New Santa Ana | Tag Archives: county of orange

70-unit affordable workforce housing project breaks ground in Santa Ana

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Art Pedroza Posted in Affordable Housing, Civic Affairs, Development, Housing, Michele Martinez, Santa Ana Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana

Community Alert: 70-Unit Affordable Workforce Housing Project Breaks Ground in Santa Ana

C&C Development and Orange Housing Development Corporation broke ground on their new affordable housing project in Santa Ana last week. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on August 4th for the Depot at Santiago, a 70-unit, workforce housing project.

Partners from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the County of Orange, the Kennedy Commission, and the City of Santa Ana, including Council Members Michele Martinez and David Benavides, participated in the groundbreaking ceremony. Continue reading→

Meet Angels Pitcher Ernesto Frieri at Eco Challenge e-waste Event at the Cube

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Baseball, Entertainment, Environment, Youth Activities Leave a comment

Meet Angels Pitcher Ernesto Frieri at Eco Challenge e-waste Event at the Cube
Discovery Science Center e-waste collection also offers four free general admission* tickets to the Cube

SANTA ANA, Calif. (August 27, 2013) – Exclusive “home run” incentives are available to those who bring e-waste to Discovery Science Center (DSC) on Saturday, September 7, 2013 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. E-waste participants will receive up to four (4) same day general admission* tickets to DSC and have the chance to meet Angels pitcher Ernesto Frieri.

Sponsored by Discovery Science Center, the County of Orange, Goodwill of Orange County, and Angels Baseball, this special collection event invites participants to use their DSC admission* tickets to visit the Eco Challenge exhibit and learn how they can make Orange County a cleaner and greener place to live and play. The exhibit features three hands-on, interactive exhibit areas: Discovery Market, Race to Recycle and Eco Garage. To learn what e-waste will be accepted click here. Continue reading→

The Santa Ana PBID tax may finally go away after next year

Posted on August 7, 2012 by Art Pedroza Posted in Business, Carlos Bustamante, Civic Affairs, Claudia Alvarez, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, Taxes 5 Comments

In the end the Santa Ana PBID tax may finally die – but it won’t be because our City Council had the guts to get rid of it. Instead it is on its last legs because some Council Members are on vacation, others cannot vote on PBID matters due to conflicts of interest, and Council Member Carlos Bustamante is refusing to attend public sessions of the City Council, according to the O.C. Register.

It is too bad our City Council did not have the guts to get rid of the PBID outright. And it is sad that the Downtown businesses are going to get stuck paying this tax again for another year. But I do hope that this will prove to be the end of the PBID. Continue reading→

UPDATE: City Council places Mayoral term limit measure on the Nov. ballot

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2012 Elections, Carlos Bustamante, Civic Affairs, Claudia Alvarez, David Benavides, Democratic Party, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 30 Comments

UPDATE: A four member city council voted tonight to unanimously put to the voters a four term limit of 2 years each for the office of Mayor.

I can understand why the Santa Ana City C0uncil Members are upset at Mayor Miguel Pulido. Let’s face it – he has been running circles around them for almost 20 years. But he is now dealing with a Council that, for the most part, he did not elect. He opposed Sal Tinajero and Michele Martinez when they first ran for the City Council. He did create David Benavides, but when Vince Sarmiento was appointed to the Council, to replace Jose Solorio, he was already his own man. Unlike Benavides, he was a polished product and a guy most people respected. Who would have forseen two Pulido allies going down in flames – Carlos Bustamante’s own alleged misbehavior did him in, and Claudia Alvarez could not undo the term limits she helped create. Now Pulido, like Julius Caesar, is surrounded by short swords and although we are headed into August, it might as well be the Ides of March.

Back in Pulido’s heyday, he and former City Manager Dave Ream knew how to work this bunch. Once they got elected, they would be warmly welcomed, even if they had initially been opposed. Commission appointments would be handed out like Halloween candies and just like that Council members would be subverted. But Ream is gone and so is his magic bag of redevelopment – and now even the developers that lived high on the hog in our town for so long are slinking to the Council’s side. Continue reading→

Exclusive: Emails from one of Bustamante’s alleged lovers

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Art Pedroza Posted in Carlos Bustamante, Orange County, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana 42 Comments

Editor’s Note: Santa Ana Council Member Carlos Bustamante has been arrested on multiple felony charges. We are taking this opportunity to bring back a post featuring exclusive emails from one of his alleged lovers.

Carlos Bustamante, an executive manager with the county’s Public Works department and a Santa Ana city councilman, has been placed on paid administrative leave from his county job, the county’s Human Resources director confirmed Thursday. The leave was imposed after the county received an anonymous letter last month detailing allegations of a sexual nature against Bustamante, an executive manager overseeing Public Works’ Facilities and Fleet Services divisions, according to the O.C. Register.

