Are You Ready?

There are less than 7 days left until this election season is over. I think I speak for most of you when I say I'm tired of all the ads and robocalls and want it all to end soon. But while we're in the home stretch, little suprises keep popping up.

A campaign mailer got into the hands of this blogger yesterday. It was shoved in a friend's mailbox, which is against United States Postal Service rules. A minor detail.

This mailer for Gardena Councilmember tells me that "The Choice is Clear. Only One Candidate is Ready." Then it blasts all his opponents with "Not Ready" stamped across their accomplishments that don't measure up to Shannon Lawrence's, apparently stellar qualifications.
Steve Bradford, incumbent City Councilman, is quoted, "For years we have invested in Gardena Youth...now one of our best and brightest is ready to serve." So I'm thinking, is the Youth serving us with insults? Where are your manners, Shannon?

Then there is mention of Shannon understanding the power of coalition building. Why, of course. Coalition building. But look closely and you'll find an interesting tale that unravels to find layer after layer of political wheeler-dealers and ties to a union that is getting less than favorable news lately. Bradford and the Ridley-Thomas camp have set him up with some primo endorsements and campaign contributions with major ties to the SIEU--the largest union in the state of California. In an August 2008 Los Angeles Times article, it was reported that "A congressional committee has opened an inquiry into a financial scandal enveloping the Service Employees International Union's biggest California local because of six-figure payments made to firms owned by relatives of its president."

Another recent article in the LA Times in October 2008 states, "For every $1 raised by Ridley-Thomas, those unions have raised nearly $9 for a separate campaign on his behalf, according to fundraising reports."

I've heard of helping to open doors but this "best and brightest" doesn't look like he even put his hand on the doorknob to open it. Bradford and Ridley-Thomas helped open the doors and the unions have forked over the money. Less than a handful of Lawrence's endorsements come from Gardena residents. Who is this Youth serving? The SIEU? The United Food and Commercial Workers? I thought this campaign was for serving the City of Gardena's residents.

So Gardena, are you ready?

FORT (Friends of Ridley-Thomas)

Look closely, Gardena voters. Gardena City Council candidate, Shannon Lawrence, is endorsed heavily by unions, including the SIEU, and Ridley-Thomas, mentioned in this article. He is also backed by incumbents Steven Bradford and Rachel Johnson.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY ELECTION
Unions' campaign fund for Ridley-Thomas raises fears about special interests
'Independent expenditures' outside the candidates' control could play an increasing role in city and county elections, some officials believe.
By David Zahniser October 26, 2008


Three years ago, campaign finance experts watched with alarm as one-fifth of the money raised on behalf of Los Angeles mayoral candidate Antonio Villaraigosa came from "independent expenditures," special interests with no limits on how much they could collect and spend.The numbers were even more jaw-dropping for Villaraigosa's opponent, then-Mayor James K. Hahn. Although he lost his bid for a second term, Hahn saw one-third of his financial backing, or $2 million, come from such groups.

But those amounts look tame compared to the $8.5 million amassed so far this year by an array of labor unions seeking to elect state Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas to the county Board of Supervisors on Nov. 4. For every $1 raised by Ridley-Thomas, those unions have raised nearly $9 for a separate campaign on his behalf, according to fundraising reports.The change has not gone unnoticed by other city and county politicians, who fear the supervisorial election will establish a new precedent, inspiring real estate developers, billboard companies, employee unions and other special interests to pursue a similar strategy in future campaigns."It's out-and-out buying an election," said Supervisor Gloria Molina, who has endorsed Ridley-Thomas' opponent, City Council member Bernard Parks.

"If the special interests see this as being successful, there's no telling how far it will go, and it will be much easier for candidates to submit to special interests instead of going out, working hard and raising [their own] money," she said.Molina predicted that she would be the next target of a union independent expenditure campaign when she comes up for reelection in 2010.

Meanwhile, one veteran Los Angeles lobbyist marveled at the sheer size of the union campaign, calling it "off-the-charts extraordinary.""Other than governor, I don't know that there are statewide candidates that spend that much," said lobbyist Steve Afriat.Ridley-Thomas said Parks and his supporters are simply upset that they failed to secure the backing of the county's powerful Federation of Labor, known for its ability to win elections. And he defended the current campaign arrangement, saying he is following all laws that apply to outside campaign groups."It's appropriate. It's fair. It's legal," he said.

"And the only reason they're criticizing it is because they don't have this level of support."The Alliance for a Stronger Community, a union coalition, has raised the vast majority of independent expenditures for Ridley-Thomas, whose own campaign must adhere to the city's rules limiting donations to no more than $1,000 per contributor per election cycle.

In return for having the ability to raise unlimited amounts, independent committees are legally prohibited from coordinating with the candidates they support.Independent expenditures came into being in the mid-1970s, after Congress passed a law placing a $1,000 limit on campaign contributions.

