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Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Politics

Jewish organization urges the Rancho Santiago Cmty. College District to reject Saudi contract

Posted on by Posted in Arabs, Education, Politics, Santa Ana, Women Leave a comment

Zionist Organization of America

ZOA to Orange Cty, Calif. College District: Reject Saudi Arabia Contract, Will Discriminate Against Jews

Dear Members of the Board of Trustees of the Rancho Santiago Community College District; and Members of the Board of Directors of the Rancho Santiago Community College District Foundation:

We write on behalf of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), the oldest and one of the largest pro-Israel organizations in the U.S., whose mission includes fighting anti-Semitism, including anti-Israelism, in schools and on college campuses. The ZOA was contacted about a 105 million dollar consulting contract that Rancho Santiago Community College District Foundation (RSCCDF) is reportedly entering into with two Saudi Arabia technical schools. We understand that an RSCCDF meeting is scheduled for today at which the contract will be considered and approved. Continue reading→

County approves purchase of a proposed homeless shelter site in Anaheim

Posted on by Posted in Anaheim, homeless, Orange County, Politics, Todd Spitzer Leave a comment

New homeless shelter site in Anaheim

County Approves Purchase & Sale Agreement for 1000 N. Kraemer Place Property

By: Todd Spitzer, Chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors

This week the Board of Supervisors approved a purchase and sale agreement for the purchase of property at 1000 N. Kraemer Place in Anaheim with a 5-0 vote. Community Forums and meetings will be structured to give residents, businesses and other interested stakeholders the opportunity to discuss potential uses for the site, including a year-round emergency shelter and multi-service center.

The property consists of a 24,384 square foot industrial warehouse building and approximately 13,824 square foot of office space that is situated on an approximate 1.87 acre parcel with 68 parking spaces. The building is currently occupied by a commercial air condition repair shop. Continue reading→

Rep. Sanchez questions the FBI’s aircraft surveillance program

Posted on by Posted in Loretta Sanchez, Orange County, Politics 3 Comments

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, Representing California’s 46th Congressional District

PRESS RELEASE, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 5, 2015

MEDIA CONTACT: Eduardo Lerma, 202-225-2965; eduardo.lerma@mail.house.gov

REP SANCHEZ QUESTIONS FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION ON AIRCRAFT SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-46), senior member of the House Homeland Security Committee, wrote a letter to James B. Comey, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, requesting further information on their aircraft surveillance program revealed by the Associated Press:

“As a senior member of the House Homeland Security Committee, I was shocked to learn the FBI used fake companies for aerial surveillance throughout regions of the United States,” said Rep. Sanchez. “Even more troubling is the revelation that my home town of Anaheim, California was part of that aerial surveillance.” Continue reading→

The Rancho Santiago Community College District’s leadership needs a reboot

Posted on by Posted in Education, Politics, Raúl Rodríguez, Ryan Ahari, Santa Ana, Women 13 Comments
RSCC District Chancellor Raul Rodriguez

RSCC District Chancellor Raul Rodriguez. Picture courtesy of El Don.

Opinion Editorial: The Rancho Santiago Community College District’s leadership needs a reboot By Ryan Ahari Saudi Arabia’s government is notorious for its horrendous track record on human rights. The Gulf nation severely punishes its LGBT community, prohibits women from driving, and refuses entry to anyone whose passport indicates previous entry into Israel. Keeping this in mind, why would any reasonable person, let alone a local community-based public entity, conduct business with such a repressive government? Two government-run technical schools in Saudi Arabia awarded the Rancho Santiago Community College District Foundation with a $105 million contract. The contract stipulates that the Foundation will improve and strengthen the schools’ infrastructures. Raúl Rodríguez, the District’s Chancellor, rationalized the contract by announcing the Foundation could receive up to an 8% return. An 8% return on a gross contract of $105 million is a pitiful profit margin and proves that Rodríguez is an educator and not a businessman. The contract further requires the Foundation to enter into a partnership with a corporation formed under Saudi Arabian laws. Continue reading→

