Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Politics

Why isn’t Mayor Pro Tem Tinajero running much of a reelection campaign?

Posted on by Posted in 2014 Elections, Alfredo Amezcua, John Palacio, Mike Gonzalez, Politics, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana 21 Comments

Mayor Pro Tem Sal Tinajero

Santa Ana’s Mayor Pro Tem, Sal Tinajero, is up for reelection in Ward 6, in this November’s General Election, but you would hardly know that as he still doesn’t have a campaign website.  Tinajero has a personal Facebook page but hasn’t even bothered to launch a Campaign Facebook page.

What is up with Tinajero?  I know he is a busy guy but the message he is sending to the voters is that he isn’t interested in their vote.

This is the wrong year for Tinajero to take a vacation during campaign season as he has a challenger who is working hard and who is known in the community, in the form of Miguel “Mike” Gonzalez. Continue reading→

Garden Grove’s Broadwater and Beard endorse Solorio for the 34th State Senate District

Posted on by Posted in 2014 Elections, Democratic Party, Garden Grove, Jose Solorio, Politics Leave a comment

Bruce-Broadwater

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 22, 2014

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Maria Unzueta (657) 464-4742 (Cell)

GARDEN GROVE MAYOR BRUCE BROADWATER ENDORSES JOSE SOLORIO FOR STATE SENATE

Mayor Joins Garden Grove Councilman Kris Beard In Supporting Solorio’s Candidacy For 34th State Senate District

GARDEN GROVE – State Senate Candidate Jose Solorio announced today that Garden Grove Mayor Bruce Broadwater and Councilman Kris Beard have endorsed his campaign for Senate.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Jose Solorio on a wide variety of important policy issues over the last 15 years,” said Garden Grove Mayor Bruce Broadwater.” I have found him to be an independent minded, commonsense and pragmatic leader who isn’t afraid to buck the political establishment and do the right thing. I enthusiastically support him for State Senate.” Continue reading→

Mayor Miguel Pulido to host a State of the City reception on 9/30

Posted on by Posted in 2014 Elections, Civic Affairs, Entertainment, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Santa Ana 2 Comments

Pulido breakfast

Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido is hosting a campaign breakfast reception that will include a “State of the City” update on September 30, 2014, from 7:30 am to 9:30 am at the Bowers Museum, in the John Lee Court, at 2002 N. Main St., in Santa Ana.

Tables are available for $2,000 and individual tickets are available for $200.  Please RSVP to Alisha Mendoza at (213) 891-2965 or via email here.

About Mayor Pulido

Since he was first elected to the Santa Ana City Council in 1986, Mayor Miguel Pulido has been a major force in the renaissance and economic revitalization of the City.  He is currently serving his sixth term as Mayor and has proven to be a leader, not only within the community, but regionally and nationally.  Mayor Pulido has focused his efforts on improving the quality of life for all Santa Ana residents.   During his tenure the City has experienced a 58 percent reduction in crime, an increase in home values, a rise in the number of business licenses, an enhancement of the economic opportunities for the private sector, an overall revitalization of the City’s infrastructure and an expansion in social and culture venues. Continue reading→

Rep. Sanchez endorses Solorio for the 34th State Senate District

Posted on by Posted in 2014 Elections, Democratic Party, Jose Solorio, Loretta Sanchez, Politics, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Loretta Sanchez at the Fiestas Patrias Parade

For Immediate Release: September 19, 2014

For More Information Contact: Maria Unzueta – mobile: (657) 464-4742

CONGRESSWOMAN LORETTA SANCHEZ ISSUES ENDORSEMENT STATEMENT FOR JOSE SOLORIO IN STATE SENATE RACE

Congresswoman Sanchez Says She and Solorio Agree on Making College Access and Affordability a Priority

Santa Ana, CA – Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez issued a formal endorsement for Jose Solorio as her choice in the 34th State Senate District. Sanchez’s endorsement is key in the district which includes a large portion of Congresswoman Sanchez’s district. Congresswoman Sanchez’s district includes all or parts of Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Anaheim and Orange.

“I’m supporting Jose Solorio because we both believe in fighting to protect everyone’s right to a good education. Jose and I believe that higher education should be a real option for all students. As a State Assemblyman, he wrote laws to help eliminate price-gouging on school textbooks. He also fought to protect $35 million for local schools and championed efforts to cut college tuition up to 40% for middle-class families,” says Congresswoman Sanchez. “I recently introduced the ‘Middle Class Chance Act’ to combat increasing college costs by helping students pay for college with a strengthened Pell Grant.” Continue reading→

Why is SAUSD Trustee John Palacio hiding his contact info from the public?

Posted on by Posted in 2014 Elections, Education, Politics, Santa Ana 4 Comments

SAUSD Trustee John Palacio

Only two of the elected members of the Santa Ana Unified School District’s Board of Education, Cecilia Iglesias and Rob Richardson, post their contact information on the district’s website.

