The debate over districting has created a divide between Los Amigos president Dr. Jose F. Moreno and Santa Ana LULAC leader Zeke Hernandez, causing Hernandez to resign from Moreno’s group.
In an email sent to the Los Amigos board with the subject line, “Cowardly Acts,” Hernandez spells out why he’s resigning from Los Amigos.
To: Jose Moreno, President, Los Amigos of Orange County
I was very much dismayed at your total lack of respect for me as a member of Los Amigos and a staunch supporter of by-district elections in the City of Anaheim.
As I was leaving Tuesday’s (Dec 8) meeting of the Anaheim City Council (while the coalition crowd was gathering for a post council meeting at the City Hall entrance), you made a point to confront me and ask me why I did not speak to let the council know of the intent of the letter by MALDEF which was provided the council last week on possible litigation if proposed Council District #3 is not approved for election in 2016.
I responded that I had chosen not to speak as I felt the letter was sufficient. You said I could have spoke and should have. I then told you I was leaving to meet Art Montez in Buena Park.
When I walked away you called me a COWARD.
I turned back, faced you — and realized it was not worth it to get into a with you and walked away. (No matter if you would have torn me apart which ever way – in a 1-on-1 pleito).
I walked away — then you shouted “ZEKE, YOU ARE A FUCKING COWARD”. (your word, not mine).
Quite frankly, you can use any words you wish – I’ve been in fist fights and word fights in my lifetime, I’ve been hurt many times and quite frankly have taken the beating one-on-one. In my early years, I’ve been hit in face with a tire iron during a gang fight. I can tell you this this … I am not a coward.
The coward Dr. Moreno is you — to have dug into the garbage can of words and as a representative of Los Amigos (in fact its president), to have thrown it in the face of a long-time Los Amigos member (nearly going back to its founding) and disregarded your standing as a community leader.
I don’t expect you to apologize, I fact I don’t even ask for an apology – from you to me.
But certainly Dr. Moreno, you are a coward if you think you can get away with your antics and not recognizing you need to apologize in writing to Los Amigos membership. The members deserve better.
I was recently informed that you met with another member of Los Amigos — to forcefully ask her not to participate in Los Amigos and the Los Amigos Education Committee. When in fact, this was not the direction provided by Los Amigos members.
You do have my word — I will continue to attend the meetings of Los Amigos. You won’t find me high-tailing out of town, but I will continue to be that dastardly “cowardly” person standing upright through the struggles that our community continues to face.. Be assured, I will discontinue calling myself a member and being a member of Los Amigos; with this action I am most likely the 1st person it its entire history to do so.
cc: Los Amigos of Orange County, Santa Ana LULAC #147 members
Zeke Hernandez President Santa Ana LULAC #147, League of United Latin American Citizens, www.LULAC.org (National).
We reached out to Dr. Moreno for comment to Hernandez’s email and he offered a brief statement:
MEDIA ADVISORY FOR TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2015 at 4 PM
CONTACT: Daria Ovide | 617-666-3799 cell | dovide@unitehere.org | @dariaovide
Public Outcry In Anaheim As City Council Reneges on Voting Districts Map Unanimously Recommended by Judges
Council’s final vote on “The People’s Map” may throw it out entirely, prompting protest from residents who created it
WHAT: Anaheim residents will offer a strong rebuke to Anaheim City Council Tuesday at a press conference just before the Council takes its final vote on the city’s first voting districts map, which was unanimously recommended by the panel of five judges the Council had hired to select a map. Last week, three members of the Council voted against what Anaheim residents call “The Peoples’ Map,” despite the Council’s unanimous approval of the map in November.
A residents’ coalition, including immigrant and voting-rights groups, says the Council’s about-face last week will delay districting in Anaheim and undermine a years-long civic process designed to improve electoral representation for immigrants and other groups that have lacked sufficient representation in city government—especially Latinos, who are a majority of the city’s residents.
