When Santa Ana Police Union chief Gerry Serrano doesn’t get his way, he morphs into a Chupacabra. “If I don’t get everything I want, I will burn this city down,” he has famously snarled, and then he sets forth on a path of destruction, SANTA ANA BE DAMNED. His eyes turn a blazing blue and fangs sprout from his cavernous maw, as you can clearly see in the illustration above. And lately, he has been getting his way LESS AND LESS.
For the second two-year cycle in a row, the insatiable Union Boss is bedeviled by a disobedient Council that stands up, 4-3, against his excesses – despite all the money his union and his corporate developer allies poured into the 2020 & 22 elections. Recently this has meant:
- A 3% pay raise for Santa Ana cops which’ll cost the city $1.23 million – Gerry had wanted a $25 million contract, and so stretching language unrecognizably he calls a 3% raise “defunding the police.”
- The City will now directly pay cops’ medical, dental & disability benefits rather than funneling them through the union, slightly diminishing the union’s importance.
- Most insultingly to Gerry, he will now be forced to spend some of his time doing actual police work, instead of just burning the city down fulltime.
So now, in determining how best to lash out and burn down the place, Gerry has decided to go with what worked for him before – launch a recall on whatever female councilmember has defied his wishes. In 2020 he was successful with his recall of rightwing police critic Ceci Iglesias who’d criticized and voted against an unaffordable raise. THIS time he’s launched a recall on Councilwomen Thai Viet Phan and Jessie Lopez, two young progressive ladies who’d joined in on the 4-3 votes that pissed him off.
It’s funny – in 2020 did Serrano attack Juan Villegas, who’d done the same thing as Ceci? No! And this year, did Serrano include Ben Vazquez, who voted along with Phan and Lopez? No! Well, what about Johnathan Hernandez? You’ve gotta be kidding, Gerry Serrano would never have the balls to take on Johnathan Hernandez! ONLY THE LADIES.
(An aside on Johnathan, who in September 2021 rocketed into the news as the police-reforming Councilman whose cousin Brandon Lopez was killed, wrongly, unarmed and in Santa Ana by four Anaheim cops – an aside on how Santa Ana police didn’t cover themselves in glory that night either. It was a Santa Ana cop [gotta get his name] who, while watching Brandon in his car from a Terradyne Armored Vehicle, reported WRONGLY to the Anaheim cops that Brandon was armed. And it was also Santa Ana cops who tragically refused to let Brandon’s dad talk to Brandon, instead locking him in the back of a cruiser.)
But back to Gerry Serrano…
What Lies Will Gerry Tell Santa Ana Voters,
to get them to vote against their interests?
That’s a VERY good question! You obviously know what’s up. Bitching that these ladies voted against him continuing to be paid by the city for burning it down, and characterizing a 3% raise as “defunding the police” won’t quite do the trick. Fortunately for Gerry he has some deep-pocketed allies in this effort who are also pissed off at the Council majority – Santa Ana’s big corporate developers and landlords.
Not as distrustful of statistics as President Truman was, I propose that there are LIES, DAMN LIES, and ORWELLIAN LIES – the latter being the sort that totally turn the facts on their heads and gaslight you till you question your sanity. Serrano’s “Notice of Intent to Circulate Recall Petition” contains Orwellian Lies for sure! Here is the copy Thai got served; Jessie’s is the same:
In good time we’ll demolish all those claims, but note: Aware of his well-deserved unpopularity, Serrano frontloads this document with rent-related BS. Jessie and Thai have a proud record, which they boasted of at this morning’s press conference, of bringing rent-control, COVID housing relief, and development fees incentivizing affordable housing, to this working-class town. As Supervisor Vince pointed out this morning, you recall people when they DON’T do what they promised to do when they were running – these two ladies have been doing EXACTLY what Santa Ana voters elected them to do.
But you read the BS above, you’d think they were responsible for gentrification and rent hikes. Can you look at this and tell that these two ladies are being recalled mainly because they’re forcing the lazy greedy Union Boss to do actual police work for his paycheck and pension?
I also plan to write soon about the Police Review Board these great Councilmembers have created for Santa Ana, which should be active by April and puts Anaheim’s efforts to shame (but OC had to start somewhere!) For now, let everyone in Wards 1 and 3 know that they shouldn’t sign these petitions next months no matter what lies they’re told.
Here’s what I caught this morning of the press conference:
Another misogynist bully. The world is full of them. Gerry Serrano’s clout is insane. The bigger they come the harder they fall. I know a lot of people who would love to see him drown but unless he pulls a James Mai, it’s unlikely.
Thank you, nice to see some comment cross-pollination from our Mai-Gate miasma!
And nice of the NewsBreak App to pick up this story. Don’t be shy about commenting, you thousands of strangers!
Seems like the Garden Grove resident should be minding his own business. That recall of Ceci was practically funded by SAPD, which is wrong in and of itself.
Yes, I was one of the very few on the left to defend Ceci.
https://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2020/05/santa-ana-say-no-to-the-police-coup-recall/
You see that this time Serrano has allies from the landlord/developer crowd to help him burn things down.
