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Category Archives: Politics

SAPOA President responds to the Register’s Op-Ed against the recall of Councilwoman Iglesias

Posted on by Posted in 2020 Elections, Cecilia Iglesias, Elections, Gerry Serrano, Politics, Santa Ana, SAPD, SAPOA 3 Comments

Editor’s Note – While we do not support the current recall campaign against duly elected Santa Ana City Councilwoman Ceci Iglesias, to be fair we have extended an opportunity to Gerry Serrano, the President of the Santa Ana Police Officers Association, known as SAPOA, to rebut the Op-Ed that recently was published in the O.C. Register regarding the recall.

Truth & Facts: Cecilia Iglesias is unfit for office

Gerry Serrano

By: Gerry Serrano

Recently, the OC Register and other news blogs have posted articles that are very misleading. The articles tend to reduce support for and are slanted against our blue-collar public safety professionals, the very same people that dedicate themselves to protecting and serving our community. The question is why? There are facts to the contrary that should be reported.
Truth be told, Councilwoman Cecilia Iglesias has been ruthless and unethical going back to her days on the Santa Ana Unified School Board. She has attacked teachers and school employees and their respective unions. She has bullied them, and no one has ever stood up to her. That’s newsworthy.

Now, as a Councilwoman, she has become more unethical and her behavior risen to an unacceptable level, verging on criminal. Our elected officials are held to a higher standard. They are not above the law and surely must be held accountable.

Local citizens, thousands of them, initiated a process to recall Ms. Iglesias because Santa Ana is suffering from a housing crisis and she voted no for affordable housing; she supports President Trump’s immigration policies of building a wall and separating children from families at the border; she opposed revenue initiatives supporting after-school programs, homelessness and public safety; and, she posted a video advocating the defunding of the Santa Ana Police Department. Good reasons to question her ability to represent the citizens of Santa Ana. That’s newsworthy.

The Santa Ana Police Officers Association does not take a position on federal immigration policy, but we do advocate and support after-school programs, addressing homelessness and providing the best public safety to our community.

Facts: the city of Santa Ana finished the fiscal year ’18-’19 over $6 million in the positive, per their budget. They underestimated revenues by over $16 million. (page 128, city report) Claiming that needed programs can’t be funded is wrong. That’s newsworthy.

The Police Officers Association supports this recall because since Ms. Iglesias has been in office her slanderous comments about the Association, her lies, have been repeated and continuous, interfering with the Association’s right to represent its members. (see compliant) She violated the City Charter by interfering in a civil service personnel hiring creating huge financial exposure for the City. She filed a frivolous lawsuit against the City of Santa Ana costing taxpayers thousands. She voted “No” on the Centennial Education Center which is “No” to a much-needed branch library and “No” to a community center and park improvements. This is not about a contract vote over a year ago, rather she is unfit and her behavior illicit. That’s newsworthy.

Finally, someone had the courage and will to stand up to an unfit and unethical politician. Over 16,000 residents signed a recall petition for various reasons. That’s newsworthy. This is a democracy and the will of the residents should not be silenced. Posts and stories that mislead the public are wrong. The city of Santa Ana deserves BETTER.

Supervisor Andrew Do launches his reelection campaign

Posted on by Posted in 2020 Elections, Andrew Do, Civic Affairs, Elections, homeless, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY – January 3 – The Andrew Do for Supervisor campaign has launched a new ad titled “For Every Family” that began airing January 1 on cable throughout Orange County, backed by a six-figure ad buy.

Homelessness has become rampant throughout Orange County and California, though under Supervisor Do’s leadership and hard work, the county has seen tremendous improvement on eliminating homelessness, thanks to significant investment and action from the county.

“It was a crisis, so we got to work and made a difference,” Do said. “The homeless are our family–no family deserves to live on the street. We’re ending homelessness one at a time, until no family is left behind.”

Chief Strategist for the Andrew Do for Supervisor campaign, John Thomas, said: “Very rarely do we see a politician keep his or her word and make good on campaign promises, but Andrew Do is doing just that. He’s laid the foundation for ending homelessness and it’s exciting to dream about what he can accomplish with four more years.”

About Supervisor Andrew Do

A former prosecutor, educator, businessman and judge pro tem, Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do is fighting for Orange County taxpayers and working families in the First District communities of Garden Grove, Fountain Valley, Midway City, Santa Ana and Westminster.

As Orange County Supervisor, Andrew Do has increased funding for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and expanded access to vital health care services for seniors and working families. He has cut taxes on small businesses, eliminated regulatory obstacles that impede innovation and defended Prop. 13 by expanding OC taxpayers’ rights to appeal their property tax bills.

