I heard from Michele Martinez this week, the top Democrat candidate for Ward 2 on the Santa Ana City Council. Apparently Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido is getting worried about her mounting momentum. She recently received a letter from the city, regarding some of her signs.
Here is the letter:
Dear Michele Martinez:
The City of Santa Ana adopted Municipal Code Sections 17-132 through 17-136 in November of 1996, which establishes illegal temporary signs as a public nuisance. Section 17-134 allows the City to recover costs from the person who benefited from the placement of the sign. Presently, the fee is $25.00 per sign removed.
On October 4, 2006 inspectors removed a total of 8 political signs advertising Michele Martinez for Santa Ana city Council Ward 2. Please be advised you will be receiving an invoice from the City of Santa Ana, Finance Department of this violation of City Code.
Should you wish to contest the costs, you may request a hearing by mailing your written request within fifteen days of the date of the invoice to:
City of Santa Ana
Public Works Agency (m-85)
Environmental Sanitation Dept.
P.O Box 1988
Santa Ana, CA 92702
Attn: Sign Removal Hearing
Upon receipt of your request , a hearing shall be arranged to hear and determine the matter. The hearing will be scheduled within 30 days after receipt of your request, pursuant of the provisions of Section 17-135 of Santa Ana Municipal Code.
Sincerely,
Jim Trujillo, Supervisor
OK – what is so bad about Martinez’ signs? According to Section 17-135 of Santa Ana Municipal Code, an illegal sign is “located on a public street or other public property in violation of section 10-27 of this Code, or which is located on private property in violation of any provision of Chapter 41 of this Code.” I have seen a lot of signs all over the city that appear to be on public property. Are other candidates getting these letters? Here’s the big question: are Pulido’s candidates getting away with doing the same thing?
I would not be suprised at all ifPulido and Santa Ana City Manager Dave Ream are directing city employees to go after Martinez’ signs in order to benefit Tino Rivera, the Pulido acolyte running for Ward 2.
Martinez tells me that she paid her sign printer, COGS, to put up most of the signs. The rest were put up with permission from home and business owners.
This matter should be forwarded to the Orange County Grand Jury for review. If indeed the city is targeting opponents of Pulido-backed candidates, it is an abuse of power and it should not be tolerated.
In related news, Tish Leon, the other leading Democrat in the race for Ward 2, is having a fundraiser today, here are the details:
Bachelor and Bachelorettes Date Auction
Fundraiser for Tish Leon, Santa Ana City Council, Ward 2
Sunday October 22nd at: SolArt Gallery & Caf
Is the law being used to intimidate candidate Michele Martinez:
in violation of the 1st Amendment?
Someone should do a public records request for all invoices and letters sent to candidates regarding violations of Municipal Code Sections 17-132 through 17-136.
That should settle it.
Tish Leon has also received a letter and a bill from the city.
Let’s be clear here; the only reason Michelle is making any headway is because Tino (sometimes dubbed Tonto) is such a pathetic candidate.
Tonto can barely string a coherent sentence together, not to mention any cogent ideas.
Art…if you have proof that your candidate is being picked on, then send a complaint letter to the grand jury — they love political stuff. Have seen many Measure O signs in the public right of way, has SAC received the same letter?
3:29 — You say, “Tish Leon has also received a letter and a bill from the city.”
Do you know this for a fact?
Chris,
Excellent idea my friend.
Gila,
Thomas Gordon spoke to Tish today and she did indeed receive a letter. She took pictures of the signs that are in violation, that pertain to Pulido’s acolytes, and is going to request a hearing on Monday.
Pulido is picking on women – and he is going to get it!
Pedroza,
I know for a fact that Jennifer Villasenor, the front runner in Ward 6, also received the same letter with a bill as well. There is no “targeting” here, simply your desire to bad mouth people whenever you can.
Poster # 9,
Is that you Tim? Regardless, the fact is that Villasenor has been telling everyone that she is going to be an “independent” council member. Maybe this is Pulido’s way of reminding her who the boss is.
How about David Benavides? Sources tell me that he has dozens of signs posted on city medians. Sounds illegal to me. Did he get a letter too? We need to know!
“I know for a fact that Jennifer Villasenor, the front runner in Ward 6, also received the same letter with a bill as well.”
Please do email a copy to Art or I so that we can do a follow up post.
apedroza@earthlink.net
or
thomas.a.gordon@gmail.com
We’ll do the follow up as soon as we get the email from anyone in this race.
These letters have been standard in Santa Ana for many years and they go to all candidates. Only loser candidates with no campaign funds and no chance to win even worry about putting signs on chain link fences and public property. Just go down to the city yard, pick up your signs and see if you can pay some private residents to put one in a yard. And while you are wasting your time worrying about signs and posting on blogs, your opponants are calling voters, knocking on doors of voters, and increasing the already incredible margins of victory. So where will the losers be drinking and cursing on election night, The Quill? At least you can tell your grandkids you had your 3 weeks of fame. If you call these terrible campaigns fame. Still no mail from Big Sal(I’m Mexican Teacher of the Year) Tinajero. Someone go wake the big man up and tell him that election day is almost here and his union buddy’s are doing nothing for him. John Palacio would have at least campaigned. This Tinajero character is a joke.
Tom Gordon is going to get the ESP vote for Mayor. Only people with ESP will know he’s running and be able to vote for him because he has no signs, no mail, and no chance.
Anon said: “Tonto can barely string a coherent sentence together, not to mention any cogent ideas.”
