Hold On, Mayor Pulido

To an outsider like myself, Santa Ana city politics seems very opaque and byzantine, with a distinctive  Tamany Hall odor.

Mayor Miguel's Pulido's sudden rish to approve a contract with the city firefighters union just gives a boost to that Tamany Hall stench (you can read Art Pedroza's post about it from yesterday, and Amy Taxin's OCR web article from today).

This stinks of pay-back. The current contract runs until 2008. The new council members will be swong in in two weeks. Why can't Mayor Pulido juts hang on for two weeks so the new council members -- who will have to deal with the consequences of any contract agreement -- the opporutnity to review the proposed agreement and either vote "yes" or send it back for re-negotiation.

Pulido, as per usual, is unavailable for comment. He's obviuously intent on ramming this thing through. Here's hoping his colleagues on the Santa Ana City Council do the right thing and vote to post-pone consideration of the firefighters contract until the new councilmembers are sworn in and up to speed.

No one will be hurt by waiting a few weeks -- and Santa Ana's political reputation would get a needed buff-and-polish.

Comments

[Publius2]

I'm hoping against hope that tonight Councilman/Assemblyman-Elect Jose Solorio finally grows a pair and asserts his independence from slimy Miguel.
Show us what we can expect from you in Sacramento, Jose?
Will you listen to the people you represent or kowtow to those who raise or give you money?
No one is hurt by delaying the vote until the new council is sworn in.
And a lesson here to police/fire/public employee unions: be careful when you play games in the campaign world, when you lose, you might lose BIG.

[Art Pedroza]

Jubal,

Thanks for shedding some light on what is going on in Santa Ana! It gets worse. I just found out that apparently Solorio is going to resign tonight and Pulido is going to try to replace him before the new council members are sworn in. Go to http://o-juice.blogspot.com/2006/11/pulido-to-appoint-solorios-replacement.html for the details.

Pulido must be stopped! It will be interesting to see if Carlos Bustamante goes along with this latest gambit. I think if he does he will be toast in two years when he comes up for re-election.

[Matt]

What a wonderful post! You know who I hope reads it? President Bush and the Republicans in Congress. As you state so eloquently, it would be unfair for Bush and the lame duck Republican House and Senate majorities to ram through a bunch of legislation they favor before the new, Democrat-controlled Congress takes over. You know, things like warrantless wiretaps and pork-heavy spending and other things that would normally make conservatives explode.

[Will Bustamonte vote for juicy Fire Contract?]

What will Mr. Carlos "Bello" Bustamonte do?????

[Publius2]

Has Mayor McSleaze EVER been known to be available for comment on anything?
I dare Pulido to try to ratify a fire contract or appoint a successor to Solorio.
Rumblings of recall are getting louder.

[Art Pedroza]

Recall? Sign me up!

[Recall Carlos Bustamante]

Don't fool yourselves.

Pulido had plans to move the fire contract forward and reward them for being good donors with two more years and "retirement enhancements"

One problem.

Alvarez,Bist and Garcia held out and it was determined that Solorio needed to be present to make a quorum.

Meeting is rescheduled to Thursday.