Padilla's Love Affair with the City of San Fernando -- PART III

First we brought Hernandez. To recap, he was once a Padilla enemy, then boosted by Padilla's "vaunted political machine," was re-elected back into office for a second term where he promptly followed the puppet strings of Padilla and went back on previous actions causing the small city to face a potential million dollar payout.


Then we introduced Ruelas. She too runs about the city under the support and tutelage of Padilla claiming to be all things to all people, and yet can't seem to keep order in her own home.




Now we bring you James Acevedo, Padilla's grand pubbah who is just as guilty as Padilla in the previous messes described.

Now, there is probably enough on him to start an entire separate blog, but I will stick to liquor permits, development in San Fernando, and Padilla.

A few words of note before I proceed. If you want an interesting read and other info on Acevedo, you should read this write-up from Kevin Roderick. I don't get along with Roderick at all. That is well documented. Thus his outside opinion from back in 2002 gives you an independent look untainted by me. I was still in the grave back then. Also, he was a Port Commissioner under Hahn. You know my nasty habit of boring port posts and my feelings towards Hahn. But again, I am putting all of this stuff and this stuff aside and focusing on the topic at hand.

It turns out Padilla and Acevedo have a history of such actions in small surrounding cities long before they screwed San Fernando...

James Acevedo was a lobbyist for La Superior Market in Pacoima in 2001-- (click 2001 lobbying clients). La Superior was bidding for a conditional use permit, the same type denied in the aforementioned lawsuit. During that same year, Padilla was paying thousands of dollars as well to Acevedo.
He was also the man behind Cardena's failed city council bid in 2002 and Yolanda Fuentes' assembly bid that same year.It's nuts! This man has bought his way into half of the eastside's pockets. This game of liquor permits isn't new to these folks, nor is screwing with small cities where you think you can be king.

Still not convinced? How about this read from the LA Weekly:

In the race to succeed the term-limited Tony Cardenas in this Northeast Valley district, Yolanda Fuentes was a last-minute recruit. This Cardenas staffer was managing her boss'’s campaign for the L.A. City Council when it became apparent that no one else from the Cardenas/–Alex Padilla machine would oppose Cindy Montanez, the young mayor of San Fernando who'’d earned the machine'’s ire. And abruptly, Fuentes (a well-meaning young woman of no particular depth)— was transformed into a candidate.

Montanez was elected to the San Fernando City Council three years ago, at a ripe old 25. There, she opposed a large downtown development --— then used her considerable community-organizing skills against that development until the city was up in arms. That won her the machine'’s enmity, since the project's consultant was James Acevedo, Cardenas'’ lead henchman.

OK, I know, to easy. What development could they be refering to? Hmmm... let me think....

Stay tuned for Part IV, Tying it all together