During the Fall of Saigon, Andrew Do and his family fled Vietnam with just the clothes on their back and a suitcase full of dictionaries. Thanks to supportive teachers and faculty at Garden Grove’s Jordan Intermediate and Bolsa Grande High School, Andrew developed the educational foundation to earn his bachelor’s degree from University of California, Davis.

His education continued at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, where he volunteered with the public interest law project to address homelessness and aid marginalized communities. After law school, he taught as an Adjunct Professor at Cal State University, Fullerton and then served as a Judge Pro Tem at Orange County West Municipal Court.

After several years providing legal representation to poor and indigent defendants, Andrew Do joined the Orange County District Attorney’s office – with his last assignment prosecuting sexually violent predators as a member of the D.A.’s Sexual Assault Unit. His skills in the courtroom earned him national recognition from the U.S. Department of Justice, when he was chosen to represent Orange County at the National District Attorney Association Advocacy College at the University of South Carolina.

Andrew Do previously served as a Councilmember for the City of Garden Grove and as Chief of Staff to an Orange County Supervisor. His lifetime of community involvement includes service as President of the Asian Bar of California and President of the Vietnamese-American Bar Association of Southern California as well as service on the Board of Directors of the Orange County Bar Association.

The Santa Ana police union wants to blow $500K in taxpayer money to recall Councilwoman Ceci Iglesias

Posted on by Posted in 2020 Elections, Cecilia Iglesias, Civic Affairs, Elections, Politics, Santa Ana, SAPD 2 Comments

The Santa Ana Police Officers Association, known as SAPOA, has finally admitted that they are the ones funding the recall effort against Santa Ana City Councilwoman Cecilia Iglesias, according to the O.C. Register.

As you might imagine Iglesias reacted to the news about the recall signatures on her Facebook page:

greedyGerry is finally exposed as the sole funder for the recall against me. It’s a shame that he has been given so much control in misspending his members money using it to fund recalls that will cost the city $500k for an election.

Under #greedyGerry leadership city hall will continue to be coercively governed by an unethical bully. Gerry Serrano has managed to control the majority of the council to do his dirty work inside city hall. He is a bully and continues to bully the only women on the council. This did not happen under the former POA President.

Gerry doesn’t care about Santa Ana residents. He only cares about the money he takes from Santa Ana residents. Why should he care about Santa Ana, when he lives in Garden Grove.

My respects to the our police officers. They are just doing their job. They are doing the best they can under their bully president.

Say No to the Recall!!!

The police union has spent $220,000 since last July to oppose Iglesias, most of it going to a committee dubbed “Neighbors Supporting the Recall of Cecilia Iglesias.” This has paid for the gathering of 16,000 signatures in support of the recall, which were turned in to the City of Santa Ana on Dec. 18 and then delivered the next day to the Orange County Registrar of Voters.

The Registrar will determine the validity of the signatures. The police union will need at least 10,865 valid signatures in order to qualify the recall for the ballot. The Registrar’s office has until Feb. 3 to verify the signatures and return those results to the city. I suppose that means the recall might be able to make the March Primary Election ballot but more likely it is headed for the November ballot.

The police union’s leaders are upset with Iglesias because she voted last February against spending $25 million on police raises. However the City Council as a whole did vote for the raises, begging the question, why go after Iglesias when the police union got what they wanted?

And it turns out that Iglesias was right all along. The police union and the City Council ended up funding the big police raise by raiding the funds raised by Measure X, a highly ill-advised sales tax increase the voters got duped into voting for back in 2018. That money was supposed to be used for a slew of city services but it has in fact been spent mostly on police expenses and other city debt.

The police union already had a chance to beat Iglesias when she ran for the City Council but they recruited a lame and lazy candidate who lost badly. Now the police union wants to spend our taxpayer money to fund a recall election that only serves them! It is salt in the wound after they ripped us off with Measure X.

The City Council will have a chance to vote on when the recall election will take place. Hopefully they will push it back to the November General Election. Iglesias is already running to replace termed-out Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido so trying to recall her would be a total waste of time.

Ironically Iglesias now enjoys broad support from both the right and the left as she steadfastly stands up for the voters and taxpayers in a town where the City Council members usually kowtow to the special interests.

Shame on the SAPOA for funding this ridiculous recall effort! They should man up and leave Iglesias alone. Let the voters decide her fate when she runs for Mayor. Most likely she will win that race too and trigger the police union’s fragile leaders once again!

