It’s bad enough that Santa Ana City Council Ward 5 candidate Roman Reyna is supporting every single tax increase measure on the November ballot. But yesterday he actually was the only City Council candidate to blow off and skip the Candidates Forum hosted by the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce, at the Delhi Center. And to make matters worse, I am told that he was a no show because he feels he has the election in the bag and he doesn’t need to “waste his time” showing up to meet business owners and voters.
Wow. This from a guy who has never held a job in the private sector, as far as I can tell. His last job was at the Santa Ana YMCA and before that he worked at the Santa Ana Boys and Girls Club. Both are non-profits.
To be fair, Reyna apparently no longer works for the YMCA. According to Linkedin, he is now an insurance agent for New York Life. Good for him! But according to his Facebook page he now works for the City of Santa Ana. That is a bit presumptuous isn’t it?
So where does he work? Well, if you click on the “About Me” page on his campaign website what you get is an error. There is no info loaded there.
But when you click on Reyna’s “Issues” guess what? He tells you that he is for transparency but he doesn’t tell you much else. His issues apparently are “Coming Soon.” The election is about a month from now. So when will Reyna tell us about his life and his issues?
Luckily we can find his bio elsewhere. Click here to see what he had to say about himself when he first ran for the Santa Ana City Council, in 2004. Apparently he used to work for the Santa Ana Parks and Recreation Department. But that was years ago, before he worked for the Santa Ana Boys and Girls Club.
So again, this guy has never apparently worked for a private company – until perhaps now if indeed he is working for New York Life. He has however set up volleyball games for the City of Santa Ana’s Parks and Rec Department, the Santa Ana Boys and Girls Club and the Santa Ana YMCA.
Is it any surprise then that Reyna blew off approximately forty business owners last night at the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce Candidates Forum?
One issue that Reyna touted in 2004 was his involvement with Santa Ana’s Neighborhood Associations. Santa Ana is the only city in Orange County that spends hundreds of thousands of dollars subsidizing Neighborhood Associations. But very few of our residents are actually involved in these organizations. I would guess that perhaps half a percentage of our population goes to or has gone to Neighborhood Association meetings. But our taxes are paying for their operation! And we know that Reyna is a big fan of raising our taxes.
So what are we to make of this fellow? He supports the new Santa Ana “Sunshine Ordinance” that labor leaders say will kill jobs – and it will, by stopping development. Part of that new law is “Transparency” but Reyna is not being transparent about who he is or what he wants to do to our city.
You have to wonder if he has what it takes to lead in our city. According to his SAUSD School Board bio “He is working towards a bachelor’s degree in Youth Development from Springfield College in Los Angeles, Calif.” Now I understand getting your degrees as an adult – I did the same. But his opponent already has her degree – and unlike Reyna she has lived outside of Santa Ana, indeed she has traveled the world.
I am talking about Reyna’s opponent, businesswoman Karina Onofre. She has a complete campaign website that includes her bio and the issues she is running on. She is much younger than Reyna but she finished her college degree, at a prestigious national liberal arts college. She has worked in private business since she graduated, in property management. She already knows far more than Reyna does about business – and unlike Reyna she has been at every single Santa Ana Council candidates forum. She is not taking us for granted. Reyna is – and he has not even been elected yet.
What we do know about Reyna is that he is leaving the SAUSD School Board after only one term. He says our young people are important to him but he is abandoning him, so he can climb the political ladder.
Reyna thinks he has victory in the bag. Let’s make sure he is wrong by voting for Onofre, not Reyna, on Nov. 6.
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The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Roman is not very different than his brother Sammy or his sister Smiley. Is she still now smoking medical marijuana?
Roman's sister is named "Smiley"?
What kind of a name is that for a woman?
My favorite name still;
"Pumpkin Ass at Midnight"
Huh Admin?
Sorry man, that medical marijuana is busting my chops.
There is no reason former Santa Ana Gang members or those who have siblings who are gang members can't run for City Council. Some of our best current Councilmembers are former Gang members.