In 1976, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the limits on individuals and groups spending independently on behalf of candidates, saying they violated donors' constitutionally protected right to free speech.The first significant independent expenditures appeared in 1980, when the National Conservative Political Action Committee and the Fund for a Conservative Majority spent more than $10 million on behalf of President Reagan.

Five years later, the Supreme Court ruled again, saying that any effort to limit spending by such groups would violate the 1st Amendment.In Los Angeles, such groups began to play a significant role in 2001, when term limits created 10 competitive city government races.At the top of the ticket, labor threw its weight behind Villaraigosa, and Indian gaming interests financed some of the nastiest attacks of the campaign on behalf of Hahn.

Two years later, independent expenditure groups contributed $1 for every $1 raised by the City Council campaign of Martin Ludlow, a union activist. Ludlow won the seat but left in 2005 to run the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. While serving in that role, he was convicted on charges that he illegally took union contributions while running for council that exceeded the spending limits. In most city races, independent expenditures essentially ran a secondary campaign, one that represented a fraction of the efforts by a candidate.

This year's county contest reverses that equation, with independent expenditures dominating the race and Ridley-Thomas' campaign looking like a bit player.


So far this year, the labor coalition has used its largesse to hire researchers, send campaign mailers, erect campaign signs, purchase full-page newspaper ads, reserve radio advertising time and develop 30-second television spots in English and Spanish for Ridley-Thomas, none of which can be coordinated by the candidate.The overwhelming effort means that Ridley-Thomas has been able to avoid some of the expenses that candidates typically face.

For example, many who run for office in South Los Angeles, including Parks, place at least a few advertisements in the Los Angeles Sentinel, the region's most prominent black-owned newspaper.

Last spring, two union groups bought at least 11 full-page ads promoting Ridley-Thomas as part of their independent expenditure. Ridley-Thomas did not purchase any.

Service Employees International Union Local 721, the biggest donor to the union initiative, called a news conference Friday at which Ridley-Thomas was expected to discuss county hospital funding. Only union officials attended, not Ridley-Thomas.

"Mark doesn't even have to show up," Parks said. "Mark could take a vacation and the [union] campaign would keep running."

Ridley-Thomas, in turn, accused Parks of "bashing" unions. And he pointed out that he has not faulted Parks for benefiting from three other independent expenditure committees, which are primarily backed by real estate interests.

Those groups raised nearly $450,000 during the period ending Oct. 18, according to campaign reports.With such a financial mismatch, Parks has spent much of his time calling donors, $1,000 at a time.

Even if he increased those efforts, the county election law bars him from spending more than $1.4 million in the runoff, a fraction of the union effort.Parks warned that if Ridley-Thomas is elected, the county Federation of Labor would use the same strategy to install two more pliant county supervisors by 2012.Arnella Sims, a board member with SEIU Local 721, said she could not predict whether her union would wage another massive campaign.

But Afriat, the lobbyist, said warnings about a tidal wave of independent expenditures strike him as overblown.

"The unions don't have to do that at City Hall because they already control what happens there," he said.

"And I think the business community, which said they would step up for Parks, is demonstrating that they are not capable of doing it the way the unions are doing it.

"Labor unions do not have a monopoly on huge independent expenditures.

In this year's June legislative primary, state Senate candidate Rod Wright benefited from at least $990,000 spent on his behalf by the Alliance for California's Tomorrow, a business group bankrolled by healthcare companies, casinos and other entities.

That independent expenditure group hired campaign consultants, secured billboard space and placed ads for Wright in newspapers stretching from Inglewood to Long Beach.Wright's own campaign organization spent just $330,000.Officials with the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission fear the huge money spent in the supervisorial race will lead to louder demands from elected officials that the city roll back its fundraising limits on individual candidates.

The only thing that could stem the tide of independent expenditures -- frequently called I.E.s by political professionals -- is a successful lawsuit before the high court, said Bob Stern, president of the Center for Government Studies, a Los Angeles group that tracks campaign finance laws.

"Until it reaches a point where the court says it's gone too far and is corrupting the system -- and I think it does -- there will be unlimited I.E.s," he said.Zahniser is a Times staff writer.

david.zahniser@latimes.com

Jean-Paul Renaud contributed to this report.

City Official Arrested

This is an oldie but worth posting for our archives.

By Daniel Hernandez
October 14, 2002 in print edition B-3

A Gardena city councilman is facing possible assault charges for allegedly hitting a Hawthorne police officer with his car at the scene of a traffic accident in a busy South Bay intersection.
Gardena City Councilman Steven C. Bradford was released Saturday after posting $50,000 bail for his arrest that morning.

Bradford had no comment when reached by phone Sunday. But his attorney, Winston K. McKesson, said the councilman was only trying to help out at the crash scene and blamed officers for any miscommunication.

According to police, the councilman disobeyed traffic officers’ orders to stop as he drove away from a gas station near the scene of a two-car collision at El Segundo and Crenshaw boulevards, an intersection that divides Hawthorne and Gardena.