The Ayn Rand Conference is coming to Santa Ana on Jan. 18

Posted on by Posted in Libertarian Party, Liberty, Literature, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The Ayn Rand Institute is hosting a conference in our area! The Libertarian Party of Orange County will be attending this conference as a group.

The AynRandCon–Orange County will be held on January 18, 2020 at the Courtyard Marriott Santa Ana. Register and learn more here.

The theme of the conference is “Reason, Purpose, Self-Esteem.” Through talks, panels, and discussions, attendees will explore Rand’s view that these three values are essential to human flourishing and a free society. It’s also a great opportunity to connect with others who appreciate the philosophy of liberty.

AynRandCon fosters a community of thinkers—people who ask questions and enjoy discussing big ideas. Whether you are a long-time Rand fan or just curious about her philosophy, you’ll experience high-quality conversations and interactions.

Attendees include students of all ages, professionals from a variety of career fields, and Ayn Rand Institute staff and speakers. AynRandCon is a great opportunity to cultivate friendships, professional connections, and intellectual mentorships.

“My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.” –Ayn Rand

AynRandCon is designed to stimulate, inspire, and motivate you. The intellectual work you do at AynRandCon, and the insights you take away, will provide your soul the fuel it needs to face the world with moral certainty and achieve your highest values.

Use the discount code LPOC when you register to receive 75 percent off the cost (only $25 for adults and $6.25 for students with the code). Feel free to share this code with anyone and everyone in your network!

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Jennifer Minjarez at jminjarez@aynrand.org.

Please share this offer with friends, as well as with other groups you think may be interested. This event, and the offer, is open to all.

Ayn Rand born Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum; February 2 [O.S. January 20] 1905 – March 6, 1982) was a Russian-American writer and philosopher. She is known for her two best-selling novels, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, and for developing a philosophical system she named Objectivism. Educated in Russia, she moved to the United States in 1926. She had a play produced on Broadway in 1935 and 1936. After two early novels that were initially unsuccessful, she achieved fame with her 1943 novel, The Fountainhead. In 1957, Rand published her best-known work, the novel Atlas Shrugged. Afterward, she turned to non-fiction to promote her philosophy, publishing her own periodicals and releasing several collections of essays until her death in 1982.

Rand advocated reason as the only means of acquiring knowledge and rejected faith and religion. She supported rational and ethical egoism and rejected altruism. In politics, she condemned the initiation of force as immoral and opposed collectivism and statism as well as anarchism, instead supporting laissez-faire capitalism, which she defined as the system based on recognizing individual rights, including property rights. In art, Rand promoted romantic realism. She was sharply critical of most philosophers and philosophical traditions known to her, except for Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas and classical liberals. (Source – Wikipedia)

Will you vote for Miguel Pulido for the O.C. Board of Supervisors?

Posted on by Posted in 2020 Elections, Andrew Do, Elections, Kim Nguyen, Miguel Pulido, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana, Sergio Contreras, Steve Rocco Leave a comment

Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido first won a seat on the Santa Ana City Council way back in 1986. He has been Mayor now for 13 two-year terms, since 1994. Now he has filed to run for the Orange County Board of Supervisors, in the First District. 

Will you vote for Pulido and put him in a position to influence not only what happens in our city but also at the County of Orange?

Pulido won’t have a cake walk in this race. He will have to beat the incumbent, Supervisor Andrew Do, a former Garden Grove City Councilman who has also worked for the O.C. District Attorney’s office.

Sergo Contreras

And Pulido is not the only challenger in this race. Three others have pulled papers, including :

I don’t see Contreras having much of a chance. He and Nguyen are both Democrats but Westminster doesn’t have nearly the influence that Garden Grove does. Nguyen is also dating Santa Ana City Councilman David Penaloza. He will surely work hard to help her to garner votes in Santa Ana.

Rocco never spends any money on his campaigns. But he is the only non minority candidate in the race and he always gets a chunk of votes for that reason.

There were rumors for a while that former State Senator Janice Nguyen would file against Do but I suspect she will resort to working behind the scenes, most likely to help either Pulido or Nguyen. Her aim is just to make sure Do loses.

Pulido has many detractors but he enjoys the highest name I.D. in this race. He does not have much of a grassroots following. You won’t likely see volunteers walking precincts for him. But he does raise money easily and most likely he will resort to using direct mail to try to win the March Primary election.

Pulido’s major claim to fame is redeveloping the city and fostering the Artists Village in DTSA. He may have overplayed his hand with the Streetcar that is being built now and will ultimately connect DTSA to Downtown Garden Grove. The project is very unpopular and expensive and many doubt it will ever be worth the trouble.

