By Brian Hews
The Artesia Cerritos Women’s Club sent out an email today cancelling it’s March 22 forum that was scheduled for 7 o’clock at the Cerritos City Council chambers.
This type of cancellation has never occurred in Cerritos politics before.
The ACWC went through the usual channels in scheduling the forum, writing a letter to Cerritos City Council to be agendized with the full city council voting their approval.
The ACWC sent out a brief, cryptic, and very contradictory release saying, “The Woman’s Club of Artesia-Cerritos is a non-partisan, non-denominational organization. That being said, our members are free to express their personal opinions and views on their own behalf.”
“It has come to our attention that there has been some discourse between members of our club and outside sources. We do not wish this to become a distraction to the candidates nor the city election.”
It is unknown what the phrase “some discourse between members of our club and outside sources” indicates, and also the phrase “we do not wish in becoming a distraction to the candidates.”
The statements are unusual given that 95% of the forum is formatted to take questions from the audience.
HMG-CN is reaching out to candidates for comment.
Resident Jay Gray told HMG-CN, “This is wrong. Ray and Edwards both ran just after serving as Chamber Presidents and the Chamber event was never canceled. This stinks of politics. The main candidate to benefit from muzzling the residents and other candidates from the democratic process is BARROWS and the other candidate supported by the the majority council. This could have easily been remedied, simply do what Cerritos does for elections. Ask for volunteers from the Recreation staff to collect question from the audiences and submit to the moderator. The city and those in power were stunned by Anantha and his willingness to take on the establishment.”
Resident Jim McMahon told HMG-CN, ” Don’t like that Jay Gray was attacked by Chamber or any other level of business. Chamber is about business relationship(s) and no trustees, councilpersons should be seated or elected to the Chamber.”
“Jay has right to be upset, over loosing a contract for forums. Forums create wise and educated voters. Very sad that the woman’s club had to recall the forum. Voters big lost!!!”
With CCC John Crawley era, back in the 90’s, John Crawley did not think it was fit for the city to hold a candidates Forum in a public building, and also pay for the television w/ public general funds. One of his suggestions was to hold it, off site, in a non- city building, and his other suggestion, at Chambers pay for their video broadcasting or some other third-party sponsor & not the city of Cerritos. Fine line of mixing elections and tainting elections pools. Councils past allegations, did not want to hold forums at a city council chamber, they said that the city owns and pays for it, and it should be not paid for by the citizens who create the general fund. You can agree or disagree with the council’s debate over that. City general funds must remain neutral on the debates.
McMahon went on, “Today, don’t like the Republican racketeering slate: Republican (Vo-Barrow’s), did not like the way the first/second forum preceded, so they complained to a another Republican, mayor George Ray, and mayor George Ray attacked the Woman’s Club; therefore, the Woman’s Club removed themselves from The Forum. This is all over debates: Seniors, RDA Litigation settlement and Smart City Movements, packaged in Q/A and so forth. Both sheriffs and staff are upset.
“Republican slate knew about this RDA judicial settlement, before the 2nd forum, but was not made available to all 7 candidates, in order to produce healthy debates.”
“I’m an advocate for fair and balanced politics, not back door ambushed politics, which has leaked in to the debates from city Managers office & tainted the republican pool of candidate’s slates.”
Mr. Gray, since you mentioned the Chamber, I feel it is my obligation to respond. Please note that neither Mayor Ray nor Councilman Edwards ever served as “President” of the Cerritos Regional Chamber of Commerce. Mayor Ray was on the executive board of the Chamber and had the title of “Vice President” and Councilman Edwards was simply a member of the board. I’m not aware of why the Woman’s Club, a great local organization, decided to cancel their event, but it appears to have been their decision. I can tell you that, as CEO of the Chamber, we have to go through the exact same process as the Woman’s Club and the AAUW to get City approval to hold a forum. I believe that vote is taken during a regular City Council meeting – which was passed 5-0, like in past years. I too am sad to see Cerritos voters lose another chance to hear from candidates, but I will not have the Chamber’s name pulled into local politics. We play no role in the City Council race other than holding an informational forum. Thank you and I’m happy to visit with you further about this issue if you would like.
