The race for Santa Ana’s Ward 2 is very crowded – but two of the candidates, Michele Martinez and Tino Rivera, are suspect as I believe they will ally with Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido and Council Member Carlos Bustamante. Rivera already has their endorsements. Martinez is allied with the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce, and with Pulido acolyte Al Amezcua.
A third candidate, Evangeline Gawronski, is the sole Republican in the race, which does not bode well in the overwhelmingly Democrat enclave that is Santa Ana. The knock on Gawronski is that she is a big backer of the pre-sale home inspections concept that is known as PIP in Santa Ana. For that reason alone, I cannot back her.
Rivera and Martinez also face an uphill battle as they are both on the city Parks and Recreation Commission – and quite frankly our parks suck! Visit Irvine and Tustin if you want to see what parks ought to look like. Rivera in particular has been on this commission for years – and what do we have to show for that service?
Tish Leon is the fourth candidate running for Lisa Bist’s seat. She lacks political experience, but has sunk $50,000 of her own money into her campaign. She also is utlilizing a campaign consultant, Jeff Freeman of Redondo Beach. Leon also is on record as having opposed the odious One Broadway Plaza project. That alone separates her from the other candidates.
Leon sent out her first campaign letter this week, and it touched on her experience working at a non-profit, Latino Health Access, and helping to bring a Farmer’s Market to Santa Ana. She also served as a Santa Ana commissioner, on the Community Redevelopment and Housing Commission.
I like that Leon talks about the need to focus on family issues, including our miserable parks, open space, after-school programs, and public safety. I called her this week and asked her to advocate for more public libraries as well.
If you would like to speak to Leon, call her at (714) 401-8312, or you can email her at this link. So far she looks like the one to vote for in this race.
“Would that keep you from attacking me every chance you get?”
Luis,
Show me an attack in my 2:34 post?
You must be paranoid
Wow. A friend of mine told me about this blog and said I would find a lot of humor. I find it scary. Everyone has their favorite candidate for council. I don’t personally know any of the candidates, but my former high school classmate has my vote. Fortino for Santa Ana Council.
Stanley –
Another informed voter – anon at 6:42 pm. This one admits not knowing any of the candidates, but will vote for Fortino because they’re Saints classmates.
The blogger got it right,Santa Ana politics is very scary.
Another informed voter – anon at 6:42 pm. This one admits not knowing any of the candidates, but will vote for Fortino because they’re Saints classmates.
You’re right. I am voting for Fortino because I do know about him. All the other candidates have not been spoken of kindly on this particular blog. Somehow the comments here have only made the other candidates as scary as athe boogeyman! Why would I want the boogeyman as my councilman representing my ward?
Boy this guy has no rational thinking ability.He is scared off a cadidate because of criticism to that candidate.He supports Tino because he has not been criticized. He apparently missed those posts. I guess when he sees those and other negative posts to come he will be supporting none of the candidates.
Anonymous at 11:51 said: “…He supports Tino because he has not been criticized.”
I said: “You’re right. I am voting for Fortino because I do know about him.
Apparently you don’t understand what you read.
Tino will be elected. Michele and Tish will battle it out for 3rd place. Evangeline will sell her house and move to Las Vegas where Robert Henson will teach her how to send e-mails back to Santa Ana and show her where to get the cheapest Casino buffet!
You are wrong.The hispanic vote is essential to win the elction.Tino,Michele and Tish will water down this voter block and Evangeline will sneak in.If the city government’s and Comlink’s strategy is successful.They are poised to put alot of money on Tino for this purpose. Notice that past council members have for the most part been Comlink activists.It is a good strategy if the citizens that stand to loose the most don’t take the blinders off.
And now back to reality: Bist won because whe ran unopposed the first time and against a 19 year old the second time and had the Mayors support both times. Christy lost 3 times before the Mayor and Police and Firefighter unions sent out enough mail to help her to just barely get enough votes. To see what happens to Comlinks best and brightest talk to Robert “knights of Columbus” Henson or Winston “Dr. Phil fixed me” Covington. Stanely Fiala got a higher % than any ComLinkers.
Nothing you posted contradicts what I said . If you have no opposition you win irregardless. Christy won when the machine decided to support her. Henson and Covington lost because there were better choices form Comlink sources.They were hardly the best and brightest.Stanley shows that the mayor will loose when a credible candidate shows up.
Very tough/Impossible for anyone currently involved in Comlink to win unless they have support from Mayor/Police and Fire Unions. On that we agree.
So,
What your really saying is this.
If anyone in this race has support from the mayor, it must be because said candidate is a puppet of the Mayor and therefore would make it all the more difficult to replace said Mayor.
The smart money is to vote against any candidate with the Mayors support.
It’s not just the Mayor anymore. It’s the Unions. SEIU, Police, Fire.
They too are pulling the strings. Don’t you worry about them Tom?
The office pulling the strings is the City Manager’s office and the Mayor.Under this governement system that office is the constant . City council is transient ,except the Mayor.The money goes to the constant office for funding of their choice of candidates.Police , Fire ,SEIU and the unions don’t pull the strings they are just a source of money and some votes to keep the machine in power.The significanse of support from these organisations is pure and simple-MONEY.The machine then funds their staff and programs handsomely.Look at the city budjet.I believe 70-80% goes to Police and Fire. It is a cycle.The candidate that plays the game will be well funded and very little campaigning is required.
Yesterday’s mail delivered an invitation for Tino Riveria second fundraiser. I, for one, am grateful a photograph of this illusive candidate was included.
Dr. Alfonso Bustamante and his wife, Patricia, are hosting this fundraiser on Aug. 23. This is the duo that sued French Park neighbors a few years ago. Mike Harrah bailed them out of that fiasco.
The usual city endorsees are listed as supporters of Senor Rivera. Here’s a few …
Dan Young, former SA mayor and Vice President, Irvine Company; Gil Marrero, Mike Harrah’s boy Friday; Mr. Somebody, everybody’s boy Friday; the Lemon Sisters, Lisa Bist and Claudia Alvares; and Carlos “Forrest Gump” Bustamante.
Miguel is listed as campaign chair and event chair. I wonder if Miguel will attend the event and spend quality time with the Lemon Sisters.
Gil Marrero?
The same guy that gave Lisa Alvarez $ 1000 towards her last Assembly run and who is selling an Irvine office building for 4.6 Million.
Lets see.
Aligned with Lisa, Miguel, Mike harrah and Alfonso “free stuff for me” Bustamante.
I’ll pass.
Anony. 6:02 and 9:10.You see the big picture.That is how the system is setup.The monkey wrench that can screw it up is the voter.The voter has all the power-control if he undrestands how he is manipulated.The system and it’s supporters have agendas(self interest)that are not compatible with the city’s residents social,economic, infrastructure and educational concerns.
My perch top view reveals that Tino Rivera is merely a place holder for 1.) Lisa Bist’s bid for mayor in ’08 or 2.) Rob Richardson’s bid for mayor in ’08.
There’s a new majority in motion and Rivera is part of that plan.
Poster at 12:44 am
You’re on target and that’s why the voters should deny Audrey Noji another four years as SAUSD school board member.
The teachers union believes 16 years is enough and so do most voters.
Vote Verino for SAUSD school board!