The Sierra Madre Tattler!

Mod: One organization that made a big difference this election was Preserve Sierra Madre. The following email blast went out yesterday as the city awoke to some very great news. Sierra Madre has entered a new era, one where the preservation message is no longer a minority one. This is where the leadership came from. April 24 will be a big day.

Dear Supporters: We are very excited to announce that the three incumbent candidates endorsed by Preserve Sierra Madre were re-elected to the Sierra Madre City Council following last night's resounding election victory!

Our congratulations go out to out-going Mayor Rachelle Arizmendi, Mayor Pro-Tem Denise Delmar and former Mayor Gene Goss. They all ran a great campaign and all their hard work and effort paid off in a resounding win.

Please join us on Tuesday, April 24th at 6:30 pm at the next City Council meeting to congratulate the three candidates and witness the formal installation of the new Mayor. It should be an exciting evening.

Our motto from the beginning was "why break up a good thing" and the voters saw fit to keep this City Council intact to continue their great work on behalf of all the residents of Sierra Madre.

Finally, a big thank you to all of our supporters who answered the call with your willingness to help make this result come to pass. You walked, you called, you allowed signs to be put up and most importantly, you voted!

Thank you for making a difference. As always we appreciate your support.

Steering Committee
Preserve Sierra Madre

The City of Arcadia's strangely underwhelming response to possible voter fraud

Mod: You'd think that with the unofficial vote margin between Joyce Platt and Roger Chandler being razor thin this would be a matter of greater urgency than it apparently is for Arcadia City Hall. Check out this email sequence. The first has to do with the suspected sudden population explosion at disgraced former Mayor John Wuo's house.

Mod: This is a story The Tattler will be following closely. You might want to jump in as well. I think if enough people start sending emails and making calls we might actually get some action. Obviously the election in Arcadia is not over.

Arcadia's large remaining uncounted vote

Mod: There is a big article in today's edition of the Arcadia Weekly about Tuesday's election (link). Here is a part that jumps out.

Over in District 5, incumbent candidate Roger Chandler is barely ahead of first-time candidate and former school teacher Joyce Platt. In third place at last check was first-time candidate and self-funded pharmacist Jolly Wu. At 8:54 p.m. on Tuesday, Chandler had 704 votes, Platt held 659 votes and Wu had 264 votes.

However, the election is not yet over. Mailed ballots sent by Arcadians are still being accepted and counted, so long as they contain a postage stamp prior to April 10 and are received by April 13. The City Clerk’s office estimates around 500 votes have still not been counted, including expected mail-in ballots.

Mod: With this high number of uncounted votes, plus the now emerging story of possible voter fraud in District 5, Chandler's unofficial 45 vote lead could quickly evaporate over the next few days. Big story developing, peacock pals.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

A new McMansion has now been proposed for an afflicted dirt patch located at 1104 S 1st Ave. That’s in District 5, if you were going to ask. The place where the election fight over a City Council seat is so close nobody is really quite sure who won, and might not for quite some time.

Just in case you were wondering why the 5th District seat is so important to some folks that they might have even committed voter fraud in hopes of winning it, Vanity Castles like this are probably the reason.

Initially the house was going to be 8,405 square feet, with an accessory dwelling unit of 1,177 sf. The potential neighbors to this protean pile quickly filed comments with the city complaining. The developer then went back to the drawing board and has just released his amended plans.

The main house is now a still vast 7,574 square feet, and the accessory dwelling unit is 1,200 sf. Which is not really all that significant of a change in size.

Neighbors are now submitting a petition in opposition. I imagine they’ll be denied, and then will be forced to appeal the denial, that is assuming they can raise the funds ($600) to do so. Public comment period ends on April 19, which is just around the corner.

This proposed Vanity Castle is far too large for its neighborhood. It encroaches on an area of far smaller single story homes, is not at all homogeneous with the existing neighborhood, and its perpetually snoopy windows will violate all neighbor privacy.

It will also block existing sky and mountain views, in the process casting shadows as dark as a McMansion developer's heart.

The architectural style is called “French Transitional.” It should actually be called “Slobbovian Stucco Box.” Or perhaps even "Post-Modern Mausoleum."

Can anyone help these neighbors describe what’s wrong with this design (link)? Anyone willing to submit an email in opposition? Anyone willing to help fund an appeal?

Emails can be submitted to Development Services at vquiroz@arcadiaca.gov. Let City Hall know your thoughts. You're likely the last person they would ever care to hear from about this, so you'll need to speak loudly.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

Mod: Scott Phelps, who is just about the only Pasadena Unified School DistrictBoard of Education member who dares discuss real issues in public, published the following unpleasantly stark appraisal of what is going on at the local public school system recently in the Pasadena Weekly. This isn't a pretty picture, and obviously not very many people care all that much about what is going on there. Practically the only elected official discussing this in such realistic terms is Scott. The PUSD has become a poor peoples option, with most having the wherewithal to do so having bailed out on it long ago. Pasadena, a city that prefers to be viewed as quite an enlightened place has, judging by the way it does public education at least, become something of an apartheid society.

PUSD is far from out of the woods when it comes to fiscal stability (Pasadena Weeklylink): To address its budget crisis, the Pasadena Unified School District submitted a mandatory Fiscal Stabilization Plan to the County of Los Angeles in February, and then took a major step in implementing that plan by issuing over 100 preliminary teacher and administrator layoff notices for the 2018-19 year by the legally required March 15 deadline.

This plan reduced expenditures for the current 2017-18 year by about $4 million, and by over $12 million for the 2018-19 year. The board then adopted its second interim budget on March 15, per county requirements.

To try and reverse as many of the preliminary teacher layoffs as possible, the PUSD has offered a retirement incentive to its senior teachers. This would minimize the number of layoffs of more junior teachers and also the disruptive effect of teacher turnover to school sites, some of which had over 10 teachers receive layoff notices.

The United Teachers of Pasadena’s (UTP) bargaining position (despite not surveying — until just this past week, results not shared yet — the many teachers who would like this retirement incentive to be enacted) has been that they won’t agree to this retirement incentive unless we agree to use the savings from it to provide raises for teachers in 2017-18 and 2018-19.

Despite the PUSD’s obvious budget challenges described above, UTP has insisted on raises, even when our county-appointed fiscal adviser met with them to explain the situation.

Throughout the crisis, they have been steadfast in their request for a 3 percent raise retroactive to July 1, 2017, and another 3 percent increase on July 1, which reminds one of the 6 percent raise they complain was so hard to get in 2015-16.

In addition, during a month of trying to get the UTP to agree to accept the retirement incentive, the district increased its retirement incentive offer and extended the timeline for it, but UTP has not budged in its insistence on tying the offer to raises. They have claimed that the retirement incentive would generate millions in “surplus money.”

The second interim budget approved by the board on March 15 shows that over $8 million in reductions will be needed for the 2019-20 school year in order to maintain the state-required 3 percent reserve. That means that during the 2018-19 school year, for which over $12 million in reductions have already been made and which is not very far away, we will be trying to find $8 million in further reductions or more revenue so that we don’t have to lay off more staff.

We will have to submit a new Fiscal Stabilization Plan with the first interim budget in December. So describing any savings as “surplus money” is fallacious. That money simply doesn’t exist when you are already making reductions and faced with declining enrollment, corresponding flat revenue, and the annual significant mandatory cost increases described in detail above.

This is magical thinking, and it is why no one can find any record of any district ever agreeing to any such use of any savings from retirement incentives, which are notoriously difficult to calculate given the many variables affecting rehiring.

Yes, the 6 percent raise agreed to in the settlement in the spring of 2016 was difficult. The other two PUSD bargaining units had agreed to much smaller raises much earlier in the 2015-16 school year.

But that same 6 percent raise is now a documented part of our budget challenges, as is the large increases in costs that are invisible to employees like mandatory pension increases, health care cost increases, workman’s compensation costs, etc.

So pushing hard for that raise has contributed to our current challenges. Pushing hard now for raises just prevents the district from reducing the number of layoffs.

