Cecilia “Ceci” Iglesias- GOP in an Independent’s Clothing

Cecilia "Ceci" Iglesias
Cecilia "Ceci" Iglesias

The Latino community has been reporting for the past couple of weeks a woman who has been going around the community named Cecilia “Ceci” Iglesias touting herself as an Independent candidate for Congress in the 47th Congressional District, Loretta Sanchez’ seat. A little digging is revealing a much bigger picture, a clear effort by the Republican party to split the Latino vote from Loretta in the general. Nice try folks, but next time, try to hide the evidence better.

First, I went to Iglesias’ website, which you can see HERE. On her bio page, one can get the first hints she is a ringer for the GOP. She mentions working for a voter registration project in the Santa Ana and Garden Grove area, but fails to detail which one. Could it be the one that was illegally switching voters to the Republican party? Apparently she is also a resident of the Windsor Village neighborhood. So upon learning that, I looked into her voter registration information. She is apparently registered in the neighborhood at 1322 S. Arapaho Dr., which is in the neighborhood. The interesting part is she only registered there this past August.

Which leads to the next interesting fact, upon checking voter history, I found she requested a Republican ballot for the 2006 primary and the 2008 Presidential primary. The interesting part is that in the 2008 Presidential Primary, ONLY REPUBLICANS were allowed to vote, which means she was registered Republican at the time.

RoyceLooking at her issues page, she is little on details, but seems to show signs at worshiping at the alter of deregulation and privatization.  But the interesting part is her photos page , where she proudly boasts photos with Congressman Ed Royce and Supervisor Bill Campbell yet none with any Democrats. There is little explanation why she is running, but a little more digging seems to show she is solely targeting Latino voters, which are Loretta’s base.

On her pics, there are shameless photo ops with people who are dressed in ethnic apparel, almost as if she is trying to claim posing for pictures with them somehow makes her “in touch” with the Latino people. Then the most insulting of all, which only goes to demonstrate just how intolerant and patronizing the GOP can be is a You Tube video announcing her candidacy, WHICH IS ALL IN SPANISH. Click and see for yourself. I personally find it very insulting of the GOP to think the way to siphon off Latino voters is to run a video in all Spanish. Do they really think that little of us?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxULjetf8Ik[/youtube]

SO what is the point of this. Its clear the GOP candidate, whether it be Van Tran or Quang Pham has clearly been damaged by scandal, which will limit the percentage they are able to get. They are also damaged by Loretta getting 90% of the Latino vote, who make up roughly 35% of the voters in an off year election in the 47th CD. The GOP knows they have no way to make inroads into that community and pleasing conservatives in the 47th who hate immigrants, so their only option is to throw in an “Independent” candidate who will hopefully siphon off votes from Loretta Sanchez in the Latino Community to just edge the Republican over the top.

CouncilmanQuachA nice try, but next time, try to hide things better. Seriously, do they think this unknown in the district will get 20% away from Loretta because that is what Tran and Pham are likely to lose by after their recent scandals. Of course we have Van Tran with the recent Quachgate, when Van’s right hand man Andy Quach got drunk, crashed his car into another car and a brick wall and knocked out power to 300 households. Van then tried to interfere in the field sobriety test being administered by the officer on the scene. Then there is the anti Latino statements made by his other lieutenant Lan Nguyen  in which he interfered in a police investigation. But we also have Quang Pham whose main fundraiser harbored priests who molested children and a local blog supporter who was recently caught promoting NAMBLA on websites he owns. So each candidate has given Loretta at least five hit pieces to work with.

It’s not too late to get out now Ceci. Looking at your website, it seems you are doing some good things in the community, particularly with those who are underserved in the deaf community. Stick to that, why do you want to be a Republican tool? You can do so much more good sticking to doing what you were doing. If not, well, its game on. Nice try GOP, your ringer has been caught, and Loretta will still get 60% and completely destroy Van “I interfere with sobriety tests” Tran and Quang “I befriend pederasty lovers” Pham.

