You’d think for a candidate coming out as a Trustee of the Anaheim Union High School District, Thomas ‘Hoagy’ Holguin would be for balanced budget priorities if entrusted with a city council seat. But, as the election nears, ads seem to be stretching further towards the desperate and the Hoagster has reached for the politics of fear! His new TV spot (above) is complete with a ‘scary’ re-creation of an Anaheim beat down full of alleyway chingasos in the hood! Then cut – to a scene where the city council hopeful introduces himself in the backdrop of a neighborhood so “trim and neat” that it probably doesn’t have to actually worry about such ‘imagined scenarios’ but dreads them irrationally just the same. To allay such misplaced fear, he ends with the statement: “I will ensure more funding to put patrols back on the street while streamlining Anaheim’s budget through increased accountability.” Translation: More money for the Anaheim Police Department and less money (i.e. “streamlining”) for everything else.
These are tough economic times to be sure and budget priorities are important. That’s why I went to that radical anti-cop website “Behind the Badge” to find out the latest information on Anaheim’s crime rate. As it turns out, it continues to trend downward – staged on-camera alleyway assaults aside! Earlier this May the blog noted:
Violent and property crime rates continued to free fall in Anaheim, according to a report released this week by the California Department of Justice. Anahiem’s overall crime rate dipped by nearly 10 percent, the report said. The biggest decrease? Vehicle burglaries dropped more than 17 percent.“This is good news and more evidence of how real partnerships between the police department and the community are paying off,” said Anaheim Police Sgt. Rick Martinez. “It takes a village to keep a community safe, and we’re pleased that the effort in Anaheim is paying off. Of course we must continue to look out for one another.”
Just a couple days later, the blog also highlighted in May of this year the fact that Anaheim’s crime rate declined at double the national average. With this official information, what gives? This is seemingly the only card Hoagy can play in the ‘tough on crime’ game since council member candidates Leos and Murray took home the endorsements of the Anaheim Police Association. The only police related endorsement the Trustee could put on his campaign website was that of Don Baldwin, APD VIP Volunteer. (Was retired cop and infamous bigot Harald Martin unavailable?)
Now some of you might be reading this and thinking, what about the prisoner early release program? The Reggie reported the number of likely OC-bound inmates at “more than 300” and not the “over 400” that the ad claims. Also, that figure is again, for OC-bound people. News flash: they aren’t all headed to the city of Anaheim! The number of early release prisoners coming back to the Big A is, of course, much smaller than the total for the county but isn’t as “spooky” for purposes of political advertising. Such grounded information need not apply as the TV spot inflates as it insinuates.
That being said, if the whole city council seat thing doesn’t work out, and Tracy Morgan suddenly gives up hosting duties for the SyFy show “Scare Tactics,” I know just the guy…
Public safety is one of the few things that government should do for us. Hoagy is obviously talking to the voters about an issue that matters to them. And safety is not just important to Anaheim residents but also to the tourists whose money fuels Anaheim’s tax revenue.
Your boy Amezcua has made crime a centerpiece of his mayoral campaign in Santa Ana, yet you don’t attack him even though he is a damn hypocrite, as a criminal defense lawyer for the biggest scumbags in town, including drug dealers, rapists and gang bangers.
Yet crime has gone down in Santa Ana too. It seems you have a double standard.
How is Amezcua Gabriel’s boy? I can’t count the number of times Gabriel’s said both Pulido and Amezcua suck. “NOTA” – that’s his expression. Just because he resents the implication that a defense attorney shouldn’t be able to hold public office – which I agree with, and which was bogus when they used that on Shawn Nelson too – doesn’t make him an Amezcua backer.
This reminds me of when those of us who didn’t want to invade and occupy Iraq got called “Pro-Saddam.”
Thanks Vern.
There is a big difference, as I have already pointed out. Nelson is an honorable lawyer who practices more than just criminal defense. Amezcua is a shyster and now all of the truth about him is coming out.
Gabriel doesn’t like Pulido, I get it. But Amezcua is a joke and does not deserve any support at all.
Usual Suspect Debbie McEwen has Amezcua’s sign in her yard. That is all you need to know about Amezcua. He is no progressive. He is just another hack in the service of the Usual Suspects.
It’s not even remotely progressive to hope Hoagy wins in Anaheim! I didn’t even bother going into the class/race implications of juxtaposing an alley beat down with a nice picketed fence neighborhood in the ‘tough on crime’ ad. (I guess at least he didn’t borrow Angle’s handy Mexican jpgs, eh???)
The facts were sufficient enough.
Always remember, those most attracted to power are either mediocre or venal…or sometimes both!
Now apologize for calling me “Amezcua’s boy!” haha
LOL! I just did that to tweak you! Mission accomplished!
I rather have Hoagie on the Council than Pringle’s goons or that fake Leos. As you know I also endorsed Dalati and Santoianni.
We published a fun photo of Hoagy at Sidhu’s “victory” party.
http://www.fullertonsfuture.org/2010/all-in-the-family/
Pringle, Sidhu…Hoagy. As if I needed more convincing! Gracias for the picture Bushala, haha!
Maybe Tony can explain these pictures…
Worst hire ever…quadruple-dipper Dennis Bilodeau
Tran AND Cynthia Ward? Barf!
Cynthia’s cool.
Our blog refused to take a side between the hideous Sanchez and the odious Tran. All I can say is there’s no accounting for taste.
Please be nice to Bilodeau. He’s got so much on his plate!
P.S. Love the pics. We gotta get that hair color back on Nelson.
Tony,
FYI, she is not cool. She opposed the Gigante Supermarket in Anaheim and was allied with Barbara Coe. Just another hater.
I did not that you guys stayed out of the Sanchez v. Tran race, but I was disappointed that Nelson took the Tran bait.
For the record, I have never been a fan of Bilodeau. He is just awful and I was very disgusted when Nelson hired him.