The board and many fellow parents and teachers earnestly hope that the UTP leadership will help us retain as many of their colleagues as possible, and agree to the retirement incentive without further delay and without insistence on raises that the county wouldn’t allow anyway.

We also encourage all of the concerned parents and teachers to lobby the leadership to survey their membership so that all members can weigh in on this important issue.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

Link

Mod: Back when anybody actually cared about what was being said there, the following remarks were left on the so-called Arcadia's Best website by some humorless little knob who uses the anonymous handle "Edmund L." At the time I thought it was just about the funniest thing I had ever read there.

"As an Arcadian resident I’m curious and puzzled by how some of our residents will take so seriously what the infamous Sierra Madre Tattler writes about what’s going on in our town and in the Arcadia election. First of all, we seriously question the legitimacy of this blog. We never see any authorship to any of those articles. All the comments following the articles are anonymous as well. Can people believe in those articles and comments? Yet, some campaign helpers of this election are using these articles to send to different communities and even posted those on the Nextdoor application, only to be taken down as illegal posting by Next Door administration ... He always calls us Arcadians Peacockians and calls Arcadia Peacocktown with a rather disrespectful tone. His articles are even more out of touch of reality, they are full of misleading information, personal attacks, and sometime pure lies ... I would like to urge our own city news paper to be very cautious and prudent when they decided to publish articles with that seemingly illegal blog. This will ruin Arcadia Weekly’s reputation and credibility, soon to lose subscriptions and commercials when they found out the connections."

I'm not sure how many subscriptions a free distribution newspaper can lose, but you know how some people will say anything to make their point. And trust me, I've been kicked off far better websites than Next Door. Obviously City Council meeting gadfly Edmund L. did not make his points that well since his candidate, Aloha Bob Harbicht, just lost his second City Council race in two years. But where I might have underestimated Edmund L. is with his comment that The Tattler could be an "illegal blog." You know, like many blogs are in China, or in any other similar third world dictatorship. According to the Huffington Post he may have been on to something.

Link

Homeland Security To Compile A Database Of Journalists, Bloggers And Influencers (Huffington Postlink): The Department of Homeland Security sparked concerns among media circles after news spread that the agency was creating an online database to monitor journalists, bloggers, social media influencers and others. Word got out after Bloomberg Government surfaced a job posting from DHS seeking a contractor for a “media monitoring services” project. The job entails creating a searchable database that has the ability to track about 290,000 news sources, both foreign and domestic, according to the DHS’s statement of work.

The contractor will help DHS monitor “traditional news sources as well as social media, identify any and all media coverage related to the Department of Homeland Security or a particular event,” the job description reads.

“Services shall provide media comparison tools, design and rebranding tools, communication tools, and the ability to identify top media influencers.”

The online platform should also be able to instantly translate media from 100 languages, including Chinese and Russian, into English. It should also be able to analyze the coverage’s “sentiment” and “momentum.”

With President Donald Trump’s aggressive rhetoric against the mainstream news ― he once labeled journalists as the “enemy of the people” ― many in the media industry saw the database as yet another attack on the free press.

Department Of Homeland Security Compiling Database Of Journalists And 'Media Influencers'(Forbeslink): In today’s installment of "I’m Not Terrified, You Are,"Bloomberg Government reports on a FedBizOpps.gov posting by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with the relatively benign-sounding subject “Media Monitoring Services.”

The details of the attached Statement of Work, however, outline a plan to gather and monitor the public activities of media professionals and influencers and are enough to cause nightmares of constitutional proportions, particularly as the freedom of the press is under attack worldwide. And "attack" is not hyperbolic.

Every day, journalists face serious consequences including physical violence, imprisonment and death. A few days ago, the Committee to Protect Journalists launched its annual Free The Press campaign to raise awareness about imprisoned journalists throughout the world.

Link

On May 3, UNESCO will once again mark World Press Freedom Day"to inform citizens of violations of press freedom — a reminder that in dozens of countries around the world, publications are censored, fined, suspended and closed down, while journalists, editors and publishers are harassed, attacked, detained and even murdered." Meanwhile, the United States government, traditionally one of the bastions of press freedom, is about to compile a list of professional journalists and "top media influencers," which would seem to include bloggers and podcasters, and monitor what they're putting out to the public.

What could possibly go wrong? A lot.

Mod: So who knows, maybe Edmund L's desires could come true. No more pestiferous blogger to disrupt the campaign message of whatever development industry funded meat puppet he will be genuflecting to during the next election. America could soon become more like the country Edmund L left behind than he ever dreamed possible.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

Clunk!

Mod: I've been enjoying some of the comments left on the so-called Arcadia's Best site back during the recent election, and there really is a wealth of fine blogging material there. I don't know if it is the naivety of the commenters themselves, or if they were expected by AB's administrator to say such things, but some of these folks really missed the point. One such individual, who alludes to himself as Nelson G, even referred to the LA Conservancy as "extremist." Here is this dude's rather wild ride:

I support the preservation efforts, but not the over reaching draft ordinance as it stands today. I am very aware of LA Conservancy. In fact, the recent push for historic preservation ordinance in Arcadia was triggered by an “F” grade received by Arcadia in 2014 for the lack of historic preservation effort. OMG, an F! The fact is, there are more cities getting F than the sum of all other cities getting all other grades. That makes you wonder how objective the criteria used by LA Conservancy are. How legitimate is LA Conservancy? I feel that their views are quite extreme, as are their criteria. For example, a city will get credit for “Owner Consent Not Required for Designation”. How outrageous! I wonder if getting an F from LA Conservancy is a bad thing or good thing. Of the small list of poster children you provided, our close neighbor San Marino fare even worse than Arcadia, because they had the sense to not waste $120k on a “Survey of Historic Resources”, hence lower total score. San Marino has not adopted a historic preservation ordinance, although they may be considering one. San Marion has proved that it is possible to do a good job preserving their city over the years, without the tyrannous preservation ordinance. Our other close neighbor Temple City got 0 points for their historic preservation effort. But they are $120k richer than us. There are more cities getting 0 than 100% for sure.

Just to help Nelson understand how the LA Conservancy works (link), not every city in Los AngelesCounty has received an ignominious 'F' grade. As a matter of fact, 2 out of the 3 cities this blog covers actually did rather well. Proving that some cities do take some pride in making themselves both attractive and historically interesting. Here are the grades for these towns, in descending order.

The news on the two cities cited above came from overviews, which is what I have supplied to you here. However, with Arcadia there isn't very much good to talk about, so sadly there was no such overview provided. So what I am going to do here is go directly to the LA Conservancy report card. As you already know, it isn't what anyone would call pretty. 25 out of a possible 245 points never could be anything but bad.

It is sad to think that the one thing Arcadia did have going for it was the Denny's windmill. Unfortunately, the windmill itself fell off its spindle recently and crashed through the restaurant roof. Think of it as a new version of the Grand Slam breakfast.

Maybe our friend Nelson G should consider that a metaphor worth pondering.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

Mod: It has been a minute since we discussed what is quite possibly the most disgraceful fellow to ever move into the White House. But I have been a Paul Krugman fan for years, and in my opinion he really hit a home run with this series of tweets. Of course, you might not agree. That is what is so great about this country, you don't have to. And isn't it fun to think that national politics can be just as bizarre as the local version?

Paul Krugman Asks An Apt Question: "How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a pee tape?"(Daily Koslink): Dusting off a famous phrase from John Kerry’s Winter Soldier testimony Paul Krugman asks: "How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a pee tape?"

Twitter: “I've met a fair number of serving officers in the U.S. military. They're very impressive -- smart, sophisticated, well-informed. And they take honor very seriously. What must it be like for them now?

They know perfectly well that the current commander-in-chief is a man of no honor whatsoever -- dishonest, corrupt, quite possibly being blackmailed by a hostile foreign power.

Could such a man deliberately wag the dog? That is, might he engage in military action -- killing people, and putting U.S. servicemen and women at risk -- to distract from his scandals? Of course he could.

Was the Syria strike an example? Not clear. But the suspicion is obvious and unavoidable. And who knows what comes next? So if you're in the military, you have to be asking yourself: how do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a pee tape?”

