The agreement for the Tet Festival for the next 5 years, between UVSA and the City of Garden Grove, went up for a vote before the City Council last night, and it passed unanimously.
Before the meeting, there were some rumors (including in comments on Bolsavik.com here) that back-room deals being worked to cut short the students’ renewed contract. They brought volunteers and activists to the meeting in force, to show widespread and massive support for the UVSA to get another 5 years of the Tet Festival. UVSA, short for Union of Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern California (Vietnamese: Tong Hoi Sinh Vien), is an umbrella organization of Vietnamese Student Associations at 12 Southern California colleges and universities, and another 20 Vietnamese Clubs at local high schools.
Among the standing-room only crowd at the meeting was Bao Mai (pictured left, in UVSA Tet Festival T-shirt, with Huy Nguyen, a reporter for Viet Bao), a hero of sort to the pro-democracy activists. Bao Mai had gone to Vietnam, walked up to the gates of the (very fortified) Saigon office of the Ministry of Security, and demanded to visit several political prisoners being held there. Mai was himself held for 48 hours then placed on a plane, kicked out of the country.
Vu Dinh and Phong Ly, the UVSA’s vice-presidents, spoke separately in support of renewing the contract for another 5 years. Linh Ho, a former UVSA officer, also spoke. Also addressing the council was Nick Lecong, one of supervisor Janet Nguyen‘s staffers who appeared as a private citizen.
Phong Ly (pictured top, at podium) then came back and asked for just 5 seconds to thank people who had come out in support. Mayor Bill Dalton ok’d it, but half way through Phong’s sentence Dalton interrupted and said, “Maybe you should wait until after we’ve voted.”
The contract renewal was one of the meeting’s consent items. That means the whole lot was supposedly uncontroversial and would be voted as a group unless some member of the council pulled something out.
The council members were so anxious to get the item discussed, Dalton and Councilwoman Dina Nguyen stepped all over each other pulling the UVSA contract.
After passing the other consent items, the council moved on to the UVSA contract and Bill Dalton spoke first, announcing his support for renewing the productive relationship with the UVSA for a full 5 years. Dina Nguyen and the other council members in turn spoke, all supporting the UVSA. (Read the staff report and the Bolsavik’s summary of the contract here.)
The motion to approve the contract passed 5-0. The room erupted in applause.
Dalton then called a recess, and the council members came out to mingle with the crowd. It’s not every day you get all these politically aware Vietnamese from all over the OC to come to your meeting.
That’s Phong Ly shaking hands with Dalton in the picture at right. Behind them is Councilman Mark Rosen. To the left is council candidate Robin Marcario talking to Dina Nguyen.
Does this action belie the rumors of sabotage? Or does it mean the smarter faction on the council prevailed and the UVSA successfully beat back the would-be saboteurs? Make your own conclusion based on everything you know.
Either way, the UVSA — the only group that has run the Tet Festival with full transparency and who has donated $806,000 to charities over five years — will continue to run the Tet Festival for the next five years.
It was a pleasure to address the city council in support of the renewel of the UVSA, Tet Festival renewal. Volunteer groups are the backbone of our community and give of their time and financial support for the betterment of all who live in our great city of Garden Grove.
Thoughtfully,
Robin Marcario
Word was circulating after the meeting that the good Mayor Bill Dalton pulled Steve Jones and Bruce Broadwater aside and told them they cannot go with Dina’s original plan. Dina thought she had the 3-2 vote to decrease the contract from 5 to 3 years, but she, and the City, didn’t imaging the strong force showing up yesterday. In the end, the City was afraid of looking bad, and did the right thing. This however, does not get Dina Nguyen off the hook. She thought that her fake rants about “supporting UVSA” was believable? Please, we know about your closed door dealings and your group’s ambition to one day take over the festival from these poor hardworking students.