WHO: Hundreds of Anaheim residents and dozens of community groups, led by OCCORD (Orange County Communities Organized For Responsible Development); Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait
WHEN: Tuesday, December 15. Press conference: 4 PM. City Council meeting: 5 PM
WHERE: Plaza outside Anaheim City Council Chambers, 200 S. Anaheim Blvd, 92805. Free parking available behind the building.
WHY: The People’s Map—and the series of community hearings that created it—arose from a settlement of a 2012 voting rights lawsuit against the City. That suit was filed just weeks before the city experienced four days of civil unrest following two back-to-back fatal shootings of young Latino men by Anaheim police.
On November 3, the City Council unanimously approved a voting-districts map submitted by its Advisory Committee on Electoral Districts, a panel of five retired judges commissioned to develop voting districts over a five-month, multi-meeting process with community input. The Committee unanimously approved the final map—dubbed “The People’s Map” because of its basis in broad participation by residents from all districts of the city.
But at the December 8 City Council meeting, members of the Council did an about-face. Councilman Jordan Brandman led two other councilmembers to throw out the Committee– and community-recommended map and its district mapping process, and start over again next February.
Residents say Brandman’s move undermines Latino residents, who make up 53% of the city’s population and participated heavily in creating The People’s Map, by threatening to pack them into just two districts with a majority of voting-age Latino citizens. In contrast, the map unanimously recommended by the Advisory Committee of judges would create three districts where voting-age Latino citizens would have a good chance of electing their preferred candidates: one majority-Latino district and two plurality-Latino districts. The People’s Map offers residents a total of three out of six districts where Latinos would be a significant voting bloc, rather than Brandman’s suggesting a mere two Latino-majority districts.
Residents also criticize Brandman’s delay into next year as disrespectful of years of civic engagement and unfair to potential City Council candidates, who may only have a few months after districts get finalized to mount their 2016 campaigns.
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“Rift” might be a little strong, and suggestive of substantive disagreements. Sounds more like a long-simmering personality clash.
It’s a divide nonetheless
Zeke Hernandez is an upstanding gentleman – he is no coward. I don’t know Mr. Moreno.
Whether or not Zeke’s failure to put an end to Jordan’s misrepresentation of the Maldef letter was an act of cowardice or not is not the real point. The effect of his silence at the one moment that the years long process was about to implode, was devastating and only fueled the speculation that Art Montes and Zeke had given Jordan a wink and a nod to proceed in the hopes of eventually getting the LULAC map reintroduced.
Jeff those Anaheim Latinos need your white privilege to guide them. Don’t they?
wow Jeff, you’re criticizing LULAC and two Latino members for wanting their map reintroduced? Don’t they know they should be taking their direction from you due to your white privilege because you know what’s better than they might?
Jeff, I am pretty close to calling BULLSHIT on you and your “activism”. My brother was the guy who took the baseball bat to the body in the back of bar so YOU could marry Ono.
I remember Danny, claiming that he thought you, yeah you, were responsible for your “hate crime” house fire 25 years ago. Danny Vasquez Is DEAD. He too was HIV positive. I never knew my brother to wear his affliction like a badge of honor.
Yeah , Jeff we go WAY back too
Let’s let Anaheim VOTERS and LATINOS’S decide. Not rich white guys with a political agenda……..LIKE YOU.
I’m going to try to manage to seem surprised that this site continues to allow this poster with a fake name, fake email address, and now probably fake brother with a fake history to continue to spew this sort of defamatory filth here. Either way, it seems like a bad business decision.
As for Zeke, I suspect that he’s more upset at the STATE head of LULAC seeing the need to come down to Anaheim and put the organization on record as supporting the “People’s Map” with District 3 up first. That must really sting.
It’s no worse than the fiction that’s usually published under your byline counselor.
Predictably when Greg can’t sue. he starts accusing people of being fake.
Do you hear voices Greg?
Greg CAN sue. He would prefer to sue a commenter than a publisher, though.
