You know that you have strayed from the path when you become so fixated on something that you find yourself acting out of character – and doing things that run counter to what you believe in.
That is what has happened in the ridiculous blog war that the Liberal OC continues to perpetrate against me, even though I have publicly attempted to end the hostilities. Several of their readers pointed that out today, wondering how their constant attack on me is furthering the progressive cause. That is a good question indeed.
It is ironic that the guys at the Liberal OC were my friends when I was a Republican. But when I quit the GOP, the long knives came out for me. It doesn’t make sense. Why would liberals hate me AFTER I quit the GOP? I just don’t get it. It is a real head-scratcher.
Consider that in 2008, their hatred for me was so intense that they spent thousands of dollars, and partnered with horrible Republicans like Mike Schroeder and Matt Cunningham (who in the same year was a MAJOR supporter of Prop. 8!) and attacked me via U.S. mail, while I was running against Republican Carlos Bustamante for the Santa Ana City Council.
Bustamante won. Today he is campaigning for Republican Van Tran. Believe it – we have photographic proof. Against Democratic Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez. Had I beat him he would have been finished and you can bet that I would not have supported Tran.
Today Sanchez is at risk – and so is State Senator Lou Correa. I am supporting them both – but once again the bloggers at the Liberal OC are going after me, not Van Tran and not Lucille Kring. No, I am enemy number one. Go figure. How does this advance the progressive cause?
I fought Prop. 8 in 2008, and probably lost votes to Bustamante in part because of it. But I would do it again. Understand that back in the day I led the fight against the gay community. I even got a minister defrocked when I accused him of promoting the gay agenda. I will spend the rest of my life trying to undo the harm I did as a Republican. The folks at ECCO recognized that when they endorsed me in 2008.
But the guys at the Liberal OC were OK with me when I was doing those things. Now that I am a firm supporter of gay rights, they want to destroy me – and readily admit to that. Brag about it in fact. How does this war advance a progressive agenda?
I used to be anti-abortion. I even worked side by side with Rosie Avila, putting fliers on cars, at local churches, attacking Senator Correa for being pro-choice. That’s right. I did that. Today I am pro-choice. I was endorsed by Planned Parenthood in 2008. But I remain enemy number one for the guys at the Liberal OC. I just don’t get it.
When I was a Republican I was at one time a lap dog to none other than Tom Fuentes. I was a friend of Bob Dornan’s. I went along with their anti-immigration dogma, insisting, as they still do now, that only legal migrants are acceptable. Yes, I did that.
Today I have made the Minutemen toxic and unwelcome in my City of Santa Ana. But I remain the number one target of the bloggers at the Liberal OC. How in the world does that make any sense?
Back in the day I was the only blogger who supported Republican Janet Nguyen. I brought her money from contractors and even wrote her a check myself. But when I quit the GOP she turned around and endorsed Bustamante. Today no other blogger in Orange County has torn her apart more than I have. But my reward is a lawsuit filed by, you guessed it, the guys at the Liberal OC.
Over the past few years we have run off many of the Republicans who used to blog here, and some have resigned. Our editor, Vern Nelson, is one of the most progressive writers in Orange County. But we are the ones the Liberal OC wants to bring down.
When Ryan Trabuco ran for the Assembly, as a Republican against Democratic Assemblyman Jose Solorio, no one else helped him. I did. I brought Trabuco, who back then called himself Ryan Gene Williams, into my home. Fed him dinner many, many times. I even taught him how to polish his shoes. Funny that his dad never taught him how to do that. When his appendix ruptured I visited him in the hospital. No other blogger did. The only other politician who visited him was Paul Lucas. I even wrote and designed the only mailer Trabuco sent out in his campaign.
But when I quit the Republican Party, Trabuco sold the URL that he had purchased on my behalf, my own name, www.artpedroza, to the guys at the Liberal OC. The same guys who had attacked my Council campaign. And today Trabuco is one of the plaintiffs suing me. He is by the way still a partisan Republican. I have not been one now for several years. But I am the one the Liberal OC wants to destroy.
