Vindictive Behavior of former Founding Board of Neighborhood Empowerment Commissioner Tammy Membreno the "Root Cause" of Exhaustive Measures against the LA-32 NC?

Recent emails (and DONE complaint) chronicles the "Do as I Say, Don't Do as I Do, Vindictive Behavior" of former Founding Board of Neighborhood Empowerment Commissioner, current Executive Director of the "Connected Non-Profit Barrio Action" and LA-32 NC Vice-President (before quiting the board, again) Tammy Membreno (** with help of a certain "El Sereno Delusional Society"/ LA-32 NC Board Member).   

Wonder what Mayor Eric Garcetti would think of his Mayoral Supporter's racially-tinged, vindictive ,insensitive email comments, considering the attacks on his ethnicity during the 2013 Mayoral Campaign.



** Blogger's Note: As the LA-32 Neighborhood Council nears tonight's first meeting under the punitive "Exhaustive Measures" of "Disempowerment LA", Board Members of the occupied NC will be dealing with the "vindictive, root reasons" behind the subjective actions taken against the community-elective body, as caused by former Vice-President Tammy Membreno (who quit the board, again). Ms. Membreno is no stranger to the Insider Community of Los Angeles Politics, back from her time as a young staffer to late, legendary CD-14 City Councilman Art Snyder, serving as a founding Commissioner of the Board of Neighborhood Empowerment (appointed by then Mayor Richard Riordan) and according to community members, allegedly, parleying her relationship with former CD 14 City Councilman Richard Alatorre, into her current position as the Executive Director of the longtime El Sereno, "Connected Non-Profit" Barrio Action (** which currently has no Board of Directors listed on its Website). Over the years, Barrio Action has served as the Fiscal Agent for the likes of the Bicentennial Parade Committee, the El Sereno Farmers Market and Councilman Huizar's "Winter Wonderland". In recent years, the former DONE Commissioner has served on the last three incarnations of the LA-32 NC, including the current board. During the last NC Board incarnation, Ms. Membreno, who did not seek re-election after serving under the Presidency of Hugo Garcia (who's board dysfunction we previously noted), manage to get herself appointed to a board vacancy and elected President (overseeing the noted CLARTS Fund Townhall Meeting, that allegedly prompted her soon after resignation due to political pressure), to counter the possibility of Rose Hills Activist Anthony Manzano assuming the position. For whatever reason (maybe dealing with past threats against her?) Ms. Membreno has held the Manzanos (both former LA-32 NC Member Joe Manzano and son, current LA-32 NC Treasurer Anthony) in low esteem. Sadly, it was those past issues, in my opinion, that have metabolized into a personal, vindictive vendetta against the Manzanos (and those like myself who sought to mitigate the personal nature of the dispute), along with other political motives that divided the board and brought about "Disempowerment LA's" punitive actions, due, in part, to the misguided allegations and comments in the disclosed emails (and complaint) below---Scott Johnson in "Disempowerment LA-occupied LA-32". 

-------- Original message --------

From: Scott Johnson
Date: 11/18/2013 2:41 PM (GMT-08:00)
To: Castro Connie ,anthony manzano ,tammy membrano ,eddie santillan
Subject: Re: LA-32 NC Executive Committee Meeting
Good Afternoon Connie,

For most part, I am in concurrence with your request. That said, its disappointing that our outstanding fiscal issues will have to now wait until the New Year for resolution.

I STRONGLY recommend that you seriously explore removing the Budget and Finance Committee Members who did not show up to last Friday's meeting (Tammy Membreno, Yolie Garcia.

Its obvious that this issue has become personal to the likes of Tammy Membreno and Yolie Garcia (** Yolie and her husband Jorge of the "El Sereno Delusional Society", have a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles over the recognition of the Rose Hills Community), which inhibits objective resolution of these issues. The required paperwork is all ready to be submitted but it would seem that some committee members want Anthony Manzano to resign as Treasurer first, before working on the behalf of the NC to finalize the pending resolution. 

With respects,

Scott Johnson

LA 32 NC Recording Secretary

** Tammy gets subjective, threatening and deviates from the truth with her response (which did not merit a response).

Nov 18, 2013 

Hello Connie

I thought I would take a minute to address Mr. Scott Johnson's current concern with the budget and finance committee and his assertion that now the issue has become "PERSONAL" with the likes of Tammy Membreno.  

