Anaheim residents are calling for accountability and systemic change following a federal investigation into alleged political corruption involving former Mayor Harry Sidhu, according to www.chispaoc.org. The investigation, announced a year ago by the FBI, centers on allegations that Sidhu sought to undersell the publicly-owned Angel Stadium in exchange for one million dollars for his political campaign.
For some residents, the investigation into City Hall corruption confirmed a belief that the city does not prioritize its majority working-class residents. They contend that elected officials' loyalty lies with special interest groups, such as the Disney-funded SOAR political action committee, which fund political campaigns.
Since the investigation became public, Anaheim residents have demanded accountability, transparency, and campaign finance reform. Issues important to working-class residents, including housing affordability, police accountability, and environmental justice, reportedly remain on hold while the city addresses the corruption scandal. These issues, according to www.chispaoc.org, were not on the city’s agenda because they were not on special interest groups’ agendas.
The organization Chispa highlights the experiences of two Anaheim residents, Penelope Lopez and Karen Romero Estrada. They share how the alleged prioritization of special interest groups has impacted their lives, according to the organization.
Penelope Lopez, who lives in Anaheim near Little Arabia and Euclid Street, describes the city as a meaningful place where her parents met, and where she and her husband married and are raising their daughter. However, she also recounts personal difficulties, including her brother being beaten by the Anaheim Police Department during a mental health crisis, and being priced out of her apartment due to high rent. Lopez also noted that while hundreds of neighbors died and thousands were affected by COVID-19, the City Council reportedly allocated millions of COVID relief funds to special interest groups. She states that the consequences of corruption are evident when residents are priced out of homes, children cannot safely play in parks, and workers in the city’s resort industry struggle financially.
Karen Romero Estrada, a resident of West Anaheim, recounts growing up near Disneyland where fireworks triggered car alarms and barking dogs. She states that her experiences have taught her that those directly affected by systemic racism are best equipped to create solutions and public policy changes. Estrada advocates for transformative change beyond individual resignations, calling for deep affordable housing, renter protections, climate resiliency measures, community spaces, and investments in youth. She emphasized the role of young people in creating social change.
Penelope Lopez is identified as the Organizing Director of Chispa, a mother, and an Anaheim resident. Karen Romero Estrada is an Anaheim resident, an environmental justice advocate, and a Chispa member. She previously worked for park equity in central Orange County, co-founded the Rise Up Willowick coalition, and served as a Senior Policy Advisor to former Anaheim Council Member Dr. Jose F. Moreno. The story notes it was paid for by Chispa, a project of Tides Advocacy.