While Pulido is a lifelong Democrat I suspect he will not get the support of his own party. Most likely the liberals who now control the DPOC will back Nguyen (pictured above).

Nguyen is far too liberal to win this seat. But unless Pulido can deal with her the road to victory will be a tough one for him. The good news for Pulido is that Nguyen most likely won’t be able to raise the money that Pulido can raise. The bad news though is that County races are subject to major constraints when it comes to fundraising. Pulido however always gets elected with help from PACs – and they are not subject to the same fundraising limits that will handcuff the actual Supervisorial candidates.

Liberal women uniting behind Kim Nguyen for Supervisor

Posted on by Posted in 2020 Elections, Elections, Garden Grove, Kim Nguyen, Orange County, Politics, Women 3 Comments

Garden Grove, CA – In less than a week after her announcement for Orange County Board of Supervisors, District 1, Garden Grove Councilwoman Kim Nguyen has secured the endorsements from four prominent local councilwomen; Councilwoman Tiffany Ackley from Aliso Viejo, Councilwoman Andrea Marr from Costa Mesa, Councilwoman Farrah Khan from Irvine and Councilwoman Leticia Clarke from Tustin.

In announcing their endorsements, the councilwomen stated:

  • Councilwoman Tiffany Ackley – “I am proud to endorse Councilwoman Kim Nguyen for the Board of Supervisors. Councilwoman Nguyen has been an effective leader for Garden Grove. Combined with her background as a Health Policy Specialist, she will be a powerful force on the Orange County Board of Supervisors. We need her voice and expertise on the Board to build in Orange County that works for people of all backgrounds.”
  • Councilwoman Andrea Marr – “Kim Nguyen is an inspiring leader who will tackle the County’s most difficult challenges head-on, with the same courage and dedication she has shown in her years on City Council. We need a representative at the Board of Supervisors who will truly listen to every single voice in the community and act on behalf of the entire district; there is no one better suited for that role than Kim.”
  • Councilwoman Farrah Khan – “I’m proud to support Kim Nguyen for Supervisor, Dist 1. Kim has proven her ability to lead by example. She is the right candidate for this district and this seat. We need new voices in government to lead us out of our homeless crisis, secure benefits to those in need through CalOptima, and ensure all our county workers have a champion working for them. I hope you will join me in supporting Kim.”
  • Councilwoman Letitia Clark – “Kim has a proven track record of fighting for her community and advocating for those with the greatest needs. We need more women of color like Kim in regional leadership roles.”

Councilwoman Nguyen had this to say about her most recent endorsement:

“As a woman of color in politics, it is often hard to find your voice and ensure that good policy gets passed, but these women have broken through that glass ceiling time and time again. I am proud to kick off my campaign for Supervisor with their support and endorsement.”

As the daughter of a Mexican immigrant and Vietnamese refugee, Kim knows the value of hard work, dedication, and sacrifice. Her humble beginnings as a first-generation American shaped her advocacy and drive to create a more inclusive community. She was the first in her family to graduate high school and obtain a college degree. She has continued to break barriers and open doors for others to follow. In 2016, she became the first Latina and youngest person to ever be elected to the Garden Grove City Council. During her time on the City Council, she has been a leader in creating economic opportunities for low-income communities, increasing funding for infrastructure repairs thought the City, and has worked tirelessly to protect immigrant communities.

The biggest losers in this week’s Santa Ana Special Election

Posted on by Posted in 2019 Elections, Elections, Politics, Santa Ana, SAUSD 7 Comments
David Benavides and his pal Roman Reyna

It appears that Phil Bacerra has won this week’s Santa Ana Special City Council Election and he will take over Ward 4, which was vacated a few months ago by Roman Reyna.

Carolyn Torres easily won the SAUSD School Board Special Election, ending the political career of longtime City Council Member David Benavides.

