I heard it from a highly placed source in the County who called me this morning to “correct some of the misinformation” (NOT a Supervisor, and nobody working for Vince if that’s what the reader was thinking) – no matter how far the Recall Election of Jessie Lopez proceeds, and no matter its eventual outcome, the Registrar of Voters WILL NOT and CANNOT CERTIFY IT.
On the other hand, the ROV (Bob Page) can do nothing to STOP Santa Ana from this kamikaze course – only the City Clerk, Jennifer Hall, has the authority to put the brakes on. But then, poor Jennifer can only do what the Council instructs her to do, and this kamikaze course will continue as long as Mayor Amezcua, Phil Bacerra, and David Penaloza continue to act as Brainless Police Union Robots. (see illustration above.)
One thing’s for sure – Jessie Lopez WILL NOT BE REMOVED, whether she wins this FUBAR election or not; and Santa Ana will continue to have a Progressive Majority for at least another year.
But, poor Jennifer (right.) What a miserable job she has found herself in. She used to look so happy and perky when she was Anaheim’s assistant City Clerk (and she was always real helpful to me.) Now she looks miserable and exhausted. Now she knows why City Manager Kristine Ridge (also an Anaheim transplant) and Police Chief Valentin both resigned recently – the stress of working for Mayor Valerie Amezcua is obviously more than the hardiest employees can handle for long.
The next regularly scheduled Santa Ana Council meeting is this Tuesday, the 7th, and they need to get this on the agenda, and hopefully one of the Serrano Three – at least one, hopefully all of them – will vote the right way, and save Santa Ana from a LOT more wasted money, from being a laughingstock, and from knowingly turning in a doomed and illegal election, something that as far as we know has never been done before.
Phil Bacerra‘s pretext on Oct. 30 was that the ROV had not rescinded his July certification of signatures – something Phil made Jennifer confirm in public. Well, it turns out he HAS – and this was DATED on the 30th – did this happen after the meeting, or did Phil and Jennifer not know about it?
Still, Phil and Valerie appear to be mindless Agents of Malevolence, intent on “Burning The Place Down” (as always I’m happy to eat my words.) Mr Penaloza at least COMES OFF AS a thoughtful public servant. Can his friend Avelino or his wife KBN (who both seem smart enough to know better) talk some sense into David? He could save the day, and none of these three should have to worry about pissing off the POA, they’ve done all they can for them, and this is now a no-brainer.
No matter what the Council decides, there will be a lot of people who bitch and moan and threaten to sue, but from here on it just gets worse if they don’t stop it. ANOTHER Page, County Counsel Leon Page (yes, there are two Pages just as there are two pages to the letter) send ANOTHER LETTER to the City Attorney on the 30th, stating as clearly as possible,
“Given that the Registrar has complied with your request on behalf of the City Clerk that he rescind his certificate dated July 17, 2023, we presume that the City Clerk will now rescind her July 17, 2023 Certificate of Sufficiency of Recall Petition.”
Poor Jennifer, stuck between a rock and Valerie. It’s time for everyone to accept that, no matter whose fault this was, and no matter what the election outcome MIGHT have been, this recall is FUBAR. And in case you didn’t know, that is a military acronym for “FUCKED UP BEYOND ALL REPAIR.”
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Coming up – I had promised you some more info on Jessie’s lawsuit, although this really SHOULDN’T have to come down to that…. . .
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. . .
Get the popcorn out.
I’m told ONLY Mayor Valerie could put this on the agenda for Tuesday – what do you think will happen?
Also I’m told (by Councilwoman Thai Viet Phan) that there’s nothing here that Council wasn’t aware of on the 30th, it still didn’t sway them. Must have been in closed session, I hadn’t heard it before.
On they coast… to disaster.
They will do nothing. Wait for judge to do it.
Then line up in front of the POA on their hands and knees like dogs waiting to be fed.
Phil and David have three more years on Council, but SOMEBODY has to take out Valerie next year.
It’s Chinatown, Jake.
If the city gave them the wrong map and canceled the recall because they used the wrong map is that an admission the city screwed up? Could the city then be liable to reimburse them what they spent on the recall? Maybe the city will announce a settlement on Tuesday. It’s only money.
