Cerritos Residents ‘Protest’ Council Vote To Give BUSD Students Free Cerritos Library Cards

BY BRIAN HEWS

Trump-style divisive politics has hit Cerritos in the form of a few vocal residents using several fake Facebook pages and posting outright lies to gin up emotions in the city, their latest target aimed at stopping children from using the Cerritos library for free.

It seems as if these residents are trying to turn Cerritos into the Nationalist Conservative Republic of Cerritos, a City where no one but Cerritos residents can use Cerritos facilities.

But these myopic residents conveniently ignore reality in the City; it is one of the most inclusive in the county, and for good reason.

The Nationalist Conservatives latest target came after a study by City staff prompted the Cerritos City Council to vote to give Bellflower Unified School District students free Cerritos library cards.

Cerritos shares the ABCUSD and BUSD in the City, all ABCUSD children in Lakewood, Hawaiian Gardens, and Artesia are given free library cards so it is unclear why the Nationalist Conservatives are protesting.

The vote was 4-1, with Councilman Jim Edwards, a teacher in the ABCUSD for over thirty years, and a graduate of the BUSD system, voting against allowing BUSD children free access to the City’s library. 

A former teacher, voting against the free use of a library in the City, and arguing why it was the right thing to do. As the Conservatives would write on their fake Facebook pages, SMH.

HMG-LCCN sent an email to Edwards asking why he voted no. Edwards did not want to comment saying, “it would be easier if you go online and pull up the January 11, 2018 City Council meeting.  I believe I made it very clear as to why I was in opposition to giving cards to the BUSD.”

This is a City that had an annual soiree at the Cerritos Center, hosted by former L. A. County Supervisor and Cerritos resident Don Knabe, and always attended by Edwards.

The event raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Friends of the Arts Education so children from every Los Angeles and Orange County school district could see education and art shows at the Cerritos Center for free. 

The slogan for the fundraiser was “it’s for the kids,” and it made the City proud and many children happy to come to the Cerritos Center.

But the Nationalist Conservatives, who came out in force at the last City Council meeting to protest the free library card vote, did not reference or object to many other free things in the City – just the library cards. Why?

It was obvious they were there to attack the Council; Mayor Mark Pulido, Council persons Grace Hu and Frank Yokoyama were their main targets, shamelessly using the library card issue in the same divisive manner they use Facebook, for selfish political gain.

The residents marched up to the podium one-by-one to “protest,” accusing the Council of not being transparent and not following the proper rules or order. 

The Council did follow proper rules, as dictated by the staff reports and Robert’s Rules of Order. The City Attorney also indicated all rules were followed with proper noticing of the meeting.

And not one of them made a clear argument why it was a bad decision to give free library cards to BUSD students.

Why? Because it was an attack on the Council not an argument about the free library cards.

There are many other free amenities that both residents and non-residents use in the City and the City has offered free access to the library to many other groups for years. 

For example, many people come from many other cities to enjoy the annual free Easter Egg Hunt, gladly sitting next to the Easter bunny and taking pictures for free.

The Halloween Festival is another popular free event, where adults and kid alike enjoy free candy and treats

The ever-popular and free Let Freedom Ring Celebration and firework show is attended by many from outside the City limits.

And of course the recent Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony with free snacks and beverages and free pictures with Santa.

The hypocrisy of the Nationalist Conservatives showed too.

Cerritos resident and senior Jim Yee, who was also against the ABC infrastructure bond Measure BB, tried to make the only logical argument that the City was losing money not charging for the cards. 

The beautiful Cerritos Senior Center is free to anyone in the area, no one has heard Yee complain about that. And only 50+ can use the facility, meaning those Cerritos residents under 50 are subsidizing Mr. Yee’s use of the Center.

Cerritos resident Jane Yim spoke, blasting the Council as she always does for their “lack of transparency.” 

Yet Yim hides behind a fake Facebook page with a fictitious name called Jane AsianinLA where she routinely and anonymously (at least until now) lambasts Pulido, Yokoyama, and Hu for their decisions.

And the hypocritical Yim has children who attend ABCUSD schools and was actively campaigned against the badly-needed ABC infrastructure bond that recently passed.

These are the Nationalist Conservatives of Cerritos, blinded by their selfishness, which borders on discrimination. 

They do not have a problem allowing all ABCUSD children free use of the library, only BUSD children. 

If that is the case then why not protest the free library cards given to other organizations and people, as listed in an official Cerritos city document obtained by HMG-LCCN.

Cerritos College students and employees have free access; all ABCUSD employees, regardless if they have children in attending ABC schools have free access; owners of property in Cerritos as well as any person employed in Cerritos have free access.

And if the  Nationalist Conservatives are really as concerned as they say they are about “library overcrowding,” why not protest the fact that a person staying at the Cerritos Sheraton Hotel also has free access?

Library policy of Cerritos allows any person staying at the Sheraton Hotel to use the library, yet the Nationalist Conservatives do not want to allow children from a neighboring district, that is partially in Cerritos, into the library.

As bad as their hypocrisy is, the Nationalist Conservatives are shortsighted; people coming to the library are likely to shop in the City creating additional tax revenue which is the life blood of the City.

So what was their goal in attacking the Council members who voted for the cards? 

Selfishness and discrimination, which is lock-step with Trump.