New Santa Ana | Category Archives: Politics

Santa Ana College awarded $5 million in state funding for innovation in higher education

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in california, Education, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

$50 MILLION AWARDED FOR INNOVATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION

SACRAMENTO – Recognizing campuses of the University of California (UC), California State University (CSU) and California Community Colleges that are expanding access to higher education by improving outcomes, the Committee on Awards for Innovation in Higher Education today announced the winners of a total of $50 million in awards.

“The innovations we are celebrating today are already helping to maintain and expand access to higher education for California’s students,” said Michael Cohen, chair of the Committee on Awards for Innovation in Higher Education and director of the Department of Finance. “Today’s action recognizes the hard work, innovation and creativity of our higher education campuses in improving the success of their students.” Continue reading→

Is Santa Ana “Ready for Hillary?”

Posted on March 22, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Democratic Party, Entertainment, Hillary Clinton, Michele Martinez, Politics, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento Leave a comment

The “Ready for Hillary” organization, which is promoting Hillary Clinton as a presumptive Democratic candidate for U.S. President, is hosting a fundraiser in Santa Ana on Thursday, March 26, 2015, from 6 to 8 pm. The event will be held at Diego’s Downtown, located at 224 East 3rd St, in Santa Ana.

The event will be chaired by Santa Ana Councilwoman Michele Martinez and Mayor Pro Tem Vincent Sarmiento, Anaheim Councilman Jordan Brandman, and Fran Sdao, the Recording Secretary at the Capistrano Unified Council PTSA.

The event hosts include Nick Anas (who quit as Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Orange County earlier this year), Alicia Berhow, Dr. Leah Ersoylu, Claudia Figueroa, Alex Flores, former State Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva (who lost her seat in the 65th A.D. in 2014), Georgina Maldonado, & Melahat Rafiei. Continue reading→

Supervisors Do and Spitzer commend the UCI student leaders who killed the flag ban

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Andrew Do, Education, irvine, Politics, Todd Spitzer Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 9, 2015

Supervisors Spitzer and Do Commend UC Irvine Student Leader Veto on Ban of American Flag

(Orange County, CA) — To show unwavering support for the American flag, Supervisors Todd Spitzer and Andrew Do, both alumni of the University California system, commended the student leaders who vetoed the unwise decision to pass a resolution that banned the flag from being displayed in the lobby of the student government offices.

The Associated Students’ Legislative Council at UC Irvine approved the ban on the flag with a vote of 6-4 on Thursday but the Associated Students’ Executive Cabinet vetoed the ban on a 4-1 vote. The resolution also banned all other nations’ flags from the common lobby area of student council offices. Continue reading→

Santa Ana is getting a new charter middle school this year

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Education, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana, SAUSD 5 Comments

The Orange County Board of Education recently approved a petition to open a new charter school in Santa Ana, called the Vista Heritage Charter Middle School (VHCMS ). The details are pending negotiations with the OCBE but this looks like a done deal, according to the O.C. Register.

The board’s decision came after a petition from VHCMS was turned down by the Santa Ana Unified School District on a 4-1 vote in November. The O.C. board members overturned that decision by a 5-0 vote.

The OCBE is comprised of five Republicans. The SAUSD School Board has two Republicans but only one of them, Ceci Iglesias, supports charter schools.

Here is VHCMS’ Mission Statement: Continue reading→

Do’s victory affirmed as Correa ends the First District election recount

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Andrew Do, Lou Correa, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana 4 Comments

First District Special Election Recount Ends

No change in original certification as recount officially ends

February 13, 2015 – SANTA ANA – Former Senator Lou Correa has ended the recount in the Board of Supervisors’ First District Special Election contest. The recount began Monday, February 9, 2015. Mr. Correa made the original request following the certification of the election. Continue reading→

New security measures planned for O.C. Board of Supervisor meetings

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Orange County, Politics, Public Safety Leave a comment

New Security Measures Planned for Board Meetings

Metal Detectors Will Be Used Beginning March 3

(Santa Ana, CA) — Beginning March 3, 2015, those attending Orange County Board of Supervisors meetings will be required to pass through a metal detector before entering the Board Meeting Room, a move designed to boost security in line with other large urban California counties.

The recommendation to install metal detectors came from the Orange County Intelligence Assessment Center, a multi-jurisdictional network of law enforcement agencies that develops best practices to protect the residents, visitors and critical infrastructure of the county. Continue reading→

Dr. Richard Wolff and Ellen Brown will attack capitalism on Feb. 12 in Santa Ana

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Communism, Entertainment, Politics, Santa Ana, Socialism Leave a comment

Dr. Wolff & Ellen Brown Challenge Capitalism (Municipal/Public Banking, Worker Cooperatives)

Tickets and more info is available here – http://drrickwolffinoc.brownpapertickets.com/

KPFK’s Bibliography’s Andrew Tonkovich, Ellen Brown, Founder of the Public Banking Institute, and world renowned economist Dr. Richard Wolff will present a diagnosis of our country’s prevailing economic problems and the contradictions facing today’s society in Santa Ana on Thursday, February 12, 2015, at 6:30 pm.

