Friday, May 30, 2008

Pondering the Dust Up Over Councilwoman Hahn's Gang Support Issue

Here is a subject that will take lots of pondering by others because I know so very little about the issues.

Mr. Santich wrote a letter to the editor of San Pedro Magazine where he was very critical of Ms. Hahn's actions with regard to providing funds to known gang members.

Since the story was reported by Fox News, I personally have very little trust in whatever comes out of Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes and all of their underlings.

But I do think it is a relavent issue to ponder and try and discuss what really happened back then and what is happening now.

Mr. Santich had every right to write his letter and the editor had every right to print it.

I don't like the idea of taxpayers paying know gang members for anything. I don't live within the limits of Los Angeles, so none of my property tax dollars go into gang members' pockets.

I wonder if part of the sales taxes I pay when shopping in San Pedro go into gang members' pockets. I would hope not. That could be a reason to boycott San Pedro businesses, IF any sales tax revenues go into pockets where folks don't feel they belong.

This issues can be a real learning issue for me. It certainly has found many folks on one side of the issue or another.

We'll just have to see if anyone wishes to ponder on this subject on this blog.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Anthony Santich ran with unfounded lies about our Councilwoman by Fox News, despite the fact the 'claims' have been proven to be false.

His attention-seeking, ridiculous, arrogant posturing shows him for what he is... a shameless and witless self-promoter with transparent political aspirations and no talent or brain to back it up.

Attacking a venerable Councilwoman isn't the way to make your mark, Mr. Santich, nor a way to better our city. It merely shows this community who you really are.

Anonymous said...

You are wise not to trust Fox News or the self-serving 'source' that created this false tale. "Scare-tactics" built on lies is a hallmark of Fox News and Mr. Santich is coat-tailing on this 'falsely created' issue for his own political ambitions.

Santich would like to take Councilwoman Hahn's Distric 15th seat and this is how he's going about it, even if it's built on scathing public attacks and lies. Shame on you.

Please, consider the source and who fed the story. Please do not punish our local businesses that have nothing to do with this. Please do not boycott the innocent, hardworking locals that don't deserve the negative backlash that has resulted.

Taxpayer money is NOT be funneled to gang members, but Fox News knows this and so does Santich.

The most unfortunate result of this has been it makes San Pedro look bad in the media when we're trying so desperately to change its image for the best, improve our econony, attract new business and new visitors to our wonderful area.

Anonymous said...

That false Fox News story on tax payer money going into gang member pockets was proven to be manufactered. It is simply untrue.

Now Anthony Santich is blowing up again because he can't understand why 'one letter' - and subsequent grand-standing - would create such a community firestorm.

Really? How very short-sighted. Those false accusations portrayed San Pedro as a gang town to the press and everyone outside this city. People are talking about boycotting local businesses thinking that situation is true.

That's the impression your 'one letter' - and your subsequent quotes furthering that false story - gave to the national press.

He brags as someone who knows better? You should have known better before trying to get a little attention at the expense of San Pedro businesses & its residents.

Good luck in that run for office one day, we know you serve yourself, not San Pedro.

Anonymous said...

Thanks to ANTHONY SANTICH, San Pedro is now known as 'GANG TOWN', not 'Port Town'. As a local business-owner struggling for new patrons and a fresh new image, I am FURIOUS with the self-important ANTHONY SANTICH and so is the downtown business community!!!

Anonymous said...

I'm with Anthony Santich and am boycotting San Pedro businesses until I know taxpayer money isn't being funneled to the gangs.

M Richards said...

Howdy anonymouses, thanks for your comments.

There are quite a few comments about this issues at:
www.dailybreeze.com, with someone named 'Jane Barton' defending Mr. Santich, and 'anonymous' who seems to know quite a bit about Mr. Santich that the public doesn't know.

It appears that there is going to be money coming out of taxpayers' pocket to fund more gang intervention issues.

San Pedro got hosed a couple of years ago when gang intervention funds that were supposed to be going to that community were sent elsewhere.

I wonder if San Pedro had received the funds it wanted back then, we would have read about more gang activities by a sub-group of gang members on Catalina Island?

I do hope that the gang that wears very dark blue to work can deal with the gangs that wear other colors.
MW

Anonymous said...

Thanks for clarifying the difference between tax-payer money going to 'gang intervention programs' (Good, factual) and NOT into 'gang member's pockets' (false claim all along).

Unfortunately, I don't know if that's a bell Santich can now unring with the public. I guess we'll have to wait and see...

Anonymous said...

I tried the Daily Breeze website you provided but can't seem to find it. I'm interested and would like to understand the 'dust up' better myself. To me, it doesn't make a whole lotta sense. Any direct link? Thanks!

M Richards said...

Thanks San Pedro Dan,

I did not save the original articles in the Breeze about the dust up.

As I wrote in the post, I don't watch Fox news either.

But from what I have gathered so far, and please don't quote me on my facts is this.

Somebody went to Fox news with the incorrect facts surrounding Janice Hahn's support for funding gang intervention.

It seems somebody thought Janice was funneling actual dollars to known gang members.

None of that was found to be the case, at all, according to what I have learned so far.

Fox ran an untrue story, but it still held water with some of Hahn's opponents.