Our host tells us that he cannot reach fake you through your fake email address, yet will not spike your fake assertions upon demand or release your possibly fake, but possibly real, IP addresses. You’d be doing him a favor by publicly giving him permission to release all such information on you — but that might subject you to a real lawsuit under your real identity. And you’d rather see his butt on the line than yours.
I don’t hear unidentified voices. Do you hear footsteps?
What a buncha dicks and racists. Jeff or me or anyone of any race can criticize anyone of any race. What, poor Zeke and Art can’t handle our harsh words because they’re Latino? Talk about the soft bigotry of low expectation.
“Let Anaheim voters and Latinos decide” … Direct your damn words at the council majority, dipwad. 70% of Anaheim voters DID decide, and the place last night was CRAWLING with Latinos, none of them clamoring to be put of till 2018. If this “Vasquez” feels so strongly that Brandman, Kring and Murray should make his decisions for him, why doesn’t he show up to a meeting? Oh yeah cuz this “Anaheim Latino” doesn’t exist.
And now fake Vasquez suddenly has a fake gay Vasquez brother who died of AIDS, so he can feel the authority to scold and slander Jeff? Oh, bugger off.
Oh, did I mention that boy Wonder finally lost his only prominent endorser, Sharon Quirk-Silva, from his stubborn actions last night? Oh yeah, I oughtta break that on my own blog first. All his opponents – Bao, Joe, even Lou – were there trying to talk sense and humanity into him – useless, he is a drone puppet robot, beyond help. At least he’s got Dan and some anonymous fake Dems.
Vern — I was writing the post about that as you were leaving this comment.
How much did you give to Joe Duh-nn?
Shut up Vasquez
Is this the same Zeke Hernandez who has run for office 15 times and lost all 15 times? The guy is hardly a representative for the Latino community. He and his buddy Art Montez are nothing more than old grumps envious of the fact younger, more ambitious Latinos have accomplished ten times more than they ever did. Seriously Zeke, quit LULAC and go back to your rented room on Chestnut Ave.
I wonder if Zeke Hernandez and Art Montez have a better track record of voting in every election instead of younger Latinos, who Dr. Moreno says don’t vote typically
Diamond is a paper tiger.
he’s a Panda, not a Tiger
I sort of like that. Don’t mess with pandas.
Glad you approve; from Discover Magazine: “Pandas have been ridiculed for their decidedly non-bearlike vegetarian diets, their apparent lack of interest in—and aptitude for—sex, their tendency to spend the majority of their time sitting, eating, scratching (video), and defecating (about 40 times per day)—even for being, shall we say, plump.”
Best comment ever!
If it didn’t sound more like Dan than Greg. (Apart from vegetarian diet)
I’ll remind you I’ve fathered 2 kids, Greg has not. My wife of 32 years looked pretty damn good on Dancing with the Stars back in 2009 (and still does) and I have no qualms about eating meat (in small portions). Greg demonstrates 40 defecations a day in his prolix posts that generally say nothing. I’m also considerably more active physically than he dreams of being. Knock yourself out sport. You can always join me at bootcamp at 5:30 am
But from what I hear, you can barely make it around that track. I hear it from a very reliable source. Just sayin….
I’m slow, but I can still run a 5K in less than 45 minutes; can you say the same? I’m also 54 and I’m not that bad. I’m one of the oldest people at bootcamp
Our host’s comment here has really shaken me, Vern. I never really considered it possible before now, but — given his careful of my sexual and physical (and defecatory) history — maybe he really DOES have a crush on me after all!
Sorry for doubting you, Jeff.
I’m sure you crush people counselor.
You should hear the names they call you behind your back, at boot camp. I’m not gonna print them here, my manners are too good. But … ROTFLMAO!
Vern, my Bootcamp buddies and I had a great laugh over this comment. I showed a photo of you from Occupy where you have a jacket way too big for you. Guffaws around. Also, there’s no track to run. We have routes depending on where they are. Best comment at lunch, after they learned of your multiple DUIs, was “dry heaves are sometimes a great ab exercise.” My friends are cool. Yours call you El Mosquito.