“GG says” is right on in his/her analysis of what happened last night. Dina thought she had the votes but she underestimated the strength of UVSA. It is no secret that for years, the group that Dina represents has tried to wrestle control of the TET $ away from the non-partisian students. I am glad that the mayor read the tea leaves and made the right decision on this matter. It will be interesting to see who the mayor and other gatekeepers line up behind in the upcoming battle for city council. A bird tells me that we could be in for an exciting ride and the “Change we can believe in” mantra may trickle all the way down to this little city council race.
chung quy thì ông th? tr??ng ph?i tranh c? tr? l?i vào tháng 11 t?i ?ây, và ông th?y t?m m?c quan tr?ng c?a các lá phi?u c?a ng??i vi?t nên ông ph?i ch? ??ng ?ng h?. ch?ng có chính tr? gia nào t?t ?âu, các cháu còn tr? non d?i nên d? tin. th??ng gia bán hàng, lu?t s? bán lòng t? tr?ng, ch? chính tr? gia bán c? linh h?n.
chúng ta càng th?y ph?i ?i b?u ?ông ??o h?n ?? ti?ng nói c?a chúng ta ngày m?t m?nh h?n.
b?ng welcome to little saigon ? santa ana ?ã b? g? b? r?i, không bi?t các cháu có ai bi?t không? n?u bi?t thì hãy mau mau v?n ??ng ?? ???c g?n l?i.
Yeah yeah, everyone has their own crystal ball now days and only to use it for manufacturing political gossip… aka lies.
Get a grip of real lfe……. instead of gorging on pure fantacies.
Go back to sleep now and dream about each GG Council member’s dinner plans/menues for tonight!
Some people have nothing but a good old time to kill….
Dina’s ambition has always been to take over the festival and that’s very clear. Unfortunately she’s not very bright, she’s been a pawn from day one and will continue to be a pawn until she’s out of office. She doesnt’ have a chance to move up in the political ladder and that’s a proven fact.
Dina doesn’t have the backbones to vote against the Student Assocication, besides, they are doing a great job… over 20 years and no one’s complaining.
Yep, the Welcome to Little Saigon sign in Santa Ana is gone. Don’t know what happy. I think it was in the wrong location. I think it should not be there at the first place.
anh tu’, amen to that! asians rule, you forgot to mention dina is also a filthy communist to the bone.
Asians rule needs to have his split tongue circumcised.
jose ……..you need to be neutered by the certified commie doctor.`
Dina’s ambition has been a “sevitude for multitude” and we are graful to her service.
I believe Dina has more intelligence(100x) than these semi- unemployed neutered homeless cats in Little Saigon.
Jung Kim, the more you speak, the more negatively it reflects on your Trannie bosses. Keep on going, energizer bunny…….
Jung Kim, they say, if you have nothing good to say, say nothing. I hope you do realize that talking trash about others will only make you look like an idiot.
in Viet Bao’s article on the UVSA’s new 5-year contract with the city, they pointed out that the success of the contract renewal was partly because of Dina’s support (from the beginning to now).
First of, this is not true, she might say she support the festival, and she certainly support her groups who are trying to take over the festival more.
secondly, it makes you wonder why is there a need to emphasize the point that she has been supportive since the beginning until now?
Finally, Dina is just not a good public servant period.
Dina has never supported the Student Association and that’s the fact. She’s been talking to a number of people trying to get them to join her group to take over the Tet Festival. “If they could do, we could do it”, she also said that, “we need to give another group a chance”. those are her exact words. Why don’t you try confirming that with her Jung Kim? Why did you think they worked their ass off to get the Tet Parade off it’s feet? The whole idea is to prove to people that they have the ability to run the Tet Festival.
jung kim, why dont you neuter me yourself? i would really like to see that. you talk a big game hiding behind a computer i wonder if you would really have the balls to do it. do you even have any balls?
And we all are very grateful to” Dina’s service ” too. If not because of her, we wouldn’t know what a good thing we have at home so ” THANK YOU ” Dina …
How about thanking Janet?
They say lunch sacks do come handy with less attractive girls!
Bolsa Married Men……………. by any chance, bunch of married gay people?
Jose, you will be neutered by either Tommy or Janet….. do you prefer my neighbor’s pitt bull instead?
I think Tommy has balls but not Janet…. oh, yes! my neighbor’s pitt bull also have a pair! Are you happy now?
