Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido does NOT deserve to be endorsed by the Democratic Party of Orange County – he hasn’t deserved their support in many years. Whether or not his Democratic opponent, Santa Ana Councilwoman Michele Martinez, deserves the DPOC’s endorsement is immaterial. Pulido does NOT deserve it, period. Here’s why:
- Pulido supported Prop. 187 – and he has never apologized for that. Pulido has done nothing to help immigrants. He also opposes making Santa Ana a sanctuary city.
- Pulido appointed the notorious Minuteman Lupe Moreno to the Santa Ana Public Library Board – more than once, until we objected and he finally replaced her.
- Pulido has always supported Mexican-hater Rosie Avila for the Santa Ana School Board.
- Pulido undermined last year’s endorsed Democratic candidate for the First Supervisorial District, Tom Umberg. Pulido endorsed Republican Clowncilman Carlos Bustamante – and Pulido was his campaign co-chair.
- Speaking of Bustamante, Pulido is supporting him for reelection to Ward 3.
- Did Pulido help Lou Correa get elected to the State Asembly back in the day? No.
- Did Pulido help Loretta Sanchez get elected to the U.S. Congress? No. He and his family were buddies with Bob Dornan, the Republican who helded save Pulido’s muffler shop.
- Pulido has allowed Santa Ana to decay. The city is in the midst of a gang crime wave that stretches back to last year. The roads are a mess – but of course Pulido has had the main arteries fixed as it is an election year.
- Pulido led the charge to raise our water rates twice in one year, even though Santa Ana spends far more on administration of its water budget than other similar sized water districts.
- Pulido has been in office here in Santa Ana for over 20 years. How many new libraries has he opened in that time? None.
- Pulido is AWFUL when it comes to affordable housing. Every housing project he supports involves luxury condos or luxury townhomes. He does not give a damn about the people in his city. He just wants to import wealthy white people. Good luck with that Miguelito!
- Pulido is for sale – to any and all developers. He does not vote his conscience. He votes for the highest bidder.
- Pulido pushed for an Artists Village – then has done little to support it.
- He teamed up with Republicans Tim Whitacre and Ron Unz to recall SAUSD Trustee Nativo Lopez – and he replaced him with Republican Rob Richardson. Has the SAUSD improved since Lopez left? No! It is worse than ever!
Can anyone think of a good reason for the DPOC to endorse Pulido? I can’t. If anything he deserves to be censured.
Now what about Martinez? You all know the issues I have with her. But does she deserve the DPOC’s endorsement? I think so. She is by no means the perfect candidate but she is a progressive, unlike Pulido. She believes in women’s rights and she at least has shown a tendency to listen to the community. At least she did early on in her Council term.
As one might imagine, DPOC Chairman Frank Barbaro, who I am told is Pulido’s lawyer, is already making calls to DPOC Central Committee members to try to get his boy Pulido endorsed, according to one of my pajaritos. In my opinion, this is a MASSIVE conflict of interest. Barbaro should NOT preside over the vote when the issue of endorsing a Santa Ana mayoral candidate comes up at the DPOC Central Committee. He ought to recuse himself and I don’t think he should vote or speak about the issue.
Let the DPOC Central Committee members decide for themselves whom they want to endorse. I truly doubt that, given the facts, they will go with the smug corporatist Pulido. In fact I will go as far as to say that anyone who votes to support Pulido ought to just quit the DPOC and re-register as a Republican.
The man is more Republican than Democrat and for that reason, and others, the DPOC ought to slam the door in his face when he comes begging for their endorsement.
Excellent post, Art. I sent it off to everyone I know in the Central Committee. I’ll do what I can to get a Michelle movement started if it hasn’t already. The DPOC really needs some shaking up and this could be part of that. Out with the old….
Art, while I agree with most of your points, the thought of Michelle as Mayor(and opening the door to likes of Amezcua)scare me more than the crime rate. With her dubious background, I worry that Santa Ana will follow in the footsteps of cities like Southgate and Compton.
#2,
I was thinking about that this morning. Santa Ana already IS just like Southgate and Compton, at least with regard to our local electeds and those running for office. We just might be past the point of no return.
Here is an anon email I received about Pudrido:
Early on, back when Miguel was campaigning for his first shot at public life, he sent a campaign mailer to the voters living north of Seventeenth, telling them that he supported deporting the illegals. This was shortly after he himself had become a U.S. citizen. What a short memory he had! The he married a Gringa just to prove his dislike for his fellow Latinos!