Trump supporters rip decision to strike Syria (Politicolink): Some of President Donald Trump’s staunchest backers tore into his decision to attack Syria late Friday night, arguing it was unnecessary, reactionary and even Clinton-esque.

In tweet storms and video responses, they compared Trump’s decision to attack Syrian targets to actions taken by President George W. Bush or a hypothetical President Hillary Clinton.

“We lost. War machine bombs Syria. No evidence Assad did it. Sad warmongers hijacking our nation,” tweeted conservative author and radio host Michael Savage. Savage also posted a video discussing the missile strikes, tearing into Trump’s decision.

There was a clear sense of disappointment among a certain strand of Trump supporter as the president announced a “precision strike” against the regime of Bashar Assad on Friday in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack last week.

The anguish came from supporters who latched on to Trump’s “America First” promise during the campaign. They argued that Trump’s decision undermined his promise to disentangle the U.S. from global conflicts, saying it reeked of the same old, same old.

“Donald Bush,” tweeted Mike Cernovich, a conservative author and once a staunch supporter of Trump.

“Congratulations to the Trump administration for adopting the same failed foreign policy and ignoring of the constitution as the last two administrations,” tweeted Doug Stafford, a strategist for Sen. Rand Paul’s RANDPAC.

Mod: And then there was that time Republicans threatened to impeach Obama if he bombed Syria without congressional approval. The following is from Sept of 2013.

Hunter: Obama inviting impeachment if he strikes Syria without Congress (Washington Timeslink): Rep. Duncan Hunter said Tuesday that President Obama would be breaking the law and even inviting impeachment if he went ahead with strikes on Syria after a congressional rejection.

“I think he’s breaking the law if he strikes without congressional approval,” Mr. Hunter, a California Republican, told The Washington Times. “And if he proceeds without Congress providing that authority, it should be considered an impeachable offense.” Mr. Obama this weekend sent Congress a draft resolution authorizing use of force to take out Syria’s facilities for weapons of mass destruction, including chemical weapons.

But the president said he believes he still has authority to strike unilaterally without backing from Congress, and his aides reportedly said they believe he could still act even if Congress voted next week to reject his request for authorization of force.

Mod: Personally I find it hard to believe that there are still people who actually believe Trump is a conservative. Then again, they probably never really got it anyway. They just wanted their side to win.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

The topic of renovating Kersting Court is once again rising from its shallow cobwebbed resting place and is beginning to work its way through the Community Services Commission. This isn't the first time such a thing has occurred, which is why some folks have been keeping a wary eye on these latest Kersting developments.

Just to give you the bare bones of what has only just begun this time, to the left is a document put together this week by the Community Services Commission detailing how this could all break down. Again, it is just a start, so there is plenty of time to get things done properly. But there is also the potential for other things to occur as well, which is why I've decided to bring it up now. Because the last time this puppy got out of the pen things got a little wild, with the end result being the entire project was unceremoniously jettisoned, and Sierra Madre's rather tiny version of a Central Park remained untouched for a while. Somehow the town survived.

The Last Time This Happened

Here is how a City Hall document (link) created in July of 2016 described what was to become of Kersting Court. Trust me, it was not as well received as its creators probably hoped.

"Permanent Holiday Tree" indeed. I think what probably skewed the imaginations of a concerned portion of Sierra Madre's residents was the accompanying art. In what became derisively known as "Starbucks Park Modern," these illustrations were soon rather famous, but not in the good way.

Using my best "Art Talk" prose, here is how I described this at the time.

But what fascinates me today is the actual art involved. No, not that rather commonplace stuff they're talking about planting in Kersting Court. What I find quite remarkable are the graphic depictions of that once happy place found at the bottom of the staff report. They are really something.

The adult figures shown in these pictures are all sitting up straight, and in the most painfully erect postures imaginable. Their collective gaze, true thousand mile stares, are firmly fixed upon matters both internal and far away. Beyond the park is a vast encircling landscape that is featureless, empty, spiritually vacant, and uniformly gray.

All of which makes Kersting Court appear like an island having no visible exits.

With the possible exception of some well-mannered children, and the obligatory dog of course, nobody seated there is looking at the person next to them. As I said, some there have Starbucks beverages in their hands and, elbows held high, their only concern is consuming those drinks.

Obviously most of those so depicted have contributed to the well-being of the downtown economy by purchasing and ingesting mass manufactured drink products, and paid a little sales tax to do it. Perhaps it is their one true purpose in life?

So is this a new art genre? If so, I would call it Future Kersting. A brave new world populated by people dedicated to both good posture and drinking liquids from cups. All while apparently oblivious to an ominous world that has now consumed them.

I guess we'll have to wait and see how it all rolls out this time. I'm sure we'll have fun.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

With Arcadia's City Council reorganization scheduled for this coming Tuesday, today's news couldn't be coming at a worse time for Mayor Pro Tem Sho Tay. His elevation to Mayor, which due to the custom of succession should have been a nearly automatic process, is now very much on the minds of many. Can an elected official under investigation by the California Fair Political Practices Commission for serious campaign law violations still be voted by his colleagues the next Arcadia Mayor?

The complaint was filed because of independent cash expenditures made by the Committee To Elect Sho Tay Arcadia City Council 2018 in support of the campaigns of Bob Harbicht and Roger Chandler. Candidates cannot send mailers supporting other candidates. This is considered a "fraudulent use" because it in effect makes contributions seem like they went to one candidate, in this case Sho Tay, and not to the candidates that the contributions actually benefited, which was Harbicht and Chandler. What Sho Tay did was allow contributions from real estate interests to go through him and not directly to Harbicht and Chandler as they should have by law.

Here is the passage from an FPPC document that spells out the law in this situation. It comes from that portion dealing with the legal use of campaign funds (link):

Sho Tay's wife, Sherry Tay, is the Treasurer of his Committee. This could also possibly be a serious problem according to the FPPC rule book (link).

The opening of this investigation means that the FPPC has found clear evidence of campaign law violations. Now they are determining just how egregious these violations were, and how much money they should fine Sho Tay. Here is the FPPC's notification.

Mod: Today's edition of The Arcadia Weekly also has a report on this scandal (link).

Arcadia Mayor ProTem. Under Investigation by FPPC - State Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) Scrutinizes Multiple Complaints

By Terry Miller

Arcadia Weekly has received documents regarding an investigation into Mayor Pro Tem Sho Tay’s election campaign alleging unfair political practices, specifically eluding to spending campaign dollars he received and used to support candidates Bob Harbicht and councilman Roger Chandler.

This newspaper has learned that at least 3 separate complaints against Sho Tay have been filed for not only financing the printing and distribution of “misleading and false” mailers, but also not disclosing campaign funds he received within the required 24 hour period after receipt.

Arcadia Weekly has also learned that Sho Tay received two separate payments of $2500 and $1000 on January 15 for his campaign. Tay did not disclose the $3500 until March 13, 2018.

Ironically, Sho Tay never needed the campaign funds as he was appointed to council when the only opponent to Tay’s campaign abruptly changed his mind at the eleventh hour.

Another complaint registered is in regards to Sho Tay’s conflict of interest in not disclosing, initially, on his election paperwork that he owns a gun range.

Councilman Tom Beck took exception Tuesday to Sho Tay’s use of derogatory mailers attacking him. Beck held up copies of mailers during the meeting that Tay had paid for which directly attacked Beck in English and Chinese during the election.

Councilman Beck’s assertion was that it was an ugly campaign where his opposition insisted that he (Beck) wasn’t for a safer Arcadia, or a stronger police force. Beck pointed out that all council members had voted 5-0 when it came to public safety, therefore Harbicht and Chandler’s statements were completely unfounded.

Councilman Beck also made a concerted effort, during Tuesday’s council meeting, to point out that traditionally candidates donate unspent campaign funds to local charities…and not for personal gain i.e. spending money supporting other candidates.

Tay countered saying he doesn’t understand why people were picking on him when all he wanted to do was ‘unite’ the council and the community at large.