Personal would mean that I have a been in a position to share my personal life  AND A INAPPROPRIATE INVOLVEMENT with Mr. Manzano and thus our PROFESSIONAL INTERACTIONS CANNOT BE SEPARATED FROM ONE TO THE OTHER.

If Mr. Manzano was interested in my input on all the REQUIRED WORK FROM THE TREASURER that needed to be turned in at the next meeting, well his inability and stubbornness to place a courtesy call to figure out if I could make the meeting, made it impossible for me to know and plan ahead. I found out that a meeting was happening after getting a notice TWO DAYS BEFORE THE MEETING.

It is obvious from your request to have Ms. Garcia and my self remove from the committee, that you are his "personal" adviser since he is not the one requesting it and he is the Chair of the committee.  I have been clear in my desire to have Mr. Manzano either step up and accept and own his mistakes or be removed from the role that obviously even with all your advise,  and direction cannot do on his own (or in this case with your help).

Let also be clear Mr. Johnson that I will not take a passive position on your verbage when you describe my activities on the board.  You have no reason to continue to use words such as "high jacking" and openly lie at meetings on what actually happened at other meetings. This kind of language is of course obvious from the previous email that went out to some board members from Mr. Marquez and it is interesting that the "verbage" being used by the likes of you is that same as that was in that email.  I am not going to sit there and wait for you to cue me in as to how I need to vote or what to do.  You will not take disparaging lies and make them your truth because unlike others, I will seek legal action against you.

Let me refresh your memory Mr. Johnson - the meeting of November 19, 2013, was TO SERVE AS THE MEETING IN WHICH BOTH THE BOARD AND BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE WOULD COME TOGETHER TO RESOLVE AND APPROVED NEEDED ITEMS.
Mr.  Johnson, you currently have the upper hand on the board; people are listening to you and following you and your lead.  It really does not matter why, whether you have done favors for them or bring them into the fold, you should use this leverage to get things accomplish for this board.  If you do not like the questions, do not think that by you raising your voice and trying to intimate or trying to imply in any way that some of us should not hold a place on the board, will keep me quiet.

I am confident of my skills in my tool box.  And there are many other board members that are equally confident but are disappointed and demoralized from some of the actions on the board.

Please feel free to call me so that you can report accurately my positions and intentions as a board member.  You have my number.

** Tammy's board supporter and El Sereno Delusional Society Member Yolie Garcia backs up her Barrio Action Mentor .......
Nov 19, 2013

Fellow Board Members,

My intentions were to compose and send this email when I learned about the Budget and Finance (B&F) Meeting scheduled by the committee chair, Anthony Manzano.  I first found out about the scheduled B&F meeting when Anthony emailed the agenda to the entire Board on Wednesday, November 13, 2013.  Prior to this notification, I had no idea there was going to be a B&F meeting on Friday the 15^th.  

In fact, I was looking forward to the November 19 Special Meeting to work on unfreezing the funds and moving past this unnecessary waste of time.  I was able to confirm my planned attendance to the November 19 meeting because it was scheduled with time and not last minute. Unfortunately, now we will all need to wait to a later date since the November 19 meeting will not be taking place due to lack of quorum.

Contrary to Scott Johnson’s opinion, I was unable to make arrangements with a 2-day notice to attend a 5:30 B&F meeting on Friday.  Like many of you I work full time, like some of you I dedicate time to other organizations, and like a few of you I have school-age children.  

I find it disrespectful of Scott Johnson to request for me to be removed from the B&F committee for missing a meeting scheduled with little notice and no consideration or courtesy of asking B&F committee members if they were available to attend.  At no time did the B&F chair ask if the time and day of the meeting worked for the members.

In addition, we would not be having this issue if the chair had scheduled regular monthly meetings as the rest of the committee chairs.  I have constantly asked for regular monthly B&F meetings.  I have also stated that the B&F meetings need to be working meetings to prepare the mandated paperwork to DONE.

Scott needs to take an un-bias look at the record, of all the past meetings that have been nothing but a waste of everyone’s times because the Treasurer Anthony Manzano failed to fulfill his duty.  It’s absurd for Scott to blame me for the past 3 months of the NC budget being frozen.  Why doesn’t he say something about getting rid of Anthony Manzano?  Scott is okay with Anthony Manzano who is the one who got the NC budget frozen and has kept it like that for 3 months.  However, if I miss a last minute meeting, he thinks he can blame me as if it has all been my fault.  That’s just ridiculous reasoning.