Vern,
Thanks! I forgot to mention that Pulido also voted to make Hookah bars, massage parlors and tattoo parlors illegal. Yet you will find all of those businesses in the bustling Melrose shopping district. Since when do Democrats ban those kinds of businesses?
No wonder Santa Ana has so little diversity when it comes to its downtown business establishments. But if you are in the downtown area and you need a wedding dress, haircut, a dentist or a travel agent you are good to go!
Art,
In spite of your 2nd paragraph, the Downtown has an aggragate annual business income of 1 Billion dollars. Downtown customers last year spent $350 million in Downtown Santa Ana. The only other shopping district that compares is the Main Place Mall.
The potential is staggering if attention to service the surrounding population was properly addressed.
The city’s drilldown study stated an annual escape of $250 million from the Downtown due to underserving the surrounding community, which is %95 Hispanic.
#2,
The city’s appearance is planned for development and political manipulation by the current power.
Michele’s objective is to correct the mismanagement that produced Santa Ana’s inability to evolve.
Alfredo Amezcua has no influence in regards to Michele’s Mayor candidacy. Alfredo is a loyal supporter of the Mayor. Your perception of influence by Amezcua is a myth.
Well Art, the only “bustling” shopping district downtown is Fourth Street. And last I checked, there isn’t a big demand in Latino culture for hookah bars, massage parlors and tattoo parlors.
And it’s ironic to see you cry about the lack of such “diversity” downtown after all the fearmongering you’ve spread about gentrification.
Oh, and if the current city leaders wanted to see the demise of Fourth Street, then why is so much money being spent sprucing it up right now?
“Alfredo is a loyal supporter of the Mayor”
Then why did he not attend the Team Pulido pep rally last weekend, thrown by Dennis Desnoo and attended by Mark McLaughlin,Victoria Betancourt,Oscar Garza,Kim Sinclair and other members of Team Pulido.
Insider,
Maybe he was busy that day. I beleive he is or was asked to be on the Mayor’s election committee.
Alfredo is not associated with Michel’s election team.
You being an Insider should know the story or have access to it.
I suggest you contact Michele directly or Alfredo if you want the facts.
Michele- 714-200-3181 cell
Alfredo- 835-3538- Office
I think many of you know that both of them are straight shooters.
When Martinez ran for council everyone thought Alfredo encouraged her and know you think he is encouraging her for Mayor. Michele is an independent thinker. Call Miguel and Desnoo and ask them. Amezcua has no control over Martinez. Don’t be surprise if Amezcua pulls nomination paperwork for Mayor. Pulido is losing all his old Latino friends. I heard Desnoo is having trouble recruiting grassroots Latinos to be on Pulido team.
Pedroza, you stupid left wing weenie.
You always forget the word ILLEGAL when you are supprting “La Raza”, right?
Why dont you take your energy to MEXICO and it’s (YOUR) Corrupt government regarding their HORRENDOUS treatment of ANYONE who crosses their southern border.
Compared to them, the US, and PROP 187 are like comparing sand to a meteor.
You idiot.
#11/Stanley –
And you continually forget to sign off …
Convicted felon and wife beater
This “onan” is Pedroza.
She’s a BAD PERSON!!! Anyone who is Family Oriented in Santa Ana I urge you to NOT vote for Michelle. I know countless of families she’s brought trouble too. She sleeps with married husbands and tell thier wifes and kids as if she was proud for what she has done. I am not stating any names because I don’t want to humiliate and embarrass that people that were hurt. Thank you for your time.
PEACE <3
Honest, it’s hard to accept a different morality than the majority of us have. Obviously both Michelle and her “partners” have a similar morality. You and I happen to have a different set of values. It doesn’t make what happened right under our standards but it doesn’t make her a bad choice for Mayor either.
In fact whenever this sort of thing is brought up about a politician it’s the lying about it that is the violation of the public trust not the morality of the acts themselves and you mentioned she tells the truth about it even to the wives and children. While I don’t agree with what she did (and for argument’s sake I’m accepting your version of events) it takes two to Tango so it can’t be blamed on her alone.
She’s still the better choice for Mayor and it sounds like she’s honest even in a situation where most of us would lie. You have to admire that a little.
Honest, I admire you for posting the same message under two pseudonims. I think she should get the message now.
As true as this is, The alternative is no better.
It’s like settling for John Edwards (similarities in behavior excepted).
Greg enjoys a relative intelligent, well informed council in Brea, for the most part Huntington Beach enjoys the same (OK let loose VN). But, here we have a different story, Benavide’s has not proved anything except that he will FOLD on the coming SAPD contract.
