Mistakes on Ted Tanouye Memorial at Torrance High School

 

I have known about this memorial for many years. I've had a chance to visit from time to time, and finally, I had a chance to address a more pertinent issue. 3 years ago, I asked one of the Torrance city council members to fix a spelling error on the memorial. 3 years later, nothing has happened. Instead, there was a lot of drama and discussion about renaming a park or expanding the current memorial in front of Torrance High School. Before expanding on the memory of our hometown hero, Medal of Honor winner, we need to ensure that the current memorial properly represents him. I think it's pretty embarrassing that there's a spelling error, "seperate", on the bottom line of the first plaque. Also, I researched the statistic on the first panel, which states that 110,000 Japanese Americans were interned. The more accurate number is 125,000. If the Ted Tanouye Memorial Foundation, which helped create the plaque and the memorial, was holding off on repair because of the extensive time and cost, over one mistake, then also correcting the proper numbers of interned Americans should all the more justify redoing the plaque in its entirety.

For the record, I have submitted the following statement and request to the Torrance City Council:

Torrance City Council and Go For Broke Foundation:

I am grateful for the ongoing discussion in the city of Torrance regarding proper commemoration for our Hometown Medal of Honor recipient Ted "Tak" Tanouye.

However, I am displeased with the drama regarding whether we should rename a park or refurbish and expand the current memorial in front of Torrance High School.

Instead of expanding, how about improving the current memorial?

There are two errors on the Ted Tanouye Memorial in front of Torrance High School, which should be addressed as soon as possible.

1. The word "separate" is spelled wrong (seperate) in the last line of the first plaque (see attached photo)
2. The plaque reads that 110,000 Japanese Americans were interned during WWII. More accurate estimates have concluded that 125,000 Japanese Americans were interned.

Here's data regarding more accurate figures:

https://densho.org/catalyst/how-many-japanese-americans-were-incarcerated-during-wwii/

https://www.archives.gov/research/aapi/ww2/incarceration

https://dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories/names-of-japanese-americans-forcibly-imprisoned/

Because of the fixed nature of memorials, I understand that the memorialists may have hoped to delay repair. It would be inartful to chisel out one word and correct it.

However, with the more accurate information about the number of victims of Executive Order 9066, a full restoration of the plaques could be justified, since TWO mistakes would be corrected.

I do stress that the spelling error should be fixed, above all. It's embarrassing, considering that the site is right across from a high school!

What steps will the city take to repair the spelling error, at the very least?

I must add another disappointment, because I shared my concern about the spelling error with Councilman Kaji three years ago, and nothing has been done. All the discussion about renaming sites should have been delayed until the errors had been fixed on the current memorial outside of Torrance High School.

Please respond.

CORRECTION:

Gail Morgan, a Torrance resident and very committed community leader, has provided me with the following information when I asked for the key party responsible for the Ted Tanouye Memorial:

TED TANOUYE MEMORIAL FOUNDATION Do not bother Go For Broke.

Here's further reporting to affirm the proper authorities on the memorial.

I have still asked the city to offer assistance. If the Foundation rejects that offer, that is their choice to make.

Aurelio Mattucci's Huge Win Against Two-Time Loser RINO Dishonest Mike Griffiths

 

I cannot rejoice enough over Councilman Mattucci's major win over former city councilman Mike Griffiths for the Torrance City Treasurer position.

Griffiths has a horrid reputation for lying to people in the city.

In 2018, I wanted him to support a Resolution against the Sanctuary State Law, SB 54. He made a bunch of excuses, stating that he didn't want to bring a "circus" of protesters to the city council.

How ironic that another circus--Black Lives Matter--would show up and shut down city council business for years. But that's another story for another day.

Griffiths said he would not support it. And yet, at the next city council meeting, there was a request for concurrence on a resolution against SB 54. Griffiths voted for it, along with Mattucci and Chen.

Councilman Milton Herring voted against it, along with Rizzo, Furey, and Goodrich, so the request for concurrence failed. Why would Griffiths tell me he opposed it, then went along with it when he had the chance?

This kind of double-dealing became commonplace with this guy.

