 |
| Tom Brewer |
Tom Brewer
Of the three candidates running for Mayor, only one candidate has even discussed the pension issue along with the importance of standing up to union power in Torrance.
And that candidate is Tom Brewer.
I will never vote for a candidate who is taking union money, one donation after another: Pat Furey's flyers and posters are everywhere, even while other candidates' signs get stolen or taken away.
Torrance needs representatives who represent Torrance, not unions, not special interests.
As for Bill Sutherland, he candidly answered two key questions for me in a forum a few months ago.
He explained to me why he had endorsed Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi instead of Craig Huey in 2012, arguing that Muratsuchi would have done more for Torrance than the other candidate. Regardless of his regrets (or otherwise) for that decision, I know now that he supports the Republican candidate for state Assembly this year.
Sutherland also told me that he supports floating a sales tax increase to help pay for city obligations. That is wrong. Leaders need to make the hard decisions rather than pass them onto the voters, especially when it comes to fiscal solvency and responsibility.
For all clearly intended purposes, the mayoral race is a toss-up between Tom Brewer and Pat Furey.
Even the liberal-leaning Daily Breeze refused to support Furey, but endorses Brewer for mayor.
Tom has a plan for setting the city's finances in order, one which will not cost the city residents.
Tom Brewer gets my vote.
City Council
 |
| Leilani Kimmel-Dagostino |
 |
| Aurelio Mattucci |
 |
| Clint Paulson |
 |
| Alex See |
The city councilmember endorsements were difficult to make.
I have friends who are running for city council, and I know that many of the candidates as individuals are liked-minded or share the same party affiliation.
Following the William F. Buckley rule motivated me to look beyond label or money, and to choose those candidates who were the most conservative (not necessarily Republican) as well as electable.
There are serious financial strains hitting the city of Torrance. The streets are terrible, and the financial obligations straining the system are dedicated to legacy payments and entitlements through pensions and benefits. Torrance residents can have a safe city without going broke. However, the pension issue is not getting the proper treatment which it deserves. Future city leaders cannot have a well-financed city if 600 + employees are getting $100k plus without any discussion of current (not just the "just hired") paying in more.
I have a conservative Republican friend who served in the LAPD for 30 years. He supported Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's reforms, which required public safety officers to pay more toward their retirement. There is nothing petty or immoral about asking public safety to contribute more toward their retirement, especially when the alternative is a city which no longer exists because the money is all gone (re: Detriot, Central Falls, Rhode Island)
I esteem Heidi Ashcraft's prior experience working with the Torrance School Board, as well as her efforts with SCROC. Sadly, her claims that there is no major pension problem (despite the $400 million liability) was very disconcerting. I also honor Milton Herring's resume and contributions to the city. However, his answers on the key issue, pensions, was not sufficient, especially considering the time he has spent working for the city.
So, from those candidates who did reach out to me, I made the following decisions based on which candidates were fiscally conservative, with private experience as well as public knowledge about key issues, plus a willingness to listen to and face tough issues without fear of ruffling a few feathers in the process. Leilani has experience public and private to deal with complex city issues. Aurelio has raised the alarm on city finances, as well as Clint. Alex has private and public experience plus a readiness to listen, as do the other three candidates. All candidates have discussed with me their agreement that current city employees need to pay more into their retirement.
For Torrance City Council, Leilani Kimmel-Dagostino, Aurelio Mattucci, Clint Paulson, and Alex See have my vote.
Who cares who has your vote? You are just fringe ignorant dope with too much time on his hands.
ReplyDeleteI do
DeleteThen you are a racist scumbag just like the author! You are begging for votes like some poor beggar. And from this guy! Mr. Representing the good people of Torrance my foot! You are a loss human being! Another Frank Scotto wannabe big shot!
DeleteToo bad torrance is stuck with candidates who pander to nutty local bloggers.
DeleteI believe in Freedom of Speech and in our Constitution. I respect your opinion and the fact you called my a racist scumbag. I know who I am and I invite you to get to know me before name calling. If you or anyone else has all the answers then run for office and share your knowledge. I respect the fact that we have 16 candidates running for city council. They are among the people that stepped up to the plate. We should encourage more people to do so from both sides of the aisle. Cultural and political diversity is what built this great country. Again, I invite you to get a cup of coffee and discuss ways we can all work together and be proactive in solving the issues and stop arguing over Right or Left and concentrate on Right or Wrong.