So for Scott to try to turn this situation into a personal matter is far from the truth.  If anything, Scott’s statements clearly show that he has some personal issue against me and/or Tammy Membreño.  If he can’t be enough of a man to include me in his e-mail when he is talking about me then maybe he needs to keep his sorry excuses to himself.

For the record, Anthony Manzano needs to schedule regular monthly meetings with input from the other committee members and take the necessary documents/paperwork to complete the tasks before us. If the NC funds remain frozen, it is not because Tammy and I missed the last B&F meeting.

Sincerely, 

Yolie Garcia

** In late December, 14 of the 21 LA 32 NC Board Members, used their power granted to them via the LA-32 Bylaws, to call a Special Meeting where all the outstanding fiscal issues were resolved, without Tammy Membreno, Connie Castro, Edward Santillan or Yolie Garcia in attendance. But that did not end Tammy's vindictive behavior as we continue below.....
** In February, as the majority of board members sought further review of her, Connie and Yolie Election Committee's Proposal which would of bypass the oversight of the Budget and Finance Committee, Tammy quit the LA-32 NC, again, alleging the following ...........

On Thu, Feb 6, 2014 at 6:11 PM, Tammy Membreño <membreno_la32nc@yahoo.com> wrote:

Dear Ms. Connie Castro

This email is to serve as my resignation to the Elections Ad Hoc Committee.  Last night, I experienced what was the last straw of the ineffective way this Neighborhood Council operates.  Not only did a number of boardmembers not allow me to describe the process of what the Committee had resolved to do in terms of the outreach and events, but they also infused their personal agendas of having their intended and specific vendors to be part of the motion.  Never did Mr. Manzano, Mr.Johnson or others called on me to speak on the process and the items that would be part of the detail budget intended to be sent to DONE. 

I am also in this email conveying my utmost disgust with Mr.Scott Johnson’s remarks made at the end of the meeting as we were all leaving the Senior Center.  He stated that Elections Committee had damaged the integrity of the LA32NC by allowing such a motion.  In hearing this, I approached Mr. Johnson and asked him why he felt that it damaged the integrity (with the emphasis on the integrity) of the Board.  He then shouted to me “yes, Ms. Membreno, I can use big words”.  My question was not about the “word” it was about his remarks about the integrity of the committee and of course my personal integrity as the Chair.  He then proceeded to state that perhaps he “needed to go to Barrio Action for tutoring to have more words in his vocabulary”.  I responded to Mr. Johnson that we would be happy to assist him.  However, he took the time to belittle, mock and ridicule the work that we do at the Center by stating that “we could NOT help him since we not speak English at the Center and does want to be with those people”.  His remarks are denigrating, defaming and insulting.  These are the words that come from someone who DOES NOT LIVE, WORK OR OWN PROPERTY IN OUR COMMUNITY and is unable to respect the work that Barrio Action has done for the last 35 years of existence in this community.  These are the words that come from a City of Los Angeles employee who works for the Department of Recreation and Parks and who day in and day out probably work with individuals who are less fortunate and with much need of services.  This is the person who uses this kind of vilification of those less fortunate.  I will also make it a point to have his immediate supervisors know what words are uttered by their employees.Ms. Castro, I will also be stepping down from the LA32NC so that I may file a grievance against the Board for its attempts to stop the community from moving forward in their quest to find good, solid and caring community members to be part of this Board by stopping the election process for their personal agendas.  Please take heed of my words because I do intent to make sure that the next elections has candidates that do have the best interest in hearts for the LA32 Neighborhood Council. 

On , Scott Johnson wrote:

Tammy,

 In your own words from a previous email exchange with a LA-32 NC Executive Member (** with my words in bold

 http://mayorsam.blogspot.com/2009/11/discord-within-collectivist-junta-that.html

From: Tammy Membreno <tmembreno2@sbcglobal.net>Subject: Re: Agendas: LA-32 NC Exec. Board & By-Laws Review Comm. Mtgs.To: "Hugo Garcia" <hugogarcia1@sbcglobal.net>, tmembreno@sbcglobal.net, "freyjaseidr" <freyjaseidr@yahoo.com>Cc: "Claudia Dunn" <Claudia.Dunn@lacity.org>, "Sarai Molina" <Sarai.Molina@lacity.org>Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 8:48 AM

 Sadrai (Tammy) will not engage with you at this level. this email is irresponsible and totally unprofessional. i take your "crew" and "gang" remarks (that are denigrating, defaming and insulting)  very serious. i have never attacked you on a personal level as you have today. i have always try to respect you and your position as the treasurer (Vice President) on the board. if i worked with other board members to get answers to so many unanswered questions from the budget (Election) committee is my right and responsibility as a member of this neighborhood council.