I have shared before that Griffiths was particularly rude to me--as well as diffident--about supporting a Resolution of No Confidence in George Gascon. How could anyone find this problematic? 

Of course, there was his long of history of arrogance toward the general public. I remember when he attended some of the Beach Cities Republicans meetings, and he would snap back at some of the questions posed by the members.

On the council, once George Chen became mayor, Griffiths would routinely remind the public: "Well, since I am the city councilmember with the most experience ..."

Of course, having experience does not make one an expert. The 15th US President, James Buchanan, had more political experience than most presidents before and after--and yet he's regarded as one of the worst presidents in our nation's history. Experience is not enough. Elected officials have to have class, honesty, and integrity.

Those are characteristics which Griffiths has long lacked.

He ran for Treasurer in 2022, and one would think that as a sitting city councilmember, he would have had the best chance. There were four other candidates, including, at that time, former city councilman Tim Goodrich (who left his seat for career reasons, I guess?). The current treasurer, Dana Cortez, was not showing up to work, and there were two other candidates, including conservative Rick Marshall (who managed to send out a mailer that year, too!)

Goodrich won. Griffiths couldn't beat a former city councilman, one who had quit his job before the end of the term! That is pretty sad. I also remember visiting Griffith's campaign Facebook page, and someone had posted my blog post calling out Griffiths for not wanting to take a stand against Gascon!

After George was elected mayor, Griffiths didn't want to issue a Resolution of No Confidence in the Los Angeles Health Director Barbara Ferrer. His opposition failed, since Sharon Kalani went along with it, and Asam Sheikh abstained (something he does quite a lot on the city council dias).

Griffiths supported tax increases. Griffiths was OK with the Pride Resolution. Griffiths wanted to increase the spending. He was never a true Republican.

Then he ran again for city treasurer.

What kind of support did he muster for his second bid for city-wide office?

Councilman Jeremy Gerson endorsed him, but do you notice anything funny about the photo?

It's AI! You can see the Google Gemini logo in the bottom right corner.

It's fake, just like the persona that Griffiths tried to present to the public over his last two campaigns.

Why didn't Gerson bother to show up for a photo shoot, anyway?

Gerson is a Democrat now, by the way, so that showed where his growing interests lie.

Speaking of Democrats, look who else endorsed Dishonest Mike:

If you can't read the circled section, here's a larger print:

Yes, the liberal Democrat state assemblyman, who thinks it's OK for teachers to keep secrets from parents about their children, who made it easier for sex offenders to avoid the sex-offender registry, who wanted to make it harder to fire pervert teachers, who raised our gas taxes, he endorsed Griffiths.

If this doesn't scream RINO, I don't know what will.

I was stunned when I first saw this, and I had hoped to write something about it, time permitting. What a betrayal! Why would anyone, especially a supposed Republican, promote an endorsement from an abusive Democratic lawmaker like Muratsuchi? The state assemblyman even pushed for his chief of staff, Andrew DeBlock, to run against Griffiths in 2020!

I didn't have the time to go after this perverse endorsement. Getting out the vote for Mattucci was more important. Thankfully, that decision paid off.

Former city councilman and two-time loser for city treasurer, Mike Griffiths, has used the domain name "I Like Mike" for his campaign website ever since he ran for office, starting with the city council in 2014. It's time for him to get the message: No, we don't like him, and it's time for him to move on.

Torrance Mayor Still Limiting Public Comment in City Council Meetings

 

Mayor George Chen of Torrance, CA, is STILL limiting public comment in the city council meetings.

I have spoken against this limitation for the last two years, and I have written in to the city council to do something about it.

It's time for more residents to speak out against this unjust limitation

I know that I am not alone on this. And THIS is the time to push on this. Every day that the city council does not respect and restore our full public comment is an appropriate time to speak out against this.

I am stunned at the arrogance of this mayor. Where is this coming from?

Contact the city council and demand the full restoration of public comment:

1. Three minutes for oral communications

2. Three minutes per agenda item.

2. Oral Communications #2 should allow everyone who wants to speak to be heard, since they stayed for the entire city council meeting to be heard.