Mod: Here are some of Mayor Pro Tem Sho Tay's possibly illegal campaign flyers.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

Mod: I was forwarded the following email sent by Arcadia resident Laurie Thompson to City Attorney Stephen P. Deitsch this past Wednesday. It now appears Sho Tay has opened up a legal Pandora's Box with some of the words that slipped from his loose lips at Tuesday evening's City Council meeting. Here is her note to City Hall.

Last night MPT Tay described a vote taken in closed session regarding public safety in Arcadia. Can you please provide the date of this closed session and a copy of the notice of the agendized item? I do not recall the Brown Act allowing for a closed session to discuss public safety and crime. If this meeting truly did occur, please provide the reference in the Brown Act that allows for such a meeting.

This claim by MPT Tay seems dubious at best.

Also please send me copies of any other emails or letters you receive regarding MPT Tay’s claims of closed session deliberations as I want to start a support group for victims of MPT Tay’s false claims.

Laurie Thompson
Resident

Mod: City Attorney Deitsch has yet to reply to Laurie, which is not surprising. I'm not sure that he, or anyone else there, has decided quite how to handle this latest mishap from a loose cannon who apparently doesn't understand right from wrong.

Do Post Offices in other cities have to do this?

Mod: You might have thought that one of those highly compensated cops in Arcadia would have stopped by and checked up on the Post Office every once in a while.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

Well, OK, the numbers are a little larger than the last time we checked. It does look like Bencosme is going to remain stuck forever at just under the 1,000 vote mark. Which is kind of sad because even I broke that threshold. I think I was at the $5 a vote level. Modest by today's standards, though at the time it seemed like a lot.

However, I don't recall having had a budget of anywhere between $20,000 and $30,000 dollars. No, I know I didn't. We won't really know about Mr. Andy B's complete boodle for certain until sometime in July when final campaign financial disclosures will be revealed. And yes, we will find out. It is very important that we do.

Remember our latest Tattler aphorism: "The big money is in lying. Truth is for volunteers."

But I digress. These truly are great days for Sierra Madre. The city is in the best shape it has been in years, preservation is making regular work-a-day folks into home owning millionaires and, God bless us all, the voters have actually become smart enough to elect people who represent their interests. As unbelievable as that may have seemed just a few years back.

So, can we celebrate yet? Well, I am happy to tell you, folks are getting ready for that. The political juggernaut previously known as Preserve Sierra Madre (actually, they still are), sent out the following email blast yesterday. For people who worry so much they sure do sound happy.

Dear Supporters: There will be an installation ceremony for the new Mayor of Sierra Madre at the next City Council meeting on Tuesday, April 24th beginning at 6:30 pm.

We are very pleased and excited at the re-election of the three candidates endorsed by Preserve Sierra Madre: current Mayor Rachelle Arizmendi, Mayor Pro-Tem Denise Delmar and former Mayor Gene Goss. They have done an outstanding job in their four years on the City Council and we expect the same from them over the next four years.

All of you made a difference in this election and helped to make this day possible so it might by fun to attend this event. The formal presentation will occur towards the end of the meeting and refreshments will be served in the City Hall reception area immediately following the City Council meeting. We hope to see you there!

Thank you for your support. Steering Commiteee

Did you see that? The word committee had three e's at the end. I'm telling you, I have never seen them so wild before.

For those of you who enjoy walking on the analytical side of life, I was on an e-mail chain yesterday where they broke down the vote totals in some surprising ways. Or at least I was impressed.

We had a meeting of Inspectors with Laura Aguilar yesterday. Interesting facts: Vote by mail was 1,521 ballots, or 19.8%. Precinct voting was 1,161 or 15.0 %. Overall that was 35.9%. Total ballots cast: 2,682. I don't know how that compares to the last few years, but in the '80's and 90's we had well over 50%.

Another interesting fact: Many ballots had only two votes, Denise and Andy. And, many had single votes --- most of those were for Delmar. Of the vote by mail ballots, the County invalidated 10.

There were an additional 7 with no signature. Laura contacted those folks and got signatures from 6. And, all in all, only 12 ballots were not counted, those were for signatures that didn't match the registration. People who say that elections are not on the up and up need to take heed. I think Sierra Madre has the fairest elections anywhere.

Many ballots voted yes on Measure D and didn't vote for the council candidates. But the no votes got 81.7%; Yes 18.2%

You know what? Somehow all of this makes me happy.

Paul Lauritz (1889 - 1975) "The Evening Hour, Sierra Madre"

Wait. Even more good news for Sierra Madre?

Mod: I know. You might find yourself wondering, am I reading The Tattler? But this really is more good news. Remember the conversations here recently about some impending Sacramento high density housing development mandates, and how even Sierra Madre's funky little bus station by Kersting Court might have become the cause of some big LULU (Locally Unwanted Land Use) development? Well, all of that misery died last week. Here is an article you should enjoy.

The takeaway from the sudden death of California's most controversial housing bill in years (NPRlink): The most controversial state housing bill in recent memory died with a pretty resounding thud.

Senate Bill 827, which would have forced cities to allow taller, denser development around public transit, got only four votes on the 13-member Senate Committee on Transportation and Housing. Both Democrat and Republican lawmakers voted against the bill.

Authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener, Democrat from San Francisco, the bill would have allowed developers to build five-story apartment buildings near major public transit stops, including neighborhoods previously zoned for single family homes. The bill received a ton of media attention, including a fairly flattering write-up on the front page of the New York Times.

Urbanist“Yes In My Backyard” (YIMBY) groups mourned the bill’s death as yet another roadblock to building the new housing the state so desperately needs. Cities and anti-gentrification groups cheered the demise of what they viewed as an unprecedented inroad on local control.

Mod: Too much joy, I'm telling you. The rest of the good news is available at the link.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

Mod: We like to catch up with former Assemblyman Tim Donnelly occasionally, mostly because he is quite a colorful character. Tim, who you will recall once upon a time represented Sierra Madre and other area communities in Sacramento for a couple of years, is apparently going to war with both Mexico and California in just two weeks. Very ambitious of him for sure. The following came to my attention via an email blast from the news site Politico.

THE BUZZ: If there's any doubt about how Donald Trump's tweetstorm slamming California and Gov. Jerry Brown on border and immigration issues is playing with his base, look no farther than the email from Tea Party darling and former state Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, which hit inboxes around California Thursday, headlined "CALLING ALL MINUTEMEN."

THE MESSAGE: "Dear Patriots, If you believe that our borders should be secure, laws enforced and immigration a controlled, orderly process, then Gov. Jerry "MoonBeam" Brown thinks you're a 'low-life' that should 'chill' out and just accept that millions of illegal aliens are here....THE TIME FOR TALK IS OVER..."

DONNELLY, who's mounting a CA-08 primary challenge from the right to GOP Rep. Paul Cook, challenges conservative and "patriot" voters to "send a message to "MoonBeam" that you refuse to allow him to turn our communities into cesspools and sanctuaries for illegal alien criminals." Their plan: to amass at a designated border location about 70 miles from San Diego on the weekend of May 5-6. He says the response has been "overwhelming."

Mod: This sent me scurrying for articles to cite here, but ironically the only one in existence is from the Spanish language newspaper La Opinion. I ran it through Google Translator for the benefit of The Tattler's mostly Anglophone readership (myself included), and this is what emerged. It is not flattering to Mr. Donnelly.

Candidate to the Congress of the United States summons to "Patriots and Minutemen" to watch the border (La Opinionlink): Tim Donnelly, an ultra-conservative congressional candidate in San Bernardino, California on Tuesday, called on anti-immigrant militias to make a symbolic effort on the border on May 5. Donnelly, a former tea party candidate and self-appointed "Minuteman leader," apparently wants to revive the movement that exactly 13 years ago, captured the country's attention by sending thousands of volunteers to "patrol" the border to stop undocumented immigration .

In a statement from his campaign, Donnelly called for the revival of controversial militias, after California Governor Jerry Brown decided not to send the National Guard to the border while its mission is related to immigration.