Santa Ana College continues to disrespect women

Posted on by Posted in Education, Politics, Santa Ana, Women 3 Comments
Trustees along with former Santa Ana College’s ASG president Raquel Manriquez. / Joanna Meza / el Don

Trustees along with former Santa Ana College’s ASG president Raquel Manriquez. / Joanna Meza / el Don

Enrique Perez, the Vice Chancellor at Santa Ana College inform​ed​ the ​Rancho Santiago Community College District’s (RSCCD) ​Foundation Board on April 9, 2013 that the Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) could no longer afford to carry their Women’s Business Center.

U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez sent a letter to Perez, advocating for the Center, but Perez apparently felt that it would cost more than $250,000 to keep it running.

On October 31, 2013, Foundation board member, Eddie Marquez moved, and RSCCD Trustee Nelida Mendoza Yanez seconded a motion that carried unanimously to authorize Perez to conclude the Women’s Business Center project. Continue reading→

Has Loretta Sanchez become the new Bob Dornan?

Posted on by Posted in 2016 Elections, Democratic Party, Loretta Sanchez, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana 5 Comments

Do you remember Bob Dornan?  He was the longtime Republican Congressman in central Orange County, until Loretta Sanchez, who had been a Republican until she badly lost an Anaheim City Council race and switched to the Democratic Party, back in 1996.

Dornan ran for President in 1996, before dropping out of that race and opting instead to defend his seat against Sanchez.   Continue reading→

Will Loretta Sanchez have to fight to hang on to her U.S. House seat?

Posted on by Posted in 2016 Elections, Democratic Party, Loretta Sanchez, Politics, Santa Ana 4 Comments

U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez

U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez should be dropping out of her race for the U.S. Senate very soon.  And with good reason.  She currently holds a safe seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 46th Congressional District.  But now that she is damaged beyond belief, by the insensitive “war whoop” she uttered at this weekend’s Democratic Party Convention, is her safe seat suddenly not so safe?

Who might challenge Sanchez?

Well we know that there will be challengers on the right (although my sources say that Irvine Councilwoman Lynn Schott will not be one of them after all).  But does the GOP really have a shot at the 46th C.D.? Continue reading→

Loretta Sanchez has wrecked her U.S. Senate campaign and should drop out

Posted on by Posted in 2016 Elections, Democratic Party, Federal Government, Kamala Harris, Loretta Sanchez, Politics, Santa Ana 14 Comments

Is she finished already?  Has U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez tanked her campaign for the U.S. Senate – when she let out what has been deemed a racist Native American ‘war cry’ over the weekend, at the Democratic Convention in Anaheim?

After Saturday’s gaffe, the congresswoman sprinted past a reporter asking her if she wanted to take back the ‘war cry’ gesture. Waving her hands in the air, she cried, “We don’t have time today. Sorry,” according to CNN.

This wasn’t Sanchez’ first gaffe since she started pondering running against the State Attorney General, Kamala Harris, for the Senate seat being vacated by Barbara Boxer.  In April Sanchez criticized Harris for her inability to speak Spanish, according to the Sacramento Bee. Continue reading→

Why is Asm. Tom Daly trying to limit the developer fees our school districts can collect?

Posted on by Posted in Democratic Party, Development, Education, Politics, Santa Ana, SAUSD Leave a comment
Tom Daly

Tom Daly

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Deidra Powell, Chief Communications Officer, (714) 558-5555 office, (714) 673-4995 mobile

Media Advisory

(May 14, 2015) – The Santa Ana Unified School District Board of Education adopted a resolution at its May 12, 2015, Board meeting opposing Assembly Bill 715, a bill authored by Assemblymember Tom Daly, which proposes to revise the definition of assessable space for which school districts can collect developer fees. Developer fees were established to offset impacts to school facilities from new students generated from residential and commercial development. According to the resolution adopted by the Board, altering the definition of assessable space may limit the developer fees districts can receive from new development and may negatively impact school facilities. Continue reading→

Should the OC GOP get behind Loretta Sanchez for the U.S. Senate?

