Santa Ana Assembly candidate merits further scrutiny
We have already revealed the hypocrisy of Claudia Alvarez, the Santa Ana Council Member who is running for the 69th Assembly District, but her peer on the council, Jose Solorio, also has a few questions to answer.
An eagle-eyed observer emailed me today and asked “why did Solorio give his wife $1,170.50 in campaign funds, for travel?” Here is the link you can follow to read that campaign finance report: http://cal-access.ss.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1279122&session=2005&view=expenditures
We know that Solorio voted for the BMW sweetheard redevelopment deal, but my source also noticed that he accepted $2,000 from Crevier BMW after voting to give them that deal last year. Talk about a smoking gun… On top of that, he accepted $249 from Honda of Santa Ana. I wonder if he received the latter before or after he voted to drastically overpay for the lot that was handed over to that dealership?
And there’s more: why has he taken $99 twice from Santa Ana resident Desi Reyes, whom he put on the Environmental and Transportation Advisory Committee? Furthermore, why did Solorio accept $100 and then $99 from Michelle Martinez, who sits on the Parks and Recreation Committee? Those contributions may not be illegal, but they don’t look good. This kind of thing got Gray Davis recalled, and cost Jimmy Hahn the L.A. Mayor’s office.
Solorio also works for the OCTA, and now their Measure M is being touted on the City of Santa Ana’s website. Inside sources also have hinted that Solorio engages in a lot of city business while he is on the OCTA time clock.
The more we find out about Solorio and Alvarez, the better their Democrat competitor, Armando de la Libertad, looks. A political consultant tells me that Libertad’s campaign is up and running. His volunteers are making phone calls every day and getting his name out. You can find out more about his campaign at http://www.votelibertad.net/.
Armando has my Vote.
Its just hilarious that Art is supporting the most liberal candidate in the race. Could it be that this is because art believes that Armando would be the easiest for his college student candidate to beat?
Garzastrip,
Actually, Armando would be the toughest for Ryan to beat because he would nullify any advantage posed by Ryan’s youth. Also, Armando, like Ryan, can claim to be an “outsider,” whereas Solorio and Alvarea are consumate “insiders.”
Dudes-
The $1,170 campaign travel expense was used to ferry Valley students to and from the SAEA offices. Solorio’s wife, a Valley teacher, heavily recruited Valley students to help phone bank for the anti Prop 74,75 & 76 campaigns on the Nov. ballot.
Overarching questions are ..
did she recruit during class time and how were these students rewarded for their time?
Obviously Art is a mouthpiece for Armando, just look at the post. Armando is obviously the source. This is a desperate attempt for a soon to be political has-been, if he ever was. OOOHHH Jose took $249, the nerve of him.
Truth Detector is a girly man.
Live up to your moniker instead of playing shoot the messenger game.
OOOHHH … what’s with the $1,170 campaign payment to Mrs. Solorio?
Truth Director,
Armando is not the source. I have not spoken to him in about three years, although I have exchanged some emails with him, but mostly quite a long time ago. He strikes me as an honest guy who wants to make a difference. Can’t say that about Solorio or Alvarez – they are just power-hungry.
Art:
As usual you are way off the mark as to Armando de la Libertad. Armando ran for Santa Ana City Council in 2000 a got trounced. As you know, his name then was Armando Ramirez. In attempt to hide that failure, he changed his name to de la libertad. Does it get any lamer than that?
Armando also pulled out of the 69th race two years ago and will do so again. He’s raised only $83K ($35K of it a personal loan) and is far behind in fundraising. Mark my words, he’ll pull out because he’s got no chance.
Anonymous,
Surely Armando knows that if he pulls out this time, his political career is finished. You can only cry wolf so many times.
I know why he changes his name, and it had nothing to do with your conjecture, but nice try. Regardless, Villaraigosa showed us that name changes do not matter to voters.
Being shifty council members with no accomplishments to speak of I think is more of a negative.
Art’s right; shifty council members with sparse accomplishments should concern us.
Prada girl asked & I ask ..
what about the $1,170 paid to Jose’s wife for travel expenses?
