The Voice of OC is an online news blog funded almost entirely by the Orange County Employees Association, which is headed by Nick Berardino – a very well paid union boss.
For some reason the Voice of OC has developed an interest in the compensation and benefits of the Santa Ana City Council and Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido.
I took a look at their compensation. Click here to see the information provided by the City of Santa Ana. Pulido only makes about $31,000 a year, as a part-time Mayor. The average household income in Santa Ana is over $54,000 a year, by comparison.
The Voice of OC slammed Pulido for getting health benefits from both the City of Santa Ana and the OCTA, which he serves as a Board Member. But the OCEA is backing a union member named John Leos for the Anaheim City Council. Won’t he be a double-dipper too?
And what about SAUSD Trustee Audrey Yamagata-Noji? She is going to make somewhere between $200K and $300K a year in pension benefits, paid by us, the taxpayers! Why isn’t the Voice of OC going after her?
Click here to read the rest of this post.
Why not go after all politicians leaching the system! Starting with your mayor and city council?
Hal,
The pension crisis Bernardino created may yet bankrupt our entire County. Again. He is the new Bob Citron.
Pulido works over forty hours a week as a part-time Mayor and makes just over $30K a year in the process. Sounds like a bargain to me.
The mayor makes more than 30k per year, not as the mayor, but because he is the mayor.
I would take a wild guess based on the recent news reports of 30 thousand here and 20 thousand there, that he makes and benefits from his position in the amount of between 100,000 to 300,000 per year.
And that is not counting his cut from the 40 million deal the city cut with the developers in the station district.
cook,
He puts in more than forty hours a week as our Mayor. That money isn’t out of bounds for all that he does.
How are the other candidates going to work this hard? Charles Hart works for the County. What will he do, be Mayor during his fifteen minute breaks?
Amezcua runs a law firm. What will he do, leave court when he has to go be the Mayor?
George Collins actually has more time on his hands, as does Roy Alvarado, who is retired. But Hart and Amezcua? No way!
I don’t doubt that he works hard for the money.
Just it is time to restructure and make the Mayor a city employee, with an upfront salary and benefits.
Art —
This is attacking the messenger, and not the message.
The OCEA? In the words of Bernardino himself “a reformer union” (read between those lines!)
Pulido? Got caught with his hand in the cookie jar anyway. His Ream Team doesn’t even have the story straight yet. He’s double-dipping in breach of policy.
Grassroots vs. Establishment? While the Mayor is collecting twice, community organizations like Latino Health Access are actually doing the work of helping out Santa Ana’s residents – uninsured and underserved.
Mayor’s salary? Ok, so he’s not poverty pimping on the rolls like Bell. Modesty? The kind that can be afforded by the privilege of someone who lives in such a home as the Mayor does in Floral Park…
gabriel,
I think it is worth pointing out that Berardino is a damn hypocrite.
You are right to assert that Pulido isn’t engaging in Bell-style corruption. Far from it. He works over forty hours a week as our Mayor, although the job is a part time position.
He does have a nice house, but remember that he owns a few businesses and is an engineering consultant.
Amezcua has a nice house too, in fact he owns a bunch of properties…
I drove by Amezcua’s law office just yesterday….mighty fine piece of property right there. It’s ‘good’ to be a ‘business as usual suspect’
Gabriel,
And that is the tip of the iceberg. I am told he has numerous rental properties all over the city. And his house is in Morrison Park, which is a nice neighborhood.
I was once driven by don papi pulido’s casa…also nice…very nice piece of property right there…
Many of my Anaheim so-called council members/representatives live in nice homes in the hills – democrat and republicans alike – and not in the flats where the everyday people live…
…it must be nice to be a ‘business as usual suspect’
Pedroza, you seem fixated on the mayor working over 40 hours per week. The job does not demand or require that he work much at all – he chooses to spend a lot of time wheeling and dealing and schmoozing. This is not work, it is being a politcal gladfly by choice. The City Administration does not need him “working”, that is what they are there for and accountable to the entire Council. Next you’ll be alleging that the Mayor of LA is a great leader because he “works” more than 40 hours a week. These people are self-promoting politicans seeking constant publicity and opportunity for personal gain, not hard working public servants. Tell it like it is.
