The unofficial head of Santa Ana’s “Usual Suspects,” Julie Stroud, attacked me in a comment posted here at the Orange Juice yesterday after I wrote that she supported the re-election of Santa Ana Councilman Vince Sarmiento. That is what I had been told by one of her allies up to the election. Apparently however she switched sides and backed our blogger Jim Walker at the eleventh hour. What happened?
I was told recently that Sarmiento called another one of the “Usual Suspects,” Debbie McEwen, and he blistered her about her pet project – which is that the city should buy a dilapidated property in her neighborhood that is being rented to, gasp, Mexicans!
Sarmiento explained, and rightfully so, that the city is BROKE. How can she ask the city to blow a chunk of money at this time? Well, in addition to that, the problem here is a lack of code enforcement. The city already has laws on the books regarding the upkeep of properties – they just need to enforce them. The “Usual Suspects” should ask City Manager Dave Ream why our local regulations are not enforced.
McEwen is a study in contrasts. There are times when she seems to be almost human. I was at an event a few months ago where McEwen and her neighborhood association put on an outdoor movie at their little park. They used a projector and a large movie screen suspended from a tree. It was loads of fun. They even had popcorn for the kids. However, they were running late and so McEwen made an announcement. When I offered to translate her announcement into Spanish, she snarled, “this is America” and stomped away. There was the REAL McEwen – and it wasn’t pretty.
The irony in all this is that I personally did more to support Walker than any of the “Usual Suspects.” But they never take such things into account. They hate me because I do not join them in hating Latinos. Stroud went as far as to say that I am a liar because I said she supported Sarmiento. Well, it would appear that I was misinformed. But she did support my opponent in Ward 3, Carlos Bustamante. And he is a proven liar. He lied about making his waterbra remarks and he lied in his mailers when he stated that Santa Ana is one of the safest cities in Orange County. That is a baldfaced lie – we are rated number one in violent crime by the FBI.
Our returning blogger, Sean Mill, thinks that the “Usual Suspects” will continue to try to have him removed from the Planning Commission. Good luck with that! Mill isn’t going anywhere – but I am told that the city is going to shut down some of the Commissions and merge a few of the others. It may well be that Parks and Recreation Commissioner Julie Stroud will find herself without a commission appointment.
As for Sarmiento, he doesn’t need the “Usual Suspects.” His only job now is to help the rest of the City Council to find a way out of our $28 million deficit. Perhaps Team Pulido should not have given raises to our city managers and employees this year – and maybe those pension spikes weren’t a good idea after all? I suspect we will see mass firings coming soon at City Hall.
Sarmiento isn’t the only Councilman that the “Usual Suspects” are vexed at. They are targeting Councilman Sal Tinajero, who is running again in two years. Good luck with that too. Tinajero isn’t stupid. He was attacked by Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido and his cronies when he first ran for the Council. This year his walkers delivered Team Pulido’s fliers to residents. Team Pulido will back Tinajero 100% in two years. And the “Usual Suspects?” They will get punked again. That’s how things roll in Santa Ana. The “Usual Suspects” keep supporting Pulido and he and his Team keep ignoring them and doing whatever the Hell they want. And no one ever learns…
Debbie Mcewen is one of the worst racists in Santa Ana, and that’s saying something. And it’s funny, because she’s one of the brownest gringas I’ve ever seen!
Hatred breeds hatred. The way you talk about McEwen is pure hatred. I don’t know the woman, but why be such a hypocrite Art? It’s obvious that you hate this woman along with all other gringos that don’t agree with you. At the very least your posts suggests this. And suggesting that all of these folks “hate Latinos” is just irresponsible.
You will always exist on the fringe Pedroza, the very edge of the fringe that people don’t pay much attention to. You have this blog where you and your fringe people fight with the other fringe people on the opposite extreme. In the meantime, the rest of us move on with our lives, trying to actually get things done.
This is such a great city that we live in. I’d sure never ever know that by reading your whiney blog. That’s pathetic. I’m just thankful that, as the Santa Ana voters proved once again, you are all on the fringe. Of course you will say that all Santa Ana voters are idiots and that we get what we deserve. Can you be any more arrogant and pompous? Yes, you beat Rocco by a few votes…but basically this city basically saw you and he as equally viable candidates. Yeah, I know…it’s because all of the white voters voted for him….blah…blah..blah..blah…nonsense!
I’m so thankful for the many wonderful people in this city. 99% of those in this wonderful city have never read this blog and would have zero interest in its musings. I admit, I enjoy reading this stuff. Then again, I also enjoy reading about martian babies in the Star at the grocery checkout. Although worthless, this blog is amusing.
#2,
Thanks. I have always endeavored to make this an entertaining blog. There is no reason why politics should be boring!
Santa Ana has potential – but the facts speak for themselves. We are $28 million in deficit. We pay more for water than the wealthy residents of Irvine. We have some of the highest property taxes in the county – thanks to an endless stream of local bond measures. Only this year did the City finally start fixing our streets and arresting a few folks – all done with the election in mind. And we lead the county in home foreclosures.
Others may ignore these problems – I won’t. I will keep an eye on our City Council and our City Manager and report exactly how they continue to bungle things. I hope they get it right – but I doubt it. Oh well, we will have plenty to blog about.
Oh, by the way, I don’t hate McEwen – but she does hate me and just about all the other Latinos in town. I don’t hate anyone. But I certainly don’t support racist people. They will find no safe harbor here at the Orange Juice.
Art…I have revised my first response to you, because I choose not to embarrass you, something you never consider. You are embellishing the reason I voted for Jim, as usual. My vote was not against Vince, but it was cast for a neighborhood leader.
I was again disappointed you feel the need to play the race card.
No need to respond to me on the OJ…it has been deleted. You have my email if you have a response.
Art,
I do know that Debbie has approached Vince regarding the home on N. French Street. Vince was reluctant in the past to support Debbie’s request to have the taxpayers buy the house and is even more so now that the city is strapped for cash.
This is not what Debbie wants to hear. She wants what she wants and screw what’s fiscally responsible. Thankfully the majority of the council is not gonna cave into Debbie’s demands and bullying.
She is never gonna get what she wants regarding this home and that makes me very happy indeed. I am tired of wasting money to appease the like of her. Look at how much her unconstitutional traffic plan ended up costing us.
I was introduced to Debbie McEwen twice and both times she refused to shake my hand. I’ve met Julie Stroud and I wasn’t impressed. Why is it unfair for Art to expose the racists in that infect our City? I’m glad Art has exposed Julie Stroud and Debbie McEwen for who they really are. I want to know who the rests of them are.
I was glad to see a Barrios Unidos endorsed candidate has been elected to School Board! If these white racists can’t stand people of color, then they need to move out of Santa Ana.
She’s the one.