"RG Homies" become the "Go-to Politicos" in Southeast LA

Blogger's Note: Its been a long time in coming, but today "Nacho", "Thuy", "Rebel" and the other members of the former Ramona Gardens Housing Projects familia turned the Chacon Political Family of Commerce, garnered their "fifteen minutes of political fame" with a front page, above the fold feature in the Sunday LA Times. Like the Chacons, this blogger also endured an early life among the "Bricks of RG". Then decades later in the late nineties, I would meet up again with these childhood neighbors turned rising politicos of Southeast Los Angeles County. At the height of their so called "political power", the Chacons would have three siblings in political office and work with the likes of the late former CD 14 Councilman Nick Pacheco's Chief of Staff Lloyd Monseratt to elect the likes of current CD 1 City Councilman Ed Reyes to office. But  some ten plus years after helping Reyes, the Chacon Machine is facing major scrutiny over their questionable back room proclivities and financial dealings.It is an open secret in Southeast LA that the Chacons were close associates of convicted South Gate Politico Albert Robles. In 1999, Hector Chacon, half-brother former Commerce City Councilman Hugo Argumedo and ally, former Commerce Councilman Ray "Gordy" Cisneros , told the likes of South Gate City Councilman Henry Gonzalez, that they wanted to make Robles the Commerce City Administrator, during the Grand Opening festivites of the Paseo Shopping Center. Some thirteen years later, one could make the case that the Chacons are the new faces of the Robles Machine in Southeast LA, more on that below---Scott Johnson.   

 Montebello School Board President Hector Chacon finds his way back to his Ramona Gardens hood.

In noting the picture of Hector Chacon above, those who know the brothers would almost mistake Hector for older brother Art Chacon who currently sits on the Central Basin Water District Board of Directors. Art Chacon, who was shot three different times in his RG days, had his criminal record sealed some years before. More recently, Art Chacon had a heart attack soon after being hit with $30,000+ in FPPC penalties.  

Somewhere in the Federal Prison System, incarcerated former South Gate Politico Albert Robles might have some thoughts on his former Chacon associates becoming the "go-to heavyweights of Southeast LA politics".

According to Commerce Resident and former Chacon associate Roger Bagne, The Chacon Brothers frequently used the Robles condo at Rosarito Beach in Baja, California. Bagne would later turn on the likes of City of Commerce City Councilpersons Tina Baca del Rio and Robert Fierro (below) who were onetime allies of the Chacons.

 Fierro recently pleaded guilty to trying to hide illegal campaign contributions and is awaiting sentencing.

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14 

Will Democratic Voters in the 50th Assembly District Say No to Legally Questionable Backroom Political Dealmaking?

"Unionize, Democratic Carpetbag Hauler overladen with $400,000+ of Special Interest cash for Ricardo Lara"

"Former Boyle Heights resident, now 50th Assembly District Candidate Ricardo Lara"

"Convict felon and former South Gate Treasurer Albert Robles"

Long-time South Gate City Councilman Henry Gonzalez is the point person within the working class city, for any young aspiring politico, who seeks his blessing for any future political endeavors. But leave it to Councilman Gonzalez to be "straight forward" in his assessment of your political attributes as the likes of 50th Assembly District Candidate Ricardo Lara and convicted ex South Gate Treasurer Albert Robles found out in the recent past.

In a extensive article in the LA Weekly, regarding the 50th Assembly Race to replace Gonzalez former City Council colleague and current Assemblyman Hector De La Torre, Gonzalez takes a dim view of the likes of Robles and Lara, who thinks that dubious backroom deal making is the only prerequisite for political office.

Gonzales is well known in the Southeast Los Angeles County Community, for his stance against the political corruption that was the M.O. of the Robles Machine's "reign of political terror" in South Gate during the early part of the 21st Century. For Gonzalez, the price he paid in standing up to the Robles Machine, was almost fatal, in a physical sense, as he nearly lost his life in a unsolved shooting, where he was shot in the head.

