WatchOurCity.com
In The Public Interest
In The Public Interest
| Archives Notes From the Editor 4-24-06 Is George Cole Leading Secret Meetings with Southeast L.A. County City Council Members to Break Away From LAUSD? Public Not Invited 4-18-06 Pseudo Civics Wears a Zarape in Huntington Park 3-27-06 The Rise and Fall of Edward Escareno. The Rise and Rise of Rosario Marin 3-27-06 Huntington Park is Republican Country 3-21-06 Sanctuary for Illegal Aliens & $31,000 City Job for Councilman's Father 3-16-06 Council Member Elba Romo Emails WatchOurCity.com 3-13-06 City Attorney Francisco Leal Accused of Violating Conflict of Interest State Law 2-23-06 Police Chief Fired in Closed Door Session 2-1-06 A Hot Latina: Rosario Marin and Corruption in Huntington Park 1-30-06 Profiles in Corruption: Vicente Ortiz, Friend of Rosario Marin 1-16-06 Updated 1-18-06 with Post Data D.A. Quietly Prosecutes Ex-Councilman Edward Escareno on 12-20-05 for "GRAND THEFT" 12-27-05 The Con Artists in City Council Friends Are Really Well Protected. 12-5-05 Updated 12-6-05 with Post Data Honor Among Thieves - Part 2 Depriving The Public of Honest Services. George Cole's fingers in Huntington Park's cookie jar of politics and city contracts. 10-24-05 Honor Among Thieves - Part 1 Depriving The Public of Honest Services. 9-19-05 Post AB 11 How AB 11 will hit local elected officials in the pocket book. 9-8-05 Assembly Bill 11 (AKA "AB 11") Becomes California Law The Governor signed Assembly Bill Number 11 (AB 11) on September 6, 2005 to become California law. AB 11 closes a loophole and puts a cap on extreme salary abuse by elected officials who create "commissions" for to circumventing State mandated limits on their base salaries. Huntington Park's elected officials were listed in the bill as having one of the highest salaries of all California local cities, thus crystallizing the argument and need for passage of the bill. 8-31-05 Council Member John Noguez Gives Pinnochio A Run For His Money Juan "John" Noguez managed to convince his willing council colleagues and the public back in September 2004 that campaign limits was needed to stop the undue influence campaign contributors have on elected officials. Noguez told the Wave Newspaper "the aim is to prevent a company or group from trying to influence a candidate or an election with large donation." Then, after the 2005 elections (and before his 2007 reelection) he manages to convince them that campaign limits law really is not needed after all. 8-22-05 Huntington Park city council officially opposed AB 11 with 4-1 vote in January 2005 The editor makes some uncomfortable observations on the repealing of the 7 month-old campaign limits ordinance. Is the State Attorney General watching council member John Noguez's deft sleight of hand and questionable use of the city mechanisms and tools for creating new city ordinances for personal political gain?Current salary for council's Redevelopment Commission work is $1,950 for about 30 minutes of meeting time per month; it would drop to $150. A whopping 97% decrease. 8-04-05 Excessive Salaries of Huntington Park Council Members On November 30, 2004, WatchOurCity.com reported on the excessive Redevelopment Commission salaries paid to council members in Huntington Park. Six days later, on December 6, 2004, Assemblyman De La Torre announces his proposed Assembly Bill 11. Then on January 18, 2005, City Council publicly votes 4-1 to opposed De La Torre's bill. Later, on June 29, 2005, an L.A. Times report on salaries of local elected officials mentions Huntington Park which merits special recognition and is listed as having the highest paid Community Development Commission (CDC) salaries of all local cities. 6-8-05 The Editor of WatchOurCity.com Is On Vacation This time off gives elected officials a breather so that they may think nobody is watching them. Perhaps they can sneak in a pay raise, hire a new attorney in close door session without competing bids, or give another $30,000 in free public cash to their buddies to put on another 1-day fiesta. |
Notes from the Editor:
Pseudo Civics Wears a Zarape in Huntington Park
Huntington Park, CA - (4-18-06) Many of you have emailed asking what
happened to WatchOurCity.com. This website was temporarily out of service last
week.
One email was so concerned that it asked if "they" already got to me.