I’m not sure who gave everyone the wrong map, I thought it was the ROV.
As I see it this morning, as I go off to canvass another 8 hours: The Police Union and their servants, after having spent over a million of taxpayer money and union money on this thing, want to at least use it as a referendum to see how Ward 3 voters feel about Jessie, so they can hopefully use it against her when she runs for re-election next year. How nice!
Oh well, at least I get paid ten more days for doing something I believe in. Thanks, Valerie, Phil and David!
That sort of polling of the electorate on a non-action issue, especially a politically loaded one, is not allowed. If that’s their position, then the ROV should simply refuse to count the votes. And she really should file for an injunction against the city AND the ROV. The latter is important to include, because it gives them an opportunity to settle the claim against them.
Vern, this is important. Is the assertion in your second sentence just your own surmise, or just some sources opinion — or is there any writing or recording showing that that really is their motivation. Because if so, if it’s provable, then I think that whoever is trying to do this could be in even bigger trouble than I initially thought.
Yes, the ROV should just stiff-arm them if they hold the election anyway. But the motive for their doing so really does require investigation.
MY opinion. My insight. They know Jessie won’t be removed, so why else would they be pushing on with this?
Newton’s Second Law of Motion
A lot of voters I run into actually read the news. I had two people today ask me “How can we get rid of that Mayor, can we recall her instead?”
I tell em I think Santa Ana is tired of recalls, and just remember to vote her out next year.
I’m looking right now at a piece of pro-recall literature featuring Valerie’s and Phil’s faces and endorsements. The DPOC to their credit are backing Jessie and opposing the recall. I think Valerie and Phil should be censured.
OC INDEPENDENT was ALL over the recall mail this weekend. Questioning her income source and her squatting issue. Turns out there is more to the later on how that whole narrative was written. You are NOT wrong about a divided council. Also, if one were to look at where these originated it would shed light on which OC DEM pols use the same “consultants”.
Matt’s been “ALL OVER” those two things for months. We’ll see if he has any impact. The funniest part of his blog is the word “independent.” He’s funded by the POA which started this recall.
This ill willed RECALL is going no where. Our SAPOA keeps losing. Maybe now that the former president is gone our SAPOA can slowly repair all the bad blood left behind by the former.
Hope springs eternal, Manny. Your union has the power to call off their dogs and end this charade. Now that the Serrano cancer is gone this is a test of character for you and your colleagues in the union. I won’t hold my breath.
“I won’t hold my breath.”
A wise decision.
The SAPOA is too far into the RECALL as much as they want to end it.This will not help the SAPOA up coming contract negotiations. One three Councilman can save the day. The Mayor will not end it because it will make her look weak. One of the two, Phil or David should step up and show who the Big Dog is or stay on the porch with the puppies, actually it would show some fiscal responsibility.This is why Council Members should first have a business acumen and become politicians and not the other way around. It is very easy to spend others people’s money and this is where we are today.
Our current SAPOA President stumbled out of the gate to the dismay of the SAPOA Membership. I hope he gets his house in order or he will also be on his way out soon.
“This will not help the SAPOA in the upcoming contract negotiations…”. Manny, if there’s any justice in this world Jessie beats the recall and then proceeds to kick the shit out of your union in the next round of contract negotiations. You idiots don’t deserve a nickel for the trauma you’ve put this community through.
It is the Santa Ana City Clerk & the OC Registrar of Voters who, by their incompetence, have put us through the greatest trauma.
Change “us” to me” and I suppose you have a point. Not true for the city’s residents overall, though.
Gonna cry? Jeezus “greatest trauma”?
In Mike’s defense he inherited that term from “Robert L. Woodbriar” which is actually a pseudonym for one of our better commenters.
Robert’s an ankle biter?
Full pedigree.
D-oh! The title of this story was wrong. (I was called by someone who seemed really smart and usually is, and hasn’t taken my calls since.) The Registrar DID certify Jessie’s victory just now.
While we were napping, Jessie’s margin rose to 56.4% vs. 43.6%. Pretty cool. Doesn’t mean the suit against the recall election’s legitimacy isn’t going forward, which it should be and as far as I know it is.