But while Robles sits in the federal prison somewhere, the likes of Gonzalez, De La Torre and numerous political activists in the Southeast, are concern about a new machine that seeks to impose its wills upon the small cities that comprise the 50th Assembly District. And if you look closely, you will find the same cast of political insiders, that enable the likes of Albert Robles to loot the city coffers of South Gate.

The 50th Assembly District has become ground zero in a political power play that could have statewide implications, but most important to ethical political observers, are the possible legal ramifications on how Ricardo Lara came to become the "chosen one" of the Latino/ Labor Coalition., that doubles as a potent political machine.

If we go back in recent political time to the 2007 46th Assembly District Race to replace former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, the likes of State Senator Gil Cedillo Staffer Auturo Chavez, Mayor Antonio Parkervillar Cousin John Perez, and Lara, all were ready to compete for the Assembly seat.

But "political divine intervention", in the form of County Labor Federation Leader Maria Elena Durazo and her longtime political soul mate Mayor Parkervillar, gave their blessing to John Perez as the anointed candidate in the 46th. But the "political consolation prize" for Ricardo Lara (Chavez has the misfortune of working for Mayor Parkervillar political nemesis Cedillo, thus no political capital to parley at the Getty House gathering noted in the Weekly article.), is causing some to question whether federal laws were violated, with Lara's appointment to a paid position on the City of Los Angeles Planning Commission.

KRLA 870 AM Talk Show Host Kevin James and other local political observers, have speculated whether Mayor Parkervillar had committed a federal crime under United States Code Title 18 Section 600 and Section 210, by giving Lara the LA City Planning Commission appointment, in return for droping out of the 46th Assembly District Race.

Now in 2010, is Lara asking the voters in the 50th Assembly District, to endorse the "LA Latino/Labor Coalition Way", of selecting the best candidate to represent the interests of Southeast LA County voters? How will the voters of the 50th respond to the looming machine on its borders?

Current Assemblyman Hector De La Torre, has endorsed Downey City Councilman Luis Marquez to him replace in Sacramento. Meanwhile Henry Gonzalez is supporting South Gate City Treasurer Carmen Avalos. This split may make it easier for Lara to divide and conquer his way to Sacramento.

But for the voters in the 50th who fight so hard to reject the Robles Machine, they may want to consider these facts. One of Lara's endorsers is Montebello School Board Member Hector Chacon, who ran against Hector De La Torre in 2004. During that campaign, the LA Times reported that Chacon hired an indicted associate of the Robles Machine Ricardo Hernandez, to help with his campaign. Further, it was a open secret that Chacon half-brother Commerce City Councilman Hugo Argumedo and another council ally Ray "Gordy" Cisneros, wanted to hire Albert Robles as the City Administrator in Commerce. They went as far to promote this at the Grand Opening of the Paseo Shopping Center in South Gate. A story that Henry Gonzalez told to me.

Then lets remember who was the "political mentor" of Albert Robles. That would be none other than former Assemblyman and Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alatorre confidant Lou Moret, who was sued by the City of South Gate, for his dubious dealings with Robles. Alatorre and the usual associates like Richard Polanco, LA City Councilman Jose Huizar, LAUSD School Board President Monica Garcia and Alatorre, are all united in supporting Lara for the 5oth.

But in ending, Henry Gonzalez may speak for the majority of the 50th Assembly District voters, when he recounts what he told Lara, in response to his feelers regarding running for office in South Gate as a pit stop, on the way to Sacramento.

Gonzalez, who still serves on the council, says that about four years ago, he was paid a visit from another young man interested in running for South Gate City Council: Lara.

At the time, Lara's goal was to establish himself on the local level before running for the Assembly.

"I said you ought to stay in your own district and run there," Gonzalez says. "He's a carpetbagger. Everything that man's doing reminds me of Albert (Robles)."

Some may agree with Gonzalez on this assessment of Lara, after all if Lara will take money to stay out of a race for office. How much will he take to get elected?

** BTW, where is Ricardo Lara having his "victory celebration"? Try the J Lounge in Downtown LA, ........... within the 46th Assembly District.

