Our bloggers Aria Ghafari and Thomas Gordon have done a great job of introducing today’s hot story, about the criminal activities at the Bowers Museum. I would like to take that discussion further. What did Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido and Santa Ana Councilman Carlos Bustamante know, and when did they know it? Both of them have been on the Bowers board of directors for some time; and Bustamante admits to even having worked there as a security guard when he was a teenager.
The strategy of the Bowers board and their soon to be in jail curator, Dr. Peter Keller, was to turn the Bowers into a world-class institution. Now their overblown egos appear to have led to crimes that are very serious indeed. This would never have happened if the Bowers had remained what it once was – a nice local museum dedicated to the history of Santa Ana and the natives and Spanish colonists who once lived there.
We in fact reported that Keller had taken a lot of trips to China and the Far East. Now we know why. According to the Times, he was most likely arranging to receive stolen items. Busted!
I have even called on the City Council to cancel its agreement with the Bowers. Why? Because we pay for their operation costs – $2 million a year. And we get almost nothing for it. You can read more about that at this link. The Museum of Latin American Art, in Long Beach, does a GREAT job of reaching out to their constituents. You can read about that at this link. But the Bowers has become just another tool of the Don Cribb gentrification crowd. And now Keller looks to be headed for jail.
But hold on. What if Keller becomes a witness for the prosecution? What if he was DIRECTED, by the Bowers Board, to break the law? Will Pulido and Bustamante end up in jail instead? One can only hope.
Be sure to read our previous stories where we disclosed how the Bowers made the rich richer, and how the Bowers is awash in cash. You can also click on the “Bowers Museum” tag below this article and read all of our stories about the Bowers Museum and their piece of the corruption that is the City of Santa Ana.
What can WE do about the corruption in our city? For one thing, be sure to Vote No on Measure D! Defeating this measure will stop the City Council members from extending their term limits to 12 years. That can not happen soon enough!
This is a sign of good things to come! lol
Disturbing news. This reminds me of the troubles that plagued the Getty Museum a few years back. That was ugly.
While all the facts are not in, it looks a white collar crime at its finest.
What don’t our city officals “Pulido et al and Bowers admins understand about “illegal gotten goods?”
Deport the artifacts, build a wall to keep all illegal art out of the country. And NO AMNESTY for these illegal works of art!
Illegal is illegal. Comprende?
Or is illegal OK when it deals with fine arts and the white collar businessman?
According to the Bowers Museum website: The Charles W. Bowers Memorial Museum first opened its doors in 1936 as a city-run museum devoted primarily to the history of Orange County.
According to the Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society website: The quiet Charles W. and Ada E. Bowers left their property to the city in 1924 with the understanding that it would be used for a museum building and “that the Orange County Historical Society should have free use of the building.” The Bowers Museum opened February 15, 1936.
Is there still a section of the Bowers Museum dedicated to Orange County history?
Orange County is on the world stage more than ever. Having the Bowers Museum dedicated to the history of Orange County would be a great attraction for Santa Ana and would not involve breaking U.S. customs laws.
For those who believe that Pulido is a great leader for Santa Ana, I hope he proves that he is by stepping up and publicly addressing the problems now facing the Bowers Museum.
What does Claudia have to do with Bowers? please stay on point you will be more effective and might be taken seriously.
It will be interesting to see how Ted Moreno feels since he fought bowers and chamber of commerce funding for years.
Are you actually as ignorant as you sound? Get a job.
You’re still going to have to connect Papi Pulido to the Bowers. And just because Bustamante worked there as a guard a billion years ago doesn’t mean he’s in those secret meetings with art smugglers.
Let the Bowers fall. Too bad – I really wanted to go see some of their exhibits. I guess I’ll just have to go to Thailand do do that now.
zzmike, take icky vicky with you and leave her there!
Utterly disgraceful!
Art, Why do you take such pleasure in the negative news regarding others? Have you no heart?
Carlos and Pulido sitting in a tree, K I S S I N G…
First comes votes…
then comes soul…
then comes both in the slammer, D’oh!
The Pajarito told me that Mayor Pulido will resign in a near future and Mayor ProTem Claudia Alvarez will finish his term. She will then run as Mayor in 2008 reelection without the term limits.
The 20 years of Alvarez dynasty began.
I wonder if Madam Mojeska’s dress and all those arroweheads are stolen too?
The Mayor needs to publicly demand accountability and get rid of Keller!
Like the Sheriff, Keller can not responsibly do his job with these kind of allegations looming over his head.
Will the Mayor step up and be a responsible Mayor?
I’m not holding my breath!
Hummmmm, Gustavo was saying that Pulido was in the Banana Republic who knows what he was doing there! Does he have family there or business connections?
I wonder what Mr. Ream has to do with the scheme of things, he is the one with the precious head for figures.