Though trailing to Xavier Campos, District 5 candidate Magdalena Carrasco’s election night party was nonetheless packed with about 100 exuberant wellwishers.
Downtown San Jose councilman Sam Liccardo attempted to set a mood for the evening: “You guys took on the machine, and I know your going to win tonight!,” Liccardo shouted, to a round of applause.
Meanwhile, the all the machine’s usual suspects were down at the hall of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Xavier told supporters, “I could feel your love coming through.” Awww.
Sister Nora, who will be sworn in as an assemblywoman in less than five weeks, said she’ll be concentrating on high technology and creating jobs, particularly in the “green, green, green” sector.
She’ll join Jim Beall, who says he’s looking forward to working with the new governor. “Arnold was not a student of government, to put it mildly. He did not look at making government more efficient or at long-range strategies.”
Other legislators on-hand included Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, who predicts that things will be “very difficult” for the Democratic minority because “the majority party sets the agenda.” Colleague Mike Honda wondered if bipartisanship will continue.
“We’ll see if the Republicans who we’ve been able to work with will continue to work with us. That’ll be a measure of their character.”
The Laborites had the best music of the evening, a live classical guitarist, as well as nice balloons. The menu—quartered chicken, fusilli with cheddar sauce and iceberg salad with ranch dressing—could use some help though.
Rocha’s Romp
Throughout the evening, euphoria consumed the packed Brady Bunch-esque Donald Rocha residence in San Jose’s Cambrian neighborhood. Having officially clobbered evangelical activist Larry Pegram with more than 60 percent of the vote, Rocha and his family, friends and supporters were gathered around the TV in his den, Sierra Nevadas and wine glasses in hand, watching the state election results roll in.
I can’t believe Mike Honda has the gall to say: “We’ll see if the Republicans who we’ve been able to work with will continue to work with us. That’ll be a measure of their character.” This coming from the democrat party which has REFUSED to work with republicans at all while they had control of the House and Senate the past few years. A measure of republicans character?
Well what does that say about YOUR character Mr. Honda? Especially given the fact that you refused to work with republicans and you refused to listen to the American people. You’ve ignored our position on socialized medicine, cap and tax and the rest of the nonsense your party has rammed down our throats.
This is a perfect example of the partisan arrogance and overall ignorance shown by the democrats in Congress. I have news for you Mike Honda: your arrogant attitude which mirrors the attitude of your liberal cronies is now going to come back to bite you in the rear as you are put in your place by House republicans.
There will be no compromise in the House, Mr. Honda… that I can assure you.
– Paul Crockett
President, Liberty Standard PAC
President, Santa Clara County Tea Party
well, U 2 R off to a good start.
Nice start. You obviously don’t play well with others. With your attitude, there is obviously no hope for anything improving over the next 2 years.
The House will play its partisan game, things will stall in the Senate, and two years from now you will have to find a new bogeyman to blame since you will have failed to do accomplish anything other than gridlock.
Congratulations on a job well done.
Gridlock is precisely what I’m hoping for. Nearly all federal legislation is bad legislation, so the less of it that gets passed, the better.
Viva gridlock!!!
Amazing lunacy. But, you are entitled your opinion. I needed the laugh.
Its “lunacy” not to be particularly impressed by any of the federal legislation that’s been passed in the last twenty years? I don’t see why. To cite some recent examples, the vaunted “national health care” bill does little more than make it illegal not to have health insurance, and to provide for fines to be imposed on those who don’t have it (fining people for being too poor to afford health insurance; what a great idea). I’m supposed to be excited about that? The so-called “stimulus” package accomplished little more than wracking up an additional trillion dollars in national debt. What legislation signed into law by Presidents Obama, Bush, or Clinton has done any substantive good for the nation? Things just get worse with each new poorly written, seldom read, lobbyist authored 900+ page omnibus bill from Washington. Among the relatively small section of the U.S. citizenry that bothers to keep itself informed, this is hardly controversial. You may amuse yourself to suppose I’m just regurgitating some “Tea Party” propaganda, but I’m equally unclear why people on the left would be pleased about any of the federal legislation to come out of Washington in the last 20 years. Its all just a pile of often-corrupt, mediocre crap that’s done nothing but further weigh this society down.
When Congress passes, say, an “education bill,” do your local schools suddenly improve? The question answers itself. Yet toss another sixty billion dollars or so on the national bonfire (after we borrow it, at course).
“The House will play it’s partisan game”
– Oh, you mean like how the democrats did for the past several years? Oh, ok, I forgot how the liberal mentality works… it’s okay for you to play games, but not others.
