Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Politics

Santa Ana Parks Commissioner Nguyen running for the OC Board of Education

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Democratic Party, Education, Elections, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana, Tustin, Vietnamese 1 Comment

I wrote a post recently bemoaning the lack of Latino candidates for the Orange County’s Board of Education, in the Latino-dominated First District, which is currently represented by Republican Long Pham.  Now there are two other candidates in the race – Santa Ana Parks and Recreation Board Member Ken Nguyen, and an unknown candidate named Anita Mathur.

Nguyen has reportedly been making the rounds to get support for his campaign. I hear that he has met in recent weeks with State Senator Lou Correa and Assemblyman Jose Solorio.  I thought Solorio might be interested in running for the First District, but perhaps not? Continue reading→

Out of district white liberals losing it over Daly’s 69th A.D. poll

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Anaheim, Democratic Party, Elections, Julio Perez, Michele Martinez, Politics, Santa Ana, Tom Daly 3 Comments

Ultra-liberal O.J. blogger Greg Diamond has publicly questioned the results of a poll recently conducted by Tom Daly’s campaign for the 69th Assembly District, in an Orange Juice blog post, and in comments he left over at the OC Political blog.  Diamond was irked by the poll as it revealed that Diamond’s pick in that race, union hack Julio Perez, is the least popular of the five candidates who are running.

But now we have gotten a hold of the Daly poll press release.  And guess what?  Daly used a reputable pollster, David Binder Research, who has worked for some of the most liberal Democrats in California and elsewhere, including: Continue reading→

Poll shows that Perez & Barragan should drop out of race for the 69th A.D.

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Anaheim, Democratic Party, Elections, Jose Solorio, Julio Perez, Labor, Michele Martinez, Orange County, Politics, Republican Party, Robert Hammond, Santa Ana, Tom Daly 4 Comments

A new phone poll of voters in the 69th Assembly District, conducted by Democratic candidate Tom Daly’s campaign, shows that newcomers Julio Perez  and Francisco Barragan need to drop out now, or they are going to jeopardize the election of a Latino to represent this heavily Latino district, which is currently represented by Jose Solorio.

Here are the poll results (from the OC Political blog): Continue reading→

Martinez 69th A.D. Fundraiser on March 3, at Don Krotee’s art gallery

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Democratic Party, Elections, Entertainment, Michele Martinez, Politics Leave a comment

Local Architect and Artist, Don Krotee, Opens his Office/Gallery and Invites you to a showing, reception and open house in support of Councilwoman Michele Martinez, Candidate for the 69th Assembly District.

The reception and open house will be in the tradition of the great City of Santa Ana’s 1st Saturday-of-the-Month Gallery Open House. Continue reading→

Leading 69th A.D. candidate Martinez endorsed by S.A. police managers

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Democratic Party, Elections, Michele Martinez, Politics, Santa Ana 1 Comment

For Immediate Release: February 28, 2012
Contact: Lupe De La Cruz, Cell: (714) 564-0130

Michele Martinez Receives Endorsement from Key Law Enforcement Leaders

Santa Ana, CA – Santa Ana City Councilwoman Michele Martinez received the endorsement of the Santa Ana Police Management Association (SAPMA) today. The endorsement was announced by Jim Schnabl (Police Commander and Secretary/Treasurer of the SAPMA), on behalf of the association that represents the Command Staff of the Santa Ana Police Department. Continue reading→

Will sex tape prod force SAUSD Trustee Nadia Lockyer out of politics?

Posted on by Posted in 2010 Elections, california, Democratic Party, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana, Women Leave a comment

Good grief.  Just when you thought the Nadia Lockyer affair and rehab scandal could not get any worse, a sex tape has allegedly emerged, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, which reported that Nadia’s husband, California State Treasurer Bill Lockyer, “believed that the man, who has a history of arrests for alleged methamphetamine use, might make the tape public if forced to break off a romantic relationship with the supervisor.”

