« To Do Tonight - 01/09 | Main | Interview with a laid-off OC Register staffer »
Carlos Bustamante Reaps Money from Downtowners
Posted by Gustavo Arellano in Notes from the Banana Republic
January 9, 2008 8:01 AM
Permalink | Comments (11)
Cápitulo tres de cuatro...
Remember how yesterday, we promised this would be our last Carlos Bustamante post in our series on the conflict-of-influenza-stricken SanTana councilmember? We lied. We're still so awestruck at Carlitos' güey with donations and votes, we decided to insert this post before our conclusion. So in today's episode, we focus on the businesses within the Renaissance Specific Plan that donated money to Bustamante's failed 2007 supervisorial race. Instead of bothering with a narrative like yesterday, here's a list:
George Heidler, Tom's Truck Center, $1,500, Dec. 12, 2006
Caribou Industries, $1,500 Dec. 4, 2006
Donald Kennedy (of First American Title), $1,500, Dec. 7, 2006
Dorothy Kennedy, $1,500, Dec. 7, 2006
Ware Disposal, $3,000, Dec. 2006
Ben Ware, Madison Materials, $1,500, Dec. 4, 2006
PCI Parking Concepts, $1,500, Dec. 3, 2007
Parker Kennedy (of First American Title), $1,500, Feb. 1, 2007
Northgate Gonzalez (of Northgate Supermarkets), $1000, Jan. 29, 2007
Waste Management, $1,500, Feb. 14, 2007
R.J. Noble, $1,500, Dec. 16, 2006
David DiRizio (developer of the Santiago Lofts), $1,500, Dec. 11, 2006
Anie DiRienzo, $1,500, Dec. 11, 2006
For those of you keep score at home, Bustamante has taken over $20,000 from businesses within the Renaissance Plan's boundaries. Few put him in SanTana's ambiguous conflict-of-interest zone--but is the common voter really to believe Bustamante ain't more than a bit willing to follow his sugar papi's desire? Or does Bustamante really vote with integrity, free of personal aspirations and solely for the common good? Tune in tomorrow for the REAL finale!
Comments (11)
Latest Posts
- This Week in the OC Weeky
- To Do This Weekend 8/29 - 9/1
- Go Help the Saints this Weekend
- Adderall Maker to Patients: Don't Take Adderall
- OC Hate Crime Killer Headed For Lethal Injection
- To Do Tonight 8/28
- Weenie Roast
- Democrat Boss (& Daybreak OC) Clueless on Cultural Reference
- Won't Get Phoned Again
- To Do Tonight 8/27
Categories
- 241 Toll Road
- A Clockwork Orange
- Art Review
- Because You're Ugly
- Bootlicker (AKA Gordon Dillow)
- Breaking News
- Carona Challenge
- Carona Watch
- Chronicle a Mexican
- Citizen of the Week!
- Council Meeting Mania
- Crime & Sex
- Crime & Sex
- Daybreak OC watch
- Disney Dirt
- Doctor's Orders
- Eat It!
- Election 2008
- Ex Cathedra
- Film Pick of the Weekend
- Fire Watch 2007
- Free Crap That Came in the Mail
- Gay Marriage
- Gimme That OC Religion
- Gunkist Memories
- Haidl 3 Gang Rape Verdict Coverage
- Haunted OC
- Hugh Hewitt Watch
- ill LYTeracy
- Illegals, Illegals, Illegals!
- Last Night
- Le Receptionist
- Little Saigon Follies
- Long Beach
- Los Angeles Film Fest 2007
- LowBallAssChatter - The Return!
