Monica Garcia Contributor Association with Corrupt Building and Safety inspector Samuel In

LAUSD School Board President Monica Garcia's Campaign Donor ties to corrupt Building and Safety Inspector Samuel In.

Should Monica return contribution from associate of corrupt Building and Safety Inspector Samuel In?

We will call this the story behind the contribution.

First, this contribution from former CD 14 City Councilman Jose Huizar staffer and founder of Grande Vista Associates Gustavo Valdivia.

08/31/12

Gustavo Valdivia   (Owner, Grande Vista Associates) Porter Ranch, CA 91326

MONICA GARCIA  LAUSD - District 2 1346436 - MONICA GARCIA FOR SCHOOL BOARD 2013

A - Monetary Contribution Received (IND - Individual)  [Period: 07/01/12 to 09/30/12]

$1,000.00 [Election: 03/05/13]

Second, regarding Grande Vista Associates past "contract issues" with former HACLA official Victor Taracena, who was convicted and jailed for bid rigging.

About the same time, Taracena began awarding larger contracts not only to family companies but to the three politically connected firms on the Eastside, each of which received payments of just less than $100,000.Representatives of two of the firms -- the Estrada Courts Residents Management Corp. and Grande Vista Associates -- denied any knowledge of rigged competitions. "I'm just happy that I got a contract," said Gustavo Valdivia, head of Grande Vista.

Third, when a dubious Building and Safety Inspector is force into retirement, who is there to offer job and support?
.

A year later, In was listed in state records as chief executive officer of Grande Vista Associates, a consulting firm that had previously been linked to a scandal at the city's Housing Authority. A Times investigation in 2007 found that Victor Taracena, a construction manager for the authority, steered contracts to politically connected firms, including Grande Vista, without competitive bidding or after rigged contests.One bidder told The Times that he tapped Gustavo Valdivia, a former aide to Councilman Jose Huizar who was Grande Vista's lead consultant, to help him compete for the work — and found out that Grande Vista had secretly submitted its own lower bid. The housing authority paid Grande Vista nearly $99,000 to prepare schematic drawings of restrooms, parking stalls and ramps and other areas.In said he received no income from Grande Vista and got involved with the firm as a volunteer only to learn more about public outreach, one of the services the firm provides. In also said Valdivia asked him to be an officer."I'm a very simple person. If I can help people, I will help. It's all a positive thing for me," he said.

...... and from today's LA Times, this positive story regarding In.

Samuel In, 65, agreed to plead guilty to a count of felony bribery stemming from a 2008 incident in which he accepted $5,000 in cash from a Koreatown businessman, according to documents filed in federal court.As part of his plea agreement, In admitted to accepting more than $30,000 worth of bribes involving at least a dozen properties that he handled in his official capacity between March 2007 and December 2010, said Assistant U.S. Atty. Joseph Akrotirianakis. All were in or around Koreatown.

Thus, we wrap up this bloggin teachable missive on the questionable ethics behind the supporters of the reigning Gorda at LAUSD. ** Oh BTW, what happen with the poor kids school lunch money?

Your thoughts ..............
Scott Johnson in CD 14

Past Dubious Tales via Current Contributors of Monica Garcia

Mayor Sam continues is quest for stories behind the donors to selected political candidates. Our latest installment details the dubious tales behind such Monica Garcia donors, as Marcos Aguilar and a certain ex Councilman Huizar staffer Gustavo Valdivia.

** Blogger's notes: As Mayor Sam continues its coverage on the multiple story lines behind the most recent campaign contributions reports for the upcoming March Elections, please partake for the moment in reviewing the following exchange between Hillel Aron of the LA School Report Blog and LAUSD School Board President Monica Garcia, in a recent interview.(** our comments in bold)

LASR: You’ve raised a lot of money from charter schools. Isn’t that a conflict of interest since it’s the school boards job to approve or disapprove of charters?MG: I’ve raised money from a very diverse set of folks. Charters are one of them. That’s a separate conversation than the way I do my job (** that conversation commences below).I need people to invest in the campaign. Whether it’s the largest public works program that built 129 new schools, 160,000 new seats, and the equivalent of 8 acres of parkland, or the people that, everyday we buy paper and pencils and toilet paper and napkins from –– those people care about who’s here. Like I said, there are people who contribute to a campaign and want to support my reelection. I welcome that (** .... and we are obliges to provide commentary).LASR: If a Congressman was on the Energy committee and was taking money from the coal industry, I think people would look at that as a story. Isn’t this the same thing?MG: The effort to raise money for my campaign reelection is not about the influence in how I do my job (** we may conclude to the contrary). Or the decisions. I’ve done my job, I have a record, it’s been very clear, it’s about kids. I’m inviting whoever wants to invest. They can do their $1,000. 

