In the end, Santa Ana Councilman David Benavides realized he was outnumbered and so he sucked it up and made the motion tonight to select his colleague, Council Member Sal Tinajero, as the new Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem.
The rest of the fading Team Benavides tucked their tails twixt their legs and followed suit – one by one they all seconded the motion and finally Mayor Miguel Pulido, who was so horribly attacked by Benavides during this year’s mayoral campaign, announced that, by proclamation, the clear choice was Tinajero. And just like that the “Santa Ana Spring” was over.
Pulido remains in charge and it is clear from tonight’s actions that he has the votes to get things done in Santa Ana. But the new Council majority leader isn’t the failed mayoral candidate Benavides. Instead it is Tinajero who has emerged triumphant, after he was forced to step aside this year when Benavides refused to drop out of the mayoral race.
Things have changed now. Benavides is now on his heels and in two years he and his co-conspirator, Michele Martinez, will have to face the music as they will be challenged and Pulido will no doubt bring his entire coalition into the fray.
But tonight it was all frivolity as the new Council met with their fans at the Bowers Museum. I am told that new Council Member Angelica Amezcua was quite the charmer and she is quickly warming to her new position.
Now then on to the next battle. I am told that Benavides is going to try to appoint a planning consultant, Phil Bacerra, to the Planning Commission. Bacerra has been hired as a Planning Consultant by Downtown, Inc., the organization that for so long used money taken by other downtown property owners, via the unethical PBID tax, to spend as they pleased. The PBID is now dying and so it seems that Bacerra is looking for a new gig. According to his Linkedin.com page he is a “Problem Solver.”
It is of course highly unethical to put a planning consultant on the Planning Commission. If Benavides thinks he is going to get away with this he has another thing coming. Some people never learn…
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Lisa Bist was the LAST Gringa on the City Council. Shouldn't we be naming something for her?
Yes,absolutely!
Have Mr. Harrah put a Bronze Historical plaque on the front of the Santora Building.
Councilwoman Lisa Bist can have her name at the top of the list as supporters of the "Santora Building for the Arts" and the Santa Ana Artists Village.
Bist will be running against Martinez in 2014.
oops! I had nothing to do with that.
Bist VS. Martinez?
But may the best Arts and Culture enthusiast win.
Wow, this should be fun!
If her husband would allow a temporary divorce she could marry Al Amezcua and run as Lizbet Maria Amezcua and run away with it!
Interesting comment regarding Bist. I guess we’d have a second Claudia candidate on the council in addition to Amezcua. Hearing Amezcua offer no vision for the city at the swearing-in, we cannot afford another Claudia clone on the council. Claudia has caused enough havoc and we should run from her puppets.
Bist is pretty sharp. And she remains popular. If a few Latino candidates file they will split the vote and Bist will win easily.
Don't forget that Arturo Pulio Amezcua s still contemplating a run for that Downtown ward.
Arts supporter
Responsible alcohol consumption supporter
Gay rights friendly (no special favors for Gaytrificationators)
Cop Watcher
Parking meter suspicious
Property Owner Cabal Basher
Anti-Corporatist
all around Progressive Idealist reformer.
Theo should change his name and run!
Why not encourage both of them to run.
They have very similar platforms.
Only, Theo is a little bit more liberal with both the alcohol consumption and the gay friendliness than Arturo.
Arturo is more of a no-nonsense political puritan with a shameless addiction to the "Catholic" Chicas.