When Bradford’s car inched forward in a stop-and-go movement, Officer Vince Arias signaled for him to stop, police said. Instead, Bradford yelled through his closed windows as he moved forward, eventually hitting Arias in his left leg and knocking him down, Hawthorne police Lt. John Beerling said.

Beerling said Bradford then “got out of the car and became verbally uncooperative and semi-combative.”

Arias tried to place Bradford in handcuffs, but he resisted, police said. When another officer approached Bradford and threatened to use pepper spray on him, he complied, police said.
Arias did not require medical attention.

Bradford was taken to the Hawthorne police station, where he was booked on suspicion of felony assault with a deadly weapon on an officer and resisting arrest.

“All he was trying to do was tender service,” McKesson said.

The accident involved a car that had rear-ended another, sparking a fire on one of the vehicles. Police said no serious injuries were reported.

Bradford, a spokesman for Southern California Edison, has served on the Gardena City Council for five years. He was first elected to the council in 1997, making him the city’s first black elected council member.

http://articles.latimes.com/2002/oct/14/local/me-gardena14

Mirror, Mirror

Well Gardena, in less than a few weeks the councilmember position vacated by Medrano will be filled. Who will it be? The four running mates have appeared at forums in Hollypark and at the Nakaoka Center. Fliers have been circulated. But to quote the great Yogi Berra, it's deja vu all over again. It concerns this blogger that the ex-Mayor othewise known as Don Dear, who brought us quasi-bankruptcy is again pimping a candidate who has already flipped on an important issue--redevelopment. Was Dan Medina pandering to the Hollypark residents when he said that redevelopment was what we needed? In North Gardena, the folks there have often complained, and rightly so, that the Rosecrans Corridor is blighted, and there are no good stores and restaurants. Was he just telling them what they wanted to hear? Was anyone paying attention at the Nakaoka Center when this candidate told us that that he was against redevelopment? Is that what folks on this end of town wanted to hear?

The ex-Mayor, thankfully whose following has declined, also brought us the councilmember who vacated the position suddenly when he was imprisoned and indicted on charges that, well, we won't get into here. I suppose this proves that old politicians never die--their legacies live on.

Gardena City Council to consider new fees

From staff reports
Article Launched: 08/11/2008 01:59:08 AM PDT


The Gardena City Council will vote on whether to increase the residential trash rate and will set a fee for tobacco retailer permits at its Tuesday meeting.

The meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, 1700 W. 162 nd Street.

The council approved a tobacco retailer permit that is set to take effect on Aug. 21.

It requires businesses that sell tobacco products to get annual city permits to pay for increased police enforcement of businesses selling cigarettes to minors. The council will consider a resolution to set the permit fee at $167 and renewal fee at $120.

The council will also consider an appeal from the city's residential trash hauler, Phoenix Waste and Recycling Services, to increase its rate above the contracted amount.

The trash hauler wants the city to set the fee at $21.05 per month per unit from the current rate of $15.39. The council denied the hauler's request for a rate increase in June.

Last year, the council suspended a $35,000 payment from the trash company to help curb losses the hauler said it has incurred.

Take Out the Papers and the Trash

Gardena has had a love affair with Waste Management. Read through some of the old postings in this blog and you'll understand what I mean. The end result was that Gardena property owners were delivered higher rates on trash collection. Council members Bradford and Medrano led the shady deals and were even caught in the act with representatives from the waste management companies at their favorite locale, Cherrystones, reported in The Daily Breeze some time ago.

Bradford continues to take out the papers and the trash--I was going to say not in the literal sense but actually, Ron Ikejiri did pull papers to run for city council and then trashed them. It doesn't take a mastermind to surmise that Bradford was the "brain" of these hijinks and convinced Ikejiri to pull papers to appear as though he was running for City Council. The strategy worked to an extent--Art Kaskanian dropped out. Left in the race are Tasha Cerda, Mina Semenza, Dan Medina and Shannon Lawrence.

The Daily Breeze ran an article, "Gardena council candidates won't face incumbent," this morning and failed to address the fact that Kaskanian dropped out. I realize the Breeze isn't the New York Times as far as its investigative reporting goes, but my rose-colored glasses broke years ago. You don't need x-ray vision to see straight through the special treatment Bradford gets with the Breeze. I wouldn't be surprised if he bullied them into reporting his version of the truth because that is oh-so-Bradford.

Here's the real story: Sitting council members spread the rumor that they would run. Ikejiri pulled papers. Ikejiri didn't file because he never intended to file. Their hope was that certain candidates would drop out. Bradford would have a for-sure seat waiting for his candidate.

Gotta run. I need to throw out today's copy of The Daily Breeze in the recycling bin.

Gardena council candidates won't face incumbent

By Sandy Mazza Staff Writer
Article Launched: 08/08/2008 11:53:05 PM PDT


Candidates for a Gardena City Council seat in the November special election are breathing easier, as a sitting councilman who pulled nomination papers did not file them by the Friday deadline.