BAW,
I did. They do indeed work hard on city business. That is particularly true right now with the ongoing union negotiations and budget crisis.
Hector.
While Art surely can respond for himself do you truly think that anyone in city hall will be working to help Art in his bid for school board?
Let me also point out that with a huge number of kids dropping out of public education I commend Art for entering that arena where he just might be able to improve the education of all. Too many people underestimate the importance and power of school boards who serve to help our kids get a good education.
I endorse Art for that seat.
Thanks Larry! As always I appreciate your friendship and support.
Art:
I am a volunteer Co-Chair for the Santa Ana Business Alliance (Santa Ana’s Chamber of Commerce) High School Inc. initiative for the 12th grade, and where we work with the Global Business Academy at Valley High in Santa Ana.
http://santaanachamber.com/HighSchoolInc/academies.aspx
We work with the 9-12 students, through High School Inc, and there are other focuses. I am starting my third year with volunteering.
What I wanted to share is that I asked one of the High School teachers what was the biggest reason or hurdles for the High Number of drop-outs, and his answer was that some of the biggest hurdles students face in their home/surroundings that lead them to drop-out are:
1) VIOLENCE
2) DRUGS
3) GANGS
Therefore my observation is that we need to ensure that what we do has a direct link and impact on the factors that are causing students to drop-out, and in particular items 1-3.
Something to consider as you run for SAUSD Board.
Francisco J. Barragan
Professional Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/franciscobarragancpacia
Francisco,
This is why I am supporting Prop. 19. We need to end the drug war. Gangs recruit young people because they cannot be charged as adults. The violence ensues because of turf wars over what is a very high-income endeavor.
You stop the drug war, you end the violence and put a real crimp in the gangs.
Over 28,000 Mexicans are dead because Americans cannot stop using drugs and because Americans keep selling illegal weapons in Mexico.
Despite all of that, many Democrats are going against Prop. 19, which will regulate and tax sales of cannabis. It will allow for individuals to legally have small amounts of marijuana. The tax revenue will help make up for much of the money our public schools have lost.
Decriminalization has already happened in many Euro countries, to great affect. We are behind the times and Obama isn’t proving to be any better about this than Bush was…
The teachers answer was a cop out!
Children who take drugs, get into gangs that lead to violence usually are a product of a dysfunctional home. Santa Ana has an epidemic of young (usually single) mothers, welfare users and dead beat dads!
This factor is the reason why drop outs take drugs, join gangs and commit crimes!
Ask the teacher this question Mr. F… How involved are the parents in their children’s education/lives!
I bet he will reply “not much”!
Quinn,
Didn’t Sarah Palin’s daughter get knocked up out of wedlock? Was Palin not involved in her life? Was she the product of a dysfunctional family?
Pero, Art, don’t you know “IOKIYAR?”
Oh, that’s “It’s OK If You’re A Republican.”
That fact that a girl made a mistake is different from an epidemic in a population!
I suppose the democrats only worry about republicans getting knocked up!
Besides she did not drop out of school and go on welfare. Her family is paying for her mistake… Not society!
Since you are running for school board…I think you need to know that a large majority of your students would rather get knocked up and go on welfare than actually get an education… But of course it the republicans who are dropping out in droves!
This is why you would completely be a waste on the school board. You would not even address the most obvious problem in your schools!
SANTA ANA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Student Forum – December 16, 2008 Response to Questions
1. What do you consider are the most pressing challenges that teenagers are faced within Santa Ana?
Answers
Pregnancy, Gangs, Peer Pressure, Family Issues, Lack of Parent Involvement, Poverty, Homelessness, Safety to and from school, Drugs on Campus, Underage Drinking, Bullying, T agging & Graffiti, Language Barriers, Violence, Lack of Role Models, Pressure to have Sex, Abuse, Teen Pregnancy
If you are going to run for School Board and actually make a difference… You might want to ask the students what is the most pressing problems within the school district….PLEASE NOTE PREGNANCY IS FIRST ON THE LIST!
Better Sex Education? Good idea, Michelle!
Also some kind of convincing case that an education will lead to employment opportunities – a little tougher in this recession.
