles. Continue reading→

A Latina is in the running to be the next Santa Ana City Attorney

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Latinos, Lawyers, Santa Ana, Women 7 Comments

The city of Santa Ana has made an offer to a candidate for its vacant city attorney position and is awaiting acceptance of the offer, according to City Hall sources, as reported by the Voice of OC Blog.

My own insiders are reporting that the next Santa Ana City Attorney is going to be a Latina candidate. I don’t know her name yet but I will soon enough and then we will update this post. Continue reading→

City of Santa Ana to host a free Business Forum on July 19, at the Delhi Center

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Business, Civic Affairs, Education, Entertainment, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The City of Santa Ana is hosting a Business Forum on July 19, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m, at the Delhi Community Center, located at 505 E. Central Avnue, in Santa Ana, for local entrepreneurs who are looking to start or grow their business.

This is a free Business Forum entitled “Navigating Your Business to Succeed in Santa Ana” hosted by the City of Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Is it time for ward-specific City Council elections in Santa Ana?

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Elections, Politics, Santa Ana 4 Comments

Ward Map-Color2

Did you know that Santa Ana City Council elections are conducted on a citywide basis, but you have to live in the ward that you are running for? That’s odd, isn’t it?

In most cities, local elections are conducted on a ward-specific basis. That means you vote for yoiur council member – not those who represent other wards. That makes sense, doesn’t it? Continue reading→

Mayor Pulido tries to save historical trees at Santa Ana High School

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Education, Green, Historical, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Santa Ana, SAUSD 5 Comments

Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido personally intervened to save three jacaranda trees at Santa Ana High School, after he found out that the SAUSD School Board had approved the destruction of those trees and a number of historical deodora pine trees to pave the way for a new drop-off and pick-up area, according to the O.C. Register. Continue reading→

Michele Martinez to host a meeting for local political candidates today

Posted on July 9, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2012 Elections, Civic Affairs, Elections, Entertainment, Michele Martinez, Politics, Santa Ana 4 Comments

Santa Ana Council Member Michele Martinez is hosting a workshop for those who are interested in running for local office in Santa Ana, on Saturday, July 9 , from 10:00am – 12:00pm, at the Corner Bakery, located at the City Place, across from the MainPlace Mall.

Building the Leadership Pipeline to Public Office for Santa Ana Continue reading→