Last year, when Tustin Mayor Jerry Amante was in a four way race for AD-70 (where Amante finished third), we ran a post about Amante’s campaign literature that still listed an endorsement from former state Assemblyman Mike Duvall (aka “Drippy Duvall”); the piece came out well after Duvall had resigned in disgrace from the Assembly and a good campaign consultant should have caught that. After our post ran, the Duvall endorsement was scrubbed from the Amante for Assembly website and the voters took out Amante in the primary.
That said, we received another online flyer for a new Amante fundraiser at the Tustin Ranch Golf Center for April 6, 2010. Could it be an old invite working it’s way around? Nope.  The folks at Paule Consulting who are involved in the fundraiser invite sent a corrected flyer and a call to the Tustin Ranch Golf Center confirmed that an Amante fundraiser was scheduled.
The big question is, a fundraiser for what?
Amante is termed out. He has already endorsed Todd Spitzer for an open County Board of Supervisor’s seat. He can’t beat Don Wagner for an assembly seat, and checking an online filing, Amante still has money left over in his account for his failed assembly run.
If Red County blogger Matt Cunningham can ask why State Senator Lou Corerra is holding fundraisers as a termed out state senator, we can ask why Amante is holding a fund raiser for a termed out mayor. Unlike Corerra, who is rumored to be a candidate for other offices, there doesn’t seem to be a place for Amante to go. A possible recall of Amante for his boorish behavior in dealing with Tustin residents during public comments and his unexplained firing of David Biggs as city manager that is going to cost Tustin taxpayers dearly makes him unpopular with residents whose votes he needs for a run at any future office.Â
Our friends at Paule Consulting won’t comment on the reasoning for the fundraiser, but attending will cost you $250 at a minimum.
The event is hosted by Friends of Jerry Amante; insert your own pre-April Fools’ Day joke here.
So, both of Boss Tweed Amante’s friends will be attending? That would be Jim Nielsen and Al Murray, although Murray is iffy.
Seriously, I thought that a candidate had to list a potential office in order to fundraise. That being the case, maybe he is raisingfunds for the German Shepherd Rescue Fund.
Perhaps Boss Tweed Amante is trying to raise $$ thinking he will be a power broker is next year’s city council election. John “the puppet” Nielsen is up for re-election and Amante’s seat will be up for grabs–They current gang of 3 are one seat away from losing their majority to Gavello and Gomez. Unless Nielsen grows some *@%#s and refutes Amante, who on earth would give that wet noodle any campaign money? Be prepared next year when Neilsen becomes Mayor that Amante and Co. with the help of their in-house PR person to hype Neilsen as the greatest mayor in the city’s history–
Perhaps Boss Tweed Amante is trying to raise $$ thinking he will be a power broker is next year’s city council election. John “the puppet” Nielsen is up for re-election and Amante’s seat will be up for grabs–The current gang of 3 are one seat away from losing their majority to Gavello and Gomez. Unless Nielsen grows some *@%#s and refutes Amante, who on earth would give that wet noodle any campaign money? Be prepared next year when Neilsen becomes Mayor that Amante and Co. with the help of their in-house PR person to hype Neilsen as the greatest mayor in the city’s history–
I agree that the fund raising event for Amante will be used in next year’s election campaign. He will use it like he did in the last two elections, to bank roll the heidious flyers attacking Gavello in her re-election campaign. The trick is who will he be pushing to run against Gavello. Clearly, the move to keep him as mayor was to name Nielsen as his successor with Al Murry becoming the mayor pro-tem. I suspect that Donna Peery may run again. The real question is can the monies raised at the fund raiser legally be used for other person’s campaigns?