One of Ms. Hahn's opponents appears to be Mr. Santich.

One thing I found very weird and something I actually spoke to Josh Stecker about is the fact that Mr. Santich had his letter published, disparaging Ms. Hahn, in the same San Pedro Magazine issue that he appeared in numerous photos and in the main article of that publication.

Mr. Stecker commented to me that since he thought the issue was of importance at the time he published the edition of the magazine, he wanted to include Mr. Santich's letter at the earliest possible edition.

It just 'happened' that Mr. Santich's letter and the article featuring him appeared at the same time, in the same publication.

I was never really all that concerned about Ms. Hahn's stand on gang intervention. Perhaps I should be more concerned.

I do remember that some time ago, gang intervention funds slated to come to the San Pedro area were diverted and given to other areas.

That wasn't fair to us, I feel.

Gangs are a serious problem in OUR community, but I have chosen to focus on many other issues that also affect OUR community.

Maybe I could have someone like you create a post that I can add to this blog.

Everyone is invited to create their own posts and I have published posts from folks other than me on at least two of the blogs I have.

Thanks for being interested in this issue.

I have to admit that you probably know much more about it than I do.

If someone makes a comment that I choose not to publish on my more familiar blogs, I have another blog that I publish foul, demeaning, vulgar, untrue, vicious, and mean comments on.

I have made a commitment to publish every single comment passed to me, so I religate those comments I choose not to publish on my main blogs, to that other blog.

I don't provide the URL for that blog because I really don't want folks to know where it is, or read it.

But I cannot be charged with not publishing every single comment that comes to my blogs, like other blogs do.

I have been blessed lately by not having to put any comments on that four blog for some time now.

I have yet to read a comment on the supportive blog for Ponte Vista.
MW

Anonymous said...

I hadn't heard about those other blogs, but if they're 'vulgar' that doesn't sound like the cool blogmaster I read here!

I've now done quite a bit of reading on this myself, seems clear there was a false spin to this story from the get-go. It also seems clear 'who' went to Fox 11 with this bogus story -- or at least who was self-admittedly a source to them -- Anthony Santich. He doesn't deny that.

The Fox 11 tale was nothing but a false 'news' story at best. You were right all along, surprise, it's FOX! I'd say it was even borderline slanderous in what it accused Councilwoman Hahn of doing.

I've also read Anthony Santich's quotes in various publications where he admits 'providing' names/info to Fox 11 (his words) on the bogus story.

The best journalistic minds out there can't seem to fathom Anthony Santich's lack of intellectual understanding on the issue or his wreckless desire to twist the truth, despite the facts. Seems he has no believers with him in his nonsensical leap in logic, despite his best sales effort.

Final amusing note: Anthony Santich is on record saying Ms. Hahn (who, with all due respect is all of, what, 120 lbs and a grandmother?) is "bullying" and has "threatened his family and friends"? But he won't back those heavy accusations up either, making his other 'claims' THAT much more believable.

Enough already. I think someone got his full 15-minutes... Next!

Anonymous said...

Ha! Read that quote and I also found it absolutely ENTERTAINING!!!

Well then, our 'biggg baaaad Councilwoman' continues to have MY VOTE if she can manage to "bully" (his quote!) someone with a crooked reputation like Santich!

She obviously has what it takes to clean up AND stand up for San Pedro!

Anonymous said...

I never saw the original San Pedro Magazine/Santich "Letter to the Editor" referenced, but I would be really grateful if anyone wanted to re-post here for the interested. I've heard enough about it via the Daily Breeze, Random Lengths, etc. to know a lot...

It seems this has been a "look at me-look at me" / Santich-only 'suspension-of-belief' press tour, pushed on the public.

I'd say Anthony Santich thought he could fool San Pedrans with TWISTED LIES like a car-salesman, but that would be unfairly disparaging car salesmen...

Anonymous said...

I thought it was poor judgement of San Pedro Magazine to publish that vicious personal-attack letter referenced, in the same issue about the San Pedro Chamber too. Wasn't that issue supposed to be a positive cover story about the chamber, not the widespread negative one it became, no thanks to one myopic individual?

And, who reading wouldn't make the direct assumption that Anthony Santich, it's head, spoke on behalf of the whole chamber in his untrue and brutal letter?

It's even more offensive that Santich now claims he 'was just speaking as a member of the public'. Wrong! You can't have it both ways when in office of any kind. So he takes the hat off and on when it suits him? An impulse of anger made him betray the trust bestowed on him? How is the public supposed to know the difference: elected public servant/spokesperson or "boiling" angry private citizen?

I'm a member of the chamber and, along with many others I've spoken with, am more than upset & betrayed by Anthony Santich's complete lack of integrity about all this. Councilwoman Hahn has supported & sponsored our chamber 100% and did not deserve such a public beating. If so concerned, why didn't Santich just speak to her about it privately?

If Santich wanted to make a name for himself, he should have waited a month until his term was over and he was gone from the chamber.

The only good news in this is we are done with him now; he doesn't sit on the Board, is not actively involved in our business and receives NO reference in any of our publications from here on out. Not even a courteous reference to his past term, as done for all others before him.

Hopefully, he's done embarrassing our leadership AND our members; and can now just focus on embarrassing himself.