Los Amigos?
Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido easily defeated Alfredo Amezcua, back in November. But, for whatever reason, Amezcua’s supporters are still grousing about this – even though everyone else has moved on. This Wednesday, Jan. 5, a group of them are holding a press conference – in Anaheim, at a German restaurant, to complain some more.
Los Amigos of Orange County (which is based in Anaheim) used to be about civil rights and fighting racism. Now they are attacking their fellow Latinos. And what exactly is their beef, you ask? Well, here is what they intend to talk about at the press conference:
- They are upset because former City Attorney Joe Fletcher, who resigned recently, is leaving with a huge severance package. Well, Los Amigos is a bit late to this one. The contract with Fletcher was negotiated with the Santa Ana City Council – way back in 2002. Who was on the Council back then? Lisa Bist, Brett Franklin, Alberta Christy, Mike Garcia, Jose Solorio and Claudia Alvarez. Only Alvarez remains today. Maybe Los Amigos can go to Solorio’s Assembly office, which is in Anaheim, and complain about the severance deal he likely voted for?
- They are falsely accusing SAPD Chief Paul Walters of breaking the law. What did Walters do? He recorded a robo-call in support of Pulido, during last year’s campaign. That is not illegal. Apparently Los Amigos have an issue with free speech. What, by the way, did Los Amigos do last year to help Latinos get elected to the Anaheim City Council? Nothing. They did absolutely nothing and no Latino candidates won in Anaheim.
- The Los Amigos complainers are also upset that Mayor Pulido was going to get a finder’s fee for negotiating the sale of a number of state buildings. Guess what? That was not illegal. Ill-advised? Perhaps – but not illegal. And a Judge overturned the deal, killing the sale. Just this week, Gov. Schwarzenegger re-appointed termed-out Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle to the State’s high speed rail commission. A court earlier established that Pringle had a major conflict of interest in serving on that commission. Did Los Amigos complain about that? No. They let that one slide. There was no press conference…
- And lastly, the Los Amigos posse wants to hang the entire Santa Ana City Council because a few of the Council Members accidentally accepted donations from a developer that had business with the city. Guess what? Fletcher approved this! Why do you think he was suddenly retired? He blew it, not the Council!
The real laugher about this press conference is that these guys are making a huge stink two years before the next Santa Ana mayoral election. Will anyone remember any of this two years from now? Of course not! What a giant waste of everyone’s time.
Here is an issue I would like to see Los Amigos look into. Why did Amezcua register to vote at his law office, instead of at his house in the Morrison Park Neighborhood, when he ran for the Rancho Santiago Community College District’s Board of Education? And why, halfway through his term, did he resign that seat? Did he get caught? Why was he not prosecuted for this fraud?
Amezcua worked to recall former SAUSD Trustee Nativo Lopez, who last year was charged with registering to vote at his office in Los Angeles, when he lived here in Orange County. Wow, that is exactly what it appears that Amezcua did! Why did Amezcua get away with it while Lopez is still trying to stay out of jail?
According to Anaheim community activist Duane Roberts, this is not the first time the Los Amigos have looked the other way for a carpetbagger. He told me he personally outed one of them a few years ago, when that guy ran for a school board in Anaheim even though he lived in a mansion in coastal Orange County. Los Amigos didn’t object to that guy’s carpetbagging either – in fact they tried to cover up for him!
I know the Los Amigos members. Many of them are good guys. I am sad that this is the best way they can spend their time – attacking fellow Latinos in Santa Ana. It is ironic that many of the Los Amigos don’t even live in Santa Ana! Their Chairman, Amin David, lives in Anaheim. And they guy they list as being the head of the so-called “Santa Ana Coalition for Better Government,” Dr. Arturo Lomeli, lives in the wealthy Orange Park Acres!
Here is their press release:
PRESS CONFERENCE
WHEN: Wednesday, January 5, 2010
9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
WHERE: Jagerhaus Restaurant, 2525 E. Ball Road,
Anaheim, CA 92806 (Located near the 57 Freeway at Ball Road)
WHY: Orange County Latino organizations ask the Orange County Grand Jury to investigate abuses by top Santa Ana officials, including Mayor Miguel Pulido
WHO: Amin David, Los Amigos of Orange County,
714-758-8090; Dr. Alfonso Alvarez, Rudy Escalante Chapter of American GI Form of the US, 714-605-2544; Zeke Hernandez, LULAC Santa Ana, 714-661-4428; Nelli Kaniski, MANA de Orange County; Francisco Barragan, United Mexican-American Veterans Association and Dr. Arturo Lomeli, Santa Ana Coalition for Better Government.
