Santa Ana's top news & views blog

New Santa Ana

Tag Archives: phil bacerra

COVID-19 video update from Mayor Sarmiento and Councilmember Bacerra

Posted on by Posted in Disease, Health and Medical, OC Health Care, Phil Bacerra, Public Safety, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento Leave a comment

Watch a COVID-19 video update from Mayor Vicente Sarmiento and Councilmember Phil Bacerra.
 
Get vaccinated against COVID-19! Find vaccine options in and around Santa Ana at https://www.santa-ana.org/vaccine​.
 
Learn about rental assistance and other pandemic resources at https://www.santa-ana.org/covid19​.
 
Take the Revive Santa Ana survey at https://www.santa-ana.org/revive-santa-ana.

Actualización de video sobre COVID-19
 
Mire una actualización sobre COVID-19 del alcalde Vicente Sarmiento y el Concejal Phil Bacerra en español: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU42IYrvPHE
 
¡Vacúnese contra el COVID-19! Se puede encontrar opciones para vacunarse en https://www.santa-ana.org/vaccine​.
 
Aprenda sobre asistencia de renta y otros recursos pandémicos en https://www.santa-ana.org/covid19​.
 
Realice la encuesta Revive Santa Ana en https://www.santa-ana.org/revive-santa-ana.

Developer dark money backing Thai Viet Phan for Ward One

Posted on by Posted in 2020 Elections, David Penaloza, Phil Bacerra, Politics, Real Estate, Ryan Ogulnick, Santa Ana, SAPOA, Thai Viet Phan 3 Comments

We already posted about the Santa Ana Police Officers Association money that is funding mailers for the Thai Viet Phan campaign for Ward 1 of the Santa Ana City Council. Now it turns out there are more special interests jumping on board her campaign, as reported on the Santa Ana Stands Up Facebook page.

Phan’s backers include the Chase Family, which led the gentrification charge in downtown Santa Ana that displaced quite a few Latino-owned companies; and phan has also received contributions from McWhinney, the developer that aimed to buy off the Willowick Golf Course in a closed session, with little community input.

Turns out McWhinney has also been lining the pockets of the Garden Grove City Council Members, hoping to convince them to see Willowick to them. However the Willowick Golf Course was not sold because the Garden Grove City Council violated the Surplus Land Act.

Garden Grove City Council Member Kim Nguyen endorsed Phan today and that figures as Nguyen has sided with McWhinney.

Other contributors to Thai’s campaign include Nguyen’s boyfriend, Santa Ana City Councilman David Penaloza and other special interest groups.

The puppet master making all these arrangements is Santa Ana City Councilman Phil Bacerra.

Bacerra, who is half-Filipino, was the first Asian-American elected to the Santa Ana City Council in decades. I cannot blame him for trying to get another Asian-American onto the City Council as well but getting dark money from scurrilous developers is the wrong way to do it.

We have endorsed Cynthia Contreras for Ward One.

Ward One City Council candidate Thai Viet Phan is getting support from the police union

Posted on by Posted in 2020 Elections, Cynthia Contreras, Jeffrey Katz, Mark McLoughlin, Politics, Santa Ana, SAPOA, Thai Viet Phan, Vic Mendez 1 Comment
Mailer hits Thai Viet Phan for being anti-police

The Santa Ana Police Officer’s Association (POA) has made some bizarre picks in this year’s Santa Ana City Council race. You would think they would be backing candidates that support law enforcement, but then you would be wrong.

My sources tell me that the real goal of the Santa Ana POA is to get City Council candidates elected who will then roll over for them and keep giving them more raises and benefits.

Thai Viet Phan Facebook ad

One of those candidates appears to be Ward One City Council candidate thai Viet Phan. My sources tell me that the Santa Ana POA is paying for her Facebook ad, seen above, via a PAC. Here is the money trail:

But Phan’s detractors are hitting back with tough mailers nailing her for her anti-police agenda. She is a liberal and can be expected to side with the anti police movement in our city. But the POA is backing her despite that agenda because apparently they think they can count on her to keep their money flowing. That is apparently what really matters to them.

