You can tell a lot about a candidate by looking at who donates money to him. Santa Ana Councilman Carlos Bustamante says he wants to be judged by his record, so let’s take look at who owns a piece of Bustamante.
This data comes from Bustamante’s 2004 Campaign Finance Reports:
- Lincoln Club of Orange County (Republican group) – $1,000
- Hispanic 100 (Republican group) – $1,000
- Carrie Ware – $249 / Cristy Ware – $249 / Ware Disposal – $249
- Madison Materials – $249
- LA/OC Building and Construction Trades Council PAC (LA) – $200
- Caribou Industries (developer Mike Harrah) – $249
- Robert Bisno (developer) – $249
- Shea Homes (Brea) – $249
- O.C. Auto Dealer’s Assoc – $600
- Crevier BMW – $1,000 x2 elections = $2,000
- Saab of Santa Ana – $250
- George Heidler (Villa Park – Tom’s Truck Service) – $1,000 x2 elections = $2,000
- Metropro Road Services – $249
- Reindeer Inc, dba Tom’s Towing – $249
- Stephanie Metzler – $250
- Coneybeare, Inc. – $999
- Vincent Sarmiento – $200
- Rob Richardson – $99
- Frontier Equipment Design – $500
- Thomas Newmeyer (Newport) – $800 / Newmeyer & Dillon Law Offices (Newport) – $1,000
- Susan Peterson (Newmeyer) – $100
- John O’Hara (Newmeyer) – $500
- Primary Source Office Furnishings – $1,000
- Manufactured Housing Education Trust PAC (Rancho S.M.) – $1,000
- BIA of Southern CA PAC (Diamond Bar) – $250
- South Coast Apartment Association PAC – $249
- Donald Kennedy – $1,099 (largest single donation)
- Urban Arena Landscape Architecture (Newport) – $249
- Paula Krieger Enterprises – $1,000
- Continental Mobile Home Park – $1,000
- Santa Ana Fireman’s Legislative Action Group – $249
- TNT Fireworks (Fullerton) $125
You can read Bustamante’s full amended reports at this link and this link.
I will revise this report later today to include Bustamante’s campaign finance reports from his failed Supervisorial race.
One last thought in the interim. Apparently O.C. Supervisor Janet Nguyen has placed Judy Ware on a campaign committee. I have asked Nguyen previously not to accept money or help from Ware. For her own reasons Nguyen has opted to ignore that advice. She does so at her own peril. Ware is highly disliked in Santa Ana. Taking her money, as Bustamante did, is a mistake. I promise NOT to take any money from Ware in my campaign against Bustamante.
UPDATE
Click here and here to see Bustamante’s campaign finance reports from his failed supervisorial race. Ware Disposal’s various family members gave Bustamante $4,500 in that race.
So Art are you going to give janet a Free Pass for taking money from Judy Ware? Ware is the outrage Art? You are such a phony its sickeningly transparent.
Pat, can I buy a vote? I mean a vowel! If any of our newer readers want to know who we are referring to when we talk about ‘the usual suspects,’ just take a gander at these reports for a primer, although these people hardly make up the the totality of the list.
SMS
Hey Janet Ware. Have you heard the same chisme as me? I hear that Judy Ware was at most recent Claudia Alvarez fundraiser, along with most of the Council.Were you there?
Sophia –
RIP Estelle Getty. :'(
SMS
Apparently O.C. Supervisor Janet Nguyen has placed Judy Ware on a campaign committee.
“Apparently”? You saw the invite, Art. There’s no “apparently” here.
Otherwise, boy you really let Janet have it! She must really be smarting from this scorcher of a post. I guess you are true to your word that you will “rip” Janet when she does things like that.
Matt –
Contributions are one thing, votes for sale are another. There is no indication that any of Janet’s contributors have influenced her platform which is also why we defended her taking money from Ahmanson. The same can’t be said of the incumbent councilmembers.
SMS
#4,
You are mistaken about Claudia’s fundraiser. Only 2 councilmembers were there and yes Judy Ware made a cameo appearance. She stayed for maybe 5 minutes of so.
FYI, I realize that you are trying to imply that #1 was me, but Art and company can check the IP address and verify that it was not.
Now go back to shilling for Janet. She is a pathetic and obviously pandering excuse of a Supervisor. She sells out for the Hutchens vote and now she obviously sells out to have Judy Ware raise her money.
