As I read through the stories in today’s O.C. Register I came across an item about an old friend of mine, John Paul Ledesma, a Mission Viejo City Councilman.
Ledesma is of Puerto Rican descent, and back in the late 1990’s, when I was serving as Hispanic Outreach Coordinator for the O.C. GOP, he participated in the Orange County Republican National Hispanic Assembly, a grassroots organization put together by another fried of mine, David Nunez. Our RNHA chapter at one point had over forty members.
But that was then. Today’s Register article is about Ledesma’s latest activities. Let’s just say he is not involved in Latino outreach anymore. Here are a few excerpts from the article:
A few days before, he had addressed the Minuteman Project’s local support chapter, the California Coalition for Immigration Reform, had been written up in several newspapers and was a guest on the John and Ken Show on KFI/640 AM and Fox News.
Ledesma’s March madness came just after he spearheaded an agenda item at the Mission Viejo City Council, making the city the county’s first to adopt an ordinance requiring its employees and contractors to participate in a federal program verifying legal employment.”
Locally, the Santa Ana and Orange police departments use the federal database to screen employees. The Mission Viejo law, approved March 5, went into effect July 1. It’s part of a wave of about 1,000 bills and resolutions nationwide addressing immigration.
Ledesma, born in Manhattan, first came to Mission Viejo as a sixth-grader after his parents split up. He was the son of a Puerto Rican father who worked hard to master English and a mother of Irish, English and Mexican descent who volunteered for William F. Buckley’s senatorial race.
“I thought it was strange,” he said of his first impressions as a pupil at Barcelona Elementary School. “I came here, and no one knew what a bagel was. I was used to going to school with Italians, Jews and blacks. Here it was all white.”
Council watchdogs say Ledesma has come out of his shell. In the early years he was just one of five casting a vote. Then slowly he picked issues
I must have missed it in what you posted…..Where exactly does he say he hates immigrants?
Flowerszzz,
I did not say he HATES immigrants. Did you read the entire post? The point is that Ledesma has had to appeal to anti-immigrants in order to succeed in politics in Mission Viejo.
Look at the first paragraph of the excerpts from the Register. Anyone who is talking to the Minutemen, the CCIR and John and Ken is not exactly working on Latino outreach, is he?
Scapegoating immigrants to get ahead is, in my opinion, not a good thing. Surely there must be other issues to talk about in MV?
O.C. Republicans better wake up and smell the coffee. Their little red pool is surrounded by blue. Latinos will eventually be the majority here in the O.C. Bashing immigrants will ensure that the Red County will one day be purple, if not outright blue.
You are right Art.Immigration is the GOP’s political wonder drug they have decided to cure their problems with.The problem is that this drug has side effects,like you mention.Ledesma is a Politico in the purest sense.He lists in this article, politics, as his only hobby.Can an elected official be trusted in making just and fair decisions with a self described politica(hobby)agenda?
The key word is ILLEGAL immigration my dear…not immigrants or immigration. So where in your post does he bash immigrants?
Flowerszzz,
Republicans love to differentiate between legal and illegal. What it all boils down to is scapegoating people who are desperate to survive. It is wrong no matter how you slice it.
Ar that is such a crock. I am Rep and I am not anti hispanics nor am I anti immigrants and you know it…however I am against illegal immigration.
“Surely there must be other issues to talk about in MV?”
Ummmmmmmmm NO
The streets are freshly paved, low crime, great schools, many large parks. Too bad Santa Ana Mayor Pulido was not more like John Paul.
Poster 7,
Touche! I think Pulido is the most anti-immigrant Mayor in the O.C.
typical of art far left ignore the laws of the land pedroza . the issue dose not say he is anti immigrant . art you left out once again the famous word you ALWAYS LEAVE OUT of your bash republican articals ILLEGAL . ILLEGAL . MAYBE YOU SHOULD WRITE the democratS the law breakers party every time you DO a artical about immagrants . this guy is doing the right thing trying to CUT DOWN ILLEGAL . ILLEGAL . immagration . following the laws of the land . and you bash him . good for him in doing this
There are many agendas associated with illegal immigration.Some are pure others are not.One needs to understand how and when to disassociate from the bad element.The mixture of agendas is why a popular immigration reform has not been drafted.In the mean time the illegal immigrant is blamed for everything.Mission Viejo is beautiful not because there are no illegal immigrants there.It is because they do not neglect parts of their city.Immigrants illegal or not,do not wish to live in third world conditions.I don’t believe this discription is entirely accurate of those neighborhoods.In any case these conditions are the result of poverty and marginilization.We leave our country of origin with the intent to overcome poverty.Overcoming poverty though is dependent on how our American Society decides to assist this community in accomplish this economic task.
