

Donna Acevedo, the mother of Joel Acevedo who was killed by Anaheim police in July 2012 that sparked unrest between Anaheim’s Latino community and the Police Department, has made a name for herself as an advocate against police violence. Her support and inclusion for the pro-Tait camp was active and downright aggressive. She served as the narrator for the embarrassing Greg Diamond finger puppet show in a 2013 Anaheim City Council meeting. She was a guest of Cynthia Ward over the Christmas Holidays (because Cynthia regularly opens her home to people who need a place to be safe, fed, and cared for). And, I’ve been told, she briefly “dated” OJ blogger Vern Nelson.
But there’s no question Acevedo is a prominent Latina activist in Anaheim.
Acevedo is backing former Council member Lorri Galloway for Mayor.
Galloway was the only member of the city council who reached out to Acevedo in the days after Joel’s death.
“When I found out, she lost her son, I immediately reached out to her and asked what I could do,” Galloway told TheLiberalOC. “I knew she had no money to pay for the funeral. I initiated a fund-raising drive to pay for the services and funeral. We raised about $12,000.”
Galloway was criticized by some members of the Anaheim Police Department for “taking sides” and others said her actions were “anti-police and pro-gang.”
“It was absolutely neither,” said Galloway. “My heartfelt actions were driven by the fact that a mother did not have any money to bury her son. My answer to the criticism was, ‘Go ask your mother.’ ”
Given the amount of time Acevedo spends at city hall and her interactions with the Tait clown car of supporters, her endorsement of Galloway has to be a surprise. And its also a clear signal to Anaheim’s Latino community of which candidate for mayor backs words with actions. And Galloway’s actions with Acevedo were direct, personal and immediate.
An Update: I chatted with Donna this afternoon by phone; she said her sons actually started a fundraising effort to pay for funeral costs but acknowledged Galloway raised $6,000 for the funeral. She also acknowledges that Galloway never sought recognition for her efforts. Donna is grateful for everyone’s help and support during that difficult time.
Dan I think Lorri would make an excellent Mayor though I still prefer Tait. I also applaud her for reaching out to Donna on her time of need. Lorri has a lot of compassion and love for people.
As a friend wrote today, “It’s election season, and the Grief Pimps are out in full force.”
My choice to support Lorri over Tom was not an easy one; I have the highest respect for both of them. Either one of them would be a fine Mayor.
I don’t know who you are, Dan, and I never read this blog, but a friend told me about this story, and I won’t be used this way for your cheap shots against Mayor Tait.
I’m proud of helping Greg with his presentation about the Angels Stadium giveaway; it made a lot of important points and I agree with him that it’s an outrageous ripoff of us Anaheim taxpayers. And whose business is it who I go out with, or if and when I visit my friend Cynthia? Can’t I have a little privacy in my own personal life?
But I have a real hard time believing, Dan, that Lorri actually told you she raised $12,000 for my son’s funeral. I do appreciate what she did do, but half of that money was raised by Joey’s friends, family and neighbors, emptying their pockets and sweating their butts off at carwashes during the hottest summer in memory.
As for the remaining $6000? It did come through the Eli Home, but I’ve been asked not to say who it came from. It was the sort of person who would insist on doing this anonymously. And let’s just say the answer is as ironic as can be, given that you’re using this story to trash Mayor Tait. Go ask Lorri where that money came from.
Or maybe just take this whole piece-of-trash post down?
Lorri said she initiated a fund raising drive which means she started it. And that drive raised $12,000. Lorri didn’t say she raised $12,000, that the fundraising effort did.
I’m pleased you are supporting the candidate who directly reached out to you. But as for the grief pimps comment, I’m surprised you don’t see that in people like Greg and Vern
Dan’s Teddy Bear moment…
Jason — you’re being too nice. Funeral politics has no place as an appropriate grounds for scoring points.
I don’t have much to say in response to this blog than all that really needs to be said: Let Joel Acevedo rest in peace.
Highlighting an act of kindness by someone in 2012 who didn’t know she would be a candidate for Mayor in 2013 is hardly funeral politics. Are you so jaded that simply providing the public with a backstory of basic human kindess has to be viewed in a political sense, really?
GSR, do you have any idea how many phone calls Galloway continues to get every week from Anaheim residents who think she is still on the council? These people are seeking help and Lorri offers it. Its one of the reasons she decided to run again.
If you had any tact, you’d take this post down like the bereaved mother has asked you to.
Give everyone time to get their screen captures though. They can go in the same folder with Matt’s Teddy bear screen shots.
Dan C is a real piece of work claiming he’s simply writing about Galloway’s compassion in an apolitical sense when he follows her quotes with a Tait tackle!
(screenshots already taken)
How’s that foot taste, Dan-o?
I bet it’s delicious.
Why do you obsess about my body parts so much Ryan?
Because the rumors of their size have been greatly exaggerated.
That the post down, Dan. Be a human being instead of a partisan robot.
Seriously, titling the post “mourning” then attaching a picture of a mom mourning?
You’re a special kind of contemptuous aren’t you?
Or not. The horse is pretty much out of the barn.
Has Lorri corrected you at all yet, Dan?
Corrected what? She started a fundraising effort that raised $12,000; she never said she raised it. Her statement was how much was raised. Did Tait give any money to the effort Vern? Did you? Did Greg? Did Ryan? Did GSR? If so, please indicated how much you gave towards Joel’s funeral before condemning a kind act from a generous person to help a grieving mother. If you want to see a Grief Pimp, I suggest you look in a mirror.
How I wish I were permitted to answer that and rub it in your face, but I’m pledged to secrecy. I’ll just say that the entire $6000 Lorri “raised” came from a kind man who takes seriously the biblical injunction to “not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing.”
