Wait till you get a load of the latest move by O.C. Democratic Party Chairman Frank Barbaro. I am enclosing below a copy of the actual email sent out by Barbaro inviting Democrats to give their hard-earned money to Santa Ana Councilman Vince Sarmiento, who was appointed last year to finish outgoing Councilman Jose Solorio’s term.
Sarmiento has not shown me that he is a progressive. He ALWAYS votes with Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido. He voted just last week to place a truly bogus term limit measure on the February ballot. This measure DOES NOT include mayoral term limits! Instead, it gives the awful Council Members another four years to wreak havok on our city!
Sarmiento voted to waste our tax money on a magnetic train that the OCTA doesn’t want and the state will never help fund. He voted to raise our water rates so high that even the rich Republicans in Irvine pay less for their water.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN Sarmiento stand up for the poor or for the immigrants of our city. He stood their silently while Pulido told Councilman David Benavides to yank the Dream Act resolution off a recent meeting agenda, so it would not inconvenience the sole Republican on the City Council, Carlos “Space Commander” Bustamante.
And Sarmiento went along with Pulido when the second monthly City Council meeting was yanked off the airwaves and moved into a small conference room, so the people won’t know what their elected are up to.
Despite his pathetic record, Barbaro thinks Sarmiento is a great candidate. Don’t forget that Barbaro is Pulido’s lawyer. You figure out the connection.
Barbaro suggests below that you “donate” $250 to Sarmiento. There are a lot of people in Santa Ana who don’t make that much in a week… I don’t expect these corporatist Democrats to give a damn about them.
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Please join Assemblyman Jose Solorio, Mayor Miguel Pulido, Mayor Pro-Tem Claudia Alvarez and the entire Santa Ana City Council in supporting one of Orange County’s brightest stars!
Here are the details:
Date: Thursday, November 15, 2007
Time: 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Location: McCormick and Schmicks – 2791 N. Main Street, Santa Ana
Suggested Donation:
$249 per person
$500 per couple
$1000 per sponsor
We need to help our future leaders today! Supporting good Democrats like Vincent is the best way to help build our Democratic “Farm Team.”
I hope to see you at Vincent’s campaign kick-off party!
In Unity,
Frank Barbaro
Art:
This all seems fueled by Sarimiento’s vote on the extension of council term limits.
Unfortunatley, your preferred councilwoman, Michele Martinez, could not even articulate a reason to vote against the motion. She doesn’t have the ability to persuade other councilmembers to vote with her because they can’t understand what she is saying. And without that ability, she cannot be a leader.
Vincent Sarmiento does not give a rats a@@ about public safety, infrastructure or economic development.How many new cops has he demanded? Oh Ya, NONE.
How many new parks or libraries has he opened? Oh Ya, NONE.
And the only economic development that Vincent cares about is his own.And I love how they are having this fundraiser at night. Maybe Jose Solorio should get a clue and hold his phony education summit at night. Frauds all.
Dear Arturo,
Wasn’t it just a month or two ago that you were praising Sarmiento? It seems like people you like and dislike change almost hourly. Is it possible to get hourly text messages from you so we can keep un on who is on your love/hate lists? I check in every few days and find it hard to keep up with your changing mind.
Art:
Is there a single person on the Council that you think is doing a good job?
Perhaps, given your penchant for criticizing, you should run for city council? Oh wait, you have run before and were thoroughly humilated.
#1
Council member Martinez was very clear in her message regarding mayoral term limits — LET THE VOTERS DECIDE.
You and others want to engage in the dance of language that blurs the heart of the matter.
The question everyone should be asking is – why are Pulido, Sarmiento, Tinajero, Bustamante and Clownia afraid of the constituents they supposedly serve?
I agree with Council Member Martinez – let the voters decide.
#1,
Michele presented her case clearly. You must of been distracted at the time and missed the presentation. She argued for the Council to follow the recommendation of the Community Task Force and the AD Hoc Committee. The recommendation is to place the question of Mayoral term limits on the ballot for the voters to decide.
The Task Force and the Ad Hoc Committee presented a recommendation representative of the City’s residents. It was ignored by the Majority Council.
Apparently the residents of the City and Michele were unable to persuade them. This should alarm you and cause you to support Michele and the residents that wants their voices heard.
It is not a question of not understanding her. She was understood clearly and then attacked for protecting your and the rest of City resident’s best intersts.
Did the Democratic Party of Orange County already endorse Sarmiento? If so, when?
That email has the Democratic Party of Orange County’s logo, which would lead one to believe that the Party voted to formally support Sarmiento.
Sarmiento has not run in an election for his current term as Councilmember. He has only been appointed to fill out Solorio’s term, so he has not had the formal (and open) opportunity to seek and receive the Party’s endorsement.
Democrats, please do not bring the same shame and circus-like antics of the Republican Party’s endorsement nonsense (remember Carona) to the Democratic Party.
Poster 3,
Nice try, but no cigar. Sarmiento has proven, in a matter of months, that he is nothing more than a silver-tongued Pulido hack. He is better behaved than Tinajero and Alvarez, and smarter than Benavides and the Space Commander, but in the end he votes just like they do, every time.
I don’t see a reason to reelect him.
Art,
Your girl Michele is on board with Vince. Are you ready to throw her from the train?
Art, thank you for shedding light on this. I hope that you will keep OJ readers posted on how the Democrats proceed with the endorsements of the non-Democratic acting incumbents on the Santa Ana City Council.
Mr. Sarmiento will be our next Mayor in Santa Ana and he will serve with honor for many years. He will remember those of you how support him now (and naturally those who do not) so why not get on board the Sarmiento train before it pulls out of the station.
Art–
Barbaro and the Party have sent out these stock letters for other candidates they haven’t formally endorsed, including Clinton, Edwards, Obama and Richardson.
The OC Dems have taken some flak in the past for not helping latino candidates. They do it here and get flak. You can’t win.
What’s the buzz about Barbaro being Pulido’s lawyer? Is Miguel involved in some litigation?
Bladerunner,
It is one thing to help Latino candidates. It is quite another to help Latino candidates whose actions as electeds do nothing to help their people.
Vince Sarmiento has proven, as I have chronicled here exhaustively, that he is no friend to the people of Santa Ana.
As for Barbaro, it is common knowledge that he is Pulido’s business lawyer. I supposed if Pulido became involved in litigation, Barbaro would be his man.
When was the last time a candidate for public office ran on a platform that included truly reducing the city government in Santa Ana?