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[Originally published Oct. 31, 2010, and then deleted the next day by Art who strenuously disagreed with it, over Vern’s objections. Without taking a side, I think Art’s disagreements are expressed well enough in his comments below the story. At the time Francisco had just decided to support Al Amezcua against Mayor Pulido, but this post still stands as a good challenge to the current council, so we are re-posting this and hope Francisco returns to the blog.
By the way, as we’ve seen in the last 24 hours with Steve Perez, the Liberal OC is the blog that claims not to censor its authors, but does just that when their posts piss them off or make them uncomfortable. I won’t claim to NEVER censor an author – what else is an editor for? I’ve refused to publish a few pieces by the otherwise worthy Eddie Rose and “Over But Not Out” which were simple misinformed malicious anti-immigrant or anti-Muslim propaganda innocently passed along. But THIS piece , and Steve’s, didn’t deserve to be scuttled.]
Stretching the Truth – “The Pinocchio Factor” – a Crime in Itself!
We must hold all career politicians or those seeking office, accountable and must understand their ideas, especially if there is a sense that the truth is being stretched at best, or manipulated at worst; or if we somehow encounter “mental pause” on the facts and issues.
I know that we must have a clear picture of the issue to be able to properly solve the issue.
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FIRST Example:
CLAIM: VIOLENT CRIME in Santa Ana –I just received a brochure in support of Mayor Miguel Pulido. It states, that “Under the leadership of Pulido and Tinajero, crime is down 64% over the past few years, making Santa Ana [is] the safest of America’s largest cities”. And Mayor Pulido’s website states the same under his biography page. (paid for by Santa Ana Police Officers Association Independent Expenditure)
FACT:
a) Violent Crime has remained UNCHANGED for Santa Ana from 2008 to 2009 at 1,726 violent crimes according to the FBI. Although, it did drop from 1,947 crimes in 2007. However, across the nation, the FBI reported a decrease in overall Violent Crime of 5.3% for 2009 (Crime in the United States report).
CLICK HERE FOR FBI Stats for City of Santa Ana 2009 and 2008
b) Additionally, Art Pedroza has an article from a year ago entitled “FBI says Santa Ana is still #1 in Violent Crimes in the OC”. And Art P. ends the article with the very prescient comment as to election year claims:
“Don’t forget that Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido told us last year while campaigning that Santa Ana was the ‘safest city in Orange County.’ I don’t think so Miguel!” (per Art Pedroza)
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SECOND Example:
CLAIM: Balanced Budget in Santa Ana. Another brochure states that “fortunately for us, Mayor Pulido . . . has cut millions of dollars of the City budget to help keep it [BALANCED] and allow Santa Ana to maintain its long-time financial stability ” (paid for by Santa Ana Firemen’s Benevolent Association).
FACT:
a) There is a deficit in the City’s budget of millions of dollars.
b) Also, “the General Fund is the chief operating fund of the City of Santa Ana. At the end of the current fiscal year, the fund balance of the general fund was $16,336 [08-09] as compared to $36,128 in fiscal year 07-08. So the General Fund decreased by about $20 million. (page 25 of the CAFR – Comprehensive Annual Financial Report)
Additionally, “as a measure of the general fund’s liquidity, it may be useful to compare both unreserved fund balance and total fund balance to total fund expenditures. Unreserved fund balance in the General Fund was $11,093 represents 7.43 percent of total general fund expenditures, while total fund balance represents
5.05 percent of that same amount. (page 25 of the CAFR). (note 2009-2010 CAFR is due out in Dec 2010).
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THIRD Example:
CLAIM: SCHOOLS & REPAIRS: The same brochure that makes the crime reduction claim above, also states, “The Leadership of Pulido and Tinajero has helped Santa Ana schools receive hundreds of millions of dollars in Federal and state grants for classrooms and repairs”.
