LA Times Runs Over Huntington Park ... Again! (Metro Transit Corruption)

We the People Rising have been blasting the corruption and lawlessness in Huntington Park for the past two years.

Only now is the Los Angeles Times getting involved investigating the corruption?

What took them so long? 

They published a story about Karina Macias' illicit connections one week before the March 7, 2017 municipal elections. Either the article was too little too late, or the voter fraud was just so overwhelming, that Macias and Avila were going to prevail, regardless.

I am going with the latter, although I would not be surprised that most of the voting public in Huntington Park did not bother to read the revealing accounts in the press regarding the dial-a-ride hustle in their own city.

Adam Elmahrek wrote another hard-hitting account in the LA Times going after Huntington Park's corrupt city council:

Huntington Park's new dial-a-ride contractor costs almost $200,000 moreand has political connections to City Council

When the Huntington Park City Council changed its senior citizens dial-a-ride contractor last year, it raised some eyebrows in the community.

Not just eyebrows. Voices and fists were raised at the Huntington Park City Council meetings last year, too. Unfortunately, the political awareness which comes with voter outrage did not follow through.

The council selected Metro Transit Services for $600,000 a year with annual increases, even though the firm’s bid was was nearly $200,000 a year higher than what the incumbent contractor, Fiesta Taxi, bid.

WHAT?! Yes, indeed, the Huntington Park City Council took the poor, working-class residents to the cleaners, and then some. Such is the result of a community where 45% of the residents are illegal aliens, and the voting public refuses to vote!

The October decision was the second time city leaders had awarded a contract to Metro Transit Services.

HA!

Metro Transit hired as its general manager Mario Beltran, owner of a political consulting firm that worked for a campaign committee that promoted the council majority. He had no experience in transportation and a criminal record involving misuse of campaign funds and filing a false police report. It also hired Councilwoman Graciela Ortiz’s brother, an unpaid volunteer to his sister’s council campaign.

Mario Beltran, the eminence grise for all things corrupt in the South Eastern Los Angeles County region.

Council members say these connections played no role in their decisions to award contracts to Metro Transit, which they thought would serve the community well.

Charging the residents of the city $200,000 more a year--that constitutes serving the community well?

Really?! They're either delusional, or demonic!

City officials said in a staff report that they analyzed Fiesta Taxi’s bid and concluded that the vendor had given an inaccurate price quote. Based on the level of service and Fiesta Taxi’s rate, the bid should have been more than $600,000 annually — just slightly more than Metro Transit’s proposal, the staff report said.

Sure it was ...

City Manager Edgar Cisneros said at the council meeting that Fiesta Taxi’s service had consistently exceeded its budget. The city later completed a study of the service and made cuts that records show brought costs under control.

Cisneros is not exaclty a hero, either. He is very big in the left-wing LGBT, open borders movement:

There were no scoring sheets — a standard document in local government contract bidding — available at the meeting to show how and why both contractors were ranked, something Fiesta Taxi’s representative, Marco Soto, pointed out during public comments.

So, the city council claims that the Fiesta Taxi bid was wrong, and would have cost the city of Torrance far more than the bidder had claimed, yet at the same time they refused to provide information demonstrating the cost adjustments.

This is corruption and fraud writ large. Don't the voting citizens of Huntington Park have any sense of regard for their well-being? From what I heard in the city, the homeowner are just going to leave the city and live it at that.

The only council member against Metro Transit was so concerned about the vote that he threatened to report it to authorities.

“I will talk to the D.A. about this,” Councilman Valentin Amezquita told his colleagues at the meeting. “Don’t erase the [council meeting] video.”

Of course, this man, Valentin, was kicked off the city council in the March 7, 2017. Voter fraud!

Let's not forget that the incumbent Macias and her favorite Manny Avila had big money and major endorsements from corrupt special interests in the LA region.

In an interview, Amezquita said he couldn’t get an explanation for how staff concluded that Fiesta Taxi’s price quote was inaccurate and questions why Metro Transit was selected.

The mayor at the time, Graciela Ortiz, dismissed Soto’s concern about the lack of scoring sheets. She emphasized at the meeting that the complaints about Fiesta Taxi’s service as a good reason to change contractors. By Soto’s count there were three “verified complaints” from residents about Fiesta Taxi’s service.

