| New City Attorney chosen in closed-door session without public bid process. -Wave Community Newspapers |
| Mayor John Noguez voted against a recent Council Member pay hike of $350 per month from PUBLIC FUNDS. Resolution No. 2004-5 was passed on January 4, 2004 . The original pay hike amount was for $300. Motioned By Hernandez, Seconded by Gomez to modify compensation to $350. Voting "Yes": Council Member Ed Escareno Vice-Mayor Ofelia Hernandez, Council Member Mario Gomez. Mayor John Noguez takes full benefit of the additional $350 monthly payment. Mayor Noguez made a campaign promise to REDUCE Council pay by HALF. (during a recorded public campaign debate sponsored by the Greater Huntington Park Chamber or Commerce, February 2003). |
| WatchOurCity.com respectfully requests of Mayor John Noguez to publicly explain why in June 11, 2002 his address is listed as being in Montebello, California, 90640 California Form 460 filed with the City of Los Angeles Ethics Commission Mayor John Noguez in 2002 held the elected position of CITY CLERK, NOT in the City of Montebello, but in the City of Huntington Park. .............. By law, all elected officials have to live in the city where they hold elective office in. A previous elected Official in the City of Huntington Park faced criminal charges and was sentenced by the L.A. County District Attorney with not living in the city. Ex-Council Member Linda Guevara had to abdicate her position as an elected official. ............. It is questionable why as a Huntington Park elected official he would list his address on an official form other than in Huntington Park. Did Major John Noguez lie about where he lived on a campaign contribution form reported by the Ethics Commission of the City of Los Angeles? OR Did he deceive the voters of Huntington Park about where he lived? |
| Surprising link between Employment status of Council Members and their pattern of behavior with regard to use of Public Funds. |
| Which appointed City Official spent $2,950 in Travel and Cell Phone use which was more than the combined total expenses of two duly elected City Council Members? See Note 14 on Travel and Cell Phone Expense Sheet |
| Successful campaign strategies in Huntington Park elections. |
| Mayor John Noguez voted in a closed door session to "pursue development opportunities which could include a card club" at Leonardo's Restaurant on Alameda Street. Council Member Mario Gomez and Vice Mayor Ofelia Hernandez voted with him. Which state-wide moratorium are they potentially in violation of? Mayor John Noguez has stated publicly that the owners of Leonardo's are his relatives. |
| Council Members Ed Escareño and Mario Gomez form the Transportation Committee. A contract worth nearly $4 million dollars for a three- year period to operate the city’s transit system was awarded during the February 2, 2004 Council Meeting. Council Members Ed Escareño and Mario Gomez chose to recommend the highest cost bidders, being also the least qualified and the most expensive transit companies, which provides the least service to residents. .......... BID RESULTS: 1. Southland Transit of Baldwin Park BEST QUALIFIED, LOWEST BID. 2. Diversified Paratransit of Huntington Park SECOND LOW BIDDER. 3. Fiesta Taxi of Gardena THIRD. 4. Oldtimers Foundation of Huntington Park – FOURTH AND LEAST QUALIFIED. ......... City staff recommended Southland Transit as the most qualified transit company. An independent transportation consultant, whom the city contracted with and paid several thousands of dollars for his services to review and evaluate bids, also recommended Southland Transit as the most qualified transit company. The independent transit consultant rated the Oldtimers as the LEAST qualified to provide Transit Service. The Oldtimers and Fiesta Taxi combined bids is approximately $22,000 more than the low bidder Council Members Ed Escareño and Mario Gomez rejected the recommendation of professional city staff and the highly paid independent consultant. |
| WatchOurCity.com congratulates and applauds Mayor John Noguez for having the courage and good sense of transparency to be listed as an OUT & ELECTED OFFICIAL by Gay & Lesbian Victory Leadership Institute, a national political organization working to elect openly gay and lesbian public officials. WatchOurCity.com only wishes that Huntington Park's Mayor Juan Noguez had exercised the same courage and the same urgency for transparency and mature judgement with his recent vote on the Card Casino issue where the agenda item was hidden from Public scrutiny under the cloak of "Closed Session". The Card Casino issue was inappropriately listed on the "Closed Sessions" Council Agenda item as "Alameda Corridor" (4-19-04; Closed Sessions, Item 3) giving the impression that it had to do with a Real Estate transaction and nothing to do with a Card Club. What was Mayor Juan Noguez, Vice Mayor Ofelia Hernandez and Council Member Mario Gomez hiding from the public? Was the Mayor hiding potential Conflict of Interest in voting for an item that would help Leonardo's, the Mayor's family member as he has publicly stated? Or the fact that all three elected officials received substantial monetary campaign contributions from Leonardo’ s, Or perhaps that fact that they are hiding Pay-for-Play that favors special interest and not the general interest, an activity that another mayor from a local big city is currently under federal investigation for? Public Trust betrayed? |