Bridgett Lewis: blewis@torranceca.gov

George Chen: gchen@torranceca.gov

Sharon Kalani: skalani@torranceca.gov

Jeremy Gerson: jgerson@torranceca.gov

Jon Kaji: jkaji@torranceca.gov

Asam Sheikh: asheikh@torranceca.gov

Aurelio Mattucci: amattucci@torranceca.gov

Phone Call: (310) 618-2801

Breaking News: FPPC Investigation of Aurelio Mattucci Recall Underway

Torrance resident Patsy Okada has filed a complaint with the FPPC in connection with Jean Adelsman's recall effort against Torrance City Councilman and City Treasurer candidate Aurelio Mattucci.

This is a significant development, since the FPPC receives between 1,000 and 2,000 complaints each year. Patsy's complaint was accepted!

I received the following text message from Patsy, which she had received from Bob Habel, one of the Torrance Parks and Recreation Commissioners, who organized the failed recall effort against Torrance City Councilman Jon Kaji:

Here's the full message, if you cannot read the text in the picture:

Thanks [sic] you. The names will not appear in the Breeze because we are just going to scare him into that we are going to recall him. After we gather the necessary signatures, we turn them into the city clerk, she verifies that they are valid. Then we can pay someone to serve him that he is being recalled.That is where it ends. Names and addresses will not appear in the paper. It's not going to go that far. Once he is served, he will know that District 1 people are not happy with him. There is no lawyer with the Kaji recall. I don't know who Jean is using for the Mattucci recall.

So, the Kaji recall effort was a hoax.

What about the Mattucci recall?

Patsy shared the following with me:

My complaint was 99% from Jean Adelsman’s newsletters. But in the newsletters Jean asked for donations for the recall. FPPC jurisdiction is money involved in an election/recall. 

In case anyone has forgotten, Jean Adelsman was one of the key organizers of the Mattucci recall. She asked for donations!

She was the biggest cheerleader, outlining all the reasons why Mattucci "needed" to be recalled.

She did have a considerable role in the recall effort:

A few personal points: I am No. 39 out of the 60. If the recall succeeds, I will not seek the seat. I ran in 2022 because, at that moment, no one else was prepared to oppose Mattucci. Some excellent candidates have already indicated that they would be available to fill the seat in 2024. I am neither chair nor treasurer. I am serving as the committee’s communications director. 

She frequently promoted the donation links for the recall effort, too.

Newsletter 46

Newsletter 47

Newsletter 49

Was the Mattucci effort just another bluff? If so, why raise money for it? If the circulators had no intention of actually collecting enough signatures to put a recall measure on the ballot, why fundraise?

Pasty shared with me:

I got the financial disclosure for this recall and I used it as an exhibit.  The treasurer of the recall is Evelyn Smith, and Marilyn Bailey is the state measure proponent. Also, Jean was interviewed by the Daily Breeze when the recall ended . The reporter asked her how many signatures were collected, and she wouldn’t answer. I gave that as an exhibit.

I contacted the City Clerk for more information regarding who initiated the recall, and here's what she shared with me:

The legal publication lists Mary A. Bailey, Mathilde F. Terre, and Marla Shwarts.

YIKES!

WINNING: Torrance City Council Votes Down Kalani's "Pride" Resolution for 2025

 

Well, well, well!

Good work to all Torrance residents for speaking out against that disgusting resolution last year.

Your voice made the difference, and it scared some of the city councilmembers straight (pun intended?).

At the May 20th, 2025, city council meeting, Councilwoman Sharon Kalani, wanting to fit in with the liberal in-crowd in the city, once again asked for a motion of concurrence to bring forward a "Pride" resolution for the city of Torrance to recognize June as "Pride month."

Councilwoman Kalani is not thinking about the best interests of the community.

She is pushing a narrow, DEI-based agenda to please key sponsors or donors in the city, I imagine. She announced that she was thinking about running for mayor a few months ago. She says that she wants the city to get "back to business."

Since when is celebrating sexual perversion, exploitation, and dysfunction part of the business of Torrance? Since when is taking up city council business for a perverse resolution "getting back to business"?

