| Updated: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 |
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"A courageously innovative, muckraking
web site that focuses like a laser on the
political, financial and legal shenanigans
of the local government.."
California First Amendment Coalition
web site that focuses like a laser on the
political, financial and legal shenanigans
of the local government.."
California First Amendment Coalition
| Posted 3-21-06: Former State Assemblyman Marco Firebaugh, 39, a champion of immigrant students, passed away Tuesday morning from complications of liver decease. Our condolence to his family. See "Marco Firebaugh: The Last Best Hope of the Latino Old Guard" by Tony Castro. He represented Cuhahy, South Gate, Maywood & Lynwood before being termed out in 2002. |
WatchOurCity.com
Salutes local area high
school students for their
courage and success in
flexing a healthy concern
for civic duty and
responsibility. The U.S.
Senate heard your voices.
Salutes local area high
school students for their
courage and success in
flexing a healthy concern
for civic duty and
responsibility. The U.S.
Senate heard your voices.
| Posted Monday March 27, 2006 Huntington Park is Republican Country (see full report) |
| Marco Firebaugh |
| Posted Thursday, March 16, 2006 Letters to the Editor: Council Member Elba Romo Emails Website: Huntington Park, CA See her full unedited email with response from the Editor, including a correction "for the record". (click to see email) |
| Posted Monday March 13, 2006 City Attorney Francisco Leal Accused of Violating Conflict of Interest State Law A City of Commerce Cross-Complaint lawsuit against Francisco Leal also alleges "Unjust Enrichment and Breach of Contract" (Click to see full report) |
| Posted Tusday March 28, 2006 "Senate Approves Immigration Bill" Yahoo News- AP News "The Senate Judiciary Committee approved sweeping election-year legislation Monday that clears the way for 11 million illegal aliens to seek U.S. citizenship, a victory for demonstrators who had spilled into the streets by the hundreds of thousands demanding better treatment for immigrants." |
Immigration Stories:
A New Corps Mobilizes
over Immigration
The Christian Science Monitor
3-28-06
A New Corps Mobilizes
over Immigration
The Christian Science Monitor
3-28-06
| Posted Monday March 13, 2006 Police Blotter: Huntington Park, CA- The city has a new Police Chief: Mike Trevis. Chief Trevis was a City of Maywood part-time Chief and former City of Bell Police Chief. (see full blotter) |
| WatchOurCity.com Posted Wednesday February 1 , 2006 A Hot Latina Rosario Marin and Corruption In Huntington Park Evidence of an Official Cover-up. Q: Why did city council and the District Attorney's office keep ex-Mayor and Rosario Marin protege Edward Escareno's recent felony conviction for "Grand Theft" a secret? A: To prevent damaging exposure to Rosario Marin. Today she is scheduled to be sworn in by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as his newest State Cabinet member at Huntington Park City Hall. Why was Huntington Park chosen as a venue for this momentous event? Is it to show the influence Rosario wields over elected officials here? Rosario Marin is in control of the majority votes in city Council, where her close inner-circle friends received special favors in getting city contracts worth millions of dollars. Wikipedia.org Posted January 30, 2006 Profile of Rosario Marin on www.Wikipedia.org, The internet's free encyclopedia Editor, WatchOurCity.com Read about Rosario Marin's background, her public service, her appointment as the nation's 41st U.S. Treasurer, her involvement in local politics and the "Scandal" with her former protege, now convicted felon Edward Escareno. Huntington Park's Culture of Corruption: WatchOurCity.com Posted January 30, 2006 Profiles in Corruption: Vicente Ortiz, Friend of Rosario Marin Editor, WatchOurCity.com Vicente Ortiz is owner of Tacos Don Chente restaurants. Vicente Ortiz is given a recognition award by his friends in city council for "Immigrant of the Year" in January 2006.Vicente was appointed City Arts and Culture Commissioner in 2004 by recently convicted former Mayor Edward Escareno and his fellow council members. He gets paid $65 per commission meeting. And he's not a resident of Huntington Park. Vicente is recipient of $40,000 grants from his friends in city Council to put on 1-day fiestas through his META 2000 group. The public funds have no strings attached. Victor Caballero is a fellow member of META 2000, is the recipient of a $3.9 million transportation contract that he shares with George Cole; Victor Caballero was also appointed to the Arts and Culture Commission by city council, and is also making $65 per meeting. Caballero too is not a resident of Huntington Park. He too is part of Rosario Marin's inner circle which city council looks favorably upon when awarding city contracts. Vicente is Rosario Marin's and councilman John Noguez's intimate friend. When Rosario was U.S. Treasurer, she would make special trips to Vicente's grand openings of his taco shops which were well attended by the media and other local elected officials. John Noguez is a front man for Vicente when he goes asking for handouts from other cities for this growing Tacos Don Chente franchise. The City of El Monte, La Puente and Carson were approached, according to council meeting minutes from each city. Vicente Ortiz is good friends with termed-out Assemblyman Marco Firebaugh. Vicente Ortiz is well connected to other local and State politicians. Vicente