Padilla's Love Affair with the City of San Fernando -- PART IV
Here was my plan. Take all of the info I have been given and had been able to find about our Council President Alex Padilla and put together a post, a sort of expose, before his little Senate race. The post became so long I split it up. Today's post was supposed to wrap it all up in a neat tidy package and I'd head off into the sunset for a relaxing weekend.However, I'm changing directions. I'm going to use this post to address some of the comments from the previous three parts, and ask your patience while we continue the series next week. I have been flooded with e-mails, but one I received just last evening took the cake. I need a day to vet it all out, as everything posted so far in this series has and will continue to hold up to the fire, and hope to continue feeding your appetites for a bit.
My summary of the posts so far is this:
Alex invests in three campaigns in the City of San Fernando to get a desired outcome in a heated race. His picked bloc ends up getting sued (Dr. Jose Hernandez, Julie Ruelas) after the election, which causes the city to most likely payout a million dollars to clean up his mess.
His anti-liquor and inflammatory hit pieces used in the campaigns do not coincide with his granting of liquor licenses for his henchman James Acevedo.
This is how he makes a "GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION" on the citizens of San Fernando-- a shortfall of one million dollars out of their budget and leaders in the pockets of a proven slimeball.
Alex Padilla can most likely count on the support of Julie Ruelas and Jose Hernandez for his senate seat, which will mean jack shit, because they're responsible for the lawsuit and we're helping to expose all of it.
Lame duck Nury Martinez is left to ponder her next move, despite her day boss, because Senator Richard Alarcon is already endorsing Assemblymember Cindy Montanez.
And the City of San Fernando has these idiot members thanks in part to Alex Padilla himself, and they have a lawsuit over an issue they have no business having any part of, being that they can't even control these issues in their own backyards.
Now, to address a few of the comments...
Part I set the stage for the play. The comments speak for themselves.
Part II introduced the controversy over my use of bringing the daughter of an elected into the mix. A few thoughts...
1) Again, the screen captures I used are all in the public domain. They were all put there by her. She is of age. The 30 some-odd other pictures and posts and e-mails I sat on, even though they would prove my case that much more and prove Ruelas had intimate knowledge of what was going on. But I didn't, and I won't, because I only needed to make the point that if you can't control your own house, how dare you try to control everyone else's.
2) Any parents out there should learn a valuable lesson about this. Teach your kids about the internet. Anything they post or send could come back to bite them in the ass. If you need an example, contact Tony Scudellari
Part III introduced the money, or pay as we like to call it. We also introduced you one of the people who Alex Padilla likes to call his "trusted advisor." The comments again speak for themselves.
Add it together and the picture begins to form....Playing with elections....Paying certain friends.... Conflicts over city issued permits....Ties to the Hahn Administration...
Stay tuned for Part V, looking at Sylmar...
This one brings it a little closer to home, right inside CD 7, and the City of LA...
This one brings it a little closer to home, right inside CD 7, and the City of LA...
(Look for updates to this series next week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. I figure if Alex Padilla can ignore the masses during Council Session on those days, we can give them a forum and a little chit-chat to keep them occupied and relieve the stress. Chalk it up to another public services that the Sister City provides for our constituents.)
Posted by Anonymous @ 8/26/2005 06:45:00 AM
74 Comments:
Mayor Frank, you must be under the influence of a Cindy-staffer. Padilla's actions due merit discussion, but you have no evidence whatsoever that Ruelas and Hernandez are under the tutelage of Padilla.
Just because Padilla supported Hernandez and Ruelas does not mean they answer to him or will endorse him in his Senate Race. Secondly, you are obviously ignorant of San Fernando City politics and have failed to see some of the good that Ruelas, Hernandez, and Martinez have done.
Third, the liquor license has nothing to due with Padilla and the Council trio. They were adament about the liquor license prior to the city's election in March. Go and read the council minutes. Also, Padilla has nothing to do with the current lawsuit and is no way related to Hernandez and Ruelas getting sued by a redeveloper who claimes his civil rights are being denied because the council won't issue him a liquor license permit.
