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Time to Give Santa Ana's Mayor a Nickname!

Posted by Gustavo Arellano in Notes from the Banana Republic

January 9, 2008 10:40 AM

Permalink | Comments (11)

pulido.jpgToday, bad-ass Los Angeles Times reporter Jennifer Delson writes about the idiotic Measure D, the SanTana ballot measure that would extend city council term limits from eight years to 12 years. She reveals that Measure D originally started as an attempt by residents and councilmembers to install term limits for the mayor's seat, but eventually devolved into another power-grab by loony SanTana councilmembers--scratch that. Let's turn it over to Jennifer:

[Councilmember Sal] Tinajero said two recent Santa Ana City Council votes that would have limited the mayor's time in office failed. [Current Mayor Miguel] Pulido fought two previous efforts to bring mayoral term limits before voters.

This is enough. When I last truly covered SanTana politics, I named my series of articles "Notes from the Banana Republic" because of its wacky cast--former SanTana Unified School District trustee Nativo Lopez, current trustee (and homophobe) Rosemarie Avila, hysterical principals, Christian cabals, and so much more. The only constant? Pulido, who is increasingly taking on the trappings of a mestizo autocrat, like his pal Evo Morales.

And so, gentle readers: polling time!

Polls close Friday night--whichever choice wins is the name we'll use to call Pulido from now on in this blog! And if you have a better one, leave it below!

*Hat tip, btw, to Orange Juice! and its wonderfully imaginative/slanderous commentators, who have deemed councilmembers Claudia Alvarez "Clownia," David Benavides "Benapuppet," racist SanTana activists "The Usual Suspects," and Carlos Bustamante "The Space Commander."

 

Comments (11)

  1. Art Pedroza says:
    January 9, 2008 12:04

    Thanks for the hat tip! I have been calling him "El Rey" Pulido for some time. Some of my commenters also call him "Pudrido" which is my favorite nickname for him. "Pudrido" is Spanish for "rotten." What a perfect fit for El Alcalde...

  2. Mose says:
    January 9, 2008 13:03

    How about "slick". The translation from English to Spanish that I have is that "slick" translates to "pulido".

    Slick Mike - Slick Mikey - Slick Mickey - Slick Miquel

  3. Marc Morin says:
    January 9, 2008 13:05

    In France, Louis XIV (famous for his "I am the state" comment) was nicknamed "le roi soleil" ("the sun king").

    Since Miguel Pulido seems to share Louis XIV's attitude, why not call him "el rey sol" (ah yes, I can just here Pulido now saying, "Yo soy el estado").

  4. Gustavo Arellano says:
    January 9, 2008 13:33

    All great nicknames, but Marc's might be the most appropriate--Miguel's catalytic converter business is named Sol Distribution, after all!

  5. Marc Morin says:
    January 9, 2008 13:59

    Thanks Gustavo, but when I suggested "El rey sol", I was merely attempting to translate "Le roi soleil" from French into Spanish.

    I honestly didn't know anything about Pulido's business, Sol Distribution.

    Whoa, talk about a coincidence!

    Does anyone hear la musica de "Zona Crepusculo" (Twilight Zone) in the background? ;-)

  6. Phil says:
    January 9, 2008 17:51

    You should all be really ashamed of yourselves. How about the more appropriate nickname, "The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Santa Ana." It's easy to sling dirt at people like children on kindergarten playgrounds. But I strongly doubt you would continue to do this after meeting Miguel in person or taking a close look at the amazing things he's done to turn around Santa Ana. If you don't think the city has changed over the past couple of years for the better, you are the ones that should be nicknamed "El Loco."

  7. Gustavo Arellano says:
    January 9, 2008 18:24

    Hey Phil: I think everyone here would love to meet Miguel, but he makes as many public appearances as Howard Hughes. Tell us: how has Miguel improved SanTana?

  8. cook says:
    January 9, 2008 18:24

    I like Mayor for life, someone else said it and congresswoman Sanchez said it at the Oct. 2006 off camera council meeting.

  9. Anonymous says:
    January 9, 2008 19:00

    Pudildo..

    subcomandante pudildo.

  10. Cesar Madrid says:
    January 10, 2008 06:16

    I like 'em all, vatos, keep 'em coming... And, Phil, the reason this hapless mayor is so disliked by so many is that fact that he merely panders to the status quo of SanTana and not its lifeline which is its people.

    "El Caudillo Mas Vendido" will forever be known as the little guy who took on city hall and won. But that doesn't mean the emperor wears any clothes.

  11. Eric says:
    January 10, 2008 16:41

    Pudrido is what everyone I know refers to him as. Too bad it was not on the list. The guy whined and moaned for the city not to close the shop, which his family actually runs. Once he got the local public to contribute signatures to help keep the misplaced business, he turned his back, and closed his ears to their concerns. My family has known him a long time, not in contact anymore, nice in person, but his loyalties(lack their of, other then himself) are clearly evident throughout his history. The "term limit" fiasco is only the latest evidence.

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