“…two years from now you will have to find a new bogeyman to blame since you will have failed to do accomplish anything other than gridlock.”
– The “boogeymen” that were to blame were the 65 or so congressmen and women whom we removed from office. We’ll be removing more in two years if necessary, regardless if they’re republican or democrat. And yes, I’d rather have gridlock than more self-destructive policies from the Obama regime.
ridiculous. I haven’t seen ANYTHING come from the republicans in the past two years that could even be remotely classified as “policy”. for what it’s worth, the “socialist” health care plan that you refer to is modeled after one put in place by Republican Mitt Romney and contains elements proposed by republicans during the clinton health care fight.
it would be amusing if it wasn’t so infuriating to see how NOW you tea party kooks are all crying about the deficit but your own republican president gwb expanded the federal government at the fastest rate in decades. Now you hold the american people hostage with misinformation and scare tactics. disgusting.
“…you tea party kooks are all crying about the deficit but your own republican president gwb expanded the federal government at the fastest rate in decades…”
Uh, wrong. That would be Obama, and he also increased the deficit and the national debt more in one year than Dubya did in eight years.
WOW, $600k goes missing from MACSA on Xavier’s watch and he gets elected anyway. District 5—Harlem West.
JMO,
It is curious to be sure. Either someone had knowledge of the affair or was born with only a tiny little brain, incapable of much beyond sustaining autonomic functions.
Its much more than $600,000 at this point Mr O’Connor. They “forgave” the loan to their own MACSA building group for over $800K, $400K was the teacher pension theft and another $500K from other employees.
Unfortunately the information about Campos’ direct involvement was held until after many absentee ballots were already sent back. District 5 residents have been bullied and badgered by Mr Campos’ campaign. People who publically and financially supported Carrasco were called, harassed and intimidated.
We can hold out hope that when the votes are certified that there will be a shift and Carrasco wins. If not there still may not be smooth sailing for Mr Campos with the MACSA mess still being investigated. Over a million dollars is still unaccounted for and as one tip of a three-man director team (Campos = COO, Mendiola = CEO, Tan = CFO) he may still be charged with crimes.
If some of the funds that were embezzled were federal grants then they should all be charged with federal crimes. The election isn’t the story for Campos. His trial will be.
“District 5 residents have been bullied and badgered by Mr Campos’ campaign. People who publically and financially supported Carrasco were called, harassed and intimidated.”
They didn’t have to be too busy, though. With 100% of precincts reporting, only 6,810 people voted in D5; whereas in D7, 9,788 voted, and in D9 16,904 voted, over 2-1/2 times the D5 turnout.
Is the low turnout in D5 due to intimidation, lack of interest, or a relatively low percentage of citizenship?
Probably all three. D5 residents have felt neglected by the city for decades (since Blanca Alvarado left the council). It doesn’t excuse voter apathy but it does help explain it. Add to that the alienation that many immigrant families feel (that again is not ignoring or condoning apathetic voters) but immigrants who become citizens actually have a higher than usual voting record. Is there higher percentage of non-citizen and ineligible voters in D5? I would suspect so but thats just a gut reaction.
The disengagement of any citizen from our elections is troublesome. So lets work to change that. Hope was there with Carrasco that it would invigorate voters and those that has been disenfranchised and felt forgotten to see how they could be partners with business interests as well as partners with the rest of the city. A Carrasco win would be a win for the City of San Jose. East San Jose is a mess for a variety of reasons. If its not cleaned up its a problem for ALL of us regardless of which district we live and vote in.
Campos and his obvious disconnection from the interests of the community (evidenced by his “pride” at his work at MACSA despite the mounting evidence of total illegal undertakings during his watch) are a problem for us all. I do continue to believe that there was an unusual amount of intimidation used against Carrasco supporters (having been the target of it myself). People with less confidence and who are disenfranchised tend to buckle to that sort of thing. Thats exactly why the Campos’, Shirakawa et al have been so successful in D5. They are the neighborhood bully on the playground.
D5 isn’t a cesspool. It is in trouble though. It is a reflection on the city and its a drain in services and money. Believe me, we are not all lowlifes, criminals or gangbangers. We need assistance, from the rest of the city, from all the other districts to help rid us of these sorts of bullies and possible criminals (again, I say, Campos’ story won’t be told with election results but in his trial for embezzlement).
You’re pretty witty with your sarcasm. I likey.