Cerritos Chambers: Mr Scott Smith:
RE: LCCN Article
Don’t like that Jay Gray was attacked by Chambers or any other level of business. Jay has right to be upset, over loosing a contract for forums. Forums create wise and educated voters. Very sad that the woman’s club had to recall the forum. Voters big lost!!!
Not the first time this cancellation has occurred. This happened once before back in the sixties, we had to pull out from forums. They were not televised. They were held in the former City council chambers & other social barnyard events. Then we had the forums cancelled over CM drug bust, etc, never over this political in house republican hoopla.
Mostly recently, during a heated debate with CCC John Crawley era, back in the 90’s, John Crawley did not think it was fit for the city to hold a candidates Forum in a public building, and also pay for the television w/ public general funds. One of his suggestions was to hold it, off site, in a non- city building, and his other suggestion, at Chambers pay for their video broadcasting or some other third-party sponsor & not the city of Cerritos. Fine line of mixing elections and tainting elections pools.
Councils past allegations, did not want to hold forums at a city council chamber, they said that the city owns and pays for it, and it should be not paid for by the citizens who create the general fund. You can agree or disagree with the council’s debate over that. City general funds must remain neutral on the debates.
Today, don’t like the Republican racketeering slate: Republican ( Vo-Barrow’s), did not like the way the first/second forum preceded, so they complained to a another Republican, mayor George Ray, and mayor George Ray attacked the Woman’s Club; therefore, the Woman’s Club removed themselves from The Forum. This is all over debates: Seniors, RDA Litigation settlement and Smart City Movements, packaged in Q/A and so foth. Both sheriffs and staff are upset. Republican slate knew about this RDA judicial settlement, before the 2nd forum , but was not made avail to all 7 candidates, inorder to produce healthy debates.
There’s another 4th party ( Republican )involved, mayor Grace Hu, announced possible future litigation against: Chamber’s, city of Cerritos, Barrows for violations against proposition H. Hope proposition H can be Rewritten and voted on before it drags city of Cerritos into the courts again. Hu privately stated forums were quietly abetting the Prop H chaos.
Do feel strongly that both forums could have moved along much faster, if the introductions were made faster, remove the name identification after each question, and let the public operate more of a townhome-style question and answer. A lot of people are upset, that 50% of the chamber questions, bottle fed directions to benefit the chamber, and were irrelevant to the open seated election. I can see their side of it, it’s held in a public building, paid by General funds, and then Chamber of Commerce did reap some rewards from that. In addition, don’t think it was appropriate for Starbucks to be advertised during the Forum, since the Forum was paid for by the general funds. 3rd party Advertising was not part of the contract to hold the forum by CCC.
People are still upset that while Jim Edwards was on the Cerritos Chamber of Commerce, part of the CCPA friends, etc.; filed BK, it was never announced during Jim Edwards campaign, and there was no questions propelled by the Chamber of Commerce regarding to the bankruptcy the CCPA. In many Minds, there was a commingling/ racketeering either legal or illegally, between the chamber & Jim Edwards, since J. Edwards sat on the Chambers. Chambers is about business relationship(s) and no: trustees, councilpersons should be seated or elected to the Chambers.
City has campuses and colleges, which could be tapped in to for producing video forums. We have many buildings where forums can be held, but when general funds are being used unwisely to benefit either political party, this is breeding corruption.
http://www.cerritos.us/RESIDENTS/tv3/tv3_productions.php
http://cerritos.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=10&clip_id=3921
http://cerritos.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=10&clip_id=3917
Im advocate for fair and balance politics, not back door ambushed politics, which has leaked in to the debates from city Managers office & tainted the republican pool of candidates slates. Additionally, do not like that the forums archived are not kept forevermore on line, as these are part of the greater public records, paid for my general funds. Videos should not be sponged, after election date, these forums are part of history data.