That isn’t the end of the world for me, but when he sides with the likes of Roman Reyna, that does. this is a guy with BRELY a 12th grade education. Roman has little command of proper english (I wish for a moment that he and GD were on opposing sides, Greg you would DESTROY HIM).
So I wonder if the push for “ANYBODY BUT MIGUEL” isn’t a bad thing.
There are plenty of good people who could give the mayor a run for the money, who would be better. I don’t believe Benavide’s, his baggage and inexperience is the one.
Benavides is who’s there. Even if he did nothing more than open up the books so we can take a good look at the past quarter-century of how Miguel Pulido became rich — and at what cost to the city — it would be worthwhile to elect him for that alone.
“became rich”…really That is a stretch beyond my comprehension.
So if we don’t like (or are jealous of) “A”, let’s insert “B” no matter how ill advised.
You are entitled to your choice, but, I question your real knowledge of the city, it’s history and especially of Benavide’s.
If the goal is to to sell out to the employee unions…..David is your man.
What books did he open, the bible?
Double Eye was joking. Remember, he does live in SA.
Diamond, the Honestl and transparent candidate that will open the finances books of the city to all the Santa Ana residenta will be Mr. George Collins. Vote Collins to end the corruption in the management of our City.
Unfortunately, Mr. Collins is anything but honest and transparent.
He proved that back in March when he tried to steal a motorcycle from me by manipulating the previous owner into falsely claiming that it was only loaned to me. Mr. Collins then threw a hissy fit when presented with the contract that gave me ownership of the vehicle 10 years ago.
This episode makes him unfit for any public office.
And yes, I have all the emails from him…
I get it – I just cannot bring myself to give AP props.
I fully support Bustamante 2016.
LOL. When Art discusses his current support for Pulido, he tends to emphasize his contention that Miguel no longer is in cahoots with the “usual suspects.”
It’s as if virtually everything on that list never happened.
Art was paid off by the mayor, pure and simple. No libraries have been built, a business friendly city hall is more of a myth than ever. Art has shown what a political whore he really is. He let Pulido and Desnoo screw him in the a$$ like he does the trannie hookers on Main Street.
So again,
This blog, along with the liberal OC’s recent Steven Choi posts, comes full circle and talks about…………..Pedroza!
Gattis doesn’t have any idea what he’s talking about, the Transexual hookers have nearly abandoned Main street and have taken to the comfortable confines of Rancho De mendoza, The Long Beach thing and occasionally the higher end hairdresser types can be found at the velvet lounge.
Yet another indication that Art Lomeli, calling him self Henry Gattis is out of touch.
Now that the liberal OC’s “labor” blogger has jumped ship and become a contributor to OC POLITIC’S blog, where the handcuff’s of Chris and the OCEA are off, I wonder what he will write.
I’ll bet theres some dirty laundry there that will keep Art alive on these pagies and embarass his former hosts.
DON’T FORGET TO VOTE!
And it is a fake Henry Gattis, isn’t it? Isn’t the usual Henry Gattis an apologist for Pulido and Pedroza who is often thought (by blog paranoids) to really be Sean Mill?
Wait … you believed that Joe Hill prank?
Unbelievable,
Joe Hill left to join Art!
You know I was always one that thought he was just a fake name used by Dan and Chris to run cover for posts that the OCEA wouldn’t like.
But, now I read he has joined the OC Political!! So he must be real, Art would NEVER make something up, and in order to refute this, Dan would have to admit that he was pulling a “Jubal” , which would put his Sheriff’s card at risk!
Brilliant!
As for Gattis, that is Lomeli in disguise, the first clue is Transexual hookers haven’t hung out on Main Street in ten years. One just needs to go to Rancho de Mendoza, take a trip to Long Beach or on the right night hit the Velvet lounge (note: the later is mostly sophisticated Mexican hairdresser types). Henry would know better, Lomeli not so much.
That prick Pedroza has allowed fake “skallywag” and “junior” comments to be posted on his POS blog. I don’t comment on his blog – period.
Like I’ve said before, Art’s “spiritual conversion” didn’t take.
I believe Art is supposed to face the music later this month when the LibOC lawyers get a handle on his finances to see how much of his monthly income they can garnish. We will probably hear more crying about his retarded son, his suffering wife and how unfair it is. Pulido should just write the check to Chris, Dan and Claudio directly to avoid the middle man. Isn’t it a felony to try and hide income or assets in these things?
They complement the fake “Joe Hill” — and the fake “Greg Diamond” comments at FFFF and OC Political (which at least has the grace to delete them upon complaint.)