Councilman Jose F. Moreno: impossible to silence no matter which side of his mouth he’s talking out of.
Councilman Jose F. Moreno is already telegraphing his plan to vote against using $4 million in federal CARES Act funding to extend eviction protection, support for local businesses and COVID-19 testing. His vehicle: cynical alternative ideas for the $4 million which he admits aren’t realistic.
Item 14 on tonight’s council agenda would expand the Anaheim Community and Economic Recovery Plan by:
- Extending of the eviction moratorium
- Increasing rental assistance funding
- Expand the small business grant program
- Provide waivers, incentives and other measures to support local development projects
- Increased funding through local non-profits to assist Anaheim residents in need
- Establish a Buy/Shop/Dine/Hire/Purchase Local program to drive customers to local business and foster long-term resident loyalty Anaheim businesses.
- Waiving permits, fees and other regulatory obstacles to increased use of outdoor spaces for dining and business operations
- Increased funding for COVID-19 testing and PPE
Restaurants have been particularly hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Restaurants accounted for more than 20% of local small business closures between March 1 and July 25, according to data from Yelp. Governor Newsom’s renewed order banning indoor dining is a death-knell to many restaurants unless they can create a significant outdoor dining space. The Recovery Plan’s proposal to empower restaurants to maximize outdoor dining operations could make the difference between restaurants surviving or closing for good.
Another innovative element of the Recovery Plan is establishing a Buy/Shop/Dine/Hire/Purchase Local program in Anaheim. According to multiple studies, the multiplier effect of such programs keeps a greater share of every dollar in the local economy, increase local hiring and employee retention, and boosts locally-owned supply chains. Buy/Shop/Dine/Hire/Purchase Local programs obviously benefit locally-owned businesses, which are linked to higher income growth, lower levels of poverty and greater social capital.
Under the Recovery Plan, the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce is being tasked with implementing the program.
Unhealthy Obsession
During his pre-council meeting Zoom briefing – which can be seen here – Councilman Moreno basically announced ahead of time his intention to vote against the Recovery Plan. Brushing aside the Plan’s benefits for local Anaheim businesses, Moreno can’t get past partnering with the Chamber.
Instead, Moreno rolled out his own plans for spending the $4 million in federal CARES Act funds.
“What Can Our City do with $4,000,000?” Moreno’s slide asks. One of Moreno’s answers: “Launch a program for Anaheim residents to provide Free Wifi in our efforts to help thousands of families struggling with remote-learning and working from home.”
When a participant asked if $4 million was enough to build such a system, Moreno acknowledged it wasn’t.
“No, it’s not enough,” Moreno admitted, and speculated on the possibility of persuading telecom providers would fund a free wifi system.
In other words, it wasn’t a serious idea but gamesmanship intended to paint Mayor Sidhu in a poor light.
Moreno Rewrites Anaheim History
Moreno then gave an erroneous account of an attempt to build a citywide WiFi network under Mayor Curt Pringle. Moreno claimed Pringle and the city council cut the franchise fee in order to incentive telcom companies to invest in building a citywide WiFi system.
“That didn’t pan out,” states Moreno with a grin, “the fee was cut, we don’t have a WiFi system in the city of Anaheim.”
“I think at the very least we can approach the telcom companies that serve Anaheim and say, ‘Look, you haven’t paid fees in 10-12 years. You’ve saved a lot of dollars for yourself. Can you invest some of that into the city in this time of need.”
The problem with Moreno’s history is it is false. The elimination of the franchise fee had nothing to do with building a citywide WiFi system.
In 2006, the city struck an agreement with Earthlink and Tropos Networks to build a citywide WiFi network that residents could access for a monthly fee. At the time, there was a push in major cities to erect such networks. At the end of the day, it didn’t pan out for technical and economic reasons, and the agreement was canceled in 2008.
But it had nothing to do with the franchise fee. And judging by his plan to enlist telcom companies in a free WiFi system, Moreno doesn’t understand who pays that fee.
Mayor Pringle and the City Council – also in 2006 – did do away with the franchise, for reasons that had nothing to do with WiFi. The intent was to foster greater competition in the emerging market for in-demand video services. Providers like cable companies were subject to franchise fees, while satellite dish providers were not. Since the fees is paid by the consumer, public policy gave some providers an unfair advantage.
