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!

Art Pedroza Editor
Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.
Art Pedroza

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

View Comments

  • 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!

  • 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.

  • 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!

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