The expectation isn’t that there be wall to wall coverage, simply that there is justice for the community. Now with this new news about the RDA money, $500K that they took and “spent” but never delivered the program, its even stinkier. There’s probably a whole lot of hands dirty on this one, its ironic that Campos’ last campaign mailer was one that depicted dirty muddy hands and had a wet wipe attached accusing his opponent of slinging mud over the MACSA issue. Apparently uncovering the truth is mud slinging. There’s no way he can credibly accuse Carrasco of making this stuff up to beat him. His crimes were committed long before he declared his candidacy and long before she declared hers.
He’s too stupid to realize he should have been on the plane to the Philippines with CFO Ben Tan or hiding in whatever cave Olivia is in. He wanted the limelight so now he’s got it. He deserves to go to jail for misappropriating public funds and for being so cavalier about his responsibility to clean it up and account for it.
> again, I say, Campos’ story won’t be told with election results but in his trial for embezzlement).
I hope you’re right.
Which local newspaper do you suppose will be providing wall-to-wall, 24/7, in depth coverage of the trial?
A. The East Side Squeak
B. The Downtown Catarrh
C. The Tenth Street Snooze
D. The Berryessa Glaucoma
I can’t be surprised. after 40 years of observing and dealing with East San Jose politics, this can’t be surprising and I wouldn’t be surprised if nothing comes of the MACSA affair and Campos goes on his merry way.
That’s just the way things work in E. San Jose, why? – – well – – because it’s entitlement that goes with the turf- – that’s why.
What happens if the DA files charges against Xavier before he is sworn in?
Good question, would be be sworn in and only asked to resign if he’s convicted? Could the community launch a recall campaign like Madison Nguyen faced over the Little Saigon incident? I doubt district 5 can count on Campos having integrity and actually stepping aside or resigning the seat if he’s charged. All the people who voted for him just cost the city more money in extra election costs. Maybe the unions will chip in the rest of their No on V money to cover the costs.
Mayor Reed please appoint Carrasco to the seat when Xavier goes to jail. Save the taxpayers the expense of a special election!
Harry,
Hard to say. But in Bizzaro Land, aka District 5, he might get a promotion to Emperor.
All is NOT lost!
In Santa Clara County, at least 100,000 ballots remain uncounted
By Mark Gomez and Lisa Fernandez
Mercury News
There are at least 100,000 ballots that remain uncounted this morning in Santa Clara County, though it remains unclear if there are enough votes still in their envelopes that could sway tight races, including a battle between Xavier Campos and Magdalena Carrasco for a seat on the San Jose City Council.
http://www.mercurynews.com/elections/ci_16511687
I have both my fingers and toes crossed. I know its a slim possibility but if there is any justice in the world, Xavier Campos will lose that seat and Carrasco will win. It will save the taxpayer money in a recall when Campos is charged with a crime for the MACSA money theft
Magdalena will be moving soon so she would be unable to run…her carpet will be removed from her bag and off she will fly.
If anyone should be charged with a crime it should be Carrasco, not filing income tax returns for 7 years in a row, buying two houses when she said she was out of work and of course could not justify or prove income because she had not filed income tax returns makes me wonder what she told the mortgage company to con them into giving her a loan, oh I’m sorry, two loans.
She is a con artist and obviously she conned you as well..if everyone did what she did and just flat out not file income tax returns our society would crumble…there was one candidate that should be indicted in the D-5 race and it was Carrasco.
The wheels of justice move slow but I’ll see you in court. When Xavier and the MACSA thieves are charged with embezzlement I want a front row seat. I have faith in D.A. Rosen and his staff. Thank goodness he didn’t get the union backing so he’s clear from their tenacles
Maybe another Terry Gregory plea bargain resignation deal from DA if things heat up for Campos
Reed may pick up Council vote after all after Labor kicked his a** in Council races
Will Carr leave this political / criminal mess for Rosen to clean up or will Rosen another political insider playing politics with DA office like last 2 DA’s ho letting DA office wrongly convict people and not charging their political friends
Carpetbagging for City Council seats has a long tradition in San Jose. Nora Campos did it herself to take Manny’s seat (she was living out of the district at the time then moved back to her parents home) Manny did it when he decided to pursue council again and landed downtown.