The site has fallen victim to its own success: it has run out of storage capacity.
More capacity is being added, while at the same time a new and improved
WatchOurCity.com is being created for easier navigation. New features are being
incorporated as well.
WatchOurCity.com has filled its brim. After two years of posting information on
questionable actions by elected officials, I never expected to run out of storage.
There is that much and more to cover. Corruption is a never ending enterprise. So
I have to build capacity for the next two years.
In the mean time, you can visit the old site here if you need your daily fix of
"Corruption 101". The "new and improved" WatchOurCity.com should be fully
functional within a few weeks.
Recently, the City of Huntington Park made much noise about its new-fangled
website.
The city's official "new" web site still does a good job of sweeping under the
zarape the corruption that happens at the hands of elected and appointed officials.
For example, the city still does not post campaign contribution statements nor
does it post city contracts or the yearly budget. It doesn't post the salary of
elected officials nor their travel expenses.
It doesn't post the fact that the previous Mayor was quietly convicted of "Grand
Theft", a felony, and how even that was kept a secret by his buddies in city
council. If the city posted contracts, any resident would immediately see that
most contracts are being awarded to friends, campaign donors and associates of
city council members.
Just one non-profit alone is the recipient of several city contracts: a nearly $4
million dollar transportation award, several management contracts for senior
housing projects around the city, the meals on wheels senior lunch program, and
the HIV-Aids clinic, to name a few. The Oldtimers Foundation is the recipient of
such city largess. Its Executive Director is George Cole, a city of Bell councilman.
Cole's fundraising consultant, Conrado Terrazas, just happens to be John Noguez's
partner and political fundraiser as well. These are the links missing in the city's
website. Millions of dollars of business and lucrative contracts to friends and
associates.
One more item you won't see on the city's new website: the new chief of police
owes John Noguez a few favors since evidence suggests that Noguez and city
attorney Francisco Leal conspired to hire Chief Mike Travis from neighboring
Maywood. Travis also has strong connections to city of Bell and George Cole,
where he was a police officer before Maywood. Not only does Mayor Noguez
control the majority of council votes, but he is owed a strong allegiance by Chief
Travis.
Out of some 330 police departments in the State of California, how coincidental is
it that with one fell swoop, Noguez and gang manage to "fire" the old police chief
Narramore, and give him a half million dollar parting gift from public funds, then,
within a few short days, announces a replacement chief who just happens to be
connected to Maywood and Bell? All is done without the faintest trace of an effort
at a due diligence search for the most competent candidate. Not that Travis is not
competent. City attorney Leal is also city of Maywood's lobbyist.
It does remain to be seen if Chief Travis can remain independent of influence
from Noguez.
Also, guess who Chief Travis will be endorsing during the 2007 city council
elections when Noguez, Ofelia Hernandez and Mario Gomez are up for reelection?
One improvement the city has made on its website: Meeting minutes are posted
much quicker, within days of the meeting, not months, as was the case before.
Good going, guys! Kudos to the city clerk's office for their efforts.
CivicsPlus.com, the company that redesigned the city's website, did not do the site
for free. The web design contract must have cost some thousands of dollars in
public funds.
The City's new website does not post the fact that Mayor John Noguez must have
dejavu all over again since he had the two councilwomen he manipulates, Ofelia
Hernandez and Elba Guerrero, appoint him Mayor, again, one year later, thus
depriving his fellow councilman, Mario Gomez, the privilege since it is a revolving
mayorship post and it was Gomez's turn. But Gomez is so out too lunch that he
actually voted against himself to take the mayorship post, despite the nomination
for Gomez as Mayor by the other Elba, the lone ranger Elba Romo. It was a crass
politically calculated move on Noguez's part to have his lackeys appoint him
mayor, meant to position him in the spotlight for his 2007 reelection, meant also
to be in a prime position of power with the intent of attracting campaign
contributions like a festering wound attracts flies and maggots.
Lately, Mayor John Noguez is cross pollinating his successes here by hanging
around Pico Rivera councilmen, along with his "uncle", the owner of Leonardo's
restaurants and dance halls, a campaign contributor to Noguez and recent fast
friend of Pico Rivera's mayor and his pet causes. What interests does Leonardo's
have in Pico that he would need Noguez to front for him? Noguez is diligently and
methodically hustling his council colleagues in Huntington Park to turn Leonardo's
Dance hall into a card club casino, despite a state-wide moratorium on new card
clubs.