And Tanto going to put Heep Big Hurt on you election day! Keep mocking while Tino wins and you Gadflys remain just that, Gadflys.
Posters 12, 13 and 14,
Tim, please just use your real name. I suspect you will lose the smirk on your face when we demand that the city provide us with copies of the letters that went out. I know I won’t be surprised if Benavides has not been notified about his bountiful illegal signs.
As for Thomas, I think you will be unpleasantly surprised by how well he does. Sure, we know he is a longshot, but his showing will embolden others to take on Pulido in two years. This will be his last term. He will have to find some other way to pad his bank account.
BTW, if nothing else, folk will be able to compare Gordon’s excellent candidate’s statement with the sorry one that Pulido put together.
As for your thoughts on Tino…whatever. His lack of support from the police union is a huge problem for him. He knows very well that he is slipping. Don’t be surprised if he is not even the top vote-getting Democrat in this race, come Nov. 7. Tino – perhaps you can go back to Parks and Rec and waste a few more years with Tim…getting absolutely nothing done.
BTW, I would much rather be tagged as a “gadfly” than be known as a suck-up to Pulido. Maybe Jose Solorio can give you a pair of his “learn English” pot-holders to use as knee pads?
Poor, pathetic, Pedroza,
You probably see Tim in your shadows too, don’t you? Your “knee pad” comment shows the frustration of a desperate man being ignored and is par for the course for the junk you allow to be posted against those you don’t like. What a loser and what a hypocrite
Tim “White,”
Ignored? Actually this was one of our biggest weeks here at the Orange Juice. Wrong choice of words Tim.
You’re right though, those pot-holders simply won’t do. Perhaps you can use two pair concurrently? I’m sure Solorio can spare another.
Please feel free to put away your bayonet and retreat down the hill now…
Why don’t we stick to the sign issue here and leave the personal divorce bickering for another post.
Well, having said that, I’ve worked on at least three campaigns where I was the primary sign poster starting in 1998. If this municipal code has been in effect why haven’t I heard about it until now? Also, can anyone research if R.Avila, L. Moreno and T. Nguyen have recived the same violation notice. All these three candidates have posted signs in telephone poles, light poles and center medians all throughout SA and GG. In fact, there is still a sign on Grand and Normandy on from the ever so graceful L. Moreno.
My question is how much have these three ethically challenged people been fined, if any?
Oh wait, they don’t threaten the SA powerstructure run by D. Ream. Follow the money to Coto de Caza.
Get a clue folks, you give the mayor way too much credit! He’s just a puppet that get his lion’$ $hare for playing along.
Poster 18,
I cannot do anything about Ream. But we can all do something about Pulido, on Nov. 7.
And Pulido is not just a puppet. Ask Mike Garcia about that.
I am glad to see the city getting serious about these signs. They are a nusiance and an eyesore.
Signs in the medians, parkways, on utility poles, on city owned property, etc. are illegal per the ordinance. A property with an unattended chainlink fence is not an invitation to post a sign.
It really becomes a joke when you see multiple signs with different candidates for the same ward on a single pole.
There is no conspiracy involved.
The message here is clear: Get permission before you put up a sign.
Maybe Martinez should quit the whining, pay her bill, and get permission next time.
Anon 5:
Let’s not be so harsh on Tino. After all, Tino did have that brilliant idea to treat our SA jail like a hotel and “charge” other municipalities a surcharge for each prisoner it takes off their hands…. If I recall correctly, he said that our jail is not filled to capacity (but added he wasn’t sure of that) and that the city can make money by taking inmates from other municipalities… If the tone did not come through in this email – I was being facetious.
Prada Pink aka Art Pedroza,
You’re full of it once again. No such thing occured except in your troubled little mind. You and your army of one are hilariously delusional. Keep it up since we all need to laugh!
To #24
Don’t know Prada Pink or Art Pedroza, but Prada Pink’s posting is very credible. Anyone who hung out at Shelley’s during the recall days can confirm #24’s comments.
I remember the blonde duo who stormed the city one late night defacing political signs. I recall the Kennedy incident when one rabid recall supported was arrested. And I recall the over the top antics of the flight attendant and his partner.
Delusional? Not. You just keep laughing.
Art said: ” Maybe Jose Solorio can give you a pair of his “learn English” pot-holders to use as knee pads?”
Art are you talking about Tim doing a Monika Lewenski on Solorio? Is that really what you want to say?
Post #20, The ordinace cited in the letters received by some candidates, specifically temporary signs Sec 17-24 relating to persons financialy responsible for illegal signs, states at the end of that paragraph “This section shall not apply to non commercial signs”.Election posters are not commercial signs. It seems that possibly an error occurred in removing and fining some candidates.
Tino Rivera has been seen posting his signs in parkways along Broadway and throughout his neighborhood. He has irked some neighbors for displaying signs on prominent areas without asking for permission.
Tonto’s disregard for city policy and his neighbor’s property should cause concerns.
When every Santa Ana candidate filed their papers to run, they were given a packet of info. According to the clerk, section 9 is entirely dedicated to signs, and has a form that is supposed to be read, signed, and returned.
All the candidates were informed this way. If they, or the companies they hire, didn’t take it seriously, tough! Pay the fine and stop posting signs illegally.
BTW- Tagger Tran has the most improperly located signs in the city. We don’t hear him whining.
anon #29 8:12 Good information.
Next time post it sooner.
Poster #26 Good information!
Next time post it sooner.