Art:
Please enlighten us at to why Armando Ramirez changed his name. And, Villargaiosa’s name change didn’t hurt him because he had charisma, fundraising prowess, vision, a wealth of community involvment and a compelling story. Armando has none of those qualities (I don’t think being a middle class kid from Brea is a compelling story, but I submit I may be wrong).
Additionally, Armando’s political career is already over. How else can you explain that he’s been fundraising since June ’05 (the longest of any candidate) and has raised the least? Pretty lousy showing given that he hands out money to community groups for Wells Fargo.
Armando wishes he had the problems you identify with Jose and Claudia because it would mean people (other than himself) are giving to his campaign. They are not and so his campaign is really a non-starter.
I still think its hilarious that Art is supporting the most liberal candidate in the race BUT Armando has a much better chance then anonymous suggests. Armando is the only candidate for both parties that has a field operation up and running. Its a small district in geographic area and especially in terms of registered voters. He has more endorsements then Claudia and probably more then Jose. He is a little light in the pocketbook but it doesnt matter whether its a loan or checks from Sacramento business interests(Claudia) or Santa Ana city-labor interests(Jose). It’s going to be a close 3 person race and Armando is in for the whole campaign.
Martini Republic said-
“The $1,170 campaign travel expense was used to ferry Valley students to and from the SAEA offices. Solorio’s wife, a Valley teacher, heavily recruited Valley students to help phone bank for the anti Prop 74,75 & 76 campaigns on the Nov. ballot”
Didn’t Martin Ludlow just get busted for something of the like.
Does Martin Ludlow not have to pay 1/4 million in fines and keep out of elected office and union jobs for ten years?
Did these kids get a grade boost or community service credit(or both) for doing this?
Anonymous,
If you claim to know Armando so well you would already know why he changed his name. In fact, if you are as bright as you claim to be, and as resourceful, one would simply look it up. There was an article in the OC Register about him and his name change. Do the research!
As was stated previously, Armando is receiving campaign contributions from individuals not large corporations and business like the other two. You rarely see any donation of $3300.00 going to Armando. Goes to show you, where his allegiance is. Can you say the same for Solorio and Alvarez?
Actually, I looked up Armando’s contributions and I can tell you he has a lot of small contributions which shows the shallowness of his support. Raising $43,000 in 10 months is nothing to crow about. I agree with the previous poster that his campaign is a non-starter.
And, it appears he took $3,300 from a real estate company.
Who’s bellyaching about $3,300?
Alvarez has accepted $6,600 from
individuals and companies for this campaign. If you include contributions made by the same supporters, in her failed assembly bid in 2004, they are teetering close to $10,000.00 each! Multiply that by five = $50,000.00!
The $6,600 loan from her brother-in-law, an elementary school teacher, raises a few red flags.
And you are whimpering about $3,300?
Wake up! Alvarez is notorious for locking up developer dollars.
Armando is more appealing everyday.
Re: name change. I agree with Art, I don’t think it will hurt and Art pointed out that Villaraigosa changed his name and name changes don’t matter to voters(kind of like Clinton had an affair and lied and affairs and lies about affairs don’t matter to voters…see where I’m going with this Art?)
Anyway, Art is also right about Armando being able to run as an outsider. Many good things have gone on as Santa Ana has gotten out of the economic doldrums but some painfully awful actions by the city also. Armando will blast away at those against both Jose and Claudia. But he’s still going to have to raise some $$$, maybe not as much as Jose or Claudia but enough to get his message out to supplement his ground campaign.
Interesting how the Santa Ana Chamber will go–they like both jose and Claudia. Sacramento Chamber and business folks love Claudia….will they buck their local group?
garzastrip said Armando was most liberal of the three…what is the basis for that?
I think one of the previous posters said it best. Armando has been raising money since June ’05 and all he has raised is approximately $40K. That says to me that he’s got no support.
You need money to run campaigns and word on the street is that he doesn’t even have a campaign manager or consultants yet.
If he does have a campaign consultants, please all you insiders, enlighten us to who that is.
Thanks.