The OTHER half, and maybe you don’t take a word Donna writes seriously, was from poor relatives, families, friends, carwashes in a 100-degree summer, teeshirt sales from Lalo Alcaraz, i could go on. Lorri is not really telling you she had anything to do with all that, is she? I don’t think she would tell you that. I prefer to think you’re confused, and shooting from the hip… at EXACTLY the wrong person.
Blather on…
I think you just did; Tait gave her money for the funeral? How respectable of him? How much?
If you want to keep Tait’s contributon a secret, by all means do so as transparency is so important to you.
That doesn’t stop you from tell us how much you gave?
Me? Nothing. You?
Tom? Ask your friend Lorri how much Tom gave. I’ve already said way more than I’m supposed to.
I didn’t give anything. I didn’t know about the fundraiser. No one called me about it and I think that was the week I was out of town. But I have made contributions to the Eli Home over the years, have you?
And then just shut up about it. Only one side, your side, is trying to get CREDIT for it.
Tom’s a Republican; Lorri is a Democrat. Whose side are you on Vern?
I find some of these comments very disgusting, yours too, Vern. You pretend to know me so well. I never said my relatives are poor. I shouldn’t have to explain my life to anyone but leave my family and friends out of these comment.s You don’t know wtf you’re talking about.
Just to clear the air here. Lorri Galloway did not proactively contact me about my post. I contacted her for information on another story and asked her about Donna’s endorsement. I then asked Lorri about her role in helping raise money for the funeral, because I had heard she did this awhile ago. I thought it was unselfish and a very kind thing to do. She was very modest about her response which was simply her desire to help a grieving mother. I am not going to apologize for writing a post about an unselfish thing an elected official or political figure does to help anyone.
Lorri has many negative and unkind things written about her and her work for abused kids at Eli Home, which I think is a terrific charity. Have we become so cynical that an act of kindness is considered a political calculation?
Year of Kindess in Anaheim? Galloway lives it. She talks the talk and walks the walk.
And you couldn’t just do that without trashing the one guy who very well might have given all that actual money.
(PS sorry about the phrase “poor relatives” Donna … didn’t mean to suggest your relatives are poor.)
I think it’s time, in this new Year of the Horse, to do what my team has been asking me to do for a while – take the Liberal OC down off our RSS feed.
Go ahead and do the same to us if you want to make your place even less interesting. Or not.
Sorry Chris, we still like you; this is all about Dan. I realize this blog is Chris’ baby, but he’s always welcome at the OJ, whereas it would make good sense if Dan and Matt Cunningham got together and made a blog called “Fake Left Meets Fake Right.”
Cheers…
Whatever Vern. Seems to be a bit of an over-reaction but the decision is yours.
Reading these comments is like watching a bunch of schoolyard bullies harassing the kid who refuses to tow the line. “You’d better knock it off Dan, or you’re going to get it!!”
It’s been a long time coming, Chris, and it’s what my team wants.
Maybe some time in the future if this is ever not a one-theme bash-Tait kiss-Jordan blog.
“I am not going to apologize for writing a post about an unselfish thing an elected official or political figure does to help anyone.”
Well Dan you SHOULD apologize. By printing that you have humiliated Donna, nobody wants to be thought of as a charitable endeavor, especially when faced with an expense that would financially cripple any of us. Even those of us with a few dollars put away could not access that money in time to bury a child. We don’t tend to buy life insurance for 21 year olds, in a just world we shouldn’t have to. None of this is any of your business, how dare you blast it all over the internet? And do not EVER again make my holiday gatherings sound like a charity events for the unloved, I invite my friends to my home because i enjoy their company. I don’t believe I have ever rescinded that standing invite to anyone but I am tempted to do it now, here, with you, this was disgusting and beneath who i thought you were, although in retrospect considering the company you keep I am not sure why i expected better of you. Congratulations for heaping humiliation on top of heartbreak for someone who is not a public figure and did not ask for attention other than in her demand for answers to how her son died. yes, she speaks at Council, as a citizen she is entitled to tell her leaders when she thinks they are screwing up. in no way is this a Latina activist with a wide following, whose endorsement will sway blocks of voters, she would be the first to tell you she does not seek to speak for anyone but herself. That means the intent of this post was not to crow about the endorsement of someone powerful or influential, it was to hurt Tom Tait with what you think is a painful defection of a friend. thankfully Tait is not as petty as the political figures who are accustomed to, and will see the impossible situation Donna is in WITH HER EMPLOYER. great job there super sleuth.
Cynthia, because the post does not portray Tait in a favorable light, your outrage was anticipated. This post does not humiliate Donna; it calls attention to her support of a candidate who exhibits acts of kindness which I believe Mayor Tait only talks about.
As Donna herself stated, her sons worked to raise money for funeral services. Are her sons also humiliating Donna then? I don’t think so at all and receiving help when needed is nothing to be ashamed of.
Dona and I spoke. I asked her to correct anything I wrote that was inaccurate and she informed me of the work of her sons to raise money and Joel’s friends to raise money. I amended the post accordingly. As to how you open your home to your family and friends, I think its a true act of kindness on your part to do so regularly and especially during the holidays. I am only noting you opened your home to Donna during the Holidays which is not unlike the gathering at my home on Christmas Eve.
What it comes down to is you detest Lorri Galloway and spend considerable time and energy ripping her on the Internet. If members of the Eli Home Board refute things you write, its never good enough. If Donna had formally endorsed Tait, you’d be praising her decision.
When it comes to Democratic values, Galloway is a superior candidate to Tait. When it comes to policy that benefits Anaheim’s Latino community, Galloway is a better candidate than Tait. When it comes to actual acts of kindness, Galloway exhibits them on a daily basis and is a superior candidate to Tait.
