The Santa Ana Council Majority has placed an item, 1C, on the agenda for the next Council Meeting, on Jan. 22, that reads:
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE AND/OR
POTENTIAL DISMISSAL/RELEASE pursuant to Government Code Section
54957(b)(1)
Title: City Manager
This is it folks. They are going to move to fire our City Manager, Paul Walters. They apparently did not learn a thing from the last Council meeting, on Jan. 7, when dozens of local residents and business leaders, including OCTA Chairman Greg Winterbottom, SAUSD Trustee and Local Attorney Jose Hernandez, and Com Link Chair Evangeline Gawronski, ripped them a new one for threatening to fire Walters. Imagine how many folks will turn out for next week’s meeting?
Council Members David Benavides and Angelica Amezcua were absent last time and Michele Martinez left early. This time presumably they will all be there. Last time Council Member Vince Sarmiento and Mayor Pro Tem Sal Tinajero had no comment. Will the cat get their tongues again?
No one has as of yet offered up a good reason to fire Walters. That is because there is no foundation to do so. By firing him, the Council majority will return him to the SAPD, where he will once more serve as the Chief of Police. However they will likely name Santa Ana Parks and Rec Agency Director Gerardo Mouet as the interim City Manager and he will be able to dismiss Walters from his post at the SAPD as well.
In the end we the voters will be saddled with a huge settlement that Walters is due, contractually. And we will end up with a lesser City Manager. All of this apparently is being engineered by labor and by a Council majority that has forgotten who they serve, in their rush to attack Walters and our popular Mayor, Miguel Pulido.
All Walters did was serve our city. He saved us from a budget crisis, last year, that the Council created. And he drove crime down in our city to levels not seen in decades. He is owed a city statue. Instead the Council majority is fitting him with a noose – in order to punish Pulido. They will be punishing all of us. What next for this foul bunch?
Be sure to show up on Jan. 22 at 5 pm at the next Council meeting. Let’s take a stand for Walters!
Does Gerardo Mouet have a college degree?
Did he graduate college?
Good question. According to this bio: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:kEr4OSEDD-EJ:www.naleo.org/institutes/newly2010/SchoolBoardTrack/2BiosRoster/FACULTYBIOS.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiyWzX07c6cnANbwhrJBAgAaqZwPlbnjtoPdAsTOn5poNkFwJT72wuy3yoxXotxnRFNgm9sOKTC6P7K3SxfUu_hlYj2UxQTlWUsjA7KoiHxHrQPEqulZ6rS_I2j5O6DNJdZ7IXq&sig=AHIEtbR9fsQavn_b7q8J3BGbZe85IfmI-w, he attended a few schools but there is no reference to actually having finished.
This says it all, Art!
Just what Santa Ana needs. A girlie man born and raised in T.J. beholden to the Gang of Five. I hope 1,000 people show up for this meeting. It’s our last chance people. There will be vans available for those who need transportation. Just call your neighborhood leaders or COMMLINK for more information. We must save Paul and we must stop Gerardo and the Gang of Five.
I may be be Catholic, but I’m no Homophobe.
By implying that someone is effeminate in this derogatory fashion “Girlie Man” displays HATE SPEECH. The tone is clearly anti-queer!
Mr Editor, you should moderate such unlawful behavior on a site that advocates for an Officer of the Law. Don’t degrade our Brothers in Blue.
A Fair and Open Hiring Process is not too much to ask for a rising City of 400,000 nestled in one of the hippest counties on Earth. After 32 years under the stewardship of one individual, Santa Ana deserves no less.
If “Girlie’s” homophobic comments are any indication, maybe Santa Ana’s next City Manager should be a GAY man. Given rising demographics in our city, it may be the best option. It might help curb this Homophobic Hatred.
Open the City Manager search up to the best and most open-minded candidate OUT there.
So you want to fire Walters because he’s not gay? That is ridiculous! We don’t need another search nor another City Manager. We already have a great one who was selected unanimously by the Council.
Back in the 1980’s I remember as a kid going with my grandma to protest the city council when Dan Young was Mayor. The city was going to make the entire city of Santa ana a Redevelopment Zone. They were ready to slam it through, just like firing Paul Walters.
My Grandma and others helped pack the Council Chambers and we backed them down and they did not go through with it. They saw the numbers of people there and changed their minds.