"Since the illegal Governor Brown has decided to side with the criminals and ignore President Trump's call to send troops to the border - by threatening our communities," the people must resist this tyranny, "Donnelly said.

The Republican candidate for Congress for District 8, occupied by Republican Paul Cook, called on "all Minutemen and patriotic groups to come to the aid of their country and do the work that the irresponsible Governor Brown has refused to do."

The call is for next May 5 - a day of celebration for the Battle of Puebla in Mexico that is symbolically celebrated in the United States - and supposedly aims to summon supporters of the anti-immigrant movement in the town of Boulevard, California.

But instead of summoning militias to stand for a long time on the border "to help the Border Patrol", Donnelly plans an only one weekend mobilization, to send a message to Governor Brown.

"Let the cartels and criminals who want to penetrate the border know that from 9 am on Saturday May 5 to 9 am on May 6, the border will be safe," he said in the statement.

Despite his self-definition of "Minuteman Leader,"Donnelly was not among the actual leaders of the vigilante movement, which was rejected by the leadership of both parties but later won the sympathy of some politicians like Arnold Schwarzenegger, when he was a candidate for governor of California.

The intense media coverage that the movement obtained in 2005, driven by the anti-immigrant sentiment that followed the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, had its effect on national politics and ended with the temporary sending of national guard troops to the border by George W. Bush.

Tea bag optional.

Donnelly, on the other hand, has lost more elections than he has won, although he served as an Assemblyman from California between 2010 and 2014, before submitting his candidacy for governor, which he lost in 2014.

For its part, the Minuteman movement and some of its leaders at the time are given credit for the anti-immigrant movement that followed their training and even for the phenomenon that elected Donald Trump.

Recently, Jim Gilcrist, former leader of a Minuteman faction, said in an interview with Vice that his movement was responsible for raising the issue of immigration to a prominent place in US politics.

In reality, the Minuteman movement ended up dissolved and divided, and at least two of its leaders were imprisoned for various reasons. For example, Chris Simcox, founder with Gilcrist of the initial movement, was imprisoned in 2013 for sexual abuse against three girls, including his own daughter.

Shawna Forde, Arizona's Minutemen leader was sentenced to death for the murder of Brisenia Flores, 9 and his father Raúl, in a trailer near the border in 2009.

There were also multiple allegations of fraud against Minuteman leaders for funds sent by citizens to "build a wall on the border" that was never built.

Mod: There's no doubt that one of these fellows wanting to have sex with his own kid is disturbing. But as long as we're also speaking of fraud, did any of these Minutemen ever claim that Mexico was going to pay for their version of the wall?

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

Mod: As readers of this blog are aware, Arcadia Mayor Pro Tem Sho Tay is currently under investigation for possible California campaign law violations by the FPPC, and likely by the City Attorney as well for a rather broad Brown Act violation at last Tuesday evening's City Council meeting. This while Mr. Tay will also presumably face a vote tomorrow night by his elected colleagues on the council regarding his fitness to serve as Mayor. There have been a number of letters sent to City Hall by his supporters, three of which were forwarded to me. However, rather than discussing any of the reporting here or at the Arcadia Weekly on Sho's woes, the demand seems to be that the city shut down the local press for reporting news they didn't want to see.

Dear Councilman, Councilwoman, and City Manager,

I am writing to show discontent with current print of "Arcadia Weekly" story on "Councilman Tay". This newspaper has continuously attacked the only Asian councilman on Arcadia council, providing info to mislead readers that Sho Tay is unqualified but never disclosed the contribution and work Councilman Tay brought to Arcadia Asian community. They have done it in the past and they kept doing it in every election. It's a strongly biased and discriminatory newspaper. Please disclose how much is City of Arcadia sponsoring this local newspaper to publishing biased newspaper. I, as a taxpayer, felt that we should not continuing sponsor such newspaper.

Best Regards, Andrew Lin

Mod: Here is the next missive.

Dear City Managers,

I have noticed that Arcadia Weekly is not posting articles in a neutral manner. I don't understand why the city did not stop or warn this newspaper.

It has came to a point that makes me as a resident feeling sick and disappointed to see such a long time newspaper which represent Arcadia has made such unprofessional comments. Whoever is in charge of this newspaper should be warned and stopped immediately and apologize to wrongly accused victims.

Sho Tay did not divide the city, in fact he has pulled Arcadians together. It is Arcadia Weekly and Sierra Madre Tattler have divided the city. I strongly urged the city to take further action to these newspapers.

Sammie Fong
District 4

Mod: This third letter is far longer. Here is a four part screen shot.

Mod: I can't speak for the Arcadia Weekly, but this blog will continue to post news as we see fit. The notion that certain Sho Tay supporters actually believe the City of Arcadia could send their police to a reporter's house and drag him off in handcuffs in order to, in Angie's words, "incorporate civility and foster a welcoming interactions environment," seems very Orwellian to me. Hopefully Angie has finally read the article that caused her to write so long a letter, and now understands the possible legal woes Sho Tay is facing. Also why these problems could make him an unsuitable choice for Mayor of Arcadia. There will be more news on the Arcadia situation tomorrow.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

It is not a question of whether there was voter fraud in District 5 or not, but rather how much. I believe there were enough potentially illegal votes cast there to put Roger Chandler over the top, and that when he is sworn in for yet another term at Arcadia City Hall this evening we could all be witnessing a rather grotesque and tragic farce.

I have been provided with deeds to properties of certain people who voted in District 5. However, they own homes outside of Arcadia, or in one case in town but outside of District 5. Kind of troubling, right? Empty nests there somehow became full again. Some very good people have been working hard to uncover this story, and you are now the beneficiary of their hard work.

Send some good thoughts their way.

This is what happens when you have you have a city government that refuses to honor its legal obligation to guarantee fair elections, and instead turns a blind eye. Private citizens have to fill the void when bad government reneges on its responsibilities.

We'll start with John Wuo, the former Arcadia Mayor who resigned from office during the Gem Coins scandal. Six votes were cast from his house. John Wuo, plus Jane Wuo, his wife, were two of them. Also voting from that address were Jennifer Wuo Aoki, 37 years old and married to Brent Aoki. They are the co-owners of a home at 17107 Halldale Ave, in Gardena. Do you think Jen lives at home with her dad and not at the home that she owns with her husband in the South Bay?

Jeffrey Geng Han Wuo, 41 years old, is John Wuo's eldest child. He also voted in this election. Do you think he lives in Arcadia with his dad? Or does he own a home with his spouse, Teresa Wuo, at 19437 Twin Hills Place, in Northridge? While it's nice that the Wuo children are successful and own homes, it's just unfortunate they don't appear to own them in District 5.

I wonder how that conversation with John Wuo and his children went down? "Trust me, kids. No one ever checks voter rolls. And we really do need to help Uncle Roger."

Then there is the Hsia family, with 5 votes cast from their home at 1125 S. 5th Avenue. Two votes were cast by the husband and wife owners there, so those were probably legal ballots. But the others? It looks like Sen-Shihuan Shirly Hsia (37 yo) and Sengli Hsia (40 yo), own a home together at 11367 Mineral Peak Court in Rancho Cucamonga. The 5th vote cast at that house was by the 43 years old Sen-Ling Hsia.

At 1809 S. 2nd Avenue, 5 votes were cast. Jen and Chun Ping Wang are the husband and wife owners of the property. But Reynold Wang, a 34 year old, who also voted from that address, appears to own a home at 15821 Approach Avenue in Chino. Where do you think he actually lives? Most likely in the house he owns, right?

Then at 2028 S. Santa Anita Avenue, where only 4 votes were cast, Helen and John Shen are the husband and wife owners, so presumably they live there. But Tony and Lisa Shen, who also voted from that address, may be the title holders at 19 W. Naomi in District 4, not District 5.

Why would they register to vote out of 2028 S. Santa Anita in District 5 when the home this couple owns is in District 4? Do you think all of these folks will register to vote in D4 at that Naomi address in 2 years when Mayor Amundson runs? They do seem flexible. Run to the sight of the ballots.