34 Comments

  1. “On her pics, there are shameless photo ops with people who are dressed in ethnic apparel, almost as if she is trying to claim posing for pictures with them somehow makes her “in touch” with the…” – Vietnamese people.

    Claudio – You could have just as well been describing the behavior of Loretta Sanchez. Have you seen the pics of Loretta dressed in traditional Vietnamese clothing – shamelessly claiming a connection with the Vietnamese people.

  2. “I personally find it very insulting of the GOP to think the way to siphon off Latino voters is to run a video in all Spanish. Do they really think that little of us?”

    You answered your own question Claudio –

    “They are also damaged by Loretta getting 90% of the Latino vote”

    • Gustavo,

      As Malcolm X used to say, YOU’VE BEEN BAMBOOZLED!Please, you and your fellow Chicano progressives need to look at my research carefully. You need to ask the following questions, WHY IS SHE NOT ONLY PICTURED WITH ED ROYCE JR. BUT WITH ED ROYCE SR. AS WELL? WHY WOULD SHE VOTE IN SEVERAL REPUBLICAN PRIMARIES? Would you honestly take a pic with Ed Royce,(ok one where you are not smashing a pie in his face).

      Point is, several questions arise with this timing. It’s obvious the GOP knows the progressive Chicano community is angered by Loretta Sanchez not co-sponsoring the Dream Act, although she has said she will vote for it. They know they can’t beat Loretta in a one on one Dem vs. Rep match up without cutting into her base.

      Lets face it, Ceci is NOT going to Congress. But say the worst case scenario happens and we get Congressmember Van Tran or Quang Pham. Good luck getting them to even vote for the Dream Act. Especially Van Tran, who has staked his claim on creating division and hate between the Vietnamese and Latino communities. Look for ICE raids to increase, look for him to turn in constituents seeking immigration help to ICE. There are times the Progressive Chicano community needs to take a step back and put aside the idealism in favor of some pragmatism. If we don’t we will LOSE and things will be worse than ever before. As I told the crazy anti-war protesters a couple of years ago, DO YOU REALLY WANT CONGRESSMAN VAN TRAN? REALLY!

      • Claudio: Funny how just one little comment sets you off so. I merely pointed out a truth, and you go off thinking I want Van Tran? Huh? And you saying pragmatism is necessary is an admission of Loretta’s flaws. Screw pragmatism: how about some courage on Loretta’s part?

  3. So we’re going to make a judgement on a Congressional candidate based on a position on a single piece of legislation? Sorry, Loretta has more to offer the voters of her district.

  4. I made no judgment Dan, merely an observation. And, as someone who has either lived in or right next to Loretta’s district his entire life, Loretta has never had anything to offer to my family, friends, and I other than the fact she’s Latina and not a Republican. Loretta- and Agran-worship from the Dems must stop.

    • Loretta-and-Agran-worship? Interesting choice of words, and not ones I agree with.

      From my perspective, it was the leadership of progressive leaders in Irvine who helped kill an international airport that was due to go in about three miles from my house, hence my support of progressives in Irvine. The value of my home went up, public saftey and the local economy are stronger, and Irvine has a healthy rainy day reserve that is the envy of other cities in the county and the country.

      And since they’ve been in power here for the past 11 years, I’d say the majority of voters in Irvine agree with me. And far as Loretta goes, perhaps you’d prefer the ongoing representation of Latino-supporter Bob Dornan.

      Worship, no. Admiration, yes. Expectations for greater service, absolutely. This isn’t exactly Boston, or New York, or Chicago where a D next to your name makes you a shoo-in for a general election. Am I happy with every vote they cast? Nope. But there’s a bigger picture out there.

      So if the Dems are to stop their “Loretta-and-Agran worship” what exactly do you propose? Surely, you have a vision in mind for how Democrats should vote, act, behave? WWGD? What Would Gustavo Do? Enlighten us. Please.