I look forward to see how you connect this, however, next week.
7:45 a.m. you need to clean your glasses if you cannot read how this is all tied together.
Anon posted yesterday & what happened Alex's sores?
I can attest to that Mayor Frank's series of stories on this subject come from information from multiple sources within the 7th District and beyond.
All these stories about Alex is just the tip of the iceberg. Alex and Tony are doing to the East Valley what Alatorre and Polanco did to the eastside. Totally dismantling the public's trust of elected officials to the point that the general public doesn't give a rat's ass about who is in office - hence the pathetic apathy rate. This allows them to operate with impunity and there buddies make millions while crime rates, school drop out rates, unemployment rates, and any other statistic confirming inner city blight takes root. Not much has changed in Latino communities in Los Angeles over the past 30 years, with the exception of a nearly 300% increase in Latino elected officials.
I would think somebody like "crybaby" has made major enemies stretching from the 818 to East Los Angeles. Why are they 'crying' foul when the chickens come home too roost?
Why u cryin? Why u cryin?
Walk it off! Walk it off
-G.LO
9:38: You hit it right on the money. Short and sweet.
Its really sad that the friggin city council president's district looks like sh**. AP might the "high & mighty" of politics, but that does not necessarily translate into a "community accomplishment," but more of an indivual one. Nobody benefits but him and his cronies of him being soooooo "influential."
Meanwhile, the streets look like sh**, well except for the street his mother lives on. That's been repaved twice. No street lights, No sidewalk, and whole lotta nuthin on my block
- Pissed of Resident on Montague.
7:45 is Gerry Guzman. Nury Martinez's husband who has to defend "the gang of three".
7:45 Ruelas almost pee'ed in her calzones when Alex asked her to be on the Padilla/Huizar education committee. As far as I'm concerned that committee is another campaign stint for both Padilla/Huizar and it'll go nowhere. Prediction: education committee disbanded after elections. Huizar continues his presidency legacy of having done nothing. Padilla continues his presidency legacy of having done nothing.
NO WONDER THESE TWO LOVE EACH OTHER SO MUCH! DIME CON QUIEN TE JUNTAS Y TE DIRE QUIEN ERES.
Ruelas is an idiot she's gun hoe in supporting anything Chilletas does. Moron Ruelas, by supporting Mayoral control of LAUSD you give away any possible influence you currently have with the district. Doesn't the lame duck see she's being used. Here's her thought pattern..."Uh I'm the mayor of San Fernando and I want the LA Mayor to control the schools in my city." Hell she should be pushing for break up of the district! I would if I was the city of San Fernando.
9:38 you are right the Padilla east valley politico's dream to one day be as ineffective as the east side politico's were. How inspiring!
7:45 what good have the three done please be specific?
In my day, we'd even keep up Alex's district, even though it is way out in the boonies.
We would lay new Asphalt and pour Concrete sidewalks that would last for a generation or two.
The problem is lack of interest from Alex to provide even basic maintenance for his district.
Why don't you walk the side walk from Astoria and San Fernando Road northwest to Roxford. Yeah, I know we last poured concrete there in 1954. But, you know the current residents wouldn't know who, what or how to sue even if they tripped. No need to be concerned about liability.
So, this fine district along Route 66 in Sylmar is part of the land that time forgot.
And a place that Alex Padilla has never been.
10:07:
Good insight.
Are you from East LA?
I agree with some of the comments listed above; some parts of the 7th district do look like sh*t. Streets are unpaved, many communities do not have sidewalks, traffic is increasing along the major intersection routes, redevelopers are building like crazy, no new parks are being added. The Seventh dictrict needs to get away from its liquor store-automotive shop look.
Perhaps Padilla has focused his efforts on trying to maintain his council presidency than with providing Dictrict 7 with quality servces.