I just don’t get it. I am a social progressive today, whether or not you want to believe it. Read my posts and see for yourself. You know the battles I fight every day.
No, I don’t support every Democrat. Nor do I go after every Republican. Like many of my fellow Mexican Americans I vote for the person, not the party. I have zero tolerance for those who scapegoat immigrants. Most of the time I do vote for Democrats, but not always. But I remain on the hit list at the Liberal OC.
I have tried to bury the hatchet with them again and again to no avail. I don’t know what else I can do. And I still don’t know why they hate me so much that they went out and bought my name. They were trying to own me. Why would they do that?
Back in the day I was a huge opponent to unions. Today I am a member of the AFL-CIO, as a member of the American Federation of Teachers. The only issue I disagree with really is PLAs on public projects. I have no problem with private PLAs in fact I supported the One Broadway Plaza project at the last Santa Ana City Council meeting. That tower will help employ almost three thousand union workers. I spoke up in its defense. No one from the Liberal OC did. In fact at least one of them actively opposed the OBP amendments. That was his right – but I was right there with labor. And I remain the bad guy in the eyes of the Liberal OC bloggers.
The election this fall might be the most important one in the history of the Democratic Party of Orange County. They have a good shot at picking up the 68th Assembly District, behind a great candidate in Phu Nguyen. I am supporting him and so are the guys at the Liberal OC.
So let’s sum this up. I agree with the bloggers at the Liberal OC on most positions. We are on the same page on gay rights, abortion rights, immigrant rights, etc. And I am a member of a major union. We both support candidates Sanchez, Correa and Nguyen. Beyond that, I am NOT supporting Meg Whitman or Carly Fiorina. I am in fact not voting for ANY Republican statewide candidates. Not one.
Am I sorry about all the hostilities? You bet. But both sides have blood on their hands. There are no innocent parties here. It is high time however to unite against the real bad guys. Consider this, if Whitman wins she is going to hire most of the Red County team. That can’t be good. There is time yet to derail her. But no, I am the one targeted by the Liberal OC. It is maddening.
So can we drop the ridiculous lawsuit already and focus on advancing a progressive agenda? It makes too much sense, doesn’t it? I have discussed this with a number of significant Democratic Party leaders. They all agree – this lawsuit is ridiculous and the blog war needs to end. If you agree please contact the guys at the Liberal OC. I don’t know that they will listen. There are no such guarantees. But I do know that they are not advancing their agenda by going after me. And that just doesn’t make any damn sense at all.
Politcal war…what is it good for?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv5BYEOQYLo
Art you have proven your progressive street Cred beyond a shadow of a doubt. You turned 180 degrees on almost every core belief you have ever held and yet that is not enough for some on the Left. You are further left on social issues than almost every single man at the Liberal OC and yet that is not enough. I think that is what bothers them Art. They say they want to change minds but when someone does come over to their side, they are not made to feel welcome. In fact, they are scorned. Could it be fear, fear that they might too change beliefs, that they might turn to the right? Or is it a fear that if more people like you change their core beliefs then maybe they will not feel special anymore. Maybe they won’t feel cool or hip to be the few who believe something offbeat. Maybe what they fear , and you are perhaps proof, that someday their beliefs will be mainstream and they will have no reason to blog.
They must drop this lawsuit at once! This is not helping the liberal cause. It can only hurt our candidates in the Fall, a time when we need all liberals working together. I suggest a meeting, a beer, at a neutral location, kind of like what President Obama did with the policeman and the professor. We need to find someone that you all respect (Like Lou Correa or the UCI Prof. Mark Petracca, or Chris Mears or Rueben Martinez of bookstore fame) to bring you all together and let bygones be bygones and stop this foolish politcal war. Can you meet this weekend Art if they can? I only hope they will see this blog post before it’s too late and this all goes to court.
Edwin,
My fate is indeed in the balance and I can but hope that common sense will prevail. I thank you for your words of support. Let us hope for the best!
Art,
Thank you for writing what I consider this to be a very necessary letter.
