There is a very revealing story in yeserday’s O.C. Register regarding Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mike Metzler. The article discloses what happened at his Christmas Party this week, at his home in West Floral Park.
I was amazed at the description of the sheer grandeur of Metzler’s party and home. I wonder how the working poor in Santa Ana felt about this incredible expenditure at a time when so many people are suffering? Here are a few of the details disclosed in the article:
- The Metzlers have not one but TWO Christmas trees
- Greeters, a professional photographer and a magician were employed at the party. I wonder if any of them were Santa Ana residents?
- Noted Mexican hater Tim Rush was one of the invited guests. Other guests included former Council Member Lisa Bist and Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez.
- The party was catered by the Turnip Rose, which is based in Costa Mesa. How do you like that? The director of the SANTA ANA Chamber of Commerce DID NOT use a Santa Ana based business to cater his event. That figures.
- Guests dined on “French Country Chicken Breast and Corn Bisteca Proven
What a stupid article! Seriously, what was the point?? But in all fairness, Art, the Metzlers can do whatever they want with their money. If it was city funds, on the other hand…
Art
You have really crossed the line.
How dare you suggest the Metzlers or anyone else for that matter not enjoy their holiday as they wish.
I am not my brothers keeper, that applies to all aspects of life.
You have deemed it wrong for the Metzlers to have two trees. Well guess what chump, I’VE decided you should give all your family’s decorations and gifts to the people of MY choice. Just who do you think you are, giving your children more toys when others have none. As for that special Christmas dinner you were planning….. forget it. There are people out there that deserve it more.
Art,
Would you also complain if Metzler didn’t use toilet paper that wasn’t manufactured in Santa Ana? Who cares if the caterer was located outside of SA. Sometimes people want more than just mexican food. This was HIS personal event, not the Chambers. Why even discuss it on your blog? It has nothing to do with City business.
You need to write an article on how the OJ Blog doesn’t have any interested parties any longer since you got rid of Sean Mill, et al. Where did your bloggers go?
Art
Please don’t take the bait #4 is dangling.
Sean Mill is hate filled, spiteful, poser.
Pretending to care so deeply for the poor working stiff, the downtrodden, those who *need* him to be their spokesman.
The reality was he used those folks and their plight as justification for his endless venomous attacks on everyone he perceived had slighted him over the years.
True, sometimes it made for entertaining reading, but for the most part it spread more hate and divulsion. His 15 minutes of fame
was akin to a WWF Smackdown
Art
Congratulation on becoming a Puritan.
Dear readers,
Mike Metzler has the right to party in whatever fashion he wants to. But he called up the Register and asked him to publicize his little soiree. So that made it a part of the public record.
In my opinion, Christmas is a time to remember the birth of Jesus Christ. Does that make me a Puritan? No, just a Christian.
My family will be having tamales tonight at my house. We have invited over a dozen members of my wife’s family. They are still reeling over the passing of my mother in law this month, so it won’t be as festive as usual. But breaking bread together is a part of the healing process.
What really got me about the Metzler story was the ridiculous scale of it, the public boasting, and the decision not to use Santa Ana businesses. For Metzler, who heads up the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce, to ignore businesses in our city is unforgiveable. Now more than ever we know this man is out of touch with the people and businesses of our city.
I am proud by the way to report that the safety association I work with donated thousands of dollars to the Salvation Army this past week. We also gave a large donation to the OC Rescue Mission. If you have money to burn, that is the way you ought to spend it. Que no?
Art, check out the religious litmus test used by the Rescue Mission to determine who they hire and serve and you may have a different opinion on where to direct your donations in the future. Also, last I heard they required families on welfare to give up welfare benefits in order to receive Rescue Mission services. Since welfare brings automatic health insurance for the adults and kids in the family (Medi-Cal), the result of such a policy is to insist families give up their health insurance! Cannot attest this is their current policy, but a couple of years ago I undestand it definitely was. Something to check out. Trust but verify.
It obviously sounds like they spent a lot of money on this event, money that could have gone to needy families. But did you bother to check if they had made any donations to any charities or organizations? You could be blasting this family when there is a possibilty that they had made christmas possible for a family, or multiple families for that matter. Maybe you did do the research and forgot to disclose that information. On an end note, please stop writing idiotic articles and start focusing on how you plan to improve Santa Ana.
Because you say you are a good Christian I’m sure you will want to apologize for the complete fabrication regarding how the Metzler party came to be featured in the Register.
Here are the true facts
The reporter contacted a well known *usual suspect* and asked his opinion of an example of a great Holiday Party in OC. The US suggested Metzlers and Bob McCaffree’s on Balboa Island.
Nobody called the Register
Bottom line……..
You owe Metzler an apology
Because everyone knows that Jesus’s parents ate Tamales at the first Christmas.
What are you, a socialist??? If I had the money, I’d have a great catered party for family and friends too. Since I don’t, I still have a party, but I cook it myself.
“TWO Christmas trees”???? – puhleeze. What about all those people who have Christmas lights that use up natural resources or those who spend money on blow up Christmas decorations that cost a lot of money (and more than a tree I might add)?
You are just jealous, vindictive, and immature. How dare you sleep in a warm bed every night when so many people are homeless. I’ll bet your dog ate better than some homeless kids. Hypocrite.
Art – This article is petty and mean spirited. Are you sure that you were once a Republican? You sound more like a “Trotsky-ite.”
so this is where the tens of thousands of public tax dollars given to mike metzler are spent
Dear readers,
Looks like I struck a nerve! The Metzlers have every right to display their wealth, as sickening as that is. The bigger issue, which will come back to bite Mike in the derri
But Art, that wasn’t your headline. The headline indicated that Mike Metzler was hosting a holiday party while poor people suffered. And now you turn around and say the Metzler’s can have a party but they should have used SA resources.
You can’t have your cake and eat it too. At this time of year, there are several parties all over the county – the majority of them from rich conservative people. Your personal vendetta against SA has crossed the line and your reasoning has ceased to make sense anymore.
Metzler doesn’t disdain business in SA. You have a very dysfunctional government at every level. But not everyone is the enemy. Art, I beg of you, please be part of the solution and don’t be Chicken Little crying that the sky is falling every five minutes. It makes you look less and less relevant.
Pedroza – you are truly a buffoon.
Was this party Michael Metzler’s party or the Santa Ana Chamber’s Holiday party?
That was a nice picture of Michelle Martinez drinking wine at Metzler’s party.
Art, what do you think about Michelle going to the Metzler event?
Please let Thomas Gordon write all of the blogs from know on and please answer the question on comment #20. Thanks. Seriously, sop blogging.
Answer the question posed on comment #20. Thanks.
having a party as the head of the chamber, i dunno, you want to support and endorse businesses that put you in that fancy house…
if you want to do something for the family, yeah, get it where you want it..but these are influential people, not “celebrating family, Christ, the season”, people are at that party for a reason. it was an opportunity missed.
thank you Art! i would not have known this…give me a break Metzler….you should move. why are you even in Santa Ana. do you even like it?
if you do WHY?