Mayor Sam's Sister City - Home of Los Angeles Politics: Who is Blowing Smoke (or Not) in the Race for Montebello City Council?

On the Eve of the Montebello City Council Candidate Forum at the Quite Cannon, a recent "Landmark Court Decision", regarding the City of Huntington Park Medical Marijuana Permit Process (involving Commerce/Montebello Persons of Note), gives credence to Ethical Concerns expressed by Incumbent Montebello City Councilwoman Vivian Romero and others.

The 2018 Montebello City Council Elections is a Cannabis Affair.

Arnold Alvarez-Glasman, former Montebello City Councilman and Managing Partner of the City Attorney-contracting (Calderon/Chacon Political Family connected) Alvarez-Glasman Colvin Law Firm.

** Blogger's Notes: With three weeks remaining before November's Montebello City Council Elections, the ten Candidates seeking the three contested positions, will meet tomorrow evening (Thursday from 6-8 PM) at the Quiet Cannon Event and Conference Center, for what should be a spirit discussion on the continuing (or not) Legalization of Marijuana (mixed with the usual Financial, Public Safety and other assorted issues).

Montebello, like other neighboring municipalities, has been engaged in a communal soul-searching on the fiscal benefits and adverse ethical ramifications, of going "Fully-Legal", in allowing for cultivation, sale of Medical and Recreational Cannabis ........., especially in a community that is home to the notorious Calderon, Chacon Political Families and a certain City Attorney-contracting Law Firm.

In recent weeks, the Mayor Sam Blog has been witness to a growing documentation that associates of the Calderon/Chacon Political Machines, are seeking to harvest a Cannabis Mother Lode from politically-controlled, Southeast LA Municipalities (via property acquisition, cultivation and sale of) .............., with the constant legal enabler being the City Attorney-contracted Alvarez-Glasman, Colvin Law Firm.

From Huntington Park, Commerce and currently Montebello, community activists, along with Officeholders (as exampled by Incumbent City Councilwoman Vivian Romero), have been vocal in pushing back against alleged ethical-transgressions ............, with substantiated cause.

The City of Huntington Park (and its City Attorney-contracted Law Firm), was on the losing side of a Landmark Legal Decision, as excerpted below.

In 2017, D|R Welch filed a lawsuit against the City of Huntington Park for allegely unfair business practices, civil conspiracy, RICO, and violations of the First Amendment, Fourteenth Amendment and the California Constitution. The lawsuit states that City council members allegedly devised a fraudulent scheme to rig the City’s medical marijuana business permit application process and receive kickbacks from application fees, while prohibiting applicants from attempting to contact City council members. In its decision regarding the constitutional claims, the Court found that the City’s Ordinance violates the Fourteenth Amendment right to Due Process, and the First Amendment's protection of Free Speech, as well as constitutionally protected "advocacy & lobbying" activity, both of which are considered core components of Free Speech.

For the record, the Huntington Park City Manager at the time of this scheme, was current Montebello School Board Member (and Hector Chacon ally) Edgar Cisneros, who was later named the Commerce City Administrator, ........., with the hiring of the Glasman Law Firm (note the connection).

Below, we have review the allegations made in the DR Welch Lawsuit, matched them with the Campaign Mailer "Marijuana Talking Points" of Councilwoman Romero ......., and the conclusions are troubling for the ethical future of a city, in need of a "smoke-free, transparency tomorrow"-----Scott Johnson.

From Lawsuit detailing scheme to bid-rig and enrich Huntington Park Power Brokers (including the infamous friend of Jack Hadjinian ........., Mario Beltran)