Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Republican Party

With Republican candidate out, the 69th A.D. is down to Martinez and Daly

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Anaheim, Democratic Party, Elections, Jose Solorio, Julio Perez, Michele Martinez, Politics, Republican Party, Robert Hammond, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Republican Robert Hammond, a resident of Santa Ana, has withdrawn from the race for the 69th Assembly District, according to the OC Political blog.  There are now four Democrats vying in the open primary, but only two of them have a shot at winning in June. 

Santa Ana Couincil Member Michele Martinez has 13% of the vote, according to a poll conducted by the other leading Democratic candidate, Tom Daly, who currently is the O.C. Clerk-Recorder.  Daly has a quarter of the vote, according to his poll. Continue reading→

Bustamante sex scandal could cost O.C. CEO Tom Mauk his job

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Carlos Bustamante, Elections, Janet Nguyen, Orange County, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana 8 Comments

“The Orange County Board of Supervisors will meet Monday in an emergency closed session to discuss whether they should refer allegations of sexual misconduct against Santa Ana City Councilman Carlos Bustamante to District Attorney Tony Rackauckas for a criminal investigation,” according to the Voice of OC.

My sources report that Orange County CEO Tom Mauk may be hung out to dry as a result of this scandal.  A report by Peter Hughes, director of internal audit, made its way to the supervisors, according to the Voice of OC – and his allegations were stunning. 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→

69th A.D. candidate Martinez gets bipartisan & Vietnamese support at event

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Carlos Bustamante, David Benavides, Democratic Party, Elections, Jose Solorio, Little Saigon, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Republican Party, Santa Ana, Sean Mill, Vietnamese, Vince Sarmiento, Westminster 8 Comments

I expected a good turnout at Santa Ana Council Member Michele Martinez’ fundraising event tonight, which was hosted at the home of Council Member Vince Sarmiento and his wife Eva.  And sure enough, the place was packed – but that was not the entire story.

For one thing, a lot of Republicans were there tonight, including past CRP Vice Chair Mario Rodriguez, who was a high-ranking official in Governor Schwarzenegger’s administration; Break Mayor Ron Garcia, who works with Martinez in NALEO (the National Association of Latino Elected Officials); MWD Trustee Brett Barbre; developer and consultant Steve Sheldon; and Santa Ana Council Member Carlos Bustamante. 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→

Moorlach wants to house the homeless in the old Santa Ana bus station

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Development, homeless, Housing, Orange County, Republican Party, Santa Ana, Seniors, Transportation, Working Families 8 Comments

New Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairman John Moorlach has challenged “officials from the city of Santa Ana over his plans to use a defunct bus station in the midst of Santa Ana’s downtown to feed, and potentially house, homeless people,” according to the Voice of OC.

Our County government has done a poor job of serving the homeless.  They freeze at night for lack of beds and four of them were killed in recent weeks by a serial killer.  But hasn’t the City of Santa Ana been impacted enough by this? Continue reading→

Updated: Thomas Gordon cut out of Santa Ana’s Ward 6

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Civic Affairs, Elections, Politics, Republican Party, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana 4 Comments

Update: The Santa Ana City Council voted unanimously this week to approve the proposed changes to the Santa Ana Ward Maps.  Past mayoral candidate Thomas Gordon is now in Ward 4, which is represented by Councilman David Benavides.  Gordon will not be able to run against Councilman Sal Tinajero in Ward 6 – ever.

The Santa Ana City Council at its regularly scheduled City Council Meeting, held December 19, 2011, approved, by unanimous consent, the first reading of an ordinance that will change the City Council Ward Boundaries.  But while the City Council could, and should, have settled the matter that night, they instead opted to put the changes off until a second reading of the ordinance, which is set for Tuesday, January 17th at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers.

I am hearing that the only person who submitted new ward map proposals was Thomas Gordon, who currently resides in Ward 6.  Under the proposed changes he would be shifted over to Ward 4.  Gordon tried to run against Ward 6 Councilman Sal Tinajero back in 2010, but Gordon’s nomination signatures fell short.  Apparently he wants to run again when Tinajero’s seat comes up again in 2014. Continue reading→

Will U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez get a free pass this year?

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Anaheim, Democratic Party, Elections, Federal Government, Loretta Sanchez, Orange, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana 1 Comment

U.S. Representative Loretta Sanchez lost her campaign money in the Kinde Durkee scandal – but it may not matter. Her new 46th congressional district “encompasses most of Santa Ana, parts of Garden Grove, Anaheim, Westminster and Fullerton. Previous drafts of the maps gave the area, which is home to Disneyland and a heavy population of immigrants, a slight Republican edge,” according to the L.A. Times.  The district is 45 percent Democrat and 32 percent Republican, according to the O.C. Register.

And the “latest maps, keep the Latino voting population nearly the same as in her current district, but edge out some of the Asian American voters by splitting Little Saigon.”  Not to worry if you are a Vietnamese American voter in the O.C.  I hear that Congressman Dana Rohrabacher is going to retire in a couple of years.  His new district includes a big chunk of Little Saigon.  It is quite possible that the seat will end up being represented by a Vietnamese American some years down the road. Continue reading→

Carlos Bustamante named as one of the top 100 worst bosses in America

Posted on by Posted in Business, Carlos Bustamante, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana 1 Comment

eBossWatch just published the 2011 America’s Worst Bosses list, and Santa Ana Councilman Carlos Bustamante, who quit a high-paying job as a middle manager at the County of Orange this year after being accused of sexual harassment, was named as one of the 100 worst bosses in America. To date, the 2011 America’s Worst Bosses have cost their employers over $145 million in monetary damages and lawsuit settlement payments.