It is time now to have a look at this election’s biggest losers:

  • The Santa Ana Police Officers Association – they supported Bacerra last year and then inexplicably jumped off his bandwagon and spent money on Jennifer Oliva instead. She came in second to last place. Oops! To make matters worse they spent perhaps $60K on SAUSD School Board candidate Cecilia Aguinaga and she came in last place. The SAPOA now has zero pull on Bacerra – and they have already antagonized City Council Members Juan Villegas and Ceci Iglesias, who they are trying to recall. What the heck is the SAPOA trying to accomplish? Their political strategy is a train wreck!
  • Former City Council Members David Benavides, Sal Tinajero and Roman Reyna. As noted above, Benavides’ political career is now in tatters after he was whipped by Torres in the SAUSD Special Election. But Benavides also joined his former City Council colleagues Tinajero and Reyna in supporting Beatriz Mendoza for Ward 4, and she lost to Bacerra. All three of them are now on the outside looking in. Tinajero and SAUSD Trustee John Palacio were likely at the helm of the Mendoza campaign. This is a huge loss for them! They tried last year to destroy Bacerra and now he has the upper hand.
  • City Councilman Jose Solorio – he has been trying for years to become the new Mayor Miguel Pulido. But Bacerra now figures to inherit Pulido’s backers, not Solorio. And despite the SAPOA’s ridiculous attempt to recall Iglesias she is now a candidate for Mayor and will likely win as there figure to be a half dozen liberals who will split the left-wing vote.
  • Santa Ana’s “Berniecrats” – They won in the SAUSD race, with Torres, but lost Ward 4 despite a solid effort by political newcomer Manny Escamilla. Unfortunately for them there were just too many liberal Democrats on the ballot, which allowed the moderate, Bacerra, to prevail.
  • Torres’ victory by the way is bad news for Santa Ana families as she will inevitably oppose school choice and attack our charter schools. We need more school choice in Santa Ana, not less! No doubt more families will now put their kids in Tustin and Irvine schools as they escape from the SAUSD and our awful School Board.

There is a chance, although slim, that Escamilla will pull ahead of Bacerra. However in our experience the candidate that is leading when the early results come in usually prevails. We expect Bacerra to pull this one out.

The overall winner of this election is Mayor Pulido. Now he has a firm City Council majority to work with as he nears the end of his term. While he will wrap up his work on the City Council he is planning to run next year for the First District of the O.C. Board of Supervisors.

Will dark money elect Beatriz Mendoza to our City Council?

Posted on by Posted in 2019 Elections, Beatriz Mendoza, Civic Affairs, Development, Drugs, Marijuana, Politics, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Did you know that Beatriz Mendoza’s Ward 4 Political Action Committee (PAC) is funded by (1) Social Responsible Growth, Irvine, CA, and (2) Wass Bros, Stanton, CA? Turns out this is some seriously dark money that is funding Mendoz’a campaign.

Wass Bros is a pot shop incorporated in 2011. Apparently they have a tab on their website that states, “Shut the f*ck up.” Classy bunch Mendoza is working with!

These same exact industries (marijuana and developers) poured about half a million dollars of dark money into last year’s Santa Ana Men – on behalf of now disgraced felon and former City Councilman Roman Reyna. Now they have created an Independent Expenditure just a few days ago to support Mendoza, their new puppet for the City Council (So you couldn’t track the money until after the election). Why are these people so desperate to elect Mendoza?

Mendoza clearly is the new Roman Reyna, supported by the same special interests and dark money. No thanks!

Ward 4 candidate Manny Escamilla is winning on Facebook but who will win on Nov. 5?

Posted on by Posted in 2019 Elections, Beatriz Mendoza, Civic Affairs, Elections, Gale Oliver Jr., Jennifer Oliva, Manuel Escamilla, Phil Bacerra, Politics, Santa Ana 6 Comments

Have you decided who you will vote for in the upcoming Nov. 5 Santa Ana City Council, Ward 4, Special Election?

The race features several candidates with widely varied experiences. Almost all of them have some civic experience as well.

Elections have really changed in Santa Ana, which is a tough town to run in because so many of the newer residents have a tendency to move from city to city. This is a city dominated by Latino residents but Latino voters don’t always bother to vote.

As this is a Special Election I expect the overall voter turnout will be extremely low. Older voters can be expected to vote – particularly those who are worried about the direction the city is going in.

There are several candidates who are basing their campaign on getting young people out to vote, including former Santa Ana planning agency employee Manny Escamilla and Arts Commissioner Jennifer Oliva. But those voters often don’t vote.

Escamilla is also spending a lot of time garnering support from Santa Ana’s older voters, as you can see on his Facebook page. Smart move!

The candidate with the biggest advantage is former Planning Commissioner Phil Bacerra, who lost a close race to Roman Reyna last November. However Reyna quickly got into big trouble because he tried to carpetbag in Ward 4 and he bungled getting an address in the Ward in time. Quite frankly the City Clerk should never have allowed him to get onto the ballot.

Bacerra has several advantages. He has the highest name I.D. in the current race. While he is a Democrat he is popular with the city’s Republican voters. And he has garnered a lot of support in Ward 4 from residents who are mad about perceived over-development in the city.