Politics are ugly and this article fits that category in my opinion. Dan supports Lori Galloway and he wrote this piece as a way to garner some support for Galloway by showing her as a caring and charitable person. I’d say using the funeral of a young man as an opportunity to do so is a shining example of the ugly in politics. Still, this is Dan’s forum to write as he chooses. To Ms Acevedo – unfortunately, when one decides to get involved in activism, he (or she) becomes fair game. That sounds harsh I know, but that’s how it works as I’m sure you know. I applaud you for making your opinion heard here. Lastly, if I’m Galloway, I’m not too happy about this little article.
Donna Acevedo as well as any other mother who has lost her son should not have to deal with this right now, This photo should never have been posted or used in such a manner and is a reminder of Joels death from which it seems no one will allow her the respect to grieve. Please be very careful how you portray Donna here saying Cynthia Ward ( who is a friend of Donna’s) opens her home to people who need a place to be safe, fed and cared for because it sounds as if used in this context, you are saying Donna has no place to go, is homeless or in desperate need of food,which is false. Donna felt particularly offended by this statement because, If you know Donna, you would know that she is self sufficient, respected and loved by many people Donna Acevedo has stepped forward as an advocate for change not backward into the shadows and should be applauded for that. I understand why she feels this post diminishes her and agree it should be taken down or at the very least amended , sticking to the facts with an apology.
Donna was a guest at Cynthia’s home for the holidays, I believe Christmas Day. I never said she was homeless or didn’t have anything to eat as that simply isn’t true. But I think its physically impossible to go to the Ward home and not be fed.
Donna is certainly an advocate in Anaheim which is why her endorsement for Mayor is noteworthy.
Well said, Joanne. This post is truly stunning. If anything, it hurts Lorri, both by making her look like she’s capitalizing on tragedy and by taking the wind out of the sails of her website launch. I hope that she’ll tell Dan to stop “helping” her so much, before he destroys her. (Then again, I half-suspect that his real horse in the race is his friend Cunningham’s candidate, Lucille Kring. Or maybe Cunningham knows that Dan is simply dense enough to be used to that effect.
I was going to suggest that Dan consult with a PR professional about optimal public relations — but if he’s really tacitly supporting Kring than he’s doing THAT quite well. I hope that, in accordance with Donna’s request, he’ll take this down.
Greg, if you read the comments here and you clearly didn’t, the post was not pitched by the Galloway camp. It was information learned while researching another post. And it highlights Lorri’s kindness and actions from July 2012 to help a grieving mother. Her support for Donna is well known but it’s not written anywhere.
There’s a lot you really don’t know Greg. You half-suspect I support Kring. Laughable. You suggest I consult a PR professional? To do what exactly? You clearly have no idea what a PR professional does and what the function does. I’ve shared your comments about PR with some of my peers to laughter from them.
But let’s get down to it; your real horse in the race is Tait. You’re bound to endorse Galloway due to your party position with the DPOC, but that isn’t where your heart is. It’s with Tait being re-elected. So rather than falsely suggest I’m in for Kring, who seems to be imploding within her own party, I am going to state what’s obvious to anyone who reads your work, sees you hug Tait’s wife at meetings, and offers to “talk to Tait” about “things” that you’re a DINO when it comes to Anaheim.
All Kring has to do is run mailers to Republicans about how Tom Tait is the candidate liberals like Greg and Vern love. And since its likely Kring is going to get a lot of IE support, perhaps you ought to reconsider your blind allegiance to a Mayor who’s lent his name to an anti-union pension measure, seems to be anti-labor, and lacks the ability to round up members of his own party on the council for anything that demonstrates his leadership.
Wow, 33 comments so far and not a single Facebook like? I’ve never seen that before. Doesn’t Dan have a single friend who likes this hatchet job? Or maybe I’m spoiled at a blog that’s read by people who actually enjoy what they’re reading.
Seriously, the more we ask Dan to take it down, the more he says, “I must have really nailed Tait and his Clown Car, THE POST STAYS.” But now, you dense oaf, you have TWO EMPLOYEES OF LORRI GALLOWAY – Joanne and Donna – asking you to take it down. (Of course you have no idea who Joanne is, knowing nothing about Anaheim.)
Which reminds me, Joanne – WHERE THE HELL IS LORRI? The longer this stays up without any comment for her, the more it looks like SHE’S BEHIND IT. And I’m warning everyone, this is on a Teddy Bear Trajectory.
This is just sad and embarrassing. Dan, you should take this post down. This is seriously cheesy and cheap.
Will, Donna did not choose to become an activist, her son was shot under what any normal person would see as very unusual circumstances, and she is demanding answers from the government responsible for the man who shot her kid. That isn’t an activist, that is a heartbroken mother. She is not fair game for the bloggers who use her and other moms for cheap blog traffic, she is a human being, and a better one than most others I have ever known, certainly better than many I trip across on the blogosphere lately. Shame on Dan for printing this, shame on any of his readers for condoning it, and shame on Galloway for not correcting her friend and supporter. If Dan can tie Tait to the actions of those of us who support similar views, as though the Mayor somehow orchestrates our actions or messages, then i guess Lorri gets tarred with the stupidity of Dan’s increasingly frantic posts, should we apply the same standard.
By the way Dan, let’s review Galloway’s recent “news”…OK i like the look of her new website, I admit it makes me want to read what is there. The content sucks, and is devoid of any substance but the look is nice. What I find most interesting is she loaned her campaign $7k and paid $4k for what I assume is the web development. Where is the outpouring of support for her candidacy? In reviewing her campaign filing, i don’t even see a check from Dan himself. Certainly not from labor or Lorri’s usual buddies. Why is that? Could it be that Lorri has been told what the rest of us know? Labor is skipping her useless ego trip this year, and instead focusing on District elections. Galloway has no backing, she lost the little bit she retained with her Tait crossover now that she has betrayed the last friend she had at City Hall, and having knifed in the back the one family consistently standing up for her through thick and thin, NOBODY wants to trust her to be there for them in a pinch.