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14.

Morning Briefs and Outtakes for Monday

"The Albert Robleses of Southeast Los Angeles"

The last time I saw these two "Albert Robleses" was in Downtown LA's United States District Court.

Albert T. Robles (top photo) had been found guilty of multiple counts of corruption in the City of South Gate and was awaiting sentencing, meanwhile his defense attorney was Albert Robles (lower photo), former candidate for District Attorney, was attempting to get his client off with some dubious, verbal legal nonsense that drew a quick retort from the presiding judge.

Albert T. Robles was sentence to ten years in prison and Albert Robles went on to run for District Attorney, it is this campaign and the use of "robocalls" that has "Little Albert Robles" (nickname from those in the know in Southeast LA), under investigation for not disclosing who paid for the calls.

One would of thought that with the conviction of Albert T. Robles, that the "Robles Machine" would fade away, but to the contrary, the machine has been entrusted to the likes of "Little Albert" and others (Angel Gonzalez, Chacons, Pedroza, and others) in Southeast LA who were taught by the likes of Lou Moret and Richard Alatorre.

The machine shows its face in the form of political mailers that make outlandish charges from fictional campaign committes, with paid street walkers from "Victory Outreach" handing out campaign material and the use of absentee ballots to get out the vote.

Somebody might want to ask Montebello City Councilman Robert Urteaga how he feels about the Chacons and their tactics, at this time ??

Other News:

** Nick Patsaouras and Doug Epplehart are highlighted today in Daily News Rick Orlov "Tipoff Column. Patsaouras wants to create an office of "ratepayer advocate" to oversee the DWP. Epplehart wants to cut in half the salaries of the Mayor, City Attorney, City Controller and City Council.

Thumbs up on both, but let Corina get her half from Tony first.

** Those low rent paying merchants at El Pueblo have responded to the audit from the City Controller Office and lets guess who is patting himself on the back for his leadership on this issue ?? Hint, huevos for you, if invited.

** A no-brainer from the Editorial Board at the "Daily Moldy Green Sheet" about the need for the City of Los Angeles to revamp its business taxes.

** Rumors are circulating on the streets about fraud in the Mayor's Gang Prevention and Intervention Program, what do you expect when you are paying $6,000 to "Summer Night Lights Advocates" and awarding contracts to those who contribute to re-election campaigns ??

Your thoughts......

Eastside Insider Lou Moret faces lawsuit in South Gate for "Robles Era Dealings"

In CD 14 political folklore, the 1984 attempted recall of then Councilman Art Snyder stands out as one of the formative political events which help heralded the entry of Latinos into modern day City of Los Angeles politics.

One can remember Steve Rodriguez, once the host of President Jimmy Carter for a overnight visit in his Hillside Village home, who parley that visit into political capital, thus initiating the recall of Snyder. But who was the late minute entry into the race to unseat Snyder that year? That person, Lou Moret, is in the news today for his dealings with convicted South Gate politician Albert Robles.

The City of South Gate since recalling the associates of the Robles Machine, have been working non-stop using the legal system to go after after the recipients of the political payola dished out by Robles and their cronies.

During the Federal Corruption Trial of Albert Robles it was disclosed that Robles and Lou Moret had a relationship that dated back to the heady days of Robles entry into politics.

Moret, former Chief of Staff to Assemblyman Richard Alatorre and well known for his work inside the boxing ring as a referee of numerous Championship Prize Fights, offer advise to the young ambitious Robles which grew into a "mentorship" over time...and a $12,000 a month consulting contract.

That relationship led to advising Robles on the issuance of contracts and hiring at South Gate City Hall. Those dealings have led South Gate officials to file a lawsuit against Moret for his role in issuing the "KlistoffTrash Contract" that was a key part of the successful prosecution by federal prosecutors of Albert Robles.

Moret, who holds a Doctorate in Public Administration was just appointed to a seat on the CalPERS Board of Directors by outgoing Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez. The board oversees investments of public employees retirement funds.