Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Politics

Thank you Carlos Bustamante!

Posted on by Posted in Carlos Bustamante, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana 6 Comments

None of us knows for sure what is going to happen to Santa Ana Councilman Carlos Bustamante, who is under investigation by his employer, the County of Orange, for allegations of sexual harassment and an alleged attempt to tamper with the witnesses.  However, what I do know is that this scandal has been gold for our blog, to wit we have gone from averaging just over 22,000 visits a month to over 30,000 visits in the month of September, 2011.  Thank you Carlos!

Here is a breakdown of our site visits over the past year – note the immense spike in readership in September: Continue reading→

Tom Daly gets caught flaunting County of Orange purchasing policies

Posted on by Posted in Anaheim, Democratic Party, Jose Solorio, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana, Tom Daly 12 Comments

Bad news for Tom Daly, the O.C. Clerk-Recorder who is supposedly thinking of running for termed-out Assemblyman Jose Solorio’s 69th Assembly District.  I just got a hold of the “Final Findings by the County Purchasing Department for a Purchasing Compliance Review” of Daly’s agency. This 2009 report clearly shows that Daly thinks he is above County policy, as he continues to skirt the County’s purchasing guidelines, enrich his friends and waste hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Click here to read the full report for yourself.

Here are the “lowlights” of Daly’s shady purchasing practices: Continue reading→

Is FPPC complaint selectively targeting Latino officials?

Posted on by Posted in Blogs, Carlos Bustamante, Claudia Alvarez, David Benavides, Latinos, Orange County, Politics, Racism, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 20 Comments

 

Glenn Stroud - Complainer in Chief

When Santa Ana resident Glenn Stroud, at the urging of Liberal OC blogger Chris Prevatt, filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission against Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez and Councilmember Vincent Sarmiento it was no doubt a case of “selective” complaining.  The question is did Stroud and Prevatt selectively target the two because they are Latino?

The complaint filed last week alleges that Alvarez and Sarmiento violated state law by voting for their own appointments to the Orange County Water District Board and the Transportation Corridor Agency respectively.  Elected officials voting on their appointments to such boards has been going on for years and it happens in communities across the state including right here in Orange County.  Stroud and Prevatt ignored history and the others and simply zeroed in on two Latino Democrats. Continue reading→

Could alleged tampering with witnesses be Bustamante’s downfall?

Posted on by Posted in Carlos Bustamante, Orange County, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana 3 Comments

The Voice of OC reported on Sep. 16, that Santa Ana Councilman and County of Orange Public Works Administrator Carlos Bustamante, “who first began working at the county in 2000, was placed on administrative leave this week after county officials received what they considered credible reports that he was talking to potential female witnesses in the probe, sources confirmed Friday.”

The Voice of OC also reported that “The feeling among senior officials in the county administration is that Bustamante will not return to work for the county, according to sources close to the investigation.”

I heard yesterday from a source that has connections both at the County of Orange and at Santa Ana’s City Hall.  She said that her sources were telling her that Bustamante is ultimately going to be charged with tampering with witnesses, which means that the senior officials who talked to the Voice of OC are correct – Bustamante is likely toast. Continue reading→

Could Tran defeat Supervisor Nguyen in 2012, if the County goes bankrupt?

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Elections, Janet Nguyen, Loretta Sanchez, Orange County, Politics, Public Safety, Republican Party, Santa Ana 3 Comments

The honeymoon might be over between Van Tran and Janet Nguyen

If the County of Orange declares bankruptcy – again (due in part to Assemblyman Jose Solorio’s vote to take away $48 million in state funding, from the County), will that open the door for former Assemblyman Van Tran to challenge incumbent Supervisor Janet Nguyen, in the First District?

Tran has very high name I.D., due to his run for Congress last year.  He did not beat the incumbent, Loretta Sanchez, but he garnered a lot of press, both negative and positive.

Nguyen, on the other hand, fumbled last year’s Black April event, in Little Saigon, angering her Vietnamese-American voter base, and then endorsed Meg Whitman, which turned out to be an epic fail with her Latino constituents. Continue reading→

Team Pulido and Solorio publicly endorse Michele Martinez at her fundraiser

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Alfredo Amezcua, Carlos Bustamante, Democratic Party, Elections, Jose Solorio, Michele Martinez, Politics, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 43 Comments

When OC Labor Political wannabe Julio (Wholio?) Perez held his fundraiser this month it turned into a reunion of the sad sacks who failed to elect Alfredo Amezcua last year, when he got thoroughly trounced by Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido.  In stunning contrast tonight, Santa Ana Councilwoman Michele Martinez was ringed by the entire Pulido political machine – including Assemblyman Jose Solorio, who enthusiastically endorsed Martinez.  So what do you think?  Will the failed Team Amezcua beat Team Pulido?  LOL!  Not in our lifetime…

Martinez and her supporters met at Chapter One: the Modern Local, a newish restaurant over on Broadway and 3rd.  Santa Ana Council Members David Benavides, Vince Sarmiento, and Sal Tinajero showed up to publicly announce their support for Martinez – and so did several Santa Ana Planning Commissioners, including Eric Alderete, Sean Mill and Mario Turner. Continue reading→

Rep. Sanchez promotes human rights & religious freedom in Vietnam

Posted on by Posted in Churches and Religion, Civil Rights, Free Speech, Loretta Sanchez, Politics, Santa Ana, Vietnamese Leave a comment

