Garden Grove Councilman Phat Bui vs. Sacramento City Council

A show down at high noon is expected on Tuesday July 14, 2015 between the Vietnamese-American anti-communist folks in Sacramento and the Sacramento City Council.

A press release was sent out by State Senator Janet Nguyen to alert the public about a Vietnam delegation visiting Sacramento.  She is urging the public to join her in protest against the city of Sacramento's effort to recognize a delegation from Vietnam. 

Since the Vietnamese-American represents less than 3% of the total population in Sacramento, the community is urging other anti-communist groups from Orange County to join the protest tomorrow. 

In response, Garden Grove City Councilman Phat Bui and some of his people will be arriving from Orange County to have their voices heard.

Councilman Phat Bui is a controversial figure in Garden Grove for some and a hero for others.  He is best known for his strong arm tactic recently against Riverside City when this city decided to establish friendship city with a city in Vietnam.  He vocally urged  his Vietnamese-American constituents to protest and disrupt any businesses in Riverside that have any dealings in Vietnam.

The Riverside City Council promptly ignored the anti-communist extremists and voted to have a sister city relationship with Vietnam.

And now with strong passion, he is urging the anti-communist people in Sacramento to remove any city council member who recognizes a delegation from Vietnam or even has the courage to suggest a sister city relationship with a city in Vietnam.

In Orange County, the anti-communist folks are vocal and often bring fear to elected officials.  The Sacramento City Council will either learn this either the easy way or hard way.  

San Jose D8 City Council Seat

With the 2016 election cycle coming up fast, the Vietnamese-American community is buzzing with names of potential candidates running for D8 city council.  This is district where Vietnamesse-Americans make up about 20% of the total registered voters.

Jimmy Nguyen, the candidate who lost to Rose H. in 2012 will try his chance again for sure.  Kim Trang, the business woman who owns a dental clinic, will enter the race only if Pattie Cortese decides not to run.  The well known and popular lawyer Jenny Do is being pushed by the community to run.  She is undecided for now.

It is too early and everything is still depending on whether Pattie Cortese will further her political horizon.  Like Daisy Chu in D4, her decision will influence the many potential candidates.  She is formidable just because of the name recognition and her long time associations with D8.   She is the preferred choice of Labor but at the moment, she is uncertain.

Manh Nguyen Wins in Landslide

With 80% of the ballots counted,  Manh Nguyen leads Tim Orozco 57% to 43%.   He will be a second Vietnamese-American elected official in San Jose City Council serving along Councilmember Tam Nguyen.

In a race where about 30% of the ballot cast were from Viet-American voters even though they only make up about 18% of the registered voters. Nguyen again shows that the Viet-American voting bloc is powerful.    This is one of the reasons why State Assemblyman Kansen Chu who represents D4 declined to endorse Tim Orozco, despite the fact that they both are heavily supported by South Bay Labor Council.

In San Jose politics, D4, D7 and D8 are districts that have strong Viet-American voting bloc.  It would not be a surprise that a new D8 councilmember next year is a Viet-American.

Even though Viet-Americans only make up 10% of the city population, they now control 20% of city council and many school board positions.

Ronald Reagan Statue Unveiled in Orange County

On Friday June 12, 2015, at Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley,  Orange County prominent political leaders and elected officials unveiled the statue of President Ronald Reagan.  About 250 people attended the event.

This is to commemorate a a popular president who had a special tie with Orange County and is well beloved by the Viet-American community for his support of democratic causes and stand against the oppression of communism.   The statue was privately donated.

The approval of the county to place the statue in the park where President Reagan launched his 1984 presidential re-election campaign was led by OC Supervisor Andrew Do.

Is Candidate Manh Nguyen a Lawyer?

Candidate for San Jose D4 City Council Manh Nguyen has been addressing himself as lawyer Manh Nguyen within the Vietnamese-American community.   It is strange since he never practiced law as a lawyer and he is not licensed by any state bar in the nation as a lawyer.   Of course, this does not prevent himself to call himself a lawyer.  With the recent flyer sending out to the voters, he also claimed the title of lawyer.

Of course, it is good to have the title to impress people, especially within the Vietnamese-American community where a high degree is always more favorable.

Manh Nguyen For San Jose City Council D4

With only 4 weeks away before the special election for San Jose D4, Manh Nguyen is picking up steam nicely with the endorsement from the Mercury News and a host of elected officials, including 4 local mayors and 4 city council members.   But of course the biggest endorsement of all is from Mayor Sam Liccardo.   Note that the ex-Vice Mayor Madison Nguyen was neither asked nor considered for endorsement by Manh.

http://www.manhnguyenforcouncil.com/endorsements

The Vietnamese-American voters in D4  make up about 18% of the registered voters but their turn- out accounted for 30% of the ballots in the primary.  Can they deliver another Viet-American to the council?

Tam Nguyen was a pride of the community as the voters went all out for him.  His swearing-in was a celebration of the community with State Senator Janet Nguyen drove all the way  from Sacramento to help administer the oath.

Manh Nguyen will have a very good chance to win this race especially if the overall turnout is low.

Miss Nebraska USA 2015 - Hoang Kim Cung

Hoang Kim Cung, a reporter and fill-in anchor for NBC Nebraska, made history when  she was crowned Miss Nebraska USA 2015.  She became the first Vietnamese-American to win a beauty pageant  at state level.   She will be competing in the Miss USA Pageant this July in Baton Rouge, LA.   The winner will represent the US in the Miss Universe Pageant.

Hoang Kim Cung was born and raised in Texas.  She received her degree in journalism from UT at Austin.  At 23 years old, she is poised and mature beyond her age.  With a beautiful smile and a bubbly personality, she has a great career ahead of her whether she wins or loses.