For the record I expressed my disapproval to Claudia’s face about her taking Judy’s money. I don’t need to do it anonymously on a blog.
“we defended her taking money from Ahmanson”
SMS,
Did I miss something? Has Janet come out in opposition to Prop 8?
Sean –
No, but she took the money from him after she had already made her decision on the issue. Again, the money didn’t influence her platform.
SMS
SMS,
Perhaps he gave her the money because she took that position. How do you know that the promise of the cash wasn’t there first?
The bottom line is that she and Ahmanson are on the same side and she took money from him. To give her a free pass and not the others is hypocrisy.
If you would just admit that Janet gets free passes here and that you plan to shill for her no matter what this would be a moot point. However you have two sets of rules, Janet’s and everyone elses.
For the record- # 1 does not have the same IP address as Sean Mill.
Also for the record- I am not thrilled that Supervisor Nguyen is accepting anything from Judy Ware. However. Most if not all of the Santa Ana City Council has accepted cash from Ware. They are the ones who have the power to demand that Judy Ware follow the law, and if she does not, demand that Joe Fletcher enforce it, via the courts.
Judy Ware was cited by the City for multiple egregious violations of the law at her business, yet the council or city attorney have done nothing about it.
While I am disappointed that Supervisor is willing to do business with Ware, she has no ability to demand obey the law or force prosecution.
When will Santa Ana’s Mayor & Council demand that Judy Ware obey the law? After taking her cash…….I’d guess never.
Hey Sean- Which two Council members were at the Claudia Alvarez fundraiser?
“Most if not all of the Santa Ana City Council has accepted cash from Ware.”
Thomas,
Sal Tinajero has not taken a single dime from Judy Ware or anyone else associated with Ware or Madison Materials. Judy funded the attack upon Sal in the last election.
Since Sal’s election she has approached him about giving him money but he has refused to take it. I also believe that Michele has never taken money from Judy, though I may be mistaken about that.
Anyone who takes money from Ahmanson is a cretin.
“Which two Council members were at the Claudia Alvarez fundraiser?”
Sal and Vince were there for a few minutes. None of the other councilmembers were there.
Sean –
‘Perhaps he gave her the money because she took that position. How do you know that the promise of the cash wasn’t there first?‘
Conspiracy theories now? Like I said on another blog, Judy just needs to move her business to a suitable location. How does that affect Janet? She’s not on the council.
SMS
Stavo –
I guess you won’t be running any ‘Yes on 8’ ads in the Weekly. Hold on a second while I feign shock… *shocked* It’s not like I can blame you though. No on 8!
SMS
“Like I said on another blog, Judy just needs to move her business to a suitable location.”
SMS,
Like I said on another blog, the residents of Logan have had their lives made a living hell by Judy. Your attempt to protect Janet by propping up Judy is not going to do Art any favors. I would rethink that position and quick.
You are listed as Art’s campaign manager and I truly believe that in your attempt to provide cover for Janet that your are doing damage to Art’s campaign.
Janet will not come out in support of Art. So you need to decide what’s more important, support for Art from folks opposed to Ware or propping up Janet even though she won’t offer any support.
Sarah-
Judy has been breaking the law, while the City Manager & Council turn a blind eye. She has polluted not only Logan, but the ocean by pressure washing potentially toxic heavy metals of her waste trucks and into the storm channels and out to the ocean. I have video to prove it.
She has destroyed the streets in Logan by having her giant trucks drop bins onto what should be residential properties, but are used as storage lots by a commercial waste hauler.
Santa Ana needs business, but we need them to operate within the law
Sean –
… so much for an attempt at moderation. I empathize with the way the Logan residents feel; all of us on Art’s team do. She a bad neighbor, neglectful, maybe even criminal, but I doubt she wakes up in the morning and thinks, ‘Gee, how can I screw Logan today?’ I admit, I could be wrong, but the simplest explanation tends to be the right one.
You’ve told me that hope is gone that Ware will be prosecuted, and the City Council can’t file charges, so all you can do is get them to move to a strictly industrial neighborhood. And again, there are reports that they’re moving on their own, so according to your own belief, this may all soon be a moot point.
SMS
Thomas –
‘Judy has been breaking the law, while the City Manager & Council turn a blind eye. She has polluted not only Logan, but the ocean by pressure washing potentially toxic heavy metals of her waste trucks and into the storm channels and out to the ocean. I have video to prove it.‘
… and yet nobody will prosecute. Criminal violations are outside of Janet’s, and indeed even the City Council’s pervue.
