Pacific Progressive

Assm Jose Solorio Hosting Open House & Food Drive - Dec 9

On Thursday, December 9, State Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D–Anaheim) is welcoming residents and community leaders to his annual holiday open house. Those who stop by to celebrate with the Assemblyman this year are encouraged to bring nonperishable food for local charities. Those that do will be eliglible for raffle prizes. Refreshments and appetizers will be provided, and holiday spirit will be plentiful. 

"This is an opportunity to enjoy some holiday cheer and to discuss issues on the minds of my constituents," says Assemblyman Solorio. "I'm looking forward to mingling with my constituents and hearing their ideas."

Image from Assemblyman Solorio's 2009 holiday party.

At last year's holiday party, Santa and Linn Lee (Mrs. Solorio) drew the winners of the raffle drawing.

This year, Assemblyman Solorio’s annual event will take place at his Assembly District Office, 2400 E. Katella Ave., Suite 640, in Anaheim (just west of the Katella exit off the 57 freeway). The open house begins at 5:00 p.m. and ends at 7:00 p.m.

State Assemblyman Jose Solorio is the Chair of the Assembly Insurance Committee and serves on the Assembly Appropriations, Local Government and Transportation committees. He represents the Sixty–Ninth Assembly District, which includes the cities of Anaheim, Garden Grove, and Santa Ana. For more information about Assemblyman Solorio, visit www.assembly.ca.gov/solorio.

 

Call Vector Control and Tell Them No Private Pest Control Companies

 The Orange County Vector Control District (OCVCD) helps to control little critters who carry diseases.  (These animals are called "disease vectors" because they move the disease around, hence the name.)  If you have a problem with a dead bird and there is West Nile Virus in the area, you call Vector Control.  Same thing for a neighbor who won't take care of their pool which is now a mosquito farm - call Vector Control and they will work with the neighbor so you don't have to.

A plan is being considered to privatize rat control services. Currently, if you see rats around, Vector Control will come out and give you (for free!) traps and bait and show you how to properly use them. They will also help you find the openings the rodents are using to get into your house and show you how to close them off.

These services are paid by an assessment of about $6.98 per year per residence in the County.  Taxpayers are able to get a lot for their $6.98.

Now, some members of the Vector Control board want to let private extermination companies (Terminix, Orkin, Truly Nolen are some common names) provide the rat control services. The plan is to send the companies out on calls to homes to provide the rat control services to the home owners.  Then, the pest control company can then sell the homeowner services to control pests on the inside of the home.

Smell a rat?  Does turning Vector Control into a marketing company for private pest control companies sound like a bad deal to you?  Call and write your representative on the Vector Control District. Each of the 34 incorporated cities has a representative. If you live in the unincorporated areas, your rep is Supervisor John Moorlach.

The representatives for each area are listed.  If you have a relationship with them, please use that to tell them "No to Private Pest Control Companies."  You can also call, fax and write them at the Vector Control Board.  Sending faxes works very well because it creates a paper trail of who objects and carries more weight than an email.

Orange County Vector Control District (OCVCD), 13001 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92843

Phone 714-971-2421 949-654-2421  Fax 714-971-3940

Aliso Viejo - Mayor Phillip B. Tsunoda 

Wall Street Should Pay - Money Taken By Banks Needed for Jobs

 Angry people marched along Main Street in Santa Ana form Bank of America to Chase on March 24, 2010 to bring attention to the problems caused for ordinary people by irresponsible bankers.  Banks have taken money from the bank bailout program to keep operating but have stopped lending to ordinary Americans and small businesses. At the same time, bank profits have increased and bonuses continue to be paid.  

 The march started at the Bank of America, where an angry bank manager attempted to have the crowd removed from the property by Santa Ana police.  The police worked with the protesters and asked them to please share the sidewalk, stay out of the street and not block driveways. The protesters complied with the very reasonable requests. The bank manager, still not happy, continued to ask the police to remove the group from his property.  The police allowed the group to stay.  

Health Care Rally Outside OC Register Offices

MoveOn held a rally to support health care reform outside the offices of the Orange County Register during lunchtime on March 17, 2010.  Over 40 people attended the rally, which was one of many held that day to  show continuing support for the health care reform bill in Congress. 