Posted on by Posted in 2016 Elections, Loretta Sanchez, Orange County, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana 7 Comments

Loretta Sanchez for US Senate

There are no viable Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate seat that is being vacated by U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer in 2016.  There are a few former California Republican Party Chairmen sniffing around but they don’t have much name I.D. and won’t be able to raise money.  For all effects and purposes Boxer will be succeeded by another Democrat.

Given this scenario should the Republican Party of Orange County – and other local GOP groups such as the Lincoln Club, get behind U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez for Boxer’s Senate seat – now that she has confirmed that she is running?

The idea sounds nuts but think about it.  She is the ONLY Orange County resident with a shot at Boxer’s seat.  And Sanchez was born and raised here, in Anaheim, and still lives here, in Santa Ana (yes we know she has another home in Virginia). Continue reading→

Sanchez announces her campaign for the U.S. Senate

Posted on by Posted in 2016 Elections, california, Loretta Sanchez, Politics, Santa Ana 7 Comments

Sanchez announces her Senate campaign

Sanchez Announces Long Shot Bid For US Senate

Special To The OC Politics Blog By Joe Hill

SANTA ANA, CA – As expected Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove) announced her candidacy to replace retiring Senator Barbara Boxer. Beating a rare May rainstorm by Minutes the “Blue Dog” Democrat exclaimed “I’m a Doer”.

Surrounded by fewer than a hundred supporters, mostly family and attention starved political types Sanchez by talking about here upbringing in Anaheim, here parents struggle as immigrants and her Fathers illness. Then someone yelled “TURN ON THE MIKE”! OOPS! Continue reading→

Former SAUSD Trustee Nadia Davis is having another baby with her 74-year-old husband

Posted on by Posted in Democratic Party, irvine, Nadia Lockyer, Orange County, Politics 4 Comments

Nadia, Bill and Diego Lockyer

Former SAUSD School Board Trustee Nadia Davis Lockyer survived a brief addiction to meth and a resignation from the Supervisor’s office she was elected to – and has apparently restored her marriage to former State Treasurer Bill Lockyer.  Now she has announced a huge surprise on her Facebook page – she is expecting a baby!

Nadia is 43 years old and her husband is 74 years old.  They have an 11-year-old son, Diego.

Here is what Nadia posted on her Facebook page: Continue reading→

The campaign to recall Judge Marc Kelly reacts to his arrogant response

Posted on by Posted in 2016 Elections, Courts, Crime, Judge Marc Kelly, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Recall Judge Marc Kelly

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Contact: Kelsey Eiben (714) 676-8879

Advocates of Recall Judge M. Marc Kelly From The Bench Campaign Release Statement On Judge Kelly Response

(Santa Ana, CA)-Today, Bryan Scott, Founder and Chairman of the Recall Judge M. Marc Kelly campaign, and Patricia Wenskunas, Founder and CEO of Crime Survivors, Inc., released a statement in reaction to Judge Kelly’s official response to the petition of notice to recall.

“Judge Kelly can talk about other decisions he has made throughout his career, which I find to be arrogant, but it will never make up for his horrific decision to go easy on a child sexual predator. This recall is a way to show support and protection for crime victims everywhere; past, present, and future,” said Patricia Wenskunas. Continue reading→

Land swap results in an FPPC fine but no criminal charges for Mayor Pulido

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Santa Ana 11 Comments

Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido

Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido has agreed to pay $13,000 in fines to the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) stemming from a personal land deal with a city contractor, according to the O.C. Register.

The fines stem from a land swap wherein Pulido traded a parking lot next to his brother’s muffler shop to auto parts provider Rupen Akoubian, who runs a NAPA auto parts store located next to the parking lot in question.  Akoubian swapped a home in Westminster for the parking lot so he could expand his business. Continue reading→