Meanwhile, Tait enters the race with likely six figures worth of support, none from special interests, (which is a big deal to raise money when opposed by the machine) and riding the high of the greatest Mayoral popularity since Charlie Pearson left office. Galloway is going down in flames, and her lack of real support makes the endorsement of ONE OF HER STAFF newsworthy to Dan C, who is desperate to prop up the Princess of the Land of Cute Shoes.
The longer Galloway goes without publicly requesting the mistake be taken down the longer she looks like she is behind it, and while I care little for what Galloway wants to do to her own reputation, I care very much for the pain being caused to a good woman and friend while this remains online. Do the decent thing Dan, take the post down.
Her site just launched. She has just begun soliciting donations. It’s too early for Labor to get into this race but clearly, they aren’t going to back Tait due to his pension bill support.
I made an online donation last week; I also made a cash donation to the Eli Home in December.
“Princess of the Land of Cute Shoes?” and I’m the one being unkind Cynthia? Really?
Do you really think I would take a post down because a political figure wanted it down Cynthia? Tom Tait probably wants it down. So if Tait called you and asked for a post on OJ to come down, you would?
Lorri doesn’t tell me what to do. Writing about Galloway’s distinct act of kindess “to a good woman and a friend” is somehow offensive? If we replaced the name “Galloway” throughout the post and wrote in “Tait,” I suspect you’d be fine with it.
“She was a guest of Cynthia Ward over the Christmas Holidays (because Cynthia regularly opens her home to people who need a place to be safe, fed, and cared for). ”
What the Hell has that got to do with Galloway as a candidate? I probably had 30 or 40 people come through the house, as we do for every major holiday, some more than others. I hope that Donna came to my home knowing she would find a place of love and safety, but my hospitality is not charitable, indeed it is selfish as i get to spend time with people i enjoy and I don’t have to get dressed any further than sweats. (low key holidays at Casa Ward)
You want to measure the worth of a candidate? outline specifics of what they plan to do in office. You may as well do it here because galloway’s website certainly offers no particulars of a plan other than the usual pablum of make the world a better place without citing how to make that happen or how to fund it. but leave the personal lives of others off the chopping block. Donna is a powerful voice for her son, and I suppose there are some households who will honor her endorsement out of respect for her. But in no way is this an earth-shattering endorsement, again we generally do not even recognize the endorsements of one’s employer because they are a given. Your point is pointless Dan and the hurt inflicted to non-political parties outweighs the “news value” of the post.
Vern, tagging me in the blame game will not take this down, stay focused please, Second…. you also needed to apologize to Donna for insinuating she had poor relatives and you did, good for you, But it is no secret that you a history of posting very hurtful things about Donna’s personal life on blogs, then despite hearing from Donna and friends,refusing to take them down, so just like that took a minute…..perhaps this will too. Happy Sunday.
???
I’m confused. I told Dan that you work for Lorri and you want him to take this down. And Donna works for Lorri and wants it taken down. That’s some kind of “blame game?” Whatever.
And, oh yeah, where’s Lorri on this?
I don’t recall you ever telling me Donna worked for Lorri, Vern. Another lie like the fake Tait donation.
Look up, Dano. It’s right there in the comment thread.
You assume everything Vern says in comments is worth reading; he was texting me all weekend, so I assumed that’s where he told me. I had no idea about eithers employment situation prior to writing this and it really doesn’t matter; what does matter is that they live in Anaheim and can vote there. So making a statement endorsing Galloway is perfectly fine.
“Do you really think I would take a post down because a political figure wanted it down Cynthia? Tom Tait probably wants it down. So if Tait called you and asked for a post on OJ to come down, you would?”
No Dan, I have no idea what Tait wants, I have no idea if he has even seen this, since he avoids the blogs, including my own posts. I believe Tait does not give a tinker’s damn what bloggers say or write, especially not a liberal from irvine unable to do the math on a massive gift of Anaheim’s public funds because he has a thing for baseball.
I want it taken down because someone not remotely related to political action asked you to take it down, it is causing her pain. I want it taken down because that person had a right to privacy and an expectation of confidentiality, based on her benefactress being a professional who is supposed to adhere to some standards that come with her profession!
Dan, you seem to think it is OK to promote Lorri’s compassion to gain points in a political race. But you forget that Lorri’s profession is to connect resources to those in need of them. She is paid to do this, it is not volunteer work, she trades her labor for a paycheck, as we all do, and I would say it is a sizable paycheck given her budget for wardrobe and jewelry. (it is Lorri who make the constant reference to “cute shoes” going so far as to make them her “contribution to a historic time capsule celebrating Anaheim’s 150th anniversary. I am merely riffing off her theme music.)
I find it difficult to determine when Galloway is doing her job, in which case “clients” or the recipients of her employment expertise are entitled to some measure of privacy and confidentiality, and when she is acting as a private citizen, and acceptance of her generosity may well land the recipient on a blog post so Lorri may gain political Brownie Points for doing what in another form she is very publicly paid to do. Are we next to publish the lists of counseling appointments so we can show the world how Lorri helps hurting people get better? How is this different?
And Dan, if those in need have no assurance of privacy or confidentiality, how eager do you think folks will be to run for her office when things go bad for them? Do you have the slightest idea how much damage your thoughtless spewing of “facts” not meant for publication has now done to Galloway as a professional who (supposedly) adheres to a code of ethics, and the ESCRI staff i know to work very, very hard to make things better?! (The jury is still out on Eli for me, but I concede some great work being done by ESCRI and it is a start)
Lorri was not holding back that info out of humility, she was sitting on information that should not, by any stretch of the imagination, be publicly released by someone held to professional standards! Her confirmation to you of that information was a blatant violation of decency, and your repeating it, and then refusing to remove it even after being publicly requested by the victim of that violation of privacy, does more harm to Galloway than any good that might have come from promoting her, and it makes both of you look like selfish jerks willing to walk up and over anyone to score political points.
