The Daily BreezeThe Daily Breeze reported the news last week, but I was getting the updates from key contacts within the city, connected to city hall.
Of course, right after he got the news (May 31, 2024), Mattucci shared the news on his Facebook page:
Jean Adelsman has failed. She was not able to get the requisite number of signatures to recall Councilman Aurelio Mattucci.
She wanted to throw out an entire election because she lost. It's just that simple. She is a sore loser, and she wanted to pass on her bitterness to the city with another costly election.
What's really galling about this whole affair is that Adelsman opposed the recall of derelict LA County District Attorney George Gascon! He should be recalled, since he is deliberately, openly violating his oath of office, breaking the law, and not doing his job.
Councilman Mattucci HAS been doing his job. Is he rough around the edges for some people? Sure. Does he ruffle feathers here and there. Yes, and that is a good thing.
There is too much in Torrance politics that aims for moderation and quiescence. It's time for elected leaders to ask questions and push against the civil service status quo.
That "status quo" approach allowed young hoodlums to terrorize the Del Amo Mall for the last two years. No, a fresh approach to leaner, more effective government in order. Let's not fool ourselves, either on this point: the city of Torrance is not ready for the next economic downturn. The city of Torrance is still top heavy with administrative civil service bloat, and spends too much money.
All of this needs to be fixed, and it is not happening fast enough.
Jean Adelsman clearly had a problem with all of these reforms, or she just couldn't stand the fact that after working as a major opinion maker (supposedly) with the Daily Breeze all these years, she didn't have the pull or the political clout to get elected! After all, she was backed by every establishment interest in the city, Republican and Democrat, people who have gone with the "go with the flow" failed mentality for so long.
Yes, she lost by sixteen votes, a very close race, to be sure, but she lost. And there is no evidence of voter fraud, ballot stuffing, voter suppression, etc. In fact, Adelsman didn't even challenge the results! She was willing to let the whole thing go. Following her loss, she even reached out to Mattucci, asking him to join her for a cup of coffee so that they could discuss city issues going forward. What a betrayal that followed!
Now, the next questions come up, and I would ask Jean Adelsman these questions directly:
1. How much money did you raise for this recall effort? We know that you raised money, so what happened to the money? We want to see the financial records!
2. How many signatures did you actually collect, Jean? In Downey, CA, voters went to great pains, including two recall efforts, to get rid of pro-LGBT felon Catherine Alvarez, and they were not afraid to reveal that they were 34 signatures short on the first round. If you were so close, Jean, TELL US! How many recall signatures did you actually collect?!