@ Michelle Q:
1) I agree. Better Sex Education to prevent Teen Age pregnancy is good. (by the way teen pregnancy appears at the BEGINNING and at the END of your list).
Through MANA de OC (A National Latina Women’s Organization) myself and the President, we spoke to a group of students at Santa Ana High School at the end of this school term. She took a combined classes of girls, and I took a combined class of boys.
We spoke about abstinence, the types of STDS; how to protect themselves from STDS, teen-age pregnancy, and the facts that if the young ladies are pregnant, then the young men are pregnant too; and how teen-age pregnancy gets in the way of them pursuing and achieving their goals.
2) Parent involvement is also KEY. However, it is too easy to say that parent’s are irresponsible.
Consider that many of them are working two or three part-time jobs to makes ends meet. (I personally know a US Marine veteran that has 2 teenage daughters, and is struggling financially to provide for his family with at least 2 part time jobs – and one of these is a grave-yard shift job (When I paid my way through college – I also had a grave-yard shift – my body took a beating because I was not used to it, and I had very little time with my 5 year old daughter – I either interacted with her, or I slept a little more – I chose to sleep a Little LESS.)
3) You are correct – we must attack ALL the FACTORS that cause our failing schools because this means we are failing our youth. We must put education of our youth first, and “NON-PERFORMING” ADMINISTRATORS; PARENTS, TEACHERS, AND STUDENTS, MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE –
and the kids must also understand the value of their education or the long-term consequences from the lack of it, and they must also be PRESENTED with OPPORTUNITIES in their community that provide an INCENTIVE for them to succeed.
This is not a time or an issue for being “nice”.
Francisco “Paco” Barragan
My opinions only and not those of any group
“commend Art for entering that arena where he just might be able to improve the education of all.”
MQ says:
I commend your loyalty to your friend Larry. But you know as well as I do that he would be a disaster for the district. We don’t need loyal Mexican advocates running the district we need people who want to make sure the dead beat parents, loser teachers and gang potentials start making an effort to educate and be educated instead of being served!
We don’t need another stupid community activist in Santa Ana (plenty of those). We need a leader who knows why kids are failing in this school system and has balls to take on the criticism that will come his/her way!
No offense Art, you are not up for the job!
MQ. Stupid community activist? Is that what you truly feel about Art?
By the way. Have you stepped out into the public service arena to take abuse from all sides?
It’s so easy to take pot shots when you are not the target.
“It’s so easy to take pot shots when you are not the target.”
You built a career on that, Larry. Case in point, your community activist manifesto you’re peddling to the blue-hairs and alzheimers patients in Laguna Woods.
Hector. Yes I do have friends in Laguna Woods. Many of them attend our churches.
They also invite me to play golf on their 4 courses.
We also support the Teen Challenge Intl. program whose OC HQ is on South Main St in Santa Ana. These recovering young men and women surely are not alzheimer patients. In fact we have sponsored a table for their 9-11 fund raiser BBQ in S.A.
Let me know if you wish to attend and I will buy your ticket as my guest.
Hector. Have you ever run for elected office? I have, and have been attacked multiple times. Even here on the OJ I am attacked by people who won’t even use their true names.
Signed. Larry Gilbert, a community organizer long before president Obama.
No, I like Art, but I think absolutely he is another Community activist, who waste an opportunity to actually do good because they are blinded either by color or leftist views. I believe that Art would be another social engineering advocate instead of an educational advocate. I think he would bend to political and peer pressure to go with the status Quo in Santa Ana of Social justice instead of equal justice and individual responsibility!
I do like Art a lot, I think he is a good man with misguided views!
“By the way. Have you stepped out into the public service arena to take abuse from all sides?”
MQ says:
Yes I have! But I can take the shots and get the job done…I am not afraid to be unpopular in a place where popularity is more important than the truth!
Hector,
Please. How silly. I ran for the School Board for the same reason that I ran for the City Council. No decent candidate filed. I will not let these incumbents run unchallenged!
As for the rest of your statement, the fact is the folks at City Hall know full well that they either play ball or get ripped. They have wisely decided to do the former and not the latter. Together we are working hard to improve our City and our community.