Why is it that the rest of the Trustees, including longtime incumbent John Palacio, who is running this year for reelection, are hiding their contact information from the voters and residents of this city? Continue reading→

Our City Council and School Board candidates forums should be televised!

Posted on by Posted in 2014 Elections, Civic Affairs, Education, Politics, Santa Ana, SAUSD 19 Comments

Santa Ana Council Candidates Forum

A Santa Ana City Council candidates forum was held this week and surprise barely anyone in the City of Santa Ana attended or even knew about it.  Check out who did show up, as pictured above.  Does that look like Santa Ana?

The reality is that unless we televise these forums they will have very little impact on the voters.  And the shame of it is that both the City of Santa Ana and the Santa Ana Unified School District have vast internal public relations operations that include their own TV channels on local Cable and AT&T U-Verse.

So why aren’t the City Council candidates forums televised and why aren’t there any SAUSD School Board candidates forums?  It all comes down to incumbent protection and that is just wrong.

If you want this to change then you are going to have to make some noise! Continue reading→

Could Gilad Salmon become Santa Ana’s first Jewish City Councilman?

Posted on by Posted in 2014 Elections, Democratic Party, Gilad Salmon, Liberals, Michele Martinez, Mirna Velasquez, Politics, Rene Gomez, Republican Party, Santa Ana 8 Comments

Gilad Salmon

Santa Ana Councilwoman Michele Martinez has reason to worry as she prepares for her reelection campaign in the upcoming November General Election.  But from what I hear she is not overly concerned about Mirna Velasquez, who appears to be her top challenger.  No, Martinez is losing sleep over a candidate most Santa Ana residents have never heard of.  His name is Gilad Salmon.

Salmon’s Facebook page says he grew up in Anaheim Hills but it also says he worked at a Jewish Community Foundation in San Francisco.  Salmon is not running much of a campaign for Ward 2 but he might benefit from a three way vote split by the Latino candidates, which include Martinez, Velasquez and a fellow named Rene Gomez. Continue reading→

Santa Ana Mayoral and City Council candidates forum set for Sep. 17

Posted on by Posted in 2014 Elections, Civic Affairs, Entertainment, Politics, Santa Ana 3 Comments

Vote

PRESS RELASE, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Connie Hamilton, Connect-to-Council, 714.745.1692, connect-to-council@earthlink.net

COLLABORATION BETWEEN LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO HOST A FORUM AND DEBATE FOR THE SANTA ANA VOTERS

Santa Ana, CA, –Com-Link, Connect-to-Council, NeighborWorks Orange County, and the Santa Ana Register will collaborate in hosting a debate and forum with Santa Ana Mayoral and City Council candidates on Wednesday, September 17th 2014 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Rancho Santiago Community College District Building, 2323 N Broadway Ave. Santa Ana CA 92706.

“The residents of Santa Ana gave us excellent feedback on the Candidates’ Debate we presented for the 2012 election and we felt that the 2014 Candidates Debate is just as important.  Teaming up with Com-Link, NeighborWorks Orange County and the OC Register gives us even more resources and experience to bring the most informative forum possible to the residents of Santa Ana”, explains Connie Hamilton, Connect-to-Council’s Chairperson. Continue reading→

Republican who once promoted Prop. 187 is now backing Roman Reyna for Mayor

Posted on by Posted in 2014 Elections, David Benavides, irvine, Lupe Moreno, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Republican Party, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana 18 Comments

Rosario Marin and her GOP pals

Rosario Marin, who worked for Gov. Wilson during the Prop. 187 campaign, is now promoting Roman Reyna

Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation Monday that repeals unenforceable provisions of Proposition 187, the two-decade-old measure that sought to withhold public services from immigrants in the country illegally, according to the L.A. Times.

Ironically Santa Ana Councilman Roman Reyna announced today that Rosario Marin, a Republican who served as President George W. Bush’s U.S. Treasurer, would be the keynote speaker at a Reyna for Mayor campaign reception on Sep. 23.  Marin worked as Governor Pete Wilson’s chief of Legislative Affairs for the Department of Developmental Services starting in 1996 and in 1997, she was named deputy director of Govern Wilson’s Office of Community Relations. In that position Marin had to defend the administration’s support for Prop. 187, according to Wikipedia. Continue reading→

Ward 4 City Council candidate Padilla to host a campaign reception on Sep. 18

Posted on by Posted in 2014 Elections, Alex Padilla, David Benavides, Entertainment, Miguel Pulido, Mike Gonzalez, Politics, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Alex Padilla for City Council

Alex Padilla, our endorsed candidate for Ward 4 on the Santa Ana City Council, is hosting a campaign reception on Thursday, Sep. 18, 2014, from 6 to 8 pm, at his family’s home, at 2542 S. Rene Dr., in Santa Ana.  Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido will be speaking at this event.

Tacos and refreshments will be provided courtesy of Mexicanisimo Restaurant, which his owned by another of our endorsed Council candidates, Mike Gonzalez, who is running for Ward 6.  RSVP here or call 714-724-6114.

