Janet Nguyen pt. 2: Sticking with the Bolsa Bridge
June 16th, 2008In her post-election interview with the Bolsavik (read part 1 here), Janet Nguyen (pictured) 
denies any deal was made with Mike Schroeder, and on the other hand asserts her determination to keep going with the pedestrian bridge across Bolsa Avenue, despite criticism against it.
Van Tran’s mentor Mike Schroeder, the former state GOP chairman who has been donating his time to throw lawsuit upon lawsuit to drain Janet Nguyen of all money and resources, was uncharacteristically silent in this election cycle. It’s not as if Schroeder was refusing to help the Trannies’ designated challenger Dina Nguyen: Red County/OC Blog speculated that the top campaign firm JohnsonClark & Associates signed on to help Dina only as a favor to Schroeder.
So, Schroeder was willing to help Dina, but nonetheless stopped attacking Janet. What gives? The explanation put forth by the OC Weekly’s Scott Moxley and repeated by the Bolsavik here was that Schroeder and Janet had come to a deal, by which Schroeder would stay out of the food fight and in return Janet would support Jack Anderson as interim sheriff. She did form a 3-member majority that supported Anderson, and Schroeder did keep mum. All nice and neat.
Janet denied all that in her talk with the Bolsavik. “There was no secret deal. I haven’t talked to the man for a long time now,” she said. So, why did Schroeder shut up? “You will have to ask him.”
Turning to the bridge across Bolsa, Janet confirms that it’s still on.
The pedestrian bridge, expected to cost $2.5 million, would link the Asian Village Mall (also known in Vietnamese as Phuoc Loc Tho) to the shopping area across Bolsa Avenue. Conveniently, both are owned or managed by Bridgecreek. 
The structure, to be decorated with Vietnamese traditional motifs, is tentatively named the “Freedom Bridge” but has been derided as Janet’s “Bridge to Reelection.”
As an election issue, however, the bridge only appeared briefly. As all three candidates were Vietnamese-Americans, neither of Janet’s opponents openly challenged the wisdom of the $3 million spending.
In an interview with the Bolsavik early in the race here, challenger Dina Nguyen asserted that the bridge was a waste of taxpayers’ money, but stopped short of promising to cancel it if elected. Late in the campaign, however, Dina sent a mailer to non-Vietnamese voters attacking the Bolsa bridge, but that may have been too little too late.
One member of the state legislature, Assemblyman Jose Solorio, has gone the record opposing the bridge as an inequitable distribution of funds — $2.5 million in Westminster and not a lot in Santa Ana.
Janet disputed this characterization. “I disagree with Solorio,” she said. “There are many different sources of funding, and taken together, millions are being spent in Santa Ana.”
She gave an example: “There’s $1 million of Fund 130 money, and Santa Ana got $700,000.”
OK, maybe, but what makes the Bolsa bridge a good project? Janet said: “Bolsa/First goes through all four cities, the traffic alleviated by the Bolsa bridge allows for the most effect district-wide.”
Oh?
Anyway, nobody in Little Saigon will oppose the Bolsa bridge. The Vietnamese electorate votes Republican because they’re Cold Warriors, not because they’re conservative in the “small government” sense. Nope, pork is good if it’s in Bolsavikland.
As of now, of the five council members of Westminster, Mayor Margie Rice and Councilman Frank Fry are supporting the bridge, Councilmen Andy Quach and Kermit Marsh are strongly opposing, and Councilman Tri Ta is lightly in opposition.
By the time all the T’s are crossed and all the I’s are dotted and the matter comes before the Westminster City Council, it’ll be time for Tri Ta to seek reelection in 2010. Is anyone here betting that Ta will continue his opposition?
Tags: Bolsa bridge, Janet Nguyen
June 16th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
I hope Tri Ta would vote Yes but I would not bet on him. What’s the reason for Andy & Kermit to oppose the bridge? and it’s okay for them to build the “eye sore” Little Saigon Welcome gate? I remember how Andy bragged about his involvement with the Bolsa Ave improvement project, how he helped coordinating with the SCE to have the electrical cables go underground. The project had been completed for over 2yrs, I still see the cables along Bolsa Ave.
June 17th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Honestly people, does Bolsa Avenue really need a bridge to alleviate traffic???
How often do you see the pedestrian walkway at the light where the bridge is proposed to be built at jammed with people??? How much traffic is the bridge is really going to alleviate??? Janet is talking about the bridge alleviating traffic from Santa Ana to Huntington Beach city. I don’t think so!
The bridge will only cause more congestion on Bolsa because drivers will slow down just to observe the decor on the bridge and to take pictures. In fact, has anybody thought about the safety concerns that this bridge might cause? Children, teenagers and so forth will be hanging around and on the bridge, and who knows what they might throw down from the bridge. How about if someone wants to make a statement and hang him or herself on the bridge? I wonder who will take the rap for it then. Janet or the city council of Westmister city???
If Janet really wants to alleviate traffic on Bolsa, maybe she should propose a fast lane - something of a carpool lane if you take out the middle divider - on Bolsa or some other brilliant idea instead of this gigantic $2.5 million dollar bridge. Maybe she should put that $2.5 million dollars in fixing some of these really degraded and poor condition road and streets in Westminster, Garden Grove and Santa Ana. I agreed with Assemblyman Jose Solorio, the money should be evenly distributed among the three cities in District 1. This will show that there is no political agenda or favoritism among nationality. Of course, when has Janet ever been fair and equitable with anything???
