I have good news and bad news. I don’t think our co-blogger, Thomas Gordon, is going to run for Santa Ana Mayor after all. That’s the bad news. The good news is that George Collins (pictured above), who ran two years ago for the City Council, against Sal Tinajero and Jennifer Villasenor, called me this morning to report that he is pulling papers.
The “Usual Suspects” have predictably united behind Pulido, as usual. They are not happy with Collins or Gordon for not supporting Pulido. Honestly, after 20 years of ineptitude how can anyone vote for Pulido? Now I understand not wanting to vote for Council Woman Michele Martinez. She started out well but ultimately sold out and ended up voting with Pulido 99% of the time. She also worked to raise our taxes by taking a job on the fraudulent Measure G campaign.
Gordon called me yesterday to report that his water bill was a $100. Martinez voted along with Pulido to raise our water rates twice in the last year. I showed her evidence that the City of Santa Ana spends 11% more on administration of their water budget, as compared to other water districts of the same size. And she still voted with Pulido.
Now we have a good alternative if we don’t want to vote for Pulido and can’t stomach voting for Martinez. Collins is a documentary filmmaker who over the last two years has chronicled the stupidity of our City Clowncil on his website, Santa Ana Insight. The videos he has archived there are utterly priceless.
Collins is known for zooming around town on a Segway scooter. His wife, Janet, is originally from Peru, where Collins has shot many of his award winning travel documentaries.
Collins probably won’t win – but he will likely help Pulido lose. If that means we have to put up with Martinez’ antics for two years, so be it. She can be taken out in two years. Pulido, as Collins put it, is a cancer. The treatment for cancer is chemo. Martinez is the chemo – not a fun process to go through but at least you get rid of the cancer! Collins should know. He is a cancer survivor.
Last night Gordon texted me with very disturbing news. He was outside his house, in the evening, and a car passed by – but as it did so an unknown man stuck his hand out the window and pointed a gun at him. That’s what this city has come to. Gordon won’t be our savior this time around, I gather, but at least we can vote for Collins and feel good about it.
Collins, by the way, is the only Republican in the Santa Ana Mayoral race. He was endorsed by the OC GOP two years ago and likely will once again get their endorsement.
Ya know Art, when you look in-depth at the range of votes the Council/Mayor cast and how “routine” so many of them are, to say that someone voted with the Mayor 99% of the time is about as big a canard as one could imagine.
I’ll give Collins one thing…he’s got the guts to give it a shot.
Additionally, is this “99%” figure you bandy about a documented fact, or just an exaggerated, yet inaccurate way of saying she votes with the Mayor a lot?
#1 and 2,
I know how she has voted. She has perhaps disagreed with Pulido at most three times.
If you want change, vote for George Collins!
Hmmm, interesting. So if I was to do a cursory study into the minutes of several Council meetings and found, say, 10 opposing votes, would you admit that you were wrong to say “at most 3 times”?
Well Art, I actually only had to go back to June 07 and I found 11 instances where Martinez voted opposite Pulido.
So you’ll have to adjust that made-up “at most 3 times” figure, as well as your made-up “voted with the Mayor 99% of the time” figure
Yet another instance of Pedrozian write (lie) first, research later.
I’m just thankful that else somebody stepped up. It would have been fun, Thomas.
SMS
#5,
So tell where they deviated on their votes. I know Martinez voted with Pulido on all the stuff that mattered. They deviated on the budget, term limits, and booting Thomas Gordon from EPIC. Martinez voted with Pulido on all the other important motions that I can recall. Like Pulido she is easily led astray by Dave Ream and his staff.
BTW, what is your angle on this? I recognize your email and IP. You generally are a Pulido hack. Does it bother you that Pulido and Martinez are two sides of the same coin?
If you want to change things in town you have only one choice – George Collins.
Jubal is right…being Art Pedroza means never having to say “I was wrong”.
#6,
You’re dodging my questions. Why is that?
Art,
Because who I am or what “angle” I have or who I’d vote for in the mayor’s race has nothing to do with the inaccuracy you engaged in. But nice try at changing the subject.
And as for a recap of her votes, I’ll use a common OJ-blog dodge…you can check them yourself.
“If you want to change things in town you have only one choice – George Collins.”
I wish I could join in your lovefest regarding George, however I have seen firsthand how he can mislead folks in order to serve his political agenda.
The housing project at Fairview and Alton and George’s action surrounding it leads me to be suspect of him. He and others engaged in a campaign of deception in which lies were spread about myself and Councilman Tinajero.
#11..Sean, what you call lies, we call the truth. Everything said about Sal and you are right on track.
My brother will do a great job.