  5. Only one congressional leader from OC has done anything tangible for OC, and that’s Sanchez. Roads, water and infrastructure are improved today because she has brought tax dollars back to OC. No other Congress people can be found until ribbon cutting time. Like her or not she has delivered for Orange County.

    Isn’t that what we should want from our leaders? …just asking?

  6. Did we scare Gustavo away?

    Homework is a useful thing. Loretta has been a tireless supporter of education working to oppose drastic GOP changes to headstart and later opposing Bush budget cuts to education. She opposed opening trade agreements with Vietnam citing human rights abuses by that country while representing a district with perhaps the greatest number of Vietnamese American voters. She supports marriage equality, she’s pro-choice and voted against the invasion of Iraq.

    She’s also stated she’ll vote for the Dream Act when it comes up for a vote on the House Floor. She’s even brought earmarked projects to my congressional district because John Campbell has done squat in that area.

    So, why am I not supposed to like her again?

    Wonder how Ceci is going to explain her support of the Dream Act to Ed Royce. Or John Campbell. Or Dana Rohrabacher?

    • Dan: Don’t be so arrogant—it’s called spending a day in court working on more important stories than political punditry. If Loretta can’t stand with the most-vulnerable in her district–the college-going children of illegal immigrants–because, in her own words to them, she doesn’t want the GOP to use an endorsement of the DREAM Act as a wedge issue against her come election time, she’s worthless and a coward. Have you talked to DREAMers about her? Doubt it. Oh, and continual reelection doesn’t mean anything—witness the case of Don Papi Pulido.

      • I have a day job too. And who’s being arrogant?

        Loretta has stated she will vote for the DreamAct when it comes up for a vote. Why isn’t that good enough?

        You’ve made a judgement of her based on a single issue where she agrees with you. Yet you’ve decided that she needs to do more than vote for it. It frankly makes little sense.

        And continued re-election does matter. Even if you don’t like the results.

        • I agree with you. Why is Loretta the only Latino who has to sponsor the Dream Act? It makes no sense to have somebody from Orange County sponsor it. Better East LA and somebody like Lucille Roybal-Allard.

          Gustavo doesn’t even care if the Latino vote splits and we lose this seat. What a crabs in the bucket mentality.

  7. HAHAHAHAHAHA

    Oh my god. Watching you guys eat your own is SO entertaining.

    “Ceci” is a GOP tool??

    HAHAHAHA dude, Claudio, stop smoking so many illegal substances…

  8. I support ceci for sure bec she really involved in the deaf community also i am deaf too so i really appreciate with her in deaf community to help deaf children and deaf teen too also she helps thier who deaf childrens parent who trying to learn thier american sign language to help communication with thier deaf children, she always be there for community what thiers’ needs

  9. Ceci sure doesn’t seem like a partisan candidate to me. Her community work is stuff like:

    Serving as a Board Member for the Santa Ana Youth Council, Workforce Investment Act (WIA).
    Iglesias was a poll worker for the Registrar of Voters
    She walked for the 2000 Census
    And Iglesias led a Voter Registration Project for Santa Ana and Garden Grove
    She is also the founder and CEO of the Santa Ana Family Emp0owerment (S.A.F.E.) non-profit organization.
    And she is actively involved in the Windsor Village Neighborhood Association, in Santa Ana

    This seems like the resume of the neighborhood do-gooder more than any ideological conservative.

    I’d be trying to paint her as right-wing as B-1 Bob if I were in Loretta’s camp though.

  10. I attended this beautiful ceremony on Veterans Day, and all that I saw there were Residents, Republicans both City Council and Congress, all branches of our retired Arm Forces, and Police officers every body was celebrating taking pictures, but No DEMOCRATIC Representatives. Ceci keeps supporting our Veterans No matter your Political party lines.