Bill accused Nadia’s “ex-lover” of beating her up after she met him at a motel.  “Stephen Chikhani (pictured above), the man Nadia Lockyer is accusing of attacking her, denied her account. He told the Oakland Tribune that the only truths were “that I have a record and that they were separated. … Pretty much everything else was made up by her husband.” The 35-year-old San Jose man has not been charged,” according to the Oakland Tribune, which refused to endorse Nadia when she ran for the Alameda County Board of Supervisors in 2010. Continue reading→

Martinez fundraising event tonight, at Sarmiento’s home

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Democratic Party, Elections, Jose Solorio, Michele Martinez, Politics, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 5 Comments

Santa Ana Council Member Vince Sarmiento, who is widely respected by both Democrats and Republicans, sent out a letter via email yesterday encouraging his supporters to back his colleague, Santa Ana Council Member Michele Martinez, for the 69th Assembly District.  Sarmiento and his wife are hosting a fundraiser for her on Thursday, Feb. 23.  Here is Sarmiento’s eloquent letter:

I am writing to urge you to join my wife and I in supporting Councilwoman Michele Martinez for election to the California Legislature. As a friend and colleague, Councilwoman Martinez has demonstrated that she is the best candidate for the 69th Assembly district. The district is currently represented by Assemblyman Jose Solorio, who is termed-out and has already endorsed Michele for his seat in the Assembly. Continue reading→

Santa Ana’s artists have only themselves to blame for their problems

Posted on by Posted in Alfredo Amezcua, Arts and Culture, Julio Perez, Occupy Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana 11 Comments

Joining the Occupy movement was a very bad idea for Santa Ana’s artists

“A core group who’ve been in the Santora for years are growing increasingly worried that building owner Mike Harrah will push them out as rents in Santa Ana’s gentrifying downtown move upward,” according to the Voice of OC.

I met with many of these artists back before they formed  a group called the Artists Village Alliance of Santa Ana (AVASA).  I had advised them to join together and represent their community with a unified voice.  Unfortunately, AVASA quickly was taken over by the most radical of the downtown artists – and they stupidly got involved with the Occupy movement.

Today the artists have no voice – and it is their own damn fault.  Attacking Harrah continues their stupidity as he has no contractual reason to keep the artists who are not paying their rent. Continue reading→

Updated: Supervisor Nguyen using her CalOptima seat to raise campaign funds

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Health and Medical, Janet Nguyen, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

UPDATE: Supervisor Janet Nguyen may be up to her old tricks again.  In the past she has used anonymous surrogates to do her dirty work, including buying URLs similar to those used by her political opponents, and redirecting them to nasty sites.  Now an anonymous letter has been sent to the CalOptima board of directors Thursday accuses two board members — Chairman Ed Kacic and Mary Anne Foo — of improprieties, allegations both strongly denied, according to the Voice of OC.  And it turns out that Kacis is only trying to help the community:

Kacic, president of the Irvine Health Foundation, said his organization belongs to the Managed System of Care, a group that includes the CEOs of all Orange County hospitals, the county Health Care Agency, the Veterans Administration, CalOptima, clinics, major medical groups and business interests.

Continue reading→

CA teachers’ union supports higher taxes, child molesters and Julio Perez

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Democratic Party, Education, Elections, Julio Perez, Michele Martinez, Politics, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Julio Perez – the choice of union hacks

Sixty three year-old LAUSD teacher Mark Berndt has been charged with 23 counts of lewd acts on children.  Berndt allegedly regularly told children they were going to play a “tasting game”, then blindfolded them and in some cases put tape over their mouths. He then fed students a “milky” substance on a spoon and on top of cookies. Later DNA testing confirmed that this substance was indeed Berndt’s own semen.  He also ran cockroaches over the faces and mouths of the children.  Berndt took pictures of these encounters, according to USA Today.

