Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Democratic Party

Solorio to host a campaign fundraiser and birthday party on 9/27

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Democratic Party, Education, Elections, Entertainment, Jose Solorio, Politics, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Assemblyman Jose Solorio is hosting a cocktail reception to kick-off his campaign for the Rancho Santiago College District’s Board of Education, and to celebrate his 42nd birthday, on Thursday, September 27, 2012, from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm, at Original Mike’s, located at 100 South Main Street, in Downtown Santa Ana.

I don’t personally understand the need for a fundraiser, as Solorio is running unchallenged, but perhaps he is intending to use the money to help other candidates? In either case, Happy Birthday Jose! Continue reading→

The O.C. Register’s editorial board opposes Santa Ana’s Measure Q

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Bond Measures, Democratic Party, Education, Elections, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The Orange County Register’s Editorial Board warned voters about Prop. 39 in 2000. Voters narrowly passed it, 53 percent to 47 percent; it dropped the approval threshold for local school bonds from two-thirds to 55 percent.

Now school bond measures are proliferating – even as the Democrats try to raise our taxes statewide with Governor Jerry Brown’s Prop. 30.

The O.C. Register’s editorial board is opposing all of the school bond measures on Orange County ballots this Nov. 6.  Here is what they had to say about Measure Q – a bond measure for Santa Ana College: Continue reading→

Mayor Miguel Pulido announces key endorsements for his re-election campaign

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Claudia Alvarez, Democratic Party, Elections, Frank Barbaro, Jose Hernandez, Jose Solorio, Labor, Miguel Pulido, Orange County, Politics 10 Comments

For Immediate Release: September 20, 2012
Contact: Lynn Norris, (714) 921-1181

Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido Announces Key Endorsements for his Re-Election Campaign

Mayor’s High Name Recognition, Plus Accomplishments & Key Endorsements will Lead Him to Victory

Santa Ana – Today Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido announced major endorsements in support of his re-election campaign this November. His new list of endorsements now includes: Continue reading→

Sarmiento appears to regret backing Benavides, as he runs for re-election

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, David Benavides, Democratic Party, Elections, Estela Amezcua, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 8 Comments

I am hearing that Santa Ana Council Member Vince Sarmiento appears to be having buyer’s regret when it comes to upstart Santa Ana mayoral candidate David Benavides.  Apparently Sarmiento has told others that while he has endorsed Benavides he is not actively campaigning for him.  But the damage is done – endorsing the clueless, bumbling Benavides is simply inexcusable.

Sarmiento is running for re-election this year, in Santa Ana’s Ward 1, against Estela Amezcua, a Santa Ana educator.  She is not related to Al Amezcua, the failed Santa Ana mayoral candidat who, like Sarmiento, is also backing Benavides. Continue reading→

Council Member Sarmiento endorsed by the Democratic Party of Orange County

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Democratic Party, Elections, Politics, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 6 Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 13, 2012

CONTACT: Karia Salazar, PHONE: (714) 623-7185, EMAIL: salazar_karia@yahoo.com

The Democratic Party of Orange County Endorses Councilman Vincent Sarmiento to Represent Santa Ana City Council – Ward 1

Santa Ana, California – Vincent Sarmiento has received the endorsement from the Democratic Party of Orange County for Santa Ana City Council’s Ward -1 seat. Continue reading→

Alvarez to host fundraiser for her campaign for the RSCCD Board on 9/20

Posted on by Posted in Claudia Alvarez, Democratic Party, Education, Entertainment, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez is hosting a fundraiser for her campaign for the Rancho Santiago Community College District’s Board of Education on Thursday, September 20th, 2012, from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm, at Country Garden Caterers, located at 719 North Main St., in Santa Ana.

The Host Committee for this event includes: Continue reading→

Benavides’ supporters caught betraying his ally, Alderete

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Alfredo Amezcua, Charles Hart, David Benavides, Democratic Party, Elections, Eric Alderete, John Palacio, Miguel Pulido, Myriam Tinajero, Politics, Republican Party, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, Valerie Amezcua, Vince Sarmiento 32 Comments

Valerie Amezua, David Benavides and company – but no Eric Alderete

Santa Ana mayoral candidate David Benavides and his supporters would like us to think that he represents some kind of revolution, but in truth he is working with Santa Ana’s Usual Suspects – the mostly Republican, angry, older anti-Latino busy bodies that ran City Hall for far too long.

The Usual Suspects are the folks who passed laws against drying your laundry in the backyard; who limited garage sales to four per year; who worked to get rid of jobs – targeting those who deliver printed marketing materials to homes and those who stand on street corners twirling signs to build up local businesses.  These are the gentrifiers who bemoan the fact that Santa Ana became a Latino majority city and who put bear locks on their trash cans to keep the homeless from collecting their bottles and cans. Continue reading→

The Republicans who are trying to take back Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Alfredo Amezcua, Brett Franklin, Carlos Bustamante, Cecilia Iglesias, Claudia Alvarez, David Benavides, Democratic Party, Elections, George Collins, Janet Nguyen, Jerry Hayden, Karina Onofre, Loretta Sanchez, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Nelida Mendoza-Yanez, Politics, Republican Party, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana, SAUSD, Thomas Gordon, Tom Daly, Tony Tapia, Valerie Amezcua Leave a comment

Robert Hammond, promoting the GOP

Orange County’s Democrats are generally clueless, but this past June they were particularly out of sorts.  They inexplicably gave Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen a free pass, allowing her to focus on electing her fellow Republican, and gay-basher, Robert Hammond as he won a seat on the O.C. Department of Education’s Board of Trustees.