19 California managers were named among the nation’s worst bosses: Continue reading→

The Voice of OC’s Community Editorial Board is loaded with power elites

Posted on by Posted in Anaheim, Blogs, Media Links, Orange County, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana 31 Comments

Paid Republican power couple Matt and Laura Cunningham

Did you know that paid Republican consultant Matt Cunningham is now writing so-called “community Editorials” on the Voice of OC?  That’s right.  Apparently he is part of the Voice of OC’s new Community Editorial Board.    I discovered this when I saw his byline on a post defending Anaheim Councilwoman Kris Murray, who got caught, by the Voice of OC, casting a City Council vote earlier this year to approve a report by a subsidiary of Willdan Group, a consulting firm that employs her as its senior vice president, city records show.

According to the Voice of OC’s “About Us” page, “First and foremost, Voice of OC focuses on accountability in government, not the process of government.”  And their stated mission is “To hold government agencies, elected officials and other power brokers in Orange County accountable through investigative news coverage. And to be a catalyst in the community for a robust and sophisticated discourse on local politics and government.”

It is hard to imagine who Cunningham fits into that equation.  This is the guy who outed victims of molestation by Catholic priests, while he was being paid to shill for Monsignor John Urell – a man of the cloth who ran interference for molester priests.  Cunningham posted an unredacted legal document – that he should not have had access to, on the failed “Friends of Urell” website, and in the process he outed the molestation victims, whose names appeared in the court document. Continue reading→

Are 72nd A.D. GOP candidates giving mobile home owners the shaft?

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Elections, Huntington Beach, Janet Nguyen, Matt Harper, Orange County, Republican Party, Santa Ana 12 Comments

GOP 72nd A.D. candidates Joe Carchio and  Matt Harper, Picture Courtesy of the Surf City Voice

Huntington Beach Mayor Joe Carchio and Council Member Matt Harper, who are both Republican candidates for the 72nd Assembly District, which includes part of West Santa Ana, are trying to eliminate a city commission – the Mobile Home Advisory Board (MHAB), according to the Surf City Voice.

If Carchio and Harper cannot get rid of the MHAB Commission, then they will try to eliminate “the at-large members whose current purpose is to provide a buffer between park owners and park residents and an independent look at the issues.”

Harper must have learned this from his former boss, Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen, who has been trying to eliminate community positions from the O.C. Caloptima board. Continue reading→

Did O.C. Supervisor Bill Campbell hire gay basher Laura Cunningham?

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

Mrs. Jerbal is back!

Chisme has it that O.C. Supervisor Bill Campbell has hired a new Chief of Staff – gay basher Laura Cunningham!  You may remember that she was the “Hispanic Outreach Director” for the Yes on Prop. 8 campaign – the ballot measure that made gay marriage illegal here in California.

We know now that Prop. 8 was cynically designed by Republican consultants so as to create votes for their presidential candidate at the time, John McCain.  Well, it was an epic fail.  Blacks and Latinos voted for Prop. 8 – but they voted for Obama, not McCain. Continue reading→

Did O.C. Supervisors rip off our schools to save union jobs?

Posted on by Posted in Education, Jobs, Orange County, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana 4 Comments

OC CONSERVATIVES RIP-OFF SCHOOLS TO SAVE UNION JOBS

By Chriss Street

Orange County, California is often referred to as the “Most Conservative County in America.”  But County Supervisors have made a mockery of that title by increasing spending by $145.8 million, in a year of lower property tax collection. Now that the County has started running out of cash, they simply diverted $73.5 million from the school’s share of property taxes to stop layoffs of 490 County unionized employees. Conservatives support small government, low taxes,and prudent spending. The County protecting their union buddies at the expense of firing 865school teachers doesn’t sound very conservative to me. Continue reading→

The Lincoln Club’s immigration-reform proposal is ridiculous

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Elections, Federal Government, immigration, Latinos, mexico, Orange County, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana 34 Comments

UPDATE: O.C. Register editorial writer Brian Calle weighed in on the Lincoln Club’s proposal this Sunday, admitting that “Calls for amnesty for illegal immigrants or even a pathway to citizenship are taboo among Republicans, who fear potential conservative backlash for merely broaching the issue. Yet, 67 percent of all Latino voters, and 64 percent of Latino Republicans, support a pathway policy. And 58 percent of Americans support the same approach.”

Martin Wisckol reported this week that the Orange County Lincoln Club, a group of rich Republican businessmen, has “announced an immigration-reform proposal that would provide a path to legal residency for illegal immigrants.”  Of course Wisckol reported this without questioning any of it.

That sounds great but it isn’t true. Oh sure, the Lincoln Club wants us to think they have broken with the usual GOP hatred of Mexican immigrants, but upon further review their plan is just indentured servitude – without U.S. citizenship.

What the Lincoln Club is advocating is: Continue reading→

Matt Harper warned not to campaign at the County – what about Tom Daly?

Posted on by Posted in Anaheim, Democratic Party, Elections, Matt Harper, Orange County, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana, Tom Daly 5 Comments

“Matt Harper, former deputy chief of staff to Supervisor Janet Nguyen who quietly transferred to the Orange County trash agency last month while preparing a run for the Assembly, has been officially warned to avoid any political activities while working as public affairs manager at OC Waste & Recycling for the next year,” according to the Voice of OC.

This is based on an opinion written by Senior Deputy County Counsel Christopher J. Miller, which states that:

  • Neither candidates for county office nor county officials or employees may solicit political contributions from county employees or applicants for county employment.
  • No campaign contributions may be received or delivered in any county office or building. Continue reading→