Is Carlos Bustamante getting a free pass?

Breaking news – Ana Valencia-Verdin has apparently pulled out of the race against Carlos “Space Commander” Bustamante for Santa Ana’s Ward 3.  Word has it that she may not have registered to vote in Santa Ana in time.  Local election law mandates that candidates be registered to vote in Santa Ana for at least 30 days prior to the City Council filing deadline.

A friend of mine has tried to verify this but Valencia-Verdin is not returning phone calls.  A meeting that was planned with her and members of the community tonight has been scrapped.

So we are back to square one.  We don’t have a candidate.

This one is a real head-scratcher.  Santa Ana is a majority Democratic city – by far.  Bustamante is a very unpopular Republican.  In fact we recently disclosed that Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido’s own cabal doesn’t like Bustamante anymore – not since he was compelled to resign from two state posts that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had appointed him to.  Bustamante’s “water-bra” remarks did him in.

But we can’t find someone to take him on.  Ward 3 includes two of the top neighborhoods in Santa Ana – Floral Park and Park Santiago – but no one wants to take on Bustamante, for fear of what Team Pulido might do to them.

What to do?  Consider this an appeal to the people of Ward 3 – we need a candidate.  Bustamante can be defeated.  For the good of our City someone needs to run – and I really don’t want to do it.  I have my hands full with my job and work that I do on the side as a safety trainer and consultant.  And I don’t want to take away any more time from my family.  Will anyone else step up?

It is inconceivable that Ward 3 cannot produce a challenger to Bustamante…

UPDATE:

Ana Rebecca Valencia-Verdin has finally resurfaced.  She says she is still in the race and that she is registered.  I have someone else checking on that.

Several folks are getting a wee bit nervous that this lady COULD be a plant by Carlos Bustamante, with the goal of keeping others from filing.  Just in case there are efforts underway right now to produce one or two more candidates.  Two progressive women are in the mix.

One way or another Busty is going down…


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"Admin" is just editors Vern Nelson, Greg Diamond, or Ryan Cantor sharing something that they mostly didn't write themselves, but think you should see. Before December 2010, "Admin" may have been former blog owner Art Pedroza.