Jose, Tommy just called me about re. neutering service(?) for you !
He said he needs a high powered microscope to find your intricate but tiny balls!
Bolsa Married,
Stop bushitting about Dina. The campaign’s over. Move on.
So Janet Says, we didn’t know Dina only offer ” her service ” during the campaign …
ha ha ha, I guess she was hoping to get our votes. We would have voted for her but …. ” her service ” was baddddd so ” sorry Dina “, better luck next time !
I dont’ think it’s very productive to keep this bickering going on. It doesn’t change anything. Our voice were heard loud and clear throughout the County… people do realized that Dina is the NOT viable candidate that Van Tran tried to claim. They vote for the one person that they trust can do the job. Now that it’s done, we should move on from here. Just discuss issues at hands and try not to get too personal. As far as the Tet Festival, it’s probably the only thing that’s still around after 25 years and it’s gettting better and better each year. Dina was coached by Van Tran to prep her own group to take over the Tet Festival and it’s something that they were not afraid to make it known within their close circle of supporters. It’s no secret that Van Tran does not like the Student Association, like Janet, they have a mind of their own and they know what they’re doing and they dont’ bow down the the Trannies and Van has a problem with that.
Congrats to the Student Association! Great Job! Many people in this community are extremely proud of the group. They are professional, they’ve learned not to flaunt their dirty laundries in public. Dina and her group wouldn’t stand a chance.
Bolsa Married Men(Viet), then you must got hooked up with Janet for her end of service(?)……..did you bring the pho sack paper? Did you get any compensation?
Hey Viet Pride walker, keep carrying your pro commie slogan to blur our community vision of unity. Get your mouth pieces repaired before it can pinch your already short lying tongue!
I hope you will wake up and smell the roses again because you are still in nightmare state!
Our real pride is having Assemblyman Van Tran to represent our people at Sacramento and we will stand firm behind his great leadership!
The distracting sorry little menaces are usually loser’s associates linked closely with lefty’s ideology worshippers………..and gratefully there are only very few of these rats in our town.
YOu mean those rats we call TRANNIES? YOu need to learn to get along with people who disagree with you TRannies.
* * ERASED BY THE BOLSAVIK * *
I am an idiot
I am surprised that The Bolsavik kept on having this Jung Kim posting comments on this blog. She turned your blog into somewhat like the Enquirier. She’s vicous and nasty. Yes, SHE. I have been reading all comments, and yes, including Jung Kim’s comments. Only women would fight the way Jung Kim has been. Someone posted a comment that Jung Kim is Dina’s little brother….Not sure if it is true but all the comments were posted by Jung Kim seems very personal…Almost as Dina herself posted those comments. Jung Kim expressed her anger, hurt and viciously attacking whomever dare to agree with her about Dina…Many of my friends think Jung Kim might be Dina herself…..
Only jealousy woman would talk the way Jung Kim talked about Janet. She kept on attacking of Janet’s weight and look….Look has nothing to do with how you can do your work and serve the community….However, if Janet wants to look better she can always visits a “vien tham my~” just like Dina (might be? ). I have to give Janet credit for being herself…Now, I am not for Janet or Dina but it is irritated just to read Jung Kim’s comments. Jung Kim once said she gets paid to sit and watch all comments about Dina and attacking people back and forth…nah…I don’t think so….THe way Jung Kim expressed herself with anger and hurt…people that I spoke with think she is Dina or a relative….
Bolsavik, it is time you block Jung Kim and all the other “names” coming from Jung Kim’s IP address. It will do good for this blog…
Jung Kim, try to behave as a human being and say sorry to everyone on this blog….
correction : I meant to say “….jung Kim vicously attack whomever that dare to disagree with her about Dina….”
Well this blog is becoming anti- viet community blog…………namely, a lop -sided mouth piece telling lies against our Assemblyman Van Tran for no other reason than personal jealousy.
Keep be-rating our own elected leader in such degree that all other communities would laugh at us.
You can start sensoring selectively pro- community postings and continue your journey to self destruct………this is how our real Saigon had fallen in enemy’s hand RMEMBER?