I have known about this since May 19, 2009, when I first started to receive emails from an anonymous lady who claimed that she was having an affair with Bustamante. In her emails, which continued through March of this year, she outlined everything that had gone on between her and Bustamante. Continue reading→

Santa Ana City Council to consider ordinance banning molesters from parks

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Editor Posted in Civic Affairs, Crime, Entertainment, Orange County, Parks and Recreation, Santa Ana, Youth Activities 13 Comments

Men lurking at Santiago Park

Orange County District Attorney Media Advisory
For Immediate Release: May 18, 2012
Contacts:
Susan Kang Schroeder, Chief of Staff, Office: 714-347-8408, Cell: 714-292-2718
Farrah Emami, Spokesperson, Office: 714-347-8405, Cell: 714-323-4486

WHO: Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas and Chief of Staff Susan Kang Schroeder

WHAT: Will attend the Santa Ana City Council meeting Monday in support of enacting a City ordinance to create a child safety zone in city parks to further protect children from registered sex offenders. This will be the first reading of the ordinance. The Council will discuss whether Santa Ana should enact a City Ordinance similar to the County Ordinance proposed by Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas and Supervisor Shawn Nelson (Fourth District) and passed unanimously by the Orange County Board of Supervisors on April 5, 2011. Continue reading→

Hart announces he’ll run against Bustamante, as O.C.D.A. considers charges

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2012 Elections, Carlos Bustamante, Charles Hart, Republican Party, Santa Ana 4 Comments

Remember Charles Hart (pictured above, on the left)? He ran for Mayor of Santa Ana in 2010, and lost, badly, when his Usual Suspect allies turned on him at the last minute. They ended up voting for Al Amezcua, who got his tail kicked, despite spending a small fortune, by longtime Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido.

Hart has posted an article ripping the Santa Ana City Council, over on the new OC Political blog, because they voted to develop a Climate Action Plan to help improve the environment.

Hart also let slip, at the end of his article, that he is a candidate for the Santa Ana City Council. Hart lives in Santa Ana’s Ward 3, which is currently represented by Council Member Carlos Bustamante, who used to work for the County of Orange, until allegations of sexual harassment compelled him to resign. The Voice of OC reported today that Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas is now reviewing the matter. Bustamante is clearly toast. Continue reading→

Did O.C. Supervisor Bill Campbell hire gay basher Laura Cunningham?

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Jobs, Orange County, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana 3 Comments

Mrs. Jerbal is back!

Chisme has it that O.C. Supervisor Bill Campbell has hired a new Chief of Staff – gay basher Laura Cunningham! You may remember that she was the “Hispanic Outreach Director” for the Yes on Prop. 8 campaign – the ballot measure that made gay marriage illegal here in California.

We know now that Prop. 8 was cynically designed by Republican consultants so as to create votes for their presidential candidate at the time, John McCain. Well, it was an epic fail. Blacks and Latinos voted for Prop. 8 – but they voted for Obama, not McCain. Continue reading→

When will Santa Ana act to keep sex offenders out of our local parks?

Posted on October 18, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Orange County, Parks and Recreation, Public Safety, Santa Ana, Youth Activities 9 Comments

Men lurking at dusk at Santa Ana’s Santiago Park

UPDATE: The City of Mission Viejo is also considering a new ordinance banning registered sex offenders from their parks, at their City Council meeting tonight. Click here to read the press release, from the O.C. District Attorney’s office.

The City of Los Alamitos enacted tonight a law to create child safety zones to protect children from registered sex offenders in city parks and playgrounds, according to an O.C. District Attorney press release. The O.C. Board of Supervisors passed a similar measure in April of this year. Click here to read about that.

When is the City of Santa Ana going to pass a similar motion? It is a well known fact that perverts congregate nightly at Santa Ana’s Santiago Park. Continue reading→

Could alleged tampering with witnesses be Bustamante’s downfall?

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Carlos Bustamante, Orange County, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana 3 Comments

The Voice of OC reported on Sep. 16, that Santa Ana Councilman and County of Orange Public Works Administrator Carlos Bustamante, “who first began working at the county in 2000, was placed on administrative leave this week after county officials received what they considered credible reports that he was talking to potential female witnesses in the probe, sources confirmed Friday.”

The Voice of OC also reported that “The feeling among senior officials in the county administration is that Bustamante will not return to work for the county, according to sources close to the investigation.”

I heard yesterday from a source that has connections both at the County of Orange and at Santa Ana’s City Hall. She said that her sources were telling her that Bustamante is ultimately going to be charged with tampering with witnesses, which means that the senior officials who talked to the Voice of OC are correct – Bustamante is likely toast. Continue reading→

Bustamante and the County could face big fines if harassment charges stick

Posted on September 18, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Carlos Bustamante, Orange County, Santa Ana 2 Comments

What penalties does Santa Ana Councilman Carlos Bustamante face – if the harassment charges against him stick? Well, the bad news for him is that the harassment penalties in California are the toughest in the nation – and he could face big fines – but the County of Orange could be on the hook for even bigger penalties, as his employer.

