Pictured above: Debbie McEwen, a member of the Usual Suspects’ coalition against the Chivas Soccer team
They’re back…the folks I used to refer to as the “Usual Suspects” have come together again. This time they are ticked off about Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido’s ongoing attempts to bring the Chivas soccer team to Santa Ana.
Here is what the Voice of OC has reported about the resurgence of the “Usual Suspects:”
With rumors swirling about a potential pro soccer expansion into Santa Ana, some 50 residents gathered Wednesday night to complain about potential traffic, noise and other problems that soccer games could create.
Residents opposed to the move appear to be circulating a protest petition. They are particularly incensed over rumors that Mayor Miguel Pulido is holding private meetings aimed at bringing the team to the city while avoiding any input from residents.
Tom Lutz, a former council member, hosted the residents at his home. He said he found out about the negotiations and possible move only because of old contacts he has at City Hall.
Lutz said he understands that if the soccer team comes to the city, its first home would be Santa Ana Stadium. If true, that would displace football teams of local high schools like Mater Dei and Century, according to Lutz. The move also would mean Santa Ana College’s football team could lose access to the stadium, he said.
At the end of the meeting, residents formed a committee to prevent the team from coming to the city. The committee includes Rush, Lutz, Don Cribb, Alfredo Amezcua, Thomas Gordon, Dave Brandt, and Debbie McEwen.
Note that failed Santa Ana Mayoral candidate Alfredo Amezcua is now a full-fledged member of the Usual Suspects. Latino voters will remember this when Amezcua comes begging for votes the next time he runs for Mayor.
I am not buying the silly argument about the school sports programs getting kicked out of Eddie West Stadium. Note that none of the new Usual Suspects are on the SAUSD School board – and not one of them has any children enrolled in our SAUSD schools. In fact most of them aren’t even married, or are too old to have kids.
What these NIMBYs don’t realize is the tremendous economic impact that the Chivas will have on our city. Nor do they care that the majority of our residents will be thrilled to welcome the Chivas to town.
I also don’t buy the open space argument. The Willowick golf course is not of any use to the thousands of residents in Santa Ana who don’t play golf, or cannot afford to do so. But the proposed Chivas complex will include new soccer fields that will be a huge boon to the young people of our city.
If the Usual Suspects want more open space they should join the dying lawn bowling league at Santiago Park, or go jog in our cemeteries.
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Based on location, where would you put a soccer stadium and why?
The (1) Willowick golf course, (2) Eddie West stadium (3) the area east of the Santa Ana train station.
I think the idea to bring Chivas USA to Santa Ana is a brilliant one. Kudos to Mayor Pulido if he is doing this. This has the potential of reaping large benefits for our community.
Of course the devil is in the details and I entrust that Mayor Pulido and our great city council majority will do the right thing.
Obviously it is risky idea to bring the soccer into a City which is infested by Latino Gangs.
Soccer is popular game but it evolved into a fistfight among the Hooligans after the game.
During the 1964 to 1966 as the Air force cadet in the old Czechoslovakia I and hundreds of other cadets were summoned every Sunday to soccer stadium in city of Kosice to maintain an order between the local and hosted Hooligans (the favorite pastime after the game to bloody each other noses) not to seriously injur each other.
That was for free!
Where is Santa Ana gone get volunteers to keep an order after the game?
The Usual Suspects are right.
However, I am for the Soccer in Santa Ana, it is good for the business and the City image.
As I proposed to Pulido we should have also City Beer Brewery to promote the city, however he is too stupid to consider that, not speaking about the Read Light District.
I should add that to maintain peace after the soccer game may be much more costly and crime prone than after the cruising or the red light district activity.
So get ready for the crime rate in Santa Ana to double or triple.
Santa Ana Soccer is a good idea in Theory. However, "Chivas" is a whole different deal. Think "Dodgers" and "Raiders". It is politicizing the game. (maybe that is the whole idea) Non- Mexicans will be difficult to attract to the games. It would create unwanted racial-cultural segregation, just when Santa Ana is succeeding at the opposite. Mexican Pride is a good capitalist idea though, huh?$$$ What about New Santa Ana Pride? One step forward, two steps back. Soccer fans and attendees of games at The Home Depot Center Know what I am referring to. If I were Mayor, I would say "no" to Chivas and "yes" to another team or team name. "The White Elephants" is already taken and not Latino friendly.
The other question though is how to deal with the kinds of issues that Dodger Stadium has had. They would need to prioritize a family atmosphere. They would also have to actually pay for security cameras everywhere unlike the city parking garages. Again, think of all the bad publicity Dodger stadium has had because of one serious assault. But what do capitalists care about collateral damage? until the profits drop off? l
Admin, you like baby goats? Isn't that what a Chiva is? F them damn baby goats and your damn bottom dollar capitalisim! I don't expect much from the city GOV. but I expect more from you Generalisimo! Chiva Chicas? No mas. New Santa Ana Chicas! Mas buenas. What the F. Admin you want to pimp out Baby Goats, but your spell check doesn't even except Spanish words? Jesus, Gustavo, and Pulido are going to be so upset with you! Stop loosing sleep over it! F_ing Capitalism. A race to the bottom! VIva New Santa Ana! What ever happened to New Santa Ana? It only existed in idea.
Club Deportivo Chivas USA is an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada.
The club became MLS's eleventh team upon their expansion into the league in 2004 (following the demise of Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion several years previously), and was intended to be seen as a "little brother" to its parent club Guadalajara, one of the most widely supported and successful teams in Mexico. In Spanish, chivas means "goats", and is the nickname of CD Guadalajara.
Chivas USA plays its home games at The Home Depot Center in Carson, which it shares with its rival, the Los Angeles Galaxy. The club is owned by Jorge Vergara Madrigal, owner of CD Guadalajara, and Antonio Cué Sánchez-Navarro and is a subsidiary of Chivas USA Enterprises LLC, which is led by Cué.
The City of Santa Ana doesn't OWN the Willowick golf course -- Garden Grove does and they likely have different plans for it.
Lurk,
Welcome to the New Santa Ana blog! You are right on the first count. Not so sure on the second count. Isn't Broadwater still in Garden Grove? He is an old ally of Miguel Pulido. I am sure that Pulido will find a way to get this done.
At least W/ Amazuca they have a token brown guy now!
Did Mrs. Lutz ask if he'd like a "special" chair, so he didn't soil the good furniture? (thats a Rob Richardson joke).
It would be awesome if Santa Ana gets this team.
But one thing you failed to mention from the Voice of OC article is that it appears the planning for this is being done with little or no public input. Surprise, surprise. The minute residents sit back and silently "entrust" the city to "do the right thing" is the minute we get poorly planned developments.
very bad move ....no soccer team hear send them to lake forest....