Carrasco filed for bankrupcy. Thats legal. Campos helped (or at the very least allowed other to) embezzle nearly $2 million dollars of public (state, federal, county and city) funds from a non profit he was C.O.O. of. Illegal. Carrasco did not file taxes thinking she was exempt because of her non tax owed and bankrupcy; poor choice which she corrected and was found not to owe taxes and had a credit. Campos submitted an RFP for a preschool to be administered under his watch at MACSA, received the $500k from the city and NEVER STARTED THE PROGRAM AND DIDN”T RETURN THE MONEY TO THE CITY. Not only illegal and contract violation but also immoral. He has helped himself and others get rich (where IS the money Xavier??) off the misery of the community he says he loves and serves. Love us less. Serve us less. Let us have agencies with integrity who wont steal from our kids and seniors and poor. Thanks for nothing Xavier. Win or lose in the tally from the election its already been decided that you are a LOSER as a leader in this community. You have ZERO credibility and integrity. How can you show your face in this community when you know you’ve stolen from the kids and seniors and show no remorse or shame. What kind of person are you?
7 years in a row did not file income tax returns.
Carrasco said she quit her job to take care of her parents in 2002, how honorable.
Yet in December of 2002 purchased a home, how did she do this without a job? Did she commit fraud on the mortgage application, lie about income or employment?
23 days later, in January of 2003, still without a job, she bought another property…how did she do this without a job or without income tax returns to prove income/employment.
How responsible.
Campos was the COO, that is operations not the CFO, that is finances.
Carrasco did not live in the district when she filed the necessary paperwork to run for office, she signed under penalty of perjury…that should be investigated.
Her bankruptcy is the least of her issues, not filing income tax returns for 7 years is what she should be worried about.
She had an exhusband who pays child support and a current husband (not sure when she remarried) but its quite reasonable to guess she had an income. If you’re talking 2002 mortgages look to the current mortgage crisis and see if the public bites about who was more likely to scam who. We all see the banks and mortgage companies that did those sub prime loans and qualified under qualified borrowers for their own greed. So nice try but making a bad decision still is a better “half glass” than the embezzling $2 million dollars of tax payer money meant for senior, student and preschool programs and pensions. Incompetent or a thief. Take your choice because thats the only way Xavier can spin that. He watched money disappear under his watch as Chief Operations Officer or he had his hand in the cookie jar too.
He was the COO that oversaw operations. So lets talk about the operations of the preschool that was granted $500 from RDA money that he never made operational. Is the money still there in an account someplace? Because I am SURE he wouldnt spend it someplace else right? Or allow it to be spend inappropriately. He was at the board meetings, he read the financials. But he is a college drop out so maybe he’s just a dupe and to stupid to know what was happening there. The idiot savant eh?
He can always find long term storage parking for his corvette when he goes to prison for embezzlement.
News to everyone that the mortgage crisis started in 2002, ah the revisionist history of a Carrasco backer.
She has an ex husband….really? Where is it that she was married or better yet divorced? Good luck finding any record of either with her first two relationships. The current one, who knows?
$250 dollars per month in child support from Kevin De Leon is hardly an income, but that is what she used to purchase a home, oh sorry two homes in a 23 day span?
Show me one shred of evidence that Xavier Campos had his hand in the cookie jar….there is none.
Carrasco conned her way into two homes, tried to claim both as her primary residence until the bankruptcy court caught her.
Carrasco did not file federal income tax returns for 7 straight years….7. Not until a US Attorney made her file.
Carrasco does not have a Masters Degree from SJSU and she is lucky the campaign did not go another week because her ponzi scheme of “friends and family” would have come out as well. Her bankruptcy is the least of her problems, its her credibility that was rejected.
Its interesting that you and Mr Campos’ supporters care so much about Carrasco’s private life that doesn’t have bearing on a council seat. She has an exhusband and a current husband. Whats the issue? Are you making the case that a failed marriage is shady? How about the Campos’? Each of them have a failed marriage. One for Nora, one for Xavier. Now what?
Yep, she had a bankruptcy and a tax issue. She cleared both up. You can claim that there is “no evidence” about Xavier and the MACSA cookie jar but jury is still out on that isn’t it? Investigation is underway and FBI has interviewed former and current MACSA staff because some of the “missing” money is from federal grants. He was part of a 3 person leadership team. Homegrown leader from youth program staff to Chief Operations Officer. He liked the glory but apparently he didn’t do too well at the actual job part. His mistakes haven’t translated to charges or convictions yet. Lets hope if there is any justice for MACSA staff and community that there are. Not only for him but the CFO and Olivia too.
Conned her way into homes? Where’s YOUR proof of that? She obtained loans. Banks/Mortgage companies entered into those agreements. Whats the point?
