Have Benavides and Sarmiento been secretly coordinating their attack on Walters?

Apparently Council Member David Benavides called the Santa Ana City Clerk, Maria Huizar, this Friday, in the morning at about 10 am, to instruct her to add an item to the agenda for the Council meeting set for this coming Tuesday, regarding the review of Santa Ana’s City Manager Paul Walters.  Click here to contact Huizar if you would like to confirm this.  You may also call her at 714.647.6520.

About a half hour later his colleague, according to my sources, Council Member Vince Sarmiento, made the same call, using the same language, to Huizar.

Later that day, at about 3 pm, Mayor Pro Tem Sal Tinajero reportedly called with the same message but he also instructed the Huizar to revise the agenda item to include the possible dismissal of Walters.

Then Benavides and Sarmiento each supposedly called Huizar again to also ask her to include the exact same language regarding Walter’s possible dismissal.

Finally, at 4:58, Council Member Michele Martinez is purported to have called Huizar too – with the very same language and agenda item request.

So here is the question – how did all of these Council Members arrive at the same action and end up using the same language, with regard to the agenda item in question, if they weren’t secretly – and illegally – coordinating their actions?

The Brown Act allows for limited interactions between the Council Members – but the Council majority appears to be acting in clear violation of the Brown Act.

I am told that the lot of them, and then Council candidate Roman Reyna, also gathered at Sarmiento’s home last year, right before the Council election filing deadline, to has out who was going to be their chosen candidate to run against Mayor Miguel Pulido.  You may recall that at the time both Tinajero and Benavides had pulled papers to run for Mayor.

Supposedly the President of the Santa Ana Police Officers Association (SAPOA), John Franks, was at that meeting and he reportedly pledged to back the consensus mayoral challenger – who turned out to be Benavides.  I am told that Martinez then promised the sun, moon and the starts to Franks and his union.  Franks was true to his word – but Benavides got his butt kicked by Pulido on Nov. 6.

I am shocked that Sarmiento would risk losing his law license by allegedly engaging in these blatant Brown Act violations.  In fact I am told that many letters are on the way to the FPPC and the O.C.D.A., requesting an immediate investigation of this crew.

In the end this is what it probably all boils down to.  The Council majority seems to have gotten in bed with the police union and now that union’s contract is up for consideration.  The City of Santa Ana is broke but remember that Tinajero, at a campaign debate two years ago, said then that we would eventually have to think about raising our taxes, via a citywide assessment, to pay for the cops.

Walters is standing in the way of the Council majority.  They allegedly promised a big, irresponsible raise to the police union and Walters is not going to let them bankrupt our city.  So he has to go – even if doing this results in a Council recall election.

Santa Ana Spring?  No.  Just a bunch of witless, greedy politicians who want more power and will wreck anyone who stands in their way.  It might however be time for a REAL Santa Ana Spring.  These ridiculous Council members clearly must go!  The revolution starts at Tuesday’s Council meeting…

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

  • Admin,

    Looks like Gattis RIPPED Dr. Lomeli and his cabal too. Aparantley it was uncovered that Lomeli is in DC in a $2,000 per night hotel, no problem, but not exactly in line with main stream Santa Ana.

    Ol' henry was right when he said Lomeli is just another GREEDY REPUBLICAN looking get rich off the working poor (and the State Of California's generousity). Maybe it's time to ask the state to investigate him.

    The Lawyer the Dentist, the Political Activist from East LA.

    Check out the post, It will have the good doctor and his alter ego's going nut's.

    But, just like when I shut down Andrew Galvin and called Julio Perez out for his lies, these losers will not answer any questions to the voters, instead they'll serve their out of town MASTERS, who bankroll them.

    We'll see how this plays out Tuesday.

  • I recall that some items have been put on the agenda Jointly bay 3 council members who were listed in that agenda item.

    So I do not know what you talking about.

    Usually the item was put together last netting and would be written in the minutes they agreed on Dec. 27, 2012.

    I think that you do not understand how it works.

  • It occours to me that someone needs to ask each member directly at Tuesday's meeting. FORCE THEM TO LIE.

    Of course they will refuse to answer, just like Benavides did when confronted with his infidelity.

      • Your problem is admin that you are lacking necessary intelligence and always shoot your self into your foot.

        If they would be coordinated they would not call separately.

        The reason why they called separately is because they did not talk to each other and simply were acting on their own behalf.

        There is no language published in the close meeting 1C item.

        So how do you know that the language was identical.

          • Sure!

            I don't think that clerk can tell me what language is in 1C and what is published is standard protocol which can't be stated differently.

            Liars always forget their lies.

          • But we haven't forgotten why you hate Walters. It is not his fault you were arrested. That's on you Fiala.

          • He killed mother in front of her crying child and never condemn that. He is evil coward and he has no clue how to manage city.

          • That mother endangered her child. The police did what they are trained to do when someone chooses to drive at them.

          • Please familiarize yourself with the court evidence before you start lying. Same crapola COPs presented in the of January 11, 2013 murder and pictures clearly shows car being boxed in next to sidewalk and driver was soot from the side. Keep lying!
            Walters must go! [Emphases added]

  • After brunch,
    Alvarez called Amescua and suggested that it might be best to fall ill right before the next council meeting.

    • Alvarez would never side with this lame Council. And Amezcua won't either. Wishful thinking on your part.

    • This has nothing to do with imperfection and everything to do with greed and corruption. As an Occupier you ought to be aghast. Compromised you are.

  • They say FOLLOW THE MONEY.

    Well, look at what's transpired, you have a bunch of people who stand to gain financially by Benavides, Martinez and Renya's actions (The other two have real jobs). These forces, Rich developers, Public Unions and Downtown business owners stand to gain by whoring out the council.

    That's just what they've done.

    under the guise of transparancy, they are going to turn the city into Bell.

    Benavide's can't manage his marriage, Reyna is a closeted homosexual who can't come out for political reasons and Martinez, an admitted gang member and drug dealer (did she get 'jumped out", thats the only way out of F TROOP).

    Three people with incredible personal flaws that they lied to cover, are now taking the next step.

    This is real and happening NOW. This is not a fantasy, this is BELL ALL OVER AGAIN. This is the Santa Ana police union leveraging David Benavides and his UNDEREDUCATED followers.

    THERE IS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AT STAKE.

  • I am compromised. Almost as compromised as you.
    We need an impartial observer to show us the light.
    Angie!
    We need Angie to show us the light!

  • Angie could be the answer we are all looking for.

    Unfortunately she is SPEECHLESS and ABSENT so far.

    That's weird on a whole other level.

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