Tue. Dec 10th, 2024

Joining the Occupy movement was a very bad idea for Santa Ana’s artists

“A core group who’ve been in the Santora for years are growing increasingly worried that building owner Mike Harrah will push them out as rents in Santa Ana’s gentrifying downtown move upward,” according to the Voice of OC.

I met with many of these artists back before they formed  a group called the Artists Village Alliance of Santa Ana (AVASA).  I had advised them to join together and represent their community with a unified voice.  Unfortunately, AVASA quickly was taken over by the most radical of the downtown artists – and they stupidly got involved with the Occupy movement.

Today the artists have no voice – and it is their own damn fault.  Attacking Harrah continues their stupidity as he has no contractual reason to keep the artists who are not paying their rent.

If the artists cannot make money then they need to go out of business.  That is just too bad – but the people of Santa Ana have already spent millions on the formation of the Artists Village.  Our city is broke and their are no more handouts to be had – and Governor Jerry Brown got rid of redevelopment agencies.

These same artists have opposed Downtown Inc., a non-profit that oversees the expenditure of thousands of dollars that are captured from downtown Santa Ana business owners via a property tax assessment called the PBID.  But Downtown Inc. is now the only organization left that can spend money in the downtown area.

The artists should have listened to me.  It is too bad that they got caught up in issues that really don’t matter.  Now they are scrambling for political access, but our Council Members know darn well that these artists are affiliated with failed Santa Ana mayoral candidate Al Amezcua.  Why should anyone on the City Council give them the time of day?  I wouldn’t.

In fact this unwashed rabble is now promoting the far left union hack Julio Perez for the 69th Assembly District, and opposing the leading candidate for that seat, Santa Ana Councilwoman Michele Martinez.  Again, a very stupid choice.

You can read more about what these artists are demanding, over at the Santa Ana Sentinel blog.  They can demand all day, but until they stop attacking our City Council and reconsider their alliances with political wannabes like Amezcua and Perez, they are going to remain without a voice at Santa Ana’s City Hall, and it is their own damn fault.

author avatar
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.

By 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.

11 thoughts on “Santa Ana’s artists have only themselves to blame for their problems”
  1. Did you read the letter to the council? You are again spinning your own agenda here. In fact..we did reach out the city last year and you were present..when Cindy Nelson denied such contract..you were the one that had that on the record. Also who ever said we alligned with Amezcua..You are making up stuff as you go sir..can you prove that? Also we have reached out to Downtown Inc and have started open conversations..your post is not well researched..Also the city council supported Occupy by sending a letter to congress of official support for the movement. We don’t have any political affiliations with Perez either..now everyone is an individual and will vote accordingly but as a group we are NOT endorsing any candidate..please do some research and at least reach out to some of us before you post such inaccuracies this post is just appalling. Last post you had about artist by Sean Mill was taken down because of the gross misinterpretation of the facts..lets not go there again..
    For real reporting see the Voice of Oc article posted today on this issue.

    1. Correct me if I am wrong Alicia, but didn’t you support Amezcua and aren’t you supporting Perez? And weren’t you involved in Occupy? Your group is not formalized and as far as I know has no website. As such the actions of each of you individually stand for themselves. Our Council knows full well where you stand. You are constant critics of our Council and now you want help? Good luck with that.

      Nelson by the way is GONE – blown out by our Council majority. As usual none of you have given this Council credit for cleaning house, including dumping Ream and Nelson.

      Our Council may have sent out a letter regarding Occupy but they wisely shut down attempts to ruin our downtown with overnight protests. Millionso of dollars were wasted in cities all over CA, including Oakland, SF, Fresno and LA, because of the lame Occupy movement. Thank God our Council was smart enough to avoid that.

      I read the VOC article – it is whiny as usual. You guys chose to be antagonists. Now you have to sleep in the bed you made.

  2. Again we have no political affiliations as a group! You are good at spinning things.

    And the City Council has reached out to us because they are in support of our vision..so correcting you again.

    Are you just bitter because we didn’t let you join our party? no sellouts allowed.

  3. Hey Admin. I am an artist. I like Pulido (most of the time, except when he walks out on my friends at city council meetings).
    He Likes Art. Why would anybody object to that? He also said on his election night that he was going to continue to be a firm supporter of the Artists Village. I hope that he didn’t just think that meant that he could just hand everything over to Downtown Inc. and then call it a night. right? Art Appreciation can not be subcontracted out! It is a hands on, heart-full commitment. I look forward to the day I see Pulido back in the Artists Village again. I’ll give him a big hug for you and me. Peace. Occupy the Art World! (Google it), Occupy it all. Before it all goes to Hell.

    1. Pulido is a huge backer of the arts and he is a musician. Yet many of your colleagues supported Amezcua. Fail! You guys have to figure out how to become financially solvent. No one is going to bail you out.

  4. Pulido answers to no one.. He walks out or times he never shows up to the Council meetings. You need to stroke his Ego and support him or he’ll turn and leave you behind. He’s a Poiltican.. You believe what he says.. Then don’t get your hopes up..

  5. Pulido doesn’t answer to the voters, he answers to those that give money to his campaign.

    And if you are on the city council, if a resident or a business owner, regardless of how bad their business many be, you should do the right thing and hear them out at least. Doesn’t mean that you are going to support them, but it least it shows that you are transparent and you know attempted to talk about that issue in your city.

    For example, not everyone on the city council likes the admin I am sure, however, they will hear him out time after time because he is a blogger in their city. It is the right thing to do and a great example of open access to government.

    If politicos are still holding campaigns against the people that live and own businesses in their city then they should step down, they are in that position because of their good quality leadership, not because we like the way the title sounds to their first and last name.

    Just my thoughts. Be open to those that opposed you before because you never know how they may help you in the future on issues that both of you care about.

    1. Politicians are not perfect. Local politicians hardly make any money serving the public. In Pulido’s case he spends easily over 60 hours a week doing the work of a part time Mayor. He does indeed answer to the voters and in 2010 they overwhelmingly rejected Amezcua, with good reason.

      I have seen Pulido’s daily schedule, more than once. He does indeed meet with those who don’t support him. He is a good guy if you get to know him.

      The artists passed judgement on Pulido without getting to know him – a huge mistake. My advice to the artists is to stop being an angry mob. It seems like they are perhaps finally realizing they screwed up and that is a good first step.

      If you want to get things done in the public arena you are better off putting honey in the spoon – it makes the medicine go down easier. Being angry and bitter gets you NOTHING. Let’s hope the artists figure that out before it is too late.

  6. Admin: “Attacking Harrah continues their stupidity as he has no contractual reason to keep the artists who are not paying their rent.If the artists cannot make money then they need to go out of business.”

    Take out “Harrah” and insert “Chase family”, and you have made my point EXACTLY about many of the poor Hispanic businesses in downtown. I support them, but they need to pay rent or get out. Thank you for using logic for once.

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