On April 17, the State's website that tracks political campaign contributions,
reported that Leonardo Lopez, owner of Leonardo's Restuarants, gave two
contributions to Pico Rivera's Mayor David Armenta totaling $5,500. Armenta is a
good friend of Huntington Park's mayor John Noguez. Armenta recently
orchestrated the hiring of his council chum's campaign manager to be Pico
Rivera's city manager without prior municipal management experience. Pico's city
manager salary is about $150,000.
The graphics on the city's website are great but some of the most important public
records are still missing. What a disappointment and waste of public resources.
The city wants you to be ignorant of this stuff that is in the public interest.
Instead, the city's new official website hustles pseudo civics wearing a zarape
mantle.
Council members give "Immigrant of Year" recognition awards predominantly to
campaign donors who also happen to be friends, and recipients of city contracts.
The same Immigrant of the Year is appointed to city commissions that pays $65
per meeting. Huntington Park's city commissions are the envy of cities around. It
is one of the few cities that actually pays its "volunteer" commissioners.
Very few other cities dole out crony welfare as well as Huntington Park does.
Those city residents without access to an internet line presumably can read all
about the pseudo civics in action in the city's print newsletter mailed and paid for
with public funds. Printing and mailing thousands of newspaper style city
newsletters is not cheap.
Since elections are coming up in about a year, the newsletter could be a much
handy political propaganda tool for incumbent candidates paid with public funds.
There are parallels to what happened during city of South Gate's corruption period
where allegedly the convicted city treasurer there used a city newsletter as a
political propaganda tool.
I will continue to "report and comment" on the "foul innards" of city council and
continue to follow the money in the public interest.
Yours in service,
The Editor,
WatchOurCity.com
In the Public Interest
Pseudo Civics Wears a Zarape in Huntington Park
Huntington Park, CA - (4-18-06) Many of you have emailed asking what
happened to WatchOurCity.com. This website was temporarily out of service last
week.
One email was so concerned that it asked if "they" already got to me.
The site has fallen victim to its own success: it has run out of storage capacity.
More capacity is being added, while at the same time a new and improved
WatchOurCity.com is being created for easier navigation. New features are being
incorporated as well.
WatchOurCity.com has filled its brim. After two years of posting information on
questionable actions by elected officials, I never expected to run out of storage.
There is that much and more to cover. Corruption is a never ending enterprise. So
I have to build capacity for the next two years.
In the mean time, you can visit the old site here if you need your daily fix of
"Corruption 101". The "new and improved" WatchOurCity.com should be fully
functional within a few weeks.
Recently, the City of Huntington Park made much noise about its new-fangled
website.
The city's official "new" web site still does a good job of sweeping under the
zarape the corruption that happens at the hands of elected and appointed officials.
For example, the city still does not post campaign contribution statements nor
does it post city contracts or the yearly budget. It doesn't post the salary of
elected officials nor their travel expenses.
It doesn't post the fact that the previous Mayor was quietly convicted of "Grand
Theft", a felony, and how even that was kept a secret by his buddies in city
council. If the city posted contracts, any resident would immediately see that
most contracts are being awarded to friends, campaign donors and associates of
city council members.
Just one non-profit alone is the recipient of several city contracts: a nearly $4
million dollar transportation award, several management contracts for senior
housing projects around the city, the meals on wheels senior lunch program, and
the HIV-Aids clinic, to name a few. The Oldtimers Foundation is the recipient of
such city largess. Its Executive Director is George Cole, a city of Bell councilman.
Cole's fundraising consultant, Conrado Terrazas, just happens to be John Noguez's
partner and political fundraiser as well. These are the links missing in the city's
website. Millions of dollars of business and lucrative contracts to friends and
associates.
One more item you won't see on the city's new website: the new chief of police
owes John Noguez a few favors since evidence suggests that Noguez and city
attorney Francisco Leal conspired to hire Chief Mike Travis from neighboring
Maywood. Travis also has strong connections to city of Bell and George Cole,
where he was a police officer before Maywood. Not only does Mayor Noguez
control the majority of council votes, but he is owed a strong allegiance by Chief
Travis.
