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Last night (January 13) KOCE-TV Reporter David Nazar aired a segment highlighting our concerns that we brought to the Orange County Grand Jury asking for an Investigation of Santa Ana City Hall activities including Mayor Miguel Pulido.
And now we are updating with a new video segment by Rick Reiff, Inside OC (see #2 below)
We believe this might be the first television news spots ever on the lack of transparency
at Santa Ana City Hall.
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CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE KOCE-TV VIDEO SEGMENT, with Reporter David Nazar.
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CLICK HERE TO WATCH INSIDE OC with Rick Reiff & Panel discussion, which included Gustavo Arrellano, Nick Berardino, Exec Dir of OCEA; and Buck Johns – aired on Friday Jan 14th, 2011 at 7:30 PM . (see from 9:57 to 17:52 )
We are grateful for the critical role that the objective media play in keeping our citizens informed and elected officials accountable.
CONCERNS:
This call for the Grand Jury Investigation by the various independent and highly regarded organizations and individuals was a very difficult and unpleasant one, yet we felt compelled and viewed this as a very necessary step because of the significance of the isssues and because of:
- the strong evidence of abuse of public funds,
- abuse of the public trust,
- disdain for the citizens concerns,
- Very likely violations of the highest ethical standards, and of City Codes and CA government Codes,
- and a lack of accountability, Full-disclosure, and transparency on the part of Santa Ana city officials.
Several of the organizations and individuals calling for the Grand Jury investigation have strongly supported over the years and even helped elect several of the officials involved, so this was no easy action to take.
VOICE FOR CITIZENS:
I believe I speak for the organizations when I say that we actually try to give the City Council members and Mayor Pulido the benefit of the doubt and assume that they have made inadvertent or unintentional mistakes, but they are mistakes nevertheless that affect our community.
I also believe that deep down they are good people, with the best intentions for the City, but that unfortunately, they may tend to see disagreements or simple inquiries as political attacks when this is far from it, and thus they make the mistake of failing to provide greater clarity and transparency to citizen inquiries or concerns.
Also there are some individuals who operate under the assumption that because the election is over, that citizens concerns should end, until the next election cycle. For example, several of the issues surfaced close to or AFTER the election. And several of us brought our citizen concerns to the City Council through different means. But we encountered a dismissive DEAD SILENCE!
It is also amazing that somehow there is an underlying theme that the citizens should lie down, and accept a perceived or actual MISUSE OF PUBLIC FUNDS and BETRAYAL OF TRUST by our elected and appointed officials – but this will not happen!
We will and must persevere for the good of our community and to give VOICE TO CITIZENS’ concerns.
MILITARY SERVICE FOCUS:
The groups filing the complaint Wednesday include:
- Los Amigos of Orange County,
- the state’s League of United Latin American Citizens(LULAC),
- The Santa Ana Council of LULAC,
- United Mexican-American Veterans Association,
- MANA de Orange County, and
- the Santa Ana Coalition for Better Government.
If you note, many of the top leaders are also former military veterans, and if I am not mistaken:
- Amin David, President of Los Amigos served in the Army
- Zeke Hernandez, President of LULAC served.
- Nellie Kanisky, Executive Director of Mana de Orange County is a retired US Marine; and her husband is a former police officer injured and disabled I believe in the line of duty.
- Dr. Richard Ramirez, Dean Emeritus of Fullerton College also served, and is part of the Honor Guard of the American Legion.
- Art Montez, former Centralia school board member, also served.
- and several other groups and individuals that for privacy reasons choose to remain anonymous also served.
- and Myself, Commander of United Mexican-American Veterans Association, also served in the US Marines (1987-1994 and was the Top Honor Graduate); and also in the CA Army National Guard from 1994-1997. PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR MY PROFILE.
I point out the military backgrounds, because we have brave men and women who have risked and are RISKING THEIR LIVES IN THE BATTLEFRONT, spending time away from families on multiple combat tours, and paying the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms and for our society.
We must honor their service and ultimate sacrifice by being VIGILANT AT THE HOMEFRONT by NOT letting that which they are fighting for potentially turn into a CORRUPTED SOCIETY, NOR A CORRUPTED LOCAL GOVERNMENT that does not FULLY serve or is not fully accountable to our citizens.
Many of the participants at our Press Conference this past Wednesday felt that this was reminiscent of “WHEN GOOD MEN AND WOMEN DO NOTHING – EVIL PREVAILS!” – and that they felt proud of this action on behalf of the community.
IMPROVEMENTS EXPECTED:
The actions and/or omissions by elected or appointed officials are important because of the high level of HONOR and RESPONSIBILITY that comes from this, and because an attitude that something is okay because it is not illegal, and is merely unethical is a view that does a disservice to the community!
- And anything that improves governance, transparency, disclosure, trust, accountability, and ethics is a huge improvement in itself for our city of Santa Ana.
- Furthermore, the City of Santa is a city with one of the highest unemployment rates. We have to be able to attract and retain investments into our community to create opportunities for our youth and our citizens.
- Companies and investors are less likely to invest in a city where they perceive that there is not a fair and level playing field for them, and that the local government might be stacked up against. But they are more likely to invest if there is transparency, and full accountability of our government.