But how are these candidates doing on Facebook? Oliva’s Facebook page only has 296 followers. Escamilla’s Facebook page has 851 followers. Bacerra’s Facebook page has 448 followers.

There is also a candidate who moved into Ward 4 fairly recently, former Planning Commissioner Beatriz Mendoza. Her Facebook page has 538 followers.

Mendoza has even less followers than the relatively unknown businessman Brandon Sisco, who is also running for Ward 4. His Facebook page has 125 followers.

There is one more candidate in the Ward 4 race – Bishop Gale Oliver Jr., who also heads up a church in town. His Facebook page has 322 followers.

Santa Ana City Council Ward 4 Candidates Forum set for Oct. 8

Posted on by Posted in 2019 Elections, Civic Affairs, Elections, Politics, Santa Ana 2 Comments

Resilience Orange County, Latino Health Access, and Santa Ana Building Healthy Communities are hosting a Santa Ana City Council Candidates Forum on Tuesday, October 8th from 6 pm-8 pm at Immaculate Heart of Mary, located at 1100 S Center St., in Santa Ana.

The Candidates Forum will be moderated by Norberto Santana, publisher of the Voice of OC.

Submit your questions for the candidates here.

All The Candidates Have Been Invited!

Parking is available on-site. Spanish Translation Will Be Provided!

  • As a non-profit organization, we do not endorse or support any candidates or political parties *

Will Ceci Iglesias become Santa Ana’s next Mayor?

Posted on by Posted in 2019 Elections, Cecilia Iglesias, Elections, Jose Solorio, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Santa Ana 8 Comments

Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido is finally going to term out which means that after some 20 years Santa Ana will finally have a chance to elect a new Mayor, next year.

Current Ward 3 City Councilman Jose Solorio has been plotting for some time to replace Pulido but his odds now look less than great. He has angered the residents of Ward 3 over development issues to such an extent that I don’t think he could win reelection in that Ward, which might be for the best since he left his wife and kids in Ward 1 when he ran for Ward 3.

Compounding Solorio’s bad luck are the rumors that several former City Council Members could be looking to replace Pulido as well, including the likes of Sal Tinajero, Vince Sarmiento and perhaps even Michele Martinez and David Benavides.

These candidates are all Democrats and their views are similar. They will all subtract votes from each other. And I am not entirely sure that the voters want to elect a retreaded perennial candidate.

Over the past few weeks there has been an attempt to recall current City Councilwoman Ceci Iglesias. While the local police union leaders are saying they are not behind the recall it is pretty obvious that they are – as they are not pleased that Iglesias did not back their huge contract – which was not exactly a financially responsible raise.

Those same police union leaders have lined up behind Solorio. Now they must surely be pulling their hairs out as Iglesias just announced on Facebook yesterday that she intends to run for Mayor. If she does run it is fairly certain that she will win as the rest of the candidates will divvy up the same voter base while Iglesias now has support from both the left and the right.

Iglesias has always been fairly independent minded but her clash with the police union has made her a hero to Santa Ana’s progressive activists – something I never saw coming. She is already hugely popular in Santa Ana’s faith community. Garnering the support of the most liberal voters in our city on top of her more conservative voter support makes her the clear favorite to replace Pulido.

Pulido by the way is currently running against First District Supervisor Andrew Do. If former State Senator Janet Nguyen also files against Do it could divide the Vietnamese vote and put Pulido on the O.C. Board of Supervisors. However my sources tell me that if the current City Council makes certain changes to the City’s charter it could result in Pulido getting a new set of terms – which means we could see him run for Mayor yet again, should he lose his Supervisor’s race.

Solorio must have thought that the recall effort against Iglesias was a great idea. But that recall effort is a joke and now it looks like Iglesias is going to dash his dreams and take the Mayor’s office Solorio has long been lusting for.

Will the voters dig what Iglesias has to offer? I think so. She does not support over-development, she consistently opposes new taxes and fees and is a longtime fighter against government waste. She is also a longtime supporter of our immigrant community as Iglesias herself came here from El Savador when she was a little girl. I think the voters will like what Iglesias has to say about Santa Ana’s future. What do you think?

Former Santa Ana City Council member Reyna pleads guilty to election fraud

Posted on by Posted in 2018 elections, Civic Affairs, Crime, Elections, Fraud, OCDA, Politics, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. – Former Santa Ana City Council Member Roman Reyna pleaded guilty today to committing election fraud for submitting nomination papers under penalty of perjury that falsely claimed he lived at a residence within Santa Ana Ward 4 in order to run for that Ward’s City Council seat in 2018. Reyna was elected to represent Ward 4 in November 2018.