https://www.loscerritosnews.net/2017/03/17/dirty-politics-artesia-cerritos-womans-club-suddenly-cancels-open-candidates-forum/
Mr. Scot:
Cerritos chamber is very much mixed in with politics. Been associated with many chambers, it’s about the business world and politics. That’s why lot of people have vacated the chambers, tired of trying to defend politics too. This was very prevalent in this season. Talk about politics, chambers even took a position of not endorsing the Cerritos affordable housing projects, which if researched, could exempt the chambers from holding forums. For decades, Chambers have branded various politicians and vice versa, military support etc. This has closed the doors for many residents, they dont want to become involved in bias.
Then the chamber’s steps into City Council property, it is entered into the giant world of politics, additionally, when Chambers propounds questions pertaining to relationships between politicians and the Chamber, you are in a full-blown war with politics. This is why, I forwarded you a list of candidates questions, so we could stay out of the war zones.
http://www.cerritos.us/RESIDENTS/tv3/tv3_productions.php
cerritos.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=10&clip_id=3921
cerritos.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=10&clip_id=3917
Furthermore, this chambers has unfortunately associated in , many past Ret. Council people, past and current ABC School Board elected and or officially employed, you are very much into the political Warfare. It is not good when a chamber trespasses into the politics . ABCUSD has fallen from grace in test scores, parents are leaving both ABC and the city in mast groves, because the parents are saying, chambers is robbing ABCUSD staff time, in order to self brand the chambers, and now our school is suffering.
Now to make matters even more complicated, the forums now are going to be re addressed/ audited on Monday night’s CCC agenda meeting, and your name is going to more drawn into the Battle, and this time it’s going to be archived on the city’s web page for lifetime; rest assured, many will distant themselves from the: Chamber, Womans Club and the Degreed Clubs, forever more.
I have lived here most of my life. None of the 3 sponsors of the forums have universal welcome wagon names. Residents are tired of not having the credentials for the degreed woman club, being tossed out of woman club and political warfare brought on by the chambers. It is hard enough to have these 3 clubs survive lack of diversity in this city, plus survive by 60 + years of warfare between the orthodox optimist republicans and the lack of dino democrats.
This could be the hallmark of all CCC, many red hot topics hitting the agenda, prior to the elections.
http://cerritos.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=15&event_id=785
Mr. Smith
What is wrong with our Cerritos Chamber, they should be our advocate for national conventions?
What is unique about Cerritos? Boring stores, no dancing, 50 shades of Rice………….City need magnet stores: IKea, Frys, etc and we desperately dont need any more rice cafes, need more dining from Heartland of American eateries.
The little money we’re going to see coming in from RDA litigation, $900,000 deposited in to general funds, will be burned fast. W/ inflation, said figure over 30 yr window, will be reduced by 50%. Breached Public Works and dirty housing neighborhoods, still will be scorned with lack of flowing money, unless the CCC gets off the pot & reverses this.What is the Chamber doing to improve the philosophy behind our dirty-declining housing stock?
CCPA hockey was kicked to the next seated CCC. I asked PC if we could rezone the CCPA to MC2, sexually orientated business. If we ever get those promised satellite theaters constructed in the parking lots, mixing some soft porn and light gambling, will aid to bringing in larger audiences. Residential performers which Carol was pushing, do not have loose pocket change, we need patrons with big wallets. Summer outdoor lighting shows, could be interesting twist to the lineups too. If Pond /Staples can do it, we can least analyze new concept such as: 2018 new car lineup show, HGTV convention, .Com conventions, Electrical Conventions, Paper Conventions, Sculpture Conventions, Boating Show, RV Shows, plus other conventional themes. 500 rooms mentioned by CCC, being used by the CCPA, is not true numbers, those are occupied bedding by hookers servicing the CCPA patrons. City needs more hi end hotels: Four Seasons, Hyatt, Ritz Carlton, etc.
Why keep sexually orientated business confined to the remote areas if Piuma St, 90703?