Four people filed papers to be on the ballot for the seat vacated by former Councilman Oscar Medrano, who relinquished his post in March, two days before he was arrested and subsequently charged with 12 counts of child molestation. He pleaded guilty to two of the charges on June 27 and was sentenced to eight years in state prison.

The winner of the special election will serve out the remainder of Medrano's term, which expires in 2011.

Councilman Ron Ikejiri pulled papers last month, saying that he believed Councilman Steve Bradford was going to run in the race. Both are up for election in March 2009 and, if they had won a seat in November, could have run for mayor next year without risking their council posts.
Neither councilman filed papers, however.

Three of the candidates have run for council seats before, and there is one newcomer - Shannon Lawrence - who is backed by Bradford and Councilwoman Rachel Johnson.

Tasha Cerda, Dan Medina and Mina Semenza have been on the ballot in previous years. Medina came in third behind Medrano for two seats last year.

Medina, 61, is a spokesman for the Normandie Casino and a longtime member of several service clubs, including the Elks, Kiwanis, Lions and Rotary, and a youth sports coach.

"I'm confident in my credentials and my pro-civic activity I've been doing since 1980," Medina said. "I've been doing volunteer work since before some of the campaigners were born."

Cerda, a 36-year-old insurance agent, is president of the Holly Park Homeowners Association and a resident advocate. She is a former chairwoman of the volunteer Rent Mediation Board, and has led community protests against the expansion of Purche Avenue Elementary School, the opening of a Numero Uno Market that wasn't complying with city codes and a jet-fuel pipeline through the city.

"I have stood firm against irresponsible development, kept the residents alert to the presence of sexual predators, and continually stood firm against negligent property owners," Cerda said in a written statement. "I enjoy being an advocate."

Lawrence, 30, is a policy analyst in the Los Angeles Mayor's Office with a background as a union organizer. He is also a member of the Planning and Environmental Quality Commission.

"I've been knocking on doors for the last few weeks, and one of the responses I've been getting is that they've been waiting for me to run," Lawrence said. "I think people will vote on who they think is the most qualified for the seat and, from what I'm hearing, that person is me."

Semenza, 64, is a Realtor, a former planning and environmental quality commissioner, and is president of the YWCA of Gardena Valley.

"I work every day promoting home ownership in our city," Semenza said. "I feel like I want to make a difference."

Snakes in the Valley

Anonymous said...

If it slithers like a snake, and it looks like a snake...Gardena City Council members think this is a sly maneuver to fool its citizens but we know better. They do a really bad job at covering up their slimy tracks to hold on to power and take advantage of all the behind the scene deal-making. Who do they think they're fooling? The Daily Breeze only touches the surface of the real story.

July 28, 2008 7:51 PM

Ikejiri might run for Gardena mayor

By Sandy Mazza, Staff Writer

Article Launched: 07/26/2008 09:11:52 PM PDT

A Gardena councilman has pulled nomination papers for the seat vacated recently by Oscar Medrano, fueling speculation that he could be among mayoral contenders next year.
If Ron Ikejiri were to win Medrano's seat, he would be able to secure a spot on the council while also taking a chance on the mayor's race.

Ikejiri said he hasn't decided if he will run in the Nov. 4 special election to fill Medrano's post - the deadline to file is Aug. 8 - but he is one of several would-be contenders showing early interest.

Five others also have taken out nomination papers for the seat Medrano relinquished two days before he was arrested and subsequently charged with 12 counts of child molestation. He pleaded guilty to two of the charges on June 27, and was sentenced to eight years in state prison.
The winner of the special election will serve out the remainder of Medrano's term, which expires in 2011.

The city's regular election is in March 2009, when Mayor Paul Tanaka's post and two City Council seats - those now held by Ikejiri and Steve Bradford - will be up for grabs.

Ikejiri and Bradford each claims the other wants to run for mayor in March, and may be eyeing Medrano's seat as an insurance policy. Otherwise, they would have to forfeit their council seats to run for mayor in March.

"I am sure there will be several candidates who will run in the November special election," Ikejiri said in a written response to questions about why he took out papers. "My guess is Steve Bradford probably is one of them since he asked the city attorney to research whether an incumbent council member can run or not."

Ikejiri said he will probably run for mayor if Tanaka doesn't.

Bradford did not respond to questions about whether he will run in the special election or for mayor.

"This is not about me," Bradford said. "Whatever I run for in March, I plan on winning."
Tanaka did not return calls for comment.

Dan Medina, a spokesman for the Normandie Casino who plans to to run for Medrano's seat, said he expects Ikejiri and Bradford to jump into the race.

"I'm just taking it with a grain of salt," Medina said. "My take is that Ikejiri and Bradford are going to run for mayor and they want to make sure that, if they run and lose, that they still have their seat open. More than likely it'll be more difficult, but I'm going to just try harder and keep my nose to the grindstone."