Maybe the dubious tales behind the contributions listed below, may cause Monica to reconsider that last comment, considering ....

08/29/12	Marcos D. Aguilar   (Educator, Semillas Sociedad Civil) Los Angeles, CA 90065	MONICA GARCIA  LAUSD - District 2 1346436 - MONICA GARCIA FOR SCHOOL BOARD 2013	A - Monetary Contribution Received (IND - Individual)  [Period: 07/01/12 to 09/30/12]	$300.00 [Election: 03/05/13]
09/18/12	Marcos D. Aguilar   (Educator, Semillas Sociedad Civil) Los Angeles, CA 90065	MONICA GARCIA  LAUSD - District 2 1346436 - MONICA GARCIA FOR SCHOOL BOARD 2013	A - Monetary Contribution Received (IND - Individual)  [Period: 07/01/12 to 09/30/12]	$100.00 [Election: 03/05/13]
10/18/12	Marcos D. Aguilar   (Educator, Semillas Sociedad Civil) Los Angeles, CA 90065	MONICA GARCIA  LAUSD - District 2 1346436 - MONICA GARCIA FOR SCHOOL BOARD 2013	A - Monetary Contribution Received (IND - Individual)  [Period: 10/01/12 to 12/31/12]	$100.00 [Election: 03/05/13]
11/09/12	Marcos D. Aguilar   (Educator, Semillas Sociedad Civil) Los Angeles, CA 90065	MONICA GARCIA  LAUSD - District 2 1346436 - MONICA GARCIA FOR SCHOOL BOARD 2013	A - Monetary Contribution Received (IND - Individual)  [Period: 10/01/12 to 12/31/12]	$100.00 [Election: 03/05/13]

Help me out here, but has this blog done stories in the past on "ethical, educational. legal and political issues", relating to Marcos Aguilar and his Academia Semillas del Pueblo Charter School? From the Mayor Sam archives ......

** Academia Semilla del Pueblo's "Response" to Building and Safety Department's "Notice to Comply"

** Mayor Sam Exclusive: Academia Semillas del Pueblo's "Xocolatl Cafe" never had Health Department License to operate

** Mayor Sam Exclusive: Academia Semillas del Pueblo "School Cafeteria/Coffee Shop" shut down by County Health Department

** Mayor Sam Exclusive: Financial issues at the Academia Semillas del Pueblo Educational Collective? Documents don't lie

** LAUSD recommends Denial of Charter Renewal for Controversial Academia Semillas del Pueblo Charter School

** LAUSD questions Financial Structure of Academia Semillas del Pueblo as part of Charter Revocation Recommendation.

......... but despite all the controversy noted above and this LA Times editorial, Garcia and her allies save Academia as the LA Weekly reported at the time.

Minutes after the board voted to save Semillas, Monica Garcia joined her friend Marcos Aguilar for a rally just outside LAUSD headquarters. A crowd of more than 100 parents and kids hailed them as heroes.

...... and now Aguilar, along with school staff and associates are too willing to support financially Garcia's reelection.

06/12/12

Gerardo Felix   (Educator, Semillas Community Schools) Los Angeles, CA 90044

MONICA GARCIA  LAUSD - District 2 1346436 - MONICA GARCIA FOR SCHOOL BOARD 2013

A - Monetary Contribution Received (IND - Individual)  [Period: 01/01/12 to 06/30/12]

$250.00 [Election: 03/05/13]

06/30/12

Law Office of Salomon Zavala   Los Angeles, CA

MONICA GARCIA  LAUSD - District 2 1346436 - MONICA GARCIA FOR SCHOOL BOARD 2013

A - Monetary Contribution Received (OTH - Other)  [Period: 01/01/12 to 06/30/12]