Hmmm, April, seems like you may actually enjoy it here!
Matt Cunningham, my old nemesis, was at the press conference yesterday morning, taking notes – you can see him in my video. We already know thanks to Duane Roberts that Matt gets paid generously by the Santa Ana Police Union for his “OC Independent Blog,” and has made a special habit of attacking Jessie Lopez.
Well Matt’s story is out now. It’s true he doesn’t do much on Anaheim any more, but he’s a busy boy on the OC Independent!
https://ocindependent.com/2023/01/santa-ana-councilmembers-lopez-phan-play-gender-race-cards-in-attacking-recall-campaign/
Jerbal will write anything for a buck.
But he does have a special predisposition toward defending the rich and powerful, going back his whole career that we know of. And it’s pretty easy to hook that up with a paycheck.
At my leisure I will debunk his piece.
That’s why he always ends up defending disgusting people and doing things like making fun of dead Mexican kids.
I remember it started with Mike Carona. It was just about the same time he got his $200 an hour First Five gig courtesy of Bill Campbell.
Our Santa Ana Republican friend Tardif noticed an ominous-looking closed session item on the next Council agenda:
“THREAT TO PUBLIC SERVICES OR FACILITIES pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 54957 of the Government Code. Consultation with Santa Ana Police Department David Valentin.”
Oh, Big Bad Gerry has just BEGUN to burn things down!
“Our Santa Ana Republican friend Tardif ..” I am verklempt at the compliment. 🙂
He’s a very tiny man.
You’ve seen him? And this is true? I saw a picture of him standing by tiny Tony Rackauckas making Tony look big, and thought there was some photo trickery going on.
Checks out. No offense to the fine tiny men out there.
I would lay money on it he drives a huge 4×4 truck. Just sayin.’
We will let the readers decide if this dead end RECALL is really about rent control because this RECALL only came about after Council Members Jessie Lopez and Thai Viet Phan voted against the police contract but more so about the SAPOA ASSOCIATION contract failure.
As all SAPOA Members are aware we are recalling Council Members, Jessie Lopez and Thai Viet Phan. I am going to consider this a futile and last ditch effort to try and intimidate our City Council Members, unfortunately those day are long gone. Our SAPOA is headed down a dead end with this technique at an already cost of $25,000. The only bright side of this I see is for newly elected Mayor Valerie Amezcua to finally break away from the SAPOA spot light and support her to colleagues.
Our SAPOA President has been seeking a pension increase for some time. The City of Santa Ana told him no. The CAL PERs board told him no. Pull up the April 19, 2022 CAL PERS Board meeting where he tried to plead his case only to get shut down repeatedly, a total embarrassment. If this was not enough, the numerous frivolous lawsuits against the City of Santa Ana have been dismissed without prejudice.
Here is a portion of a letter from the Santa Ana City Manager Kristine Ridge about our contract dated December 29, 2022. “One glaringly absent bit of information in these communications is the term of the imposed offer expires the end of the month. The City’s labor negotiation team stands ready to engage in good faith negotiations with your duly elected representatives at any time. To date no request for a meet and confer has been received only threats of further frivolous litigation, potential recall campaign; and, an unsuccessful effort to obtain a temporary restraining order that would prevent the processing of the wage increase. The only request, just recently received, is for an agreement to give more leave hours to the union president at the expense of the association.”
Here it is in a nut shell on why our contract negotiations failed. From my readings, our SAPOA failed to file fact finding by the deadline and canceled negotiations one day before. (See City Staff Report dated December 20, 2022)
One, the earlier lawsuits failed and thought he would be able to use those as negotiation chips. Two, SAPOA thought the council votes were in the bag. One does not risk all of the SAPOA Members benefits earned over years on a failed strategy for one member to stay at the helm all for a higher pension. Three, the SAPOA used regressive and dilatory bargaining tactics. (Bargaining in Bad Faith)
Our SAPOA President is under the impression that his political connections are due to him when in fact all politicians gravitate towards the association with a healthly PAC Fund not because our president has a nice personality. I could be the Hunchback of Notre Dame and all the politicians would have dinner with me knowing I had PAC money for re-election.
I would like to share a few excerpts from letters over the last few years from our SAPOA to the City of Santa and decide for oneself who really wants more money.
1. Letter dated September 28, 2020 … “In addition, the PAAL Coordinator is the perfect scenario on where the Association Representative can be assigned and the work is commensurate with police liaison….”
2. Letter Dated October 22, 2020…… “Although, I am open to the Homelessness Administrator position, at $15,416 is not much of an increase…”
3. Letter dated July 15, 2021 ……. “In particular, would you brief the Council on the idea of creating a job position in the City that would pay Gerry what he is paid today….. In addition, would you discuss with Council the possibility of a settlement of outstanding claims held by Gerry in an amount that would allow the purchase of an annuity…”
What does this tell the SAPOA Membership? Who’s Zooming who?