Who do you think sould replace Padilla, should he win next year's senate race?
"They were adament about the liquor license prior to the city's election in March."
So they wanted it elsewhere? I do recall them calling that 'elsewhere' (zoning area) "Cantina Row" by Alex Padilla's independent expenditure.
You're flip floppin.
These stories are come from the Villaraigosa camp. Don't be shocked...the Democratic Party is looking for the next Latino National Candidate for Hillary and Villaraigosa is eliminating competition. It gets tough, in politics there are really no friends or people you can trust.
And Yes I am in the KNOW!
oh god. Alex Padilla is a brown Al Gore--big, dumb, and no personality. He doesn't hold a candle to the San Antonio's Julian Castro. Ideas wise, background, and energy.
Keep dreamin' Acevedo.
Alex does bear a striking resemblance to that other "little brown one", George Bush III.
Anon 11:28
You are so NOT in the know. Anyone of real consequence does not need to post how much they are involved. In fact, they try to down play it.
Get a life.
Mayor Frank, or should I say Michael Cortez and Miguel Santiago, are you writing this on your state computer? A FOIA request has been submitted. Cindy will have no choice but to fire you both.
12:07
Maybe so! Word down in the Capitol was that Alex was being paraded by Republican consultants weeks back.
His shenanigans with Jim Hahn in cutting deals with the governator prove if any his loyalties, if any.
And Jerry if you are indeed 7:45, way to stand up for your family! Don't let these assholes get away with their lies.
But I do have a big question -- where will you and your wife be in this race? Will Alarcon force Nury to help Cindy - if he doesn't have a race?
Who's Koretz going to back?
-???
You could compare Sylmar with a city of the same size. Let's choose either San Fernando or Watsonville, CA. The population is close. The square miles are close.
Watsonville: 4-6 police patrols all shifts.
LAPD: It used to be 1-3/4 cars per shift. Maybe better now.
San Fernando: 4-6 police patrols
all shifts.
Watsonville: 3-4 fire stations.
LAFD: 1 Station that serves Sylmar and San Fernando.
San Fernando: A Pacoima, Mission Hills and Sylmar neighboring fire station to serve all.
We could keep going on for pages about the City Services, but you should be getting the point.
And 25 days after Alex is sworn in for his last 4 years, he has gotten bored and needs a new job in Sacramento. Something isn't right here.
12:08 p.m.
OH, goody, are some low-level grunts at city hall about to be busted for trying to be king makers?
HA!
Are you say'n Alex can be a republican spy?
I love living in the North East San Fernando Valley, but I think that it is time for change - at the local and state level. We do need a new group of elected officials to replace the current ones we have on the city council, state assembly, and state senate.
We need someone who is going to answer to the people (not to redevelopers) and finish out their term. This musical chair nonsense in the Northeast San Fernando Valley is crazy.
James Acevedo are you listening? We need a new slate of elected officials for the northeast Valley. Trust me you people won't be happy with whomever is elected to represent that area of any area in LA
I say Cindy should just move to the City of L.A. and run for Alex's seat. She did some pretty good things for San Fernando and was very involved in the San Fernando community. She is approachable and a nice person to know.
What ever happened to the San Fernando Deomcratic Club?
Maybe it is time to get Alex Padilla to sign a contract with the community that he will fulfill the four years we voted him in for.
But perhaps Alex is bored.
Taylor, the only paper Padilla will sign has to be approved by Villaraigosa or Acevedo first. His big daddys.
BTW, Padillas new name on the blog is "Chilletas, Lloron, and poster G.LO calls him CryBaby. Take your pick.
I agree with 1:11PM. Elected officials in the Northeast San Fernando Valley are concerned with planning their next move (literally) that they forget they have an obligation to the people they represent.
I don't think Dictrict 7 has gotten any better. Sure a library has been constructed here and there (don't get me wrong, I am all for education) and a street has been paved here and there, but it seems that the quality of life and the environment is detiorating.
