Remember when Santa Ana Council Member Carlos Bustamante went after his colleague, Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez, after she compared landlord and developer Irv Chases’s business practices to Adolf Hitler’s ethnic cleansing? Well, last week the Orange County Grand Jury found that Alvarez was right about Chase and his friends at Downtown, Inc. – in a report that slammed the Santa Ana PBID tax. And Bustamante? Well he is now rotting in jail after being arrested today on multiple felony and misdemeanor counts.
When Bustamante raises bail he will have quite a few decisions to make – like hiring a lawyer, but eventually he will also have to write his formal letter of resignation. His time on the Santa Ana City Council is done.
I expect that one of our City Commissioners will be named to replace him – perhaps one of the many Planning Commissioners who live in Ward 3. Bustamante’s seat will be available this November in the General Election and his replacement will have a leg up on the rest of the competition.
The last time Bustamante ran for office I kept waiting for the local Democrats to find an opponent to take him out, given that Bustamante was the last Republican on our City Council. But Orange County’s Democratic Party gave him a free pass. I ended up running against him and of course he raised a mint and beat me. Many Democrats ended up helping Bustamante, including Liberal OC blog editor Dan Chmielewski who didn’t contribute to Bustamante’s campaign but did contribute to a hit piece mailer that Red County blog editor Matt Cunningham put together, with contributions from former Assemblyman Van Tran’s cronies, OCEA boss Nick Berardino, Ware Disposal and GOP consultant Michael Schroeder. Yes, Bustamante was helped by a rogue’s gallery of despicable O.C. politicos. Now that he is in jail they all have some explaining to do…
Here are some of the other folks who made Bustamante’s 2008 election possible. This list of endorsers comes from Smart Voter:
Click here to read the rest of this post.
The writer here obviously has an axe to grind with Bustamante, seemingly because he lost an election to him. I can’t speak for the guilt or innocence of Bustamante, but it appears it was a good thing that person who wrote this article did not win his council seat. In addition to integrity, maturity is also an important characteristic needed and expected of our elected officials.
And Carlos is your idea of a politician who exhibits maturity? Really? Amazing.
No, Sir, I did not say that, nor mean to imply that about Bustamante. My comments about maturity, or the lack there of, are about the writer of this article, which I may assume to be you? From what I read in this article, I clearly see an immature, petulant attitude, one who seems gleeful that a school teacher and her 3 children have a devastating family loss situation on their hands as a result of their husband & fathers alleged behavior.
It is well past the time in our hyper polarized society, where we need to rise above the petty political motives of partisan Republicans and partisan Democrats, and start looking out for the betterment of our families, our communities, our state and our country.
Obviously you failed to read the entire post. I did express concern for Bustamante’s family, but keep in mind the fact that HE caused their problems and grief, not I. My wife and I just celebrated 25 years of marriage. I know where my priorities lie.
What Bustamante should do now, for everyone’s betterment, is resign right away.
Of course, he will have to resign. He probably has no choice anyways. You however, do have a choice of how to report or comment on this issue. Maybe it’s time for you to get over your loss to him few years ago. Looks like the seat will now be open this November. You might want to consider being less gleeful (beginning and bulk of your article/commentary), less bitter at losing (central part of your article/commentary), and more mature & compassionate (your very last sentence of your article/commentary).
FYI…for what ever it is worth to you, I am an Independent who leans more and more towards the Democrats. Tks for the dialogue. Take care.
I won’t run again Mark. I only ran last time because the Democrats gave Carlos a free pass and I did not think that was right. Incumbents should be challenged particularly when they are as inept as Carlos has been over the years.
I too left the red and blue parties awhile ago. I am a registered Libertarian but I reserve the right to vote for whomever I want to.
And yes I am gleeful to see this guy busted and finally, hopefully, gone from our Council. He has been a joke of a Councilman, beholden only to special interests. Our residents deserve better. And I am not bitter, just sad that so many of our supposed leaders supported this guy when quite a few of us knew he was trouble.
You obviously are not familiar with my blogging. I have a sense of humor and am not in awe of our elected officials. They are supposed to serve us. When they don’t, they need to go.
Mark Sanders sounds a lot like Matt “Jubal” Cunningham whose wife works for on of Bustamonte’s protectors: OC County Supervisor Bill Campbell.
Matt is famous for deflecting attention away from the issues and the truths can harm his GOP insider crowds. Weather it be pedophile priests raping children or County employees raping suborinates we should be gleeful that Carlos was arrsted and we should be pissed that he was allowed to get away with this.
If someone under his tuteledge acted like this, what does this say about Rob Richardson who is a school board member, what goes on there that we don’t know about?
I am glad Carlos’ life imploded, and except it would allow the others (mentioned) a free pass, I think he should eat a bullet. Thats what cowards like Carlos do. They kill themselves. They prey on weak defenseless women, they embarass people and humiliate them by exposing them.
Plus, I think this guys marriage was over a long time ago. If it wasn’t shame one that broad. Because then she’s a bad Mother to boot.
Wow…OCDEM. That’s pretty sick dude, wishing someone would kill themselves. What is all this bitterness about? I sure hope you are NOT an elected official, but I am afraid maybe you are, and are hiding behind a screen name. Dude…that is really sick to wish someone to commit suicide. His kids still have a father.
I, nor anyone in my family dont work for any public offices or public employees. My disdain for most elected officials does not favor either political party. You my friend, need to grow up and learn some maturity AND some courage, and be willing to state your true name, rather than saying vile things while hiding behind a generic screen name. THAT is cowardice!
Claudia LOVES to see other people go down. It helps her feel better about the lies she continues to tell, her racist remarks, and condecending manner of speaking to people. Her conversation with the city attorney last night during the city council meeting was a fine example of Claudia’s rude, self-important attitude that has no place sitting on the city council.
I cannot wait until she is GONE!
Mature?
How about RAPING WOMEN some were teenagers!?
There is no need for civility when talking about Carlos and his supporters.
More than twenty women lives ruined and you ask for “maturity”. Since guys like Bustomante are to self centered to pull the trigger, he’ll have to settle for his own torture in Corcoron. i can only hope it is painful and repeated many times.
You can take your pius attitude and bake Busty a cake.
NEVER DID I SAY OR IMPLY THAT I APPROVE OF HIS ACTIONS! You might, I do not! Try reading.
In my opinion, Bustamente was set up by Alvarez, who finally had him arrested on the alleged “rapes.” Grown women at work would never wear little skirts especially if they so trully feared a manager hitting / flirting with them. It’s so obvious if foul happened, that they were in on it, and conceded in exchange for raises, or climbing the ladder with sex.
Alvarez is OUT for me.
Bustamante is OUT for me.
WE DESPERATELY NEED FRESH NEW BLOOD IN THAT CITY COUNCIL
WE Dont need guys like Roman who are looking at their responsibilities to the city as a Stepping sToNe.
WE NEED GENUINESS, TRUE SERVITUDE WELL DESERVED TO OUR STARVING COMMUNITY. My vote will be for that new girl, Karina Onofre. She’s inspiring. Read about her: karinaonofre.com
I have been reading about Karina, and just recently met her, she is full of ideas, passion and high energy. Now, with her billboard up on Main st, that girl means business. She’s got my vote too.
“she is full of ideas”……. Hmmmmmmmm
So was Martinez for about day and half on the council.
“In my opinion, Bustamente was set up by Alvarez”……. Hmmmmmm
Alvarez is too stupid to accomplish that unless the alleged victims were her working girls.