DeleteEarl Atwood you sound like a child! Kuddo's Mr. Mattucci
DeleteArthur, you couldn't do better than Alex See? If he is a Republican then why does he endorse Asian American Democrats? Does he agree with their values? If he doesn't then why endorse them? We need someone who will educate his community on how the Dems have failed the Asian community and how the GOP supports hard work to get ahead and are not for living off the hard work of your neighbors. If you need help for a short period of time or have a disability that is one thing but if you are just mooching off the hard work for others, I have no sympathy. That's now how I was raised and that's not how Asians raise their youth.
ReplyDeleteI wish that you had the courage to share your name. Democrat George Nakano just endorsed Tom Brewer for mayor. I am glad for that. Are you going to vote for someone or reject a candidate stricly because the person has Democratic friends or has voted for Dems in the past?
ReplyDeleteI refuse to be so straitened.
I had already posted Alex's reasons for endorsing Ted Lieu and Al Muratsuchi. You chose not read those comments. So, your discussion on the matter has less merit at this point.
While you do not seem to consider other points of view, Alex does, and still does. Party affiliation without an affinity to listen does not serve anyone.
Thank you, Aurelio, for your support. I hope to see a good campaign from all my endorsed candidates and see them win their seats.
Thanks again!
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete"Scott Walker's reforms"? Let's take a look at Scott Walker's disastrous governorship:
ReplyDeleteLet's check in with one of Artie's idols, shall we:
The latest jobs numbers show that 2013 was Wisconsin’s worst year for private sector job growth since Scott Walker took office, the latest indicator that Wisconsin is heading in the wrong direction under Scott Walker when it comes to job creation.
The Department of Workforce Development has released its final jobs numbers for 2013 -- the “gold standard” QCEW figures -- that show Wisconsin added just 28,006 new private sector jobs during the year, the lowest total yearly growth since Scott Walker took office. The 28,006 jobs added were good for a 1.2% increase in job growth, well behind the national 1.7% rate of growth, and trailing the previous year’s 1.4% rate of growth.
Other disturbing findings were that Wisconsin added just 1,712 manufacturing jobs, a 0.4% rate of growth in one of our state’s most critical employment sectors, and is still not back to pre-recession level employment, even as the national economy has recovered all the jobs lost and then some.
A broader comparison to other states’ 2013 job growth performance won’t be available until next month; however, the most recent data shows Wisconsin ranked 9th out of 10 Midwest states in job creation and 35th in the nation – down from 11th the day Walker took office – in overall job creation.
“Most people get better at their jobs the longer they do them, but three years in, Scott Walker has posted his worst jobs numbers yet,” Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate said Thursday. “That’s because, with no real plan to create jobs, career politician Scott Walker has ignored the economic security of Wisconsin’s middle class in pursuit of furthering his own ambitions.”
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteAre you serious? Tom Brewer for Mayor?
ReplyDeleteTom Brewer almost single-handedly sunk the Torrance Education Foundation. He delegated all of the work, running many dedicated volunteers out of the organization because he refused to do any work himself.
Luckily Dee Hardison too over this year to restore TEF to the strength it had under Pat Furey. And thankfully she also fired Tom's girlfriend Trish, whom he had hired as the "Executive Director" of the Ed Foundation - paying her $80K year...
Let us also remember that Tom Brewer allowed Tim Goodrich the traitor to serve on the Ed Foundation. Tom mailed a postcard to my house with a picture of him and Tim holding a large donation check.
DeleteSounds about right. Tom mismanaged the Ed Foundation and almost ran it into the ground. And all because he wanted to put it on his resume to run for mayor. He knew that Pat Furey had run it for four successful years (stepping down because he didn't think a councilmember could dedicate enough time for the job). So Tom tried his luck and sucked at it. He ran out a lot of good people and let in a bunch of fools, including his girlfriend.
DeleteArthur - you say you are all about the facts. So why haven't you (and your darling Daily Breeze for that matter) investigate Tom's possible affair with the Ed Foundation Exec Direction he paid $200K to? Sounds a lot like John Edwards.
ReplyDeleteArthur does what Craig Huey orders. Tom Brewer has a lot in common with Craig Huey except one has two wives and the other kept his. Both are right wing hypocrites who talk smack about normal republicans. Thanks Arthur for your endorsements! We don't vote for Huey worshippers.
Delete