Latest recall effort in San Bernardino targets Sanchez and Shorett

According to multiple sources, David Friedman, a Redlands resident who owns Viva La Boba—a boba and coffee shop and other commercial enterprises mostly clustered at Court Street and D Street NE Corner—is leading the charge to recall councilmember Teddy Sanchez over a dispute with the councilman.  Viva La Boba has hosted multiple meetings of the people pushing the recall, and the business has petitions for the recall available for people to sign.

According to the Empire Region economist of record Jay Prag, a professor of economics and finance at The Drucker School, political chaos is the last thing the city needs.  “One of the main causes of San Bernardino’s woes is a continuous string of recalls and other political shenanigans aimed by one political faction warring with another political faction or a variety of special interests whether they be marijuana shops or local developers,” said Prag. ”Political instability is the enemy of economic progress because it drives away potential investors in the city – i.e., businesses and the jobs that come with them.”

Friedman has been complaining to the city for years because, like many other business owners in the town, he has been adversely affected by low-level criminal activity, which almost every business in the city is dealing with due to the fallout from poor government policy-making that has exploded the problems of drugs and homelessness and related criminal activity.  Friedman said in an interview that the “homeless persons in the area have been damaging the business, and he has had multiple break-ins.”

According to Sanchez, whose district includes Freedman’s business, “He (Friedman) has been pushing for years to have the city pay for private security for his building, and I have told him I will not push for city funds for security for a single private business – that is why we have a police force for the city, and unfortunately we can not afford to post an officer in front of every business in the city.  If he wants more security, he will have to do what it seems other businesses have done to keep themselves, their employees, and others safe, and that is pay for private security.”

According to city sources, Friedman has received more than 40,000 dollars from the city in grants, and law enforcement responds when he reports criminal activity. “I am not willing to push for taxpayer dollars to provide private security for his business, so now he is coming after me,” said Sanchez.

“I blame the city and the county for the increase in homelessness. They are not spending enough money on housing for homeless persons. They need to help the homeless and get them off the streets, meaning more shelter housing and affordable housing must be provided,” Friedman said. “I think the police department could use more resources, but the laws now make it nearly impossible to get people permanently off the street.  They caught the guy who most recently broke into my building but could not hold him because, according to the law, he did not do enough financial damage to warrant charging him.  More police resources, though, will not reduce homelessness anyway.”

Friedman confronted Sanchez at a recent community meeting and screamed at him, calling him a liar and, according to Sanchez, threatened him. Friedman confirmed the heated exchange with Sanchez at a recent conference and added, “I am deeply committed to recalling Teddy Sanchez and am part of the recall effort known as The People of San Bernardino.”

According to Clint Walton, the PAC Chair of the San Bernardino Police Officers Association, Sanchez has steadfastly supported the police department and has consistently voted to get them the resources they need to enhance public safety.  “Ted, like all of the council members, is in a very tough situation.  The City of San Bernardino has been struggling financially for years and has had some inferior council members who have squandered opportunities to help fix the crime issues in the City.  He has always had our back, and we fully support him.”

Sanchez added, “I want to reaffirm my unwavering support for law enforcement and our city police force.  I have consistently voted in favor of measures to bolster our police department’s capabilities to keep our citizens and businesses safe. This commitment remains steadfast despite the challenges we may face from certain constituents who do not get their way.”

Council member Fred Shorett is also being targeted for recall by the same group. “I will not get into naming names,” Shorett said. “But there are people in this recall effort who have certain political axes to grind and I think the effort is not driven by logic but emotion because the recall itself will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars that the city does not have to spare.”