 

Luck Isn't Enough - We Need Health Care Reform - Saving the Orange County Health Care Safety Net

Is it possible to take away more money and still deliver services to the unemployed, elderly, students and others who use the services from the Coalition of Orange County Community Clinics (COCCC)?  Will people who don't have private insurance be able to access health care in Orange County, one of the largest counties in the United States that doesn't have a county hospital?  Can the proposed health insurance reforms being voted on in Congress help save safety net health care in Orange County?  On March 17, 2010, COCCC members talked about these issues and then asked the public to help them by calling Congress and the California Legislature.

$1.2 Billion in Stimulus Spending in Orange County

This information is published by ProPublica.

OC has received over $1.2 billion in stimulus spending.  Even though  many local electeds needed to grandstand that they wouldn't take stimulus money, they did. The money kept OCTA busses running, students going to college, built roads, and created jobs.

Here is the Top 10 OC Stimulus Projects

1. $76.8 million to OCTA including $7.6 million for operations 
2. $60.7 million to Hensel Phelps Construction for building Bachelor Enlisted Quarters at Coronado Naval Base
3. $50 M to Sapphire Energy for renewable energy research and development of Sapphire Integrated Algal Biorefinery (IABR)
4. $47.8 million to CalTrans for highway planning and constructino
5. $32.9 million in Cash for Clunkers - $2 billion of stimulus money was used to extend the program.  Tom's Truck Center - South County received $1.3 million, Oremor of Tustin - $1.2 million, DWW III Co - $1.1 million.  An complete list of dealers is here.  The names listed are the corporate names, not the dealer names on the signs, so a little digging will turn up which car dealers benefited.
6. $19.3 million to Santa Ana Unified School District
7. $17.6 million to Capistrano Unified School District
8. $17.5 million to Garden Grove Unified School District
9. $15.2 million to Anaheim Union High School District
10. $13.2 million to the County of Orange

The full list of Orange County recipients is here.  

$20 Million in Quality Education Investment Act Funds Coming to OC Starting This Week

Assemblyman Jose Solorio's (D-Anaheim) call to California's Superintendent of Schools Jack O'Connell to release Quality Education Investment Act (QEIA) funds immediately apparently has paid off. Sources confirm that the allocated funds to California's lowest performing schools will begin to roll out this week.

"In a recent letter to the superintendent, I made it clear that those funds should go out now. I'm happy the matter seems to be resolved. If my cajoling the superintendent to act had anything to do with it, then I did my job. The important thing is that the schools have their funding," said Assemblyman Solorio.

QEIA is a comprehensive effort to improve the conditions in the California schools that face the enormous challenges that result from high percentages of low-income, minority and English-learning students. This budget year, AB 56 X3 was signed into law stating, "The sum of $355,000,000 shall be allocated by the Superintendent of Public Instruction for the 2009-10 fiscal year to school sites selected to participate in the QEIA program."

$17.5 Million for Neighborhood Stabilization Program

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-47) today applauded the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) decision to award $17.5 million in Recovery Act funding to the City of Santa Ana and Neighborhood Housing Services of Orange County, a non-profit housing developer.  This funding, awarded under HUD’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), will help spur economic development and create jobs in our local community.

“I am pleased that HUD chose to make smart investments in the City of Santa Ana and the Neighborhood Housing Services of Orange County,” said Rep. Sanchez.  “With this funding from the Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which I supported, our local governments and non-profit housing groups will now be better able to redevelop our communities and provide much-needed housing assistance.  In Washington, I will continue working with my colleagues in Congress and the Administration to pass new incentives to get small businesses hiring again, to invest in infrastructure, and to rebuild Orange County’s economy.”

The Neighborhood Stabilization Program was created to redevelop hard-hit communities, create jobs, and grow local economies by providing communities with the resources to purchase and rehabilitate vacant homes and convert them to affordable housing. This year, the City of Santa Ana will receive $10 million and the Neighborhood Housing Services of Orange County will receive $7.5 million to acquire land and property; to demolish or rehabilitate abandoned properties; and/or to offer down-payment and closing cost assistance to low- to middle-income homebuyers.

Let's Can Campbell! - Jan 23-24

It's time to can John Campbell - he does nothing for his district.  He won't meet with constituents. When his constituents do get thru to his office staff, they are berated by office staff for bothering to call the Congressman.  So far, the only two groups Campbell has worked to benefit are car dealers (he rents land to dealerships) and the birthers (Orly Taitz's son was an intern in his office and she is a donor.)