Medina has run in the past two elections, coming in third in a race for two seats last year.

Tasha Cerda, the president of Holly Park Homeowners Association who also ran last year, expects to join the race as well. She said her campaign will be more difficult if the two sitting councilmen run.

"That would make a big difference in the way the election goes," she said. "My strategy is to give it 100 percent. I'd have to do it 200 percent this time around."

Shannon Lawrence, a planning and environmental quality commissioner who is supported by Bradford and Councilwoman Rachel Johnson, said his campaign is already in full swing.

"In November, (Ikejiri's) a candidate just like I am. At the end of the day, I think people will vote on who they think is most qualified for the seat and, from what I'm hearing, that person is me," Lawrence said.

Lawrence works as a policy analyst in the Los Angeles Mayor's Office.

Art Kaskanian, also a planning and environmental quality commissioner, also has taken out papers. He owns Sam's Auto Land, an auto repair shop in the city.

Mina Semenza, a Realtor and former planning and environmental quality commissioner, said she will file her nomination papers and run in the election. She ran in 2003, and is president of the YWCA of Gardena Valley.

Semenza said she will run the same campaign whether or not the incumbents decide to run.
sandy.mazza@dailybreeze.com

Daily Breeze
Topix

Medrano pleads not guilty to sex charges

COURTS: The former Gardena city councilman is charged with committing lewd acts on a young girl.

By Denise Nix, Staff Writer

Article Launched: 03/17/2008 11:44:13 PM PDT

Former Gardena City Councilman Oscar Medrano pleaded not guilty Monday to 12 charges of committing lewd and lascivious acts on a young girl.

Medrano's attorney, in arguing for a bail reduction, said the allegations against his client came from a "young person he cared for who did not get her way."

Gary Eto said the alleged victim, identified only as a relative, was "lashing out" against the 47-year-old married father of five.

Eto argued to Torrance Superior Court Judge William Beverly that Medrano's close ties to the community - including cousin Ed Medrano, Gardena's police chief - shows he's not a flight risk.
"He's not going anywhere," Eto said. "He doesn't even have a passport." Eto added

Former Gardena City Councilman Oscar Medrano listens to arraignment proceedings in Torrance Superior Court on Monday. (Brad Graverson/Staff Photographer )that Medrano's back problems, which have kept Medrano in the county jail's medical ward, would be better treated if he were allowed to remain under house arrest.

But Deputy District Attorney Beatriz Dieringer said the $960,000 bail was standard for the charges. She added that the case was filed "conservatively."

Dieringer noted that Medrano recently made plans to move out of the county by selling his home and business, Osmar Jewelry, in downtown Gardena.

"He does represent a flight risk," Dieringer said.

The judge refused to lower the bail and ordered Medrano to return to court April 1 for a preliminary hearing.

At least a dozen family members and friends somberly watched the short hearing. One
woman appeared to be crying, and she was consoled by others.

Medrano was arrested Thursday, two days after he resigned his post on the council. Medrano, who had been in office five years, said pain from his medical condition forced him to leave during his second term.

In charges filed Friday, he is accused of forcing the female relative to engage in sexual acts beginning when she was 9 years old. The alleged abuse began in 1999 and continued for seven years.

He is charged with eight counts of lewd acts upon a child under 14, one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and three counts of committing a lewd act upon a child 14 or 15 years old.

If convicted, he faces 34 years in prison, Dieringer said.

A source close to the accuser has told the Daily Breeze that Medrano began by touching the girl, but escalated the acts to sex when she was 10. The source said he molested her weekly and that she tried to report him, but nobody believed her.

The family has declined to comment on the telephone and outside of court Monday.

However, Medrano's wife has alluded to the case on her MySpace page.

On Sunday, Patrice Medrano wrote: "I have been through the worst situations in my life, but when it comes to your children and being helpless, my heart aches.

"I have seen others face challenges in their lives with having their children taken away, now I face that challenge," she wrote. "I have always been here for my family to help encourage and uplift in any way I can.

"But never have I been under attack such as now," she writes on the page, which is full of biblical quotes and references to God.

12 felony counts filed against Medrano

By Larry Altman Staff Writer
Article Launched: 03/15/2008 12:25:20 AM PDT

Prosecutors on Friday filed 12 felony counts against former Gardena City Councilman Oscar Medrano, charging he sexually abused a relative from the time she was in elementary school to high school.

For years, Medrano forced the girl to engage in sexual acts, it is alleged. It began with touching when she was about 8 years old, but escalated to sexual activity when she was 10, a source told the Daily Breeze.

"He manipulated her, and told her she wasn't good for anything else but sex - that nobody would ever love her, and therefore, he kept abusing her," said the source, who is familiar with the victim.

The alleged crimes occurred almost weekly, sometimes in the shower and in a motel, the source said.

Medrano, 47, is scheduled to be arraigned Monday at the Torrance courthouse. He remained in jail Friday after his bail was raised to $960,000.