Here's her attempt to push this agenda yet again at the May 20th, 2025 Torrance City Council meeting (from 1:47:40 to 1:49:40)

Councilman Kaji also felt the heat and saw the light. He should be ashamed of himself for supporting the resolution last year. I am aware that many people in the Japanese-American community criticized him for supporting the resolution. Finally, he got the message.

It was a pleasant surprise to see Councilman Sheikh abstain on the matter entirely. Last year, I contacted his peers at the Islamic Institute of Torrance, and I urged them to write to the city council and urge him to reject this resolution. That effort scared him off from going along with this destructive nonsense. Even Kalani-booster Jean Adelsman noticed this effort! (And she has started attacking Councilman Sheikh, too. Trouble in Torrance Democratic Paradise?)

For the record, I think it's particularly disturbing that Kalani talked about "rooting out all prejudice" in her bid for this resolution. Does she intend to exterminate all mankind? Whether some liberals want to accept it or not, prejudice is a sad fact of life in the human condition. Human beings bear grudges, lose their temper, have fits of rage, get angry without cause. We need to focus on curbing and preventing invidious discrimination, i.e. bad behavior, not bad thoughts. You don't invidious discrimination with resolutions, and some behaviors and ideologies should be discriminated against. Kalani says that she wants Torrance to be "inclusive for everyone." Does that include terrorists, sex offenders, and other miscreants, too?

Her desperation to get elected mayor has led to her pandering to more minute, limited interests in the city. She should consider the fate of Leilani Kimmel-Dagostino in Torrance elections 2014 and 2016, when she lobbied every interest group in the city, only to lose both times in her bid for city council. We dodged a bullet then, and let's hope the city dodges another "DEI" bullet in 2026 in the mayor's race, too.

Sad Day in Torrance: Creepy Pat Endorses Sellout Sharon for Mayor

It's official.

Sell-out Sharon Kalani has completed her course, sold whatever integrity she claimed to have, and has given into the spendthrift, business-as-usual political class which has defined Torrance politics for far too long.

What exactly is her beef with Mayor George Chen? Easy: Jean Adelsman doesn't like him. It's that simple. I thought elected officials were supposed to represent the needs of all residents, not just kowtow to the bitterness of a select few ...

I understand why this is happening. Sell-out Sharon wants to be liked. She doesn't want people to say mean things about her, and she wants to fit in without causing a great deal of conflict.

But leadership is about making choices, and choices are going to have outcomes or take directions which some people simply will not like.

Sell-out Sharon doesn't lead. She follows, she does what she is told, and she gets a pat on the head for her efforts.

She gets lots of kudos and nice remarks from "Take Back Torrance." She cares what a couple of angry liberals think, even though other liberal-leaning voters in the city were furious with Dishonest Jean for pushing a failed recall effort against Councilman Mattucci.

Bitterness is the norm for the political "Establishment" in the city, and this bitterness looks for politicians who are easy to control.

Enter Sharon Kalani. I never thought I would see such a total reversal in moral standing.

And to make matters worse, the city's worst mayor, Pat Furey, has lined up behind her.

Creepy, corrupt, abusive, incompetent former mayor Pat Furey endorses Sharon Kalani.

He also calls her a friend. Who would want to be a friend of his?

These facts alone should turn everyone away from voting for this woman.

Many residents complained to me about "Creepy Pat." He was rude, abusive, dishonest with the Torrance public during his tenure. He brought a lot of conflict to the city. He colluded with a PAC to get elected, and he sold out our Ambulance service to McCormick. He couldn't maintain order in the city council chambers when left-wing activists repeatedly took over the meetings to support black thug Christopher Cowboy Mitchell. He threw residents out of the city council chambers just for speaking their minds, but he would allow hateful black supremacist bigots to shut down the city council meetings. This is leadership that Torrance can trust?

But Pat Furey served two terms, some will counter. Only because two Republicans split the vote in those elections. Creepy Pat never had a majority of the city behind him. It sure looks like Sharon won't have a majority of the city behind her, either, if these are the best endorsements she can muster.

Trouble in (Liberal) Torrance Paradise: Adelsman Turning on Asam Sheikh?

Is Take Back Torrance plotting to oust Councilman Sheikh?