Beth Krom wants to take that seat from him so she can go to Washington and work for the CA 48 district.  

Let's Can Campbell! takes place Saturday and Sunday, January 23-24, 2010 in cities in the district.  Beth will be meeting with constituents to hear their concerns and canned food will be collected to help out fellow  Orange County residents.  The schedule is here.

Saturday January 23, 2010

Dana Point 11AM - Noon at Heritage Park, 34400 Golden Lantern

San Juan Capistrano Noon - 1 PM at Descanso Park, 32506 Paseo Adelanto

Laguna Niguel 1 - 2 PM at Hidden Hills Park, 27802 Springwood

Aliso Viejo 2 - 3 PM at Home of Heather Pritchard, 10 Santa Clara St

Laguna Hills 3 - 4 PM at Home of Taylor and Stephen Davis, 26602 Dapple Grey Dr.

Laguna Woods 4 - 5 PM at Clubhouse 6, 5365 Algarrobo

Sunday January 24, 2010

Laguna Beach 11 AM - Noon at Home of Audrey Prosser and Debra Quam, 230 Beverly St

Newport Beach Noon - 1 PM at Home of Susan Kopicki, 511 El Modena 

Lake Forest 1 - 2 PM at Serran Creek Community Park, 25101 Serrano Rd

Tustin 2 - 3 PM at Camino Real Park, 13602 Parkcenter Lane

Irvine 3 - 4 PM at OC Plaza, 2575 McCabe Way

Santa Ana 4 - 5 PM at Orange County Catholic Worker - Isaiah House, 316 South Cyress Ave

Find out more about the event in your city at [email protected]    949-870-9154

Facebook http://snurl.com/bethkrom or Friend in Beth Krom

Twitter @krom4congress

Stopping the Sale of the Fairgrounds - Who is Against the Sale

Who is has signed on against the sale of the Orange County Fairgrounds?

Assemblyman Jose Solorio

Assemblyman Jim Silva

Assemblyman Van Tran

Buena Park - 12/22 agenda

Costa Mesa - Mayor Allan Mansoor, Mayor Pro Tem Wendy Leece, Councilmember Katrina Foley, Councilmember Eric Bever, Councilman Gary Monahan

County of Orange - Supervisor Pat Bates, Supervisor Janet Nguyen, Supervisor John Moorlach, Supervisor Bill Campbell, Supervisor Chris Norby

Cypress - 12/15 agenda

Fountain Valley - Mayor Larry Crandall, Mayor Pro Tem Cheryl Brothers, Councilmember Guy Carozzon, Councilmember John Colllins, Councilmember Steve Nagel

Fullerton - Mayor Don Bankhead, Mayor Pro Tem Pam Keller, Councilmember F. Richard Jones, Councilmember Shawn Nelson, Councilmember Sharon Quirk-Silva

Huntington Beach - 12/21 agenda

La Habra - 12/21 agenda

Laguna Hills - 1/8 agenda

Laguna Niguel - 12/15 agenda

Lake Forest - 12/15 agenda

Newport Beach - Mayor Keith Curry, Mayor Pro Tem Michael Henn, Councilmember Steven Rosansky, Councilmember Don Webb, Councilmember Leslie Daigle, Councilmember Edward Selich, Councilmember Nancy Gardner

Orange - Mayor Carolyn Cavecche, Mayor Pro Tem Tita Smith, Councilmember Mark Murphy, Councilmember Denis Bilodeau, Councilmember Joh Dumitru

San Clemente - 12/15 agenda

Santa Ana - Mayor Miguel Pulido, Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez, Councilmember Michele Martinez, Councilmember Carlos Bustamante, Councilmember David Benavides, Councilmember Sal Tinajero, Councilmember Vincent Sarmiento

Southwest Community Center Destroyed by Fire - How to Help - Dec 15-18

On Tuesday, December 15, 2009, the Southwest Community Center in Santa Ana was almost burned to the ground by an electrical fire. The center serves food to the hungry on a daily basis and provides clothing, food baskets, toys to families needing assistance.  