    That’s why more and more Americans are voting for true grassroots representation. Where was Loretta?!

  11. Cecilia Iglesias has an English Version of her video. For all who want to see. It shows she is involved in her community and she gives back to her community. So out with the Old and in with the New! Wish you the best, Ceci.

  12. The ethnic dancers in the picture represent the Salvadorean culture.

    Believe me here, when I write you don’t want to piss of the El Salvadorean community, much more a lady from El Salvador. My wife is from El Salvador.

    However, Ceci is a very nice lady who has done more in our community in the last two years than some bloggers (combined) have done in their lifetime.

    For myself, education is a civil rights issues for Latinos and the stranglehold that the status quo teaching establishment has on the Democrats is the biggest reason to consider a candidate from another party, even a Republican.

    Vouchers for the parents of children attending schools that continue to promote students yet teach them little compared to others. I’m not saying vouchers for all childrens just those schools that backed by our democratic state and federal elected delegation yet their kids would neverattend much less step foot in.

    I’m not into the race-baiting blaming that some Republican candidates approaching elections run on but there is absolutely no worst racist issue facing Latinos than substandard schools in Latino communties.

    That attitude of securing a teaching job in a substandard school over a classroom of kids has to change.

    We will be facing the biggest challenge in the next couple of years because we have allowed the current union-run educational establishment stay in business and now we have hundreds of thousands of ill-equipped Latino 18 to 24 years olds looking for work.

    Where do think there most likely to go from here?

  13. I find it interesting we’re going to put the blame on any perceived failing of the education system strictly on the backs of the teacher’s union. Parents share a responsibility in making sure homework and achievement in school is a priority. Parents in Orange County can enroll their kids in private schools if they wish. If they cannot afford a private school option, then making the public schools better should be where they turn their attentions. My kids attend IUSD schools, one of the lowest funded in the state. Parents and IPSF work together to raise funds required to make up for what the state doesn’t provide. Other districts should do the same. I don’t see Ceci doing anything to resolve this situation by running for Congress; perhaps she can set her sights on a more realistic office, like SAUSD trustee

  14. We need to move passed whether Latino parents motivate or encourage there children enough because the reality is that most don’t but does that mean that we must be destined for failure.

    Perhaps, we allow these kids to be sent to vouchers schools, freeing up classroom space for those children that come from parents more active in school.

    But do something… Because while we twidle our thumbs and place blame on the parents, which we cannot control another generation of Latino children falls behind.

    Also, nice try in deflecting the issue withe the irvine school and parental encouragement but too many voting Latinos are noticing that the schools are failing and the democrats want the status quo.

  15. If Latino paretns aren’t going to get more involved in their kid’s education, then vouchers to a charter school are not going to help. It’s parents and teachers working together and that is what happens in Irvine. If “most Latinos don’t motivate or encourage their children” as you claim, then what makes you so sure these same Latino parents are going to be motivated to vote out a Democrat in favor of an independent, who as a Congressional representative, will have almost zero clout when it comes to local school issues (they vote on national education policy). If Ceci wants to make a difference, have her run for school board or assembly. Congress isn’t the office.

  16. It’s very easy for someone in your Irvine perch to make such a statement.

    My guess is that you feel that a parent’s social economic status, ethnicity or race play no part in furthering the school inequalities that exist between Irvine and Santa ana communities.

    These situations exist and they are significant role in Latino parents not actively partipating in ther chdren school lives.

    Therefore, since these conditions will exist and lead to the ongoing parental particiations rates that we
    both acknowledge, the only thing that we can change is the education establishment.

    Making the statement (or excuse) that we cannot improve educational achievement among Latino students is contigent on some sort of collaboration with the parents and teachers is baloney.

    The educational establishment must change because they knowing full well that past parental partipation, given the aforementioned SES situation, are a good prediction of the future and this “name the parents ” just passes the buck to the parents.

    LAUSD hit the nail on the head today when he annouced recently that he is requireing all the teachers of a low performing school to reapply for their job.

