A curious thing happened at the Santa Ana City Council Candidates Forum hosted by Com Link last night. The event moderator asked the candidates if they intended to support three ballot measures that are going to increase our sales, income and property taxes – Measure Q, a bond measure to fund remodeling projects at Santa Ana College; Prop. 30, the tax increase initiative backed by Governor Jerry Brown, which actually restores a few sales and income taxes that would otherwise go away; and Prop. 38, an even bigger tax increased backed by liberal millionaire Molly Munger, much to the chagrin of Brown.
The candidates responded and it is worth noting that the faction that is supporting Council Member David Benavides, including Ward 1 candidate (and incumbent) Vince Sarmiento, Ward 3 candidate Eric M. Alderete and Ward 5 candidate Roman Reyna, all supported all of these tax increase measures.
Think about this for a moment. There are quite a few Democrats who support only one of the two statewise tax increase meaures, either Prop. 30 or Prop. 38, but the Benavides cabal supports both of them – and Measure Q to boot. This is terrible news for seniors and others on fixed incomes!
I am already on record as opposing Measure Q – we are already paying more for a previous bond measure that was wasted by the Rancho Santiago Community College District’s Board of Trustees – they spent the money on the Santiago Canyon College campus and on a new Deputy Sheriff Training Center, that we did not need. They did not do what they said they would do with the money, at Santa Ana College. It was a bait and switch. So no, I am not inclined to support yet another of these measures.
Prop. 30 is a tough one. If it does not pass Gov. Brown says he will slash funding to the UC and CS systems and to our community colleges.
Personally I believe that there are other alternatives to raising our taxes, such as getting rid of the death penalty, which wastes millions of dollars every year due to the many death row appeals – and in the end no one ever gets put to death. So why not dump it and just put these inmates in jail for life – in fact you can put them in general population and the other inmates will take care of business themselves.
The state could also save millions by revising Three Strikes to include only violent felonies. And by ending the drug war, particularly the ridiculous war on medical marijuana.
By the way if you think this is it for the tax increases that the Benavides cartel is going to support, you have another thing coming. If Benavides wins and his faction does continue to dominate the City Council, I guarantee that when the Santa Ana police contract comes up these guys will give them everything they want – as the cop union has already endorsed Benavides and company. And then these Council Members will put a public safety assessment on a special election ballot and force yet another tax increase down our throats.
It should be noted that the tax increase measures were opposed at the forum by Ward 3 candidates Charles Hart, Brett Elliott Franklin, Shane Ramon Barrows and Steve Rocco; and Ward 5 candidate Karina Onofre. Kudos to them! The O.C. Register article about the forum did not disclose what the mayoral candidates had to say about the tax increase measures.
saw nothing but little old ladies in big hats there. Every white person over 40 in Santa Ana was there. Where were the artists? Where were the NPO leaders? Where were you?
I was at Tony Tapia’s fundraiser.
I looked for you everywhere Art! I wanted to say hi to my new found friend and I went home disappointed 🙁
Rocco RULES.
Benavides was his ususal vanilla self, spewing political verbage with NO MESSAGE.
His gang member associates scared me. Is this who we can expect to surround the mayor, guys wih tattoos on thier neck?
Pulido was short confident and almost ignorant.
Then again the COM-LINK crowd is the least representitive of the activist groups. But they DO vote.
Voted for the SAUSD bond and the last Santa Ana College bond but give me a break..another bond for SAC? They just passed the other one and they want more money? Does anyone have any idea how much utilities cost in Santa Ana now? Water bills…electric bills..previous bonds..it’s almost breaking me and now…What world do these people live in?
Why is Mr. Reyna opposed to the use of Aloe Vera?
Don’t try to bait us into making idiots of ourselves. Who needs stinking Aloe Vera?
so do you also know that if prop 30 doesnt pass that the SAUSD will be asking teachers and staff to take 15-20 furlough days, so i hope you find a babysitter or can work it out with work to miss at least 2 to 3 days a month because thats what you will have to be doing.
Don’t believe the threats coming from Sacramento! They found several hundred million over the summer in state agency bank a counts no one was monitoring. And as I mentioned in my post the state could start saving millions more with a few simple reforms!
Funny how each year they say they have cut the budget “to the bone” and each year they find the money!
