So What The Deuce Is Going On In Arcadia?

Richard McDonald

Mod: As much as I hate to tear myself away from our non compos mentis presidential election, duty calls. What follows is an article printed in the current edition of The Foothill Advocate, a small weekly news publication hot out of Pasadena. I must confess to not knowing too much about the topic. At least not yet. However, I can tell you this. The same state laws that enabled the ethnically dictated political gerrymandering of the Pasadena Unified School District are in play here. Ironically, and as you probably recall, an effort that left PUSD's Board of Ed with no increase in minority representation. Folks still didn't vote. Another bone of contention is the presence of Richard McDonald, the same wily attorney that represents those locally controversial CETT McMansionites at One Carter in Sierra Madre. He is apparently intimately involved in this dust up as well. Something that suggests the usual development suspects might be a driving force behind what is described below. And yes, it's probably about the money. 

Asian group claims Arcadia denies civil rights (The Foothill Advocatelink): An Asian-American civil rights organization has demanded that the City of Arcadia retire its at-large electoral system in favor of City Council elections by district.

A letter to Mayor Tom Beck from an attorney representing the Chinese American Equalization Association outlined several reasons for the demand including the under-representation of Asians on the City Council. The demand is similar to one submitted in August to Monrovia officials by The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF).

“In fact, U.S. Census and State population data shows that Asian-Americans constitute 60 percent of the City of Arcadia’s population, and 50 percent of its registered voters,” the HQH letter, written by Pasadena attorney Richard McDonald says. “However, it appears that only one of the current members of the City Council is Asian-American.”

Additionally HQH wants the city to write an ordinance and ask voters to approve City Council districts.

McDonald’s letter asks Arcadia officials to respond by Nov. 15, or face further legal action.

City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto said Arcadia has attorneys reviewing the letter. He said the City Council will take up the matter in a closed session. He also said that there’s no telling how long the process could take.

Lazzarretto referenced the demand filed by Hispanic rights group MALDEF in Monrovia, saying that he’s been aware of nearby cities fielding similar demands.

HQH President Ted Tian also said he was familiar with the MALDEF demands. In fact, he was inspired by those efforts.

“I heard something like this was happening in Monrovia,” he said. “And I thought ‘We should do that.’”

But HQH’s demand is unique in that an Asian-American group is behind it. In March 2015, the City of Fullerton received a similar demand letter from Asian Americans Advancing Justice - LosAngeles and the ACLU of Southern California. Just four months later, Fullerton decided to settle the lawsuit and let voters decide on whether to adopt districts this November.

Although HQH won’t be the first Asian-American organization to make such a demand, Tian still hopes to make history.

“We believe that if we do this, other places will follow,” he said.

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