My colleague, Sean Mill, recently extended an invitation to the editor of a local news and entertainment publication to go on a ride-along with Mayor Miguel Pulido, to see some of the great positive things that are happening in Santa Ana. The editor’s response? No, he said, because Mayor Pulido has not yet visited the editor’s girlfriend’s local store. How petty can you get?
Orange Juice blogger Gabriel San Roman topped that yesterday in a truly ridiculous post wherein he slammed the entire Santa Ana City Council because they did not attend a fundraiser for the Breath of Fire theater ensemble. According to San Roman, the Council was invited, in person, to attend the event, but they did not.
Is this guy serious? The City of Santa Ana provides a community calendar, where such events receive free publicity. Events are also featured on the front page of the City’s website. The City of Santa Ana also sends out a regular email newsletter, called Celebrate Santa Ana, that touts such events.
Councilwoman Michele Martinez also promotes these events in her monthly newsletter and on her blog. So does Mayor Pulido, on his blog, and Councilman Sal Tinajero, on his blog.
The reality is that our Council Members and our Mayor are busy people. Most of them have kids. All of them have jobs to do and many of them already serve on numerous charitable boards and civic commissions. Must they attend every event that San Roman wants them to attend, or risk getting ripped?
Expecting our local elected officials to spend all of their free time attending meetings and events is unreasonable. These folks serve our City on a part-time basis. They should be allowed to spend their free time doing whatever they want to.
Latino activists used to complain because the Santa Ana City Council was full of non-Latinos. Now we have an all-Latino City Council and their critics are still unhappy. Nothing will ever please them…
No, Art they are not MEXICAN enough! The council is not showing their ethnocentric side enough. The council is not supporting racist projects enough!
San Roman has a business to develop, it is another racist victim hole! He needs to the city council to support it!!!!!
The council are acting WAY TOO AMERICAN!
So it is, Art…
Gustavo,
I did not quite understand your reply. Please expand.
So what “is”?
Took exactly one week for this blog to become the political mouthpiece for, and defender of, the Council and Mayor…the attack dog against anyone who would deign to question the actions of said Council and mayor.
anon,
What are you talking about? We have been trying to focus on the good things happening in our city for some time. Yes, we will defend the Council from cowardly unfounded attacks. It should be noted that Gabriel is refusing to comment here. Why is that? What is he afraid of? Is he afraid to defend his positions? I can only assume so.
I’ll also come to Gustavo’s defense on this…
To expect that the editor of what is, at least in part and theoretically, an objective investigative newspaper, to come on a propaganda tour with the Mayor of Santa Ana is naive in the extreme.
Saying no isn’t petty…it’s an attempt to maintain journalistic integrity.
anon,
I did not mention Gustavo in my post. Not sure why you are doing so.
That said, for an editor to say no would be fine, I agree. But to say no – BECAUSE Pulido has not visited a girlfriend’s store is indeed petty and it borders on the unprofessional.
anon,
We are here promoting the agenda that will move our city in a new direction for the betterment of all residents. If you have suggestions as to how this can be done we would love to hear them. The “coalition of no” and “NIMBYism” is not the answer.
How objective is it to simply continue to attack the Mayor of the 7th largest city in California and not be willing to sit down and meet with him?
Heck even Fox News would sit down and talk with Obama, Reid and Pelosi is those folks wanted to meet with them.
There is nothing objective about the coverage given to Mayor Pulido and the Council by many of the folks in the local media.
Apparently Mayor Miguel spends his “free time” collecting “finders fees” to the toon of a half million dollars for the sale of state buildings.
Have you any proof of this? Is he breaking any laws? I am guessing that would be a “no” on both counts.
Tom Daly hired a reporter to serve as curator of the OC Courthouse. How do you feel about that?
Pam Keller ran a non profit that benefited from public funds, in Fullerton. What about that? Same goes for Lorri Galloway in Anaheim.
Jordan Brandman works in political lobbying, for his father, and also serves on the AUHSD School Board. Any problems with that?
Jerry Amante is on the Tustin City Council and he too is a lobbyist and government consultant. What of that?
Pulido is an engineer. He is self-employed. He works in the green industry primarily. I don’t have an issue with that. He is a part-time Mayor and he has a family. He has to make a living somehow, doesn’t he?
What do you make of an editor who refused to interview a politician unless that politician visits his girlfriend’s store?
“How objective is it to simply continue to attack the Mayor of the 7th largest city in California and not be willing to sit down and meet with him?”
That’s a very simplistic rendering of what you proposed that Gustavo do with the Mayor. Going for a ride to tour Santa Ana and get Mayor Pulido’s take on all the great things happening in town isn’t something any serious journalist would do.
Sit down with him and interview him for a legitimate news story? Yes. Go on a propaganda tour? No.
Ever heard of Huell Howser? Get him.
anon,
Really? When I spoke to Norberto Santana, at the Voice of OC, he said he had already done this with Mayor Pulido. Are you saying that he is not a real journalist? To the contrary I think he is doing a great job.
BTW, why do you keep mentioning Gustavo? I did not name him in my post. Why do you keep doing so?
Yes, I would say if that Norberto Santana went on a ride through Santa Ana for a propaganda tour with Mayor Pulido, I would call that inappropriate behavior for a serious journalist. Yes. I’m saying that.
As to your second point, please. That was funny though!
anon,
Santana is a fine journalist. Even Gustavo agrees with that notion.
Again, saying no is fine. Whining that the Mayor should go to your girlfriend’s store is way over the top.
I am wondering how the editor was able to piece together several hundred words bashing the KFI guy, but failed to mention that he has been for years (through his OC FLYERS ownership) trying to bring a minor league soccer team to Santa Ana.
One is nearly bad as the other.
LOL! Good catch!