When we revealed in an earlier post that Santa Ana City Council candidate Karina Onofre had switched parties and become a registered Republican, some folks in town started pointing fingers. Liberal OC editor Dan Chmielewski, for example, wrote a post wondering “What led Onofre down this path? Could it be a lunch with Santa Ana Council member Sal Tinajero several weeks ago?”
Well, Onofre did meet with Tinajero and he gave her very good advice. He cautioned that she should run for the SAUSD School Board instead. Let’s face it, Onofre is very young and she has no record of working in the community. The voters don’t know her. But they do know SAUSD Trustee Roman Reyna and Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez, the Ward 5 City Council candidates Onofre is hoping to beat.
Did Tinajero turn Onofre into a Republican? No. Chmielewski got it entirely wrong. According to one of my sources, Onofre also met with another Santa Ana City Council Member – Carlos Bustamante, a registered Republican. She met with him before he was arrested and charged with multiple felony sex crime and public theft charges.
Bustamante was the one who advised Onofre to become a Republican – and that is precisely what she ended up doing. It might be the last bit of bad advice that Bustamante dished out before his career hit the fan.
Even if Alvarez is ultimately prevented from running, due to existing term limits, Reyna will have no problem defeating Onofre. Tinajero was right. She really should think about running for the SAUSD School Board – or the Rancho Santiago Community College District’s Board of Education. But honestly, now that we know how she ended up becoming a Republican who in their right mind would vote for her – particularly after she Facebook-friended Costa Mesa City Council Member Jim Righeimer, who is perhaps the one local Republican hated most by O.C. labor?
Labor’s dislike of Righeimer ought to be considered a Badge of Honor. He’s doing all the right things for his city, and especially keeping them from a bankruptcy that would surely occur (that Alan Roeder deserves all the credit for).
I agree, but allying with Riggy won’t get Onofre many votes in Santa Ana.
Despite all the angst, Righeimer’s doing OK in Costa Mesa. He’s winning more than he’s losing and he’ll get his Charter despite the behind-the-scenes scheming via the OCEA and their now fired City Clerk.
He’s got the support of the party and over time, you’ll see Santa Ana need to do many of the same things that Costa Mesa is ‘piorneering’ now. His OCEA opposition, cubical monkeys and broom pushers, are led by an overpaid buffoon.
Overpaid buffoon? You mean this guy? LOL!
Take a look at the past “rising Latino GOP stars” that have been hyped by the press and the Repuglicans.
Gaddi Vasquez was hot for a while until he got fingered for not seeing the bankruptcy coming. I see he’s got his no-show job back with Edison — they know how to showcase their minority managers. And of course, there’s Busty, who’s next career will be in prison, not providing for his family and raising his children (although the latter might be a blessing).
The local GOP needs a female heroine to replace the two turds mentioned above. Maybe it’s a good move — there are no known, popular Latinas in the party (forget Coronado, she’s lost two races and is dumber than a box of rocks), so she could grab some spotlight. We can already see she’s damned good looking, so if she can talk, has a nice family history and no skeletons in the closet, it could be a good move to jump parties.
Give her a break before you start pounding on her.
“But honestly, now that we know how she ended up becoming a Republican who in their right mind would vote for her”…….. Hmmmmmm
When I was distributing Martinez’s brochures door to door to 403 units in my association last month, sometimes I have bumped into the people before I was able to hang the brochure on the door.
Majority ask me if she is republican or democrat. After I answer Democrat they refused to take the brochure.
In addition the republican in that race got more than anyone of the 3 democrats, one heavily sponsored by the unions.
Sometimes Art, you speak your anger at the republicans rather than the facts. It is Democrats who you should be angry about.
As you know Stanley I am a registered Libertarian. I place little faith in the red and blue parties.
That said, most voters in our city are Democrats. There are also a lot of Decline to State voters.
City council is nonpartisan and people rely do not care.
The assembly is something else.
In south it was democrats who were lynching black and joined KKK yet blacks are kissing ass to democrats.
Latinos too got punished by Obama more than by Bush and they too are kissing his ass
I do not know why.
It may be non-partisan but believe me the red and blue parties get very much involved in the process. In fact the Democrats usually will open a campaign office in Santa Ana during presidential elections. Usually their top candidates will have offices nearby the party office. Walking will be coordinated. And the two parties will typically create a mailer or a walk piece touting their endorsed candidates, local and legislative.
Labor is also a huge factor in Santa Ana. They usually back Democrats, but not always. Onofre’s friendship with Baugh and Righeimer pretty much guarantees no labor support for her.
Obama did double deportations, but Romney thinks immigrants should deport themselves. I am voting for Gary Johnson, the Libertarian nominee for President. As Governor of New Mexico he was friendly to immigrants and he delivered state budgets on time without raising taxes. In fact he slashed spending…
“Bustamante was the one who advised Onofre to become a Republican – and that is precisely what she ended up doing”…….. Hmmmmmmm
If Carlos would masturbate is little penis in front of me I too would change from my libertarian party to communist one.
You’re forgetting about the Latino GOP’s girl in Santa Ana.
Theresa Perez Arzate Ynzunza Martinez.
She’s on one of Supervisor Janet Nguyen’s commissions for the hispanic community. Wouldn’t she be a good candidate?
There’s a blast from the past! Is she still around?
No way she could afford the yard signs.
I am getting my hair styled this afternoon to go register with the city clerk. should I still register as a Republican or do I now have to challenge her as a Democrat? New Santa Ana needs equal domination of both ends of political spectrum.
You could always go with the Green Party.
Loretta Sanchez says she wants Admin’s final advice before she makes that last decision for me.
The only candidate Sánchez has succeeded in getting elected is her sister Linda.
And FYI, both the Sanchez sisters married white defense lobbyists…
You mean the only Democrat she has succeeded at getting elected is her sister don’t you? Are you saying that I need to marry a white defense lobbyist in order to further my career? por que? You better start looking for me. I have to make some phone calls.
According to her Facebook page, she lives in Los Angeles now with her 3rd husband.
Maybe Janet Nguyen can convince her to move back to Santa Ana.
I am still reeling from the fact that the Liberal OC blew it!
Geeze didn’t they just win a contest or something?
Joe Hill………
Where are you?
WHO are you?
JUBAL REINCARNATED?
WHO IS JOE HILL AND WHY DOES HE BLOG AT WORK?