I was not happy with the introduction of Cerritos Facebook social media, it is ok, think it’s going to be abused by the political perverts in Cerritos . Maybe if the postings had a 12 hour delay, least staff could monitor posters. Blogging may have been a better way to vent to public.
Maybe the Chambers should instigate a REAL TIME barometer data clock for our daily businesses in 90703?
Mr. Smith,
Thank you for the correction and clarification regarding both current council members. My main point remains that both Edwards and Ray were part of the Chamber and the forum event was not cancelled when they participated.
I make this point to indicate that organizations can participate in candidate forums without bias. It appears to have been the case in the past with your organization and the Woman’s club.
You may choose not to have your organization pulled into local politics; however, both Ray and Edwards pulled your organization into local politics when they each publicly advertised their affiliation when running for city council.
if this stinks of politics then LCCN is long overdue for a bath (still waiting on that retraction article or are facts not “newsworthy”). Mr. Gray could use a dunking himself as well as the only thing more transparent than his bias are the walls of the glass house he lives in. Should I have put that last sentence in CAPS as well?
It shouldn’t be too difficult to figure out why this happened, especially since this paper pats itself on the back for its investigative journalism. Particularly so given how cavalier some people have been in openly (and electronically) declaring their motivation. But as said above that would require publishing facts, not innuendo and that doesn’t seem to be the business this paper is in.
On the contrary, it’s far easier to contrive a pet conspiracy, and then run off to conduct a “random interview” of a resident that has nothing to do with the women’s club or this cancellation. But I suppose never let an opportunity to sling mud pass by. Journalism 101 right?
Editor’s Note: The writer of this comment is long time Cerritos resident and Barrows supporter Chris Foster.
Posters Reply: it appears I over estimated your investigative skills as you are completely incorrect. I am regrettably not Chris Foster. Of course this begs he question of what else you post as fact in this paper that is completely false.
Councilwoman and realtor Carol Chan:
You mentioned at this city council meeting, that the public should come shop and visit city of Cerritos and stay a weekend. Stated, city has so many sculptures throughout the city, we have the shopping centers & fine dining, plus the Performing Arts.
http://cerritos.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=15&clip_id=3924
There are only a 105 performances at the Performing Arts, so slim pickings, there will be a show at the Performing Arts on a weekend. 90703 restaurants are far and few between, just about everything serves Fish and Rice. Heartland of America doesn’t always warm up to Fish and Rice. All 3 shopping centers are blah blah, most shoppers would rather go to: South Coast Plaza, Beverly Center, or the Del Amo mall. Sheraton Hotel was supposed to be a social Gathering Place, it fell apart, now it’s going to be under construction for many years by your Chinese Investors
Many people on retreat, would rather go to Buena Park to Knott’s Berry Farm, or to Seal Beach and enjoy the ocean, or go to Lakewood, Lakewood –combined with Long Beach town center, has many fine dining places. Long Beach seems to be the self-contained Community around here, Cerritos is only been a community for the Chinese, compared to Downey now has become a mecca for the Spanish/ Cubans.
One time it was fun to cycle/walk our Cerritos parks, but in reality, that too has ceased, from uprooted sidewalks and cracking and heaving payment. Open house tour of your listings, is ill at best, homes are not maintained and are depressing, same as compared to city of Gardena or Monterrey Park. History of tour of model home is just history on the web, does not exist. Like Mark Pulido stated at another CCC meeting, city has become racially divided and not for the good. Many residents are scared to walk many streets, shop in the malls of Cerritos, cause of gangs from all races. Town Center is being hit by rice rocket rallies and are dangerous to the parking lots, plus the homeless everywhere.
Well it seems the truth isn’t relevant here. Thankfully there’s always a screenshot.
RE: Woman’s Club and Chamber of Commerce | Alleged Insider Trading |
Decades ago, governmental office issued an memo, how to vote in elections. They stated how to wisely vote in some or many national elections. They mentioned poss. the best candidates usually are the virgin candidates, candidates who are running or not recycled, and are new to some political markets, so there’s not a lot of garbage bleeding into the election. Government would rather train new elected officials, then try to recondition old re-cycled habits. They stated that some of the most famous people elected into national public offices, have been virgin politicians, they are very neutral. This is very much true to the situation which happened in the Cerritos forums, we had too many recycled Commissioners and Ret. Council people, and they had too much inside Cerritos Trading information, hence upsetting the debates.