- Also, we believe that Crime, Youth and Gang Violence, and the record high school drop-out rates can be reversed if our youth and citizens see opportunities that also arises from an improved and responsive government.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS & OPEN DIALOGUE:
Finally, myself and the other organizations want to be able to partner and support our Council and our Mayor and to use our talents, energies and passion to improve our City, and this can only happen in an environment of full accountability, full transparency and disclosure, full respect for the limited financial resources of our city, and an environment with OPEN AND CIVIL DIALOGUE – BUT SILENCE IS NOT DIALOGUE.
P.S.
For example, I am preparing a Powerpoint Presentation that I would like to present to the City Council in which I identify some potentially very significant ANNUAL SAVINGS in the hundreds of dollars for most Santa Ana homeowners that can be implemented immediately! This is an example of how the citizens are ready to work with our elected and appointed leaders.
Just more regurgitation of the same stuff. I guess you figure if you repeat it enough it will become the truth.
Sean, I hope the good people of Santa realize that you are just the next dirty politician in training, apparenty from your constant coverup of what is really going on with the Mayor and his sidekicks on the City Council. Let’s hope that this is as far up the food chain as you go. Maybe when the people have truly had enough and recall these idiots, your term on the planning commission will come to an abrupt end.
I watched the program and found it troubling that the council and David Ream are now following Miguel Pulido’s example of not responding to the people’s complaints or answering questions from the press or the public. Do they believe that we are so simple minded that we trust that their actions are always in our best interest. The wall they are building to shield themselves from the residents continues to grow.
For a mayor who received less than 50% of the vote he is not making any effort to win back the confidence of his constituents. Keep the pressure on until they read the ethics bill that they but on the ballot . That would be the term limit increase disguised as an ethics bill that they fooled the public into passing. Will it ever end.
Joe, you speak of ethics! You wouldn’t know ethics if it hit you in the face, one with ethics does not use others to falsify loan documents to help poor immigrants qualify for loans that you know they will eventually default on just so that you gain the commission from the loan. One who has ethics does not under state their income so that their kids qualify for scholarships that should go to more deserving children whose parents can’t otherwise afford for their kids to attend colleges and universities. If you want to talk about troubling actions, first take a good look at yourself before you start in on others, no tienes verguenza.
“.. the term limit increase disguised as an ethics bill (Measure D) that they fooled the public into passing.”
This should be a good laugh – text from Measure D ballot:
DON’T BE FOOLED BY THE DEVELOPERS. DON’T BE MANIPULATED BY THOSE THAT FEAR A CODE OF CONDUCT. ETHICS REFORM IS NEEDED TODAY!
Please join us in voting YES on Measure D!
s/ Miguel A. Pulido
Mayor
City of Santa Ana
s/ Sal Tinajero
Councilmember
City of Santa Ana
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Reminds me of the initiative that Bell officials pulled on the people of their city, which increased their salaries under the guise of something else. When dirty politicians get caught with their hands in the cookie jar, they do one of three things. They keep their mouths shut, they lie or place the blame on someone else, or they hire a mouth piece attorney to speak for them. Pulido and his dirty gang of thugs need to go. If our D.A. wasn’t as worthless as they come, things might be different. A Grand Jury investigation, unless they bring criminal charges, will be worthless. All the Council and the Mayor have to do is disagree with the GJ findings and months later things die down and get back to normal (Look at John Williams, Public Administrator/Guardian and his second in command the D.A.’s girlfriend. TWO scathing grand jury reports in less than a year regarding his mismanagement, now the Board of Supervisors has him under investigation, but……..). Only the voters can make a difference, and sadly, most are not informed.
More side-spliting hilarity from the Measure D ballot:
“The proponents of Measure D would have us believe that it is about term limits. Yet it EXTENDS the terms for Santa Ana City Council Members ANOTHER FOUR YEARS. And it DOES NOT include Mayoral term limits!Instead we are offered a Code of Conduct. But we already have a remedy for corrupt politicians – THEY GET INDICTED!”
s/ Michele Martinez
Councilmember
City of Santa Ana
s/ Art Pedroza
Housing & Redevelopment Commissioner
City of Santa Ana
I wish all of the people who are hating on our leaders would just get over their political losses ( I think Yanez lost an election or two and I quit counting how many times Zeke Hernandez has elections after he got to 15 failed attempts.) What seems to be the pattern is that some of these guys lose and never seem to be able to get over it. I wish they would just go back to coaching Little League or helping sell churros at the Little League park and allow our fine leaders to do the jobs they were elected to do. I walked door to door for Michele Martinez and I’m proud of what she has accomplished. Stop Hatin!
To Santa Ana Proud
Sorry,I have never run for office. My wife did make a valiant run once against Mr. David Benavides who has developed into an excellent representative of my community.
And I’ll get back to selling churros if you promise to continue selling Tater tots at the tractor pull.
“And I’ll get back to selling churros if you promise to continue selling Tater tots at the tractor pull.”
Great come-back Joe, I like that!
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Go Go Go Francisco! how many times are we going to say that? Not enough!