I appreciate the sincerity and humility with which I believe you wrote this, especially in light of :
i) your past support of controversial and toxic individuals;
ii) your strong personality;
iii) your unwavering passion for advancing and improving our community, in particular your passion for the education of our youth; and
iv) for promoting the contributions of Americans of Latino/Hispanic/Mexican descent.
As I was reading this, I was reminded of the Parable of the Prodigal Son, and what I perceive to be your strong desire to redeem yourself by adding value to our community, for the benefit of all!
P.S. I hope you are able to make peace with the defrocked Minister, if you have not done so already.
With others, while I know things may never be forgotten, I hope they are forgiven, as others act with their better nature, so that everyone can channel their energies and passion for improving our community.
NOW MORE THAN EVER IS THE TIME TO COME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY!
Peace to you and ALL!
Francisco “Paco” Barragan
Santa Ana, CA
Business/Community Leader & Volunteer
Francisco,
Thank you my friend! I was all those things and worse. I even ran a campaign against Correa – yet he endorsed me in 2008. He recognized that my change has been real and sincere.
I do like the prodigal son analogy. I also am reminded me of the Damascus incident, when God approached Paul, who had become an expert at hunting down and killing Christians. Paul was struck blind and then reborn as one of the greatest Apostles ever. God recognized that killing Paul would be one thing, but having a man of such forceful character on his side would be even better.
I lost track of that minister but I look forward to one day seeing him again. I know that he will be very happy that I came around. I know that he will not find it hard to forgive. He was a true man of God.
Now is indeed the time to come together – and for me at this minute it is time to go to work to feed my family. I am teaching a first aid class this morning…
Art —
As a casual reader, I enjoyed the lampooning on all the blogs but didn’t realize the poison behind it. I thought OJ would lose some of its fire by ceasing it. But after weeks and months, I realize that what remains here is just plain and pure substance. The last few posts over at the Lib OC display a weak blog that doesn’t want to relinquish grudges because all it would be left with is establishment press releases and grassroots movement bashing!
The local Dems and Repubs hooking up is no shocker. In fact, despite the facade of ‘great disagreements’ they always manage to unite against the outside troublemaker. This is why Greens and Libertarians have hooked up in their own way to challenge this anti–democratic behavior at the electoral level.
You can offer the olive branch and I encourage you. There is nothing wrong with that and it displays a level of maturity. That’s fine. On the political level, there are sometimes decent Democratic candidates to support – especially in the context of this county. But advancing a progressive agenda with Liberal Democrats? I gave up that game long ago. The PDA’s are nice people, but the New Dems – who run the show – don’t want to advance such an agenda. They want to co-opt it and institutionalize away its independence. Hell, the Lib OC is a place where DREAMERS and Presente activists are “lectured” to and bashed! I read it only to reconfirm, at a local level, the conclusions I came to as a young teenager – that democracy’s true potential resides outside of the two-party system.
Gabo, there are more good progressive Democrats in the OC than you know – and a few really great candidates!
You should come with me to the next DFA (Democracy For America) meeting. And Phu Nguyen, Bill Hedrick, and Melissa Fox are very worthy of your support – and that’s just the ones who have the best chances in high-profile races. There are also many great city council candidates etc. on the OC who happen to be good progressive Dems in non-partisan races, so I’m not gonna emphasize their party affiliations here. But I could quickly name a dozen.
Oh by the way I agree with you in general, about the cozy symbiotic relationship between establishment Dems and establishment Reeps – as seen clearly in that between Liberal OC and the RedFaced County. Like I always like to quote from Animal Farm, “The animals outside turned their gaze from pig to man, from man to pig, and from pig to man again, but already it was impossible to tell which was which.”
I’m just saying there are more good Democrats in the OC than you probably know.