Maybe its time, Chamber of Commerce Web site needs a bath, abort branding many hot political subject matters.
1st CEB Adoption Committee Member! Why is the Chambers involved in supporting war times, with the diversity of Cerritos, many residents cannot get involved with any military NP measures, since their religion bans them? Same holds true at CCC chambers, many religions ban residents from entering chambers, when they are supporting war propaganda. City and Chamber should not be supporting military. Chamber is about supporting good business, city is about municipal government, not about military alignments.
Wells Fargo Bank; WFB is one of the most corrupt banking institutions in USA. Why support / advertise corruption? WFB has screwed more mortgage holders than any other institution. Lost count, does WFB or BOA have more federal judgments against them by the state/ feds for corruption?
For many decades, said chambers has branded local Ret. Council –Trustee members, in order to digest local politics with their association, hence creating bias to the general public. On Chamber web site, why use public government buildings in Cerritos, it alludes there is a pseudo contract between Chambers and city hall? Surely, city has enough generic real estate and parks, to use for a backdrop on your Chamber web site.
Why has most residents in 90703 choose to purchase in to Cerritos Real Estate Market? Most would say, it’s the environment, could not agree more. Said environment is about landscape horticulture. On Chambers business directory, your organization has sponged out-erased: Landscape-Nurseries-Landscape Architects-Gardeners-Sculptures-Irrigation-Tree Trimming, Designers, Building Maintenance, Patios, etc. Cerritos has become a very dirty and menopausal city of 15,000 homes, why not help the residents, and list home services for valuable resources; or are these occupations considered rectum subjects in your organization? All code enforcement departments need a tool in hand to aid property owners, your organization has airbrushed this from your web site.
Cerritos-Artesia Woman’s club is branding the name of Cerritos. Why create 2 bias: “Woman’s and Cerritos”? In 2017, we have reached a pivot point in society, where we don’t have to segregate woman from a man plus why choose the halo of Cerritos? Name alone implies that poss. Transgender, cross dressers and G&L, open marriage laws, may have closed doors in to your group. Why not change the name to “Greater Dairy Valley Club”, which is not so orthodox and name calling. Said club wants to use general funds from the city for forums, to promote a poss. prejudice associations.
Please reviews Cerritos Chambers link, they are promoting & branding politics.
https://www.cerritos.org/
https://www.loscerritosnews.net/2017/03/17/dirty-politics-artesia-cerritos-womans-club-suddenly-cancels-open-candidates-forum/
Mr. S. Smith:
More political gu gu- ga ga; for the captive Voting viewers.
Feb 2015; seems like the Chamber had the same political issues compared addressing the Candidates Forum during March 2017. Non-sense and waste of time. History is repeating itself. Hmmm, almost same candidates running for office in 2017, compared to 2015, same scripts by the ye olde candidates, still the sky’s are falling in 90703, no improvement, except city has 58 less employees and more out of control deficit spending, continuous subsidies paid for by public, voters pay and city plays theory. Our public works causalities are increasing leaps and bounds.
https://www.loscerritosnews.net/2015/02/04/cerritos-regional-chamber-hosts-candidates-forum/
No wonder why the sky is financially falling in Cerritos, Chamber seems to be out of the business loop for 90703.
Candidates Grace Hu and C Vo, both have the same political speeches, almost word for word. Same promises for State of the Union failures in Cerritos Dixieland.
https://www.loscerritosnews.net/2017/03/17/dirty-politics-artesia-cerritos-womans-club-suddenly-cancels-open-candidates-forum/
90703 Voters, please review the above 2 links for comparison, before voting for 2 brand new candidates running with limited hidden agendas.
Regards,
Council Neighbor