Complaints filed in the aftermath of Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council Election
If one thought that the "brouhaha" that was the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council Election on June 12 would end anytime soon?? Then simply, CHALE!!!
Excerpts from the Eastern Group Publication Story.
Allegations of improper voting procedures and violations of polling-place regulations in the June 12 Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council election are being made in a complaint filed Tuesday with the Los Angeles City Clerk.
“We’re in the position right now that we’re trying to get the city clerk to check the election,” said Carmen M. Serrano, who ran for secretary of the council and lost. Other submitters of the complaint include her husband, Frank A. Serrano, who ran in the election as a community representative for a community-based organization (Sacred Heart Catholic Church) and lost, Jose Aguilar, who ran for an at-large area seat and won, and Hugo Pacheco, who ran for council president and lost.
The complaint alleges that there was no inclusive bilingual voting information and materials for the election, that voters 18 and over were discriminated against by the allowing of minors as young as 14 to vote, that campaign flyers advocating a slate of candidates were on display within the Lincoln High School auditorium polling location, that a memo with a Lincoln High School letterhead about the election was sent to Lincoln High School staff, and that some stakeholders were not provided with ballots, among other allegations. The complaints were to be sent to the City Clerk for review for violation of municipal, state, and federal voting laws. It has not been verified whether the City Clerk has received the complaint.
This response from Lincoln High School's Vera Padilla.
Vera Padilla, counselor at Lincoln, is the neighborhood council treasurer. She said that the stakeholder definition in Lincoln Heights includes children as young as 14 who attend school in the area, as well as people who shop or have bank accounts there.
“You can shop in Lincoln Heights, you can bank in Lincoln Heights, and there are your voters,” she said.
Padilla, who authored and distributed the memo named in the complaint, claimed that her distribution of the memo concerning the election to school faculty was within her job duties, which include distributing memos to faculty about various neighborhood and school-related functions.
Eastern Group Publications obtained a copy of the memo, dated June 10, along with the complaint. (Padilla offered to submit a copy of the memo to EGP, but it was not received by deadline).
The memo reads “Abraham Lincoln High School” and “Inter-Office Memorandum” in bold letters at the top. It was to Lincoln staff, from Vera Padilla, Career Advisor. The subject is Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council Elections. It is not on letterhead stationery.
The memo begins by giving the time and place of the election. It urges voting, and reminds readers that all teachers, faculty, staff and students in grades nine thru twelve can vote. It then lists various donations from the Neighborhood Council to the school and the community, totaling over $168, 000 in value.
“This was my way, a reminder, to get out and vote, “ Padilla said. “To me, I did no wrong.”
You can read all five of the challenges filed with the City Clerk by linking here
Your thoughts............
Excerpts from the Eastern Group Publication Story.
Allegations of improper voting procedures and violations of polling-place regulations in the June 12 Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council election are being made in a complaint filed Tuesday with the Los Angeles City Clerk.
“We’re in the position right now that we’re trying to get the city clerk to check the election,” said Carmen M. Serrano, who ran for secretary of the council and lost. Other submitters of the complaint include her husband, Frank A. Serrano, who ran in the election as a community representative for a community-based organization (Sacred Heart Catholic Church) and lost, Jose Aguilar, who ran for an at-large area seat and won, and Hugo Pacheco, who ran for council president and lost.
The complaint alleges that there was no inclusive bilingual voting information and materials for the election, that voters 18 and over were discriminated against by the allowing of minors as young as 14 to vote, that campaign flyers advocating a slate of candidates were on display within the Lincoln High School auditorium polling location, that a memo with a Lincoln High School letterhead about the election was sent to Lincoln High School staff, and that some stakeholders were not provided with ballots, among other allegations. The complaints were to be sent to the City Clerk for review for violation of municipal, state, and federal voting laws. It has not been verified whether the City Clerk has received the complaint.
This response from Lincoln High School's Vera Padilla.
Vera Padilla, counselor at Lincoln, is the neighborhood council treasurer. She said that the stakeholder definition in Lincoln Heights includes children as young as 14 who attend school in the area, as well as people who shop or have bank accounts there.
“You can shop in Lincoln Heights, you can bank in Lincoln Heights, and there are your voters,” she said.
Padilla, who authored and distributed the memo named in the complaint, claimed that her distribution of the memo concerning the election to school faculty was within her job duties, which include distributing memos to faculty about various neighborhood and school-related functions.
Eastern Group Publications obtained a copy of the memo, dated June 10, along with the complaint. (Padilla offered to submit a copy of the memo to EGP, but it was not received by deadline).
The memo reads “Abraham Lincoln High School” and “Inter-Office Memorandum” in bold letters at the top. It was to Lincoln staff, from Vera Padilla, Career Advisor. The subject is Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council Elections. It is not on letterhead stationery.
The memo begins by giving the time and place of the election. It urges voting, and reminds readers that all teachers, faculty, staff and students in grades nine thru twelve can vote. It then lists various donations from the Neighborhood Council to the school and the community, totaling over $168, 000 in value.
“This was my way, a reminder, to get out and vote, “ Padilla said. “To me, I did no wrong.”
You can read all five of the challenges filed with the City Clerk by linking here
Your thoughts............
Labels: City Clerk Office, Hugo Pacheco, las villas, Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council, Vera Padilla
Posted by Red Spot in CD 14 @ 7/01/2008 10:40:00 AM
57 Comments