Medrano faces eight counts of lewd acts upon a child under 14, one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and three counts of committing a lewd act upon a child 14 or 15 years old. The last count relates to an incident that allegedly occurred when she was 15 years old. The first nine counts also allege that the acts committed were of substantial sexual conduct, prosecutors said.

If convicted, Medrano could face 32 years in prison, and would be required to register as a sex offender upon his release, Deputy District Attorney Beatriz Dieringer said.
Sheriff's Department investigators have not released details of the abuse and declined to comment for this article.

The Daily Breeze knows the girl's name, her relationship to Medrano, and specifics about the alleged abuse, but is omitting information that can identify her.

In an interview, a source said the victim had tried for years to get someone to believe that Medrano sexually assaulted her.

Nobody listened until recently.

As late as a few months ago, the victim believed no one would trust her story because Medrano's cousin is Gardena Police Chief Ed Medrano and would take his side, the source said.

Detectives at the sheriff's Special Victims Bureau stepped in when someone reported the case to a police officer.

Medrano abruptly resigned from the Gardena City Council on Tuesday night, citing a bad back that made it difficult to sit or work. He was arrested two days later at his family's jewelry store in downtown Gardena.

Gardena Councilman Oscar Medrano resigns

By Sandy Mazza Staff Writer
Article Launched: 03/13/2008 01:27:47 AM PDT

Oscar Medrano has resigned from the Gardena City Council, citing health issues that have restricted his ability to work.

Medrano, who was elected in March 2007 for his second four-year term, has been absent from most council meetings since July, when back surgery limited his movement and left him in severe pain.

He did not attend Tuesday's meeting, instead announcing his resignation in a letter to the council.

"Due to the ongoing, unpredictable health problems that I'm experiencing, it has become very apparent to me that I am no longer able to serve in my current council member capacity," Medrano wrote.

Medrano, 47, has struggled with degenerative disc disease for three years.

In 2005, halfway through his first term, Medrano underwent back surgery to replace three degenerated vertebrae in his lower back. Four months later, the implants disintegrated and Medrano had to wear special shoes and a back brace. Last year, he had spinal fusion surgery to stabilize his lower spine. The surgery was successful, but Medrano said it left him in constant, severe pain.

He took morphine and other sedatives to dull the pain, but the medicine made him groggy, and he found it difficult to work.

"I still have trouble sitting too long and standing too long," Medrano said. "When I lie down, it's a constant pain. I've been trying not to go back on narcotics. I'll have to live with this the rest of my life. I've gotten closer to my maker, you could say."

At Tuesday's meeting, Councilman Steve Bradford said he is disappointed that Medrano was forced to resign.

"He brought a very homespun, common-sense approach," Bradford said. "His service will be truly missed. But the most important thing is his health and the challenges he faces with his back."

State law dictates that the City Council must decide how to replace Medrano by April 9. The council can either appoint a successor, or hold a special election for voters to decide. If the council appoints someone, that person would serve until the March 2009 election. If the voters decide, the replacement will serve out Medrano's term until 2011.

Medrano has managed his family's business, Osmar Jewelry in downtown Gardena, since 1992. He said he plans to sell the business because he can no longer work.

He recently bought a home in Romoland, which is near Sun City in Riverside County, where he will move with his wife and two youngest children. He has five children.

Before he managed the family business, Medrano worked as an X-ray technician until 1982. From 1982 to 1986, he served in the Army.

"I never thought I would leave Gardena," said Medrano, whose family moved to the city from New York in 1964. "It's too expensive. (In Romoland) I won't spend as much money. Land and housing is cheaper."

On the dais, Medrano has been a proponent for small-business owners in the city. He said he is most proud of being on the council when the city's $26 million debt was resolved in 2006 with a payment plan that has allowed the city to generate a budget surplus.

He said he is also proud that he voted to approve the first new General Plan in the city in 30 years. The plan, adopted in April 2006, lays out a vision to bring more commercial business to the city, and to add mixed-use development along the city's major arteries.

City Manager Mitch Lansdell said Medrano will be difficult to replace.

"Councilman Medrano was a local businessman. He was in the community for a long time," Lansdell said. "He certainly brought to the council a businessman's perspective. That perspective is going to be difficult to replace because, if we look back, the City Council has not had a lot of local business owners."

But Medrano also has faced controversy during his tenure.

In 2003, he was criticized for backing the city's efforts to form a Redevelopment Agency after he had campaigned against such a move.

More recently, he was accused of holding secret meetings with the city's residential and commercial trash haulers in January 2007.
According to the commercial hauler, Waste Resources of Gardena, Medrano solicited illegal campaign contributions. Medrano said the accusations are untrue.

"I'm a Christian; I don't do those things," Medrano said. "It was more humiliation for my family. My kids don't want to hear bad things about their father in school."

Though his time on the council has been bittersweet, Medrano said he is sad to leave.
"I'm going to miss everybody. They've become my second family - employees, city staff," Medrano said. "I really want to thank the people of Gardena for putting their trust in me and electing me."