She has a bachelors from University of CA @ Santa Barbara. Where is Xavier’s bachelor’s degree from? Oh, he’s a college drop out who ran the youth education programs. (Sorry its hard to type when you’re laughing) She completed coursework for her Masters and didn’t claim to have a masters on any of her bio info. So where’s her false claim? Xavier’s the master of the house of cards. If there is any justice for district 5 his will crumble and end with his indictment for embezzlement and he will be taken out of City Hall in handcuffs.
Carrasco was an unknown politically 9 months ago. She took on the mighty Campos “dynasty” and she was 20 votes shy of the lead in the primary and less 350 in the current votes. He was waiting for his coronation but he can’t even claim a victory with this close a tally. Seems it was the heir apparent that was rejected handily by the community. Not the fake votes from out of district but registered here union workers. Xavier may be emperor but he has no clothes. Zero credibility in management and zero credibility as an effective leader. They guy is afraid of his own shadow. It was comical watching him precinct walk with a caravan of goons protecting him from the scary community and possible media. Naked Emperor Xavier!
The hilarity of the entire Campos campaign fiasco is that the whole group of his supporters from union honchos, to sitting city council siblings to boss hogg county supervisors are the self proclaimed best and brightest of the Latino community leadership. They anointed an heir apparent and then he couldn’t pull the trigger. Xavier is flawed out the gate with the MACSA mess that is sure to become an indictment. Thats their best and brightest?
For all their money and all their influences he wins the primary (that he thought he’d sail to an outright win) with 20 votes. Now he’s again in a close unconceded fight for the seat.
In the last weeks of the elections the unions called a tactical push for Campos. They were out in droves and robo calling residents. They had run push pull polls of voters so the obvious conclusion is that Campos was losing in those polls and thats why they had to resort to the desperation of following Carrasco canvasers in their van dropping leaflets right after her walkers. Thats some coronation emperor. Pssst, you have no clothes. WE SEE YOU FOR WHAT YOU ARE.
Has Carrasco phoned to concede the race yet? Or is she busy filing her income tax returns, you know, like the ones she did not file for 7 straight years? Or maybe she is packing to move yet again outside the district?
A 3pt win is hardly a close race when one considers the special interests from big business that funded the smear campaign against Campos. Let’s see, Carrasco had the Mayor, several councilmembers, the Chamber of Commerce, the California Apartment Association, the Republican Party, California Assemblymembers and Senators, and of course paid phone bankers, walkers (because she could not muster real voluteers), and push pollers, she had billboards and had the ability to cry on cue for a camera.
All that and she lost, fair and square…so don’t go away mad, just go away.
Why concede a race that the media and all other sources has said is too close to call?
What smear campaign against Campos? Its not “smear” when its true. He was the COO of MACSA and they have nearly $2 million dollars missing under his watch. WHERE IS THE MONEY? WHERE IS THE COMMITMENT TO FIND THE MONEY? WHERE IS HIS LEADERSHIP? He knew the money was gone and like a little punk he hid under his sister’s union made skirt and didnt talk about it. Wouldnt address the money or the investigation. Why? If he’s innocent. When he does speak his comment to the press is “Olivia and Ben did it and if they said I did they’re lying”
Oh geez thanks for clearing that up. He’s an incompetent fool at best and a lying thieving embezzler who stole from teachers, seniors and kids.
Fair and Square. Fair will be the trial. Square will be his jail cell. I wonder how many of his power broker buddies will visit him in jail?
If you’re telling stories at least get it straight. Magdalena Carrasco had all that backing and endorsements. Business people put up those billboards (she didn’t pay for them). Hers was a small operation in the campaign and I was honored to be one of her supporters. I walked and phone banked for her and I never ever saw any paid precinct walkers or phone bankers. I can’t attest to Mr Campos’ team, I am sure he had a big group from the unions that were unpaid (I don’t think the union workers get paid to phone bank or walk) but Carrasco’s team was dedicated, hardworking, and committed to getting the word out to community. It was a tough election but her volunteers have nothing to be ashamed of.
You asked why Ms Carrasco hasn’t conceded but can I ask why Mr Campos hasn’t extended a hand to her supporters and backers and to her because we are all still part of district 5. There have been many charges of dirty politics and vindictive bullies from his side so why doesn’t he disclaim that and be a unifying leader for District 5? Don’t we (the entire district) deserve that? If we disagreed with him as the choice for our council person we still live in the area. You speak like you were part of his election team, and if you believe you won, why are you still so angry and hateful towards someone you’ve already “beat”? Leaders have to earn respect and loyalty from their community if they expect to be effective.
If Carrasco becomes a poor loser that would be a shame. But its also a shame to be a vindictive winner. The community is the real loser then.