Barring further illegal immigration at the magnitude of the last 30 yrs the Hispanic born and their decendents will make up over 50% of the US population by the year 2040.It is to our advantage to assist this emerging majority.We as a nation are dependent on their success.This is the important big picture not the sniping short sighted approach common on the blog sphere and talk radio.
It sounds a lot like sour grapes. Ledesma came from a culture that endorses education. Arturo and many of our locals are Mexican. A cursory examination of history explains the difference, or you can simply ask any Latino. It is like comparing gerbils and Airedales.
Poster 11,
There are a lot of Mexicans who value education. I have a Master’s degree. Ledesma has only a bachelor’s degree. Does that mean I value education more than he does? No. It just means I valued a higher education.
And I am still taking classes at the UCI Extension Campus in Orange, where I am working on a professional certificate in Safety to complement my two business administration degrees.
BTW, gerbils are a delicacy in Peru. That’s your fun fact for the day!
ILLEGAL . ILLEGAL
Those shouting this would seem more sincere if they’d put as much attention to those speeding through MV on the 5. Those speeders are a lot more dangerous to most people than the strawberry pickers.
Art’s right on this one.
Remembering a recent RAND study which concluded that the percentage of college graduates among both Puerto Ricans and US born children of Mexican descent is almost the same, I think anon #11 is just spewing out some nazi rhetoric without checking her facts.
Then, it seems that she can’t come to terms with the fact that Art is an American, born of mexican descent. She better understand this fact because every 26 seconds a (what she calls) “mexican” is born in America.
But, I’ll take it easy on her. After all this is the type of mentality that comes out when a brother and sister decide to have a love child.
Please stay anonymous because if I know your name then I might considered some law that would advocate forced sterilization for racist idiots.
#11,
Ledesma’s father is Puerto Rican and his mother is of Mexican mixture.Are you saying that Mexican culture doesn’t value education but other Hispanic cultures do?If you do you are very ignorant.I was born in Mexico and now am an American citizen.I am a Dentist trained at one of the top 3 Dental Schools in the country ( UCSF).Opportunity is the deciding factor in education and other forms of success.A cursory examination of history,like you advice, will show a lack of opportunity,in Mexico and other South American Countries, to the general citizen.Even if your belief is right the Mexican culture mixing with the American culture would water down your worry.So don’t be so concerned,based on your belief things will get better.
This all page appears to be Pedroza (overtly) vs. Pedroza (covertly) to bust blog rank.
If Ledesma will take a strong and meaningful stand against ILLEGAL activity — including illegal immigration — I will vote for him.
Poster 16,
Nope. I don’t post anonymously – ever. Besides, I spent most of the day at a company picnic at the Irvine Park. We had a great time.
I do however appreciate all the comments today. Sundays are usually a slow day around here…
Poster 17,
What do you mean IF? I think his stance is fairly clear. If immigration is your big issue, Ledesma is your guy.
Art, be fair to Jon Paul Ledesma. Yes he lacks a personality chip but he is a solid conservative and not just anti illegal immigrant. He led the fight against the only tax increase ever in Mission Viejo and he has fought increased spending across the board. John Paul Ledesma would make a great state assemblyman.
Having walked hundreds of houses with JP in the 1998 Mission Viejo city council campaign, and actively supporting his reelection in 2002, I can say that the topic of immigration (or illegal immigration)was NEVER discussed in either of these two campaigns where he was elected and reelected to our Mission Viejo city council.
Over the past 12 years John Paul spent many hours at our home and attended our church events. We never discussed this topic. To repeat, his raising the issue of illegal immigration was only recently triggered by a citizen of our city. I cannot address his current stance on this issue as I did not participate in his 2006 campaign nor his decision to place this item on a city council Agenda.
In her telephone interview I told OC Register reporter Ericka Ritchie that I have not endorsed any of the candidates seeking to replace Todd spitzer in the 71st AD race. Some of the areas discussed were included in her article that appeared on Sunday.