Three complaints. Are three complaints worth $200,000?

“Three people is three people too much, in my eyes,” Ortiz said. “You’re telling me about the scoring sheet, but please understand we represent the residents of Huntington Park.”

HA! That's a good one, Graciela!

City records show complaints rose sharply after Metro Transit took over the dial-a-ride service, going from a handful to more than two dozen within a few months.

WOW! Three complaints and the city spends $200,000. For all that extra money, the complaints have risen sharply. What a bunch of rip-off con artists!

Council members say that’s because they are more closely tracking complaints since Metro Transit got the contract.

But Cisneros, the city manager, was also unhappy with how Metro Transit was responding to concerns from residents. An elderly woman said she was left stranded in the middle of a rainy night with no Metro Transit drivers to pick her up, and the city manager grew increasingly frustrated when the company’s vice president, Victor Caballero, failed to respond.

They are all buddy-buddy with the corrupt city council. There has never been any intention that these city councilmembers wanted to do what is best for the citizens of Huntington Park.

“This is concerning and unacceptable,” Cisneros wrote in a Feb. 14 email to Caballero.

Popcorn: Southeastern LA County Dems Attack Each Other With the Trump Card

What is happening in Southeastern Los Angeles County Politics is nothing short of amazing.

Or better yet--amazingly stupid.

But it many signal good news for Republicans inLos Angeles County who want to make some kind of difference.

In Huntington Park California, two prominent Democrats are running for re-election or running for a seat on the city council.

Valentin Amezquita and Laura Herrera.

And this is the latest attack flyer which hit Huntington Park mail boxes:

Valentin Palos Amezquita sits on the city council for Huntington Park.

He is the only member who has routinely spoken out against corruption, based on visits to the city council plus his statements before the city council during public comment as a private citizen.

If this man was racist against who exactly? Hispanics? Asians? The flyer is very unclear about this.

If he really did not like his own ethnic heritage, then why would he serve on the Huntington Park City Council in the first place?

But to compare Valentin--a Democrat--to Donald Trump?

Now this is just crazy!

What is going on with the Los Angeles County Democratic Party?

They are now using the Trump card to attack fellow Democrats?

Will this kind of tactic work in the short and the long-term?

How many prospective voters are going to look at these mailers and believe what they are reading?

Check out the other side of this inflammatory and deeply false mailer, too:

Laura Herrera opposes religious liberty.

She does not think that America First" is an acceptable view or value.

She is pro-charter schools, though, and anti-corruption.

She also ran for the 53rd AD Democratic Central Committee and was the top vote getter, beating Huntington Park Cty Councilwoman Karina Macias by a few thousands votes.

That spells big trouble for Macias going into March 7, and add to that setback the newspaper reports about Macias and her criminal dealings with private vendors and the awarding of contracts.

How could a Democratic operative by anywhere near a Trump supporter or even sympathizer?

This brazen fraud may very well backfire.

In the meantime, Republicans should take advantage of these divides and start winning elections in these regions, where voters are simply looking for honest government, fiscal discipline, and a careful attention to city safety and security.

Huntington Park City Council Discriminates Against People Who Don't Look Like Them

The Huntington Park City Council is one of the most corrupt city councils in Los Angeles.

Second only to the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, of course!

Eric Bauman is nothing more than a base protege of Crooked Hillary - but that's another tall tale for another day.

The Huntington Park City council recognizes  no serious diversity.

Neither of skin color nor intellect.

White residents get no services, and black and Asian residents don't get much attention either.

But one evening in particular stands out when the city council showed deference to Hispanic residents and tried to subvert the rights of non-Hispanic speakers at the city council meeting.

February 16th, 2016.

Residents of the city of Huntington Park City Council served recall papers.

I was asked to announce the recall for two members: Karina Macia and Jhonny Pineda.

Instead of allowing me to speak, she repeatedly interrupted me with "That's not item #3. Are you speaking on Item #3?"

She does not interrupt other speakers, the ones who are Hispanic.

Why does she treat white people with such contempt?