Undecided Voter (and can someone explain why he picked the silly moniker of De la Libertad). Thanks.
Guys – Armando is less of a “sell-out” to special interests than Solorio and Alvarez. Ergo he has raised less money – but from more contributors. Instead of harping on him, write him a check! I swear you Dems can’t get out of your own way sometimes…
Art:
Give us the inside dope on why Armando changed his name since you indicated you know.
http://www.ryangene.com/assembly/
Don’t forget about Ryan.
Can’t do any worse than the crooked politicians
Art-Nice article on Ryan Wiliams in todays Daily Pilot. But if he lives in Santa Ana, why isn’t he going to Santa Ana College where there are more voters in the district and closer to his home? Maybe OCC has some classes he couldn’t get at SAC or what?
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Art is right. Armando is is less of a “sell-out”.
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RE Armando’s name change – I am not at liberty to divulge why he did it. Suffice to say he had a good reason. Honestly, the whole thing is a non sequitur. What really matters is that he is a good guy and he will make more of a difference in Sac than either of his Dem opponents.
Gee Art, what a great response. You are not at liberty to say? Is Armando in a witness protection program?
The bottom line is that Armando is a nice guy, but he has no support, cannot generate enthusiasm and doesn’t have a compelling story. End of story.
It’s nobody’s business why he chose to change his name. You probably believe a woman should take her spouses name and wipe away her birth name as a condition of marriage.
What’s your criteria for a compelling story?
Taking $50K from developers and voting on their projects?
Bullying council members and threatening to remove commissioners becasue they didn’t vote for you?
Arranging a “favorable” deal to purchase a BMW and approve a $10 million gift to that car dealer?
Crying foul when another car dealer benefits from redevelopment money?
Name your criteria.
This is just the beginning of the story.
Actually, a silly moniker like “De la Libertad” begs further introspection because it is so contrived and politically correct that it is lame. And, I could careless if woman keep their names or take those of their husband.
I think pulling yourself up by the boot straps is a compelling story much like Villaraigosa did.
And, I am not sure who I will vote for and I haven’t ruled out Armando, but I think his support is thin given that he can’t raise money.
Anonymous,
Wait until the field campaign for Armando kicks off, then you might be impressed.
I hope Armando has tons of volunteers because he doesn’t appear to have the money to pay consultants or pay for precinct walkers.
Anon:
Would it help if you knew Armando walked 10 miles to school each way
and did his homework by the flicker of a crackling wood burning fireplace? Would it make a difference if you knew that an
entreprenual endeavor paid for his college tuition?
Gee, just navigating the everyday traffic in Santa Ana qualifies
for pulling oneself up by the bootstraps.
de Libertad is not a silly moniker.
It’s Armando’s last name. Put your name out there so we can take a few cheap shots at it.
I really think that the car dealer redevelopment mess is going to backfire on Solorio and especially on Alvarez. Armando will be perfectly positioned to win after the press starts ripping into them. Voters won’t like it that rich car dealers were given handouts by these council members…
I’m one of the anon posters and my last name by birth (not marketing) is Martinez. Fire away.
What exactly is the beef with Armando’s name? It implies that he values liberty. What is wrong with that?
Some of us have come here to the U.S. from countries where your freedom cannot be taken for granted. Those immigrants know how precious our liberty is. We who have been born here too often forget that.
Did you know that most of those who signed the Declaration of Independence were either killed or robbed by the British? Many had their property destroyed, or their families killed. But when they signed that document, they agreed to assume that risk – because they valued freedom and liberty.
Whatever you might think of Armando, at least his name is there to remind us that what we take for granted was paid for in blood by our Founding Fathers.
In a way, we are all here because “of liberty.” Armando name serves to remind us of that on a regular basis.
I propose a name change for Solorio and Alvarez. How about Jose and Claudia “del gratis dinero para los que venden carros?” I know, it is a bit long, but it is also accurate, no?
Art,
For the Spanish-reading impaired,
please translate.
Prada Girl,
Good news – there is a free online translator tool available at http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en. I use it all the time when I have to write training materials in Spanish – then I go over the copy and fix the errors. Google is about 90% accurate.
