After “thoughtful consideration,” Anaheim councilwoman Lucille Kring (and Scariest People 2014 inductee) plans to hire two-time failed council candidate (and Scariest People 2012 inductee) Steven “Chavez” Lodge as her new council assistant. It’s a match made in hell. Kring once wrote that the fatal police shooting of Robert Moreno Jr. by Anaheim police in 2014 “saved us a trial,” comments for which she later apologized. Lodge wishes he got saved a trial in 1990 when a federal jury ruled he used excessive force against an Iranian immigrant while on-duty with the Santa Ana Police Department. A Republican judge in the case admonished him for telling “bald-faced lies” on the stand.
None of that matters to Kring, a veteran three-time councilwoman with little need for a novice like Lodge. The appointment is better served for him to learn the ways of City Hall should he decide to run again. “With long family ties to our city and more than a decade as an Anaheim resident, Steve brings knowledge on key issues such as homelessness, public safety and economic development,” she proclaimed in a written statement. “He will play a key role helping me to advance the priorities of District 4 and Anaheim as a whole.”
Lodge is keeping his job with Hill International, Inc, but gets to add a part-time salary between $41,000-$71,000 depending on what Kring has left in her aide allocation budget.
“With Hill International as a source of income, Chavez Lodge will not be able to participate in any matter involving Hill that goes before Anaheim’s City Council, including advising Kring on any matters involving Hill,” city spokesman Michael Lyster assures.
Lodge lost his last bid for council this November by less than 300 votes. He rented an apartment in West Anaheim (where sightings of him were as rare as the chupacabra) in order to run for District 1. Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait endorsed Lodge’s rival Denise Barnes who bested Lodge in a close count that ended on November 21. Barnes claimed victory that day on her Facebook campaign page, but loser Lodge waited until December 5 to post his own petty ass concession.
“It is my sincere hope, that the Mayor and his vassal Ms. Barnes, will rethink their policies on the homeless issue and not support encampments in West Anaheim,” he wrote then. Neither Tait nor Barnes have stated any “pro-encampment” positions and Tait actually voted for the controversial anti-camping ordinance. And Lodge calling anyone a “vassal” is laughable with him having been a Disney-funded puppet of former Anaheim mayor Curt Pringle.
When Lodge isn’t complaining about the homeless online, the self-hating Mexi rails against sanctuary cities and the media. “You see any stories in the Register today about Anaheim becoming a sanctuary city?” he wrote on December 21. Council did vote to approve a mayoral task force to explore a weak salsa “Welcoming Anaheim” initiative but sanctuary city it is not. A true pendejo, the dirty ex-cop spares no love for refugees either, sharing Trumpbro memes claiming “Anaheim” is on the top of the list of California cities taking “un-vetted” Syrians!
Lodge supporters offered words of encouragement on his council loss concession, including his flame of Real Housewives of Orange County fame Vicki Gunvalson. “My belief is God has another plan for you,” she wrote. “I know Anaheim needed you and all that you had envisioned for them.”
Anaheimers can literally thank God for keeping Lodge off city council and the Weekly will continue doing the Lord’s work in following his plan. Amen!
Gabriel San Román is from Anacrime. He’s a journalist, subversive historian and the tallest Mexican in OC. He also once stood falsely accused of writing articles on Turkish politics in exchange for free food from DönerG’s!