Inside sources tell me that the “Usual Suspects” aren’t happy with the way things are going at Santa Ana City Hall these days and they are letting Mayor Miguel Pulido know about. According to my sources the “Usual Suspects” believe that Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez appears to be exercising too much power on the city council and they want it to stop, NOW!
I was told that a meeting was held recently between Mayor Pulido and pair of original “Usual Supects” couples. Former Councilman Tom Lutz, his wife Nancy and Glenn and Julie Stroud sat down with the Mayor to express the displeasure with what they see as “Claudia Alvarez running this city”. They told Pulido that it looks to them as if Claudia is “the Mayor now” and the he needs to step in and start acting like he is the one in charge, not her.
The “Usual Suspects” have been gunning for Mayor Pro Tem Alvarez ever since she defeated Nancy Lutz for the Ward 5 city council seat in 2000. It also unnerves them to no end that Alvarez, more than any other councilmember, refuses to cave to their bullying and threats. The “Usual Suspects” days of having sway over what direction this city will go are quickly coming to an end and they blame Alvarez and her allies on the council, Sal Tinajero and Vince Sarmiento, as well as Michele Martinez.
The final straw for the “Usual Suspects” most likely came when the city council, including Mayor Pulido, booted Glenn Stroud from the Redevelopment Housing Commission last month. Thanks to the amendment offered up by Alvarez, Stroud’s dismissal was effective immediately.
Alvarez also publicly called out this band of angry gadfly’s from the council dais a few months back and referred to them as the “Usual Suspects”. This was the first time that any elected official had publicly called them the “Usual Suspects”, a term originally coined by myself and others here at the Orange Juice Blog. After that incident convicted felon Tim Rush cornered Alvarez and let her know that he and the other “Usual Suspects” were not happy with her. As if she really gives a damn.
It will be interesting to see if Pulido acts upon the concerns of the Lutz’s and Stroud’s. My guess would be that he will keep doing what he has been doing. Miguel is smart enough to count to four and currently Alvarez and her allies have the majority and the Mayor knows this. He would be silly to join up with Councilmember’s Carlos Bustamante and David Benevides and constantly be on the losing end of 4-3 votes just to appease those malcontents.
Frankly I would love to see Claudia Alvarez in the mayor’s seat, the people of Santa Ana should be so lucky. However until then we will have to be content with her “running this city” from the Mayor Pro Tem’s seat.
Good job Claudia! Keep up the good work.
Hopefully if Claudia runs for Mayor Al Amezqua will do the right thing and not run. Claudia has put in the time and is showing herself to be a real leader. Santa Ana needs Claudia’s brand of leadership. (And I like the way she dresses too if I can say that without sounding sexist)