New Santa Ana | Category Archives: Claudia Alvarez

Updated: Santa Ana Council rejects Occupy camping bid

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Carlos Bustamante, Civic Affairs, Claudia Alvarez, David Benavides, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Orange County, Politics, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 22 Comments

This guy says he is almost homeless…

UPDATE: The Santa Ana City Council rejected Santa Ana Occupy’s request to camp out in Downtown Santa Ana, according to O.C. Register reporter Andrew Galvin, who commented on his Facebook page. The Council meeting lasted until midnight but turned out to be an epic fail for Santa Ana Occupy, as we predicted earlier.

The Santa Ana City Council just got underway a few minutes ago. The Council Members are still giving away various awards and commendations. It could be awhile before Occupy Santa Ana gets to argue that the City should allow them to camp out at night…

I will be watching the meeting from home and you are invited to comment as the meeting unfolds.

Click here to watch the meeting online, live. Continue reading→

Exclusive: Chases among those invited to Santa Ana Latino Jewish Forum

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Civil Rights, Claudia Alvarez, Latinos, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana 24 Comments

Irv and Ryan Chase

A few out of town bloggers appear to be having a fit because they weren’t invited to Thursday’s Santa Ana Latino Jewish Forum. It is sad that some folks have to attack everything – even something positive, like this community event.

I was able to get a hold of a partial list of those who were invited to this event, which is also being broadcast live online for those who could not attend. Irv and Ryan Chase were invited. I hope they attend. Others who were invited include a Who’s Who of Santa Ana’s community leaders, including: Continue reading→

Alvarez Latino-Jewish forum to be broadcast live online

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Churches and Religion, Civic Affairs, Civil Rights, Claudia Alvarez, Entertainment, Free Speech, Latinos, Politics, Santa Ana 12 Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 25, 2011

Contact: Jose Gonzalez, City Manager’s Office, 714-647-5200 – Office, 714-822-4415 – Cell

City of Santa Ana Hosts “Agent of Change” Community Forum on Cultural Diversity

SANTA ANA, Calif. (October 25, 2011) – Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez, in conjunction with the City of Santa Ana, is hosting a Community Forum on Cultural Diversity and Conflict Resolution, on Thursday, October 27, 2011. The Community Forum will be held at the Santa Ana Police Community Room at 60 Civic Center Drive, Santa Ana, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Continue reading→

Mayor Pro Tem Alvarez to host a forum about the Jewish-Latino experience

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Civil Rights, Claudia Alvarez, Entertainment, Latino Leaders, Latinos, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana 43 Comments

Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez and the City of Santa Ana are hosting a “Community Forum on Cultural Diversity and Conflict Resolution.” The forum will “focus on the Jewish – Latino experience as it relates to their shared history and common desire to promote social justice and economic prosperity.”

Here is the invitation that Alvarez emailed to her constituents this week:

Please Join Us As An “Agent of Change” For Our Community

I would personally like to invite you to attend a Community Forum on Cultural Diversity and Conflict Resolution, hosted by the City of Santa Ana, on Thursday, October 27, 2011. The Community Forum will be held at the Santa Ana Police Community Room located at 60 Civic Center Drive, Santa Ana from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Continue reading→

Could Tom Daly end up becoming the new Tom Umberg?

Posted on October 9, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2012 Elections, Anaheim, Claudia Alvarez, Democratic Party, Elections, Janet Nguyen, Jose Solorio, Julio Perez, Latinos, Lou Correa, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Santa Ana 12 Comments

Will Tom Daly become the new Tom Umberg? (And who knew these two had so much in common!)

Brea blogger Greg Diamond offered a breakdown of the electorate in the redistricted 69th Assembly District today, in a comment he posted here on NSA. Here is his comment, followed by my own analysis:

Population of AD-69: 465,317. Population of Santa Ana: 324,528. So you might think so — but you’d probably be wrong.

Here are the results for the Santa Ana Mayor’s race in 2010: Continue reading→

Alvarez and Sarmiento lost money while serving on municipal boards

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Claudia Alvarez, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 6 Comments

The Liberal OC blog’s Chris Prevatt feels that it is an FPPC violation for Council Members to vote to appoint themselves to municipal commissions and boards that pay a stipend. Prevatt, a high school grad who did not complete college, has purposefully misinterpreted Government Code §§ 87100 which states:

No public official at any level of state or local government shall make, participate in making or in any way attempt to use his official position to influence a governmental decision in which he knows or has reason to know he has a financial interest.

The question is whether or not a stipend constitutes a “financial interest.” Does it? I don’t think so. This law was meant to stop people from getting onto boards so they could vote in a way that would benefit them financially. Getting compensated for your time does not, as such, constitute a “financial interest.” In fact, I can prove that Alvarez and Sarmiento LOST money by serving on these boards. Continue reading→

Is FPPC complaint selectively targeting Latino officials?

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Blogs, Carlos Bustamante, Claudia Alvarez, David Benavides, Latinos, Orange County, Politics, Racism, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 20 Comments

Glenn Stroud - Complainer in Chief

When Santa Ana resident Glenn Stroud, at the urging of Liberal OC blogger Chris Prevatt, filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission against Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez and Councilmember Vincent Sarmiento it was no doubt a case of “selective” complaining. The question is did Stroud and Prevatt selectively target the two because they are Latino?

The complaint filed last week alleges that Alvarez and Sarmiento violated state law by voting for their own appointments to the Orange County Water District Board and the Transportation Corridor Agency respectively. Elected officials voting on their appointments to such boards has been going on for years and it happens in communities across the state including right here in Orange County. Stroud and Prevatt ignored history and the others and simply zeroed in on two Latino Democrats. Continue reading→

Alvarez would have avoided censure if she had not voted

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Claudia Alvarez, Democratic Party, Latinos, Politics, Santa Ana 25 Comments

How silly. The O.C. Register, the Voice of OC and that annoying fake liberal blog all lost their minds wondering if it was legal for Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez to vote for an alternative motion that resulted in her censure, but avoided the far worse fate that Council Members David Benavides and Carlos Bustamante had in mind for her.

