The Council’s war on Pulido could end up costing us over $1 million dollars

“The cost of the severance agreement with former Santa Ana City Manager Paul Walters will be “above $400,000,” according to Mayor Pro Tem Sal Tinajero, as reported by the O.C. Register.

The L.A. Times reported that “Santa Ana city leaders have also agreed to name the city’s police building in honor of Walters” – a fitting tribute to a public servant who toiled on our behalf for 42 years.

“Walters will be paid $264,999 plus health, vision and dental benefits for essentially acting as a law enforcement liaison for the city to a variety of regional boards and commissions. In addition, the city will purchase for Walters two years of U.S. Air Force retirement service credit under the state’s public employees retirement system, known as CalPERS. It isn’t yet known how much the purchase will cost the city,” according to the Voice of OC.

How much will the new interim City Manager, Kevin O’Rourke, demand for his temporary service?  How much will the new national search for a City Manager cost our city?  And how much will the eventual new City Manager cost us?  I believe that in the end the Council’s petty war on Mayor Miguel Pulido – which was the driving force behind their ouster of Walters, will end up costing Santa Ana’s taxpayers over one million dollars.

That’s right -over one million dollars that could have been spent on our library, parks, roads, or fighting crime, will be wasted by a Council that appears to be bereft of any ideas as to how to improve our city – and is instead waging an endless war on Pulido, who soundly thrashed Councilman David Benavides in last year’s mayoral contest.

Tinajero told the L.A. Times last month that the council is “evolving.”  I would say they are sinking fast and taking us with them.

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

  • "I think it's a fair result because it is evident that the direction of the council changed," REDACTED said. "It is evident that as we move forward, the vision was different of where we wanted to go. ... At the same time, we wanted to acknowledge his work for the city."

    Anonomously so as not to humilate Sal at his place of employment I have asked two teachers from Fullerton high school to review the quote above, which Tinejero gave to the OC Register. Maybe the english teachers there: Mr. Leonardo Indelicato and Ms. Gia Hanley could explain to us exactly what he was trying to say.

    But, suspect we'd need a fortune teller to understand this gobbly goop put out by these morons.

    WHAT DOES THIS MEAN. Speak plain english council. PLEASE.

  • The Million dollars is nothing compared to what they will spend as they make Santa Ana the new City of Bell!

  • Please notice Editor, that the "severance agreement" has noting to do with the current council.

    It is a function of the prior agreements and the State law.

    So why do you blaming them?

    Soon or the later he will get the same pork.

    However, he should pay back for the double dipping several years ago when he retired and was rehired as part time and was receiving both pay and ret. benefits.

    O'h, I forgot that that was a legal rip off but highly unethical which only gravely dishonest person, like Walters, can ask for.

    The only City's bankruptcy can bring everything to normal.

    • Stanley,

      For crying out loud - Do you proof read what you write? Learn to write, man. When you look in the mirror, what do you see? I googled you and based on the photo I saw, you appear to be nothing more than a goofy nut job. I've read your comments on here for some time now and you have no idea what the hell you're talking about. Do you think anyone here cares what you have to say?

      Paul Walters froze his PERS retirement and he was earning 3 percent for each year of service thereafter. Unethical? Dishonest? Paul Walters has been a public servant for over 40 years and has made a difference in thousands of peoples lives. What have you done besides spreading your lies and hatred about people that you absolutely know nothing about?

      You are a pathetic 5150 troll! I'm just thankful that turds like you exist in this world. That way the police will always have a job....

      • "Do you proof read what you write?"....... Hmmmmmm

        No!

        I do not read my own crapola nor am I eating back my own vomit.

        It is your job to read it, not mine.

        However, I strongly recommend that you do not read it since you do not know how to read your own language.

  • Hey Serp,
    Don't put down Stanley. He is an honest man who may not see the world just like you do, but he cares about Santa Ana and is often quite entertaining.
    Don't be so mean. Stanley, we love you.

  • Maybe the city is trying to spend as much money in the diff funds as they can, before the city files BK.

    Why let the CAPERS and other creditors have anything when they still have the authority to divide the pot between themselves.

  • I am struggling with the whole BK thing.

    Heres why: Benavides, Martinez, Sarimento, Renya and to a lesser extent Tinajero are self serving upward mobile democrat politicians.

    History PROVES that you do not get far without some public employee union contributions (save Tom Daly).

    The largest victims of a BK will be these folks, especially the SAPOA members. I am uncertain on the effect of the SAFD to the OCFA outsourcing has on long term pension costs.

    So aren't these council members shooting themselves in the foot by Bancrupting the city? Or is it part of a larger plan.

    One scary senario is that a deal was struck at the SECRET meeting at Sarimento's house (an apparant Bown Act violation) last year. If thats the case this is wholesale fraud and theft by the council. I mean criminal charges (we know how well Roman's brother fared in Corcharan!).

    While BK does seem certain, supported by O'Rourkes hiring, how does this play in to the pro union - tax and spend puppets that these five are.

    I purposely left out Angie Oliver, because I believe she is simply a shill for her husband Robert who for some reason is too afraid to run himself, perhaps an ugly history or he is just a pussy who lets his old lady do his dirty work.

    Still it doesn't add up.

    What do the guys like Cook, admin, Mill and Junior think? They are the ones who seem to care the most and are reasonably non-partisan.

    • Instead of a BK I expect them to try to raise fees and pass a citywide public safety assessment. So they're going to pass the buck to us.

      • No assessment can reduce the structural deficit and no assessment can stop unions from asking for more.

        The public unions are economically unsustainable because unions can vote themselves the pay increase and because the politics are the profession where no politician will serve and step aside as did George Washington.

        So it is circular defect.

        JFK is to blame on the Federal level and Brown on the State level yet both would get reelected in the heartbeat because people are stupid.

        The people can't govern themselves.

        It has to all collapse in the court system where unions have no power and politicians can't be blamed.

        How many times did you promote Correa who is dancing from one term limit to the another?

        You are to blame for reelecting same wrong people over and over again! You will never take a risk for better.

        As a Mexican you should know -- “Effective suffrage—no reelection!”

        Therefore if people can't learn from the history there must be time to time depression and BK to fix things up.

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