Unlikely councilman finds niche (Mission Viejo, CA)

The Orange County Register ^ | August 11, 2007 | ERIKA I. RITCHIE and AMANDA GLOWISH

[TheDon]

MISSION VIEJO - John Paul Ledesma was pumped.

His adrenaline flowing, he was ready for his day center stage amid the national immigration debate.

A few days before, he had addressed the Minuteman Project's local support chapter, the California Coalition for Immigration Reform, had been written up in several newspapers and was a guest on the John and Ken Show on KFI/640 AM and Fox News.

At 6 a.m. he hit the University Athletic Club in Newport Beach. He did bench curls with 15 to 35 pounds.

The 5-foot-9-inch, 180-pound Mission Viejo council member needed strength and confidence. He was meeting two more reporters that morning, one from National Public Radio.

Ledesma's March madness came just after he spearheaded an agenda item at the Mission Viejo City Council, making the city the county's first to adopt an ordinance requiring its employees and contractors to participate in a federal program verifying legal employment.

Locally, the Santa Ana and Orange police departments use the federal database to screen employees. The Mission Viejo law, approved March 5, went into effect July 1. It's part of a wave of about 1,000 bills and resolutions nationwide addressing immigration.

....

Now his eyes are set on the 71st Assembly District GOP primary next year. His motto: a proven conservative with a proven track record. His vow: to fight illegal immigration and tax increases, and push for more competitive redistricting.

"I believe strongly in the sovereignty of the United States and that citizenship has value," Ledesma said. "To diminish this is a disservice to everyone."

[TheDon]

Eileen Garcia is also quoted in the story for FReepers familiar with her work.

[holyscroller]

This is what it’s going to take to win the war against the Illegal Invasion: New blood in office. It’s plain the current crop of politicians won’t do anything to stop it, so they must be replaced by men and women who will. If we could put thousands of new people in office, that would be thousands more fronts on the war. Enlist now! Run for office!