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Notes from the Banana Republic

(UPDATED) Santa Ana's Grand Choo Choo Conspiracy Reaches End Game

By Gustavo Arellano, Tuesday, Aug. 4 2009 @ 9:37AM
Comments (18)
Categories:
chinatown.jpg
At least John Huston was a classy villain...
​
(*Updated, with new info on the bottom. Post originally published August 1...)

At the end of the day yesterday--a Friday-- whoever's in charge of compiling the agenda for the SanTana City Council slipped the following item into the consent calendar:

GO LOCAL PROGRAM STEP 2 TECHNICAL ANALYSIS - Execute an agreement with Cordoba Corporation in the amount of $4,845,026.

"Go Local" means the choo-choo dream SanTana Mayor Don Papi Pulido has pushed for years; "Cordoba Corporation" is the well-connected firm that is in charge of the trolley folly despite SanTana city staff recommendation to the contrary; "$4,845,026" is the total of the contract, with no indication that any of it is going to the two firms city staff recommended as better than Cordoba, Parsons Brinckerhoff and David Evans and Associates Inc., firms that Don Papi vowed would work alongside Cordoba and receive a chunk of the change.

A city issue so controversial...a line item on a pinche consent calendar.

THE FIX IS IN, PEOPLE!!! And betcha no one will care.

UPDATE: As expected, this passed, although the vote--4-0 for--was interesting
michellemartinez.JPG
Martinez: a vendida?
​
. Councilmember Claudia Alvarez was not present, Busty Bustamante said long ago he wouldn't vote on the issue since Cordoba head George Pla sits with him on the Santa Ana Business Bank Board. Don Papi Pulido, in an act of benevolence that recalls Louis XIV, also abstained, saying he was doing so because of "abundance of caution in order to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest." HAHAHAHA!

So it was left to councilmembers Sal Tinajero, David Benavides, Vince Sarmiento, and Michelle Martinez to push through this ridiculous proposal. I won't ding Sal, David, or Vince too much on this issue since they've tended to side with Don Papi for reasons known only to them. But Michelle: you campaigned in 2006 as someone who would shake up the establishment, someone specifically opposed to Don Papi's cabal. Hell, you ran against him for mayor last year. If you had abstained against the choo-choo joke, there wouldn't have been a vote due to a lack of quorum, pushing the issue a couple more weeks so the public could have their input. If you had at least voted against it, people could still call you a progressive warrior.

Instead, you went with the Don Papi. And my beyond-cynical view of politics just got darker...
Comments (18) Write Comment
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More About:

  • Michelle Martinez
  • John Huston
  • Vince Sarmiento
  • Politics
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Comments (18)

Art Pedroza says:

Wow. The city is broke and Pulido is still blowing millions on his civic wet dreams. What a mess!

Posted On: Saturday, Aug. 1 2009 @ 5:54PM
Jaquita says:

Gustavo,
We care & will send your article to RSP concerned citizens.The City Council thinks we are asleep and do not notice their quick changes..Thanks for bringing it to our attention

Posted On: Saturday, Aug. 1 2009 @ 8:44PM
lucy says:

It makes me sick to my stomach to read the dirty truth after so many people were laid off. Pulido has no restraint, he's like a kid instant gratification is his addiction. After the summer is over, many more city jobs will be at the chopping block. We have to vote him out.

Posted On: Saturday, Aug. 1 2009 @ 10:45PM
Gustavo Arellano says:

Jaquita: Gracias for caring. Sometimes, the messenger gets discouraged, but your initiative makes the reporting worth it.

Posted On: Sunday, Aug. 2 2009 @ 12:08PM
Tammy Kavathan says:

Thank you Gustavo, some of us do care. I appreciate you bringing this information to the surface. I will be working during the city counsil meeting manana. Please and thank you for representing those of us who care but can't be there.

Posted On: Sunday, Aug. 2 2009 @ 1:04PM
ben gurion says:

No one in an illegal alien-infested city cares about anything other than where to score cheap quincenera gowns.

Posted On: Sunday, Aug. 2 2009 @ 2:09PM
RUBEN A says:

Funny how they can cut, cut and cut, and still find money for pet projects. "Another fine mess you've gotten us into Olie"

Posted On: Sunday, Aug. 2 2009 @ 2:33PM
Lurk says:

Hey! What happened to the Orangeline (www.olda.net) that the City was supposed to join to do a maglev train between the Metrolink station and Union station downtown. The Council voted to pony up. Shouldn't one boondoggle deserve another?