Karina is a good choice for Santa Ana City Council. Both Karina and Cecilia "Ceci" Iglesias will work to empower our Youth to be involved. Ceci served 2 years on the Board of Directors for the Santa Ana Youth Council(WIB) and mentored youth through the Project Together mentoring Program. Vote Karina Onofre for City Council and Cecilia "Ceci" Iglesias for School Board. They are both Latinas who grew up in Santa Ana, Graduated from Santa Ana Public Schools and have the passion to make Santa Ana a better place to live, go to school and work.
Usually, gangs have gained the most control in poorer, urban communities and the Third World in response to unemployment and other services.[62] Social disorganization, the disintegration of societal institutions such as family, school, and the public safety net enable groups of peers to form gangs.[63] According to surveys conducted internationally by the World Bank for their World Development Report 2011, by far the most common reason people suggest as a motive for joining gangs is unemployment.[64]
Ethnic solidarity is a common factor in gangs. Black and Hispanic gangs formed during the 1960s in the USA often adapted nationalist rhetoric.[65] Both majority and minority races in society have established gangs in the name of identity: the Igbo gang Bakassi Boys in Nigeria defend the majority Igbo group violently and through terror, and in the United States, whites who feel threatened by minority rights have formed their own groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan. Responding to an increasing black and Hispanic migration, a white gang called Gaylords formed in Chicago.[66]
It is why Reyna elected to be a council candidate. Economic opportunity is the biggest tool to control/eradicate gangs and other social symptoms associated with the above factors researchers listed.
The new Pulido independent majority council and candidates like Reyna understand this better than the past 18 year Pulido controlled council majority council has.
Brother Mateo said:
"Maybe he(Roman)still has ties to F-troop because he is that loyal?"
Don't you think that F-Troop is over represented on the City Council?
What about the The Lopers, Myrtle Street, 18th Street, and other much smaller Santa Ana gangs that don't have any political representation at all? What is the fairness in that I ask?
Sr. Teonanácatl Ololiuqui says:
October 4, 2012 at 10:35 am
Brother Mateo said:
“Maybe he(Roman)still has ties to F-troop because he is that loyal?”
Don’t you think that F-Troop is over represented on the City Council?
What about the The Lopers, Myrtle Street, 18th Street, and other much smaller Santa Ana gangs that don’t have any political representation at all? What is the fairness in that I ask?
Reply
What is your intended message here? Besides the content being completely false.
Dr. Lomeli,
I suppose living in a MILLION DOLLAR villa in Orange Park Acres, youfind it hard to understand the gang issues facing the city, other than the silly position papers you read and cite.
But, this week at the debates, Randy Barth along with Tom Linnert talked about how along with Fr. Smith of St. Joseph Church and a few others shattered gang life around the civic center (and Minter) area for a time.
This was possible because Mayor Pulido, quietly offered support. He didn't put in on a billboard, didn't use it as fodder. Yet, that's EXACTLY what David does.
Ironic, that Emily Benavides chose Orange to move to when she left her husband because of his repeated infidelity. It's safer than the gang infested street he lives on.
Nice job he has been doing trying to ERASE her address from public records. But, I sent it to the LA TIMES reporter today, along with details of the lease, NOW THATS INTERESTING!
Abolita,
What in the world is your point here?
You seem to be advocating a standard resume to qualify for office. PURSUE IT.
IN THE MEAN TIME VOTERS USE THEIR PERCEPTIONS AS QUALIFIED BASED ON THAT CANDIDATE'S INTEREST IN THEIR BEST INTERESTS.
Roman's sister Denise was given the name "Smiley" because of her big smile. Marijuana induced smile that is. As any F Trooper from El Salvador park.
With over 180 gangs in Santa Ana, I agree with Sr. Teonanácatl Ololiuqui that there isn't enough gang representation on the Santa Ana City Council.
My, my, my. What has become of Santa Ana?
Ask any F trooper....