$250.00 [Election: 03/05/13]

06/12/12

Octavio Augusto Pescador   (Faculty, UCLA) Los Angeles, CA 90036

MONICA GARCIA  LAUSD - District 2 1346436 - MONICA GARCIA FOR SCHOOL BOARD 2013

A - Monetary Contribution Received (IND - Individual)  [Period: 01/01/12 to 06/30/12]

$100.00 [Election: 03/05/13]

06/30/12

Irene E. Vasquez   (Director of Chicano Hispano Mexicano Studies, University of New mexico) Albuquerque, NM 87108

MONICA GARCIA  LAUSD - District 2 1346436 - MONICA GARCIA FOR SCHOOL BOARD 2013

A - Monetary Contribution Received  (IND - Individual)  [Period: 01/01/12 to 06/30/12]

$250.00 [Election: 03/05/13]

** We should note it was Academia Semillas del Pueblo Attorney Salomon Zavala, who presented us with the following teachable moment on the Freedom of the Press, regarding this litigious "Bring It On Mayor Sam Moment".But in paraphrasing legal wordsmith Mr. Zavala, "we take this issue gravely seriously", the fact that contributions from Aguilar and staff, have help marginalize oversight of potentially harmful safety issues at the controversial Charter School.

Read more »

LA Times: FBI investigating former Building Inspector with current ties to Councilman Huizar associate

Blogger's note: Sometime back in a moment of internet wandering, we chance upon this item during some backtracking on past stories involving the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA). Grande Vista Associates was one of the connected firms being investigated for alleged bid-rigging of HACLA contracts. Some five years later, the same Grande Vista Associates provide a soft landing for former long time Building and Safety Department Inspector Samuel In, who retires from the department after being exposed as part of the growing scandal and FBI investigation of the city agency. We past along our tip and the result is part of Los Angeles Times David Zahniser's latest missive on the growing FBI investigation of the Building and Safety Department and possible connections to various city public officials---Scott Johnson   

 Former Councilman Jose Huizar staffer and current controversial Grande Vista Associates Consultant Gustavo Valdivia, gives a position to recently resigned Building and Safety Inspector Samuel In. 

** From the Times:

A year later, In was listed in state records as chief executive officer of Grande Vista Associates, a consulting firm that had previously been linked to a scandal at the city's Housing Authority. A Times investigation in 2007 found that Victor Taracena, a construction manager for the authority, steered contracts to politically connected firms, including Grande Vista, without competitive bidding or after rigged contests.

One bidder told The Times that he tapped Gustavo Valdivia, a former aide to Councilman Jose Huizar who was Grande Vista's lead consultant, to help him compete for the work — and found out that Grande Vista had secretly submitted its own lower bid. The housing authority paid Grande Vista nearly $99,000 to prepare schematic drawings of restrooms, parking stalls and ramps and other areas

** Why Valdivia hired In:

In said he received no income from Grande Vista and got involved with the firm as a volunteer only to learn more about public outreach, one of the services the firm provides. In also said Valdivia asked him to be an officer.

"I'm a very simple person. If I can help people, I will help. It's all a positive thing for me," he said.. 

How many council districts get their own exclusive building inspector assigned to its domain?

** In's dubious past work in CD 10:

Korean landlord Kyong Ho Cho sued In, alleging breach of contract, saying he advised him to pay a company $15,000 to resolve his permitting problems with the housing department. Cho alleged he paid the money, but In never followed through. Cho's lawsuit also claimed that In told him he had a business partnership with the company that received the money, Max Construction.

Max Construction's lawyer, Michael Sinkov, told The Times last year that Cho's case was "totally meritless." Sinkov said In was dropped from the case after he agreed to pay a $10,000 settlement.

** Speculation from CD 10 via Mayor Sam Source: 

During recent Redistricting Commission hearing in Koreatown, an allegation of a monetary shakedown by associates of City Council President Herb Wesson was put into the record. The allegation involved a "Michael Bai" who was accused of "shaking down" community members for contributions. In addition, observers note that Building Inspector In, did most of his recent work exclusively in CD 10. Could it be possible that constituents in CD 10, are being expose to a well-organize shakedown machine, with friends in "high places in government"?

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14