Wow—ridiculing Dan’s workout regime? And then Dan talking about showing this post to his boot camp buddies? Y’all should just take this to the locker room, lock the door, and let the love fly…
Gustavo, you should do a weekly, a la Ask a Mexican, call it say,.. Between Two Ferns, or something to that effect, about two paragraphs long on these two with occasional interludes by your blog and yourself.
It’s just fun to ridicule him on that, Gustavo, cuz I’d already noticed he’s touchy about it.
You think I’m touchy about that? That’s pretty funny. Please know I spend very little time on you bozos. I should pity you but instead there is much to laugh at. Starting with the fact you have no concept on how to properly size a sports jacket.
GAD Esq.: Judge, I am suing because Vasquez called me FAT.
JUDGE: Counselor, I think what he had said was he had never seen a 325 pound vegetarian. DENIED.
GAD Esq.: Your Honor, he also said my Brothers-In-Law were Gay! That’s got to count for something.
JUDGE: Mr. Diamond, your brother(s) in law have made a CAREER out of his sexuality, besides, it’s disappointing to see your brother in law stoop to that level. He was once a respected activist. DENIED.
GAD Esq.: OK, Judge, well you know what, I rode around Anaheim, ALL OVER with Brian Chachuca, and he’s in the hospital, and one time Yesinia made tamales and Donna ate them all, Vern just laughed but, I KNOW it was Vasquez, that ate some of them. Because he’s not really Mexican (like Yesinia) and Caucasians in Anaheim are corporatists who OPRESS Latinos and you know what: Vasquez isn’t even Latino, I can prove that……..One time, when…….
JUDGE: ENOUGH!! What is the matter with you? Who the hell is Yesinia and what do Tamales have to do with this suit. I am running out of patience Mr. Diamond.
GAD Esq.: Well judge, I am a vegetarian, so I only eat the pineapple ones (or one hundred), but as proof that David Vasquez is a bad guy, I am just going to say this, Sharron Quirk Silva is great, So is the Voice Of OC, Dr. Moreno is NOW a DEMOCRAT! Disneyland is the devils playground and also, I AM NOT CRAZY. Really, I am the LEAST crazy guy I know. Ask Cynthia Ward. Oh wait, she called me crazy, and said she would NEVER leave her kids alone with me. But, any way have you seen Star Wars? I saw a funny Facebook post abo…………..
JUDGE: BALIFF!
JUDGE: CASE DISMISSED! DIAMOND. YOU LOSE. And as an officer of the court, I would say that briefs written at 2:00 AM on a Wednesday morning seldom make sense, you should try and buy a better pillow, son. I know you like to say that you are “Night Owl” and quirky and unconventional, but to 99% of the world, it’s just weird. Paperboys and milkmen are the only ones that have any business up at that hour. Get some shut eye counselor and maybe a job while you’re at it. MERRY CHRISTMAS.
Fake Vasquez conjures up a Fake Me whose Fake Statements using Fake Legal Principles he can Fake Ridicule safely protected by his Fake Identity. I Fake Congratulate him on his Fake Victory over Fake Adversaries.
Yours Truly, &c
5:09 am? An early start or a late night?
Good riposte there. Unnatural concern with my sleeping schedule is not weird at all.
I wouldn’t confuse “concern” with “observation.” I’m not concerned. At all.
Kinda like Dr. Moreno’s FAKE outrage over Charter Schools, when he and Al Jabbar have had their hands on the handle as Anaheim school kids get FLUSHED down the equal rights toilet.
When your leadership results in your district placing DEAD last in Language Arts and Second to last in Mathematics and you then try and deny parents CHOICE. I call that a FAKE Democrat (or at least a 2014 convert)!
Ever wonder why you are not invited to the Christmas parties?