Vern – probably so my man, probably so…
yes its time to get together when the king states . i vote for the person not the party = as long as the person is a latino . claims to have supported both parties . yet he states I AM NOT VOTING FOR EVEN ONE REPUBLICAN STATE WIDE NOT ONE .. WHAT A HYPOCRIT . you try and pass yourself off as some down the midle guy . and to claim that a certain people or group are NOT WELCOMED IN YOUR CITY .. WHO MADE YOU KING .sounds a little racist to me . but we know your history . your right there with far left vern. at least i know he is far left . your trying to come off as someone else . dont know much about the lawsuit but it looks like to me from the past stories that you both where involed in some kind of name calling . not sure so i wont get much into that one .
gsr, you hit the nail on the head. Creeps like Cunningham and Chmielsewski (sp?) are just lackeys for some establishment interest or other. That’s why they enjoy each other’s company so much – they share the same personality type: sanctimonious, self-righteous, and hypocritical. Plus they like to pretend that they are “professionals” and therefore credible.
The fact of the matter is that for the most part Red County and LibOC are both brain deadingly boring rehashers of some Part Line, or other.
They will always have each other!
The ‘common cause’ that they find and who/what that is against is oh so revealing…
Your post depicts a person who espouses strong moral and political convictions, and your posts over time espousing this or that view often come across as arrogant and intolerant especially when writings are full of ridicule for those who do not subscribe to your beliefs. But then, according to your post, you have done a 180 on many of those beliefs, Yet you expect people to respect you given this track record. That is hard for some people to do because it shows a person who does not stand by his strongly stated convictions and seems, instead, to be seeking personal visibility for whatever personal need that fulfills. Personal attacks, even when directed at someone such as you who has delighted in dishing them out, are unfortunate and I do not condone that. But respect? Perhaps the best damage control effort you can make is to focus on non-blogging pursuits and ignore the blogosphere. There is a more sane world out there.
Ooops, looks like Bushala doesn’t want an end to the blog war. LOL.
As far as I’m concerned hostilities were engaged when the self-appointed “conservative” spokeshole started pimping a liberal Democrat for County Supervisor – just because his equally creepy boss told him to. That was when I realized a war against repuglicanism was a righteous cause.
I’m not really in a war with the LibOC. Those people aren’t even armed.
sideline.. great post .
You have so many people out here in the Blog world Art who love and respect you. You stood by the little people when no one else would. You have been a friend to the freindless. Many of us want to help pay for your lawyers fees. Can you please tell us how we can give money for your legal defense? We will never leave you Art. That’s what friends are for….
I wish the folks who wish you bad luck would listen to this song and know that you do have friends…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtGF2m102Wg
I don’t know if you need help walking door to door Art but I was telling my wifes brother about your plight and he says he is willing to walk his mobile home park for you asking people to vote. He lives at the Country Club Mobile Home Park on Sullivan Street. Do you already have volunteers walking that area? When are your campaign workers meeting next? Good luck my brother.
My Cuñados name is “Nacho” and everyone at the Country Club knows him. Do you have a web site where he can contact you to set up times to walk and pick up brochures and yard signs?
Climb Aboard,
Thank you! I am working on my website but my email is artpedroza@gmail.com. My number is 714.606.7622. I appreciate your support!
Art, I think you have at least a couple people writing for your blog who could care less about ending any blog war. If you’re serious about a cessation of hostilities, you’ll have to confront that.
critique and argumentative statements =/= “hostilities”
it’s the dialogue of democracy and sometimes the tone can be stern but don’t confuse a continuation of this, with the cession of the other behind the scenes blog turf war stuff. (which amplifies the lampooning)
Art could you tell us a little more about your run for schoolboard? Who are you running against?
Climb Aboard,
The filing deadline is August 6. So far two incumbents have filed as have I. No other challengers yet, but that may change.
Will keep you posted!
Art,
I can’t claim to know all the details of this lawsuit, but as I understand it I think it comes down to two things; a public apology from you to the Lib OC and money.
As to the apology, you might as well do it and get it over with, your long “let’s make peace” posts aren’t going to cut it.
The money is tougher, if you are having financial difficulties, you might want to consider bankruptcy, so that any judgement against you would be rolled into that. Another possibility is a long term, interest free payment plan, say 50 bucks a month for whatever number of years cover the judgement, many (small $) cases are being settled this way now.