Ironically, the Voice of OC’s open government expert, Terry Francke, says there was nothing illegal or unethical about Alvarez’s vote. This is the guy the fake liberals love to quote – but this time they are all ignoring what he said. LOL! Continue reading→

Santa Ana Political Chismes: Did Nguyen prod Bustamante to attack Alvarez?

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2012 Elections, Carlos Bustamante, Claudia Alvarez, David Benavides, Janet Nguyen, Orange County, Santa Ana 12 Comments

When Santa Ana Councilman Carlos Bustamante ran for reelection, in 2008, he was fully supported by Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez. In fact he even sat next to her during the campaign debates – and she would help him with what to say as he was usually over his head.

Why then did Bustamante turn on Alvarez this week – and try to use the Code of Ethics to remove her from the position of Mayor Pro Tem, and from the OC Water Board?

An insider I know, who is about a third-tier member of the Usual Suspects, confided to me yesterday that the reason that Bustamante turned on Alvarez is simple – Supervisor Janet Nguyen put him up to it. Continue reading→

Councilmember Benavides handled situation with dignity

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Sean Mill Posted in Carlos Bustamante, Claudia Alvarez, David Benavides, Santa Ana 16 Comments

Before I get to the point of this post I would like to thank the administrator here at New Santa Ana for allowing me to pen this post and share it with the readers. Despite what our good friend from Irvine says, I am not blogging again here or anywhere else. However I felt what I am about to write needed to be said.

The last couple of weeks have been quite tumultuous here in Santa Ana and it culminated last evening with the city council’s action regarding the unfortunate comments made by Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez. I know from speaking to a number of the councilmembers just how tough it has been on them personally as they have dealt with this emotionally charged issue. It has not been a fun time for anyone of them, not Claudia and not David or Carlos either. Continue reading→

Benavides and Bustamante thwarted by the Santa Ana City Council

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Carlos Bustamante, Civic Affairs, Claudia Alvarez, David Benavides, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 11 Comments

The Santa Ana City Council just voted on the 85 A item that was put on the agenda tonight, by Council Members Carlos Bustamante and David Benavides. They said they weren’t trying to punish Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez, but that is precisely what they were trying to do.

The Council voted 4-3 for an alternate motion submitted by Council Member Vince Sarmiento, condemning Alvarez’ comments last week, when she used a Hitler analogy in talking about Jewish property owner and developer Irv Chase.

Surprisingly, Council Member Michele Martinez sided with the “B-Boys.” However they could not get four votes. Indeed, they got punked. Council Members Pulido, Sarmiento, Tinajero and Alvarez voted for the substitute motion. Continue reading→

Live blogging – Alvarez vs. Bustamante and Benavides at the Council meeting

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Carlos Bustamante, Civic Affairs, Claudia Alvarez, David Benavides, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana 12 Comments

I am covering tonight’s Santa Ana City Council meeting – which figures to be an epic confrontation between Republican Council Member Carlos Bustamante and his sidekick, David Benavides vs. Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez. The “B Boys” have put an 85 A item on the agenda to punish and maybe even ask Alvarez to resign from the Council.

This all came about as a result of an analogy made by Alvarez at the last Council meeting, when she compared developer and property owner Irv Chase to Adolf Hitler. She has since apologized. Continue reading→

Amezcua’s PAC to protest Alvarez and the PBID at the Council meeting on 9/6

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Alfredo Amezcua, Business, Claudia Alvarez, Hate, immigration, Latinos, mexico, Santa Ana 19 Comments

Failed Santa Ana mayoral candidate Alfredo Amezcua’s Political Action Committee, which he calls the “Santa Ana Coalition for Better Government,” (SACBG) has sent out a bizarre email asking its members to show up to Tuesday night’s Santa Ana City Council meeting in protest of Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez while at the same time advocating against the PBID – the assessment charged to property owners in part of Downtown Santa Ana.

Do these self-serving yahoos realize that Alvarez is the ONLY Santa Ana Council Member who agrees with them regarding PBID? Why would they turn on her when she is advocating their position? How ridiculous are these people? Continue reading→

Benavides and Bustamante to attack Alvarez at the 9/6 City Council meeting

Posted on September 4, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Carlos Bustamante, Claudia Alvarez, David Benavides, Democratic Party, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Santa Ana 66 Comments

Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez has faced a withering attack this week, even though she has already apologized for her ill-chosen analogy, comparing developer and landlord Irv Chase, who it turns out is Jewish, to Adolf Hitler. She might have made it through this mini-storm if her colleagues had stuck by her but I don’t think any of them are willing to take a stand for her. It has as such become increasingly likely that she may step down as Mayor Pro Tem, although I suspect that she will remain on the Santa Ana City Council.

This could happen at the next Santa Ana City Council meeting on Sep. 6. Council Member David Benavides and his Republican amigo, Carlos Bustamante, have placed an 85A item on the Council Agenda, targeting Alvarez. Continue reading→

Flash mob and protest to start at El Centro Cultural de Mexico at 4 pm

Posted on September 3, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Arts and Culture, Claudia Alvarez, Entertainment, Latinos, mexico, Politics, Santa Ana 2 Comments

May Day Coalition is organizing a Flash Mob today at 4 pm, to march through Downtown Santa Ana in protest of “being uprooted.” They are meeting at El Centro Cultural de Mexico, located at 310 5th Street, in Santa Ana.

Here is what they posted today on Facebook: Continue reading→