Jean Adelsman is big mad because Torrance City Councilman Asam Sheikh put kids first and voted against the "pride" resolution earlier this year.

It sounds like she and other unrepentant liberals in town have their knives out for Asam in 2026!

She writes in her latest "Take Back Torrance" post:

Four offices will be on the ballot [in 2026]: Chen and Kaji have filed for re-election in 2026 and have identified candidates to run for District 5’s open seat (Mattucci will term out) and for District 3’s Asam Sheikh’s seat. That will be a repeat of 2024 when Chen and Kaji attempted to oust Lewis and also gain the open seat.

Lewis had been appointed and so had less than two years under her belt when she ran, but she was rewarded with re-election.

Sheikh may have a tougher time against a Chen-Kaji-backed opponent. He disappointed many – gay and straight – by his aligning with Chen on opposing Pride Month.

He disappointed many -- gay and straighht -- by his aligning with Chen on opposing Pride Month.

First of all, Councilwoman Kalani and the other three members who voted for the pride resolution should have aligned with Torrance voters, especially those in the audience, and rejected it.

Second, Councilman Sheikh clearly feared the outrage of his Muslim peers, many of whom attended the city council meeting to oppose the resolution. I am so grateful for their attendance.

Third, Sheikh sounds like his own man, even if he voted with Mayor Chen. He is not merely aligning himself with the mayor, although we know that Adelsman has as much of a targeted rancor against the mayor as anyone who opposes "Pride Month." The fixation on Mayor Chen is also disturbing, and her need to tie every "bad" vote to the mayor is unfair. Does she really think that Sheikh is a puppet of Chen?

Of course, the larger obsession that Torrance liberals have with pushing sexual perversion is disturbing. Why is there this obsession with normalizing a destructive behavior and false identities? And aren't there more pressing issues for the city to face, like ensuring that the budget and withstand the next economic downturn, or improving public safety?

Since when did "woke" ever benefit a city? Toyota, which was headquartered in Torrance, just backed out of all the Pride-Woke-DEI nonsense this week, and pledged to stay out of Pride parades. One would think that local governments would start getting the message, too.

I do think it's interesting that liberal outrage is lingering against Councilman Sheikh for doing the right thing (even if he had to be pressured to do it) in voting against the pride resolution. It will be interesting what happens in 2026, when Sheikh asks the voters for another term. Will he? 

Open Letter to Torrance City Council re: Pride Month Resolution (2024)

 Torrance City Council:

It is very disappointing, and in fact quite disturbing, that Councilwoman Sharon Kalani insists on bringing in all of this woke drama to the city of Torrance.

The Torrance City Council should reject her so-called pride resolution.

Mayor Chen did the right thing--and one must acknowledge, the brave thing--by rejecting such a resolution last year as well as this year. He is correct, to the extent that homosexual and transgender behaviors are that ... behaviors. They are not innate nor are they genetic. They should not be celebrated on that basis alone. Should we have a Resolution celebrating Smokers and Heroin Addicts, too?

Frankly, I would like to see all the hyphenated-American Month resolutions discarded, but that's another discussion for another day.

These behaviors: homosexuality, transgenderism, etc., are inherently disordered and harmful. They involve a clear misuse of organs, all too much like shoving a straw up one's nose to drink or using one's elbows to scratch one's ears. The high rates of disease, dysfunction, and death (promiscuity, drug use, other high-risk behaviors) associated with homosexuality and transgenderism are too great to ignore, and they should not be celebrated. Critics will counter-argue: "Well, LGBT people have had to cope with all this discrimination and persecution. That's why they engaged in all those destructive habits." The truth is that these dsyfunctional behaviors are all too prevalent among homosexual populations in even the most LGBT affirming countries: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, etc. The average lifespan of homosexuals declines by 20% compared to the general population. That is not healthy, and that has nothing to do with external social pressures.

These behaviors are borne out of abuse, neglect, confusion, molestation, or shame. No one's natural rights should be violated because they struggle with these issues, but the solution  is not to celebrate and enable these behaviors. Shame on you, Sharon, for stirring up trouble in this community and celebrating behaviors that harm people, and promote an ideology that harms rather than helps or heals.