Zoning enforcement is a separate issue and the incumbents have done nothing about it. I’m outraged about it, and I know Art is as well, but again, he is running for City Council, not District Attorney.
Regrettably, all anyone on the council can do is fine them or force them to move. A candidate or elected official can’t promise the people something that they can’t possibly deliver.
SMS
“Criminal violations are outside of Janet’s, and indeed even the City Council’s pervue.”
And there is where you miss the point-
Santa Ana City Attorney is appointed, not elected.
He therefore takes his orders from City Manager Dave Ream and the City Council.
Do you really think they are in any hurry to bring charges against Ware after she gives them so much cash?
Thomas –
OK, I’ll concede that point. It’s all the more reason Santa Ana needs to get rid of the current council, but like I said, that alone won’t guarantee the appointment of a City Attorney who will press charges and giving money to Janet doesn’t change that fact one way or the other.
SMS
Holy crap he took a whoping $1000 from the Ware’s yeah she MUST have bought his vote! And all those other $249 donations…..OMG what a scandal!! You are too funny!
Sean,
For the record, I think Judy Ware IS the devil and I am completely opposed to her. I am disgusted that Janet and Carlos took her money. I assure you I won’t do so.
Janet is now in office for four more years so what she does with Ware is a moot point – it will hurt her but not for some time.
The bigger issue is taking out Busty. That is something we CAN accomplish this year. I hope Ware blows a lot more money on him.
If I am elected I will go after Ware from day one and I won’t let up until Judy has been carted off to the prison she belongs in.
Flowerszzz,
I just updated my post to include Bustamante’s campaign finance reports from his failed supervisorial race. He took $4,500 from the Ware Disposal family in that race. That speaks for itself, doesn’t it?
No not really I mean in the whole scheme of things $5500 is not a lot of money, as you will see as you try to fundraise. To be a serious candidate for this race you will need upwards of $50,000 (at least).
None of these contributions are illegal and they are fully disclosed.
I am willing to bet that your Janet will have similar $$ amounts from Ware on her next campaign report.
Ware did not move into logan illegally…although some will say that she is doing illegal things…but as of yet has never been cited that I am aware of.
Flowerszzz,
She has been cited repeatedly as my post here shows:
http://orangejuiceblog.com/2007/11/ware-disposal-properties-in-logan-a-cornucopia-of-violations/
Flowerszzz-
‘… although some will say that she is doing illegal things…but as of yet has never been cited that I am aware of.‘
If you have video evidence of a crime (as does Thomas Gordon) and the police don’t prosecute it, does that doesn’t make the perpetrator any less guilty?
The only reason Ware gets away with what it does is because the authorities choose to ignore the evidence.
SMS
Flowerzzz …
You are not connecting the dots. Ware pumped $10,000 into the Recall of Nativo Lopez at the behest of Miguel Pulido. She then turned around and dumped more money in the recall election bestowing her money on Rob Richardson, at the request of Miguel Pulido.
An individual was essential to pay the temp agency that hired the professional signature gatherers.
Art, How did the signature gathering at City Place go? I’m still laughing at that hypocrisy.
Rick,
Mission accomplished! My signatures qualified and I will be on the ballot on Nov. 4.
And yes I chose that meeting place on purpose. I thought it was pretty funny, all things considered.
What I do not find funny is Bisno’s plan to build a luxury condo tower just north of my neighborhood. Bustamante is bought and paid for…I oppose this unnecessary tower.
Nice spin,but it’s still hypocrisy in action.
#32
The word you’re searching for is “irony,” not hypocrisy. Art collecting signatures at City Place is “rich.” Bravo!
I do know what I meant. Art collecting Signatures at City Place is the height of hypocrisy after slaming it’s development in post after post.
Rick –
You’re entitled to your opinion just like Art, however you’ve taken the opportunity to slam Pedroza for merely exercising his right to free speech. Just in case it escapes you, you’ve opted to exercise your free speech right on Art’s blog. Does that make you a hypocrite?
I think it’s ironic that you fail to see the irony in your attack on Art.
I’m beginning to see why people run for these offices. Carlos got a lot more money in each donation this year than he did back when these were made. Can he take that money with him when he skips town?