June 17th, 2008 at 10:04 am
Janet is wrong………if we had $ 2.5 million available to spend, it should be spent on erecting badly needed good library in viet town!
The bridge is going to benefit shoppers between these two shooping centers primarily and therefore it should be built by the shopping center owner’s expense. I call it “common sense” and check out how much of money land lord is raking with HIGH RENTS!
Everyone is watching Janet’s ill planned bridge project with micro scope and her close relationship with the landlords of these shopping centers.
June 17th, 2008 at 10:11 am
JUNG KIM you can’t use that money to build Libraries get your facts straight buddy.
June 17th, 2008 at 10:19 am
I know . I said ….IF we had that money $2.5 million to spend…..like CASH!
I think Wasteful Janet is trying to spend the borrowed money (state bond) and have our tax payers pay for it LATER.
June 17th, 2008 at 10:29 am
Does anyone know how much these land lords are charging business tenants per sq. ft. in subject shopping centers???
The landlord’s annual rental income should be in millions of dollars figure.
I am sure landlord can afford to build the bridge….. which is to be mainly used by their own customers anyway.
June 17th, 2008 at 10:47 am
Maybe city should demand these rich landlords to rectify the un safe pedestrian traffic problem caused by ………their for-profit business enterprise instead!
June 17th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Before Frank Jao wanted to build one but turned down by the city. Now the city has to spend its own money to build a bridge like this. How stupid!
June 17th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Oh yeah?…. then have Frank Jao to contribute funds to build it NOW because Janet is really eager to have one.!
Janet makes $200,000 a year and Frank Jao makes millions a year.
If they are truly concerned about customer/people’s safety then they should show sincere hearts by contributing their own money!
June 17th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
So Van Tran never got monies from Commies then what about the VAEA. Click the link to below to look at his campaign reports.
http://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1292873&view=electronic
June 17th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Some one’s spoiled brain is decomposing with lousy fumes here!
We are talking about Janet’s golden gate bridge for Frank Jao’s customers and one loser wants to keep attacking our good leader!
June 17th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
By any chance, could this lunatic be an employee for Frank Jao or…………. the bridge construction company ?
June 17th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Hey you say she is a commie which she isn’t….. So your a pot calling the kettle black. Thanks for pointing that out who ever you are.
June 17th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
I thought Frank Jao want to build the bridge with Chinese architectural. He did not want to compromise the original design. This is the reason why the proposal was killed.
June 17th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
Bolsavik,
You have foggotten that Andy Quach’s term is up at the same time with Tri Ta, too, 2010. So both of them will be under pressure, if the public can get together well.
June 18th, 2008 at 8:30 am
Andy Quach and Frank Jao campaign contribution violations
http://www.fppc.ca.gov/Agendas/04-05/01-205Exh.pdf
June 18th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Anh Tu……… Business man can be careless about it’s design as long as the bridge serves it’s purpose of allowing his customers to shop in safer environment!
I say to Janet and Frnak Jao: “cagh up the money for your customer’s bridge now!”
June 18th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
-I agreed with Jung Kim that businessman can be careless …. How’s about requiring Frank Giao or Jao to build a parking structure which would lessen traffic and parking problem created by his Asian Mall or Phuoc Loc Tho.
-Why tax payers have to to pay for this bridge? How’s about 50/50?
June 19th, 2008 at 9:34 am
Yes Anh Tu, have Frank Jao to build a parking structure on his shopping center property to alleviate current traffic/parking safety issues at his own business expense!
Frank Jao can also deduct the full construction cost from his business income tax return section and it would be truly a “win and win” situation for all parties invoved.
See Janet! we have a great funding solution to your bridge concern.
Thanks Ahn Tu!
June 19th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Anh Tu” and TLC,
Get a life and move on, instead of having a hard on with the Trannies. You’re a bunch of losers who are so petty.
June 20th, 2008 at 12:35 am
SORRY TO DISAPPOINT you GET A LIFE, THE ONLY LOSER AROUND HERE IS YOUR ding dong dina. I THINK she’S THE one WHO NEED your
ADVICE
June 20th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
AND ANOTHER THING, BASED ON YOUR COMMENT WE COULD ASSUMED THAT you HAVE A LIFE SO WHAT THE HECK ARE you DOING IN HERE? AND MY GUESS IS IF ANYBODY IS HAVING A ” HARD ON ” IS you
….. ISN’T THAT WHY you’RE HERE ?
June 20th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
ATTTENTION! ATTENTION !
THIS BLOG IS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO CAN GET A ” HARD ON ” ONLY, IF you CAN’T ” GET IT UP” PLEASE GO AWAY OR CREATE YOUR OWN BLOG TO BE IN.
June 20th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Janet is persistent in wasting $2.5 million to help out Frank Jao’s business.
Who is her side kick “big toe” Do ? Is he as ignorant/shady as his hard headed boss?
June 20th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Bolsavik…………can you check on 1-b bond act criteria hence we will know how this fund can be used in most beneficial way to serve the interest of whole district?
We can not use this fund to solely benefit one local real estate businessman!