In fact, this whole LGBT movement has gotten so perverse, that now activists are demanding the sex mutilation of minors, all under the guise of "gender-affirming care." There is a better phrase for such acts: child abuse. And now women are being erased in the name of "Transgender Tolerance." Enough already! The whole LGBT movement is riddled with child abuse. A large majority of homosexuals and transgenders SUFFERED child abuse, and the trauma has not been resolved. How dare anyone enable the ongoing abuse of these poor people!

The destruction of marriage, family, and public order has also come in the wake of this whole LGBT movement, and there is no right or reason for the city council to celebrate any of this. This garbage has gone from the bedroom, to the boardroom, to the classroom, to the courtroom, and now the rest of us don't have any room. Again: when is enough going to be enough?

And there are specific problems with the resolution, too:

The resolution offered to the city council provides all of this glowing praise surrounding the Stonewall Riots of 1969. That whole narrative is just one more example of the false hagiography that has inflated the whole LGBT movement.

The reason that police officers stormed the Stonewall Inn was due to the fact that it was a mob bar, and the bar was not paying its liquor license. The whole raid had nothing to do with homosexuals and transgenders, but the LGBT movement has turned it into a cause celebre to justify its abusive, agressive, militant agenda.

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/stonewall-why-did-mafia-own-bar/

The resolution also suggests that supporting LGBT "rights" is supporting human rights. That is a lie. There is no civil or natural right to engage in sodomy or cross-dressing. People are born black, white, Hispanic, etc. People are not born homosexual nor are they born in the wrong body.

You can check out these testimonies for proof that LGBT is not forever, either:

Formerly Gay Man Could Go to Jail After Sharing Testimony of Finding God, Embracing Bible

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zRtjHOoPAY

Former Gay Man Exposes the Truth about the LGQTB Agenda

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzsbO4Zyj3U

Jeffrey's Story: Ex-Transgender with Regret

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r09cDPsQ1wI

Ex-‘Drag Queen’ shares his story – what that lifestyle is really like

https://www.massresistance.org/docs/gen3/19c/MR-Dallas-Kevin/index.html

Reject this resolution immediately, and never bring it back.

Sharon Kalani should save face and just withdraw this item once for all.

Sharon Kalani Works for Donors, not the Torrance Community

Councilwoman Sharon Kalani brought nothing but division to the community with her so-called "pride" resolution.

And based on the donations she refused for her campaign this year, we can see why:

8/22/23   1000   Adam Schwartz (Democrat, head of Downtown Torrance pushing pride nonsense)

9/01/23   1000   Hamid Pournamdari

10/2/23   1000   Pippi Vaughn

10/12/23   500     Biz fed PAC

10/23/23   100     Julie Randall

10/28/23 1000   Kur Bruggeman

10/30/23  1000  Gerald Marcil (liberal Republican)

10/31/23    300   Patrick Theodora

11/14/23   1000  Allen Basso

11/15/23     500  Janet Payne (Democrat)

11/15/23     200  Mimi Shoho

11/19/23   1000  Jamie Basso

11/29/23   1000  Torrance Firefighters

12/08/23     500  Russell Lesser

12/11/23     250  Steve Rochman

12/27/23    100   Kurt Weideman (Democrat)

01/02/24   1000  Harriette Adelsman (Democrat who really hates Aurelio Mattucci)

01/09/24     500  Patrick Furey (Hateful Democrat)

01/10/24     250  Mike Griffiths (RINO sellout)

01/10/24     250  Maureen O'Donnell

01/31/24     250  Dennis Piotrowski

01/25/24     500  Mary Hoffman

01/26/24     100  Robert Habel

01/27/24      500  A&M Towing

01/29/24    1000 Torrance Police Officers

01/29/24      100  Judith Johnson

01/31/24      250  Rob Katherman

02/05/24      100  Clifford Neumark (Democrat)

02/05/24      200  Dick Amemiya

02/05/24      100  Lowell Hardison

02/12/24    1000  Matt Liknaitzky

03/01/24      100  Judith Simmons

03/05/24      100  Anil Muhammed (Democrat)

03/05/24      100  Zohra Muhammed

03/05/24      500  TME AFSCME

She got a lot of money from the pro-LGBT bullies, including krypto-Nazi Adam Schwartz. who thinks that Asian-Americans and other Torrance residents are "ignorant bigots."