Mayor Pringle wanted to eliminate the franchise fee because it was anti-competitive and undermined consumer choice. It was and is good public policy – and totally unrelated to building a citywide WiFi system.
Moreno is fond of opining “History. Matters.”And it absolutely does. But in his case, the left-wing university professor takes two separate events and conflates them into an imaginary corporate giveaway narrative trotted out in support of a half-baked idea for free WiFi . He also fails to grasp the people “saving a lot of dollars” for the last 14 years aren’t the telcom companies, but Anaheim residents.
College-bound high school sophomores and juniors in Anaheim at the time could apply for two years of free WiFi and a free laptop via the Mayor’s TechScholar Program: by submitting a 500-word essay on how, if they were mayor, they would provide Anaheim residents with more freedom. Not a topic of interest to the Moreno clique.
Moreno throws other ideas for spending the $4 million in CARES Act funding against the wall, such as giving $1,000 to 4,000 families, or giving a one-time rent relief voucher to 15,000 or 7,500 households. But like his free WiFi scheme, these aren’t serious policy ideas – they’re political ploys.
There are more than 100,000 households in Anaheim. How would Councilman Moreno choose which 4,000 get a $1000 check? Which 15,000 get a one-time rent subsidy? Moreno doesn’t bother with those questions because they are beside his point – which advancing his campaign narrative.
It’s shameful that an elected official continues to use one-liners ideas that have no solid footing..to try and persuade a population with an ever-shrinking attention span…for their political agendas. The man loves to be a disruptor.
I can’t believe you Moreno. Get over it. Come up with something original and help the residents of Anaheim. FYI: Anaheim students are issued free WiFi hot spots and laptops. I know because our kids have received them. I wish you would stand up a become a better leader. I know you got it in you. I’ve watched you throughout the years. Help residents pay their rents and help these businesses. Show everyone what you can be and care about. Put some thought into this and heart.
Jeanine Robbins running for City Council in District 4 is friendly with Jose Moreno and supported by his group. We need to be very careful who we vote for in this coming election. Jose Moreno wants the voting majority back. Anaheim does not need that.
This small man needs to go back to oxnard. Such a shame for district 3. Cannot wait until his radical socialist mentality is gone from publuc service.
OK, District 4 is difficult for Dr. Moreno.
As an active member of the Democratic Patty of Orange County, he is only supposed to publicly endorse the candidate the DPOC approved (By at least a 2/3’rd’s vote), Avelino Valencia.
But Dr. Moreno campaigned before the DPOC vote for Annemarie Randle-Trejo, an AUHSD Board member.
So at least for Dr. Moreno personally, he has shown no support for Jeanine Robbins. But some of Dr. Moreno’s supporters, such as the Housing is a Human Right and Homeless People’s Task
Force groups.
Interesting to note, out of those three, they are not Republicans.
Julie Brunette is the 4th candidate, but failed to file a statement. I found a 2017 OC Register article that says this. >>For two decades, Brunette, a 64-year-old retired secretary with shy, innocent eyes, has made her quaint home on West Lullaby Lane her canvas.<< I presume that is the same person.
Publicly endorse is one thing. Jose Moreno will provide support in other ways to Jeanine Robbins and to Annemarie Randle-Trejo. He will send out the students and the Unions, etc. Basically to anyone who will align themselves with him. Both Randle-Trejo and Jeanine Robbins should be counted as friendly with Jose Moreno and his circle.
Unless we want Jose Moreno in power then we should look to the other candidates and not Robbins or Randle-Trejo.
Julie Brunette is running for City Council in District 4. She is not aligned with anyone. She is very concerned with her community. She is out spoken but has her own voice/mind.
Then why did she decline to make a candidate statement, so we could learn more about her?
I declined because I did not have the $562. Our son just passed away the day before. I needed the money for his funeral. I was blubbering in front of the city clerk when she asked me if I wanted to make a candidate statement. If you want to ask questions about me Mr. Klawe, my email is juliebrunette78@yahoo.com. I would give you my number but we have been getting a lot of calls. But here is my address. 1581 West. Lullaby Lane. Pass it around. You have my consent. Come over and meet me but after August 22nd. That’s my son’s funeral. You have a great day. Be happy. life is short. How’s that for transparency?
Well said Julie. Thank you for the transparency. My family and I are very sorry for your loss.
Julie Brunette for Anaheim City Council District 4.