#Richellary2020's Pre-Halloween Campaign Treats for (future) Political Tricks Event, hosted by the Ghouls and Miscreants of Southeast LA Politics

On the eve of Halloween 2018 (and another Legal Notice directed to "Team Huizar"?), the reigning #MeToo Enabler of CD-14 will be the recipient of "Campaign Treats", in return for later "Political Tricks", as the Who's Who of Southeast Los Angeles Bad Boy Politics, become the latest to support #Richellary2020. 

The #Richellery2020 Campaign's #MeToo Enabler (with sign).

** Blogger's Notes: On the eve of Halloween 2018 (and another Legal Notice directed at a certain Princeton Graduate?), the #Richellary2020 Campaign dons its best #MeToo Enabler Costume (more like everyday wear) as the Who's Who of Southeast LA Bad Boys Politics, coalesce as the Shake Down Crew, that fills the Team Huizar's Money Bag with Campaign Treats ........., for future Political Tricks.

A quick review of the Host Committee's List of Ghouls and Miscreants, reinforces the appropriate costume choice of #Richellary2020 as exampled by the likes of .........

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Mid-Day Briefs on the Crumbling Los Angeles Political Machine for Monday

 Gabriel blow your horn on the Los Angeles Political Machine. As we enter the last year of the Mayor Antonio Villar's "Reign of Corruption", the walls are crumbling on the dirty dealings of the associates of the Villar Machine.

 LACCD Inspector General Christine "The Hotness" Marez.

Former Mayor Tom Bradley administration official Art Gastelum (gray hair in center) and his Gateway Science and Engineering firm, get generous column inches of attention from the Los Angeles Times as the expose of questionable financial dealings within the LACCD Capital Building Programs continues. But strangely absence from the LA Times latest missive on the antics of Gastelum's Gateway Firm are any mention of former five year Gateway employee and now LACCD Inspector General Christine "The Hotness" Marez (BTW, a friend tells me that Marez was creative with her "hotness" during her time at LAUSD). Were just speculating here but those in the know on the LACCD scandal wonder if Gastelum's former employee has turn on her former boss considering the controversy surrounding Marez's fitness to serve as LACCD Inspector General.

** The City Council out of no where filed evictions proceedings against the operators of the Los Angeles Theater Center as the Downtown News reports. The Latino Theater Company and the Latino Museum of History, Art and Culture have been feuding partners since winning the controversial contract to run the facility in 2003. We should note that former Los Angeles Pension Board Member Montezuma Eaparza is the Executive Board Chairperson of the Los Angeles Theater Center and the likes of Michael Delijani, Maria Elena Durazo and Art Gastelum serve on the General Board.

** A Mayor Villar appointee to the North Valley Planning Commission Victor Simpson has attracted the ire of City Councilman Tony Cardenas for operating two sidewalk recycling centers without the proper permits. as the Daily News reports, Cardenas finds Simpson's actions ..... well galling. For Cardenas, the violations are particularly galling given Sampson's longtime position on the area planning commission, a group tasked with development decisions. The Coldwell Banker executive, who owns numerous commercial sites in Sun Valley, was first appointed to the commission by former Mayor Richard Riordan in 2000. 

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14

LACCD says goodbye to Art Gastelum and FTR International over Shoddy and Fraudulent work at Mission College

Art Gastelum's political friends can help only so much when the smell of corruption becomes too toxic

With a looming criminal investigation on the horizon, the LACCD Board of Trustees unexpectedly took action to terminate the contracts of Irvine based construction company FTR international and the politically connected construction management firm Gateway Science and Engineering, which is owned by Art Gastelum.

For months since the LA Times series of exposes on the massive problems within the $5.6 Billion dollars LACCD Construction Program, the issues surrounding the construction of the Allied Health Building at Mission College, has been the poster child for what happens when you mixed political connections and construction. 

But as LACCD moves to disassociate itself from toxic political smell of Art Gastelum, the connected contractor is not going out quietly as noted by the times.Gastelum strongly criticized Marez's role in the recommendation to terminate his contract, saying she was "running around wild trying to protect her job.".

Marez is the same Christine Marez who worked for Gastelum and was hired by LACCD as its Inspector General, overseeing the construction program.

One can smell major CYA here and we should add this from the Van de Kamp Coalition as posted in the comment section of the times story.

Can Christine Marez be trusted with the records confiscated today?  Can District headquarters personnel be trusted with access to these confiscated records?  Is there a risk the Marez's real job is to sanitize the record before someone shows the connection between wrongful acts by LACCD Board members or LACCD Central Office administrators?  The Van de Kamps Coalition has seen thus far, only Inspector General reports where contrators are revealed as acting unlawfully and LACCD staff are shown as being ethical.  Are all of the IG's reports going to sanitize the personal involvement of Board members and high administrators?

Stay tuned but do not hold your breath.

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14   .

Art Gastelum at the center of latest LACCD contracts irregularities expose

Gateway Science & Engineering Owner Art Gastelum in center of photo.

"There is no rule that says you cannot revisit the score if you can save money,"

Gastelum's quote from Los Angeles Times story on latest contract irregularities at LACCD

....... or perception of saving Art? That is the premise behind the latest LA Times story on the on-going investigation into contract irregularities (ie bid-rigging) at the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) massive capital improvement program (Prop J).

The latest centers on changes to bidding scores and the nefarious interactions that were the root cause. But as the Van de Kamp Coalition points out, how can LACCD and the public interest be served if the contracted Inspector General Christine Marez, has her own conflict of interest issue as noted in the comment section of the Times story?

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