Reyna pleaded guilty to one felony count of perjury and one misdemeanor count of Elections Code 18201, filing fraudulent nomination papers, as part of a plea agreement. He was ordered to pay $578,053.16 in restitution which represents the cost of the special election the City of Santa Ana had to hold to replace Reyna on the City Council. Reyna will be banned for life from holding elected office.

After a one-year progress review, the guilty plea to the felony charge will be withdrawn and he will be sentenced on the misdemeanor Elections Code charge if Reyna makes progress toward completion of the terms of his probation.

Between June 2018 and October 2018 Reyna filed several official documents, including a document re-registering to vote in Ward 4, and City Council nomination papers, under penalty of perjury which stated that he resided in Ward 4. He did not reside in Ward 4 during that time period.

“Democracy exists to ensure that people have a voice in how they are governed,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Engaging in election fraud robs residents of their voice and threatens democracy.”

Deputy District Attorney Matthew Plunkett of the Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting this case. Reyna was represented by attorney Steve Baric.

Ward 4 City Council Candidate Beatriz Mendoza won a court case involving her ballot title

Posted on by Posted in 2019 Elections, Beatriz Mendoza, Civic Affairs, Courts, Phil Bacerra, Politics, Santa Ana, Tim Rush Leave a comment

Christmas came early this year for Santa Ana City Council Ward 4 candidate Beatriz Mendoza, as she successfully defended herself in court after her ballot title of “Victim Assistance Specialist” was challenged.

Tim Rush

The lawsuit was filed by Tim Rush, a longtime gadfly in Santa Ana. Rush argued that a state regulation disallows “specialist” on ballot designations, but the Judge said that the rule “applies only to attorney candidates for judicial office,” according to the O.C. Register.

Mendoza’s campaign reacted to the ruling on Facebook with these comments:

BEA HAS PREVAILED: The OC Courts have ruled that BEATRIZ MENDOZA can use “Victim Assistance Specialist” as her Ballot Designation!

In an unsavory move, friends of #PhilBacerra and his wife #WendyNuvalBacerra mobilized to intimidate & attack Bea but were unsuccessful.

Mendoza previously ran for the SAUSD School Board, back in 2016. She ended up in last place, according to Ballotpedia, with just over 10% of the total vote.

The leading Ward 4 candidate, Phil Bacerra, narrowly lost his campaign for Ward 4 in 2018, to Roman Reyna, garnering over 23,000 votes, according to Ballotpedia. Reyna later resigned from the Ward 4 seat after Bacerra sued him and Reyna’s many campaign shenanigans came to light. Reyna may yet face prosecution by the OCDA.

Santa Ana City Council Ward 4 and SAUSD School Board candidates forum set for Sep. 24

Posted on by Posted in 2019 Elections, Civic Affairs, Elections, Politics, Santa Ana, SAUSD Leave a comment

The Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce and Connect to Council are hosting a candidates forum for the upcoming Santa Ana City Council Ward 4 and SAUSD School Board election, on Sep. 24, at the Delhi Center, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The Delhi Center is located at 505 E. Central Ave.

The Ward 4 City Council candidates include:

  • Phil Bacerra (D), a former Santa Ana Planning Commissioner who sued Reyna after the November election on the grounds that Reyna screwed up his campaign paperwork and never should have been allowed on the ballot. Phil was right!
  • Jennifer Oliva (D), a Santa Ana Arts and Culture Commissioner
  • Gale Oliver, Jr. (No Party Preference – NPP), a Baptist bishop
  • Brandon Sisco – Businessman
  • Manuel Escamilla – Urban Planner

The SAUSD School Board candidates include:

  • Cecilia Aguinaga – a Realtor who has run for the SAUSD School Board a few times before. Aguinaga has served on various City Commissions over the years. She currently serves on the Santa Ana Housing and Redevelopment Commission.
  • David Benavides – a former Santa Ana City Councilman who now heads up a non-profit, Kidworks.
  • Gisela Contreras – a parent/businesswoman who is endorsed by Iglesias.
  • Carolyn Torres – a 7th grade teacher who has very liberal views.

Attendees all have the opportunity to submit questions in advance.
You may do so here:

http://www.santaanachamber.org/form/view/17847

The City Council and SAUSD School Board elections will be held on Nov. 5.

Who will win in Santa Ana’s Ward 4 Special Election this November?

