Election 2022: Torrance City Treasurer, An Office with High Interest

Election 2022, and the race for Torrance Treasurer has cashed in on some growing interest.

Five people are running for Treasurer this year, a position which was uncontested four years ago, with Dana Cortez running unopposed, presumably because she was doing such a great job?

Or because no one was paying attention.

Torrance residents are starting to pay attention to their city council and mayor. For the last eight years, the city of Torrance has suffered under unprecedentedly bad leadership. Pat Furey has been an embarrassment to this city.

He was taking campaign money from McCormick Ambulance, and then he was the deciding vote to kill the city's ambulance contract with Gerber. He was busted in campaign violations connected with the PAC working with McCormick Ambulance. His son, Patrick Furey (Jr.), has quite a dirty reputation, as he faced numerous campaign violations over his career. Thankfully, he was pushed out of the campaign consulting business in 2015 following the reports from the California Fair Political Practices Commission--and we got him off the Torrance traffic commission, to boot!

But what about the Treasurer position. Why so much interest now?

Dana Cortez, the incumbent, has been missing in action for the last four years. She got elected, and then she stopped doing her job. She refused to show up to work, issuing doctors' notes and other excuses why she wasn't coming to city council, and why she wasn't answering emails. When the city and the staff faced a budget crisis in 2018, they had to take unprecedented steps to divest power away from the current Treasurer position and give the key tasks to other civil servants in the finance department. The situation was so dire, because at the time Cortez was the only person who had access to the city's bank accounts to pay bills and manage investments. 

Cortez put herself first, ignored the needs of the city, and harmed the residents. The funny thing is that I met her while going for a walk one afternoon in late 2017. She was very supportive of me, of all the things that I had been writing about and sharing with city residents. Of course, all her nice words don't make up for her dereliction of duty. It's quite an embarrassment that one of the key elected officials never bothered to show up for her work during her second four-year term on city council. Because she's elected, the voters have to fire her, just as they had hired her.

For the last four years, Deadbeat Dana Cortez has been collecting a paycheck and benefits, and doing no work. I connected with a group of people in the city who wanted to recall her. Unfortunately, such an effort required collecting a minimum of 10,000 signatures, and even then the voters would have to vote to fire her.

To add insult to interest, Cortez is running for re-election! How stupid does she think the voters are? This is really insulting!

But the insults don't stop there.

Let's consider who else is running for the Treasurer position:

1. Mike Griffiths, city councilman.

2. Tim Goodrich, former city councilman

3. Melissa Wright, Cultural Arts commissioner

4. Rick Marshall, former planning commissioner

Mike Griffiths is probably one of the most arrogant people on the city council today. He has routinely scolded residents in the city for not making purchases in brick-and-mortar stores in the city, which "deprives" the city of sales tax revenue. Since when does a resident owe the city the necessity of purchasing goods in a building as opposed to online? All of this condescension connects to his push to raise the sales tax. He and his colleagues for the past eight years should have been cutting costs and reducing spending when they had the chance. He refused to make the tough choices, and now he expects the already cash-strapped residents to pay more. It's outrageous!

The last straw for me was his attitude toward passage of a Resolution of No Confidence in pro-criminal LA County District Attorney George Gascon. When I spoke to him about this issue last year, he made nothing excuses, and he just shut me down about the whole proposal. I exposed his arrogant resistance to this very popular proposal last year--and he sure changed his tenue a few months afterwards when he joined with four of his colleagues to approve the resolution.

Mike Griffiths does not respect the will of the voters, he doesn't take the lead to build revenue, he wants to tax residents more, and he has the audacity to run for another office simply because he wanted to run for mayor, but could not compete against Cliff Numark or George Chen. Let's state the truth plainly: Griffiths wants to be treasurer so that he can position himself to run for mayor in four or eight years. This is not about serving the city. This is about serving himself. I don't like Mike.

Adding further insult, we have former Torrance city councilman Tim Goodrich running for the treasurer position. I mean ... really? This guy quit his job as city councilman last year because the demands of his job were too great for him, and he could not devote the time needed to the job. In other word, Tim Goodrich has the "Quittin' Cliff" syndrome.

Goodrich didn't even live in Torrance for the greater part of his life. He is a carpet-bagger from Buffalo, New York. Torrance is better than this.

Tim Goodrich also protested the troops but then (attempted to) cover up his unpatriotic record as he wrapped himself in the American Flag, all while pushing left-wing causes and raging against the country and the military. Really sickening, really insulting. Unfortunately, the voters didn't pay attention then.

Hopefully, they are paying attention now. He quit his job on the Torrance city council last year--LAST YEAR!--and now he is running for another position on the city council. Why should anyone believe that he will stick to his word and stay on the job? Why should anyone trust him on anything? This whole thing is a joke. Really, I am so tired of these social-climber politicians who leave office when the going gets tough, or the promotions get few and far between. There are many reasons why Torrance voters should say "No" to Tim Goodrich.

Then there's Melissa Wright. She has a long record of service in public and private efforts in the city, and she has plenty of accounting experience. She is not a quitter. I am grateful for her record of service. But she has two strikes against her, and one of them is quite insulting, too.