I hope residents of District 5 will contact the LA County Registrar's Office and report this alleged unlawful activity. Until Arcadia gets its badly neglected voter rolls in order, this type of possible voter fraud is likely to continue. That and all future elections in Arcadia could retain a reputation for fraudulence.

Freedom of the press and voter integrity are stalwarts of our Democracy. Citizens must fight to protect their rights and, most importantly, their freedom to elect government officials in fair and legal elections. Did that happen here in 2018?

Don't let this election go down in history as a loss for Pro-Preservation Arcadia. Pull back the curtains and reveal the puppet master hidden behind them. District 5 was a close election, and only a relative few votes made the difference. What you have seen above are possible examples of how that difference was achieved. There are more.

Here are those deeds that I mentioned earlier. I am posting them to back up much of what I've written above.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

For 50 minutes of peace, love and understanding click here.

A fairly short tale actually because it is late and I am a little exhausted from all of this stuff right now. More on that in a minute. But here is the first half of the story.

It used to be that Sierra Madre was the lawless lands when it came to politics. There were more wild and crazy controversies, fights, feuds, and general mayhem found in The Foothill Village than just about anywhere else on the planet. It was from those days that The Tattler first found its place in our little world, and all of that controversy had sustained this blog for nearly a decade. Trust me, I was always very grateful. There was a lot to write about.

But obviously those days are now in the past. Last night Denise Delmar was made the Mayor of Sierra Madre in about as peaceful and untroubled a manner as you would ever hope to see. The only thing that was even close to a controversy was who would become the next Mayor Pro Tem, with JohnHarabedian and John Capoccia struggling over who could hand the honor to the other guy the most. Eventually Capoccia won and Harabedian was convinced to accept the honor.

After which everyone went out into the City Hall foyer to enjoy some cake and soda.

Things were the very opposite last night in Arcadia where no Mayor was chosen at all, and won't be until after a 45 day "cooling off period" has taken place. The problem being that the current Mayor Pro Tem, the eminently unqualified though next in line Sho Tay, is now faced with both the potential consequences of a rather unfortunate Brown Act situation, plus an ongoing two count FPPC investigation into his having possibly run a crooked political campaign.

This in front of a seething packed house as 35 residents angrily spoke to both sides of the issues during public comment, and mostly in no uncertain terms. According to the majority of these speakers you apparently are either a racist who has serious problems with Asian folks, or someone who countenances unchecked corruption in a city government lacking for all ethical values. There appeared to be little middle ground between the two sides as each persuasion seemed quite convinced that they alone were occupying the moral apex.

The current Mayor of Arcadia, Peter Amundson, will now remain in that office for an additional month and a half, which hopefully will be enough time for Sho Tay's guilt or innocence to be clearly established by these ongoing investigations. If it turns out that he actually is a crook, then the gig will fall to councilmember April Verlato, who would then become Arcadia's first woman mayor in quite some time.

There is also the matter of what could have been wide ranging voter fraud in District 5, something calling into question the legitimacy of Roger Chandler's election to yet another term. Something that will also be closely looked into during that now momentous 45 day cooling off period.

Oh, and there was no cake afterwards. Anywhere. Like I said, a tale of two cities.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

Mod: If you are not yet aware (few are), Singpoli developer Kin Hui and his lavishly compensated in-house publicist, former Pasadena Star News editor Frank Girardot, have been working on a media project called "The Hub." Originally a publication designed to appeal to millennials supposedly starved for news about clubs, boutique clothing and cannabis, it has instead pretty much hewed to previous Girardot foci with a heavy tabloid-style emphasis on urban crime. However, there has also been another purpose, that being to propagandize the priorities of big development outfits. Which, when you consider who is funding this money losing media effort, should hardly be surprising. Think of The Hub as a kind of Pravda for predatory McMansion builders. Below is an unpleasant article designed to create the impression that the motives behind denying Sho Tay the Mayor gig at Tuesday's City Council meeting had nothing to do with those various alleged corruption charges, or the local land use requirements of Mr. Hui, but were instead driven by purported City Hall racism.

Charges of racism, fraud fly at contentious Arcadia city council meeting (The Hub link): After a contentious two-hour public hearing Tuesday night, where residents accused some members of the council of racism, the Arcadia City Council bucked tradition by declining to elevate Councilman Sho Tay to the largely ceremonial post of mayor.

Instead, current Mayor Peter Amundson will remain as as the city’s titular head for 45 days, while a complaint against Tay, the city’s only Chinese elected official, is investigated by the state’s Fair Political Practices Committee.

“It’s an unprecedented move,” Amundson said, to a packed council chamber that at times turned raucous with derision. “But this has been an unprecedented election.”

A boisterous citywide election in March returned three incumbents — Tay, Roger Chandler and Tom Beck to the chamber amid acrimony from residents and candidates who traded barbs verbally, on the internet and via fliers sent to voters.

link

With the election results certified earlier this month, dozens of residents urged council members to “do the right thing” and proclaim Tay as Arcadia’s mayor for the next year. Several said any other move by the council could only be described as racist retaliation aimed at further dividing Arcadia following an ugly election.

“If you choose to bypass the opportunity to have a Chinese-American as mayor, what will it say to the 60 percent of Arcadia residents who participate in this community’s successes?” Singpoli CEO Kin Hui asked. “Will it say to our children that Chinese-Americans are great members of the community, but have no business as community leaders? That would be shameful and go down as an historic blunder.”

Using colorful and sometimes coded language, a handful of residents told the Council that complaints about Tay’s tactics were too serious to ignore.

“We the American People are here to ask the City Council to restore ethics to this chamber,” exclaimed resident Caroline Blake. “I say no to rotation, and to even one year with Sho Tay as Mayor.”

Tay described the FPPC complaint as an unfair election tactic used by his opponents who publicized it in various formats.

“They made me sound like some kind of criminal,” Tay said.

In seeking a vote to delay the election of Tay, Amundson described it as a “cooling-off period” meant to strengthen the cooperation between members of the City Council, and allow extreme emotions left over from the intense election to settle down.

With the cooling off period in effect, the next time Tay could be considered for the post of Mayor will be June 5.

Mod: You might want to blow in a call to Mr. Girardot and ask him what was meant by the use of the term "coded language." It is an ugly charge that I am sure he would love to discuss with you. The number at Pegasus Communications is (626) 247-2883.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

Mod: Every once in a while the GemCoins affair shows up in the news, and as a service to all of those who were scammed out of millions of dollars in this bizarre scam we try and keep up with the news. Here is a report that appeared in the Daily Journal last month, which is a newspaper sold mostly to attorneys. The big news here is John Wuo, the former Arcadia Mayor who was forced to resign his office due to his outsized role in the GemCoins scandal, has been served in the USFIA civil lawsuit.

Getting your Moutai on with Sho Tay!

Mod: The following pictures were sent our way by an attentive reader of The Tattler.

In case you are wondering what is actually going on here, this is the description our wonderful correspondent included with these pictures: "Could he become another John Wuo? Pictures taken Feb. 2017 from the TV. Here Sho Tay is promoting hard liquor MouTai. It is about 106 proof. I saw a MouTai store on San Gabriel in San Gabriel city. The store is not in Arcadia. The product is hard liquor, the store is not in Arcadia, and an Arcadia city councilmember should not promote it. I don't see other politicians lift up the bottle in the video to promote it. Except Sho. The Chinese words on the screen are "Raising your MouTai liquor in the cup and looking forward to a Happy Chinese New Year."

Apparently MouTai is a drink of some historic importance to government functionaries in China, and even here. Here is how Fortune Magazine describes all that (link).

While few outside China buy the liquor, MouTai baijiu is baked into national myth as the drink of choice for Communist Party leaders. It’s what Mao Zedong and his comrades toasted with at the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949. Just four years ago, the distiller was battling a slowdown as an austerity drive in Beijing slashed demand from government officials. But purchases by ordinary Chinese have more than compensated since then.

So there you have it. Get plowed with Chairman Mao. And Sho. But as a warning, if you do consume too much of this strong stuff it will be a long march to the bathroom.