Berndt is going to keep getting his benefits – and he even kept his job back in 1993 when he was first charged with molestation.  And he got a $40K payment so that he would retire.  How did all this happen?  Because of rules that the teachers’ union bartered for – the same union that is now supporting ultra-liberal Democratic Assembly candidate Julio Perez, who is running for the 69th A.D.   Continue reading→

Former O.C. Democrat player, Nadia Lockyer, gets beat up by an ex-boyfriend

Posted on by Posted in california, Democratic Party, Politics, Santa Ana, SAUSD 23 Comments

“Alameda County Supervisor Nadia Lockyer, wife of state Treasurer Bill Lockyer, was “violently assaulted” by an ex-boyfriend she met up with at a Newark motel after the Lockyers fought, her husband says ” according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

You might recall that Nadia Lockyer used to be a player in the Democratic Party of Orange County, back when her name was Nadia Maria Davis.  According to a bio, she “was a member of Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez’s legal team and protected the voting rights of new citizens against unfounded accusations. She ran Honorable Lou Correa’s fundraising in his first bid for State Assembly.”  Correa lost that race. Continue reading→

Perez cheats but fails to land the CA Democratic Party endorsement, again

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Anaheim, Democratic Party, Julio Perez, Michele Martinez, Politics, Santa Ana 3 Comments

Labor hack Julio Perez‘ Assembly campaign sunk to a new low this weekend, in their pursuit of the California Democratic Party’s endorsement.  They willfully tried to include a vote from Carl Weibel, a state party member whose Facebook page openly admits he now lives in Hawthorne – a city in Los Angeles County that is not remotely close to the 69th Assembly District Perez is running for.

According to the Liberal OC blog, “Party officials investigated and determined that indeed two Carl Weible’s are registered to vote in Southern California, one in LA and one in Orange County. With that information the officials ruled late Saturday night that Weible was not a qualified delegate and therefore could not assign his vote to a proxy.“ Continue reading→

Ballot measure seeks to legalize Santa Ana’s medical marijuana dispensaries

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Civic Affairs, Health and Medical, Marijuana, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana, Seniors 7 Comments

A group called the Committee to Support Medical Marijuana Ballot Initiative pulled paperwork from the Santa Ana City Clerk to begin the process of gatherings the roughly 5000 signatures needed to qualify it for the November ballot, according to a post written by OC GOP Central Committee Member, and Santa Ana resident, Thomas Gordon, at the OC Political blog.

According to Gordon, “The initiative would allow medical marijuana dispensaries to operate under strict guidelines such as limiting hours from 9 am to 9 pm, restricting patients to 21 years of age and older, forbid loitering and limit dispensaries no closer than 600 feet from a school or park. It would also limit the number of dispensaries in Santa Ana to 20.” Continue reading→

Councilman Sarmiento to host a fundraiser for Martinez on 2/23, at his home

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Anaheim, Carlos Bustamante, David Benavides, Democratic Party, Elections, Entertainment, Jose Solorio, Latino Leaders, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 10 Comments

Get ready for Santa Ana Council Member Michele Martinez‘ biggest fundraiser yet, on Thursday, February 23, 2012, from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.  Martinez is the leading Democratic candidate for the 69th Assembly District.  She now has the support of Santa Ana’s leading elected officials, including Host Committee Members Assemblymember Jose Solorio, Mayor Miguel Pulido, Councilmember Vincent Sarmiento, Councilmember David Benavides, Councilmember Carlos Bustamante, and Councilmember Sal Tinajero.

The event will be at the Historic Borchard House, which is the home of Council Member Sarmiento and his wife Eva, at 1617 E. 4th Street, in Santa Ana.  There will be Hors d’oeuvres and Refreshments served. Continue reading→

Solorio gives Daly $2K, but Martinez leads in fundraising in the 69th A.D.

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Anaheim, Democratic Party, Elections, Jose Solorio, Julio Perez, Michele Martinez, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana, Tom Daly 21 Comments

The campaign finance reports are in, and the top fundraiser, of the four Democrats running for the 69th Assembly District, is Santa Ana Council Member Michele Martinez.  You can read her report here.

Ultra-liberal union shill Julio Perez came in at 117K and 70K cash at-hand.  If you subtract the $23K which he reported in the last reporting period, which was from Jan to June 2011, the he only raised $90K.  Click here to read his campaign finance report.

O.C. Clerk-Recorder Tom Daly only raised $54K.  It looks like his past supporters are realizing he isn’t running much of a campaign – and he still has no campaign website!  Click here to read his campaign finance report.  Note that Assemblyman Jose Solorio has sold out the people of Santa Ana by donating $2K to Daly!  (But in fairness he also donated $2K to Martinez – we may not agree on Daly but at least we agree that Perez is an awful fit for the district). Continue reading→