Continue reading→

The politicians were all over the “non-political” Fiestas Patrias fiesta and parade

Posted on by Posted in Ballot Measures, Civic Affairs, Civil Rights, Free Speech, Politics, Santa Ana 4 Comments

Loretta Sanchez at the Fiestas Patrias Parade

U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez playing politics at the 2014 Fiestas Patrias Parade

As we reported in earlier posts, the City of Santa Ana forbade the Measure CC medical marijuana initiative campaign from reaching out to the voters at this weekend’s Fiestas Patrias fiesta and parade in Downtown Santa Ana.  But lo and behold there were politicians all over DTSA this weekend!  Thanks to our friends from OC Norml for the pictures.

Most of the politicians pictured below are going to be on the November General Election ballot.  But because they are incumbents the City of Santa Ana gives them more free speech rights than their opponents, who are outright banned from participating with booths at the fiesta or riding in the parade.  I expect that the ACLU will be filing a lawsuit against the City of Santa Ana soon as this is a blatantly unconstitutional abridgment of free speech by our city leaders. Continue reading→

Outrageous free speech hypocrisy on display at the DTSA Fiestas Patrias event

Posted on by Posted in 2014 Elections, Ballot Measures, Civic Affairs, Civil Rights, Democratic Party, Gerardo Mouet, Latinos, Loretta Sanchez, Politics, Santa Ana 12 Comments

Congresswoman Sanchez' booth at the Fiestas Patrias

The City of Santa Ana says U.S. Rep. Sanchez “isn’t political”

Santa Ana Parks and Recreation Agency Director Gerardo Mouet called me today to assure me that all is on the up and up over at the Fiestas Patrias event that is taking place this weekend in Downtown Santa Ana.

Mouet explained that it is okay to let local elected officials participate in the Fiestas Patrias because, well, they’re elected.  But it is not okay for other candidates and campaigns to have booths at the Fiestas Patrias or participate in the parade on Sunday because, well, they’re not elected.

Huh?  Did I miss something? Does becoming an elected official automatically bestow extra Constitutional powers to our incumbent politicians?  Because that is what Mouet is saying.  Free speech is apparently available in Santa Ana but only if you were fortunate enough to win an election.  Free speech is not extended to anyone else!  Is this what we expected from our all-Democrat Santa Ana City Council?  Does this mean the “Santa Ana Spring” is dead? Continue reading→

The City of Santa Ana shuts down free speech at the Fiestas Patrias event

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Civil Rights, Marijuana, Politics, Santa Ana 16 Comments

SAPD talk to protesters at the Fiestas Patrias

The Measure CC campaign (Santa Ana Medical Marijuana Initiative) were all set to run a booth at this weekend’s Fiestas Patrias event in Downtown Santa Ana when they got a call from Santa Ana Parks and Recreation Director Gerardo Mouet.

Mouet cancelled their booth.  He said that it was not his policy to allow any political booths.  The Measure CC campaign director had previously been told by another City of Santa Ana employee that he got an internal email that stated that the Measure CC booth would be a “public safety risk.”

The Measure CC campaign was previously told that it would be okay for them to participate in the Fiestas Patrias event as their goal was to register and educate voters. Continue reading→

Santa Ana parents should demand the return of the fired school crossing guards

Posted on by Posted in Carlos Rojas, Civic Affairs, Education, Politics, Public Safety, Roman Reyna, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, SAUSD 3 Comments

Santa Ana pedestrian accidents

Santa Ana parents are demanding that city officials reverse their decision to remove school crossing guards without warning, saying the move is putting children’s lives in danger, according to the Voice of OC.

About 25 crossing guards were removed near Santa Ana schools as of the start of the school year last Tuesday, according to police officials.

But parents from at least one campus protested, and the city has since reinstated a crossing guard, at least temporarily, near Santiago Elementary School, according to the O.C. Register. Continue reading→

Supervisor Janet Nguyen fails to vote for ethics standard again

Posted on by Posted in 2014 Elections, Democratic Party, Janet Nguyen, Jose Solorio, OCTA, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Janet Nguyen in prison garb

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 9, 2014

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Maria Unzueta (657) 464-4742 (Cell)

SUPERVISOR JANET NGUYEN FAILS TO VOTE FOR ETHICS STANDARDS – AGAIN

Nguyen Is Only Supervisor & Only OCTA Board Member To Abstain On Vote

SANTA ANA – Orange County Supervisor and OCTA Board Member Janet Nguyen, once again failed to support any form of ethics standards by abstaining from an OCTA vote yesterday on an Code of Conduct that applies to Board Members and employees.¹

“Supervisor Nguyen has developed a pattern of either voting ‘no’ or ‘abstaining’ from any votes relating to ethics for elected officials and government employees,” observed Jose Solorio, former State Assemblyman and candidate for State Senate. “Which part of OCTA’s Code of Conduct does she disagree with? The limit on gifts or favors, the prohibition of workplace harassment, or is it the relationship with contractors and use of OCTA assets? She can’t keep skipping out on these types of votes and expect to hold the public’s trust,” Solorio continued. Continue reading→