Have you been done Glenoaks Street and Polk Street? Pot holes everywhere. I am all for affordable housing but Padilla needs to preserve some of the open space in his district. Oh yeah, and there are no good places to eat and shop at in the NE Valley (for the most part).
Residents are tired of hauling their asses to the West Valley just to go to a nice restaurant.
Alright, enough of you spam bloggers!
1:20:
those libraries were from money earmarked by the prior council adminstration/riordan. give credit where credit is due. ap just got to cut the ribbon.
2:35
That was my point. Alex can claim to do this and that, but the results just don't show.
To Anon 11:17-
Don't you read the blog regularly? No, he should not win the Senate seat. Cindy is.
Mayor Frank & Associates are onto something. Nobody has ever REALLy critiqued AP's actions. Let's see if he folds or not.
Ya gotta realize in my day, we didn't like the Japanese, as a War Vet, but I am still dead.
I hear Sushi is pretty popular these days. So is Starbucks. So are movie theaters and multiplexes.
Do you realize Watsonville, CA has 3-4 of each of the above? And San Fernando has one of the highest grossing Starbucks in Southern California.
But Sylmar: no Sushi, no Starbucks and no movies.
But, we have Mark Handel who wants to build homes right against the 210 Freeway. The Sierra Club put out a Highway Health Hazards report last year pointing out how unhealthy living next to a freeway is and the resultant lung and respiratory disease issues.
That didn't stop Alex from pushing this project. What does the Chamber and Neighborhood Council want next to the Freeway? Why retail. The community wants a Sushi Bar, a Starbucks or 3 and a Movie Complex.
To Anon 1:17-
Sorry, I read it wrong. IF Alex were to win (uh..sure) who should replace him? Nobody that currently works for him.
Or what the last poster said.. Cindy should move to CD 7. She'll whip Sylmar into shape pronto. And nope, I don't work for her.
One thing I find funny about these post is the outrage directed towards Alex Padilla. People are outraged that he is influential and that he has increase his influence by (apparently) NOT serving the public interest as much as he could.
You idiots sound like a bunch of turkeys in a barn, "The farmer's not feeding us enough! These conditions suck! Yaddah, yaddah, yaddah!"
Any politician will pursue their best interests. It is up to US to design a government that harnesses a politicians best interest to work in the public's favor.
Our local system of government grants power and authority to politicians that don't neccesarily help all of us out. In fact, it heavily rewards politicians who slight our interests!
All this vitriol should be channelled into something productive! Pull your heads out of your butts!
What would make a Councilmember NEED to be more responsive to the needs of the citizenry? Where are the checks and balances in our local government that will create a system we can mostly agree is working?
None of you numb-skulls seems to think about this stuff before whining about the next political scandal.
Though politicians are to blame for their indescretions, they are a product of a system we all have created! Focus on changing that system, and you get different types of politicians.
Gobble gobble you turkeys!
I'm not taking sides and I'm not trying to change the thread to BFI (I swear), but I have to say that the problem with Roxford and San Fernando Road is the huge trucks going to the dump. And no matter how often the street is repaired, since we are getting even MORE diesel trucks going to the dump, it will get worse.
Woah. Mayor Frank, I didn't know you were having Celebrity Bloggers on here man?!?! Had I known you were going to have Noam Chomsky (aka 3:01), I woulda had him autograph my guestbook on my blog.
bad lookin' out!
3:03:
Thank god we have elected's like AP to stick up against those landfill companies!
-the Real Sierra Club.
San Fernando and Pacoima are fucked as long as you have people like Cindy, Nury, "Gerry" Guzman, et al in charge.
They play ethnic politics.
Nury made some dumb remark about how they ain't gonna gentrify my community.
Yea.
Real good Nury. So you are saying we must stay a slum or we will not be pure to our ethnic identity.
As a Latino, I choose not to live in a shithole, so I moved to Studio City from Arleta.
..and Padilla, Cardenas, and Villaraigosa etc etc etc.
all the same bunch right?