Posted on by Posted in 2019 Elections, Beatriz Mendoza, Brandon Sisco, Civic Affairs, David Benavides, Democratic Party, Elections, Gale Oliver Jr., Jennifer Oliva, Manuel Escamilla, Phil Bacerra, Politics, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana Leave a comment

All of the candidates for Santa Ana’s Ward 4 are Democrats except for Bishop Gale Oliver Jr., who is an independent. Special Elections are generally low turnout affairs. Democrats in Santa Ana are infamous for not voting in such elections. So who has the edge this time around?

There are no Republicans in this race. That figures as only 22.6% of Santa Ana’s voters are Republicans. They have no pull in our city any more.

But the Democrats don’t quite have total control yet either as only 53.4% of the voters are from the blue party. The rest of the voters, 20.6%, are Decline to State or third party voters.

So if the Democrats don’t bother to vote the Independent and GOP voters could prevail – if they get behind one candidate.

The race for Ward 4 however is a crowded affair. Here is how the candidates break down:

  • Phil Bacerra – While he is a Democrat he is a moderate and he has a lot of support from Republican voters in Santa Ana including several former City Council Members. He is a former Santa Ana Planning Commissioner who barely lost to Reyna last time around. Check out his website here.
  • Beatriz Mendoza – She is a liberal Democrat who was once a staffer to U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez. Mendoza has previously run for the SAUSD School Board. Her campaign has already goofed on Facebook – referring to former City Councilman David Benavides as the interim Ward 5 Council Member. He is not serving in that role!
  • Brandon Sisco – Another Democrat. I have no idea why he is running. Perhaps this is a vanity campaign? His website claims that  at 15 assisted the FBI. He owns a company called Android Genius. Their Yelp reviews are very entertaining! Another website claims he is a real estate developer.
  • Bishop Oliver Gale, Jr. – He is an independent. He heads up the Greater Light Family Church, located at 1600 W. 3rd St. in Santa Ana. Council Member Ceci Iglesias has endorsed him.
  • Manuel Escamilla – He is a liberal Democrat. That means he and Mendoza will be fighting over the same voters! And those are precisely the voters who don’t show up in Special Elections. I can’t believe that he quit the City of Santa Ana’s Planning Department in order to run for Ward 4. Bad move I think.
  • Jennifer Oliva – She is an Arts and Culture Commissioner in Santa Ana. She was appointed by Councilman David Penaloza. During her interview with the City Council, when they were trying to figure out who to replace Reyna with, she talked a lot about the youth and education.

I expect that Mendoza and Escamilla are going to split the liberal votes – hurting both of them. Mendoza and Oliva will also split many of the woman votes. Mendoza also appears to be the candidate favored by the pro-Reyna faction. I don’t think it is a positive thing to be associated in any way with Reyna, who may still end up getting prosecuted by the OCDA for his campaign shenanigans.

Councilwoman Ceci Iglesias believes that Bishop Gale Jr. will prevail because of the vote splits. However the voters don’t know who he is so that seems like a tall order. Iglesias does run a great ground game however. She will also promote Gale Jr. at area churches. That is how she got elected to the City Council in the last election. She too benefited from a vote split when her two Democratic opponents knocked each other out.

Bacerra however has several huge advantages:

  • He got over 23,000 votes last November! If the same voters turnout for him again the race is over.
  • His opponent in the 2018 election, Roman Reyna, got over 29,000 votes but those will now be split among several opponents.
  • Bacerra already has campaign signs up in town and he is advertising here on this blog. His opponents? Asleep at the wheel.
  • He is immensely popular in north Santa Ana as he has taken a stand against an apartment development that has upset many residents.

Yes it is true that Bacerra was attacked last year by an ex-girlfriend who alleged that he abused her but she has since been generally discredited and the FPPC is investigating who funded the attack video she was featured in. On a personal note I knew them when they were dating and never saw him act rudely towards her. She is also allied with the most extreme liberals in Santa Ana. And it was fairly obvious that her attack was designed to help Bacerra’s opponent, Reyna.

Bacerra also has the support of the last African American City Council Member to hold office in Santa Ana – Alberta Christy, who was also a major figure in the OC GOP.

If I was a betting man I would say that Bacerra is going to win this race easily. And when the local Democrats endorse one of his opponents it will backfire as that party will only back a candidate who supports distribution of drug needles in our city. Reyna did. So will the next candidate the O.C. Democrats endorse. That won’t fly with most voters in our city.

Why would we support a candidate who wants to hand out drug needles to the addicted homeless mob in our city? The Democratic Party endorsement will as such be the kiss of death!