WHAT'S NEXT
State law dictates that the City Council must decide by April 9 how to replace Oscar Medrano. The council can appoint a successor who would serve until the March 2009 election, or hold a special election for voters to decide, and the replacement would serve out Medrano's term until 2011.

Gardena printer to pay thousands in lawsuit

From wire reports
Article Launched: 03/13/2008 11:22:45 PM PDT

The company that prints the Daily Breeze and the national edition of the New York Times and other major newspapers agreed to pay $125,000 to two female employees at its Gardena plant to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit, federal officials said Thursday.

The women alleged they had to endure touching, lewd comments and propositions, and Southwest Offset Printing failed to address their complaints, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which filed the lawsuit.

Stephen Rogers, vice president of Southwest Offset Printing's human resources department, had no comment when reached by telephone Thursday.

"An employer's duty to keep their employees safe and free from discrimination becomes more important when an employee, like this charging party, worked in an isolated environment with the harasser," said Anna Park, the EEOC's regional attorney for its Los Angeles office, in a statement.

Southwest Offset Printing's Web site states the company is "one of California's largest privately owned printing companies."

The Web site also lists clients such as the Christian Science Monitor and the London Financial Times.

U.S. EPA fines Gardena pesticide producer $15,500

WEBWIRE – Monday, November 26, 2007

SAN FRANCISCO – In a recent settlement, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Pioneer Chemical Company, a Gardena, Calif. based pesticide producer, agreed to a $15,500 fine for the company’s alleged failure to submit accurate annual pesticide production reports to the Agency.

The EPA determined that Pioneer Chemical Company, was producing Super 60 PYM Foamer, a disinfectant and fungicide for hospital, institutional and industrial use, and not reporting it to the EPA in its annual pesticide production reports.

“Companies producing pesticides must be careful to report the production of all products produced in their facilities,” said Katherine Taylor, associate director of the Communities and Ecosystems Division in the EPA’s Pacific Southwest region. “The EPA uses these reports to track pesticide production and ensure safe management and distribution.”

The violations were discovered as a result of an inspection performed at the Gardena facility by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.

The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act regulates the sale, distribution, and use of pesticides within the United States. Federal law requires each producer or repackager to report the registered pesticides and the quantity of such pesticides produced annually.

Auto parts manufacturer to place operations in Indiana

HSAC Acquisition Corporation, a leading supplier to the automotive industry, announced November 27 that it will relocate its California operations to Fort Wayne, Ind., creating more than 145 new jobs by 2011.

The Gardena, Calif.-based company, which will do business as Hi-Shear Automotive, will invest more than $5 million to relocate its manufacturing operations to a 34,000-square-foot facility in southeast Fort Wayne with plans to begin operations at the facility by mid-2008.

"HSAC joins a growing list of companies, like Medco and Really Cool Foods, that are choosing to locate new operations in Indiana. We have worked hard to create a competitive business climate that encourages just this kind of investment, and this is another sign that our efforts are paying off and creating new jobs for hard-working Hoosiers," said Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels.

The company, which specializes in the manufacturing of wheel bearing retainer nuts and brake cable tension limiters, will begin hiring managers, engineers, clerical staff, warehouse specialists, maintenance technicians and production and assembly workers in mid-2008.

The relocation of HSAC follows Defiance Acquisition LLC’s purchase of the company earlier this year. The cross-country move will bring the company closer to its sister company, Defiance Stamping, located nearly 45 miles northeast of Fort Wayne in Defiance, Ohio.

"We purchased Hi-Shear earlier this year because we knew it had excellent product offerings and great growth potential," said Yosufi Tyebkhan, president of Defiance Acquisition LLC. "We have started to realize some of that potential, and the time is right to accelerate that growth through the synergies to be gained by working even more closely with Defiance Stamping."
HSAC is a Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplier to the automotive industry including Ford, GM, Dana and Chrysler.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered HSAC Acquisition Corporation up to $855,000 in performance-based tax credits and up to $30,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans. The state will also provide the City of Fort Wayne with a grant of up to $75,000 to assist in off-site infrastructure improvements needed for the project. The city, through the Fort Wayne-Allen County Economic Development Alliance, will provide the company with property tax abatement and a $100,000 performance-based grant to help offset the cost of reconfiguring the building. WorkOne Northeast will assist the company recruit, screen and train candidates for the new jobs.

"Fort Wayne is proud to welcome HSAC to the corporate community of Northeast Indiana," said Mayor Graham Richard. "This new operation will allow the company closer proximity to key customers, as well as close proximity to HSAC’s sister company in Ohio."

Police break up cockfights

Tip brought Gardena police to an Artesia Boulevard site where they found about 100 spectators and more than 100 caged fowl.

