Torrance Mayor's Race: The Pride Problem

 The election for Torrance mayor is a little more than a month away.

I have friends who have commented about the election for the last six months.

Of course, we all knew at least a year ago that Councilwoman Sharon Kalani was going to throw her hat in the ring.

She was prompted to do so by many liberal elements in the city. Recently, she's been hanging out with former Mayor Pat Furey, and she also went to an event with Congressman Ted Lieu and his wife, school board trustee Betty Lieu (who is also running for city council, to replace termed out Councilman Aurelio Mattucci).

For the longest time, I was grudgingly prepared to vote for Mayor George Chen. I have always been grateful that he took a stand against the stupid, vile Pride Resolution forced on the city by the previous mayor.

However, I have run into a number of problems with this guy, and then there are the growing problems with Sharon Kalani, as well.

It all boils down to one issue: Pride.

Yes, the arrogance that politicians take on once they've been in office for a set period of time. They start losing touch with the voters. They start pursuing whatever they think is right, or whatever they find expedient.

It's a growing problem in the city of Torrance. Lots of these politicians bend over backwards, trip over themselves, make every plea they can to get your vote. Then, once in office, they blow you off, ignore you, violate your rights, raise your taxes, etc.

I hate to be cynical, but this has to be one of the most disappointing mayoral elections I have seen in the city's history.

So, what is the precise Pride problem with these two mayoral candidates?

Let's start with Sharon Kalani.

She insisted on shoving the Pride Resolution down our throats in 2024, when Mayor George Chen declined to recognize Pride month, starting in 2023. I approved that decision, and I am glad that many residents showed up to the city council meeting in May 2023 to show their support for passing on that perverse commemoration.

Kalani wouldn't let it go, though. She insisted on shoving that awful commemoration on the city. She wanted to force the matter with a motion of concurrence to turn the whole Pride Resolution into an agenda item.

In May 2024, the Torrance City Council wasted an hour on that resolution. The vast majority of residents in the city said that they didn't want it. We have people of all backgrounds speaking out against it, but Kalani wanted to look like some wannabe civil rights superheroine, and she insisted.

What a shame. That is pride on two levels. Since when was it ever a good idea to celebrate one of the seven deadly sins? Since when should a city lose its time and focus on this woke LGBT nonsense, all of which causes more harm than good?

In my opinion, Kalani is full of hot air, filled up by the liberal interests in the city that want to virtue-signal more than they want actual virtue. We heard all this hoopla that major businesses would not invest in the city of Torrance if we didn't have a Pride Month resolution. I walk in the Del Amo Fashion  Center nearly every day, and I see new businesses opening up all the time. More investments have come to the city, as well.

People are sick of the woke perversity. But Kalani wants to push this. More voices in the community have told me that part of the reason why she is running for mayor is wounded pride. She was shot down by her colleagues, and she's throwing a fit over it.

Not only that, but she tried to move the Armed Forces Day parade to Zamperini Airport, a terrible location that would all but certainly reduce attendance and basically end the event for the city.

I confronted her about that, and she played victim:

               

She later claimed that I "attacked" her, when I clearly confronted her, which every city has a right to do. It's called the First Amendment.

What kind of politician gets upset when confronted about anything? Someone who has too much pride, who thinks that they don't have to answer to anyone. Notice her weak response, trying to pass the blame onto others. What is this?

And who can forget the warm endorsement she received from Supervisor Janice Hahn, the same elected official who tried to shove the Homekey Project into our city, without our knowledge, feedback, or permission?!

              

This woman is not mayor material.

Now, let's talk about Mayor Chen and his pride problem.

This guy doesn't listen to the grassroots who helped elect him. He has routinely kicked them in the teeth.

He voted against a gun store in Downtown Torrance in late 2022. What is this? That was a legitimate business, like any other. His vote in opposition was cowardice and a brazen disregard for the will of the voters. The local NRA affiliate blasted him over this and began to second-guess their support for him. Most of the people protesting the store didn't live in the city.

He has routinely and repeatedly limited our public comment in city council meetings. This is intolerable. The arrogance of this mayor, thinking that we can get our points across in one minute, and starting recently two minutes, is just ridiculous. I blasted him for this at an April 2026 meeting:

                 

In fact, I have complained about his unjust restraint of our public comment many times.

And there has been no movement to correct this. The Black Lives Matter protests have long left the city council chambers. There is no reason to circumvent their abusive tactics any longer. In short, he has no reason to cut us off.

And it's even worse before the several commissions. The Torrance Planning Commission only allows public comment or agenda comment for ONE MINUTE, and it has not changed! That's George's fault! Planning issues are very important to the city. People are trying to save their homes, save an open view of the bay which they paid top dollar to enjoy. They want to improve their homes or ready them for sale, and how does the mayor treat them? Shut down their complaints and concerns.

There is no excuse for this.

If Mayor Chen doesn't want to listen to his constituents for the traditionally allotted three minutes, then he needs to find something else to do with this time. What's worse, he has given Sharon Kalani a very easy campaign issue. Imagine being so proud, that you would ruin your own re-election chances rather than admit that you have made a mistake?

I was also displeased with his arrogant, dismissive answer when I confronted him about championing red light cameras for automated ticketing in the city of Torrance. Yes, there are traffick scofflaws in the city of Torrance. Yes, the city law enforcement body should take every step necessary to enforce traffic laws and keep everyone safe.

However, automated ticketing is wrong!

Chen first made the pitch to bring in those unconstitutional cameras at Coast Christian Center during a campaign event:

And here's his non-answer to me at a public meeting in a local coffee shop:

             

There is no excuse for this kind of dismissinve non-chalance. With all due respect to prospective voters, his attitude reminded me of the arrogance many voters have experienced from former Councilman Mike Griffiths and even Sharon Kalani (see above).

Last of all, I worked hard to get this guy elected. And when there was a vote to determine who should replace him on the city council, I had submitted my application for the position. I had a prior conviction from my activism in Huntington Park, CA, but the law firm which had assisted me informed me that I did not have to reveal the conviction.

They were wrong, and the city attorney directed the city council to disqualify me. Mayor Chen just threw me away like I was nothing. I confronted him about this two years later, when the dust had settled, and he gave me a non-answer, a lame excuse.

No apology.

There was one city councilwoman who offered an apology: Bridgett Lewis. I am so grateful for her support.