    Under Dan’s plan we néed to have the parents reapply as being parents.

    understand that I believe that there are many good public schools serving the Latino communties throughout the states, but ther are many that continually don’t improve. Those are the ones we need to offer a parent choice not say, “It’s the parents”

  17. I politico, as a Latino parent, I see where Dan is coming from. You do get many Latino parents who are not that involved in their children’s education. Unfortunately this is due to circumstances such as their work situation primarily. They simply don’t have the time to be as involved as they may want to be. But Vouchers is not the answer.

    First, you mention Charter Schools Vouchers. Children don’t need them, Charter Schools are FREE. I should know, my son is in Kindergarten at El Sol Academy, the number ONE performing Charter School in the SAUSD. He is also enrolled in the after school program, which is $20 a week and allows him to be exposed to the Arts. I love this school and if you haven’t been watching the news, you would know that Obama(A DEMOCRAT) has been promoting Charter Schools, which was an initiative also promoted by Bill Clinton (A DEMOCRAT).

    What you may have in mind is Vouchers, which uses taxpayer money from people like Dan and I and allows children to be sent to religious schools. Lets take a look at countries that practice this, PAKISTAN, SAUDI ARABIA, IRAN. Yeah taxpayer dollars for religious education has worked like a charm. THe proponents of vouchers simply want to use our taxpayer dollars to send low income children to religious schools so they can be brainwashed with conservative Catholic/Christian fundamentalism. Sorry, I do not want my taxpayer dollars used towards that. Charter Schools are the way to go.

  18. IP —
    “It’s very easy for someone in your Irvine perch to make such a statement.”

    No it’s not; we review the homework and project schedule and make sure the work is done; we review homework nightly and review projects on the weekends. It’s called being an active parent. Improving education for all children requires collaboration with parents and teachers.

    Yes, there are some bad parents out there, there are bad teachers, there are bad schools and there are bad students. A voucher system isn’t going to make this go away. Parents already have a choice; if they want to place their kids in a private school, they can pay to do so. If you expect my tax dollars to pay for private school at the expense of public schools, that I as a parents, work hard to make better, you’re nuts.

  19. Claudio,

    Charter schools are great but why do you suppose they don’t have the charter school concept at all the schools in Santa Ana unified.

    The answer is because the unions wouldn’t suppport and block efforts to do so.

    Also, I’m not touting a voucher for all( never have anywher in my writings) just at the schools that have continued to failing Latino kids.

    I support charter schools and vouchers for chidren in failing schools. Why don’t you agree with this ?

    If not, then I believe it’s troubling for someone who supports public education status quo in those low axheivubg schools yet sends thier kids to the Charter schools or like 70% of public school teachers do by sending their kids to private schools.

  20. I don’t support vouchers. Your stat on 70% of public school teachers sending their kids to private school is bogus.

  21. Dan,

    You blame the parents, Claudio blames the work enviroment( which is included in the SES I mentioned before) yet you both agree that the status quo is acceptable andthat vouchers for “children from failing public schools” woud not fix the problem.

    Fortunately, we have not seen the full effects of an sigificant underclass of uneducated Latino community members living during troubling economic times with limited resources but my guess you are bound to see alot of bitterness to everyone else, including those people perched in hills of Irvine because they won’t bake their parents for their predictment just everyone else.

    But if that’s the enviroment you want just so you keep employed that failing pubic school that’s the enviroment you’ll leave your kids.

    Irvine from Santa ana is only what 8 miles apart.

  22. You are correct, 70% is bogus!

    I suppose if we hooked up the Santa ana teachers to a lie detector and asked them if they would send their kids to the one of the lower performing schools in Santa Ana unified or a private everyone would vote 100% for the private.

  23. I have know Ceci for years. She is a very caring and intelligent person. You should probably try actually doing your homework before you attack a person. I will gladly vote for her!

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