Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/tag/carlos-perea/)
Aggressive police unions, spending on law enforcement over youth programs and few citizen oversight boards — activists and leaders say OC’s debate is years in the making.
Public speakers were unanimous in their calls to move money away from police and reinvest in youth, park and community programs.
The crowds gathered in response to nationwide outcry over the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer.
Sheriff officials say the flag was raised for an annual commemoration of law enforcement. Critics say the flag was tone-deaf amid nationwide protests.
What happens today could set the stage for the November general election, and impact the future of Santa Ana politics. If voters want Iglesias out, they’ll have three different replacement candidates, all backed by different people, to choose from.
After city staff said the council didn’t have the legal authority to rescind or suspend the sales tax increase, which voters approved in 2018, council members David Penaloza and Phil Bacerra criticized Iglesias for bringing up the issue.
Local activist Carlos Perea writes that Santa Ana City Council members are moving in the right direction to fund diverse budgetary priorities, singling out a final vote on Tuesday, July 3 to fund youth services and the city’s Constitutional City Legal Defense Fund, which helps Santa Ana residents facing deportation proceedings.
Santa Ana resident Carlos Perea writes that Orange County Supervisors are fanning racist sentiment against immigrants by launching an initiative to join efforts attacking California’s Sanctuary State initiative.