Tue. Dec 3rd, 2024

Zeke Hernandez, a candidate for Area 1 of the Rancho Santiago Community College District, is trying to pull a fast one, using the ballot title of “Adult Education Director.” That is a complete falsehood!

Hernandez admitted in a letter he wrote to the Rancho Santiago Community College District’s Chancellor, just last year, to being retired. That letter was part of Hernandez’ application to the Measure Q Bond Oversight Committee.

Furthermore  the application Hernandez completed to serve on the RSCCD Measure Q Bond committee states an applicant cannot be a district vendor. However during interviews this Monday with the current Rancho Santiago Community College District Trustees, it emerged that Hernandez is the chief executive of a district contractor, according to the Voice of OC.

Since last fall, Hernandez has served as interim executive director of the nonprofit SER-Jobs for Progress, which the district hires to provide education and job training services to the public. The district’s board approved $511,000 in contracts with Hernandez’s nonprofit on June 13.

Hernandez told board members Monday that he serves “in a voluntary capacity” at the nonprofit. “I don’t take a salary,” he said.

That means Hernandez is nothing more than a volunteer and he should not be allowed to use the title “Adult Education Director.”

If Mr. Hernandez’s position as an Adult Education Director is unpaid, and he has a principle profession or occupation (retired), then sections (a) and (b) of the Election Code, as noted below, would seem to apply and he should use that profession or occupation as his ballot designation.

UNACCEPTABLE BALLOT DESIGNATIONS: (1) The following types of activities are distinguished from professions, vocations, and occupations and are not acceptable as ballot designations pursuant to Elections Code § 13107(a)(3):

(a) Avocations: An avocation is a casual or occasional activity, diversion or hobby pursued principally for enjoyment and is in addition to the candidate’s principal profession, vocation or occupation. Avocations may include, but are not limited to: Hobbies, social activities, volunteer work (except as set forth under “Community Volunteer”), and matters pursued as an amateur. CA Admin Code, Title 2, Division 7, § 20716(b)(1) Example: (a) If a person is a PTA President (not a paid position), and does not have a principal profession, vocation, or occupation, then that person could use” Community Volunteer” as his/her Ballot Designation but could not use “PTA President”. “PTA President” is considered a “status (see “c: Statuses”);

(b) If the person is a PTA President (not a paid position), and also has a principle profession, vocation, or occupation, he/she must use his/her principle profession, vocation, or occupation as his/her Ballot Designation; (c) If the person is a PTA President (not a paid position) and also has a principle profession, vocation, or occupation, he/she could not use both the principle profession, vocation, or occupation and “Community Volunteer” (even if the designation meets the three-word requirement) because “Community Volunteer” must stand alone. (b) Pro Forma Professions, Vocations, and Occupations: Pro forma professions, vocations or occupations are positions held by the candidate which consume little or none of the candidate’s time and which, by their nature, are voluntary or for which the candidate is not compensated. Pro forma professions, vocations and occupations may include, but are not limited to: Honorary peace officer, honorary chairperson, honorary professor, goodwill ambassador, official host or hostess and the like. CA Admin Code, Title 2, Division 7, § 20716(b)(2) (c) Statuses: A status is a state, condition, social position or legal relation of the candidate to another person, persons or the community as a whole. A status is generic in nature and generally fails to identify with any particular specificity the manner by which the candidate earns his or her livelihood or spends the substantial majority of his or her time. Examples of a status include, but are not limited to: Veteran, proponent, reformer, scholar, founder, philosopher, philanthropist, mother of eleven, activist, patriot, taxpayer, concerned citizen, Kiwanis Club President, PTA President, husband, and wife. CA Admin Code, Title 2, Division 7, § 20716(b)(3)

That's Zeke, on the right
Thats Zeke on the right

Clearly Mr. Hernandez is a volunteer and does not have standing as a paid Adult Education Director therefore he should not be allowed to use that title as a candidate for Area 1 of the Rancho Santiago Community College District.

When a candidate for public office lies to the voters right from the start that is a very red flag indeed. That the current RSCCD Board of Trustees majority is endorsing this guy speaks volumes. Clearly they can count on him to keep covering up their many shenanigans including their ridiculous program in Saudi Arabia, their huge and expensive construction overruns and mistakes and their awful travel expenditures. Hernandez is and always will be a political hack and that is why the rest of the hacks on the RSCCD Board of Trustees have placed their trust in him. We should not do so!

 

author avatar
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.

By 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.

3 thoughts on “Zeke Hernandez is lying to the voters by pretending to be an Adult Education Director”
  1. After doing a little research (something clearly lacking in this article), I’m still unsure how Mr. Zeke Hernandez doesn’t fit under the ballot designation of ‘Adult Education Director’. Based on information from multiple websites and primary sources, this candidate appears to fit the title with a long history of involvement in advancing education.

    “While serving as California State Deputy Director for Seniors, Zeke serves as President of Santa Ana LULAC #147, the oldest council in California (founded in 1946), he is also a Past LULAC State Director. He serves on the Orange County District Attorney’s Latino Advisory Commission, and the Orange County Registrar of Voters Elections Community Advisory Board. Additionally, he is Vice President of Achievement Institute for Scientific Studies, focusing on encouraging and assisting Latino high school students to major in college and enter into STEM careers. Zeke also serves as the Vice Chairman of the Orange County Veterans Memorial Park Foundation towards the dedication of 125 acres for a veterans cemetery at former El Toro Marine Air Station in City of Irvine’s Great Park, and Chairman of the Rancho Santiago Community College District Latino Advisory Committee
    Zeke is a member of American GI Forum Rudy Escalante Orange County Chapter, and Los Amigos of Orange County community advocacy organization. He is also the Interim Executive Director for SER Jobs for Progress, Orange County, Inc.”

    http://www.californialulac.com/?page_id=7
    http://www.aissfoundation.com/board-of-directors
    http://www.ocvote.com/fileadmin/user_upload/elections/gen2016/cs/3050-1.pdf

    It’s a bit unsettling to be a proud student of the RSCCD and seek out information regarding important upcoming elections that affect me directly, only to find uneven, unchecked information that equates to political propaganda at best.
    The homogeneity of biased content on this “news & views” blog reflects poor journalism, a lack of diversity, censorship or blatant disregard of competing views, and does little to provide me as a student and a voting member of this community substantive information on which I can formulate an informed and logical opinion.

    My intentions are not to publicly endorse this candidate or any other, but simply to voice my concerns for the standard of journalism and news we are holding ourselves to. It begs the question, is this information serving the best interests of students, voters, and the community? Or is it just serving a political agenda?

    1. Our political agenda is to make sure that the incumbents at the Rancho Santiago Community College District – and their handpicked choice for Area 1, Zeke Hernandez, are defeated. They have a long history of ridiculous expenditures including misusing travel expenses and construction cost overruns. Not to mention their support for a consulting contract in Saudi Arabia, a country that mistreats women and minorities.

      I have know Zeke for many years and can assure you that he is a political hack who only wants to get elected for the pay and benefits.

      BTW I have been a community college teacher for over 12 years so I have quite a bit of knowledge about these issues. Certainly more than Zeke and company. And my 20 year old son is a student at SAC. So yes I have a vested interest.

      As for censorship, we published your opinion, which appears to consist of cutting and pasting. So there you go.

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