Please do not take donations to the Southwest Community Center because the site is not safe and they need to clean up after the fire. The United Way of Orange County is coordinating collecting food, clothing, money, toys and blankets for the center.  

From December 15-18, 2009, drop off donations at Orange County United Way, 18012 Mitchell Ave South Irvine, CA 92614.  Specific items needed are canned food for food baskets (corn, beans, rice, tuna, etc); clothing for men, women and children; blankets; new, unwrapped toys for children aged 0-12.  

If you prefer to donate money, use this link to make a donation.  If you don't want to use a credit card over the internet, you can print out the form and mail it in.

Keeping the Faith For Equality - Nov 2

On Monday, November 2, 2009 at 7 pm at the  Church of the Foothills 19211 Dodge Ave, Santa Ana, CA 92705, join Orange County Chapter of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, CA Faith for Equality, Orange County Equality Coalition, Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of CA, Equality California, Progressive Christian Uniting Orange County Chapter, Elections Committee of the County of Orange and a number of other organizations coming together to “Keep the Faith” for equality.

At the one year anniversary of the passage of Proposition 8,  stand together, not looking back, but moving forward. Celebrate the progress that has been made in the past year, both in the secular & religious communities.

Renew our support for our friends in Maine and Washington State as they face ballot measures which would strip same-sex couples of relationship protections. Through interfaith prayer, song, and reflection, we are “Keeping the Faith” for equality for all people.

For more information go to www.keepingthefaithforequality.org or contact Rev. Dr. Jonipher Kwong [email protected]

Orange County Sanitation District to Address Cost Recovery and Potential Chemical Shortages

The Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) treats the wastewater from the cities of La Habra, Brea, Fullerton, Anaheim, La Palma, Buena Park, Los Alamitos, Stanton, Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley, Westminster, Garden Grove, Cypress, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Orange, Villa Park, Tustin Placentia, Yorba Linda and Irvine.  OCSD is the agency responsible for maintaing the outfall pipes offshore. and is the third largest wastewater agency west of the Mississippi River.

OCSD is working on an update to the strategic plan to address the potential shortage of chemicals and getting better cost recovery from other agencies.  Both of these issues are key to the successful future operation of the District.

A reliable supply of quality chemicals is a requirement of operating a wastewater treatment facility.  Chemicals are used to mitigate odors, enhance settling of solids, reduce bacteria formation, and disinfect then dechlorinate the effluent prior to discharge.  

Direct Election of Mayors the Right Move

The role of city government is becoming increasingly complicated as Mayors and City Council people spend more of their time meeting the County Supervisors, State Legislators, and other local elected officials to get what their cities need.  In these meetings, the Mayor can take on a higher role as some one who speaks for the city as a whole, some one who can obligate the city to action.

In Orange County, some mayors are directly elected by the citizens and others are appointed.  The mayors of Anaheim, Garden Grove, Irvine, Orange, Santa Ana and Westminster directly elect their mayors. Mayors in the other 28 cities of Orange County are appointed by their respective city councils.

An open election for mayor allows residents to decide who is best for the job. The mayor is the leader of the city, and allowing direct election of the mayor allows candidates to discuss local issues and their proposed solutions. Mayoral candidates would compete based on the direction they would move the city in.  

Directly electing a mayor allows the people to have a voice in deciding the direction of their city.  The 34 cities of Orange County have become too large and complex to allow appointed mayors.  We're not small, scattered downtowns buried in orange groves, but vibrant growing cities. It's time for all cities to move to direct elected mayors.

Santa Ana Based American Police Force Center of Controversy in Montana

Talking Points Memo has been investigating the how and why American Police Force (also known as American Private Police Force) came to receive a lucrative contract to (depending on the story) run a private jail, fill the jail with prisoners, provide police services and/or provide police training services at a now-empty jail in Hardin, MT.  

American Police Force/American Private Police Force has offices at 1202 E 17th St, Santa Ana, CA, which is  a short walk from Popeye's Chicken on 17th.  

Even though this is a Santa Ana based company, the local press hasn't covered the story. Talking Points Memo has the story about the questionable Montana deal, supposed ties to Blackwater, Glen Beck, and driving big, black Mercedes around with Hardin Police Department logos.  Oh, and the Montana Attorney General has filed a suit against asking them to prove claims on their website.

Here's Talking Points Memo's site.