- homogenous blogger
Hey Sam Taylor
San Fernando also a good sushi place called Courthouse Sushi on Maclay by Cindy's office.
12:59 ask julie ruelas, joe ruelas her husband, jose hernandez, fat fuentes, the barrigans, etc...defunct as far as San Fernando is concerned
3:17
FUBR I'll buy you a shot Sunday night.
5:33
You're on. Just find me a good bar in San Fernando, and its a deal.
You realize I am bit of a racist from the "old school", but Sushi has hit San Fernando. Make me dead twice.
But, OK, I am gonna check this out real soon.
Sadly, there used to be a fine Armenian Restaurant across the street from there, but it seems to have gone away.
There is a very fine Seafood Restaurant off of Glenoaks east of Hubbard called Rocamar. That place is always a fine treat.
Now what's this about buying a drink in San Fernando? I don't recall that they sell booze there.
What bar? You got to got to Sylmar
to buy booze!
Or we can just head over to Santa Clarita. They at least have some clean restaurants there.
And if you don't like your sushi- you can always have a good tamale at the always delicious- always huge tamales at Gourmet Tamale on Maclay. With pineapple, meat, chicken, pork, vegetarian, or wrapped in banana leaves.
Nury is hot.
So 11:44, I mean Sir Mix Alot you came out of retirement eh?
It's basically the old school versus the new school on the City Council and I don't necessarily mean by age. San Fernando is turning into a much better community and in four more years we'll see more of it transforming as i have in the last four years.
It's so amazing to see how people in the community pit one against the other. It's nothing new. I don't expect it to change. Alot of this is personal too, not just political differences. It's a really small bunch anyways.
Either way I'd choose to live in San Fernando rather than Pacoima or many parts of Sylmar under the thumb of Alex Padilla. Don't get me wrong, alot of Sylmar is getting better (thanks in part to Padilla and Alarcon when he sat on the council), but it seems that AP is neglecting the most vulnerable part. Heck man your the Council President...use some influence and leverage with your general managers to get streets fixed at least those that can be repaired. I go to other council districts and streets in more affluent areas are being repaved by council members some of whom live in those areas. So obviously you have some influence as a council member AP. Start breaking some balls to do even more for your district
Little in the middle but she got much back ... I'm down with that.
Damn it Kim:
We have advised you a million times that Diesel Trucks are necessary for commerce.
The more kids that land in Olive View with Lung and Respiratory conditions help the Medical Community. Just because County Taxpayers are paying out millions to cover all these illness issues, doesn't mean it is bad for the medical community. Lots of jobs at the Hospital.
And please remember what I told you about how inefficiency over at Bureau of Sanitation is over major benefit to their unions. So what if dumping at Sunshine costs the City an extra $100 million per year.
You realize that each trash truck costs $60 per hour to operate. If 20 trucks each take 180 minutes to complete a round trip from the Los Angeles basin to Sunshine Canyon, you are looking at a line haul cost of $3,600.
If recycle sorting was done at the collection yards and all the green, paper, glass, metal, plastic, electronic waste and other valuables were removed downstream, you could then put about 20 local truck loads into one transfer truck.
Financially, you would pay for one transfer truck to the dump at $180 and you'd save the cost of running 19 other trucks out to Sunshine at a cost savings of $3,420. Multiply that times the thousands of trucks needlessly going over to Sunshine.
And it would take less trucks to run the routes and less crew.
Now, all the recyclables you recover all have a market value, so the City of LA could end up saving money by not doing business as usual.
But remember, you are getting in Arnie's way and the Union's won't be happy with less dues paying workers.
Why don't you just go play out on the freeway and leave these decisions to the business as usual insiders? Besides, if you shut down some amount of Sunshine Cyn. dumping, you wouldn't be able to point out that Dan Palmer Jr. wants to put in 50 homes per acre right next to the World's Largest Dump. Leave these fine folks alone.