And the Democrats managed to fumble away Orange County’s most Latino seat, allowing it to go to Orange County Clerk-Recorder Tom Daly, who has since been charged with sexual harassment in the workplace.  If they had gotten behind Santa Ana Council Member Michele Martinez she might have prevailed in June.  Instead organized labor put up their guy, Julio Perez, splitting the Latino vote and allowing Daly to prevail. Continue reading→

DPOC’s fallen star, Nadia Lockyer, caught with meth

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Democratic Party, Drugs, Nadia Lockyer 12 Comments

Former Democratic Party rising star Nadia Lockyer, who won a seat years ago on the SAUSD School Board as “Nadia Maria Davis,” was arrested last week in Orange County after someone tipped off the police.

Police said they found her in possession of methamphetamines and drug paraphernalia, including a “tubular aluminum foil with burned end,” according to NBC News.

Lockyer had her 9-year-old son, Diego, with her when she was arrested. Continue reading→

Palacio and Amezcua are driving the so-called “Santa Ana Spring”

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Alfredo Amezcua, David Benavides, Democratic Party, Elections, Eric Alderete, John Palacio, Miguel Pulido, Myriam Tinajero, Politics, Roman Reyna, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, SAUSD, Valerie Amezcua, Vince Sarmiento 17 Comments

It has become increasingly obvious that the so-called “Santa Ana Spring” is actually a collection of Santa Ana politicians with different axes to grind, who have come together as their mutual petty hatreds have temporarily converged.  This alliance is a shaky one at best.

The drivers of this movement are failed Santa Ana mayoral candidate Al Amezcua, who resigned from the Rancho Santiago Community College District’s Board of Education a few years ago, after he got caught living outside of the area he was elected to represent; Santa Ana Unified School District John Palacio, who survived the recall of his close friend and ally Nativo Lopez; Santa Ana Councilman Vince Sarmiento – who is bitter because he didn’t run for the 69th Assembly District and who has designs on the Santa Ana Mayor’s office; Santa Ana Council Member Michele Martinez, who was soundly defeated by Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido back in 2008 – and who did poorly again this June as a candidate for the 69th Assembly District; and Council Member David Benavides, who is embroiled in a controversy regarding allegations of infidelity and divorce. Continue reading→

Santa Ana’s artists know they can’t trust mayoral candidate David Benavides

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Arts and Culture, Churches and Religion, David Benavides, Democratic Party, Elections, Miguel Pulido, Santa Ana 23 Comments

When word got out that Irvine’s Newsong Church was in escrow to buy the landmark Santora building in Downtown Santa Ana, the artists community in our Downtown Artists Village area erupted.   

A group of artists concerned about the sale of downtown Santa Ana’s Santora building to Newsong Church said that City Councilman David Benavides’ attendance at the church’s services should preclude him from serving on an ad hoc committee examining the sale, according to the Voice of OC.

The Voice of OC also reported that “Some artists suspect that Benavides, who is a real estate agent, has a financial interest in the sale. They question whether Benavides is representing the artists’, the city’s or the church’s interests on the committee. He appeared in a video about the building and the city made for the Newsong congregation.” Continue reading→

Ward 3 Council candidate Alderete to host a fundraiser on 8/29 in Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Democratic Party, Elections, Entertainment, Eric Alderete, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana City Council candidate Eric Alderete, who was endorsed yesterday by the Democratic Party of Orange County, is hosting a fundraiser this Wednesday, August 29, from 6 to 8 pm, in Santa Ana, at the Benton House, located at 2311 N. Benton Way. Continue reading→

The Orange County Democratic Party endorses Benavides for Mayor

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, David Benavides, Democratic Party, Elections, Eric Alderete, Myriam Tinajero, Politics, Santa Ana, Valerie Amezcua 44 Comments

Apparently the Orange County Democratic Party Central Committee endorsed the following Santa Ana candidates yesterday:

  • Loretta Sanchez for United States Congress (Re-Elect)
  • Councilman David Benavides for Mayor
  • Eric Alderete for City Council
  • Valerie Amezcua and Myriam Tinajero for the Santa Ana Unified School Board
  • Jose Solorio, Nelida Yanez and Mark McLoughlin for the Rancho Santiago Community College District’s Board of Education Continue reading→

69th A.D. candidate Tom Daly accused of sexual harassment

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Anaheim, Crime, Democratic Party, Orange County, Tom Daly 9 Comments

On July 10 of this year I posted an article on this blog entitled “Shouldn’t Daly be investigated for Bustamante-like behavior.”  Today it hit the fan for Daly, as “County officials are moving to hire a law firm to check into a host of sexual harassment and corruption allegations against County Clerk-Recorder Tom Daly, who is currently the frontrunner to become Orange County’s next State Assemblyman for the 69th District,” according to the Voice of OC.

The letter alleges that Daly has handed out promotions and engaged in inappropriate behavior with at least four female workers at the Clerk Recorders’ Office, which it refers to as “ Tommy’s Girls or Tommy’s Angels.” Continue reading→

Eric Alderete to hold another fundraiser, but this time in Los Angeles

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Brett Franklin, Charles Hart, Democratic Party, Elections, Eric Alderete, Lawyers, Politics, Santa Ana, Shane Barrows, Shane Ramon Barrows 12 Comments

Santa Ana Ward 3 candidate Eric Alderete is hosting another fundraiser – but this time it is going to be held in Los Angeles, not in Santa Ana, at the offices of mega-corporate law firm DLA Piper.

Here are the event details, courtesy of Facebook: Continue reading→