Now it’s our generations turn to take control and show this new Gang of 5 that we love Paul Walters and we will not see him fired.
Join hundreds of others on the 22nd. Young people, we have to unite on this and show that we will stand up for what is right and against this brand of political thuggery. See you on the 22nd! Your vote is your voice. Let’s Rock the Vote and speak our minds.
Amen! Stirring words. This is our city. Let’s show them on the 22nd!
Ha ha, Art: Read this on FB. A post inviting people of the city to come to the council meeting:
Do you enjoy yelling at idiots?
Well if you do, come on down to the Santa Ana city council chambers this coming Tuesday, January 22.
The Santa Ana city council is chock full of them!
You don’t have to travel all the way to Washington DC to experience the depravity that ensues when a group of sociopaths are given a modicum of authority.
Here in Santa Ana, we bring the lies and deceit to YOU!
This Council has no idea what they’re in for… This is the stuff recalls are made of…
O.M.G. I saw the best looking Tranny that I have ever seen in my whole life today. Put all the other S.A.women to shame. Crossing 10th and Main. Looking back over his/her shoulder at me while doing the cross walk, with that come hither look. That scenic route is awesome. I know why everybody wants to fight for Santa Ana.
Spoken like a true Orange Hills brat.
“O.M.G. I saw the best looking Tranny that I have ever seen in my whole life today”
Do you mean a supporter of Van Tran?
Open your arms Omar. Let it go.
Look who’s talking. Have you managed to flip Wall Street on its head yet?
Wait until Michele sees the RECALL signs being waved at her when she arrives Tuesday.
I bet she cries!
From the union-funded Voice of OC: http://www.voiceofoc.org/oc_central/santa_ana/article_2065e5cc-6119-11e2-acce-001a4bcf887a.html
Art, How about a Robo-call to all Santa Ana voters from Paul and others alerting them to the meeting? These dirty politicians think nothing of making hundreds of thousands of calls during elections…why don’t we take their tool and use it against them to alert Santa Ana neighbors to what is happening? This is the most important meeting in the history of the city and we must let ALL the people know. I hope someone who understands how these Robo-call work will have them done. Please tell your friends what is happening. I fear the Gang of 5 and their political destruction of the city. I really do.
We need a Robo-call to each and every Santa Ana Voter over the weekend and again on Monday to remind them of th meeting. This is our last hope of saving Paul!
I agree. I believe this may be on the works.
Posters and Banners along Main Street could be eaisly produced by hand and posters:
RECALL MICHELE
MARTINEZ HAS GOT TO GO
“Michele: WHAT’S CHANGED?”
Why is the City Council listening from a Millionare Dentist from Orange Hills? RECALL MICHELE!
We have volunteers working on these now.
“Our Children”?????
I dodn’t know Michele was a parent!
This is akin to Beanvide’s talking about “The Fam”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwtQiiqVBa0
These people are so full of LIES. WAKE UP Santa Ana!
If you want a recall, then targeting one member is a losing direction.
To be meaningful 4 would need to be targeted, and if successful that would leave the mayor and the 2 new members the ability to hand pick the entire council, and that is without the voters input by way of voting for representation.
What should it be? 1 recall for 4 members, one voter count to qualify, all or nothing.
Or, 4 recalls with 4 voter counts to qualify, with each standing alone?
And if the “Potheads” get their initiative over the hump of enough voters signing on to it (Jan. 28), both could be combined into a single election.
The idea is to weaken the colition.
She is clearly the most vulnerable. Renya is too naive and will pivot based on opportunity.
Michele is in a precarious position. Once she is denied the support of David/Sal/Vince she will realize the island she placed herself on and begin to think independently.
This is not an effort to strengthen Pulido, but rater an opportuniy to promote what Santa Ana deserves: representation by ward who follow the desires of the voters, not a cabal under the influence of public employee unions, out of town real estate owners, bloggers and other influential sources.
Michele is an easy target because her history is rich with double speak and stupid comments.
If we wanted to cause harm we’d go after the Benavide’s affair and Tinajero suspension rumors, we are all about a reactive council.
Even you would agree that this is the wrong time for a power play Cook.
“Even you would agree that this is the wrong time for a power play Cook.”
I thought that is what is going on.