Then check out the crap she pulled with Wes Parker:

They wanted to make me sit down when I wanted to stand with Wes.

But other people, who were of Hispanic descent, were allowed to have as many people as they wanted to stand at the podium.

Why this double-standard?

Of course, at the March 1, 2016 meeting, there was more discrimination.

Betty Retama was removed from the city council meeting for speaking on an agenda item during public comment.

But other members of the audience were permitted to speak on agenda items!

Macias labeled white people as racist. So did the current mayor Graciela Ortiz.

Here are their offensive comments:

The Huntington Park City Council does nice things for "Brown people"--particularly those who agree with their perverse, destructive policies.

But they dishonor anyone with a different skin color, and call them racists.

And now, the Huntington Park City Council has appointed Sergio Infanzon, a planning director for LA City Councilman Gil Cedillo, as community manager for Huntington Park.

This is the same thug who called Huntington Park a "Brown Town", when it isn't.

This is the same shameful man who told Shirley Husar to "Go back to Africa!"

Huntington Park City Councilmembers are the ones who are racist!

Corrupt Huntington Park City Council Throws Out Honest Colleague Valentin Amezquita

Huntington Park City Council is feeling the heat.

Four of the members are some of the most corrupt, incompetent, and immature representatives I have seen in local governance.

One would think that the residents of the city would have better choices available to them.

With all the corruption going on in the Southeastern Los Angeles area, no wonder so many more qualified people simply decide not to run for office at all.

Jhonny Pineda appointed two illegal aliens to two city commissions.

The three other colleagues approved this outrageous abusive decision:

Marilyn Sanabria

Karina Macias

Graciela Ortiz

These four Corruptitos pulled this crap in greater part becacuse they wanted to cover up for their litany of corruption against the people of Huntington Park.

They are jacking up fees.

They are taxing people.

They have cancelled contracts with good private vendors.

They are giving off contracts to their corrupt friends.

These people are just awful.

Most of them are doing the bidding of the corrupt John Noguez, who runs the darker element of Huntington Park, too.

At the October 4th, 2016 Huntington Park City Council meeting, during the final comment period for councilmembers, Valentin Amezuita spoke, then the other councilmembers railed against him and lied about him repeatedly.

He finally had had enough and told them off.

Instead of respecting decorum, and instructing councilmembers to demonstrate some respect for one another, Mayor Graciela Ortiz called Amezuita out of order three times, then had him removed from the chamber.

Valentin Amezquita

What kind of city council is this?

First, they expand the pot shops, against the wishes of the majority of residents.

Then they block the expansion of charter schools.

They tear up Pacific Blvd, ruining the business climate and hurting the local economy.

They do nothing about the rampant drug-dealing and code violations rampant in the city.

They do they bidding of the corrupt political machine corrupto Efren Martinez:

The council majority approves the appointment of two illegal aliens to city commissions.

And now they silence and throw out the one honest councilmember!

Check out the video clip here (start at the 54:00 minute mark)!

We the People Rising, and We Will Not Rest Until Huntington Park Removes the Two Illegal Aliens from the City Commissions

We The People Rising http://wethepeoplerising.com EMAIL robinhvidston@wethepeoplerising.com https://twitter.com/calicrusader Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

