Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Federal Government

Librería Martinez 2010 U.S. Census celebration set for Feb. 27

Posted on by Posted in Federal Government, Latinos, Literature, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

U.S. Census Bus Tour

To respond to uncertainty of the Latino community in Santa Ana as to why participation in Census 2010 survey is vital to all, a local Santa Ana business owner has sought the support of Chapman University Public Relations Student Society of America and the U.S. Census Bureau to develop a campaign to assure fellow residents that the census is easy, important, and confidential.

With the support of Reuben Martinez’s own family and staff, Librería Martinez, the largest seller of books in Spanish in the U.S., will host a FREE Census Celebration; a day of crafts, stories and education for the families of Santa Ana to learn about the census and celebrate the opportunities it presents to the community.

The Librería Martinez Census Celebration will be hosted at Librería Martinez Saturday February 27th, the last Saturday before surveys are distributed. Activities will go from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM and include live entertainment, food, arts, crafts and booths with information about Census 2010. The book store staff will read a special interactive story designed to educate families about the importance of the census. Continue reading→

2010 U.S. Census jobs now available

Posted on by Posted in Anaheim, california, Civic Affairs, Federal Government, Literature, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

logo_census

Hundreds of thousands are needed for temporary 2010 Census Jobs

The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting temporary, part-time census takers for the 2010 Census. These short-term jobs offer good pay, flexible hours, paid training, and reimbursement for authorized work-related expenses, such as mileage incurred while conducting census work. Best of all, census takers work right in their own communities.

Census taker jobs are excellent for people who want to work part-time, those who are between jobs, or just about anyone who wants to earn extra money while performing an important service for their community.

Call 1-866-861-2010 now, testing is going on at many locations. The Census forms will be in the mail soon and census day is April 1st.  Click here for more info.

Download the practice test, as a good score is important considering the number of applicants. Continue reading→

IRS tax break for working families in Santa Ana!

Posted on by Posted in Earned Income Tax Credit, EITC, Federal Government, IRS, Santa Ana, Taxes, Working Families Leave a comment

eitc

Do you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)?  The City of Santa Ana encourages you to find out! The EITC can provide a refund of up to $5,657 and is one of the largest federal credits available to low and moderate income workers. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provides a temporary increase in the EITC for taxpayers with three or more qualifying children this year. In addition, it also increases the beginning point for the credit for all married couples filing a joint return, regardless of the number of children.

The City of Santa Ana has partnered with the Legal Aid Society of Orange County, the Orange County United Way, and community based organizations to provide free tax assistance and financial education to eligible households. Even if your family is not eligible for the EITC, you may still obtain free income tax assistance if your income did not exceed $50,000 in 2009.

It is easier than ever to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit. You earned it, you keep it! Please call (888) 434-8248 (English) or (866) 921-3890 (Spanish) to schedule an appointment for free tax preparation assistance at the EITC Super Saturday event or for any of the following Community Tax Days scheduled in Santa Ana. In addition, the I-CAN!™ E-File computer module at www.icanefile.org will help you do your taxes for free in English or Spanish or Vietnamese and is available to residents from any computer with internet access. Continue reading→

Free tax preparation and e-filing, in Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in Federal Government, Orange County, Santa Ana, Taxes, Working Families 1 Comment

File your taxes for free

FREE tax preparation and FREE e-filing at Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Orange County, located at 1920 Old Tustin Ave., Santa Ana.  Please call 714.547.2227 X118.  Tell them Stella sent you!

This offer is limited to households with a total income in 2009 of less than $48,279.00.

TAX DAYS: 8am to 8pm

Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010 Continue reading→

2010 U.S. Census Bus Tour coming to Santa Ana on Friday

Posted on by Posted in Federal Government, Latinos, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

U.S. Census Bus Tour

 The 2010 Census Road Tour Bus will be here in Santa Ana this Friday.  Come on by and experience history!

Who: EVERYONE IS INVITED
What: City of Santa Ana and 2010 Census hosting Road Tour Event
Where: 4th Street and Spurgeon St (near Fiesta Market Place) 
Date: Friday, February 5, 2010
Time: 3:00pm – 6:00pm
Cost: FREE!! Continue reading→

2010 U.S. Census bus tour coming to Anaheim’s Little Arabia on Feb. 4

Posted on by Posted in Anaheim, Arab Americans, Civic Affairs, Federal Government Leave a comment

Yalla Count

The 2010 Census Bus Tour is coming to Anaheim’s “Little Arabia” this week, on Thursday, Feb. 4, at 6 p.m., at the Victory Restaurant and Bakery, located at 630 S. Brookhurst St.  All are invited!

The purpose of the bus tour is to encourage community members to fill their 2010 Census forms, but in this case you will also be able to help yourself to 99 cent Falafels and Shawerna sandwiches.  Delicious! Continue reading→

U.S. Census to reach out to Cambodians on Friday at UCI

Posted on by Posted in Federal Government, irvine, Youth Activities Leave a comment

Dance for Cans

The Cambodian Awareness Organization of University of California, Irvine is hosting their first annual DANCE FOR CANS held this Friday, 1/29/2010 to benefit the Cambodian Family, a non-profit agency serving the refugee and immigrant community of Orange County, California.  The mission of the Cambodian Family is to provide opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills, and desire for creating health and well-being in their lives.  Please check them out at www.cambodianfamily.org

The event will be held at the UCI Student Center, Emerald Bay A & B on Friday, January 29, 2010 from 7:00 pm-11 pm.  A suggested donation of 2 cans of food is the price of admission.  Special Guests include UCI’s very own BBBOYS ANONYMOUS and DeeJay Chhen Chilla & DJ Ice. www.clubs.uci.edu/cao/. Continue reading→

Santa Ana Marine to receive the Purple Heart Medal on Thursday

Posted on by Posted in Federal Government, Latinos, Orange County, Santa Ana, Veterans 1 Comment

Purple Heart

Santa Ana Marine to Receive the Purple Heart Medal

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 26, 2010

CONTACT: John Parent (714) 567-7458 or  Cell: (714) 227-2623

(Santa Ana, CA) – On Thursday, January 28, 2010, U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter will present the Purple Heart Medal to Marine Sergeant Nain Pena of Santa Ana for wounds he received in action during Operation Iraqi Freedom II on November 11, 2004.