You might want to bring a bucket.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

Remember those glorious days when Sierra Madre almost escaped the clutches of the delightfully acronymic SCAG? It seems like just yesterday here at The Tattler, while also being kind of far away at the same time.

Two of the major functions of this distressed mess of an Eisenhower-era planning bureaucracy is to crank out ridiculously overstated population growth numbers, and then use them to cram as much LULU housing development as possible down the throats of the communities living under their thumb. All done through the so-called "RHNA Planning Process." Whether they like it our not. And trust me, few cities do.

Inaccurate population increase projections are a SCAG tradition, and they've been making them since way back when Richard Nixon was young. Here is a bit from a Los Angeles Times article written in 1986 bemoaning the numerical idiocy of SCAG's then current crystal ball crack-up.

SCAG Report Predicts 43% Growth: County Criticizes Population Estimates for 2010 (Los Angeles Timeslink): Orange County supervisors said Tuesday that erroneous assumptions may have been used in a report projecting that Southern California's population will grow 43% by 2010. Supervisor Harriett M. Wieder said the report, issued Sept. 4 by the Southern California Assn. of Governments (SCAG), the area's major regional planning group, "raises a red flag" because its numbers vary so much from the association's past reports.

The SCAG report said the population in the six-county Southern California area will increase to 18.3 million by 2010, a 43% increase over last year's estimated population of 12.8 million. SCAG said that Latinos, the fastest-growing ethnic group, will constitute almost 40% of the population in the six counties in 2010. It said that Anglos, who accounted for 61% of the population in 1980, will then make up 41% of the total.

link

So you know, and according to the 2010 census, SCAG's numbers were only off by a little under 900,000 souls. Which, for the purposes they were designed for, made SCAG's 1986 population projections pretty much near useless. The chart to the left is from SCAG. At least they had the decency to 'fess up. Sort of.

Outside of predicting the future as inaccurately as they possibly can, another important SCAG priority is transportation planning. If you would like to see how they're doing with that, get in your car any early weekday morning and take a ride west on the 210 Freeway. Then spend a moment to wonder how in the world you chose to live under such horrid conditions, and why Utah wouldn't be a better place to spend that precious thing called your life.

But we are talking government bureaucracy in its most voodoo-like form, and it appears that our creaky and utterly ineffectual regional planning organization, one that consumes both large chunks of taxpayer treasure and the work hours of city staff employees everywhere, is having their big convention soon. And apparently it is a big deal who Sierra Madre will be sending there this year. So much so that the City Council is having a special one item meeting Tuesday evening just to decide who will go.

Here is the agenda notice (link):

Doesn't our City Council understand that by sending someone to this thing it not only helps legitimize their absurd and futile efforts, but will also encourage them to do even more stupid things in the future?

If you go to the SCAG website you can view what imperfect joys they have planned for this year's attendees. Here is how it is described.

Secure your tickets: SCAG’s premier annual event is fast approaching. The 53rd Regional Conference and General Assembly will convene on May 3-4, bringing together over 900 of Southern California’s most influential leaders, innovators and policymakers at the Renaissance Indian Wells Resort & Spa in Indian Wells, CA. The conference, titled “Southern California at a Crossroads,” will feature collaborative, solution-oriented discussions about the region’s future.

A diverse program of expert panels, keynote presentations and technical demonstrations will share insights on how our local governments and civic partners can work together to make the most of new technologies to enhance mobility, economic opportunity and quality of life. The event will also present the 2018 SCAG Sustainability Awards, which recognize excellence in sustainable planning throughout Southern California.

The event is free for elected officials and city managers in the region. For other attendees, a special early bird registration rate of $250 will be available until April 18.

Something I have always found amusing. Do you know where the head of SCAG, the mighty Hasan Ikhrata, got his career start? The defunct Soviet Union. Sort of makes sense, right? Here is an Orange County Register article that shares the news (link).

No joke! SCAG’s new leader was a Soviet planner (Orange County Register link): This is too good to be true. I have a habit of comparing myriad local and state planners to Soviet planners, given that their ideas seem so similar at times. Recently, I wrote a column about the planners at SCAG, the appropriately named Southern California Association of Governments. I say appropriately, because a dictionary definition of scag is heroin, and these folks are addicted to central planning and tax dollars.

Well, the new head of SCAG, replacing Mark Pisano, is Hasan Ikhrata. Check out this from his bio: “Hasan also worked abroad for the Government of USSR, Moscow Metro Corporation, where he conducted subway ridership forecasting, engineering design and analysis of TDM programs for the Moscow Subway system. Hasan holds a bachelor’s degree from Moscow University in the former Soviet Union and master’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and is a Ph.D. candidate in Urban Planning from the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles.”

At least now it will be easier to refer to the “Soviet planner” in charge of Southern California’s premiere planning agency!

I am not sure Hasan ever did get that Phd. Maybe he had trouble with some of the math. I've heard it is hard.

KFI's John and Ken don't like Hasan much, either. Here is a segment from their show they called "Hack In A Dumpster" (link).

So you know, San Bernardino won a SCAG Sustainability Award not too long ago. It was just before they went into bankruptcy. Hopefully Sierra Madre won't win one.

I can only hope City Hall registered in time to take advantage of the early bird special.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

Mod: I received the following as an email blast yesterday. I thought I should post it here for a more thorough review. If this unhappy deed is being done just so the city can fix or install sidewalks, consider that it would be on a steep hillside that only a few people outside of housekeepers ever climb. The folks living there would be far kinder if they would just start picking up their tax free cleaning help at the bus stop and leave the trees alone.

URGENT: Protest removal of 18 old olive trees; tagged on N. Michillinda Avenue near schools.

Dear Tree Defenders, Local Conservationists& “Walkability” Advocates, I just received the following message from Mitch Marich re: notices tacked to 18 mature old olive trees on N. Michillinda Avenue at the border of Sierra Madre and Pasadena. The sign in the photo reads, as far as I can decipher from enlarging the photo:

City of Sierra Madre

The Dept. of Public Works has approved the removal of this tree in the parkway on N. MichillindaAvenue. The trees will be replaced after street, curb and gutter improvements along with the installation of a sidewalk is completed.

If you wish to appeal this removal it must be submitted in writing to Chris Cimino, Director of Public Works by 5:00pm, 21 May 2018.

I am traveling and cannot investigate this matter; however, I’ve admired those old trees for years and cannot believe there is no creative means of providing pedestrian passage while also protecting these magnificent olive trees! Isn’t this situation exactly what “creative walkability design” is all about? Simply hacking these trees down to install more sun-baked concrete sidewalks and curbs is not an improvement of public space.

The capricious removal of mature old trees as the most expedient means of remodeling a mall parking lot, installing a sidewalk, implementing a new “streetscape plan,” clearing power lines that might be strengthened or rerouted instead, or whatever …needs to stop. The myriad values of old trees, from beauty to providing cooling shade… carbon sequestration to nesting habitat for small birds… production of seasonal flowers to fruit and nuts… all needs to be taken into greater consideration along with soliciting the opinions of all those who live, commute, and work in proximity to such trees. Mature trees are too often treated like expendable old signs or park benches.

They are elegant, living answers to global warming and reduce urban air pollution. Surely the City of Sierra Madre can design a better option that preserves these trees?

I hope you can contact friends and officials you know in Sierra Madre and immediately adjacent Pasadena about saving these trees. Submit your own protests opposing destruction of these venerable olive trees and request a stay of execution until innovative alternatives can be explored.

Olive trees can live to immense age and gain a gnarled and sculptural stature. None of us will live long enough to see trees of this girth again growing along this old parkway, even if tiny saplings are planted. More likely, only a few wimpy species will replace these grand old trees, such the usual crepe myrtles or scraggly ginkgo trees.

Apologies for not being able to provide the Sierra Madre address for the Director of Public Works. Call the City or check the Sierra Madre website for that information. Or drive by and see the notice on the olive trees for yourself. Please share this info. with others who may be concerned.

Large old trees are living remnant of a city’s history. Together, let’s find a way to save these olive trees!

