Voters to Decide Extent of Union Dominance in Santa Ana

Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Jessie Lopez speaks about a recall against her at City Hall in Santa Ana, Calif., on Jan. 30, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Commentary

On Nov. 14, voters in Santa Ana, California, will determine if their city continues to be controlled by the Santa Ana Police Officers Association, or by the people.

On Aug. 17, City Clerk Jennifer L. Hall posted online a Notice of Special Election with the yes or no question, “Shall Jessie Lopez be recalled (removed) from the office of Councilmember for Ward 3, City of Santa Ana?” Another attempt to recall Councilmember Thai Phan failed to gather adequate signatures.

Tim Rush, the chair of the recall committees, gave this the reason for the recall: “We are seeking to recall Lopez and Phan for their part in advancing extreme policies that harmful to our neighborhoods and undermine the strides Santa Ana has been making in improving our quality of life. Their palpable hostility to law enforcement is one aspect of their destructive record—but there is more.

“Lopez and Phan provided the votes to enact a badly crafted rent control ordinance that goes far beyond existing state law. It is the most radical city rent control measure in California.

I’ve written articles for The Epoch Times showing why rent control is counterproductive, such as “New Attacks on Landlords Will Worsen Housing Crisis in California” on Aug. 7. But anyone aware of Santa Ana politics knows that is just an excuse. Besides, why doesn’t the union just put on the ballot a repeal of the rent control law?

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Or just wait for the normal election cycle, when Ms. Lopez will be up for re-election in 2024? The March 5 primary will be just four months later. Why waste the taxpayers’ money on an extra election? Because that’s what unions do: Waste the taxpayers’ money.

Mr. Rush gets to the real reason: “Public safety is one of residents’ top concerns. Lopez and Phan pay lip service to putting more cops on the street but then fail to support the funding necessary to make it happen.”

As the Voice of OC reported in June, “The recall threats come after Phan and Lopez supported a December labor contract that went against the police union’s pay-raise proposals.

“It also forced [Gerry] Serrano, the union president, to spend half his time doing police work instead of solely working union duties.”

Earlier this month, Mr. Serrano resigned. He was paid $474,000, more than President Biden’s $400,000. Said OC Supervisor Vincente Sarmiento, formerly Santa Ana’s mayor, “The reign of intimidation, undue influence and abuse of power appear to finally be ending. My hope is that our community can begin to heal and restore the trust that was profoundly harmed between law enforcement and residents.”

The city hall of Santa Ana, Calif., on Jan. 30, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Ceci Iglesias Recall

Another case Mr. Serrano was involved with was the successful recall of Councilwoman Ceci Iglesias, one of the finest public servants I have known. She lost, 56 percent to 44 percent. Earlier, she had been a reform member of the Santa Ana Unified Board of Education, where she was a thorn in the side of the Santa Ana Educators’ Association Union. The unions also thwarted her runs for mayor in 2020 and the Orange County Board of Supervisors in 2022.

The unions’ real objection to Ms. Iglesias was her opposition to the city’s 1 cent sales tax increase, which was used to fund increases in pay, perks, and pensions for the police. In 2019 it raised the rate to 9.25 percent, the highest in Orange County. In 2020, she tried but failed to pass a repeal of the tax as the pandemic dug in and was hitting businesses.

The unions pushed the recall even though her opposition to the tax increase did not stop it. It was pure revenge, intimidation, and a display of union power.

The 9.25 percent tax really does hurt businesses and consumers. I’ve avoided buying things in Santa Ana to avoid the tax. The tax is 7.75 percent in neighboring Anaheim, Orange, and Costa Mesa—or 1.5 percentage points less. If you’re a sports bar that buys, say, $20,000 in flat-screen TVs, you save $300 by shopping in one of those cities instead of Santa Ana. And instead of getting 9.5 percent of the sale, or $1,900, Santa Ana gets $0.00.

Expect a Vicious Campaign

I witnessed union viciousness firsthand when they attacked and defeated state Sen. John Moorlach (R-Costa Mesa) during his 2020 re-election bid, when I was his press secretary. The smears by the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs were beyond reprehensible. The did it again when he ran in 2020 for Orange County Supervisor. They outspent him 3-to-1.

For unions whose members are tasked with upholding the law to commit such attacks on our democracy shows the critical need for curbing union power. The unions use our tax dollars against us. As I have written for years, they sit on both sides of the negotiating table. On one side sits the “employee”; on the other side sits the “employer,” who actually is voted into office by the “employee”! Anyone bucking the system is attacked and driven from office by union power.

Ms. Lopez will be receiving this treatment. But perhaps the tide has turned. Mr. Moorlach and Ms. Iglesias lost during the height of the COVID-19 hysteria, when government officials, especially the police and health authorities, insisted their lockdowns, masking, and mandatory vaccines were imposed to “protect” us. We know differently now.

A defeat of the Lopez recall will be a major blow to union power. Next must come reforms to stop the unions from using our tax money against us.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.