What a week for Santa Ana Councilman Carlos Bustamante. Tuesday night, at the Council meeting, Bustamante made sure to take a few minutes to brag about his recent appointment, by Governor Arnold Scwharzenegger, to some kind of non-paying position on the California Council on Criminal Justice.
Bustamante also found time this week to vote for a few salary increases – according to the OC Register, Bustamante voted to pay Catherine Standiford, the former City Manager of La Palma, $168,612 a year to serve as assistant city manager to Santa Ana City Manager Dave Ream. But wait – there’s more. Bustamante also voted to raise the salary for Standiford’s position by 5 percent the same night she was confirmed. And he also voted to raise the salary bracket for Stephen Harding, deputy city manager for development services, by 5 percent now and by another 5 percent in January. That puts Harding at a $168,612 annual salary for now that will reach $177,168 a year in January.
Now we know why Santa Ana can’t afford to fill our potholes, get rid of the abandoned shopping carts, cover up the grafitti, and clear Harbor of its brazen prostitutes. This must be why we had to cancel the bookmobiles – so we could pay Ream’s assistants an astounding amount of money. Imagine that – we are paying these two and Ream over$700,000 a year – in return for their stellar management of what amounts to a second-rate city. Unbelievable. How does Bustamante sleep at night? There are doctors and lawyers that don’t make as much as Reams’s hired help!
Now we know why Bustamante will be using John Lewis, the former State Senator, to run his Supervisorial campaign. The man likes to overspend! Go ahead Carlos – spend it all and hopefully you won’t have any dinero left to defend your council seat in two years…
Art,
You are constantly ranting about Carlos, whats the deal? Will you be voting dem if Correa beats Daucher in November.
By the way, love the blog…
I
Lewis will represent him until someone does a poll and realizes Carlito has no chance of winning. Then he will drop him like a hot potato and preserve his ability to lobby the eventual winner. It’s a business Carlos and you will soon learn that!
Heard thru the grapevine that the entire OCGOP 69th A.D. Caucus has put the Party on notice that none of them will support Bustamante’s self-promoting run at Supervisor.
Uh-oh…doesn’t Tim “Recall” Whitacre head up that bunch? Sounds to me like Bustamante will be staying put regardless of whether Correa wins or not.
Art:
If you really regard Santa Ana as “second-rate” perhaps the City has decided it needs and must pay for talent. I really have good feeings about our city and believe it is the only city in Orange County that is not sterile.
Besides that, I really hope Carlos moves on to a differnt office because he has not done a bit of good for Santa Ana. You can add Carlos to the long list of dishonest local electeds who live on the public dole and puruse their personal/professional interests.
“the entire OCGOP 69th A.D. Caucus has put the Party on notice that none of them will support Bustamante’s self-promoting run at Supervisor.”
we have been very disappointed that carlos has decided to join forces with miguel and lead santa ana towards fiscal disaster by spending on perks and privilege for city employees while allowing the city to become a second rate disaster.the city manager and his many assistants make more than all other city managers and assistants in orange county except orange and irvine,yet santa ana is in shambles and has nothing to show for the high rate of compensation.
the new hire,catherine standiford had a total compensation package of $165,227 that included her base pay,insurances,car allowances,retirement and deferred compensation while acting as city manager for la palma.
she comes to santa ana as an assistant city manager and will make $177,042.i’ll be voting to toss them all come nov 7.
I don’t care much for Claudia Alvarez but she has more huevos than Carlos Bustamante when it comes to standing up to Government waste. Even Claudia voted against paying 3 people $750,000! When will those GOP fools in Corona Del Mar realize Carlos no Republican!
“When will those GOP fools in Corona Del Mar realize Carlos no Republican!”
They’ll find out when Carlos becomes a Supervisior and helps throw the county into backruptcy again.
Art, are you saying that Dave Ream makes around $350K? Cabinet Secretaries for the State of California make around $130K. That should be more than enough for any city administrator.
Art,
If you didn’t attend the council meeting this past Tuesday then you’re missing the real story.
Claudia Alvarez reported out that City Attorney Joe Fletcher went job hunting and got an offer from the city of Newport Beach. Fletcher came back to Santa Ana and asked them to meet Newport Beach’s salary offer. Apparently the city obliged.
The undocumented are not the enemy; it’s US!
Heck, if we can sell a parcel of prime real estate for a buck, what the hell is a salary increase for the incompetent?
It’s time for a change.
Cast your vote for Thomas Gordon on Nov. 7.
OMG, this council (well, the current majority) certainly doesn’t know how to spend its money!
This is why we desperately need new leadership in our city.
I hope our new council members don’t make these same mistakes.
Poster No. 11:
I had no idea the undocumenteds were the enemy at anytime. Stick to the issue istead of making ad hominen attacks on an entire group of people.
#13
You – voting citizens – get what you vote for.
Three cheers for the 69thAD Caucus not endorsing Carlos! He had it coming after his non-endorsement of other candidates who needed party support.
A non-endorsement of Carlos is a total vote of no-confidence in him as a politician! And if the 69thAD Caucus is pressed to endorse him, they need to check with Jose Solorio FIRST.