Ortiz sells damn good tacos, and lots of them. The tacos and horchatas are paying for a Downey home with a million dollar mortgage that he and his wife Irma share, according to public records. Vicente is good friends not only with politicians, but also with staff members of politicians. Female staff members. Vicente Ortiz is very good friends with Angelica Lizarraga, a former staffer of ex-Assemblyman Marco Firebaugh. Angelica was then hired by then LAUSD Board President Jose Huizar to work on his school board staff. Huizar has since vacated his LAUSD board seat to take up a council seat warmed by L.A. Mayor Villaraigosa, but left his school board assistants in place. Angelica recently gave birth. Vicente Ortiz was presented at Angelica's baby shower as the father. No one at the baby shower had a clue that Vicente was married and has children with Irma. Vicente Ortiz appears in a picture with his beautiful and happy wife Irma and his children in a city funded newsletter dated January 2006 announcing the occasion of his official recognition as "Immigrant of the Year". Every resident in the city of Huntington Park received the newsletter. Not pictured was Angelica Lizarraga and Vicente's other baby. Perhaps Angelica can be hired by George Cole, another of Rosario Marin's inner circle members, when George manages to break away from LAUSD to form what he's been itching to do for a while: get his very own school district, like the corrupt one in Lynwood. Sacramento is poised to help make it happen. If Vicent Ortiz is willing to cheat on his wife and deceive an unsuspecting single young lady, what hope do citizens in Huntington Park expect with his close association to Rosario Marin, Edward Escareno, and city council? La Opinion Newspaper, Jorge Morales Almada, Enero 19, 2006 Escareño traicionó mi confianza’ (mas) ("Escareno betrayed my trust", states Rosario Marin) "La ex tesorera de Estados Unidos, Rosario Marín habla sobre la condena del ex alcalde de Huntington Park, a quien ella apoyó políticamente". La Opinion Newspaper, Jorge Morales Almada, Enero 18, 2006 Malversación de fondos en Huntington Park (mas) ("Misappropriation of public funds in Huntington Park") "Sentencian a ex alcalde Escareño a tres años de prisión". WatchOurCity.com D.A. Quietly Prosecutes Ex-Councilman Edward Escareno on 12-20-05 for "GRAND THEFT" Editor, WatchOurCity.com January 16, 2006 Huntington Park, CA - According to the Los Angeles Superior Court's website, Edward Escareno, former Huntington Park mayor and ex-councilman, was convicted on 12-20-05 in Los Angeles Superior Court on one count of "GRAND THEFT", a "Felony". No sentencing information was available at press time. (see full report) |
| Posted Tuesday March 21, 2006 Sanctuary For Illegal Aliens & $31,000 City Job for Councilman's Father MAYWOOD, CA - Conflict of Interest 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. (see full report). 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. |
Huntington Park, CA
Police Chief Fired in
Closed Door Session
City to pay $400,000 in public funds to
buy out the chief's contract
Editor, WatchOurCity.com
February 23, 2006
Huntington Park, CA - On Tuesday night,
City Council voted in closed door session
to fire long-time police chief Randy
Narramore and his top deputy Steve
Peeler.
(Click to see full report)
| Local Press |
| Irvine, CA "Lying Larry" "New evidence suggests Irvine political boss stole elections" Orange County Weekly January 25, 2006 Read about the Jujitsu moves and dirty political bag of tricks as practiced in the Orange County city of Irvine, California. "What if a politician raised a million dollars, deposited it into a secret campaign account designed to dodge contribution laws, and then spent the money to win tightly contested elections? Would he get caught and punished?" "Ask Larry Agran, Orange County’s leading Democrat." |
| Pico Rivera, CA "City descends slippery slope with choice for manager" Los Angeles Wave Newspaper, December 21, 2005 "..council appointed a man with no college degree or municipal government experience to be the new city manager". He was the campaign manager for two of the council members. |
The website
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2 years old
on March 13,
2006.
turns
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on March 13,
2006.
| National Press |
| Los Angeles Times & USA Today "Scandal Tainted Rep. Steps Aside" January 15, 2006 Congressman Ney, implicated in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, quits as chair of the House Administration Committee. May be indicted. |
| See what the Los Angeles Times had to say about WatchOurCity.com |
| See why the California First Amendment Coalition's Board of Directors Gave it's 2004 Beacon award to WatchOurCity.com |
| USA Today "Corruption......very extensive" USA Today, January 4, 2006 The Jack Abramoff affair. |
Copyright © 2006 WatchOurCity.com
All rights reserved
All rights reserved
| USA Today "You can't have a corrupt lobbyist unless you have a corrupt member or a corrupt staff. ... This was a team effort." USA Today, January 4, 2006 The Jack Abramoff affair. |
| Posted Monday March 27, 2006 The Rise and Fall of Edward Escareno; The Rise of Rosario Marin (see full report) |
WatchOurCity.com
In The Public Interest
In The Public Interest
| Rosario is tough |
| Rosario is Sexy |
| And Rosario controls 4 out of 5 Huntington Park City Council members. (L to R) John Noguez, Ofelia Hernandez, Rosario Marin, priest, Mario Gomez and Elba Romo (not shown). |
| Thomas Martin |
| Paul Richards |