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Elections Have Consequences
By Brian Hews
May 21, 2022~Elections have consequences sometimes good, often bad.
When HMG-CN learned that Lynda Johnson was running for Cerritos City Council, it fulfilled a prediction by this newspaper that she would eventually run after she got the job as Supervisor Janice Hahn’s representative in Cerritos.
Now other predictions by this newspaper concerning Johnson are proving to be true.
The first was that Johnson would likely miss some City Council meetings because of her job with embattled LASD Sheriff Alex Villanueva.
It didn’t take long as Johnson missed her very first City Council meeting, believed to be a first in Cerritos’ history, to travel to the three-day Contract Cities Convention (Drinkfest/Foodfest) in Palm Desert to be with Villanueva; as predicted, putting her job in front of her constituents and the city.
HMG-CN sent emails to all City Councilpersons asking their opinion about the absence, while asking Johnson if she was at the Palm Desert convention, no one answered.
It was an eventful City Council meeting, with the city recognizing four young residents who joined only 6% of the nation in becoming Eagle Scouts.
Eagle Scout Janith D’Alwis recognized
Eagle Scout Anuj Kakde recognized
Eagle Scout Anish Katragadda recognized
Eagle Scout Sri Pranav Kunda recognized
Johnson recusing herself when certain important City Council matters were on the agenda was another prediction by this newspaper.
That prediction occurred at the second 2022 City Council meeting last Monday.
Johnson works as a representative for L.A. Sheriff Villanueva; the L.A. Sheriff’s have a station in Cerritos that the city funds through tax dollars.
Voters overlooked the obvious conflict of interest, voting Johnson in, setting up a conflict whenever the council considers anything concerning the Sheriff’s station.
And that is what happened at Monday’s special city budget meeting, Johnson, who had denied the conflict of interest during her campaign, recused herself during consideration of the city budget.
With that, Johnson put Yokoyama, who has always fought to keep the Sheriff’s station, solidly in control of the four-member council when considering the station budget.
Naresh Solanki and Bruce Barrows have always wanted to cut the station, their motives are clear; Mayor Vo is a Torrance police detective, now he is the swing vote, could he concoct a reason to cut the station?
Elections have consequences.