 Tammy E. Membreño, Exec. Dir. Barrio Action Youth & Family Center (323) 221-0779 - x 107 Phone/voice (323) 223-8417 - Faxmailto:Faxtmembreno2@sbcglobal.net

 with respects,

 Scott Johnson

LA 32 Recording Secretary 

** Again, Yolie Garcia stands by her Barrio Action Mentor Tammy.
On Monday, February 10, 2014 10:31 AM, Yolanda Garcia wrote:After reading Ms. Membreño’s e-mail, I felt disgusted and insulted to know that an individual, Mr. Johnson, with this type of mentality is on the board of a neighborhood council who serves and represents a population that is 70% Spanish speaking.

There is no justification for such ignorant and xenophobic comments, especially when it’s coming from a City employee, who is serving on the board of a City funded entity. Any person who makes these types of racist and derogatory comments should be removed from our local neighborhood council.

I sincerely hope DONE steps in and takes measures to make sure that people know this will not be tolerated. To do nothing about this will send the message that it’s okay for board members to say these types of vile and hurtful words to fellow board members and stakeholders.

Regards,

Yolie Garcia

** But somebody reported a completely different (and truthful) version of Tammy's allegations to DONE.
On  February 5, 2013 I attended the L A- 32 Neighborhood Council meeting as a stakeholder.

I attended this date to share with all those in attendance overall traffic safety issues within the CD 14 area during the public comment period.

I stayed for the duration of the whole meeting.

During the course of this meeting I observed a lack of professional courtesy from 2 female board members towards other board members in attendance ie, failure to allow other board members to speak after being granted permission to to do so by the presiding officer , interruptions while other board members were addressing the stakeholders, disparaging remarks towards other board members and continuous interruptions throughout the meeting.

At the conclusion of the meeting  I observed one of these same females as she was walking towards the back of the meeting room  turn around and make very disparaging , distasteful, derogatory , racially tinged remarks and gender bias remarks directed to one of the male board members.

I personally felt offended not only as a female stakeholder but as a multi cultured individual.

After observing this very horrible displayed overt behavior by this female board member I immediately shared both my concerns and observations with Done representative Jay Handel.

I subsequently learned the identity of the both of the female board members as Yolie Garcia and Tammy Membreno.  It was Ms. Membreno who was the individual who made the unacceptable remarks toward her fellow male board member at the conclusion of the meeting.

I submitting this communication  to you and asking that you conduct a complete and comprehensive investigation as I feel that both of these females as displayed by their overt documented unacceptable behavior are not worthy of representing L A- 32 Neighborhood Council.

Please feel free to contact me for any additional information surrounding my observations.

Caroline Aguirre.

** Ms Aguirre's complaint gets immediate attention from DONE with this response .....

 

From: Lisette Covarrubias <lisette.covarrubias@lacity.org>Subject: Re:Date: February 20, 2014 1:36:07 PM PSTTo: carolineaguirre@sbcglobal.netCc: Leyla Campos <leyla.campos@lacity.org>

Good Afternoon Ms. Aguirre, 

I hope this email finds you well.

Your complaint was forwarded to the Department by Mr. Jay Handal, Independent Elections Administrator for the LA 32 NC.
Your complaint has been reviewed by staff and we would like to inform you that the LA 32 Neighborhood Council has been placed in Exhaustive Efforts so as to address the issues that impact their functionality.

We thank you for bringing these matters to our attention and we will be working with the NC to address them.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Best,

 

........ and as Tammy again leaves the LA-32 NC via quiting, whoops her resignation, I would like to implore her not to HIJACK any future LA-32 NC incarnations with her clearly self-serving, petty, vindictive mannerisms.

Your thoughts .................

Scott Johnson in "Disempowerment LA-occupied LA-32".