Here is an explanation of what constitutes sexual harassment, in California, from an online legal source: Continue reading→

Bustamante appears to be finished, as allegations of sex at work surface

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Carlos Bustamante, Orange County, Santa Ana 7 Comments

“The initial inquiry into Bustamante’s behavior was prompted by an anonymous letter to county officials received after a female employee allegedly walked in on Bustamante and another female employee having sexual relations in a conference room,” according to the Voice of OC.

Remember that Bustamante has a degree in H.R. He knew better than to engage in such behavior in the workplace, but he did it, allegedly, anyway.

I am hearing from insiders at the City of Santa Ana and the County of Orange that Bustamante has been under investigation for a long time – perhaps as long as three months – and that it finally got to be too much for his biggest supporter, Assistant County CEO Rob Richardson, to cover up. Continue reading→

Santa Ana Political Chismes: Did Nguyen prod Bustamante to attack Alvarez?

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2012 Elections, Carlos Bustamante, Claudia Alvarez, David Benavides, Janet Nguyen, Orange County, Santa Ana 12 Comments

When Santa Ana Councilman Carlos Bustamante ran for reelection, in 2008, he was fully supported by Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez. In fact he even sat next to her during the campaign debates – and she would help him with what to say as he was usually over his head.

Why then did Bustamante turn on Alvarez this week – and try to use the Code of Ethics to remove her from the position of Mayor Pro Tem, and from the OC Water Board?

An insider I know, who is about a third-tier member of the Usual Suspects, confided to me yesterday that the reason that Bustamante turned on Alvarez is simple – Supervisor Janet Nguyen put him up to it. Continue reading→

County of Orange Redistricting Committee meeting on May 12

Posted on May 10, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2012 Elections, Elections, Entertainment, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

There will be a meeting of the County of Orange Redistricting Committee this Thursday, May 12th at 2:00 p.m., at the Hall of Administration, in the Public Board Hearing Room, which the public is welcome to attend. The agenda can be found at:

http://egov.ocgov.com/vgnfiles/ocgov/OCGOVPortal/docs/RA05122011.doc

More information about the County’s Redistricting efforts can be found at:

http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Government/Redistricting

Here is the Meeting Agenda:

REGULAR MEETING OF THE REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE

ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

Thursday, May 12, 2011, 2:00 P.M.

BOARD HEARING ROOM, FIRST FLOOR
333 W. Santa Ana Blvd., 10 Civic Center Plaza
Santa Ana, California

ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS: (Items 1 – 2)

At this time, members of the public may ask the Committee to be heard on the following items as those items are called.

1. Update on status of redistricting process

2. Approval of locations and times for May 26, June 9, 16 & 23, 2011 Redistricting Committee meetings

PUBLIC & COMMITTEE COMMENTS:

At this time members of the public may address the Redistricting Committee on any matter not on the agenda but within the jurisdiction of the Committee. The Committee or Chairman may limit the length of time each individual may have to address the Committee.

PUBLIC COMMENTS:

COMMITTEE COMMENTS:

ADJOURNMENT

NEXT MEETING:

May 26, 2011 TBA (time and location to be approved as part of Item 2)

Navigating public policy in Orange County

Posted on February 22, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Entertainment, Orange, Orange County, Politics Leave a comment

Navigating Public Policy in Orange County

A two day institute of major leaders for currently serving elected officials who wish to be effective policy leaders, on Feb. 24 and 25, from 8 am to 5 pm each day.

The event will be held at the Care Ambulence Facility, at 1517 West Braden Court, in Orange.

Earn credit towards the ACC-OC Public Policy Academy Certification!

Presentations by Orange County Agencies:

OCTA, OCBC, SCAG, OCCOG, LAFCo, MWDOC, OCWD, BIA, OC Tax, OCFA, AQMD, OC Waste & Recycling, OC Sanitation, County of Orange, Urban Land Institute and OC Children’s & Families Commission

Workshops include:

Bond Financing, Leadership and Public Finance, Working with your City Clerk, Bargaining Unit Basics, Pensions Panel, Redevelopment Agencies plus AB1234 Training.

Featured presenters:

Blake Anderson, Tom Mauk, Dave Morgan, Tim Shaefer, Shalice Tilton, representatives from UBS and TIA Creft, Peter Buffa, Lucy Dunn, Will Kempton, Reed Royalty, Michael Ruane and much more!

Free for ACC-OC Members

$100.00 for non-members

Register Today!

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