The Purple Heart Medal was established by General George Washington at Newburgh, New York, August 7, 1782 and is awarded to members of the Armed Forces who have been killed or wounded in action. Continue reading→

City of Santa Ana seeks resident input regarding use of federal grant funds

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Federal Government, homeless, Housing, Public Safety, Santa Ana, Seniors, Youth Activities Leave a comment

Santa Ana City Logo

The City of Santa Ana is currently in the process of developing a new Consolidated Plan for the use of federal grant funds for the fiscal years 2010/11-2014/15.

The Consolidated Plan will be used to establish goals and spending priorities based upon the priority needs of Santa Ana’s low- to moderate- income residents for the following four U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG); HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME); Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG); and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA.)

The City of Santa Ana is looking for input from local residents “to gain a better perspective on the critical needs in the community,” according to an email sent out by Scott Kuttner, a District Manager in the City’s Community Development Agency.

Kuttner states that ” By participating in the Federal Funding Needs Survey, you will help shape the creation of this important planning document. The survey will be available on-line until January 15, 2010.”

Click here to take the City of Santa Ana’s survey. Continue reading→

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez apparently set to deny ICE raids are occuring

Posted on by Posted in Federal Government, immigration, Latinos, Loretta Sanchez, mexico, Santa Ana 3 Comments

Janet Napolitano says the system worked

Embattled Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is allegedly denying that ICE immigration raids are occuring in Santa Ana

A local insider has indicated that Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez is getting ready to issue a press release denying that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids are going on in Santa Ana.  This despite numerous eyewitness accounts to the contrary.

A Sanchez staffer leaked the news about the release and indicated that Sanchez has talked to Homeland Security and ICE and they have denied the raids. 

However, considering that Homeland Security allowed numerous party-crashers to invade a recent White House dinner, and they also allowed a known terrorist to fly to our country, with no bags, on Christmas, it is hard to take them at their word.  That is particularly true given that the Director of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, insisted to the press that the “system worked” after the aforementioned terrorist failed to blow up a jet that was landing in Detroit. Continue reading→

Will Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez act to stop the immigration raids in Santa Ana?

Posted on by Posted in Federal Government, immigration, Latinos, Loretta Sanchez, mexico, Santa Ana, Youth Activities Leave a comment

Loretta Sanchez and youth in action

How many young people will be deported in Santa Ana if Congresswoman Sanchez doesn’t stop the ICE raids?

The recent Immigration and Customs Service (ICE) immigration raids in Santa Ana have come at a very bad time – just as U.S. Census workers are starting to conduct outreach to area immigrants.

Only one local politician can stop these raids.  That would be Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, who serves on the Congressional Homeland Security Committee.

“In the 111th Congress, Rep. Sanchez is taking a leading role in securing America’s borders with Mexico and Canada. This Congress she has held and continues to hold hearings and briefings on the U.S. response to the drug related violence that has plagued most of the Mexican side of the border. She has appeared countless times on CNN, C-SPAN, FOX News, and MSNBC to discuss the importance of a coordinated and efficient U.S. response to the violence. She has also met with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to provide guidance on critical issues, including combating human, weapons, and drug trafficking and ensuring interagency cooperation on national security issues,” according to Sanchez’ website. Continue reading→

Will the ICE immigration raids in Santa Ana hurt the 2010 Census?

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Federal Government, immigration, Jose Solorio, Latinos, Loretta Sanchez, Lou Correa, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Census Immigrant Awareness Poster

How can the 2010 U.S. Census reach out to immigrants when ICE keeps raiding their communities?

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agency could not be conducting immigration raids in Santa Ana at a worst time.  Two such raids were spotted this weekend, and yet another today.

The 2010 U.S. Census is beginning in March, and will run throughout 2010.  In fact the Santa Ana office of the Census is opening this week, on January 7. 

In fact the City of Santa Ana is promoting the Census on their website.  Why?  Simple.  If we don’t accurately count everyone in our city, we will pay for it.  “The information the census collects helps to determine how more than $400 billion dollars of federal funding each year is spent on infrastructure and services,” according to the U.S. Census.

Simply put, we need everyone to participate in the Census – but these ICE raids are going to scare many residents in our city.  They won’t want to talk to the Census takers.  That is a disaster for Santa Ana! Continue reading→

2010 U.S. Census now hiring in Orange County

Posted on by Posted in Federal Government, Jobs, Santa Ana 2 Comments

U.S. Census workers in Santa Ana

The 2010 U.S. Census is hiring again, here in Orange County.  Hundreds of thousands of workers are needed for temporary jobs  Bilingual speakers are encouraged to apply.  Census takers start at: $17.00/hour.

Go to: ELCO, located at Brookhollow Drive, in Santa Ana.  Call 714-361-5320.

The test is being held at the Santa Ana library the next 3 Wednesdays. Class size is limited so call today to reserve your seat.