Santa Ana Public Works Director Raul Godinez will depart Santa Ana to become the new City Manager of El Monte on July 15 at a salary of $195,000, according to OC Political blogger Thomas Gordon. (Gordon is a member of the OC GOP Central Committee and a past Santa Ana Mayoral Candidate).
Godinez was thought to be the leading candidate to become Santa Ana’s next City Manager, but guess what? El Monte retained the services of executive search firm Bob Murray & Associates, the same company tasked with hiring a new City Manager for Santa Ana. So they found Godinez a job, but not here in Santa Ana.
I have wondered who in their right mind would want to work for the Santa Ana City Council after they fired our last City Manager, Paul Walters – when he did nothing to deserve that fate. In fact Walters saved the City from a budget fiasco by outsourcing the Santa Ana Fire Department.
Now Santa Ana has two holes to fill. We still don’t have a City Manager and now we aren’t going to have a Public Works director either. All because our City Council decided to fire Walters as part of their petty campaign against longtime Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido.
I wonder if this means that Santa Ana Parks and Rec Director Gerardo Mouet is back in the running to replace Walters?
The Council Member who most wanted to fire Walters was reportedly Michele Martinez. She spent the past week having a great time at the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO) Annual Conference in Chicago. I am told that the City of Santa Ana spent $2,500 on Martinez’ travel expenses. What did we get for our money? Well here are some of the courses that Martinez may have taken:
- Working with the LGBT Community in Your District
- Combating the Rise of Food Deserts
- Improving Latino Health Outcomes Under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)
- Strategies for Mobilizing Latino Voters
- Federal Issues Forum Climate Change: Understanding and Managing Local Risks
And of course Martinez participated in the Fourth Annual NALEO 5K Run/Walk. Unfortunately NALEO didn’t offer any courses on how to treat your city employees or on how to not waste money on frivolous junkets.
Mouet won’t be able to handle the city manager’s job. As the park director he fired almost everyone in his staff just to show the city council he was a “team player”.When is Michelle Martinez going to a conference that will teach her how to “speak” correctly first and second how to treat equally everyone in the city, not just “Latinos”.?
There was of course the Parody about Michele in this weekends Voice Of OC. But, notice how she disappeared early from the council meeting last night. When City Attorney suggested that members should report on city funded excursions, the task was left to Freshman Angie Oliver.
The short sightedness of Michele can be demonstrated in her NAELO attendance, she is willing to ruin o promising career in politics over a free Southwest plane ticket to a mediocre hotel in Chicago, and for what? The city council better learn that cutting off your nose to spite your face is never good politics.
Michele left the meeting early, so she could post about Dwight Howard on her FB page, Carpetbagger.
This is the mentality we are dealing with. Get used to it. This is the same woman who thought it was a good idea to dedicate a moment of silence during a swearing in ceremony for Jenny Riveria!