Out of some 330 police departments in the State of California, how coincidental is
it that with one fell swoop, Noguez and gang manage to "fire" the old police chief
Narramore, and give him a half million dollar parting gift from public funds, then,
within a few short days, announces a replacement chief who just happens to be
connected to Maywood and Bell? All is done without the faintest trace of an effort
at a due diligence search for the most competent candidate. Not that Travis is not
competent. City attorney Leal is also city of Maywood's lobbyist.
It does remain to be seen if Chief Travis can remain independent of influence
from Noguez.
Also, guess who Chief Travis will be endorsing during the 2007 city council
elections when Noguez, Ofelia Hernandez and Mario Gomez are up for reelection?
One improvement the city has made on its website: Meeting minutes are posted
much quicker, within days of the meeting, not months, as was the case before.
Good going, guys! Kudos to the city clerk's office for their efforts.
CivicsPlus.com, the company that redesigned the city's website, did not do the site
for free. The web design contract must have cost some thousands of dollars in
public funds.
The City's new website does not post the fact that Mayor John Noguez must have
dejavu all over again since he had the two councilwomen he manipulates, Ofelia
Hernandez and Elba Guerrero, appoint him Mayor, again, one year later, thus
depriving his fellow councilman, Mario Gomez, the privilege since it is a revolving
mayorship post and it was Gomez's turn. But Gomez is so out too lunch that he
actually voted against himself to take the mayorship post, despite the nomination
for Gomez as Mayor by the other Elba, the lone ranger Elba Romo. It was a crass
politically calculated move on Noguez's part to have his lackeys appoint him
mayor, meant to position him in the spotlight for his 2007 reelection, meant also
to be in a prime position of power with the intent of attracting campaign
contributions like a festering wound attracts flies and maggots.
Lately, Mayor John Noguez is cross pollinating his successes here by hanging
around Pico Rivera councilmen, along with his "uncle", the owner of Leonardo's
restaurants and dance halls, a campaign contributor to Noguez and recent fast
friend of Pico Rivera's mayor and his pet causes. What interests does Leonardo's
have in Pico that he would need Noguez to front for him? Noguez is diligently and
methodically hustling his council colleagues in Huntington Park to turn Leonardo's
Dance hall into a card club casino, despite a state-wide moratorium on new card
clubs.
On April 17, the State's website that tracks political campaign contributions,
reported that Leonardo Lopez, owner of Leonardo's Restuarants, gave two
contributions to Pico Rivera's Mayor David Armenta totaling $5,500. Armenta is a
good friend of Huntington Park's mayor John Noguez. Armenta recently
orchestrated the hiring of his council chum's campaign manager to be Pico
Rivera's city manager without prior municipal management experience. Pico's city
manager salary is about $150,000.
The graphics on the city's website are great but some of the most important public
records are still missing. What a disappointment and waste of public resources.
The city wants you to be ignorant of this stuff that is in the public interest.
Instead, the city's new official website hustles pseudo civics wearing a zarape
mantle.
Council members give "Immigrant of Year" recognition awards predominantly to
campaign donors who also happen to be friends, and recipients of city contracts.
The same Immigrant of the Year is appointed to city commissions that pays $65
per meeting. Huntington Park's city commissions are the envy of cities around. It
is one of the few cities that actually pays its "volunteer" commissioners.
Very few other cities dole out crony welfare as well as Huntington Park does.
Those city residents without access to an internet line presumably can read all
about the pseudo civics in action in the city's print newsletter mailed and paid for
with public funds. Printing and mailing thousands of newspaper style city
newsletters is not cheap.
Since elections are coming up in about a year, the newsletter could be a much
handy political propaganda tool for incumbent candidates paid with public funds.
There are parallels to what happened during city of South Gate's corruption period
where allegedly the convicted city treasurer there used a city newsletter as a
political propaganda tool.
I will continue to "report and comment" on the "foul innards" of city council and
continue to follow the money in the public interest.
Yours in service,
The Editor,
WatchOurCity.com
In the Public Interest
Copyright © 2006 WatchOurCity.com