We suspect that Phan’s sponsor on the City Council, Phil Bacerra, had a lot to do with the POA support for Phan as they supported him too.

Mailer hits Thai Viet Phan for being anti-police

By the way you won’t find any mention on Phan’s campaign website about how she plans to fight crime in our city.

We have endorsed Cynthia Contreras for Ward One. You will find her positions on all the issues on her campaign website.

Vic Mendez

Another candidate the Santa Ana POA is backing, that is a real head-scratcher, is Vic Mendez in Ward 5. He is apparently a car salesman with zero experience in our community while the incumbent in Ward 5, City Councilman Juan Villegas, has worked in law enforcement for over 30 years!

We have endorsed Villegas – he is hands down the best candidate in Ward 5 and he is consistently a safe voice of wisdom on our City Council.

Over in Ward 3, which sprawls across north Santa Ana, the Santa Ana POA is backing the low-energy Mark McLoughlin while leading candidate Jeffrey Katz, an attorney and neighborhood leader, is the one with an actual plan to deal with crime. Councilman Bacerra is also backing McLoughlin – and that makes two POA supported City Council candidates with Bacerra’s fingerprints on them.

Katz has our full support in Ward 3.

The POA has not been overt in the Mayor’s race but my sources tell me they prefer the affable Jose Solorio and the surly Claudia Alvarez.

We prefer the leading mayoral candidate, Ceci Iglesias, who along with Juan Villegas voted against the POA’s last huge contract, which placed a huge financial burden on the City of Santa Ana.

If the Santa Ana Recall Election succeeds our City Council could end up 33% Asian

Posted on by Posted in 2020 Elections, Asians, Cecilia Iglesias, Elections, Politics, Santa Ana, Thai Viet Phan, Vietnamese 6 Comments

The City of Santa Ana is 76.8% Latino, according to the U.S. Census. Only 11.8% of Santa Ana’s residents are Asians. But if the May 19 Santa Ana Recall Special election succeeds and Councilwoman Ceci Iglesias is recalled, the net result could be a Santa Ana City Council that is 33% Asian.

Phil and Wendy Bacerra

When Phil Bacerra won his City Council seat in 2018 he became the first Asian on the City Council in many decades. Bacerra, who is half Filipino, has recruited the leading candidate trying to win Iglesias’ seat. Her name is Thai Viet Phan and she has raised more money than the other candidates. I see her campaign signs all over north Santa Ana.

Phil Bacerra and Thai Viet Phan

If Iglesias is recalled and Phan wins then she and Bacerra will take a third of the Santa Ana City Council’s six seats. In a city that is almost 80% Latino we will have a City Council that is 1/3 Asian. That is pretty amazing when you consider that Asians make up less than 12% of Santa Ana’s residents.

If one more Santa Ana City Council seat was won in a subsequent election by another Asian candidate, just like that the Santa Ana City Council would be 50% Asian.

If all of this comes to pass it will be, no doubt, because so many of the City’s white voters have turned on Iglesias. About 9.4% of the city’s residents are white. That is not much but they vote and from what I am seeing in north Santa Ana many if not most of them are lining up with Phan against Iglesias.

Whether or not Iglesias can prevail in the Recall election will come down to one thing – will the City’s majority Latino population bother to vote in the May 19 Special Election? If they don’t, get ready for a City Council that is a third Asian. This will be a historic move away from the current almost all Latino City Council.

This article by the way is not an attempt to tell you how to vote. We are merely pointing out the fact that the upcoming Santa Ana Recall Election could end up having an incredible impact on our city. There have never been two Asians on our City Council at the same time. This could be a historic election.

Santa Ana welcomes new Councilmember Phil Bacerra

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Phil Bacerra, Santa Ana 2 Comments

SANTA ANA, CA – Councilmember Phil Bacerra was sworn in tonight, Nov. 19, as the new Ward 4 representative of the Santa Ana City Council.

He won the vacant seat in a special election on Nov. 5 and will serve out the remainder of a four-year term that ends in December 2022.