They will introduce viable/vetted alternatives as an antidote for the mass of people, who are financially ailing, and heightening a collective awareness that America’s status quo supports a system that allows a small minority of the people to benefit at the expense of the environment and the majority of the people who create the majority of the wealth for them. Finally, America has a cure for capitalism. Continue reading→

The Democrats have only themselves to blame for their losses in Orange County

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2008 Elections, 2012 Elections, 2014 Elections, 2015 Elections, Andrew Do, Democratic Party, Janet Nguyen, Lou Correa, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Orange County’s self-appointed Latino leaders are blaming the 2011 redistricting (that added more Vietnamese voters to the First Supervisorial District while removing Latino voters) for Lou Correa’s loss to Andrew Do in the January 27 First District Special Election, according to the O.C. Register.

The truth is that the Democratic Party of Orange County’s bizarre decision to give then Supervisor Janet Nguyen a free pass in 2012 has now cost the Democrats not only the First District but also the 34th State Senate District, which Nguyen won in last year’s General Election. And the Democrats might also lose the 46th Congressional District in 2016 if Nguyen comes gunning for the incumbent, U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez. Continue reading→

First District Special Election recount set to begin on Feb. 9

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2015 Elections, Andrew Do, Lou Correa, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Public Notice First District Recount

February 3, 2015 – Pursuant to California Elections Code section 15628 the Orange County Registrar of Voters will be conducting a recount of the ballots cast in the 2015 Orange County Board of Supervisors’ First District Special Election.

The election was conducted on January 27, 2015. The recount process will begin at the Registrar of Voters office,1300 South Grand Avenue, Building C, Santa Ana, on Monday, February 9, 2015 beginning at 9 a.m. Continue reading→

Solorio hired by the law firm that was involved in the OC Fairgrounds fiasco

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Democratic Party, Jose Solorio, Lawyers, OC Fair, Orange County, Politics 1 Comment

Former State Assemblyman Jose Solorio was badly beaten last November in the race for the 34th State Senate District, by then Supervisor Janet Nguyen. However things are now looking up for Solorio as he has landed a new job.

Solorio was retained by Nossaman LLP to serve as a Senior Policy Advisor.

Here is Nossaman’s official press release with my comments appearing afterwards: Continue reading→

Correa demands a recount even as Do gets sworn in

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2015 Elections, Andrew Do, Lou Correa, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Andrew Do gets sworn in as the First District Supervisor

Former state Sen. Lou Correa — who lost his bid for a seat on the Orange County Board of Supervisors to Andrew Do by a 43-vote margin — has officially sought a recount of last Tuesday’s special election, according to the L.A. Times.

In a statement Monday night, Correa wrote that (according to the O.C. Register): Continue reading→

Rackauckas’ rips Spitzer’s allegations about the OCDA’s outsourcing

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Orange County, Politics, Todd Spitzer, Tony Rackauckas 2 Comments

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE

February 2, 2015

Via electronic & U.S. Mail

The Honorable Todd Spitzer, Chair Board of Supervisors, County of Orange Hall of Administration 333 West Santa Ana Blvd., 5th Floor Santa Ana, CA 92701

Dear Supervisor Spitzer:

I am once again disappointed in your uninformed and unproductive public comments made during the last Board of Supervisors meeting held on Jan. 27, 2015. As I have stated both verbally and in writing on many occasions, you are welcome to contact me, or any of my top managers, at any time if you have any questions or criticisms about any actions taken by the Orange County District Attorneys Office (OCDA). When you use the power of your position to grandstand, or “ready, fire, aim” with unsubstantiated and misleading allegations, the People are ultimately harmed because they are not getting the true information. Releasing misinformation to the public is bad government. I respectfully urge you to obtain facts before you speak and to discontinue unmeritorious attacks that affect the hard working professionals of the OCDA, and ultimately the public. Continue reading→

Orange County now has a majority Asian-American Board of Supervisors

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2014 Elections, 2015 Elections, Andrew Do, Asians, Janet Nguyen, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana, Vietnamese 5 Comments

Andrew Do’s defeat of former State Senator Lou Correa in the Jan. 27 First District Special Election has made history by creating a majority Asian Board of Supervisors here in Orange County.

Other Asian County Supervisors include Michelle Steel, a Korean-American who replaced John Moorlach after moving into Orange County from Los Angeles County, and Lisa Barlett, a Japanese-American who replaced Pat Bates. Both Moorlach and Bates termed out. Continue reading→

Could Loretta Sanchez lose her seat to Janet Nguyen in 2016?

Posted on February 1, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2016 Elections, Democratic Party, Janet Nguyen, Loretta Sanchez, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana 2 Comments

Janet Nguyen was just elected this past November to the 34th State Senate District but in two short years she will have a chance to challenge U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez in the 46th Congressional District.

Nguyen was elected to a four year State Senate term. She can run for her State Senate seat three times, for a total of 12 years of service. Sanchez has to run every two years but has no term limits. Continue reading→

Why Lou Correa lost to Andrew Do in the First District Special Election

Posted on January 31, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2015 Elections, Andrew Do, Lou Correa, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana 13 Comments

Lame Lou Correa Mailer

I have read comments on Facebook by supporters of Lou Correa that are openly blaming the voters in Santa Ana for Correa’s loss to Andrew Do in the First District Special Election. That is ridiculous.

There are a lot of reasons why people might not vote. You have to know, going into a Special Election, that the turnout will be low to begin with. But Latino voters in Santa Ana already were prone to not voting – they did the same thing in November when Jose Solorio lost to Janet Nguyen in the 34th State Senate election – which led to her abandoning the First District. Continue reading→