| WatchOurCity.com respectfully requests of Council Member Ed Escareño reimbursement of Public Funds he charged for questionable expenses he made such as: 1) Approximately $1,200 in CELL PHONE calls to a single phone number in Rosarito, Mexico. 2) Approximately $5,000 he spent on travel expenses above and beyond the $6,000 expense account already allowed each Council Member. Compton's Mayor was recently sentenced to prison for misuse of Public Funds and personal charges not reimbursed to the city. The amounts in question totaled approximately $7,000. Lynwood City Hall was recently closed by investigators looking into alleged misuse of Public Funds and numerous questionable expenditures by some Council Members. |
| WatchOurCity.com respectfully requests of Council Member Ed Escareño reimbursement of Public Funds he charged for questionable expenses he made such as: 1) Approximately $600 in CELL PHONE calls to a single phone number in Rosarito, Mexico. 2) Approximately $5,000 he spent on travel expenses above and beyond the $6,000 expense account already allowed each Council Member. Compton's Mayor was recently sentenced to prison for misuse of Public Funds and personal charges not reimbursed to the city. The amounts in question totaled approximately $7,000. Lynwood City Hall was recently closed by investigators looking into alleged misuse of Public Funds and numerous questionable expenditures by some Council Members. |
| City Treasurer Rebecca Avila and City Clerk Elba Romo each are paid $150 per month. City Clerk Elba Romo receives from PUBLIC FUNDS a generous $3,000 per year in added bonus for travel expenses per resolution passed by the same Council Members whom appointed her. The same City Council Members were not as generous with Public funds for the City Treasurer. City Clerk Elba Romo was appointed as follows - Voting "Yes": Mayor Juan Noguez, Vice-Mayor Ofelia Hernandez, Council Member Ed Escareno Council Member Mario Gomez. Voting "No": Council Member Ric Loya. City Treasurer Rebecca Avila does not receive a travel allowance. She was elected by the voters in March 2001. |
| Public Funds Paying for a Private Romance? WatchOurCity.com and the residents of Huntington Park want to know how much Council Member Ed Escareno's Private romance is costing the City in Public Funds. According to public records as of May 2004, he has NOT reimbursed the city these highly questionable cell phone charges. Council Member Ed Escareno is involved in a romantic relationship with an elementary school teacher in Playas De Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico, according to that city's newspaper Ecos de Rosarito (December 2003) |
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| "The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." - Plato |
| Council Member Ed Escareno is involved in a romantic relationship with an elementary school teacher in Playas De Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico, according to that city's newspaper Ecos de Rosarito (December 2003) "The romance between Huntington Park Mayor Edward Escareño and Perla Huerta, who is a teacher in schools Pedro Moreno and Plan de Ayala, contributed so that the Mayor of the sister city of Playas de Rosarito, dressed as Santa Claus, delivered more than five hundred toys to the students of those educational centers." "The Mayor of Huntington has visited constantly the city and has been pending of what we need to support us", said Díaz Félix in a speech to the student body before giving away the presents." Council Member Escareno spends $11,192 on travel, $5,192 more than budgeted. He spends another $3,080 on Cell Phone use, $1,200 of which are calls to a single phone number in Playas de Rosarito, Mexico, during the months of December '03 and January '04. He has not reimbursed any questionable charges to the City, according to public records as of May 2004. WatchOurCity.com and the residents of Huntington Park want to know how much Council Member Escareno's Private romance is costing the City in Public Funds. |
| City Watch Archives Volume I |