File Photo FIGHTING BACK IN HUNTINGTON PARK Report by Robin Hvidston ATTEND THE HUNTINGTON PARK CITY COUNCIL MEETING! ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF SPEAKING OUT!  DATE: Tuesday, August  16 TIME: Suggested arrival time - 5:30pm LOCATION: Huntington Park City Hall 6550 Miles Avenue Huntington Park, CA 90255  http://www.hpca.gov/ File Photo - then Mayor Karina Macias and City Councilman Jhonny Pineda Residents, We The People Rising and CA Mass Resistance, have protested and attended the Huntington Park City Council Meetings for 1 year - calling for the Huntington Park City Council to RESCIND the appointment of the 2 illegals to commission seats and to appoint 2 U.S. citizen residents. ARTICLE: We the People Rising Shame the Racist Huntington Park Corruptitos By Arthur Scahper http://aschaper1.blogspot.com/2016/07/we-people-risin g-shame-racist.html?spref=fb FILE PHOTOS from the past year...    Above Photo - in front of CA State Senator Ricardo Lara's Huntington Park District Office - LOCATED NEXT TO THE HUNTINGTON PARK CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS!http://sd33.senate.ca.gov/ In front of Senator Ricardo Lara's district office, next to the Huntington Park City Council chambers. October 2015: After Dr. Newman was removed by armed police officers for hollering out YES three times during the city council meeting, activists displayed signs that read YES YES YES. Subsequently, a complaint was filed by Arthur Schaper.REPRIMAND: the District Attorney's office sent a letter to the Huntington Park City Council and stated the mayor had acted improperly when Dr. Newman was removed from the city council meeting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlSk2PAO4Pg   Please join with We The People Rising and the residents of Huntington Park and speak out during the public comments segment of the next council meeting! We will be focusing on the ONE YEAR OF BAD BEHAVIOR Anniversary! DATE: Tuesday, August  16 TIME: Suggested arrival time - 5:30pm LOCATION: Huntington Park City Hall 6550 Miles Avenue Huntington Park, CA 90255  http://www.hpca.gov/

Macias Demoted Once Before--Demote Her AGAIN!!

All of this seems like ancient history, considering how fast everything is changing in Huntington Park.

During the 2015 local elections for city council, though, with numerous candidates and allegations of corrupt swirling incumbents, anything could have happened.

Former mayor Karina Macias was also a former Vice-Mayor.

Why? She was demoted by her colleagues, and Valentin Palos Amezquita, the only honest councilman on the current dais, was elected by his colleagues at the time to replace her.

The Los Angeles Wave reports:

Huntington Park council remove Macias as vice mayor

HUNTINGTON PARK — The City Council meeting Tuesday night started with about 90 minutes of complaints by residents about Vice Mayor Karina Macias, who was accused of alleged campaign violations for the upcoming March 3 election as well as her own election two years ago.

90 minutes! 90 MINUTES!

No wonder she signed off on the appointment of two illegal aliens to the city commissions.

She will do just about anything to distract the residents from her own corrupt, unethical practices.

It ended in about 10 minutes as the City Council approved a resolution authorizing a council reorganization up to two times a year, which was followed by Macias being removed from her vice mayor position.

In those days, the city council followed some forum of decorum.

The vote was 4-0 for the resolution, with Macias abstaining, and 4-0 to demote her.

The voters of Huntington Park need to demote her out of office in 2017!

She joined in the unanimous vote to move Councilman Valentine P. Amezquita, elected with Macias in 2013, into the vice mayor seat.

Interesting. She should have shown more magnanimity recently, too. Marilyn Sanabria is part of the some corrupt bunch.

Amezquita is in position to become mayor when the regular reorganization, mandated by state election law, takes place March 16.

He should have been the next mayor in 2015. Instead, Macias took the spot. The three colleagues whom she colluded with before the election helped her get elected mayor. Now it all makes sense.

But it will be a different council, with at least two and possibly three new members.

Mayor Rosa Perez is the only incumbent running for re-election and she faces nine other candidates. Council members Mario Gomez and Ofelia Hernandez are being termed out of office.

“To be on the council is an honor. To be vice mayor is a double honor,” Amezquita said. “I will work with my council colleagues and obey the state and city laws.”

Amezquita pledged to "obet state and city laws."

The four Corruptitos he has to contend with--Sanabria, Ortiz, Pineda, and Macias--have nothing buyt contempt for the rule of law. They do not honor anything but their next election to office. They are corrupt, bereft of any honor.

They all need to be removed, immediately.

That’s where Macias ran into trouble.

A number of residents contended that she broke state law by using the city seal without permission twice on a campaign flier promoting challengers Jhonny Pineda, Marilyn Sanabria and Graciela Ortiz.

UGH!

Also on the ballot are former council members Elba Romo and Andy Molina, Huntington Park Chamber of Commerce director Leticia Martinez, Alex Reynoso, Rodolfo Cruz and David Sanchez.

After the audience comments, Macias came down to the speaker’s podium and said she believes she did nothing illegal and had consulted two attorneys about it.