Carpetbagger,
“BUT not once has anyone disputed the FACT that david banged a young girl, a subordinate, causig his wife to leave him. FREAKIN’ CRAZY!”
This rumor you and only you is pursuing is not a FACT it is a CARPETBAGGER POLITICAL WITCH HUNT RUMOR.
You do not live or work in Santa Ana nor do you have kids attending Santa Ana Public schools.
You simply are a hired attack dog for the Pulido campaign.
If you really had a issue on this subject you would be attacking others alleged to have this issue. For example Daly……you don’t.
Conclusion……you are focused on Benavides political witch hunt because you are a hired attack dog for the Pulido campaign.
WHY WOULD ANY ONE SUPPORT A CANDIDATE THAT FEELS THIS TYPE OF CAMPAIGN NECESSARY TO GET VOTES.
PEOPLE UNDERSTANDING THIS WILL CAUSE A BACKFIRE ON THE PULIDO CAMPAIGN.
LOOK FOR THIS POLITICAL WITCH HUNT MEDIA ATTACK TO INCREASE CLOSE TO ELECTION TIME. IT IS CLASSIC PULIDO CAMPAIGN STRATEGY. DON’T BE FOOLED.
Pulido doesn’t hire a anonymous commenters. And why pick on this guy for not living here when you don’t either?
Dr. Lomeli,
Keep attacking me, the messenger and IGNORING the message.
I am not going away. I was here long before you and your silly theroies. Greg Diamond attacked me for questioning Julio Perez’s residency. HE LOST.
I have been commenting on Santa Ana politics for years.
I know you are trying to bait me into revealing my identity so David’s thugs can come harass my family. That’s nothing new for guys like you.
But, this is not about YOU. It’s about the people of Santa Ana. I don’t even like Miguel Pulido, but compared to David, who in the midst of a NASTY divorce, decideds to run for mayor??? Come on, how can you defend that?
I have to wonder about your motivations. If a decent man, as I have thought you to be is willing to sell his vote, oh that’s right you CAN’T VOTE, Um willing to sell his sould for a man who has disgraced his wife and child, what does that say about Al Lomeli.
ARE YOU SAYING THAT DAVID NEVER HAD AN AFFAIR?
Please enlighten us.
I agree that attacks are bad no matter who does it but this election the only people I see attacking are David and his group of candidates. Pulido does not attack others. I saw a re=run of the candidates debate and he never attacked Benavides one time!
Pulido is keeping it classy. Benavides has no vision and no ideas. And his voting record is 98 percent with Pulido.
Funny you should say that about the vision. It is exactly what I thought watching the debate. Benavides kept attacking the vision of Pulido but never offered HIS vision. Not once. No new ideas. He was on there 6 years and voted with Pulido the whole time. You would think he would have an original thought but he does not seem to have any.
Editor says:
September 29, 2012 at 12:08 pm
Pulido doesn’t hire a anonymous commenters. And why pick on this guy for not living here when you don’t either?
How do you know Pulido does not hire anonymous commenters???
Are you part of his team with this inside knowledge. If so you need to preface this when you comment negatively on those that oppose Pulido.
Not picking on him for not living in Santa Ana just pointing out his hypocrisy when he point as you do about me.
You point this out about me often but never do about carpetbagger……HIPOCRISY ON YOUR PART.
Everyone knows who is on Pulido’s team. Same folks as two years ago. Same folks as all the races before that. Pulido doesn’t read blogs. He is busy serving our people and our city.
I have no idea who carpetbagger is or where he lives. But I do know that you live in Orange Park Acres.
Editor says:
September 29, 2012 at 12:13 pm
Pulido is keeping it classy. Benavides has no vision and no ideas. And his voting record is 98 percent with Pulido.
If Benavides votes 98% with Pulido your statement then says they share the same vision and ideas, which makes your statement of Benavides having no vision or ideas wrong.
Or are you saying because they agree in voting 98% of the time Pulido has no vision or ideas as Benavides?
Another explanation is that Pulido had control of the majority council and is why now they have separated.
Those ideas were Pulido’s. Benavides continues to have no clue. He is like a lost Chihuahua. All barky and annoying and walking in circles.