- Main
- Monster Munching
- Moxley
- My Favorite Martin
- Naranja News
- Newport Beach Film Festival
- News Roundups
- Notes from the Banana Republic
- Now Playing
- OC Media
- OC Register Death Watch
- Other Film Fests
- Overheard in Orange County
- Painting The Town Red
- Politics
- Rocco Loco
- Ruminations
- San Diego Comic Con 2007
- Shmortgage Board
- Snap Judgment
- Sports
- That's Classified
- The Media-O-Meter
- The Reg-O-Meter
- The Snow Job Express
- The Tan Nguyen "Immigrants Can't Vote" Letter
- Theatricks
- This Week in The OC Weekly
- To Do Tonight
- TV
- Useful Websites
- Wacky Vids
- What You Missed
- Yo Smoka Smoka
Monthly
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
- December 2005
- November 2005
RSS Feeds
OC Weekly Insiders
- Local food, music and news blasts
- Free Stuff
January 9, 2008 08:24
Gustavo,
The problem is that there is nobody of any significance that will run against Carlos. This guy is without a doubt the worst councilman I have ever seen in all my years of following Santa Ana politics. Despite that, he will win re-election.
The only shot we have at defeating him is if Santa Ana School Board Member John Palacio runs against him. I urge everyone to join me in a "Draft Palacio" campaign.
January 9, 2008 09:37
Sean:
Be real. Palacio's is a joke. And, he couldn't beat Carlos. It would definitely be the race of the mental midgets.
We need new blood, not the same old crap.
I still don't see a smoking gun here. Carlos didn't break any laws, he did what all politicians do: let money buy influence. There is no quid pro quo (at least it could not be proven).
I'd like to see Carlos go, but I'm not sure Palacio would be an improvement.
January 9, 2008 10:05
I like Palacio for his contrarian ways on the SAUHSD board, but I have to agree with Anon: he stands little chance. The Usual Suspects despise him for his association with Nativo Lopez, and Bustamante is simply too well-funded.
Anon: Pay-to-play is a hallmark of American politics, but I have to agree with Sean: I've found fewer more blatant (on a local municipality level) with his developer-friend votes than Carlos. Has he broken the law? I'm not the AG, and that SanTana municipal code is too damn ambiguous. Even so, both Alvarez and Bustamante have demonstrated there needs to be a change to that--and that's my ultimate hope in showing all these campaign donations.
January 9, 2008 10:26
Gustavo:
I think if you keep exposing him it will chip away at his teflon jacket and someone (who is not John Palacio) will then be able to topple this piece of rubbish.
Please see how much Carlos took from SunCal, the developer that has apparently backed out of the Village Green project at Bristol and Memory. Carlos was the only person in Floral Park, Fischer Park, West Floral Park and Morrison Park to support this project and I'm sure he was paid handsomely for it.
January 9, 2008 11:04
He'll never leave--Floral Park residents like their little Mexican too much!
January 9, 2008 11:18
that SanTana municipal code is too damn ambiguous...
Gustavo, according to your post yesterday the code made it crystal clear that Carlos Bustamante is violating its conflict-of-interest provision, and you maintained that was absolutely what Carlos was doing.
Today, the same code is "too damn ambiguous" and you don't know if he's violating it.
Will tomorrow's post break the tie?
January 9, 2008 11:19
GET RID OF THE SPACE COMMANDER!
January 9, 2008 11:24
No, Jubal--my reporting states the dates and contributions that show the lack of a 12-month gap, but I'm not the AG or SanTana city attorney Joseph Fletcher, who sided with Claudia Alvarez when she ran into the same conflict-of-interest wrinkle. I say it's conflict of interest, but my reporting isn't law. If it was, Bishop Tod Brown would've been long gone already.
January 9, 2008 11:33
If it isn't a conflict of interest, it's at least a lapse of judgement -- to be clear, many lapses of judgment.
I wouldn't expect anything less of Carlos. He hasn't met up with a conribution check that he didn't deposit. The only difference now is that someone is watching.
January 9, 2008 11:54
He'll leave the minute his republican pals find him another failed campaign to enter.
January 9, 2008 12:02
Carlos and his rich GOP buddies in the Hispanic 100 are out of touch with the working people in Santa Ana. I am certain that we will find someone to take him on.
In the meantime, please join me in emailing Don Perata and Gil Cedillo, as well as Lou Correa, and asking them to shoot down the nomination of the Space Commander to the State's Fair Employment and Housing Commission.