What I wrote re Solorio and Alvarez was that their last name should be “those who give away money to car dealers.” Alas, it sounded better in Espanol…
Mr. Martinez,
Did you also think it was lame to call French Fries, Freedom Fries? I hope you are consistent on your attacks.
Also, one would assume politicians change their name to a spanish surname to get elected. Armando was already Ramirez, is that not Latino enough? There must be another reason why he changed his last name, dont you think?
I doubt the name change is going to bring any more votes than Ramirez would have, so lay off the idea he did it for political gain.
Martinez, like de la Libertad are
both lovely surnames.
Referring to family names, whether by birth or choice, is declasse.
Comprende?
It’s time to move pass the name game charade.
Armando is not tied to any special interests that I know of unlike any of his opponents.
He is not a Left wing nut, but a thoughful and intelligent individual who will try to make the best decision for the people over all.
I know many left wing nuts and other candidates who are tied to special interests, in both parties.
Isn’t it time to elect someone who is capable of making decisions based of facts, rather than contributions?
Please, please, stop with the “Armando is not tied to any special interests.” He works for Wells Fargo Bank, one of the original special interests. If he could raise money from labor unions he would gladly take it(well, maybe he wouldn’t in fear that Art might not support him any longer…got to hear back from armando on that one)..
You might be able to make a case that he can win because he didn’t get down with those stinky BMW & Honda deals like Jose & Claudia. And if he’s smart he’d be hammering them right now. But spare us the platitudes about Mr. Clean De Libertad. He seems like a nice guy but he’s got his own warts too.
As for being a left wing nut, does anyone know where Armando stands on any of the issues? At least in the Republican primaries, they’re talking issues. With Jose and Claudia you have some voting record? What does Armando stand for? What was his position on the propositions in November? The budget, environment, abortion, etc.? What is the basis for people supporting him? (Except Art, who is either a) supporting him because he’s not Claudia and not Jose or b) he thinks he’d be the easiest Dem to beat).
I know Armando personally and believe he is the right person at the right time. Please take the time to chat with him and you will find him refreshing and and breath of fresh air. He wants to be of service to the community.
Elfaba and Garzastrip are both right on a few counts. Yes, I do believe that Armando would take money from unions if it was offered. However, the special interest I was referring to are not just the unions, but also the developers and the crooked car dealers.
And re Elfaba’s comments, yes Armando is a good guy and I do think he means well. Memo to Garzastrip: give Armando a call. I think you will find him to be quite forthcoming.
Lastly, Solorio is also fairly amicable. You cannot say that for Alvarez. She is as shrill as Hillary Clinton. And ask Tom Lutz if she is spiteful (she is).
Good points Art. But I don’t want to talk to any of these candidates, I want to see what they will put in writing! People will tell you anything.
As for Armando being a nice guy, so is my Uncle Larry but I sure wouldn’t want him being my assemblyman. I ask again, what are Armando’sositions on the issues? For that matter, what are Jose’s and Claudia’s? We know their city positions but most city issues are nonpartisan and noncontroversial–although as Art has kindly illuminate, not all . Sacramento is another cup of tea. Meat and potato policy issues–abortion, health care, Jessica’s law–there’s one, will the three Dems go along with the Mark Leno plan or will they go with the Tod Spitzer plan? I’ve talked to two people who say that Armando is the most liberal of the 3 but I couldn’t get them to give anything up. I suspect it will come in the mail, late as usual.
garzastrip
There are plenty of controversial city issues that offer a glimpse into the governing qualities of Alvarez and Solorio: the Little Saigon sign; city’s gift of $10m to Crevier BMW; city’s $6m gift to Santa Ana Honda; One Broadway Plaza; the $1.00 property give-away for the 4th Court of Appeals; and the vendor truck matter.
What does Sacramento have to do with abortion? Until the Supreme Court rules otherwise, abortion is legal in the U.S. That’s the law of the land and another topic for another time.
Armando is a decent and honorable man who is intelligent to boot. On the other hand, Claudia is a two-faced, manipulative and vindicative individual. Hilary is a saint next to Claudia.