Just curious... why would Nury Martinez be "pondering her next move"??? She will go with Alarcon to the Assembly and be employed for the next 6 years.
She has plenty of options, is connected with many groups and if she ever ran for anything would have plenty of support... including mine.
Dear 12:23
I agree. Nury would definately have my support if she ran for office. She is a good person, and stands up to the Montanez click on the San Fernando City Council (Veres and de la Torre).
The reason why Nury would have to ponder her next move, if even that, is because as of right now, there is not really any opportunity for her to advance politically. Alarcon is probably going to the state assembly, should Cindy decide to run for State Senate, and Alex and Cindy are to battle it out for the state senate race. Given that, there is nowhere for Nury to go, but only to stay on the San Fernando City council for another four years until Alarcon and Cindy can no longer run due to term limits.
And by the way who is planning to run for CD7? Whoever runs better be in the for the long haul. I am sure people are talking about that race already
August 28, 2005 9:52 PM
That seat isn't opening up until 2009.
So...CD 3 already has a couple of people soliciting support for that seat.
Nury needs to dump that loser Gerry first. What an albatross. People wonder why a girl so smart ends up with a boy so dumb.
Talk about getting personal
If you are becoming emotional over comments on this blog than you don't deserve the right to post anything.
oh who's the emotional one 6:18. Post something intelligent next time
Anyone notice that Alarcon seems to be AWOL as of late?
Big Mutt is baaaack. This series is almost as good as Weeds. almost. Speaking of which... why doesn't San Fer get a pot club? WeHo has seven of them. Why cantina row when you can have Amsterdam row? Then all those bickering San Fer councilmembers could go eat sushi, smoke a fatty, and fugghettabouttit. Dr. H would fall asleep as usual, and they could all forget what the fuss is about. Maybe even get a 5-0 vote for making San Fer mo betta.. nah, fat chance.
I'm still looking for all the good that the Troika has done. I think turning off the live TV coverage of city council meetings was great. Who needs an informed citizenry anyway? Look what it did to Venezuela!
Speaking of Venezuela... oil is at $70/bb and Alex P drives a HUGE gas guzzling black SUV with tinted windows and bling rims (OK... I lied about the rims). Cindy M drives a.. yes.. a Prius. good gurl.
Tom Soto to the rescue, time to green the Alex.. get him a Hummer that runs on churro deep fry.
the dog will be back with more soon-ish.
Big Mutt -
Learn how to spell! I have been to many city council meetings. Dr H. does not sleep.
Why do you mention that Alarcon has been AWOL?
I can guarantee that he was on the Senate Floor doing his job and he was also in his Sacramento office.
Many know that we are working on getting the 405 HOV Lane project moving. I suspect that Richard is overly concerned in protecting his friends over at CalTrans.
He did mention that he strongly believes that Design-Sequence is the way that his team want to do business.
With a good Design-Build team, this project can really move along and get some badly needed Prevailing Wage construction jobs out there for the labor force.
Watch Richard. He wants that Assembly seat, but he doesn't want to disturb his CalTrans teammates.
So politics may kill our HOV lane.
BR is that you?
3:03
Who is the Real Sierra Club and who is the fake one?
6:08 PM-Sam Taylor
I'm not sure who Sam Taylor is or who you are, but I admit... for a minute, I was stunned and thought you were serious.
Then my sense of humor kicked in. I see you've done some Sunshine homework. At least identify yourself to me. I'm easy to find if I don't already know who you are.. funny post.
Oh I have a good idea who sam taylor is. Kim u could guess this one by carefully reading through his posts again.
this thread is still going strong, that's impressive
Now that we know who da mayor is and his partner in blogging, will this thread get beyond the chismes? we need to hear from people who know the Alex well so we can make a list of all his great accomplishments. This will give the valley sumtin to look fwd to if he wins the senate seat as some have insisted he will do.
woof woof
here's my list of real things that Alex actually did to improve life in the SFV :
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