“I’m honored to have been elected by the people of Santa Ana and to join my fellow councilmembers in leading our community into a bright future,” Councilmember Bacerra said. “I look forward to working together to solve our homelessness crisis, improve public safety and bring investment to our city. I promise all Santa Ana residents that I will deliberate on the Council dais, as I did as a planning commissioner, with the same independent thoroughness that serves the best interests of our fellow residents.”

Mayor Miguel Pulido welcomed Councilmember Bacerra. “I am delighted to have Councilmember Bacerra join us and to have a full council in place working for the people of Santa Ana,” Mayor Pulido said. “The councilmember’s expertise in city planning will be a valuable asset in our decision-making.”

Councilmember Bacerra, the son of a union grocery store manager and a waitress, was born and raised in Orange County, where he attended local schools and worked as a busboy at his uncle’s restaurant in Santa Ana, Pop’s Café.

After graduating from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in urban planning, he went on to work for various city governments, including the City of Los Angeles. Councilmember Bacerra has been using that city government experience to help small businesses succeed and to increase access to high-quality housing.

The councilmember previously served for over five years on the Santa Ana Planning Commission. He has also served on the City’s General Plan Advisory Group and the Historic Resources Commission. He served two terms as an appointed member of the Orange County Transportation Authority’s Citizens Advisory Committee.

Councilmember Bacerra enjoys volunteering his time by contributing to the charitable efforts of the Santa Ana Elks, serving as a board member for Preserve Orange County, mentoring students from his alma mater, and assisting his high school alumni association in awarding scholarships to deserving students. He also enjoys watching USC football and hockey.

The councilmember and his wife, Wendy, have lived in Santa Ana for many years. They are parishioners at the historic Church of the Messiah in Downtown Santa Ana and live in South Santa Ana.

About City of Santa Ana
Santa Ana is downtown for the world famous Orange County, California. As the County Seat, home to a vibrant evening scene and one of the most diverse communities in California, Santa Ana is gaining national attention for its efforts to innovate and address a changing County. Over 1,200 City employees work hard every day to deliver efficient public services in partnership with our community to ensure public safety, a prosperous economic environment, opportunities for our youth, and a high quality of life for residents. Learn more at http://www.santa-ana.org.

Bacerra and Torres leading in the Santa Ana Special Election early results

Posted on by Posted in Santa Ana Leave a comment

Phil Bacerra should have won last November, when Roman Reyna fraudulently took Ward 4 of the Santa Ana City Council. Reyna has since quit the Council and now has to pay back the taxpayers a half million dollars. Tonight Bacerra got closer to taking Ward 4 as he came out on top in the early polling in today’s Special Election.

Bacerra currently has just over 28% of the total vote, with 2,991 votes, edging out former Planning Commissioner Beatriz Mendoza, who has 24.7% of the vote.

Should Bacerra maintain his lead he will become the first Filipino-American member of the Santa Ana City Council and perhaps the second Asian to serve in this manner. Apparently there was a Japanese American on the City Council many years ago.

Former Santa Ana planner Manny Escamilla has 23.5% of the vote; Bishop Gale Oliver Jr. has 10.8% of the vote; Arts Commissioner Jennifer Oliva has 8.3% of the vote and in last place is businessman Brandon Sisco, with 4.5% of the vote – 475 votes to be precise.

As we predicted the turnout was super low. We did not expect the race to be this close. Mendoza did a lot better than we expected – but there is no second place prize for her.

David Benavides and his pal Roman Reyna

Over in the SAUSD School Board race the only teacher on the ballot, Carolyn Torres, is firmly in control with 45.4% of the vote while former Santa Ana City Councilman David Benavides is watching his political career careen to an end with 31.9% of the vote. Perhaps campaigning alongside Reyna was a bad idea after all?

Torres’ apparent victory is bad news for charter schools and for parents who value school choice.

Who will replace Roman Reyna in the Santa Ana City Council’s Ward 4?

Posted on by Posted in 2018 elections, Civic Affairs, Phil Bacerra, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana 3 Comments

Roman Reyna’s latest term on the Santa Ana City Council is already over, as we reported last night on our Facebook page.

Reyna was just elected in November, to Ward 4, after his allies conducted a horrific smear campaign against his opponent, former Santa Ana Planning Commissioner Phil Bacerra.