By Larry AltmanStaff Writer (Daily Breeze)

Officers found dead roosters, injured birds and gambling sheets showing about $40,000 in business when they uncovered a cockfighting operation in Gardena, police said Monday.
About 100 people watching the fights scattered when officers showed up Sunday morning in an arena behind businesses in the 1400 block of Artesia Boulevard. About 30 people were detained, but the fight promoters disappeared, Gardena police Lt. Ed Burnett said.

"It was like a scene out of a movie with all the people running out," Burnett said.

Birds were fighting in a ring at the time but ran with the spectators. Equipped with razors attached to their legs, the roosters continued fighting beneath a car until they ran off.

"They got away pretty much during the stampede of people," Burnett said.

On Sunday and Monday, police and animal control officers removed the more than 100 roosters and hens from cages, taking them to several shelters.

Although most were healthy, some birds showed signs of scratches and other injuries, Burnett said.

An anonymous 911 caller tipped Gardena police to the operation at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Officers went to check the site behind a U-Haul and automotive business and could hear roosters crowing as they approached, Burnett said.

A few men standing at the entry to several poorly constructed wooden shacks spotted the officers and alerted the people inside, Burnett said.

Fights were under way at one shack that served as an arena. Although most people escaped, the 30 detained spectators were identified, interviewed and released.

In addition to finding cages full of chickens, officers found three dead roosters in buckets, razors and other apparatus used for fighting.

Officers also found a bottle of Ascorbol, an injectable drug used as a steroid to prepare roosters for fighting. The bottle had a rooster on the label, Burnett said.

Tally sheets left behind by the organizers showed about $40,000 in wagers. The operators also were selling refreshments and souvenir sweat shirts and caps inscribed with the word "cockfight."

"It's not real sophisticated; just a lot of money has exchanged hands," Burnett said.

Detectives are working to identify the operators and determine who owns, leases and subleases the property. The site was located far enough from the street and residences that no one could see or hear the activity, Burnett said.

The people who were detained could face criminal charges, but spectating at a cockfight is a lower-grade crime than organizing one, Burnett said.


USER COMMENTS

"Uhh, umm"
This is a perfect example of low moral standard. The reality of these type of event's. It bring's drug dealer's, gang members, other low life's. There is no regulation to such event's. Then there is alot of money in cash around. So all can figure what might transpire. It is not that i believe that a living being should be in that much pain. I do indeed. The people who put on such event's should. Let someone from jail get on steroid's and go attack them with knive's. It is event's like this that are bringing the dollar down to the peso standard.- Disgusted
posted: Tuesday, November 27th at 14:41 PM

Dont blame everything on the brownie
posted: Tuesday, November 27th at 14:17 PM
"If they were superstar athletes the local DA would hang them like a pignata!"
Poor Micheal Vick is going to get 5yrs for dog fighting?!! In earlier news an 83yr old Texas oilman, Wyatt, got 1 year for stealing $11M in an oil for food scam involving crooked Iraqis. Why is justice so uneven?- MakeMyDay

posted: Tuesday, November 27th at 14:01 PM
""Response to Nationality""

There is only one culture that raises chickens in urban America.
posted: Tuesday, November 27th at 13:57 PM

"Where is PETA when you need them..."
Stalking rich women in furs....

posted: Tuesday, November 27th at 13:50 PM

Trash Fees Piling Up

Anonymous said...
Dear Gardena Watch,I agree with that comment last Friday from one of the readers. Keep up the good work and thanks for gathering the info. My trash fees went up and seems kind of high.Thanks for letting me post anonymous since I had a bad experience with one of the city folks and don't want to be on their bad side.
November 13, 2007 5:56 PM

Council Meeting Minutes For Chosen Few

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Meeting Minutes": Hey, Gardena Watch. Your site is really cool. I don't have cable and don't know what is going on. The city makes you pay $10.00 if you want a copy of the meeting. I can't afford that. Used to be able to go to the library and check out a copy. Wonder why they stopped that? Makes me think they want to keep us ignorant so they can do whatever they want and nobody complains. Lots of good information. Please keep it going! Thank you!

Posted by Anonymous to Gardena Watch at November 8, 2007 5:51 PM

Councilman Parking

We know where he parks his car but do we know if he lives in Gardena?

Head-swatting case still high (melo)drama

Former Carson councilwoman returns to court after breaking 9-foot restraining order.´ No. 1 HitBy Gene MaddausStaff Writer

Eight months after Carson became a national laughingstock when Vera Dewitt swatted Jan Schaefer in the head with a sheaf of papers, Schaefer's shriek of agony is still echoing in the courts.

Who could forget the moment, immortalized on YouTube, when the former councilwoman whacked the city commissioner during a February council meeting? Schaefer hesitated before screaming and rolling on the floor, offering instant talk-show fodder and an unintentional summation of all that is childish in Carson politics...

Read the entire article from The Daily Breeze that hit the newsstand today.

See the video link above on You Tube (No. 1 Hit-first line of this posting) and a direct link above this article of Parody Video by teenager.