Notice the money from Democrats, as well.  From elected officials to labor unions, she was propped up by a lot of liberal money in the city. Pretty sad, considering the fact that Kalani still styles herself as a Republican.

Elections have consequences, and the lack of serious challengers to wayward incumbents is hurting our city.

These city councilmembers are quite arrogant, thinking that they can just ignore our concerns after they win a second term. This is really unacceptable!

Ending Conflict of Interest, Torrance City Councilwoman Bridget Lewis Returns Donation from Sling Flight Air Academy

March 2, 2024 4:46pm UPDATE:

Bridget Lewis returned the money from Sling Flight Academy.

See form below:

There has been a great deal of commotion and contention over the Torrance Airport.

Residents want quiet. If there are repeated flight patterns over the airport, people wouldn't be able to live in their homes, because of the constant noise overhead.

On the other hand, there are a number of uses with the airport. I have have residents stress its crucial role in emergency services, as well as providing necessary training for pilots. This country is facing an unprecedented shortage of airline pilots, and we need more professionals who can run the planes!

Now, why is this donation to 2024 Torrance City Council candidate Bridget Lewis so concerning?

One resident in the community sent me this information, and shared:

Hi Arthur,

I decided to snip Bridgett's financial disclosure for the $1000 contribution she received from Sling Pilot Academy. This is a conflict interest because Sling was granted a temporary restraining order on Torrance. You can find this information in the Daily Breeze.

Yikes!

She was voting on an issue before the city council, which affected this business, AND she received a donation from them!

That is really sketchy!

BREAKING: A vote for Bridget Lewis, Jeremy Gerson is a Vote for George Gascon

 I just found this political flyer yesterday morning in West Torrance:

Yes, the Los Angeles County Democratic Party is taking the time to tell voters how to destroy their county even more.

The LA County Democratic Party has been taken over by wild socialists and communists, creepy SJWs more intent on destroying the last remnants of this once great country, state, and country.

And they really think voters are lining up to hurt themselves more.

But who is the LA County Democratic Party endorsing in Torrance elections for this year's primary?

Of course they are endorsing Janice Hahn and Al Muratsuchi. They have been in perfect lock-step for the regressive leftist agenda throughout the county, the same regressive, leftist agenda which gives more rights to criminals and privileges to the homeless at the expense of the law-abiding taxpayers.

But I was surprised, dismayed, and quite disappointed with the other two endorsements.

Jeremy Gerson was a Republican when he was elected to the Torrance school board in 2018. He even met with me directly when I was complaining about the Black Lives Matter propaganda at Madrona     Middle School four years ago.

And now he's a registered Democrat? This is really disturbing.

And then there's Bridget Lewis.

I had high hopes for her. She answered a number of my email correspondence last year, and she greeted me warmly when I went to the city council meeting in early February 2023.

But now this? She's endorsed by the LA Democratic Party? She flip-flopped, too. She was a registered Republican when she was appointed in 2022. She sold out so she could get more money to run for city council. Haven't they learned from the failures of Torrance Democratic Club president Jimmy Gow? He has run openly as a partisan Democrat in two city council elections, with all the backing of the LA Democratic establishment ... and he still loses!

Torrance voters want principles and results, not all of this political pandering. This is really outrageous. I am so disgusted, especially by the complicit double-dealing of these two, having registered as one party then moving to the opposite extreme. There is no integrity here, not commitment to any value consensus.

But that's not the worst of it.

Look at the other list of endorsements on the same exact flyer:

This is beyond insane. This is just evil. What political party in its right mind would still support pro-criminal, pro-lawlessness, anti-law enforcement LA County District Attorney George Gascon?

Even progressives are turning on Gascon, since they had voted for a reform-minded DA, not a regressive who would destroy the county, make the streets less safe, and even endanger the so-called targeted groups like "people of color." What they got is a great breakdown in law and order. Of course, law enforcement should uphold and the rights and safety of all LA County residents, but you get the point.