Best advice (especially if you don’t have a lawyer); be humble, be respectful, show remorse and plead poverty.
well the post from anoster seems to me art is at fault here ?
Matt Cunningham outed sex-abuse victims.
“The money is tougher, if you are having financial difficulties, you might want to consider bankruptcy, so that any judgement against you would be rolled into that”
Don’t ruin your credit Art. How will you be able to borrow money for your kids to go to college if you jack up your credit rating by going BK? You should first exhaust all other options.
1) Rent out rooms in your home. The going rate for a bedroom is $600-$800/month and with kitchen privlages you can maybe get more. Might sound hard at first, but if it saves your home..you gotta do what you gotta do.
2) Have Vern do a concert fund raiser for you. Vern is popular and I think you could raise quite a lot of cash quickly. I’ll pledge $100 right now and I bet there are many others who will help.
3)Go to family members and borrow money. Not fun to do but worth it.
4) Borrow from your 401K.
5) Hard money loan. If you put out the word you want a loan you will be offered one.
Sell some household items on Ebay. 2nds car, etc. Cancel cable t.v. landline phone, etch.
I bet other readers have more ideas. We are here to help you.
Art, Many years ago, I took a project in Las Vegas. It required me to be there week in and week out. I learned quickly that the Glamorous strip casinos were no place to work out of so I found a smaller “off-strip property” where I spent 200 nights that year.
During one visit I realized that I forgot to call ahead. It turns out it was a busy week with CED and the Lakers were hosting tryouts and had rented half the hotel.
No worries, I explained, I was a VALUED customer. Imagine my face when the ephinany was explained:
“Sir, we value your continued business, but we are not a hotel, that happens to have a casino, we are a CASINO that happens to be a hotel”. Understanding I sheepishly walked away. Lesson Learned.
You mistake the LOC for a group that wants to actually help the progressive agenda. They are as superficial as Irvine. They are not representitive of the progressive movement. They are: a Marketeer from out of town, who wants to make money (and will spend it on lawyers), A vested County Employee, who DOES NOT EVEN LIVE HERE and a guy who by all accounts had the best intentions but is a lightweight, who came on board because his own venture FAILED and it gave the LOC a literal presence in Santa Ana, largely the hotbed of liberal politics in the OC.
In other words, these guys don’t care about this stuff, Dan could care less aobout the explotation of WIC going on in the Logan Barrio, Shit he does’nt even know where it is. If the other guy lives in Tustins school district send his kids there where he has a voice.
This is not about Liberal vs. Conservatism, this is about money and power. Niether of which they have.
Bloody,
You nailed it. My URL was mine. The guy who “sold it” was supposed to be maintaining it for me. The URLS I bought were available on the open market. Big difference!
As for the URL that Tony bought, that was fair use, 100%. Daly did not buy it. Tony used it to make a point. It was purely free speech. And his point was so good that Daly pulled out of the race.
Art…Can you please explain your upcoming court case? Do you want your friends to attend to support you or write letters to the judge? Perhaps you could write a seperate post regarding the situation. We are with you brother!
Dan “The Stalker” Chmielewski can kiss my —. Though I don’t consider myself on the left/right spectrum (I actually abhor it), I enjoy reading this blog compared to the crap that he and Chris Prevatt puts out. The writings of everyone on the staff (including Vern) are done very well and the arguments for your writer’s positions are well thought out compared to the LibOC who are nothing but shills and asskissers of the establishment. Though I may not agree with everything that is written here, you do more to stimulate dialogue and encorage dissent than Master Censor Chmielewski.
Why are’nt they plugging the Dem’s in the Governor Race?
Where are the Camillia posts?
Increasingly, it looks like the LOC has taken a page from the Red County book and only supporting those who pay them in the form of Ad’s.
This is not suprising considering the cozy relationship they have with those they “challenge”
Here’s a missed opp: “Where was Meg Whitman This Weekend” Regarding Meg’s chickening out of the faith based debate in SF. Methinks Matt and Chip has gotten to them.
Progressive OC all the way!