It’s that time of transitions, when newly elected members of legislative bodies are sworn in.
Ta Makes History.
Some transitional meetings are organized so they are just ceremonial, with outgoing members recalling their achievements before the newbies are sworn in.
Westminster was a little different last night, where the Council had a vacancy on the Council after Tri Ta moved from the City Council to become the first directly elected Vietnamese Mayor in the US.
Tyler Diep, who narrowly lost his bid for re-election, had been lobbying furiously for the appointment, and his supporter also took the position that if he were not appointed, there should be a special election to fill the seat.
Grand Dame Rice
Penny Loomer, who has lost repeatedly for City Council and this year in her bid for Mayor, had numerous supporters champion her cause. Somehow, Penny thinks she deserves an appointment.
The Westminster Council chose to act quickly. With a motion from new Mayor Tri Ta, the Council unanimously voted to appoint retired Mayor Margie Rice, the feisty 83 year old grand dame of Westminster politics, to complete the two remaining years of the term. Rice has been on the Westminster City Council for 18 years after serving on the Westminster school board.
Again, with a motion from Tri Ta, Andy Quach was selected as Mayor Pro Tem.
And for the first time in years, Westminster no longer has a majority of Viet councilmembers, as Democrat Sergio Contreras and political neophyte and Orange Juice friend Diana Lee Carey were sworn in.
“Tyler Diep, who narrowly lost his bid for re-election, had been lobbying furiously for the appointment, and his supporter also took the position that if he were not appointed, there should be a special election to fill the seat.”
I see what you did there!
I love Rice. Good to see good hearted people coming back. We need caring people like that back in Fullerton. Wait…we got some once Kiger got the boot!
Last week, in my official capacity as Commander of UMAVA (United Mexican-American Veterans Association), myself and Francisco B. Parras Jr. a US Marine, an ordained pastor and our UMAVA Chaplain, met with Mayor Margie Rice in her chambers to thank her for her strong support in honoring our veterans and in particular several Fallen Heroes from Westminster, and as we read the names of about 63 other veterans from Westminster barrios in September 29, 2012 (http://umava.org/infoandnewsarticles.php)
As I prepared her Appreciation Certificate, I read her impressive background, and in our private conversations, I was immediately struck by her leadership and life-long service to the community. Definitely feisty, and definitely very sharp and talented! I think Westminster will continue benefiting from her contributions and her refreshing integrity!
Francisco J. Barragan
Commander, UMAVA
http://umava.org
In Garden Grove the city council ignored the voters wishes again and re-appointed Kris Beard. The voters voted him out and the city council put him back on the council. The level of hubris is beyond description. There were several runner up, third place, candidates that applied for the appointment, all qualified and all received more votes than Beard’s fourth place. Unbelievable!!
Whose beard is he, anyway?
Just another union takeover. This bunch will end up bankrupting Westminster.
http://ocpoliticsblog.com/rices-return-means-the-public-employee-unions-now-run-westminster/
What a laughable charge since Diep takes union cash!
Is this the same Art Pedroza that used to attack Diep at every chance? What else would cause Pedroza to flip flop on Diep other than corruption?
Pedroza, after reading these stories from only a short time ago, how do you explain that you’re not on the take?
Pedroza, August 17, 2009: “Trannie Truong “Tyler” “Tomahawk” Diep bullied the Westminster Police”
http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2009/08/trannie-truong-tyler-tomahawk-diep-bullied-the-westminster-police
Pedroza, March 19, 2008: “Trannies gone wild on the Mexican border”
http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2008/03/trannies-gone-wild-on-the-mexican-border/
Pedroza, March 4, 2008: “Los Trannies locos atacan la frontera”
http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2008/03/los-trannies-locos-atacan-la-frontera/
Pedroza, October 9, 2007: “”Little Saigon Insider” speaks up about the “Trannies””
http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2007/10/little-saigon-insider-speaks-up-about-the-trannies/
Art started getting more positive about Diep, around the time Diep started advertising on Art’s blog.
That Pedroza piece is real classy too. Read it if you want to see him wishing for Margie Rice’s death.
Beard was an intern for the city many moons ago and served as a city clerk in Signal Hill before taking his current county job. He also served on the good o’l boys club here in Garden Grove, also known as the Planning Commission, before his first appointment in 2008. The voters then voted him out and the city council ignored the voters and put him back on the council. Shameful! They have there yes man, again.