There was the Council Woman Cecilia Iglesias Recall cost? How much was that?
There was the money spent on Mayor Vincent Sarmiento against his Orange County Supervisors Campaign. Why?
The money spent on the Serrano’s CAL PERs failed pension spike. (How it’s referred to in the newspapers)
The attorney fees our SAPOA Association still has to pay for the lawsuits against the City of Santa Ana. Who knows how much that will be? These may break our SAPOA Association.
Why the donations to the Anaheim Councilman Avelino Valencia? Why, he does nothing for us? [Editors’ Emphsais]
Is it safe say it is time for a change of the leadership at our Santa Ana Police Officers Association, E-Board included. YES!
All this money is spent on failed strategies and officers have to go to Norm’s and Denny’s on Thanksgiving and Christmas because the SAPOA is paying for it. Keep the meal because our SAPOA is going to need it to pay all the attorney fees.
As SAPOA Members as a 28 year member of the department this situation our current SAPOA Administration has us in is far from over. We are not winning anytime soon.
Respectfully,
Manuel Delgadillo
Thanks for chiming in, Officer Manny, the Downtown Business Liaison Officer! https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=199246948784172
I see this from back in ’21: “Officer Manuel Delgadillo, a POA member for 26 years, agreed that the two issues are intertwined. ‘Our president [Serrano] has gone rogue in my opinion.’” https://www.ocregister.com/2021/08/06/santa-ana-police-consider-no-confidence-vote-against-chief/
What do you think about Gerry calling these councilmembers “Hardcore anti-public safety” and accusing them of “defunding the police?” He really seems to conflate his own selfish interests with public safety in general. I hope you guys can get rid of him.
That Bacerra guy looks like he just finished nursing.
It is a touching portrait of a well-compensated politician. The world should have more such photos.
“Like a contented child, after drinking at its mother’s breast, so quiet is my soul within me…” – Psalm 131:2
Hopefully he’ll come to regret that obnoxious image.
Phil B and Dan C are the oldest, closest friends, going back to when they were the “mean girls” at Memphis’ “Drinking Liberally” in the early aughts.
Phil will never regret this image, that would be to regret his entire existence and character.
But enough about Phil B.
Since Gerry is not only union chief but also a resident of Garden Grove, who even ran for GG Council a few years ago, he needed a Santa Ana resident to “take charge” of the recall and be its spokesman. And that is TIM RUSH – a longtime Santa Ana “conservative” Republican activist and Pulido crony.
The Orange Juice blog, which started as a pretty conservative Santa Ana-based blog, has lots of material on this controversial guy from early in the century… looks like a lot of Art Pedroza praising him while Sean Mill reminds everyone of his felony conviction for embezzlement in the 90’s:
https://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2006/06/432/comment-page-1/#comment-29069
In this 2019 Pedroza story, Rush, referred to now by Art as “a longtime Santa Ana gadfly,” loses a ballot designation suit to Bea Mendoza. Tim was no doubt looking to help Bea’s opponent Phil Bacerra, then suckling fulsomely of Serrano’s breast milk.
https://newsantaana.com/ward-4-city-council-candidate-beatriz-mendoza-won-a-court-case-involving-her-ballot-title/
Oh, this is truly the proper face of a Santa Ana recall. Spreading around that mug may lift Latino turnout to Presidential year levels!
This will come back to bite Bacerra and others in the ass, because they can be subjected to a well-timed recall in about a year that will place them on the Presidential ballot and drive up turnout for their targets here! In fact, this move is so stupid, in inviting such an elegant counterpunch, that I suspect that Serrano (or the people around him with more sense) will find a way to let the recall effort die rather than risk such delicious retribution. Democrats haven’t figured out how to organize Santa Ana — but maybe Republicans have figured out how to do it for them!
As happens when one party (the Republicans) shrivels into a rump party in a certain area (Santa Ana, Calif, NY) the dominant party (Democrats) becomes two distinct, warring parties.
There are a hell of a lot of SERRANO DEMOCRATS, from Fiona Ma down to Avelino, Bacerra, and KBN.
“well timed recall” .. I doubt it, who would fund such an effort?
Good point — I can’t IMAGINE who dislikes Phil Bacerra enough to pitch in.
Seriously: corrupt self-serving cop trying to mangle the system in a Presidential election in a city with the most potential growth of turnout in the county … you might see Lou Correa helping to fund it out of sheer self-interest by the time it makes the ballot.
When things are tantalizing enough, they become possible.
Correa? He’s close to Phil and probably Gerry. Did you forget all these people are “Democrats?”
If I have ever known that Serrano was a Democrat, my white bloods must have quickly eaten the neuron containing that memory.
Outrage over this year’s recalls could be the thing that gets young people in Santa Ana riled up enough to turn out to vote. If Correa was on the wrong side of that, against the right competition, he could feel pressed to accommodate that anger.
But I admit: he was included as a facetious exaggerated possibility, because we all know that he’ll arrange not to have a competitor in a runoff who can beat him.