An Additional Email

Mitch: This removal form is on 18 mature olive trees and a pepper on the east side of Michillinda at Sierra Madre. The reason is no doubt to put in a sidewalk as people have to walk in the street there. This is a reasonable goal and maybe even required by the ADA but not ideal.

It will be decades before replacement trees are useful. The northbound lane is quite wide here and there is room to just build a 3' sidewalk outside the current curb. That would crowd "my" bike space but be within normal spacing on many streets in Sierra Madre.

I'm not connected to the "tree hugger" community but I bet you are. It would be good if someone from Sierra Madre would register a protest and there could be reconsideration of the need and possible solutions. You have any suggestions for making sure interested parties can be alerted?

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

A bumptious Kin Hui back in the day - Nov. 1, 2016

The carelessly leveled charge of racism in beleaguered Arcadia is an unfortunate and sad tactic. That Sho Tay will not be raised to the office of Mayor until after the FPPC investigation into his alleged election corruption concludes is widely accepted by Arcadia's more temperate citizens. Yet there is a rather small and accusatory faction in town that would like you to believe he was at least temporarily denied the office due to racial animosity.

But this obvious red herring is hardly the real issue at work here. Rather it is a cynical political stratagem that is being used in hopes of defeating the opposition to mansionization and other forms of "Locally Unwanted Land Usages" (LULUs) in Arcadia.

Sho Tay sides heavily with these LULU developers and realtors, and this decidedly eclectic mix of selfish people are willing do almost anything to get him into the big seat. Even going to war with the people and government of Arcadia itself. Which they are now doing, and with a shrill vengeance.

Today The Tattler is taking you back to 2016 and a rather bizarre Pasadena land use controversy involving Singpoli's Kin Hui and a venerable YMCA building found there. A place Kin was widely suspected at the time of wanting to turn into yet another one of his ostentatious, bourgie hotels.

This rowdy rhubarb erupted on a Facebook page called Pasadena Politics, and featured a number of notable players, most prominently Kin Hui himself. It also starred his highly compensated publicist, former Pasadena Star News editor Frank Girardot. The fellow who has the job of enabling his boss's often loudly communicated will. More on that in a minute.

It all began with an original post of course, which went something like this.

Local Investment Firm ‘Floats’ Opportunities in Pasadena to Chinese Media (Pasadena Nowlink) - Beijing. Shanghai. Tianjin. Guangzhou. Shenzhen. Pasadena? The unveiling of the Singpoli Group’s 2017 Rose Parade Float at the DusitD2 Constance Hotel Monday afternoon might have also offered a peek at what may increasingly become a notable Chinese real estate and investment target: Pasadena.

Singpoli, the Pasadena and Arcadia-based real estate investment, along with its joint venture enterprises, BDK Capital, and 8sian Media, brought together a powerhouse of Chinese media companies, including one of the country’s largest Asian-targeted multi-channel networks and advertising platforms, for the unveiling event.

Along with the sponsors came the 2016 eXin media delegation from China, comprised of executives and leaders from top-tier China TV stations and industry associations. The delegation came to “visit local companies and institutions, and to exchange innovative ideas about new media industry,” according to a group spokeperson.

The event will undoubtedly contribute to increasing efforts to build Pasadena’s “brand” in Chinese markets. The official hosts of the event were Singpoli Group Chief Executive Officer Kin Hui; William Chu, chief financial officer of Singpoli Capital Corporation, and Dr. Gang Ding, of BDK Capital.

Pretty pedestrian press release style stuff, right? A group of overseas investors had come together in Pasadena hoping to make a little dough in real estate. Pretty much what America is all about. Especially in an era when such investment has become universal, and anywhere money is to be made will do just fine.

However, there were a few associated local land use issues that had made some Pasadena preservationists uncomfortable, and they saw this an an opportunity to share their concern with the readers of Facebook's Pasadena Politics. This lead to a rather lively conversation about LULU real estate exploitation and overseas capital, which for whatever reason precipitated the colorful outburst from Mr. Hui we cut and pasted into the above left hand corner of this post.

Apparently Mr. Hui was not trying to up his Facebook friends count that day.

It was then that the dutiful Frank Girardot, perhaps hoping to get his volatile boss to chill, leapt in and attempted to seize an upper hand. Here are two of his comments.

Note the use of the phrase "coded words." Frank used it twice that day back in 2016.

Last week in the Kin Hui financed and owned publication The Hub, which lists Frank Girardot as its editor, the following verbiage was used to describe opposition to the allegedly corruption tainted Sho Tay becoming Mayor. The article was titled "Charges of racism, fraud fly at contentious Arcadia city council meeting," and you can link to it in its entiretyhere.

“If you choose to bypass the opportunity to have a Chinese-American as mayor, what will it say to the 60 percent of Arcadia residents who participate in this community’s successes?” Singpoli CEO Kin Hui asked. “Will it say to our children that Chinese-Americans are great members of the community, but have no business as community leaders? That would be shameful and go down as an historic blunder.”

Using colorful and sometimes coded language, a handful of residents told the Council that complaints about Tay’s tactics were too serious to ignore. “We the American People are here to ask the City Council to restore ethics to this chamber,” exclaimed resident Caroline Blake. “I say no to rotation, and to even one year with Sho Tay as Mayor.”

Frank, who apparently is an old dog unlikely to learn any new tricks soon, has returned to using the same spin he employed in Pasadena two years ago. That is to accuse the opponents of his boss's outsized real estate ambitions of racial intolerance through the use of the term "coded language." By which I am going to have to assume he means being racially intolerant without using any of the words normally associated with racial intolerance.

A conundrum for certain. Perhaps Frank is alluding to the Orwellian concept of "thought crime?" You can only guess. We all have to work for a living.

That article from The Hub is credited to one of the news writers there, a fellow named Hugo Guzman. Hugo also works out of Singpoli's 25 E. Foothill address.

However, given the usage of what is obviously a favored phrase and tactic, you would have to assume that this piece was heavily edited, if not entirely written, by Girardot himself.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

link

A story that originally broke here on The Tattler on Apr 24 ("Landslide Roger: How Extensive Was Voter Fraud In Arcadia's City Council District 5?" link) is now up for discussion at tonight's Arcadia City Council meeting. Four of the folks on the council (Tom Beck is off viewing large animals in South Africa and as of this typing shall not be calling in), will be attempting to get a handle on what exactly went down in Arcadia's 5th district during the election there last month.

Apparently a considerable amount of homes there experienced something of an election population explosion, with empty nests filling back up with non-resident voting offspring no longer of fledgeling age. If agreed to this evening, the City Attorney would then hopefully take the matter to the District Attorney for a thorough forensic investigation.

So you know, voter fraud in a serious offense in California, with those participating in such a crime facing possible pokey time. Alex Padilla, who is the current California Secretary of State, has a web page dealing with this topic (link), and spells out the penalties for voter fraud this way.

Corruption of the Voting Process - Any person who commits fraud or attempts to commit fraud, and any person who aids or abets fraud or attempts to aid or abet fraud, in connection with any vote cast, to be cast, or attempted to be cast, is guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment for 16 months or two or three years. (§ 18500.)

Here is how the Agenda Report for this item reads.

Those concerned with vote count integrity will probably want to tune in for these one. Some of the key evidence to be considered will be the documentation we provided in our Apr 24 report.

Blogs matter. Sometimes.

Does anybody read The Hub?

Yesterday's Tattler post dealt with the topic of The Hub, and while the reader turnout for this report was decent, it in no way compared with what we saw for Sunday's news about those 18 threatened olive trees on Michillinda Avenue in Sierra Madre.

It has since occurred to me, does anyone even read The Hub, or care what about what they have to say? Perhaps not. Check this out. Here is a screenshot from the article that ran there on Apr 29. The topic dealt with grocery stores.

You see that little number in the upper right hand corner, just beneath the headline and next to the graphic depicting an eyeball? That's right, the number is 16. As in only 16 people opened that article and looked at it. In two days.

That is, like, an absurdly low number for a website of county-wide pretensions. A graveyard number.

You have to wonder why they even bother.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

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