Here is the irony. It was Donna that made it clear to me that ESCRI does help people, contrary to my beliefs, in fact when that came out another friend backed away, convinced my head would explode and did not want to be pummeled by the (admittedly hard) skull shrapnel. So in the last few months, Lorri and I did try to find some common ground, I even participated in a press event with her, and I offered personally and again through an intermediary, to sit down for a cup of coffee. I also visited the East Street headquarters personally and got a tour of the facility.
Had Galloway run for Council, I would have stayed out of it. Not supported her, but I wouldn’t have openly opposed her, both out of respect for the Taits who made it clear they won’t abide by having their friends attacked, and by some unspoken truce in an effort to make peace with someone willing to stick her neck out, stand up to those who are hurting my City worse than Galloway’s inane policy decisions ever did, and perhaps allow Tait an ally on Council who could offer a 2nd vote and maybe help pull the 3rd vote over, to really get something done in the future.
instead Galloway chose to drag my opinion of her right back into the muck and mire by selfishly challenging the Mayor for a seat she cannot possibly do better than he does, when she could have accomplished something by putting ego aside. Now she shares private info with a blogger knowing you are writing a promotional piece for her, and has yet to speak out for your publication of information that is not appropriate for release.
Yeah, tell me again how I have it all wrong.
Cynthia, I’m pretty good at extracting information from people when I speak with them. I dragged this information out of Lorri. So put all of this on me.
But your contention is that Tait is the only one who can do this job or is the best one for the job is only your opinion. You are one vote. There have been three city managers under his leadership, he’s lost control of others in his party and has alienated the police and fire departments of his city. He’s presided over the worst violence in the city’s recent history. He’s lent his name to one of the biggest anti-union ballot measures in recent memory.
Since we’re on the subject of transparency, who funds CATER?
Dan, thank you for owning that you did this. Now what are you going to do to fix it? You want to report on an endorsement, great, but there was NO REASON for the rest of that information to be in that post. None. And until you take responsibility for a blatant violation of another human being’s privacy, in relation to a still open wound that you are pouring salt and lemon juice into, I am not going to address any other subject with you, not now, not in the future, I don’t know how to make myself more clear than that. As of right now you and I are NOT OK, for the first time in all these years we have found something we cannot get beyond. We can disagree about candidates all day long, i do not care, but as long as you continue exploiting information that was not yours to share, about someone who had a right to privacy and some expectation of reasonable confidentiality, we will not discuss ANYTHING else.
And you are NOT alone in this, while you may be good at getting info out, Lorri knows how to tell someone their questioning is stepping across the line, and she didn’t. Why would anyone ever trust her to keep their very sensitive information confidential from here on out? I did actually turn to her for some professional advice for a friend of a family member, but had this story broken I would not have, for fear the details would end up here as an example of how magnanimous Galloway can be with her political enemies. You have no idea how badly you have screwed her professional reputation Dan, I think you just did her more harm than all my efforts combined over the years. From a political standpoint I should thank you, but it comes at too great a cost to someone who doesn’t need more pain. unlike you I will not celebrate political victory if it hurts innocents.
And once this story broke, and galloway realized the information that should have been confidential was now posted for the world to see, where is she? Given her line of work she SHOULD have been on the phone demanding you respect the privacy of someone who not only has been a recipient of help but is AN EMPLOYEE! Donna has to go to that office every day and face people, after you have made her an object of pity. Good work.
That’s it Dan. I am not addressing any other subject with you, ever, don’t call, don’t email, don’t invite me to lunch, because I don’t want to be in the same room with someone who would exploit that kind of pain for political gain for his chosen candidate. And if Galloway does nothing to make you redact this post so it focuses solely on the endorsement without the sensitive personal info, then she is in the stew pot with you. Goodbye Dan.
Fact: Donna cut a video supporting Galloway that was posted on Galloway’s website last week.
Fact: Donna is an advocate in Anaheim; she speaks at city council meetings, she comments on blogs, she narrated a finger puppet show, she was a guest at your home (Facebook says so). Donna is in fact a public figure and information about her was easy to find. I actually admire how she’s turned a tragedy into advocacy; it’s admirable.
Jason Young, whom you regularly praise, routinely finds information about people you oppose in the same way I do. But if its pro-Tait, it’s OK. If it’s not-pro Tait, it’s not. Spare me the outrage.
Fact: Donna’s sons and friends of her son Joel raised $6,000 to pay pay for funeral costs; Lorri Galloway helped raise the other $6,000.
I have amended the one element of my post that clarified how the money was raised, If you believe I have any other factual mistake in my post, please correct it. If you don’t like the fact I think the public ought to know about Lorri’s kindness to others, I can’t help you there.
Tait doesn’t read the blogs? I don’t think Galloway does either. I wrote a post demonstrating that Galloway actually practices kindness to those in need of it and you have a fit.
Hate to break it to you Cynthia, I have at least three more posts you aren’t going to like coming up. They are fact-based and documented.
It’s been educational to see Dan stir up this nest of hypocrites. Who are they to condemn Dan? Vern Nelson and Cynthia Ward and Jason Young, that whole crew’s MO is playing fast and loose with the truth, mud-throwing and personal attacks. Dan stuck with the facts, which makes them even bigger hypocrites for condemning him and trying to censor him. Who put Vern and Cynthia in charge of what a blogger can and can’t say, anyway?