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out–
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out–
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out–
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me–and there was no one left to speak for me.
If we let them take out Paul and don’t speak out, one day they will come for every one of us. Make your voice heard this Tuesday, January 22nd!
We need thousands there to voice our support for Paul. Every Man, Woman, and Child, On your feet! March down to city hall this Tuesday. If you love Santa Ana, if you believe in the future for your children here, then bring a friend and show up. It’s our last chance before they take away all that is good and right with the city leadership. Don’t let them take away the most honest man to ever serve our city, Paul Walters.
Be prepared for the Gang of 5 Spin machine to go into overdrive between now and Tuesday. Be ready for this “fallback position”.
Let’s do a National Search to find the best City Manager (They could have done that a few short months ago but did not because they all believed Paul was the best candidate) The city spends Tens of Thousands on the search and puts tool of Gang of 5 Gerardo Mouet in as city manager. A year later, the search completed, the money spent and what do you know, Gerardo is their pick! Big surprise. Gerardo fires Walters and it’s welcome to the city of Bell, I mean South Gate, I mean San Beradino, I mean SANTA ANA!
Does Gerado Mouet have a college degree?
Dr. lomeli, since you are reading this maybe you can answer?
Does he? This is beginning to feel like the Benavide’s affair question?
“if we don’t answer it will go away”
The least they can do as elected representitives is tell the truth.
Gerardo has a high school degree just as Cindy Nelson had only a high school diploma. Ain’t no thang!
Good Morning Dr. Lomeli,
Have gotten the instuctions on what to post today from Azumeca yet. David has the kids this weekend so give him a break. “Daddy’s gonna take us to pancakes”!
When you are ready, you can begin posting your drivel here under your newly minted fake name or at the other place, don’t you realize that the longer you avoid the TRUTH the bigger the lie becomes.
Have a good day!
This meeting ought to be a circus. The council majority is trying to clean up its earlier mistake of hiring Walters – an unqualified choice. Walters has zero qualifications for the city manager position and should never have been hired. But one must ask, what has changed since they hired him? If he was a good choice 8 months ago, what has changed to deem him an imprudent choice now?
This meeting will be a farce on all sides. Hopefully, we can finally get full council to attend (particularly Claudia Alvarez’s stooge, Angela Amezcua aka Angie Oliver, who has chosen not to attend the council meetings). This council must articulate a reason to move on without Walters and the mayor needs to present a case about how the chief is qualified for this position (particularly since the Board of Supervisors chose not to appoint him as Sheriff).
Walters has a Master’s degree in public administration, from USC, and man year’s of success as a Police Chief. He oversaw the construction of our city jail and police headquarters. How is he unqualified?
That said, I agree with the rest of your statements. The Council voted unanimously to hire him. Firing him now is going to cost taxpayers a fortune, for no good reason!
This is the stuff recalls are made of…
Yes, but Walters is really hooked up with the Federal Government and knows how to keep those National Defense funds coming into Santa Ana and Anaheim.
Sanctuary Cities not.
The Federal Government will no longer allow “sanctuary cities” to apply for those multi-million dollar Anti-Terrorism grants.
Thus Santa Ana is not a “Sanctuary City”
How much do all of the individual city council members know about the Santa Ana-Anaheim Police alliance?
Do they know everything? How much do they care?
They are probably put there to not care and only conduct theater.
look forward to more theater.
The Council simply has not indicated that they give a damn about any of this. And you bet that they have signed off on all of it. They will just make a lame excuse that they were not informed by staff.
2007 was when the Federal Government created a Homeland Security bill demanding changes in municipal police relations with their Undocumented Detainees (illegals to some). The Homeland Security- U.A.S.I. Federal Grants that target specific urban municipality areas do not even strictly apply to the confines of cities or counties but rather to joint jurisdictions that over lap city boundaries. Anaheim- Santa Ana ( Anaheimistan).
Can anybody say Theo Lacy Detention Center$$$$$.
Can anybody say Prison Industrial Complex?
Benavides, Tinajero and Martinez were all elected in 2006. Sarmiento was appointed not long after, in 2007, when Solorio moved on to the State Assembly.
What about the state grants that fund the DUI checkpoints that barely catch any drunks but do take many cars away from immigrants who are not allowed to get licenses – although our state is run by Democrats?