New Santa Ana | Tag Archives: city council

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

Posted on September 19, 2014 by Art Pedroza 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→

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

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Art Pedroza 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 September 16, 2014 by Art Pedroza 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→

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

Posted on September 12, 2014 by Art Pedroza 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 September 12, 2014 by Art Pedroza 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→

Com Link to be honored at the next City Council meeting on 9/16

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Entertainment, Miguel Pulido, Neighborhood Associations, Santa Ana 5 Comments

2010-2011 Com-Link Board

City of Santa Ana

Advisory: MAYOR TO HONOR COMMUNICATION LINKAGE FORUM & CITY COUNCIL TO HONOR MANY MORE AT TUESDAY’S CITY COUNCIL MEETING

SANTA ANA, CA (September 16, 2014) – The public is invited to attend the City Council Meeting on Tuesday, September 16, 2014 as the Mayor and City Council will recognize Communication Linkage Forum (also known as Com-Link) in honor of their 25th Anniversary.

Com-Link was founded in 1989 when a small group of residents met together with the idea that somehow there should be a way of strengthening communication and engagement among neighborhoods, residents, businesses and city departments. Continue reading→

The OCDA slaps down the Santa Ana City Council and the City Attorney

Posted on September 5, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Miguel Pulido, OCDA, Sonia Carvalho 1 Comment

The Orange County District Attorney’s office slapped down the Santa Ana City Council and the Santa Ana City Attorney today after the City Council threatened to out a confidential report on their investigation into a real estate deal between Mayor Miguel Pulido and a city contractor, according to the Voice of OC.

Senior Assistant District Attorney Michael Lubinski outlined the DA’s position in a letter sent today to City Attorney Sonia Carvalho. Lubinski claims Carvalho backtracked on her own confidentiality request regarding the city’s report, which was referred to the DA’s office over six months ago.

“I do not understand your change of position,” Lubinski writes. “The disclosure of confidential reports is premature and should not be released until our investigation has concluded to ensure justice.” Continue reading→

City Council’s ongoing attack on Mayor Pulido comes up empty again

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2014 Elections, David Benavides, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, OCDA, Politics, Roman Reyna, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana 10 Comments

Tinajero, Martinez and Benavides

Santa Ana City Council members voted Tuesday in closed session to release to the public the city attorney’s report on Mayor Miguel Pulido’s property swap case on Sept. 30 if District Attorney Tony Rackauckas or the state’s political watchdog don’t file criminal charges against the mayor by then, according to the Voice of OC.

What is this all about? In 2010, members of the Pulido family traded a parking lot they owned to Rupen James Akoubian, owner of NAPA Orange County Auto Parts, in exchange for a house in Westminster. According to the public assessor’s appraisals, the fair market value of the house was more than twice as much as the Pulidos’ lot, according to the Voice of OC.

The family later transferred the house solely into the mayor’s name, and he ultimately sold it for nearly $400,000, netting a $197,000 profit. Meanwhile, Akoubian’s store received a $1.35 million, no-bid city contract to supply auto parts to the municipal vehicle fleet.

So did Pulido break any laws? Let’s look at this point by point: Continue reading→

Why is David Benavides holding a campaign fundraiser in Michele Martinez’ ward?

Posted on August 27, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2014 Elections, Alex Padilla, David Benavides, Elections, Politics, Santa Ana 19 Comments

Councilman David Benavides

Santa Ana Councilman David Benavides represents Ward 4, which stretches from Willits on the North to Sunflower on the South and from Fairview on the West to Flower on the East. There are plenty of restaurants in Ward 4 but for whatever reason Benavides is hosting a fundraiser on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 at the Little Sparrow, located at 300 N. Main St., in Downtown Santa Ana – that is in Ward 2, which is represented by Councilwoman Michele Martinez.

Why is Benavides holding a major campaign fundraiser outside of his Ward? This is a major snub to the businesses and residents of Ward 4. Continue reading→

Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society to be honored by the City Council on 9/2

Posted on August 25, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Historical, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Howe Waffle House

City of Santa Ana

Community Alert: Mayor & City Council to honor the Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society on Sept. 2nd

SANTA ANA, CA (August 25, 2014) – The public is invited to attend the City Council Meeting on Tuesday, September 2, 2014 as the Mayor and City Council will recognize the Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society as well as community members who are Pioneers in the City of Santa Ana’s Historical Preservation.