Bacerra however sued Reyna on the grounds that Reyna had not proven he was eligible to run for Ward 4. Reyna agreed to a settlement which will see him step down from the City Council by March 1. Reyna also agreed not to seek appointment or run in a special election for the Ward 4 seat.

The City Council can now appoint someone to replace Reyna in Ward 4. They could also call for a Special Election however that is most unlikely due the high cost of conducting such an election.

So who will replace Reyna in Ward 4? My sources tell me that there is no consensus candidate. One might argue that Bacerra should be appointed however the smear campaign against him cost him support on the City Council – and a few of the current City Council Members were allied with Reyna in the last election.

The City Council last night approved the MOU with the Santa Ana Police Officers Association. However they were unable to approve a means to fund that new contract as they lacked one vote – as Reyna blew off last night’s meeting.

While Reyna could return to the City Council in two weeks my sources tell me that the City Attorney has asked him not to vote on any other items as he could open the city up to lawsuits. So don’t be surprised if he continues to skip out on meetings while getting paid up to March 1.

The City Council also had to delay a decision on the apartment development project at 2525 Main St. Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido had to continue the public hearing on that development when 150 public speakers showed up and the hearing dragged on until 11:30 p.m. That matter will be resolved at the next City Council meeting, in two weeks.

While the current City Council lacks a consistent majority they will have to muster at least four votes to replace Reyna. It will be very tough to find a decent candidate in Ward 4. If the replacement won’t be Bacerra my personal inclination would be to find a woman candidate to replace Reyna as the current City Council only features one woman – Ceci Iglesias.

Santa Ana’s new City Council Members have announced their nominations for the City’s Boards and Commissions

Posted on by Posted in Angie Rosario Cano, Cecilia Iglesias, Civic Affairs, David Benavides, David Penaloza, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana’s new City Council Members have started to appoint their nominees to our city’s Boards and Commissions, according to the current City Council Meeting Agenda.

City Councilwoman Elect Cecilia Iglesias has nominated several members of the community to serve on a number of City Commissions. 

Here are Iglesias’ nominations:

  • Everlena Oliver,  Arts and Culture Commission, replacing Sandra Pena Sarmiento
  • Mike Tardif,  Community Redevelopment and Housing Commission Wood
  • Chris Schmidt, Environmental & Transportation Advisory Committee 
  • Steven Nguyen, Historic Resources Commission, replacing Mark McLoughlin
  • Angie Cano, Planning Commission, replacing Beatriz Mendoza
  • Art Pedroza, Board of Recreation and Parks

City Councilman Elect David Penaloza has nominated:

And City Councilman Elect Roman Reyna (Ward 4) has nominated termed out City Councilman David Benavides for the Santa Ana Planning Commission. Benavides will be replacing Reyna who was appointed by Benavides to the Planning Commission after former Planning Commissioner Phil Bacerra was ousted.

Bacerra is suing to overturn the Ward 4 election results on the grounds that Reyna should never have been on the ballot in the first place. Should that lawsuit prevail Reyna will likely be removed from the City Council and his Commission appointments will be replaced by whoever the City Council appoints to complete Reyna’s term. They may also end up holding a Special Election to replace Reyna.

The nominations will be reviewed and voted on by the Santa Ana City Council at their next meeting, on Tuesday, Dec. 18.

Roman Reyna has been sued for not being a qualified candidate for Ward 4 of the Santa Ana City Council

Posted on by Posted in 2018 elections, Civic Affairs, Crime, Phil Bacerra, Politics, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana 6 Comments

Roman Reyna may have won a seat on the Santa Ana City Council in the November General Election but he probably should refrain from celebrating now that he has been sued by his Ward 4 opponent, Phil Bacerra. Click here to read the legal pleading.