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, Representing California’s 47th Congressional District

PRESS RELEASE, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 20, 2011

MEDIA CONTACT: Adrienne Watson 202-309-0825

REP. SANCHEZ URGES AMBASSADOR SHEAR TO PRIORITIZE HUMAN RIGHTS AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ISSUES

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-47), Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Vietnam, today led a letter from a bipartisan group of lawmakers urging the newly confirmed Ambassador to Vietnam, David Shear, to prioritize human rights and religious freedom issues. Continue reading→

Rep. Sanchez introduces legislation to honor Latinos in the U.S. Military

Posted on by Posted in Latino Leaders, Latinos, Loretta Sanchez, Military, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, Representing California’s 47th Congressional District

PRESS RELEASE, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 20, 2011

MEDIA CONTACT: Adrienne Watson 202-309-0825

REP. LORETTA SANCHEZ INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO HONOR LATINOS IN THE MILITARY

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-47), senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, on Friday introduced legislation to honor the service and sacrifices of Latinos serving in the United States military and to support and encourage the Secretary of Defense to increase promotion opportunities for Latinos in the Armed Forces. Continue reading→

City of Santa Ana may investigate Bustamante as more women surface

Posted on by Posted in Carlos Bustamante, Civic Affairs, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana 24 Comments

According to a new anonymous letter that was sent to the County of Orange and to the Orange County Register, Bustamante and one of the four women named in the new letter “met more than a dozen times a month for more than a year either in his office or her palatial quarters he built for her.” The letter writer also promises “steamy, erotic pictures” of the sexual encounters will be soon posted on social media.

The new letter also “accuses another high-ranking male county employee of having sex in his office.”

I am also hearing that the City of Santa Ana may have to start their own investigation of Bustamante – which could turn up even more cases of alleged harassment. Continue reading→

Updated: Michele Martinez to kick off her Assembly campaign on 9/22

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, David Benavides, Democratic Party, Elections, Jose Solorio, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 14 Comments

Santa Ana Council Member Michele Martinez has officially announced her candidacy for the 69th Assembly District, in an email I am reproducing below.  She is also hosting a Candidacy Announcement Kick-Off event on Thursday, September 22nd.  Click here to RSVP on Facebook.

Martinez’ candidacy announcement cited the support of numerous elected and appointed officials, including Assemblyman Jose Solorio; OUSD Trustee Diane Singer; Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido; and Santa Ana Council Members David Benavides, Vince Sarmiento and Sal Tinajero.

Mayor Pulido sent out a personal endorsement of Martinez today: Continue reading→

Rep. Sanchez discovers that O.C. public employee pensions are a problem

Posted on by Posted in Democratic Party, Federal Government, Labor, Loretta Sanchez, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Loretta Sanchez, with OCEA head Nick Berardino – the guy who created the OC public employee pension crisis

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, Representing California’s 47th Congressional District
PRESS RELEASE, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 15, 2011
MEDIA CONTACT: Adrienne Watson 202-309-0825

REP. SANCHEZ INTRODUCES BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION TO ALLOW REVISIONS TO ORANGE COUNTY PENSION STRUCTURE
SANCHEZ DEVELOPED AND LED PUSH FOR INNOVATIVE SOLUTION TO PENSION PROBLEM

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-47), a member of the bipartisan Joint Economic Committee, today introduced legislation to allow for the implementation of an employee pension plan that will address the rising costs of government pensions in Orange County, a growing problem that many local governments are facing across the country. Continue reading→

Durkeegate Update: The FBI freezes the DPOC’s bank accounts

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Democratic Party, Elections, Jose Solorio, Loretta Sanchez, Michele Martinez, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana 9 Comments

UPDATE: Democratic Party Chair Frank Barbero says the FBI has frozen bank accounts connected to Orange County’s Democratic Party, according to NBC News.

UPDATE: Kang is done: Irvine mayor Sukhee Kang says his bank account shrunk from $20,000 to $700. Kang opened a second account in July to fund his run for congress, but it is missing about $25,000, too, according to NBC News.

UPDATE: O.C. Register reports that Democratic candidates may not be able to replace their stolen campaign funds. Continue reading→

Alvarez would have avoided censure if she had not voted

Posted on by Posted in Claudia Alvarez, Democratic Party, Latinos, Politics, Santa Ana 25 Comments

How silly.  The O.C. Register, the Voice of OC and that annoying fake liberal blog all lost their minds wondering if it was legal for Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez to vote for an alternative motion that resulted in her censure, but avoided the far worse fate that Council Members David Benavides and Carlos Bustamante had in mind for her.

Ironically, the Voice of OC’s open government expert, Terry Francke, says there was nothing illegal or unethical about Alvarez’s vote.  This is the guy the fake liberals love to quote – but this time they are all ignoring what he said.  LOL! Continue reading→

Solorio to blame for loss of $48 million in annual revenue, by O.C.

Posted on by Posted in california, Jose Solorio, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana 6 Comments

Assemblyman Jose Solorio may have doomed Orange County to yet another bankruptcy.  A vote he cast last year has now cost the County of Orange $48 million in revenue – and we aren’t getting that back.

Solorio was one of only two Orange County lawmakers to vote for the initial bill that took the $48 million from the county in the first place in June.  The other lawmaker was Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, whose district only includes a sliver of Buena Park, according to the O.C. Register. Continue reading→