Posted On: Sunday, Aug. 2 2009 @ 4:15PM
Eric P says:

not like it's their money, so what's a pay increase? what's a FIVE MIL expenditure when the city was already short MILLLLIONS already. Need to import some no nonsense Texans to fix the state or something radical to breakup the Pulido Posse. Only way that would happen is if the Media Networks and the Newspapers REPORTED about the city.

Posted On: Sunday, Aug. 2 2009 @ 5:10PM
Mike Tardif says:

50B ORDINANCE AMENDING THE SANTA ANA MUNICIPAL CODE PERTAINING TO THE UNIFORM HEARING AND APPEAL PROCEDURE

http://www.ci.santa-ana.ca.us/coc/documents/Agenda.pdf

Check out this item on the Aug. 3rd SA City Council agenda. It is a power grab by the City Manager which removes the council from the administrative appeal process.

Posted On: Sunday, Aug. 2 2009 @ 10:34PM
IrvinePolitico says:

Pulido learned at the feet of his mentor Larry Agran, whose Great Pork and iShuttle waste millions and millions.

Posted On: Monday, Aug. 3 2009 @ 5:25AM
John G says:

Hmmm, OCTA is so broke that they are making severe cuts in service.I believe someting in the order of eliminating 172 runs by September 2009, with more cuts slated for Jan 2010. and I hear they are trying to terminate many drivers in favor of CONTRACT Drivers. More important NON-UNION contract drivers (AKA SCABS).

Is this the same Miguel Pulido that is a Population Weighted City Member 1st District on the OCTA board of directors?

Is someone trying to eliminate jobs, and make transportation tougher for commuters just for an agenda? What is the connection with Cordoba?

Funny, LA MTA, Foothill Transit, & Torrance Transit are not making any cuts... Why is only OCTA crying broke? Why did the former CEO of MTA QUIT and return to LA MTA?

Posted On: Tuesday, Aug. 4 2009 @ 12:02AM
Lurk says:

This is Measure M money, not the city's. We're all paying for it.

Posted On: Tuesday, Aug. 4 2009 @ 10:30AM
John G says:

Oopsie, it does not get past me often, but I made a boo boo, In my last phrase, I meant to say, Why did the former CEO of OCTA suddenly quit, and return to work at MTA?

Posted On: Tuesday, Aug. 4 2009 @ 6:47PM
korean says:

What is a difference between Miguel Pulido and Kim Jong Ill?

Kim Jong Ill does not kill Korean mothers when they illegally cross his borders.

Posted On: Wednesday, Aug. 5 2009 @ 4:36PM
John G says:

RE: korean says:...
I am curious as to what a Past or Present North Korean dictator has to do with Santa Ana Rail Transportation?

Does Miguel Polido have a responsibility for killing Koreans "Illegally" crossing the border between Garden Grove and Santa Ana? or having Korean reporters arrested as spies?

Posted On: Thursday, Aug. 6 2009 @ 3:02AM
korean says:

John G. Stated: [Does Miguel Polido have a responsibility for killing Koreans "Illegally" crossing the border between Garden Grove and Santa Ana?]..... Yes!

It was joke!... you should lough. So I will help you:

See: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/galipo-kim-officer-2501426-police-santa

Please do not reply that Pulido is not responsible for actions of his police department and that Susie Young Kim put herself into harms way by DUI-ing illegaly into the Santa Ana by crossing border from the Anaheim.

In contrast, Laura Ling and Euna Lee committed bigger crime against the N. Korea than DUI and Kim Jong-il did not shoot them even though such shooting would be justifiable.

Conclusion: Since Pulido is bigger lowlife than Kim Jong-il he will commit other crimes like ripping off $6,000,000 from the Santa Ana citizens.

Capisci?

Posted On: Thursday, Aug. 6 2009 @ 7:18AM
Bob Squalonero says:

Instead of having Sandra Hutchens as OC Sheriff, we should've had an African-American sheriff, just like in the movie "Blazing Saddles".

That way, just like Sheriff Bart did in the movie, the black sheriff would've used his/her cleverness in uniting the townspeople in stopping the choo-choo from coming thru the town. ;-)

Posted On: Thursday, Aug. 6 2009 @ 4:24PM

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