| Sanctuary for Illegal Aliens & $31,000 City Job for Councilman's Father Conflict of Interest be Damned Posted Tuesday, March 21, 2006 Editor, WatchOurCity.com |
| September 11, 2006 Maywood: Has The D.A.'s Office Launched an Investigation of Councilman Thomas Martin? - Councilman Thomas Martin Jr. voted to hire his father to a $31,000 per year job. Without junior's vote, senior Martin would not have been awarded the consulting contract. - Francisco Leal was hired last Tuesday to be Maywood's city attorney in a 3-2 vote. The only reason given for hiring Leal: need new blood. Leal is already under contract as Maywood's lobbyist. Councilmen Thomas Martin and Felipe Aguirre conspired to hire Leal as city attorney without competing bids. |
| Maywood, CA - The Los Angeles Times on Tuesday 3-21-06 publishes story on the City of Maywood and its council action to declare the city a sanctuary for illegal aliens. Not mentioned in the Times report: Councilman Thomas Ramon Martin votes on city action to hire his own father to a $31,000 a year city part-time job, as confirmed by a Maywood city clerk spokesperson. Thomas Martin senior replaces the city job held by Jose Sigala, who was former State Assemblyman Marco Firebaugh's district director. Martin's motto on the city's website is "SI SE PUEDE" (translation: yes we can). He is a UCLA graduate in Chemical Engineering. WatchOurCity.com understands the sentiment behind the action to declare the city a sanctuary may actually harm rather than help residents without proper legal status. The city could be liable for illegal acts committed by an illegal alien while in the city of Maywood. Declaring the city a sanctuary for illegal aliens actually harms illegal aliens by exposing them to unwanted attention by federal authorities. Besides, the City of Maywood has to abide by State and Federal law. The very last thing any resident in Maywood or anywhere else with questionable legal status in this country wants is to be on the radar of immigration officials. Hypothetically, a car accident within city jurisdiction caused by an uninsured illegal alien could expose the city to legal liability. Maywood's city attorney may want to look into this. It makes more sense to approve issuing drivers licenses as proposed by California State Senator Gil Cedillo. Maywood's action is nothing but political grandstanding that calls attention to the legal status of its residents and showcases Maywood city council's intelligence quotient and its political self- serving motives. After city of Maywood's declaration, Huntington Park city council followed suit and also announced official action to declare Huntington Park an illegal alien sanctuary. The perceived benefit to declaring sanctuary for illegal aliens only accrues to the elected officials. There is ZERO benefit to any resident without proper legal status. Did it occur to any of Maywood's or Huntington Park's council members to consult with an illegal alien resident? Thomas Martin is a friend of Edward Escareno who is Huntington Park's ex-mayor and is now a convicted felon on "Grand Theft" Charges. Martin's father has a been a perennial candidate for the West Basin Water Board and is good friend of George Cole, City of Bell's councilman. Thomas Martin was a candidate for State Assembly. The senior Martin was a staffer for the recently deceased former State Assemblyman Marco Firebaugh. Firebaugh worked for Attorney Francisco Leal's lobby and advocacy firm. Francisco Leal is city of Maywood's lobbyist and Huntington Park's city attorney and lobbyist. See related story on Leal. LYNWOOD, CA - Sentencing for Ex-Mayor Several newspapers reported on 3-21-06 that Paul Richards, ex-Lynwood Mayor, was sentenced to 16 years "behind bars" for steering city contracts to a corporation he secretly owned. Paul Richards was an attorney. SOUTH GATE, CA - Treasurer Lies about a College Degree South Gate's new city Treasurer, Rudy Navarro, 26, lied about having a degree, according to a report in the L.A. Times on 3-20-06: "The treasurer elected to help clean up this corruption-tainted city has acknowledged fabricating his college experience on his resume, according to a published report." LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT - Christopher Arrellano, 33, candidate for an LAUSD Board seat, also lied about having college degrees. In his case, he lied not just about having one, but two degrees that he claimed he received from USC. Arellano dropped out of the June 2006 school district runoff election as reported by the media on 3-15-06 despite support from the local teacher's union. |
Francisco Leal,
City Attorney in
Maywood and
Huntingtinton Park
City Attorney in
Maywood and
Huntingtinton Park
Copyright © 2006 WatchOurCity.com
| Maywood Councilmember Thomas R. Martin, Jr. |
| Paul Richards |
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In The Public Interest
| City of Maywood Felipe Aguirre: Deputy Mayor. Looks like an old-school PRI party crook, quacks like an old-school PRI party crook (the PRI is Mexico's long dominating political party with long history of corruption and penchant for shooting political opponents). Claims he was victim of assassination threat by deputy city clerk. Councilman Aguirre allegedly forced Maywood's police department to protect him at heavy expense to city coffers. Craves media attention while he hides hidden agendas to hijack the local water company which would extend his reach and control of many more millions of dollars, since Maywood is small city and has a limited general fund. Is friends with city of Bell's George Cole and is planning with George Cole not only a school take-over plan, but a Police Department take over plan as well. He's in talks with George Cole to create a Parks and Rec department for both Bell and Maywood. Declared city of Maywood to be a sanctuary for illegal aliens, not realizing that such a public policy carries heavy liabiltiy ramifications. Fires competent professional city staff, and hired good looking young women at $15 per hour to sit there and file their nails and whom reportedly also happen to be daughters of campaign contributors. But Aguirre would prefer that you talk about sanctuary for illegal aliens and alleged threats against him. The threat against Aguirre was reportedly discovered when a local crack cocaine addict fessed up to a Maywood police officer while being arrested for unspecified reasons and claimed that he was approached by Maywood's deputy city clerk to do a contract job on Aguirre. Has no education experience. Conspired with Thomas Martin Jr. to hire Francisco Leal as Maywood city attorney without competing bids. |
Maywood