FACT:
a) Schools teachers in SAUSD have faced hundreds of layoffs, while the education of our students suffer tremendously.
b) Some high schools in Santa Ana have graduation rates of about 50% and with Santa Ana High School having the highest teen-pregnancy in the nation. See OC Register article from March 2009, entitled “Santa Ana Unified to send out 530 pink slips“.
c) Mayors can play a significant leadership role in motivating and inspiring the youth if they are properly and continuously engaged with the educators, parents, students and community professionals who volunteer. I have volunteered with several programs to help students (Jr. Achievement of Orange County; Youth Motivation Task Force; and High School Inc. ) I hope to be able to see the Mayor closely engaged with this and other programs, as our youth represent our future.
d) Federal dollars came to OC and Santa Ana because of the federal government stepping in; additionally, money for classrooms and street repairs came to our area because of the ONE-TIME STIMULUS spending by the Federal government through ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act). We must understand that more must be done for our students.
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FOURTH Example:
CLAIM: Claims have been made and are being made in this site while attacking Alfredo Amezcua, Mayor for Santa Ana candidate, that he has no ideas because he has chosen to not post in this site.
FACT:
a) Amezcua has posted his basic ideas at his website and has elaborated on them at various forums throughout our City as he engages our citizens, shares his ideas with them, and also listens to the citizens concerns.
b) Mayor Pulido as of today has ZERO ideas posted at his website, and his website is empty, except for his biography. I want to hear from Mayor Pulido as to his ideas for the future, as I am sure many of our readers and citizens of our City – we deserve this much!
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We have many issues in our City of Santa Ana:
- Unemployment of at least 15% in Santa Ana which increases poverty vs about 9.6% for the nation;
- Violent Crime still too high, and unchanged for the last two years;
- Failing high schools and high drop-out rates;
- Highest rates of teen-age pregnancies;
- High fees to start a business in Santa Ana;
- Homelessness which includes thousands of military veterans and their families
- Many parts of the City that have more potholes than many streets in Tijuana (I lived a few years in Tijuana and I visit often) – For many years, we have had the same UNPAVED street and need for sidewalks on HAZARD between Harbor and Newhope – which creates a hazardous situation for our children because of the elementary schools there and especially during rainy season.
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I post this with the hope that major improvements take place in our city, and that we have a clear understanding of the facts, because complacency and inaction, empty promises or stretching of the truth do not solve anything!
I am also sure that many of our citizens, business leaders; educators; and other professionals are prepared to work closely with our elected City Officials and Trustees, if this is facilitated, for the good of our youth, our citizens and our City of Santa Ana – I know I am!
posted by Francisco J. Barragan, Oct. 31, 2010.
Business Leader / Community Volunteer
Francisco,
I know you are not trying to be disingenuous, so perhaps you simply overlooked the fact that Mayor Pulido has a new website, at http://miguelpulidoblog.com/.
I took a look at Amezcua’s website, again. Check on the issues tab, at http://www.alfredoamezcua.com/issues.php, and you sill see that he has NO IDEAS listed there, certainly nothing tangible.
Are you aware that Amezcua is being supported by haters like Debbie McEwen? Can you explain that please?
As for the crime statistics, I ran the numbers using the FBI data you provided. From 2007 through 2009, crime dropped in Santa Ana in these categories: violent crime, aggravated assault, property crime, larceny/theft, motor vehicle theft, arson and burglary. Check for yourself.
I don’t have time right now to run a full statistical analysis, but the drop is real and in some cases it is dramatic.
Art:
1) Thanks for pointing that out…I actually did NOT know that he had another site…I went off the brochure I JUST received…they should have included Mayor Pulido’s actual website; However, I can’t find an IDEAS/ISSUES page…do you know if Mayor Pulido has a page that talks about his IDEAS going forward or the the ISSUES he intends to address?
2) Also, I think “Haters” can support and vote for anyone they want!
What is more important and relevant to know is if a candidate also advocates a “hateful” ideologue or not, or if a candidate endorses another candidate that has been hate identified.
3) Separately, I know that you also rail against SAUSD Board President and others because they are DOUBLE-DIPPERS.
