I am cracking up watching the Santa Ana City Council meeting online. The Council Members are all pontificating about the dangers of Hookah bars.
Councilwoman Claudia Alvarez started off with a diatribe against Hookah bars. Then Councilman Carlos “Space Commander” Bustamante said he was worried about his kids being exposed – only to admit that they are too young to be affected.
Councilman Sal Tinajero admitted to being torn because he wants tax revenue. But then he got on his soapbox just like everyone else.
Then it was Councilman David Benavides’ turn. But he said the City Council has to decide what sort of night life they want to bring in to the “downtown of Orange County.” Really? Since when is the City Council in charge of deciding what businesses should come to Santa Ana? What do these folks know about business?
Tinajero is a teacher. Alvarez and Sarmiento are lawyers. Bustamante is a former Space Commander who can’t keep a job for more than two years. Benavides is a mortgage agent. Councilwoman Michele Martinez has more business experience than the lot of them, due to her work in human resources at a couple of fairly large businesses. And Pulido certainly has some experience from owning a muffler shop.
But overall, these folks know very little about business. And apparently they don’t know much about hookah bars. Hookah comes from the Arab world. It is popular in many countries in the Middle East, including U.S. allies Turkey and Israel. It is also popular in Europe and even in South Africa. According to Wikipedia, Hookah bars are even popular in England and in Mexico. But now you won’t be able to partake of them in Santa Ana.
Alvarez and Tinajero also picked on the use of Hookah for health reasons. But experts are mixed on this. And there are non-tobacco alternatives that can be smoked in a Hookah.
What the Council did tonight was turn their backs on Middle Eastern culture. The very same City that pays for an annual Black History parade decided that they want nothing to do with Middle Eastern culture. That is very close-minded, to say the least. And quite frankly this entire deal was a waste of time. Hookah is no threat to Santa Ana. Gang violence and graffiti are – but the Council continues to go after businesses that are hardly a threat.
So far in the past year the Council has outlawed massage parlors, medicinal marijuana, and now Hookah bars. And so far this year we have four gang killings, on the way to a new annual record of 48 killings. Good job Pulido and company! Not.
I seriously doubt that the city council knows what’s best for any city’s nightlife.
If you recall, they all agreed in a December Renaissance meeting that they need to take field trips to other cities to see how their downtowns work. Guess they don’t get out much.
I’d like to personally thank the city for helping the Crosby get their doors open…oh wait…
Instead of trying to link violence, fire risks, public drinking, and all the other reasons the council and planning commision gave for bannning these establishments…Why don’t we enforce the law on the streets and clean up the drug and gang activity that is plaguing our city? HOOKAH BARS ARE THE LEAST OF THIS CITY’S WORRIES!!
It’s hilarious how you call everyone on the Council out for ridicule except Ms. Martinez, who also voted for this ban and talked about the health issue, as did everyone else you mention.
Really, Art, how are we supposed to take you seriously?
Art,
I was the only person who voted on this matter that did not vote to ban hookah bars. Even “your girl” voted along with Pulido to ban them. I guess that makes her a Pulido hack.
I think Santa Ana needs more than Hookah Bars or Hoochi-mama bars to create night life. In all seriousness…hookah bars would give a cool vibe to the downtown. I bet a Kosher Deli would be ok with the council? Do I detect some bias???
Don’t give me that ridiculous cultural argument. Even Turkey is banning hookah bars!
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=37353
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080118/ts_afp/lifestyleturkeyhealthtobacco_080118171927
Poster 6,
Turkey’s religious fanatics have increased their power of late. That is not good.
You would think the Democrats on the Santa Ana City Council would be more progressive than the Taliban types in the world.
Poster 3,
I missed that part as I had to take a call.
You are right. Michele should take some heat for this vote.
To me it looks like the city staff pushed this issue, and the Council went along. Michele needs to stand up more, but I know she wants to try to get along with her peers to some extent.
I think she would be better off voting with the people and perhaps she will learn that over time.
Art, there are no turkish taliban…what are YOU smoking?
Did you even READ the articles? They have nothing to do with religion.
Poster 9,
Really? What cave do you live in? Read this and get back to me. Turkish Muslim fanatics are bringing back head scarves in Turkish universities. They are most definitely the ones pushing to limit anything remotely entertaining.
Why is this city so concerned about hookah bars?
What about the major problems this city has, like Gangs, tagging and the streets that have potholes the size of craters.
That should be the cities first concern. Not some Hookah Bars! This is a joke! Santa Ana has bigger problems than Hookah Bars.
No wonder all the natives that were born and raised in this city are moving away. People want a nice safe place to raise a family and not to worry about their child being exposed to gag violence or tagging.
Is this the best the city can do to fix the problems of the city?