Which attorneys? Glasman and company?

“You are throwing stones at a glass house. I have done nothing that [other council members] have not done. I have done nothing but speak my mind,” Macias said.

They are throwing stones at a glass house? Wow, her command of English idioms is astonishingly bad. The proper phrase goes: "He who lives in glass houses should not throw stones."

The other councilmembers did not misuse that city seal to advance their political careers.

She said she believes she had a right to privately support the three candidates and used the city seal only to identify herself.

The Crooked Huntington Park City Council

Heck no! She is all wrong.

But members of the audience alleged that she is supporting three newcomers to the city, called “carpetbaggers,” by resident Betty Retana.

Carpet-baggers indeed. The other three residents have no attachment to Huntington Park, one of many reasons why they appointed illegal aliens Julian Zatarain and Francisco Medina to two different commissions.

There are American citizens in Huntington Park who need work, who need to make a living. They could serve on those commissions, earn a living, and do good for their city.

Shame on the Huntington Park Corruptitos!

Retama also alleged fraud in Macias’s election in 2013, saying she signed a petition to support Macias, but that her name was forged as a petition circulator.

WOW! This issue needs to resurface.

She alleged that Sanabria circulated nomination petitions for Macias and did not live in the city at the time. Those circulating petitions must identify themselves on the petition and must live in the city under state election law.

Which is why some members of We the People Rising had nothing to do with the recall papers served in February. We do not live in the city.

Perez told City Attorney Isabel Birrueta and City Clerk Donna Schwartz to investigate. Birrueta said they would consult a handwriting specialist.

Is it possible to get that city attorney back?

Birrueta added that letters on the city seal issue have been sent to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office and the Fair Political Practices Commission, as directed by the council last week.

A number of Macias supporters in 2013 said they felt they were misled and betrayed by her.

WOW! Macias betrayed her own supporters, too!

“You stood here, banged your hand on the podium and yelled at the council to stop the corruption. Now you are on the other side,” said former Councilwoman Linda Luz Cavalle. “I believed in you but was manipulated by you and Marilyn ([Sanabria].”

Yes, Macias la Mentirosa!

“We don’t know which side you are on,” Cruz said. “We worked for you. You did not do the right thing.”

Did anyone really expect her to do anything right? Anything at all?!

“It is sad, it is horrible,” Yvonne Correa said. “You used a phony address. You have put the city in a bad light.”

“I collected money for you. You promised to help me, but you only worked to help yourself,” said Nick Ioanidis, who said the Macias campaign used his tailor shop address on Gage Avenue on some of their materials. “You should resign immediately. You are dangerous to Huntington Park and to the people,”

She is indeed dangerous. She is reckless left-wing ideologue who has do nothing but damage the already tarnished character of Huntington Park.

“Our city code says you can’t use a city seal without permission. You did it twice,” said Romo, who alleged she was the target of hit pieces by the Macias campaign.

“You claimed I voted for a water [rate] increase. I was not even on the council then,” Romo said.

It's a bad sign for any elected official when a reporter writes an article, which ends in damning criticism from a city resident.

Awful. Just terrible.

Look, Huntington Park Citizens.

Karina Macias is nothing but bad.

She is corrupt, she is bereft of any decency or honor.

She has routinely disavowed doing what is best for the city. Her colleagues already demoted her once when she misused the city seal and betrayed residents who promised to do the right thing for them.

Now you have a chance to do the right thing.

Demote Karina from Huntington Park City Council entire.

In March 2017, Fire Macias!

Huntington Park City Council--July 5th, 2016

After the past month, I have a greater sense of efficacy when it comes to political activism.

Many protesters target bad politicians and bad decisions.

However, we cannot ignore the necessary means of power in local jurisdications.

Angry voters are the best way to create former politicians.

Despite the trying traffic from the South Bay to South Eastern Los Angeles County, I arrived with time to spare. So did other members of We the People Rising.

Our numbers are diverse and impressive, regardless of the time of year.

Residents in the city have contacted me for the past eleven months, thanking me for all the work that We the People Rising have been doing.