Are you aware and if so what do you think??? – that apparently Mayor Pulido has been DOUBLE-dipping at the expense of Santa Ana and OC taxpayers…and apparently with all of this that it is close to $100,000 including the various separate payments for meetings claimed for supposed work done on behalf of the City.
4) Also as you know, City Council members receive about $200 per MEETING…including all the committees that they serve on….I know you will appreciate this…Alfredo Amezcua has SAID PUBLICLY that he will TAKE ONLY $200 per MONTH, and he may ask the rest of the City Council members to do the same! This will truly provide a public servant.
So this mean that Alfredo Amezcua as Mayor would receive about $2,400 annually in salary vs the high amounts and double-dipping that Mayor Pulido extracts from the city.
I know your Libertarian heart and the citizens Love this!
5) Furthermore, another idea that Alfredo Amezcua wants to implement is an AUDIT of program EFFECTIVENESS and EFFICIENCY for the various city programs and services. I have to be honest with you….that one caught me by surprise because even I as a professional auditor had not thought about that one for the city.
So my Audit Heart and our citizens will Love this!
Francisco Barragan
My opinions only and not those of any group
I have to go cook dinner, but let me answer what I can.
1. I don’t know why Pulido’s flyer has the wrong info. Ask his consultant.
2. But if Al has pursued their support, is that not another matter altogether?
3. Pulido is not a double dipper. He does not receive multiple benefits. He canceled his extra OCTA benefits.
4. Pulido works over 40 hours a week as our part time mayor. I don’t begrudge him the right to make some income. Amezcua owns 39 properties and is a lawyer. Trust me, he is not hurting for money.
5. Speaking of audits, perhaps you need to audit Amezcua’s traffic tickets?
Lastly, Amezcua talks a lot about crime, but he represents the worst criminals in our city. He has been tied to the Mexican Mafia. Electing him seems a bit like putting the fox in the hen house…
@ Art:
#3: My understanding is that Mayor Miguel Pulido has been a Double- & a Triple-Dipper.
(Based on this, it’s almost as if there was an Olympics competition for Double- or Triple-Dipping that Mayor Pulido would have gotten the Gold and the Silver and the Bronze ALL at the SAME time.)
a) Per a flyer from the Amezcua campaign:
“Serving as Mayor is supposed to be part-time position not a career. But during his seven terms as Mayor, Miguel Pulido has figured out how to maximize his compensation by serving on a number of public boards. And by double and triple dipping for benefits from EACH of the boards.
For example, the ‘Great Park Board’paid Pulido $11,167 last year – for going to a short meeting once a month.
Another example, Pulido took full health benefits from the City of Santa Ana, AND from the Orance County Transportation Authority.
While Pulido gets a totally FREE car from the Air Quality Management Board, he bills the city $600 a month for a car allowance – and the OCTA for Mileage.”
b) Thus, Mayor Pulido has managed to receive the following:
Santa Ana: $36, 913.62
OC Great Park: $11, 167.20
OCTA: $22,428
AQMD: $21, 990.87
c) From the OC Register “NO Recession in Double Dipping” article dated August 30, 2010:
http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/benefits-264355-time-elected.html
“Several examples have been highlighted recently in Register Watchdog reports. Miguel Pulido receives a stipend, health benefits and a $6,000 car allowance as mayor of Santa Ana while [AT THE SAME TIME] he chooses to take health insurance benefits from another taxpayer-funded agency, the Orange County Transportation Authority. Mr. Pulido also gets a car, a Toyota Prius, for sitting on the South Coast Air Quality Management District board.”
Alfredo Amezcua has said that he will take $200 a MONTH TOTAL; and will implement a TWO -TERM Limit for the Mayor.
d) All Double- and Triple-Dipping aside, I still want to know what Mayor Pulido proposes to do to fix our continued City’s problems – I think he would have some ideas – unless there are no more Ideas after 7 terms as Mayor.
We need a Leader with a Vision and not a Caretaker of the Status Quo..
If Mayor Pulido is that leader, then let’s hear his ideas, if not, as we said in the US Marines –
“Either Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way!”
e) P.S. You have also said mentioned that “last time he [Amezcua] got elected he quit.”
