Santa Ana Political Chismes: Pulido regains control

Can’t let a rainy day go by without a new edition of Santa Ana Political Chismes, can we?  Church doesn’t start for another hour, so here goes…

  • The Voice of OC recently reported that “As the Santa Ana City Council goes about choosing a new city manager and city attorney — two decisions that will affect the city for years to come — it has become increasingly clear that Mayor Miguel Pulido is not controlling the process.”  Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido has lost control of the Santa Ana City Council, however as it turns out he has actually regained control – in his usual fashion.  He has a solid troika, with Councilmen David Benavides and Carlos Bustamante – and now he can add a fourth vote pretty easily.  What changed?  Well, Sarmiento is getting cold feet about running for the Assembly.  One of the other Council Members is going to run for Solorio’s seat – who exactly is not yet known.  What we do know however is that they will have to play ball with Pulido in order to get the support they will need to proceed to Sacramento.
  • Pulido showed who was in control when he was able to stall the City’s search for a new City Manager.  The other Council Members didn’t like it but his argument made some sense – the city is broke, why not roll with Walters for now?  Pulido got his four votes from what I hear.
  • I am also hearing that the Santa Ana City Council is in the final stages of negotiations with the Latina who is a public school district General Counsel, who has applied to be the next City Attorney.  I hear that she absolutely kicked the tail of the Filipino lawyer from Los Angeles, who in his interviews came off as just another politician.  The Latina knows her stuff and showed it in her interviews.  The other guy was nowhere near as good.
  • The O.C. Register’s watchdog ripped Pulido for missing a few meetings of the OC Great Park, but I liked that Irvine Councilwoman Beth Krom, who chairs the board of the Great Park, supported him, noting that he works very hard behind the scenes to support the Great Park.  That is true.  He can pick up the phone and call U.S. Senators, California Governor Jerry Brown, etc. and get through every time.  I have no doubt that he has been instrumental in getting funding for the Great Park.
  • Well, Santa Ana’s NIMBY’s cost ua a Buffalo Wild Wings, but the O.C. Register is reporting that a Wingstop is opening in Santa Ana next week.  They already have a website up at this link.  They are opening up at 2801 W. MacArthur Blvd., Suite C, at the corner of MacArthur and Fairview in The South Coast Marketplace.  Wingstop offers premium wings in nine flavors.  Can’t wait!
  • The next Santa Ana City Council meeting is this Monday, at 6pm.  I hear it is going to be a doozy. Click here to read the agenda, which notes that the PBID realignment is up for a vote (they pulled in its boundaries); a CUP for Karmina Restaurant; and a CUP for the gay bar, Velvet Lounge.
  • In the agenda for Monday’s meeting note that Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez is really going after the PBID and Downtown Inc.  The rest of the Council though appears to be in support of the PBID modifications.

 

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

  • Obviously, I was right and you were wrong about the new City Manager. It was clear from the beginning that Walters will be the permanent Manager and Chief of Police.

    For your information Pulido did not regain any power!

    Pulido is Walters puppet. Same as legendary John Edgar Hoover, Walters has file on every council member and Pulido and recently shown Pulido what is in it on him, and trojka.

    Pulido must do what Walters orders.

    Now pay attention again Zorro what I will say.

    There is a third antagonist along with Walter and Pulido in this narrative who will spill the beans to become a protagonist.

    • Not so sure of that Stanley. Pulido and Walters have always had a good relationship, but Pulido is the boss, as far as pecking orders go.

      It will be interesting though to see what becomes of the prognostication in your final sentence...

  • The good relationship or good politics?

    Go to the very beginning of Carona's scandal and see who spill the beans and [why]. Wasn't it the best friend of Carona?

    That may give you a clue.

  • "but Pulido is the boss"

    Walters is a sworn officer of the law.

    If as manager he find illegal activity in the council, he would not have a choice, his law enforcement oath comes first.

    • cook,

      No one is arguing otherwise. There is nothing illegal going on in our Council so you have nothing to worry about.

  • Cook,

    Have you fell from your tricycle without waring the helmet again?

    Carona was a sworn officer of the law too!

    So what!

  • Walters and Pulido are making so much money through extorting the medical marijuana dispensaries in Santa Ana :(

  • Art,

    There are about 60 Medical Marijuana Dispensaries in the City of Santa Ana. They are not allowed to conduct business without a business permit/license, obviously. Well, since there are operating without any permission through the city, they are fined excessive amounts of penalties and assessments every month.

    I have spoken with many Marijuana Dispensary owners. Over a dozen of them have announced that in addition to the monthly fees they pay for operating an unlawful business,they are obliged to make an additional pledge/donation to the Santa Ana Police Department and The Santa Ana Fire Department of $1000 respectively.

    The large number of Medical Marijuana dispensaries in Santa Ana is no coincidence. In Comparison to it's surrounding cities, Santa Ana has about 40% more Store Front Marijuana Dispenaries.

    Many of these dispensaries are within a few hundred feet of many public schools in all levels.

  • Well we know that in 1995 Chief Walters was freebasing cocaine in the SAPD lab allegedly to protect children against accidental poisoning during his cocaine sting operations.

    He correctly believed that a pure cocaine is harmless.

  • FYI, information cocaine is not hallucinatory.

    As to factuality of my comment you should ask Chief/Manager and Santa Ana strong man Paul Walters directly.

    Tell him Stanislav Fiala sent you.

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