Donna Acevedo is a public figure. Vern and Cynthia have helped to make her one. The Voice of OC quotes her as a spokesperson for Anaheim Latinos. She co-sponsored that big anti-cop rally last summer and holds press conferences. Donna has never told the media, “Leave me alone, I’m a private person.” Vern and Cynthia and that crew never objected to the media treating her as a public figure and Hispanic spokesperson. Now, their story has changed. Sorry, you can’t have it both ways.
I don’t see anything wrong or unseemly with Dan’s article here. Some people just don’t like what it factually puts forth.
Cynthia says she doesn’t know what Tait thinks about this or that or this. But somehow she knows how much money he’s going to show on his campaign report.
Cynthia wants Dan take down his post because she says it is “causing pain” to Acevedo, but she doesn’t care how much pain her crazy self-righteousness causes to other people. Acacia Blossom is right. What a total hypocrite. A lot of us in Anaheim figured that out a long time ago.
Dan did nothing wrong. He only posted the truth. And these jerks can’t stand that.
Of course the caravan of anonymous commentators arrive to come to Dan’s defense. Did you ask Matt to send them your way Dan?
I haven’t asked Matt about anything. But you sure are quick to “j’accuse.”
Thanks for reading Jason; you’re site is down. Did Tait forget to send you a check for hosting services?
No . . . I assume you can read a time stamp. Big difference.
Yep, there it is….
Just dropped by to see if this junk was still up. And I see that Dan is calling me a liar, wrongly, and also that he claims to have no idea that Donna works for Lorri, or that Joanne works for Lorri either. What DOES Dan know about Anaheim, and what qualifies him to even write about this?
I’m also told that not only Donna and Joanne, but Lorri herself, asked him to take this post down, and he has refused. Whatever, this still looks bad. We were going to write ABOUT this but Donna asked us not to, and we respect her wishes. She’s said, more than once, this piece was like “Dan digging joey up, getting together an audience, and throwing dirt on him again.”
This cad Dan is Lorri’s only supporter on the blogosphere, and Lorri must wear him about her neck, I guess.
Vern —
I am not taking down an accurate post. Removing a post at the request of a politician is a bad precedent. Would Gustavo or GSR remove a post in OC Weekly about Larry Agran? Would you remove a post if Tom Tait asked you to do so? Would Pedroza remove a post about David Benevides willingly (or at least without a cease and desist or demand for retraction)? I wouldn’t take down a post if Jeff Lalloway asked me to, if Christina Shea asked me to or if Steve Choi demanded it.
Beth Krom lost her son to a tragic accident and turned to quiet advocacy for safety of UCSB students in Isla Vista. Donna has been an advocate against police violence in Anaheim and is active on the blogs.
I did see Cynthia’s post, which was up very so briefly on Super Bowl Sunday. Kinda did the same thing she’s accusing me of doing, but in terms of the outrage, in my opinion, overblown.
I didn’t know Donna and Joanne work for Lorri; it matters little.
You should take it down because it’s the right thing to do.
That’s the precedent you should be worried about, Dan-o.
I’m not taking down a post that demonstrates how Lorri Galloway showed actual kindness to someone in need of it. I’m not taking down an accurate post. I wouldn’t take down my post about Tefere calling candidates corporate whores and launching F-bombs in front of the press. So no, Ryan..we have very different ideas of what the right thing to do is here. I also reject the notion we’re some sort of “grief pimp” by reporting this when the Tait-bots seek to “use” Donna for their own means. If Jordan Brandman asked Diamond to take down the “own goal” post, would OJ do so? GSR asking me to take down the post is especially comical given that OC Weekly won’t even remove an offending comment let alone a post.
“we have very different ideas of what the right thing to do is here.”
There’s the understatement of the year.
For a few hours this post was down and replaced with an error code. I thought, for a moment, that perhaps you had an attack of conscience.
Sorry to see that I was sorely mistaken. Again.
There’s a difference between being right and doing the right thing. To be clear, you’re spending way too much time justifying why you’re the former and not nearly enough time attempting to understand the later.
Ryan, The error code was my fault. I added a plugin to the blog that crashed the display of individual posts. Nothing planned or manipulated. Simply a software issue in the back-end of the blog.
Perhaps you should put it back.
no one forces you to come here Ryan
Ryan, you’re a Tait apologist so any criticism of the mayor is wrong in your eyes. I’m not taking the post down.
Because you’re right. I know.
It doesn’t matter that your post causes harm.
You have your pride. I understand.
It likely hurt the Tait clown car more than anyone else.
I noticed the last Tait post about his votes on Union MOUs and LOUs has zero comments; kinda hard for you to defend that record isn’t it Ryan
Dan,
Tell me more about why it’s OK for you to minimize the harm your post causes.
Ryan, you seem a little slow on the uptake so let’s review the post.
1. Donna endorses Lorri Galloway for mayor in a video on Galloway’s spiffy new website
2. Seeing how the Tait Clown Car is doing everything possible to include Donna in pro-Tait activities, it’s noteworthy that Donna is backing a different candidate, one she has known for years. Donna’s activism over the past two years makes her a public figure.
3. I learn that Galloway helped Donna raised money for her son’s funereal; something that seems to be common knowledge but not reported; the combination of the endorsement and an actual act of kindess opposed to just talking about kindness make this noteworthy.
4. The actual grief pimps call me a grief pimp for reporting this as though someone raising money for funeral costs to help a grieving mother bury a child is somehow an enormous breach of privacy; it’s not…the car washes and other fundraising efforts by Donna’s sons and Joel’s friends were very much in the public. For some reason, the Tait-bots consider this a major breach of privacy.
5. I had a phone call with Donna where she provided new information and I then added it to the post. I told Donna I would not take the post down.
