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SENT VIA EMAIL January 31, 2023 Mayor Amezcua Honorable Members of the City Council City Hall Santa Ana, Ca RE: RECALL OF COUNCILMEMBERS PHAN AND LOPEZ Dear Mayor and Members of the City Council: I wish to express my personal and formal opposition to the current efforts to recall Councilmembers Phan and Lopez. Why I am against the Recall? For the record, I support the rental control ordinance,the establishment of the Police Oversight Commission, and affordable housing. In fact, I am seeking to change state law that would allow Santa Ana to modify the rental control ordinance to include newer units of senior affordable housing. While I have some substantive disagreements with the two Councilmembers on certain issues, the assertion by recall proponents that the two Councilmembers have an ideological premise to defund the police is not supported by facts. By my own estimates,the relative percentage of general funds spent for policing has remained the same for the past few years. In fact, the allocation from the FY 2023 Cannabis Benefit Fund to purchase additional body cameras was a noteworthy increase of police funding allocations and one which I vehemently opposed and still do. In fact, the Council has not been very stringent (in my view) on police spending for leased luxury vehicles to Lieutenants and Captains under their management contract, excess overtime, workers' compensation, vendor contracts, vehicle management, and other areas where money can be reallocated for a more effective government and community health. What are some background facts on the recall effort? Without citizen involvement, this recall would not exist.The SAPOA has a first amendment right to fund and support the recall as do the Councilmembers have the same right to fundraise against it and hold their offices. Recalls are a product of progressive politics and are constitutional. If the recall moves toward an election,the voters of Ward 1 and 3,which includes myself and my neighbors, will have the final say.