The Santa Ana Historical Society is an all-volunteer, grassroots organization who have been instrumental in the preservation of the Waffle House Museum, the home of Santa Ana’s first female physician, Dr. Willella Howe-Waffle. In 2013, the Society saw many important milestones including the grand opening of their second museum – the Santa Ana Fire Museum. Continue reading→

Ward 6 City Council candidate Gonzalez to kick off his campaign on August 23

Posted on August 22, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2014 Elections, Elections, Entertainment, Mike Gonzalez, Politics, Santa Ana 4 Comments

Mike Gonzalez Council Fundraiser

Mike Gonzalez, a candidate for Ward 6 on the Santa Ana City Council, is hosting his Campaign Kick-Off on August 23, 2014, at 6 pm, at the nightclub/restaurant he owns, Mexicanisimo, located at 2323 W 1st St, Santa Ana.

The MC for the event is “Sammy” and various musical artists will be there including Regulo Car, Hugo Armando, and Grupo Folklorico Desafio.

Gonzalez owns a security guard company as well. He is a licensed security guard instructor as well. Click here to see his Facebook page.

Gonzalez’ Bio: Continue reading→

Ward 2 Council candidate Velasquez sets a salsa fundraiser for August 22

Posted on August 20, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2014 Elections, Entertainment, Mirna Velasquez, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Mirna Velasquez Salsa Fundraiser

Santa Ana Ward 2 City Council candidate is hosting a special fundraiser event with Salsa Music, a complimentary salsa lesson and Hor d’oeuvres on Friday, August 22, at 6:30 pm.

The event will be hosted by Tony Rodriguez of Spoons Family Restaurant, at 2601 Hotel Terrace Drive, in Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Rene Gomez joins field running for Santa Ana City Council’s Ward 2

Posted on August 17, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2014 Elections, Elections, Michele Martinez, Mirna Velasquez, Politics, Rene Gomez, Santa Ana 10 Comments

Rene Gomez

Rene Gomez, a graduate of Santa Ana High School who studied at CSU Long Beach, is running for Ward 2 of the Santa Ana City Council. He joins a field of candidates that includes the incumbent, Michele Martinez, and another challenger, Mirna Velasquez.

The local Republican Party tried to recruit Velasquez but she opted to continue as a Decline to State voter. Martinez is a liberal Democrat. Gomez is a Republican and he stands to get support from the OC Lincoln Club and the OC GOP.

Gomez lists his birthplace as Tijuana, Mexico. He appears to be friendly with Mike Gonzalez, the head of Los 32, an organization that supports Mexican Americans. Gonzalez is also running for the Santa Ana City Council, in Ward 6. Gomez supports immigration reform and immigrant rights. Continue reading→

Victims of SAPD attack on marijuana colectives to speak out at the City Council meeting tonight

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Crime, Entertainment, Police Brutality, Politics 1 Comment

OC NORML is asking their supporters to attend tonight’s Santa Ana City Council meeting so that they may speak out against the “outrageous treatment that the medicinal marijuana collective operators, volunteers and patients endured during the most recent series of raids.”

Over 75 people associated with local medicinal marijuana collectives were arrested by the SAPD on July 31, as we previously reported.

Those arrested were locked up in a paddy wagon for hours and were not allowed to use the restroom, get anything to drink, and one patient was even denied the right to take his heart medication. All of them were eventually booked and released with a code enforcement ticket for $500 each. Continue reading→

City Council to honor Rep. Sanchez and Artists Village founders on 8/5

Posted on August 2, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Arts and Culture, Civic Affairs, Entertainment, Loretta Sanchez, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana

Community Alert: Public Invited: Mayor & City Council to honor Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez and others at Tuesday’s City Council Mtg.

SANTA ANA, CA (August 1, 2014) – The public is invited to attend the City Council Meeting on Tuesday, August 5, 2014 as the Mayor and City Council will recognize Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez and the Founders of the Artists Village for their outstanding contributions to the City of Santa Ana.

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez was born and raised in Orange County and in 1996 she became the first Hispanic woman ever elected to Congress from Orange County. Congresswoman Sanchez is the highest ranking female on the House Armed Services Committee and the Homeland Security Committee. She is the leading voice in Congress for women in the military and is an active volunteer within her local community. Continue reading→