If you vote the LA County Dem ticket, you are voting for George Gascon.

Torrance residents, if you vote for Bridget Lewis and Jeremy Gerson, you are voting for George Gascon. You are validating the same corrupt political machine that puts woke political posturing ahead of the people. It's your choice, but I hope that Torrance is better than that.

I recognize that there are registered Democrats who are not crazy. They want a secure border, they want proper law enforcement. There are even registered Democratic lawmakers across the country who oppose abortion and the sex mutilation of minors.

But those Democrats do not exist in the LA County Democratic Party. The whole hateful ensemble is controlled by spoiled brat college students who want to ignore public safety and push their demand for a socialist dystopia at all costs. Common-sense voters are no longer welcome. By the way, the Democratic Socialists of America, who now run the LA County Democrats, are going bankrupt, so there's that.

If you want George Gascon as your DA, you will vote for Bridget Lewis and Jeremy Gerson. They have no problem identifying with the same corrupt, destructive political enterprise that is undermining Los Angeles County. A vote for Bridget and Jeremy is a vote for George Gascon.

I want law and order, safe streets, better governance, efficiency, and a real attention to the needs of Torrance residents. I don't trust either of these two Torrance City Council candidates to get the job done. The Torrance City Council already issued a Resolution of No Confidence in George Gascon three years ago. We should have no confidence that Gerson and Lewis will do what is best for the city of Torrance.

Torrance City Council Candidate Jack Walser: I Don't Have Time to Answer Questions

When someone is running for city council, one would think that a candidate would go out of his way to answer questions for prospective voters.

Not Jack Walser.

The former appointed city councilman seems to forget that he works for voters, for citizens, not for Frank Scott, not for Pat Furey, not for the political establishment.

I sent a questionnaire to Mr. Walser, since he is running for the District Six City Council seat, asking him to share his thoughts, his answers about his campaign.

Here's my email:

Hey Mr, Walser:

Ten years ago, I sent out questionnaires to different candidates, giving them a chance to share their views and answer questions on their campaign.

I am requesting that you fill out this questionnaire, as well! I will post your answers on my blog.

Here's what Heidi Ashcraft shared with me in 2014, and what I posted:

https://aschaper1.blogspot.com/2014/05/torrance-city-council-races-heidi.html

Please feel free to send me your answers as soon as you can, and I will post them.

THANKS!

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1. Why are you running for city council this year? Did you ever plan on running for office before?
   
    
2. What is your party affiliation? Please explain why.

 

3. Tell us about your prior professional/political experience and how they can help the City of Torrance? 

 

4. What measures, reforms, and policies would you implement on a city level to bring in more business and increase economic activity in the City of Torrance. 

 

5. What concerns do you have about crime and public safety in Torrance? How do you want to combat those issues? 

 

6. There are growing revelations about the city's massive pension liabilities -- $400 million, an online reports confirm that at least 600 city employees out of 200 are earning at least $100,000 a year in total compensation (per 2012 data). What reforms or steps do you support to deal with these massive pension liabilities? 

 

7. Aside from crime and finances, what are three issues that you want to tackle when you get elected to city council? 

 

8. How have residents and prospective voters responded to your campaign?

And here was his arrogant answer:

Arthur,

My time is very limited with business priorities and running the campaign with only a short time remaining. I would be hard pressed to complete your questionnaire as requested. Besides, your questions are not timely being ten years old.

Please go to my website and find the information you are seeking at: https://www.jackwalsertorrance.com/

Thank you.

        Jack Walser

Jack Walser thinks that questions about crime and public safety are not timely. He thinks that questions about the city's finance issues are not timely. Is he even paying attention? Does he have any understanding of the pressing issues facing the city? It sure sounds as if he doesn't, which may explain why he is not answering questions.

He says that he does not have time to answer questions because of his business.

If he can't make time to answer questions because of his business, how will he make time to serve the city as a councilman?

If he cannot prioritze voters and their questions when he is running for office, then what busines does he have running for office?

Mr. Walser, if you are going to make excuses, try harder. But I will say that the voters of District Six deserve better than some dismissive busines owner who won't answer questions for the voters.