Quynh T, have you been drinking again?.” Your choking on your own mucus!
You are simply going nuts to figure out who I am………..but my only concern is the unity among our people under one vision!
Bolsavik, you also need to sensor postings attacking our Assemblyman Van Tran because this blog can go “down hill “being ONE SIDED!
Bolsavik needs to get his” neutrality” in place fast.
Why do you hate our good Assemblyman Van Tran?
Bolsavik, I’m a computer tech. serving your home!
Slow day for Bolsavik’s blog!
Bolsavik’s blog is doomed!
chill out commie lovers!
To make this blog to be appeal to more readers we must be permeating “positiveness” for our entire community……….which means no more personal attacks or degrading personal remarks against our fellow viet individuals.
We can differ on ideologies or policies but not carried away with personal demeaners because as a community, we have our hands full with posing our selves for a giant leap in coming 2010.
Let’s honor our fundamental tradition of respect for elders and good family value and most of all,…………….. it is our responsibilities to promote principle driven leaders to represent our Viet community.
Small disagreements should not make “hostage” of our precious community’s future
My dear Jung Kim,
You should talk? Go back and read all your comments on this blog. You spent every minute of the day to attack people that disagreed with you. You talked trash about people that you don’t like. Your style of writing is not making Your Mr. Van Tran looking good. Actually, you have done a lot of damages for Van Tran and his group. WHY? during the election in June, people had the right to voice their opinions. You can disagreed but all you’ve done and still are doing is attacking people in such vicious way. Calling people liars just because they disagreed with you. Of course, there were some people reacted and answered you back the way you attacked them. You can support your leaders but not in such way that at the end, people like myself, after reading all your comments that posted on this blog became irritated. People got tired and left this blog because of YOU and YOUR Comment….For the last 1 hour, how many comments did you post? and none making sense. Bolsavik is actually too nice not to block your IP address and all other names came from the same IP address. I hope he take it in to consideration.
I agreed that people should not talking about anyone life style, Dina’ s life style….But hey,during election time, public figure should know how to handle the heat, people will looking into all little issues to pick out their best candidate. As you wrote in your last comment, about respecting elders, family value..ect…ect…Do you practice what you are preaching? You in all people need to learn the manner of speaking. Hiding behind the computer monitor and vicously attacking people , ruinning this blog like a cheap Enquirier.
During the election in June, Dina’s private life was discussed , people have their rights to concern about family value ( as you just mentioned ), a representative should have a good moral life style and they disagreed with how she lives…their right to discuss that. If she is a private citizen, no, they shouldn’t put their nose to her private life…But remember, she is a public figure, she represents the Viet Community, people has the right to find out about her and to be truefully with you, what people wrote about her is almost all true. People live in Bolsa know her well so you are waisting time to defend Dina and calling people liars……..We’re different individuals with differences. You need to learn how to respect others. Do Mr. Van Tran and his group a favor, stop defending them every chances you got. Not everyone believes what they read, they do their researchs ad comparing notes to see what’s true and not true…your way of protecting Mr. Tran and his group in a way you are pulling them down. People got sick of it.
But I do agree, the election is over, public figure is also human being, I hope people don’t talk about his/her private life anymore and move on.
Also, you posted to Bolsavik ” why do you hate Van Tran”. Dear God, JungKim….This is the reason people saying you’re a woman or may be Dina herself or relative…You’re nagging as all women do….You’re a manipulator, Jung Kim….
Now let see if Jung Kim can practice what she just preached in her comment recently….or she will attack me with viciously remarks….and do I care? Nope.
I have never posted any remarks against Van Tran, Dina, Janet…Like most people I know, we read and we all come to a conclustion that Bosalvik has done a wonderful job having this blog and keep us up to date about all the news…but he is too nice to have this Jung Kim in his blog !!!!
All other blogs have their rules and they will delete remarks or block that IP address for posting vicious remarks….I hope Bosalvik looking into it….
Good day!!!
Madam Q, How did Dina lived her life? Are you her mom living with her for the last 30 years?
All these formulated gossip and lie can be only described as a BIG LIE in anyone’s vocabulary!