My recollection is that Alfredo Amezcua served 6 years as President of the Rancho Santiago Community College District, and knew he had already contributed as much as he could, and wanted to allow others the opportunity to also contribute. This is very similar to when he says he will implement a TWO-Term Limit for the Mayor – to allow others to also serve and contribute their talents.
So from experience, we have proof that Alfredo Amezcua does and will do as he says, when he says he would only serve two-terms as Mayor.
Also, regarding issues, Pulido has a record as Mayor that you can examine. We know what he stands for.
All we know about Amezcua is that the last time he got elected he quit. He never fully explained why. He is thusly no different than Sarah Palin. He was elected and he quit. I am not interested in supporting a quitter for Mayor.
Art, and im not interested in voting for a lazy mayor that has not done ANYTHING to improve my neighborhood. I could care less what you think he has done, i havent seen one thing change in my neighborhood that is full of drug dealers, gangsters, and crime. I have happily convinced 90% of my neigborhood, about 150 homes not to vote for Pulido. With that said, i think he should be scared.
OC,
I have been walking a lot of precincts. The streets look great, for the most part. Is that not an improvement?
No Art, repaving a street doesn’t make the neighborhood better. I dont think you read my last post, i said i still see plenty of drug dealers and gangsters. Not to mention the schools being the way they are. This is why i have rented a home in Irvine, because i want my kids to get a quality education, not in this gosh forsaken district. Now, i wait one more month, get the promotion, and im getting my family out of this declining city. Quail hill, here i come!
It just gets me sad everytime i think about how this city has declined. I wish Santa Ana was still at its Glory Days, but politician in this city dont want it to do that.
OC,
Some of us haven’t quit. I see a lot of improvement.
Drugs are a problem. In fact it should be noted that Amezcua quite often represents drug dealers in court. He has in fact represented some of the worst ones, from the Mexican Mafia.
But how is Pulido to blame for this? Drugs are a national problem. The blame lies with those who use drugs.
My sons are getting a good education here, in our fundamental schools. I do think we need to do far more for our neighborhood schools, which is why I decided to run for the School Board this year.
Did Santa Ana ever have any glory days?
Oh yeah it did. My dad talks about it all the time, i lived it for a short time in the early 70’s…
OC,
That’s funny. The politicians of that era complained about the very same problems.
That might be true Art, but my Father was never a politician. Today we realize how far away politicians are from societies needs, and wants. . .
Not really. The voters can always replace them. They serve at our discretion.
OC: SanTana’s “glory days” are a myth propagated by Don Papi Pulido and his supporters! Don’t you know that he is the savior of the city, and is working toward a Restoration that is restoring nothing?
All this said, SanTana has always been a great city — but not in the way its dons and doñas want to acknowledge…
This is really funny post Francisko.
I am laughing my fanny off.
——– Original Message ——–
Subject: Stanislav Fiala is asking: Should we train SAPD13 against knife attacks?
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 2010 19:22:04 -0800
From: Standa
To: Walters, Paul
CC: Pulido Migue, Benavides David, Martinez Michele, Harrelson Anthony, Alvarez Claudia, Bustamante Carlos, Tinajero Sal, Sarmiento Vincent, McGeachy Douglas
Kudos to you Chief for killing another lowlife Mexican (a progenitor of
the city council members) with a knife in his hand.
However, I have noticed that SAPD13 a division of the SAPD is improperly
trained against the alleged knife attacks.
As always Chief, I do propose positive solution to my criticism.
Therefore, you may retain me to teach your fatso SAPD13 officers how to
defend themselves against the knife attack, such may be the legendary
Rabo’s bayonet, based on my prior Czech military training using KGB manuals.
-Stan
Art’s response to the “irresponsible” Francisco:
http://newsantaana.com/2010/12/12/dont-believe-the-naysayers-violent-crime-has-gone-down-in-santa-ana/
Either way, I see absolutely no reason for the deletion of this post.