6. As the comments continues, I learn that Donna does in fact work with Lorri Galloway, however that employment situation happened well after Galloway’s act of kindness.
7. You, Vern, Greg, Cynthia and others demand I take this post down; I would refer you to the many posts written by all of you on OJ that could certainly be considered mean-spirited.
8. It seems to me Donna has a choice; she can continue to be an advocate for Anaheim causes or she can ask for privacy. She cannot expect to have both.
9. Pressure brought down on a political figure to ask to have a post removed is bad policy; I won’t remove a factual post that goes after a political figure and I won’t remove a factual post that sheds a favorable light on a political figure I support.
10. The fact that the person most damaged by this post is Tait is not lost on me. The lengths you go to protect this mayor is pretty interesting. Jason Young make a career out of accusing any anon commenter who disagrees with him as Matt Cunningham in disguise. We’re accused of being fed information by the council majority or Curt Pringle. And my favorite lie that we secretly back Lucille Kring for Mayor. When I read things written by the Tait-bots that belittle the physical appearance of the rest of the council majority and Lorri’s “cute shoes” I have to wonder how much you’d lose your minds if I wrote that Tait has a receding hairline.
Argue facts please. Debate policy. Ad if you believe you are in a position to insist I do something on this blog, does this give me the right to insist you do things I ask on your blog. That is a yes or no answer; depends is not an option.
Have a good day at work.
It matters little?
I’m sure if you had discovered that Tom Tait or Lucille Kring had posted a video on their website of a person endorsing their respective campaigns for mayor without disclosing the fact that person was one of their paid employees, you would have called their ethics questionable.
Donna Acevedo is a paid employee of ESCRI and works for Lorri Galloway. That’s a fact, not fiction. That this was not disclosed in the video really calls into question Galloway’s ethics.
There is a considerable number of things to call Tom Tait’s record into question; Most of his most ardent supporters don’t live in Anaheim and aren’t Republican for that matter.
Ms. Acevedo’s employment by ESCRI came well after the act of kindness was extended to her by Galloway and is irrelevant to the endorsement today.
I put up a post yesterday about Tait’s terrible record on voting for city/union compromised MOUs and LOUs…a little too fact-based for the Tait-bots to argue?
Thanks, Dan. I’m glad that you find solace in the superiority of your logic vs. the superiority of your heart.
Your outrage is selective at best. Answer the question; if you can tell me what to do, am I allowed to demand things of you or from everyone on OJ?
Tell me more about how my selective outrage is justification for your lack of compassion.
Is that all you have? Weak salsa.
This buffoon really thinks this post helps Lorri and hurts Tom; just because approximately 2/3 of the people asking him to take it down are Tait backers while the other 1/3 are Galloway employees.
Whatever… This will stand forever as a monument to Dan’s brainlessness and heartlessness, just like his propagandizing for NAMBLA four years ago:
https://theliberaloc.com/2009/11/19/art-pedroza-promoting-pederasty-and-gay-porn/
Cheers…
Thanks for bringing up the successful lawsuit against Art, Vern. Perhaps you should ask Claudio, or Ryan Trabuco if they thought that was a fool’s errand.
Did Dan really just say, “It seems to me Donna has a choice; she can continue to be an advocate for Anaheim causes or she can ask for privacy. She cannot expect to have both.”
Do you realize you just sent the message that the only way to keep personal and painful information off the internet is to sit down, shut up and take what the world shoves on you without fighting back? Donna did not choose to take on the role of activist, it was forced on her when cops shot her kid!
How does calling for answers to how her son died strip Donna of all expectation to personal privacy? Dan are you kidding me? If a Congresswoman is raped in her DC apartment do we get details of that? How about if a leader’s kids are harmed in some way? Is nothing off limits to you?
Dan, if you are OK with blasting Lorri’s “acts of kindness” on the internet, twisting her salary-generating employment into the perception of volunteer work in order to rack up points for political gain, then are all the recipients of Lorri’s compassion now bracing to find themselves on the web? How about those who have sought shelter from abusive home situations? Or Anaheim residents in need of counseling or help with groceries, will their needs to be posted online so the world can see Lorri’s compassion at work? Hey everyone, look over here, Lorri helped an AIDS patient! Here’s his home address, so you can follow up yourself! How about those who have visited the Anaheim Family Justice Center, is it OK to mine their sign-in sheets for Galloway supporters, after all, with Galloway nearly singlehandedly responsible for the project, surely all those who received aid and comfort through AFJC must be ripe for Galloway endorsements. What’s next, Dan, will you dig up Baby Samantha again too? I wonder how you are going to blame Tom Tait for her death as well.
We all need a helping hand now and then, the decent among us don’t advertise extending it, because we understand how uncomfortable it is when we have to receive it ourselves, and no matter how “up” we may be today, tomorrow it is likely to be us on the receiving end.
Donna did indeed endorse her employer, your post should have focused on how Donna the Anaheim resident believes Galloway will make a better leader, with a focus on her work at City Hall. That endorsement was not a waiver allowing every detail of Donna’s life to be published for the glorification of a political figure. That Galloway allowed that information out says something about her “compassion” and the message is not favorable in the slightest.
By the way, I know your ego doesn’t want to believe how irrelevant you really are to Anaheim’s political circles, but Tom Tait not only doesn’t read your blog, he has no idea WHO YOU ARE. Nor do most Anaheim residents and/or voters. I don’t know about Irvine, but in Anaheim with the exception of OC Register online, and some traffic for Voice of OC, voters don’t read any of our blogs on a level wide enough to alter the trajectory of a campaign. You flatter yourself to believe you hurt Tait, and my only purpose is to shelter a much-loved friend from being victimized and exploited, something her employer and benefactor SHOULD have been doing all along.