It's just a matter of time, now. Two of the arroganct Corruptitos, Karina Macias and Jhonny Pineda, have vocally defied our efforts, as though we are wearing down. Truly, though, their patience and endurance is wearing thin, judging by their increased demand to flee the city council chambers as soon as possible.

Mayor Ortiz routinely interrupts speakers during public comment right at their end of their three minutes. She can't wait to get rid of us.

No matter how hard they may try, We the People Rising are going nowhere.

Finally, I am beginning to respect the  dreadful necessity to connect illegal immigration and the murders of Kate Steinle, Marcello Bisarello, and many others.

The fact is, and U.S. Senator Pat Toomey explained this consistently, those Americans did not have to die, if those sanctuary cities had simply obeyed the rule of law.

I cannot imagine the pain that the parents of Kate Steinle, or the children of two police officers killed by illegals, must feel from year to year. This rampant, reckless evil cannot go on any longer. The more law enforcement departments comply with federal law and cooperate with immigration authorities, the better this country will be.

July 1, 2016 was the first anniversary of Kate Steinle's death, and we commemorated her at Huntington Park City Council.

Before the meeting, we targeted former mayor Karina Macias. She is up for re-election, and she needs to be fired.

New security measures have been implemented, so visitors to city hall have to sign in. The chief of police did tell me, however, that visitors do not have to sign in after 5:30pm. Of course they don't. If anyone is attending a city council meeting, they do not have to sign in or provide information about who they are (Brown Act).

We the People Rising brought their posters, T-shirts, and banners.

I wish we had thought of bringing all the signage associated with the Remembrance Project sooner. Every city, every city council which aids and abets lawlessness and illegal immigration also has blood on their hands.

They should be ashamed of themselves.

The city council meeting raced through presentations and awards.

Before public comment, the Huntington Park K-9 Division received recognition for its anti-narcotics efforts. There is only one dog, a black Labrador named Kilo. The HP detective led him on search and sniff in front of the city council dais.

I could not help wondering when the dog was going to start barking at Los Cuatro Corruptitos. They have been pushing marijuana onto the city, even though the residents dont' want it. They must be smoking something!

Then public comment came.

Residents spoke about the crime problems in the city. Crime has not gotten better. Much of the city still looks like a ghetto.

Two members of We the People Rising ripped up the city council, particularly Karina Macias, for her comments that we are racist.

What a lie. Chanell Temple was there to remind them that our group is regional with diverse members from all over, with different backgrounds. Business owners in the city as well as residents joined in our memorial to Kate Steinle at the end of the meeting:

Betty Robinson have a moving speech to honor Steinle, to urge the city council to rescind the appointments of the two illegal aliens to the city commissions, and then she publically shared her hope that the U.S. Senate would pass two bills ending sanctuary cities for illegal aliens.

Robin Hvidston confronted the city council with the Remembrance Quilt. Police officers, mothers, fathers have died at the hands of reprobate illegal aliens. Children have become orphans because of these criminal actions.

The Huntington Park City Council members have found these revelations very disturbing.

One young Hispanic boy, Ruben Morfin, was murdered by an illegal alien who had been hiding from the authorities in ... Huntington Park:

When will this offensive, arbitrary lawlessness end?

Councilman Valentin Amezquita addressed his colleagues last.

He called on them to follow through on enforcing the rule of law, especially traffic codes. Drivers have been speeding through stop signs without stopping. Bicyclists are still cluttering up the streets and crossing against traffic.

The police are not citing these offenders. Should anyone be surprised how much the city has declined in the last twenty years?

Amezquita also informed the council and the audience that Nick the Greek has not yet been able to sell his property because prospective buyers fear the frustration and lawlessness of the neighbor mortuary. The councilman holds out interest for housing Nick the Greek's Americana treasures in a city building as part of a museum.

I look forward to that day!

Final Reflection

The city council members had very little to share in response to public comment from the audience, including from We the People Rising.

Macias kept her mouth shut during the entire period. She must have felt some sense of shame--at last--for calling people racist. Let's not forget her contemptuous tenure as mayor.

Then Jhonny Pineda spoke.

He informed us that he would not take back his decision to appoint the two illegal aliens to city commissions.

OH YES HE WILL! They are starting to blink!