SAPOA President responds to the Register’s Op-Ed against the recall of Councilwoman Iglesias

Editor’s Note – While we do not support the current recall campaign against duly elected Santa Ana City Councilwoman Ceci Iglesias, to be fair we have extended an opportunity to Gerry Serrano, the President of the Santa Ana Police Officers Association, known as SAPOA, to rebut the Op-Ed that recently was published in the O.C. Register regarding the recall.

Truth & Facts: Cecilia Iglesias is unfit for office

By: Gerry Serrano

Recently, the OC Register and other news blogs have posted articles that are very misleading. The articles tend to reduce support for and are slanted against our blue-collar public safety professionals, the very same people that dedicate themselves to protecting and serving our community. The question is why? There are facts to the contrary that should be reported.
Truth be told, Councilwoman Cecilia Iglesias has been ruthless and unethical going back to her days on the Santa Ana Unified School Board. She has attacked teachers and school employees and their respective unions. She has bullied them, and no one has ever stood up to her. That’s newsworthy.

Now, as a Councilwoman, she has become more unethical and her behavior risen to an unacceptable level, verging on criminal. Our elected officials are held to a higher standard. They are not above the law and surely must be held accountable.

Local citizens, thousands of them, initiated a process to recall Ms. Iglesias because Santa Ana is suffering from a housing crisis and she voted no for affordable housing; she supports President Trump’s immigration policies of building a wall and separating children from families at the border; she opposed revenue initiatives supporting after-school programs, homelessness and public safety; and, she posted a video advocating the defunding of the Santa Ana Police Department. Good reasons to question her ability to represent the citizens of Santa Ana. That’s newsworthy.

The Santa Ana Police Officers Association does not take a position on federal immigration policy, but we do advocate and support after-school programs, addressing homelessness and providing the best public safety to our community.

Facts: the city of Santa Ana finished the fiscal year ’18-’19 over $6 million in the positive, per their budget. They underestimated revenues by over $16 million. (page 128, city report) Claiming that needed programs can’t be funded is wrong. That’s newsworthy.

The Police Officers Association supports this recall because since Ms. Iglesias has been in office her slanderous comments about the Association, her lies, have been repeated and continuous, interfering with the Association’s right to represent its members. (see compliant) She violated the City Charter by interfering in a civil service personnel hiring creating huge financial exposure for the City. She filed a frivolous lawsuit against the City of Santa Ana costing taxpayers thousands. She voted “No” on the Centennial Education Center which is “No” to a much-needed branch library and “No” to a community center and park improvements. This is not about a contract vote over a year ago, rather she is unfit and her behavior illicit. That’s newsworthy.

Finally, someone had the courage and will to stand up to an unfit and unethical politician. Over 16,000 residents signed a recall petition for various reasons. That’s newsworthy. This is a democracy and the will of the residents should not be silenced. Posts and stories that mislead the public are wrong. The city of Santa Ana deserves BETTER.