If you want to trumpet the endorsement, by all means, have at it, I applaud your promotion of it, please, please, please, continue crowing about the endorsement of an employee for her employer! Your bizarre portrayal of this as the hardest hitting news piece of the campaign so far is comical. What’s next, a character reference from Lorri’s Mom? But leave the very personal details of a very personal tragedy out of the equation, or you really do become the monumental tool that so many people have told me you were for years, when I didn’t believe them. Dan, honestly, I understand that message now.
Cheers? Vern, this must be one of your drinking days.
I did not ask him to take it down because I am her employee. I asked because he got it wrong and because everything else is no one’s business.
Also, I am not endorsing Lorri because I am her employee. You know that I supported Tom even after I was employed by Lorri, then I was on the fence after Lorri decided to run. I lost a lot of sleep over this. After much consideration and AFTER meeting with Tom away from City Hall, I felt that Lorri was the stronger candidate of the two. I still feel that way. I can think for myself and YES, Nameless, I can vote and have been since I turned 18.
“Do you realize you just sent the message that the only way to keep personal and painful information off the internet is to sit down, shut up and take what the world shoves on you without fighting back? Donna did not choose to take on the role of activist, it was forced on her when cops shot her kid! ”
The loss of Joel will be painful for Donna until she breathes her last. She has chosen to become an advocate and at times, the Pro-Tait charges bring her along. And everything I wrote about Donna was already out there on the Web for anyone to find. The point was, she is courted and wooed by the Pro-Tait crowd and she backed a different candidate.
“your post should have focused on how Donna the Anaheim resident believes Galloway will make a better leader, with a focus on her work at City Hall. ”
I linked to the video; Donna said it just fine.
“What’s next, Dan, will you dig up Baby Samantha again too? I wonder how you are going to blame Tom Tait for her death as well.” More faux outrage; I’m not digging up anyone. But not a peep from you on my last post on Tait’s anti-union voting record. You really do make up situations where you can’t be wrong. I have done nothing that you suggest.
“By the way, I know your ego doesn’t want to believe how irrelevant you really are to Anaheim’s political circles, but Tom Tait not only doesn’t read your blog, he has no idea WHO YOU ARE. Nor do most Anaheim residents and/or voters.” And yet here you are. Along with Jason Youg, Vern Nelson, Greg Diamond, GSR and Ryan Cantor. I could care less is Tait knows who I am. But I will agree with you on one thing; I think the same can be said for the OJ blog too.
“But leave the very personal details of a very personal tragedy out of the equation” There is no shame is getting help for paying for a funeral; you seem to miss that Galloway actually shows kindness to others while Tait only talks a good game.
Matthew 6:1
Oh good, dueling Bible verses; GSR, Matthew 7:5
Quotes the man who is recalcitrant in the face of a simple petition from a grieving mother.
You write for a publication that, in my knowledge, has never retracted a single nasty comment or blog post written about anyone no matter how libelous, poisonous or mean-spirited. My post was none of those things.
“You write for a publication that, in my knowledge, has never retracted a single nasty comment or blog post written about anyone no matter how libelous, poisonous or mean-spirited.”
You really are, simply, a liar, aren’t you? Not only could you, if you felt like it, run out of fingers counting the times we’ve deleted comments YOU felt were overly offensive; we just this week deleted Cynthia’s and Ryan’s post about THIS post of yours, at Donna’s request, because she didn’t want any more attention drawn to this demeaning exercise of yours.
How are you gonna come back now, Mr. has-to-have-the-last-word? Will you admit to lying or “misspeaking?” Now THAT’s something none of us have ever seen.
I am referring to OC Weekly Vern. We all know you deleted tons of posts written by Pedroza and Sean Mill to allow them to rewrite history. Asking to delete libelous comments and asking to delete factual posts are not the same thing.
Vern, one more time: Dan’s not working for Lorri, he’s working for Lucille — or rather with Matt, same difference — and he doesn’t give a shit what happens to Donna, and he’s getting exactly what he wants here. So let’s go elsewhere and leave him to play with himself.
(My only REAL question is why his reply to your comment doesn’t appear in a honking big “no, I’m not overcompensating for anything, why do you say that?” black border. Did his own software reject him?)
Greg, it’s not in a black border because I didn’t log in to comment. I just commented. Never met Kring, and I am certainly not working for her. Not coordinating anything with Matt. But how is your work for Tait going and why isn’t there any paperwork for those involved in CATER other than Cynthia. Who’s funding the group Mr. transparency? And I am not working for Lorri either. But you are clearly working for Tait. Don’t forget to hug Tait’s wife at the next council meeting.
“We all know you deleted tons of posts written by Pedroza and Sean Mill to allow them to rewrite history.”
Also false. I never did any such thing. You just can’t squeeze out a word of truth these days, can you?
Then restore the posts Vern. Thank goodness for the Wayback Machine
Vern, I will rephrase the question: has the Orange Juice Blog deleted a number of posts and comments designed not so much to inform its readers as to attack its enemies? Its almost impossible to find a post written by Sean Mill on the OJ blog.
Art, in one of his last acts while he still had the OJ keys, deleted all of Sean’s posts, at Sean’s request. This was over MY protestations. I felt he was destroying OC history.
As did Claudio Gallegos, Sarah Spinosa, Tom Gordon, and Carl Overmeyer when THEY each got mad at Art and deleted all THEIR posts. I wish we had all those posts back.
I realize GSR writes for you from time to time, but OC Weekly is his primary and better read outlet. When they start deleting posts and comments at the request of teeth gnashing bloggers, I’ll consider doing the same.
And Art wasn’t destroying OC history, he was cleaning up the mess he and Sean left behind; I hear they pretty much deny being the mean-spirited keyboard jockeys by challenging folks to point out what they wrote that was so bad.