Editor says:
September 29, 2012 at 2:59 pm
Everyone knows who is on Pulido’s team. Same folks as two years ago. Same folks as all the races before that. Pulido doesn’t read blogs. He is busy serving our people and our city.
So how do you know Pulido’s campaign doesn’t hire commentators,his campaign team, and doesn’t read blogs? You can only this if you are close or a participant in his campaign. 99.9% of readers here do not know Pulido’s campaign team.
You own one of Pulido’s websites.Disclosure is appropriate.
I already have said that I design websites for campaigns and businesses. And that I own a PR company that specializes in blogs and social media. That is public record. I am going to reiterate that I do not get paid to blog. What I post here are my opinions and a lot of press releases and event info.
I talk to a lot of candidates. In fact you and I met with Amezcua in 2009 and I offered to help him. I started this blog to help him and a few weeks later he was hanging out with the Usual Suspects. Just like Benavides. Which is why I am now oppose them both.
Editor wrote,
“I have no idea who carpetbagger is or where he lives. But I do know that you live in Orange Park Acres.”
You might not know where carpetbagger lives but you do know he does not live in Santa Ana.
carpetbagger below says he does not live in Santa Ana.
“Sure, CARPETPAGGER will call names: Anonymous, UNAMED, he doesn’t live in SA, He is a hired gun, etc…….”
Y que? So you both live elsewhere, so what? He at least seems to be care about our people.
Editor says:
September 29, 2012 at 4:21 pm
Y que? So you both live elsewhere, so what? He at least seems to be care about our people.
The point is you criticize me for living outside of Santa Ana and stating my opinion about issues in Santa Ana. My opinions to you translates to not caring about our people……who are our people?
You state you do not know who carpetbagger is and your perception of him is that he cares about “our people” and I don’t based on his political witch hunt of Benavides??????
This is why when carpetbagger makes his opinions about Santa Ana you don’t say for him to stay out of the city’s politics but you do in my case?
No of course not.YOU WANT ME OUT ON THIS ARGUMENT BECAUSE I CHALLENGE YOU AGENDA TO ATTACK BENAVIDES AND THOSE THAT OPPOSE PULIDO.
THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OPINIONS AND A AGENDA.
Somehow I doubt Carpetbagger is a rich Republican. It is odd though that you’re pretty much the only commenter defending Benavides…
Editor says:
September 29, 2012 at 4:17 pm
I already have said that I design websites for campaigns and businesses. And that I own a PR company that specializes in blogs and social media. That is public record. I am going to reiterate that I do not get paid to blog. What I post here are my opinions and a lot of press releases and event info.
So how do you know Pulido’s campaign doesn’t hire commentators,his campaign team, and doesn’t read blogs? You can only this if you are close or a participant in his campaign. 99.9% of readers here do not know Pulido’s campaign team.
So……..YOU DON’T KNOW!
Why don’t you ask Alderete? He has the same consultant as Pulido, but you knew that, right?
Editor says:
September 29, 2012 at 5:30 pm
Why don’t you ask Alderete? He has the same consultant as Pulido, but you knew that, right?
Alderete nor Alderete’s consultant made the statements. You did.
Are you saying consultants should have only on client ….if they don’t there is suspicion, consultants share information between clients….how ridiculous.
Wow. You lost me there. What I’m saying is that the same consultant is running both Pulido’s and Alderete’s campaigns. So ask Eric his number, call the consultant and ask him if his campaign budget includes anon commenters. When he stops laughing perhaps he’ll answer your question.
That is a ridiculous suggestion……..ask a consultant to divulge a client’s strategy? I agree, he would laugh at me for being stupid in asking the question. Don’t understand how I lost you.
So how do you know Pulido’s campaign doesn’t hire commentators,his campaign team, and doesn’t read blogs? You can only this if you are close or a participant in his campaign. 99.9% of readers here do not know Pulido’s campaign team.
So……..YOU DON’T KNOW!
I do talk to Miguel every so often. And I know his team is doing what they always do. Indeed they are running the same campaign that thoroughly beat your pal Amezcua two years ago. Benavides is destined to fail too. You sure know how to pick them! LOL!