Why do you refuse to speak with the candidates? That’s un-American.
Prada girl—have you been asleep? On abortion, do you read the papers? Think South Dakota. Or try proposition 73. The Supreme Court said it is constitutional to allow restrictions on abortions like parental consent and notification.
Where was Armando on Prop 73? How would he vote if McCarty pushes a South Dakota like bill? Don’t people have a right to know? The issues are not going to be just the city issues which are convienient for Armando to talk about(and I’m glad he will talk about some of them–Claudia anad Jose have alot of explaining to do).
But where was Armando on 1 Broadway Plaza?
Did Armando want to let the District Court of Appeals go to Irvine? How would he have voted?
DOes he have a web site where he puts his positions down on paper?
I’ve heard Claudia is mean but I’ve also heard that Jose is every bit as nice and honorable and as intelligent as Armando. So what? Lots of nice and lots of mean folks in Sacrmamento. WHERE IS YOUR MAN ON THE ISSUES? They aren’t voting on Honda deals in Sacramento. They vote on issues like Jessica’s law—what’s your guys position on this? Why isn’t he putting this up on a web site? How about the Reiner initiative? Don’t get me started….all the candidates need to let us know where they stand on the issues that will come before them in Sacramento. Attack all you want on council votes but a man without a record is an empty suit unless he sets forth what he beleives and what he is going to support and oppose.
Garzastrip, you act like you don’t know Armando and you do, you’ve known him for years. It’s just that your allegiance with a major utility precludes you from being upfront about that.
Art:
The name change speaks more than to simply a name change. It signifies a contrieved and cheap attempt to insert campaigning and marketing into a name.
Beyond that, Armando will not win nor make the run-off because he’s shown he cannot raise money (and he works at a large bank!!). Perhaps Armando should have worked at Southern California Edison, one of the biggest contributors in local campaign (Oh, wait, clean Armando took money from So. Cal. Edison and their employees).
This blog is giving Armando more air time then he’ll receive otherwise. And, don’t hold you breath on him disclosing in writing where he stands on issues. He won’t until he sees how these issues play to the voters.
well, if you judge a candidate by his or her supporters, here’s what I see—one calls me un-American and the latest calls me a liar and claims I have an allegiance with a utility company. So much for the nice guy. By the way, I haven’t known him for years and have no allegiance or affiliation with any utility.
We still don’t know where Armando stands on any of the issues before the legislature. Anon. is overdoing the name change issue though. All we know is when confronted with requests for information, Armando’s supporters change the subject.
And by the way, I’d like to know how Claudia and Jose stand on these same issues.
Garzastrip,
Armando does address some of the issues, at http://mycomputergal.net/libertad/district.html.
Solorio does too at http://www.josesolorio.com/issues_new.html.
I could not find a Claudia Alvarez website, so who knows what she stand for?
I do wish that all of these candidates would address the issues you referenced.
Thanks Art. Finally someone who tries to help.
But I checked out the sites–armando’s says nothing really—, alot of “I will promote good jobs, improved access to health care, etc”. Thats nice to know, but how do you propose to do it? No specifics, nothing on his views on current legislation. And his education measures are more appropriate for a school board candidate.
Solorio’s was not much better. Much more specific and a good recapitulation of many of the good things that have happened. But it looks like he’s running for re-election. no mention of state legislative issues. You’re running for assemblyman Jose. What do you stand for?
And as for Claudia, I couldn’t find much either. At least I found a Steve Greenhut piece where she tells him she would oppose gay marriage unlike Umberg. Where are Jose and Armando on that?
Luis R said:
“Also, one would assume politicians change their name to a spanish surname to get elected.”
Loretta Sanchez was Loretta Brixey,
and in 1994 she unsuccessfully ran for the Anaheim City Council under her then married name, Loretta Brixey. At the time, she was a registered Republican. After forays into politics as a liberal Republican, she changed parties, changed her image to one as a moderate Democrat, and dropped her married name of Brixey in favor of her maiden name Sanchez.