Vern,
This is my first comment since Art Pedroza deleted and censored the post above back a day or so before the Nov 2nd Elections – because it challenged the claims made by Mayor Pulido’s supporters and because I think Art became more than just a strong supporter of Mayor Pulido, while ignoring the facts.
It is unfortunate, and somehow expected that Art would refer to me as “irresponsible blogger”, and part of a “rabid cult”.
Art Pedroza ignores the fact that everything I posted is factual.
1) I stated that Violent CRIME has REMAINED UNCHANGED from 2008 to 2009. This is still as true today as it was the day I posted it, and is the overall category used by the FBI.
I did note originally that SUB-elements of the VIOLENT CRIME Category had SOME UPs & Some DOWNS. Art is basically putting blinders and looking at the sub-elements that went down but ignoring the sub-elements that went up.
For example, Forcible Rape Rape WENT UP by 17% (which Art ignores), while Murders went Down by 17% –
It is almost as if there is this notion that the FORCIBLE Rapes Victims should consider themselves Lucky that they were “only” raped and not murdered – and that citizens should accept this ONE-sided partial view of Violent Crime statistics – to fit a distorted view of a political campaign.
Art’sTitle for his post is, “Don’t believe the naysayers, [VIOLENT CRIME HAS GONE DOWN] in Santa Ana” – This is MISLEADING BY ART…VIOLENT CRIME HAS REMAINED UNCHANGED.
2) Again, as I said above, “Art Pedroza has an article from a year ago entitled “FBI says Santa Ana is still #1 in Violent Crimes in the OC”. And Art P. ends the article with the very prescient comment as to election year claims:
“Don’t forget that Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido told us last year while campaigning that Santa Ana was the ‘safest city in Orange County.’ I don’t think so Miguel!” (per Art Pedroza).
3) The Mayor’s race in Santa Ana happens EVERY TWO YEARS – and during these two years, VIOLENT CRIME was UNCHANGED From 2008-2009.
But even though this two-year time-frame is the most relevant in evaluating the incumbent or candidate, I also provided the statistics for 2007, and noted that Violent Crime has gone down from 2007, although it had also gone done across the nation.
(NOTE A: Art selectively goes back and selects the SUB-elements of crime that went down, but NEGLECTS to mention that MURDERS WENT UP FIRST from 23 murders in 2007 to 30 murders in 2008, BEFORE they went down 25 in 2009, but still higher than 23.
This is what Art said, “A few differences should be noted. There were 30 murders in Santa Ana in 2008 – and only 25 murders in 2009. Statistically that is quite a drop.”
GUESS WHAT? The INCREASE (30.4%) IN MURDERS is HIGHER than the DROP (8%) in murders.
(NOTE B: Here is the original FBI statistics that I had provided.
http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/FBI-Stats-for-2009-and-2008.pdf
4) EDUCATION.
Art goes on to say, in reference to me, “The same blogger I have referenced here also attacked our Mayor, Miguel Pulido, because of the problems with education in our city. That is just beyond ridiculous. Pulido is not in charge of our schools.”
Art is doing what the people who are not supported by the facts, do – change the argument or mis-characterize the argument. I NEVER said that Pulido is in charge of our schools.
This what I said, ”
“Mayors can play a significant leadership role in motivating and inspiring the youth if they are properly and continuously engaged with the educators, parents, students and community professionals who volunteer. I have volunteered with several programs to help students (Jr. Achievement of Orange County; Youth Motivation Task Force; and High School Inc. ) I hope to be able to see the Mayor closely engaged with this and other programs, as our youth represent our future.”
I guess that if you accept Art’s implied definition, an “irresponsible blogger”, and part of a “Rabid Cult” is one who posts facts (like I did); and a Responsible blogger is one who ignores his own statements or misconstrues other people’s statements and offers only a ONE-Sided and distorted view of the facts (as Art did).
I now call this the A r T I V O effect:
Rewind to discredited or distorted propaganda and innuendo and repeat often, and Fastforward or gloss over the facts.
Francisco J. Barragan
My opinions only and not those of any group.