I am ok with change but I just don’t think Benavides has the right stuff to run a city. He says that the guy HE voted with 99.999999% of the time caused the problems in Santa Ana but what does that say about himself when he makes those statements? Pulido’s voting record IS Benavides voting record. I’d be open to Lou Correa or Joe Dunn or Jose Solorio as Mayor but voting for Benavides is like hiring a Little League baseball player to pitch in the Majors. Let’s recruit Lou or Joe or Jose to run for Mayor in two years.
For those of you who still want to vote for David, I’ve got a Luxury Suite I’d like to sell you at North East Little League!
Another person I think would be a good Mayor is Eric Alderete and I’d support him after he serves on the Council for 2 years. He understands labor issues.
Editor says:
September 29, 2012 at 6:55 pm
I do talk to Miguel every so often. And I know his team is doing what they always do. Indeed they are running the same campaign that thoroughly beat your pal Amezcua two years ago. Benavides is destined to fail too. You sure know how to pick them! LOL!
The campaign’s strategy, then as it is now, is ” through enough s@it and some will stick”, some involved in previous campaigns have verified this. You know this too.
Your blog ran an exclusive attack on Amezcua. You even bought rights to the attack vehicle” who is Afredo Amezcua.
Rumores a Hispanic community news paper ran weekly defamatory articles on Amezcua.
Multiple mailers and robo calLs were paid by the victory FUND PAC defaming Amezcua.
THIS PAC IS MOSTLY FUNDED BY RICH FOLKS THAT DO NOT LIVE IN SANTA ANA
THANKS FOR VERIFYING THE SAME CAMPAIGN IS IN PLACE AS I HAVE BEEN SAYING.
Yet as our readers indicated it is Benavides who has been foaming at the mouth at the debates while Pulido has been a gentleman. Why is it that the Amezcua and Benavides supporters are such rabid dogs?
WHY CAN’T ART LOMELI ADDRESS THE ISSUE:
Did David Benavide’s have an affair with a girl at US BANK and did his wife Emily leave him (taking his kid) to a n apartment in Orange?
ANSWER THAT AND I GO AWAY?
Editor says:
September 29, 2012 at 7:29 pm
Yet as our readers indicated it is Benavides who has been foaming at the mouth at the debates while Pulido has been a gentleman. Why is it that the Amezcua and Benavides supporters are such rabid dogs?
Benavides presents campaign arguments related to themayor’s office.
There is no attacks related to Pulido’s private life.
Pulido differs….”if you throw enough s@it some will stick”. This is directed at his opponents private life. The effective angle is for material to be defamatory lies.
Didn’t you admit a few weeks ago that Benavides was divorcing? Has that situation changed?
carpetbagger says:
September 29, 2012 at 7:32 pm
WHY CAN’T ART LOMELI ADDRESS THE ISSUE:
Did David Benavide’s have an affair with a girl at US BANK and did his wife Emily leave him (taking his kid) to a n apartment in Orange?
ANSWER THAT AND I GO AWAY?
Answer NO!
What David may have or may not have done in the privacy of his home or workplace is off base and beneath this blog.
Have you already forgotten that pig Bustamante?
David “Mexico Lindo” Benivides said:
“What David may have or may not have done in the privacy of his home or workplace is off base and beneath this blog”
Are you kidding me? That strikes to the heart of the arguement: If David Benavides was willing to sexually accost a “Young” woman at US BANK don’t you think he would sell out the citizens of Santa Ana?
This is a guy that does not have control of his penis. Let alone the city.
Private. BS – He is accountable. He his hiding and lying. He is the Richard Nixon, Johen Edwards, Gary Hart, Bill Clinton of this election cycle:
A LIAR, A SCUMBAG CHEATER, ASK HIS WIFE!
Editor says:
September 29, 2012 at 7:45 pm
Didn’t you admit a few weeks ago that Benavides was divorcing? Has that situation changed?
No, I did not say he was divorcing.
OK.
So now Dr. Lomeli, has admitted that the rumors of Davd’s affair are FALSE. He clearly knows this for he would NEVER risk his reputation, practice and credability otherwise.
I guess that Emily moved to Orange for other reasons. Period. Maybe there was a leaky faucet in the house on Daisy that she bought him?
I would have prefered to hear it form David, but, his spokesperson will do. I hope Dr. Lomeli is willing to stake his reputation on this, because he just did!
Hey Lomeli,
Why hasn’t Emily come out????