You might recall a campaign mailer that included a representation of an actual text conversation that occurred between Reyna and the Santa Ana City Clerk wherein she advised him that he had applied to run as a Ward 4 candidate while using a Ward 6 address. Reyna then asked the City Clerk for a copy of the city’s ward map and he responded with “Yikes!” Continue reading→

The Santa Ana City Council picked new wards that excluded Ceci Iglesias

Posted on by Posted in 2020 Elections, Cecilia Iglesias, Civic Affairs, Politics, Santa Ana 6 Comments

 

Santa Ana Ward Map C2

Santa Ana City officials have finally selected the new boundaries for the city’s six wards, which will kick off Santa Ana’s transition to by-district voting in two years, according to the O.C. Register.

Santa Ana’s voters passed a Ward Specific City Council measure in the recent General Election. The measure was put on the ballot after the City of Santa Ana was sued by an organization that was seeking to level the playing field for the city’s Asian-American voters. You can read more about the ward-specific measure and proceedings here. Continue reading→

A brutal campaign mailer hammered carpetbagging Ward 4 candidate Roman Reyna this week

Posted on by Posted in 2018 elections, Crime, Phil Bacerra, Politics, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Former Santa Ana City Councilman Roman Reyna is trying to get back onto the City Council this year. He has moved from Ward 5, which he previously represented, to Ward 4.

As one might expect his detractors don’t want to see him get back onto the City Council. To that end a blistering mailer arrived in our mailboxes yesterday. It reminded voters about Reyna’s past gang connections and then endeavored to explain the intricacies of Reyna’s carpetbagging. Continue reading→

Don’t let Santa Ana’s cop haters win in this year’s General Election

Posted on by Posted in 2018 elections, Angie Rosario Cano, Art Pedroza, Benjamin Vazquez, Crime, David Penaloza, Irma Macias, John Palacio, Miguel Pulido, Mike Gonzalez, Mirna Velasquez, Nelida Mendoza, Paul Gonzales, Politics, Sal Tinajero, Sandra Pena, Santa Ana, SAUSD, Valerie Amezcua 4 Comments

I was at an SAUSD school board forum last week and was shocked when some of the boorish radicals in the audience booed when they heard that I got a contribution from the Santa Ana Police Officers Association. Most folks in Santa Ana don’t hate the police. But a small, very vocal minority does. And they are backing a slate of candidates that we need to steer clear of.

The chief anti-police rabble rouser appears to be failed Socialist Mayoral candidate Benjamin Vasquez. His favored candidates this year include: Continue reading→

Santa Ana 2018 General Election Voter Guide

Posted on by Posted in 2018 elections, Santa Ana 2 Comments

If you vote by absentee ballot you should be receiving your ballot in the mail this weekend or at the start of next week. We have developed this Voter Guide to help you sort through the many candidates and ballot measures.

There are three open seats this year on the Santa Ana City Council, thanks to term limits. Incumbents Sal Tinajero, Michele Martinez and David Benavides are out.

Tinajero is running for Mayor while Martinez and Benavides are retiring from the City Council. Continue reading→

Ward 4 Santa Ana City Council candidate responds to allegations made by an ex-girlfriend

Posted on by Posted in 2018 elections, Phil Bacerra, Politics, Santa Ana 9 Comments

By: Phil Bacerra, Candidate for Ward 4 of the Santa Ana City Council

I want to address the serious claims that have been made against me by a former girlfriend. Griselda and I were in a consensual relationship for about four years. Unfortunately, our relationship was unhealthy for the both of us, and we went our separate ways. While our relationship was unhealthy, I was never physically abusive. I have never in my life laid my hand on a woman in violence. I was far from the perfect boyfriend and I regret and apologize for the harsh words said during emotionally-charged arguments. Continue reading→

Two of Santa Ana’s City Council candidates are suing to remove their competitors from the ballot

Posted on by Posted in 2018 elections, Jose Solorio, Mirna Velasquez, Nelida Mendoza, Phil Bacerra, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana Leave a comment

There are only two candidates running for the Santa Ana City Council’s Ward 4 – former Ward 5 Councilman Roman Reyna and former Planning Commissioner Phil Bacerra. They are both in hot water.

Bacerra has apparently retained well-known political lawyer Mark Rosen and they have sued to have Reyna removed from the ballot on the grounds that he apparently registered to vote four times in recent weeks, all at different addresses. It seems that Reyna kept picking addresses that are not in Ward 4.  Continue reading→