Now you need to suck up the fact that I am not here to please anyone including our Assemblyman Van Tran hence I really don’t care what kind of effect I may have on his mere image……..let the ball fall in due time.
I will start respecting your values only when 1) it’s positive, 2) it’s beneficial to our viet community as a whole…..period!
I don’t like to see offensive, degrading remarks such as “trannies” in postings because it only reflects negative sentiment for our government representatives…..especially to the communities out side of Little Saigon.
As concerning to my statement to Bolsavik about his distasteful comments regarding our highest Viet official in California is cerainly justified in every regards.. if one has been paying attention to his writing style for some time, he or she would agree with me.
Past is past and I strongly wish and urge this blog to take a strong affirmative leadership in re-building our some what fragmented, disfranchised social/political structure into a ONE dominant force …….which is urgently necessary to serve as a bright guiding light for the our future young generation .
Viet Pride is actually a Viet Shame and you can underline it with thick red ink pen!
One more negative comment from your silly breathing hole will cost ya 1 peso, a enough money to purchase your favorite new small exit drain plug.
Dear Jung Kim,
You’re improving in writing. People reacted to comments that you have posted on this blog. Your writing was nasty, vicious and as I said, seems as you were hurt and anger during and after the election. You expressed your feelings very personal…Re-read all your comments, you will find how nasty they were….You can tell people that you don’t like the way they posted and disagreed with them, instead you attacked them. I can tell you everyone that have visited this blog will agree with me.
Sometimes , seems as you have created an email address and pass word and using it as a “group”. Why? because your writing can be intelligently at one time and could be trashy at another. I meant the writing style(s) completly different now and then….Unless you have Mood Swings!!!
It is not Bolsavik or others….It is YOU that have to change your way of appoarching others….Many fought back and talked the way you did…Others left the blog. So I think it is important that The Bolsavik starting to monitor this blog….ad if he decided that he won’t ….it’s his choice . I think he has done a wonderful job created the blog and no need for trashy talk in this blog.
How did Dina lives her life? Jung Kim, I think you have all the answers and so did most people in santa ana. However, Dina has her right to live the way she wants…and as a public figure, she knows well during election , people will pull out all the ugliness that she might not want them to. It’s life, it’s politic.
If Mr. Van Tran read your writing ( eventhough you’re protecting him), I am sure he will tell you to stop. You made him and his group looking very bad… ..
Now,I am simply suggesting Bosalvik to monitor his blog a little more strict with people that wrote the way you have been ( unless you didn’t write it and your friends wrote or you guys created an email for everyone to use to attack whoever didn’t agree with you, that’s cheating!!!). Might be that is why you guys taking turn to write every minutes….5, 6 comments every half hour…..whom got time?
Well, Jung Kim, don’t worry about others writing. Just remind yourself that you have preached people to write intelligently and no nasty remarks….Practice what you preach to others. Let Bolsavik does the monitoring and I hope he will delete and block some of these fake names making a mess of his blog….
After all it’s The Bolsavik’s blog….
Good day then.
Madam Q, people left this blog because it lacked 1) positive spirit and 2) just motivation to entertain quality thoughts with growing hopes for our community.
As a public figure, Dina might be open to her political opponent’s close scrutiny on her private affairs but not blatant “FALSE ACCUSATIONS” with intent to harm her family members. I will dismantle and punish these wrong doers with great pleasure.
Madam Q, if you have a spine and can walk on your own two feet do not be overly concerned about how others might view your stance on important issues……..as I do not really care how Assemblyman Van Tran would feel or receive my writings on this blog on any of the statements that I have made in the past.
Having said that, there is no doubt in my mind Assemblyman Van Tran is our pride and joy representing entire O.C asian community. We can only hope and dream about having another Viet leader in the future with his caliver and intelligence firmly built on dedicated humility for his people.
I see the bright future and need for Bolsavik blog for our viet community’s growth and it is our duty/responsiblity to par take in this process by being a positive influence for others.
Jung Kim is my biatch (if he/she turns out to be Dina, that would be pretty funny).
Janet is my last choice biatch(?) real funny.