Ay Dios Mio.
I fail to see your argument. The article mentions nothing about entertainment or hookah. As a matter of fact, hookah was in high regard when the turkish muslims were most control. Hookah WAS a long standing tradition just like head scarves, including blood letting and human sacrifice in other cultures. You don’t debate well my friend.
Poster 12,
See Robert’s comments. He pretty much nailed it.
The bottom line is that we have the stupidest City Council in the O.C., by far!
And still you fail to concede…my initial argument was that your argument of banning of hookah bars should not be based on a cultural aspect. I did not make an argument either way regarding other parts of the issue.
#1. You are right. Santa Ana does have the absolutely most stupid city council in this county. If they hadn’t eaten so much Mexican candy with lead in it , they might have preserved their brains.
The closest of popular Hookah bars is in Fullerton. Irvine lost the one in the spectrum. There are some health concerns about Hookah, but the hookah spots are still frequented by many – especially of middle eastern decent.
Let the public decide if a Hookah bar is a good business decision or not.
Seriously! When I saw yesterday’s meeting this morning. I just was flabbergasted! I just couldn’t believe it and couldn’t stop laughing.
Art, I have to take your word for it. For thinking that this is the Stupidest council in OC by far. (Except Michelle) The day I meet her she seemed like a women with a good head on her shoulders.
Sometimes, I wonder if the council plays dumb and are limited to little information to what their allowed to say. They plan to confuse and throw people off to what their trying to accomplish behind closed doors. The city council have degrees like me and many young professionals that live in this city, so I wonder about them if their intelligence only comes out behind closed doors. I wonder if Claudia turns into brain and Bustamante turns into pinky (Like Pinky and the Brain) lol
What this city council fail, is to talk to us natives on what we want and why a bunch of us young professionals are moving away. We don’t want to put our kids what we went though. Teachers and counselors putting us down and a city that is plagued by gangs. Kids join them, because they want to be a part of something and fit in with the cool kids.
This city is always going to be a revolving door for immigrant’s. I bet this is what Pulido wants since a majority of them can’t speak English and cant VOTE. He could get away with what ever he want’s. I bet this is the reason he only caters to some neighborhoods and could care less about the other ones.
I remember when he went to my High School in 95 when he was running for Mayor. He promised us that he knows what we all went through growing up in this city and he would help us make this city a better place for us. We all can see it is a better place for us to live. So why are so many of us natives leaving this city to go raise a family somewhere else?
At least Art has proven one thing – he likes to make lengthy arguments about things which he knows absolutely nothing about. Which is perfect since he likes to write about culture, government, and politics so much. Stick to Safety Engineering, Art – where 1 + 1 will always equal two, and judgment comes in the form of a manual. At least there, you are in your element.
Yeah Robert, let’s let the market decide some of these issues. I mean, you only have to be 18 to buy cigarettes – why not have a hookah bar right on campus in the senior class area for 18 year olds? We could teach them about 19th century Turkey. In fact, why not just have heavy porn available right next door to Mater Dei? It would do a grand business with all those crazy hormones in high school, and after all, the porn people pay taxes too and offer the city sales tax? As for gangs…you know, most gang members don’t smoke or like porn so the allowance of both in a community would probably drive them out, right?
Anon 19#
Are you Serious! this is a joke right?
College kids are going to experiment many different things as a way to socialize and fit in with their peers. You and I should know we were young once.
If a 18 year old young adult wants to buy a pack of cigarettes. There’s a liquor store a block away from Santa Ana College. So what’s next? The city council is going to ban a liquor store next to the college? I do get your point about kids being exposed to hookah bars in this city. Come on don’t be sarcastic if kids want to look at porn they just go to their computes and look up porn in the internet. If kids want to smoke at hookah bars they’ll drive miles and do so.
Hookah bars are not going to catch on with the culture of this city. They’ll go to try it out, cause of curiosity, but I don’t see them blowing all their money on Hookah Bars. There young adults they have their own mind and they know what’s right and wrong. They know the consequences about lung cancer and what tobacco does to their health.
Have you been living under a rock and haven’t realized the city’s has bigger issues, to be concerned about Hookah Bars in Santa Ana. Haven’t you read the paper about all the Gang violence that this city has been having since the late 70’s and what about the vandalism from kids tagging around town destroying private property. The drug dealers selling crack in every block. I could keep going on and on with the problems of this city. People wonder why this city has a BAD IMAGE
Do you know how easy it is for any kid to buy a gun in this city. How many people have been injured or killed by stray bullets? Almost every block people are selling drugs. Have you noticed that we have four gang homicides so far this year. So your more concerned about the council banning Hookah Bars? The city council should go after real issues. Not some lame easy one. WOW are tax dollars are working really hard.
Ay Dios Mio