First, she is endorsed by "Creepy" Pat Furey, the retiring failed mayor of our city. He has been an absolute disgrace to the city of Torrance. Any candidate running for office should repudiate his endorsement, and she has not done that. The second problem is that she supports the tax increase, as do Griffiths and Goodrich. What is the matter with these people?! The residents, the business owners in this city are struggling enough as it is. Why make it worse? High gas prices, staggering inflation, sluggish business growth, all of this is weighing on the minds and wallets of Torrance voters. Enough is enough. The city leadership needs to take the necessary steps to cut taxes, cut spending, innovate public services, and streamline other costs in the city. There is no excuse for our elected leaders to keep passing the buck and putting the costs on We the People.

Melissa Wright is probably a "No" for city treasurer for anyone who finds Pat Furey disgusting, and for anyone who does not want a sales tax increase, too.

What about Rick Marshall? He has accounting and budgeting experience as an employee at UC Irvine. He has served on the city Water and Planning Commissions. He has stated clearly and unreservedly his opposition to any sales tax increase. 

And he led the effort, as frustrated as it became, to recall Do-Nothing Deadbeat Dana Cortez. I wish Rick Marshall the best in his latest bid for office in the city of Torrance, but I am not sure he can pull this bid off. He has not served in any major capacity for the last two years. Furthermore, he has a strong following, but there are many people in the city who simply do not care for him.

What is the best path forward for the Treasurer position? Who should replace Dana Cortez?

WINNING: Abusive Incumbent, Liberal Partisan Shut Out of Torrance Commission

Torrance Democratic Club President Jimmy Gow has been an engaged, enraged partisan in Torrance politics for many years.

Jimmy Gow, Torrance gadfly and abusive partisan

I first learn about this guy in 2013, when he had shut out constituents from a town hall he hosted, which featured our (former) Congressman Henry Waxman in 2013. You can read more about that embarassing event for Mr. Gow here.

Basically, he shut them out of the town hall, even though the Congressman's own office had advertised the event as "Open to the Public." I even called his office the day after residents in Torrance had told me that they were kicked out. Gow had egg on his face, and the article that I wrote went viral throughout the South Bay.

Later on, he got involved with trying to defend corrupt Torrance Mayor Pat Furey's son, Patrick Furey, who was seated on the Torrance Traffic Commission. In 2015, another story broke in the local press that Patrick Furey was involved in yet another slew of ethical campaign violations.

This time, residents in the city, including myself, took the lead and demanded that Pat Jr. resign from the commission. This move made sense, since the city council had taken the initiative to remove another traffic commission, Omar Navarro, on the supposed charge that he had pepper-sprayed a youth in Cudahy. Video footage of the incident indicated that he had not sprayed any spray or hurt anyone. In any case, Navarro resigned from that commission after the city council took steps to initiative review to have him removed from the commission. If they would go after Navarro for spurious reasons, how could they ignore Pat Jr.?

In April 2016, Pat Jr. resigned before the city council took formal steps to remove him. Read about it here. To his notorious shame (but no one's surprise), Jimmy Gow tried to turn Pat Jr's removal into a partisan affair. He attacked me and others in the city for the emails that we had been sending to the Torrance City Council, urging them to remove God. It was very fitting when members of the audience began to boo Mr. Gow's disrespectful comments. It was quite gratifying for me!

In September, 2016, Jimmy Gow, with a group of violent social justice warriors, trespassed on a veterans hall. These agitators pushed people around, the stole the phone of one of the veterans on the property, and they spit at people.

Here's how Jimmy Gow behaved, and how smug he felt about the whole affair.

Here's a video recording the whole altercation. Click here.

To this day, there has been no recompense or correction for Mr. Gow's egregious actions that day.

Then in 2019, Terreah Duke Heitel, a homeless advocate in the city of Torrance, complained to the city council that Mr. Gow had harassed her, pushing her into a corner and greatly threatened her. Mr. Gow has no limits, no capacity to control himself. 

How is it possible that this disrespectful man can remain on any commission in the city of Torrance?

Then came the Torrance City Council Meeting on June 8th 2021. Click here for the segment on the appointments to the Torrance Social Services Commission.

Torrance Mayor Pat Furey nominated two incumbents from the Social Services Commission, which included Jimmy Gow. Strangely and sadly enough, Mike Griffiths also endorsed Gow.

But the other four city councilmembers endorsed two other nominees. They voted down an incumbent for a commission in the city of Torrance, which is pretty telling in itself. That almost never happens. More importantly, though, Gow got shut out!

Jimmy Gow was shut out of his reappointment to the commission! It's about time.

The city of Torrance does not need embittered, destructive, arrrogant, abusive partisans sitting on city commissions. Gow's long history of abusive behavior should never have been rewarded in such a terrible, destructive fashion in the first place.

This is a welcome turnaround in the city of Torrance. For too long, bad actors have gotten away with all kinds of disrespectful actions. It's time that these bad elements meet a proper end.

Hiding Heidi? Councilwoman Ashcraft Won't Favor Resolution Against Gascon, Anti-Camping Ordinance, Etc. -- Why?

Councilwoman Heidi Ashcraft has been on the Torrance city council for a number of years.

She was appointed in 2013 to fill in a term for Sue Rhilinger when she stepped down due to health concerns.

She was elected in her own right in 2014, the top vote getter in that year's election.

She declined to run for re-election in 2018, likely due to the unpleasant friction she endured with corrupt Mayor Pat Furey. I had even asked her to consider running for mayor, since a number of well-connected residents and activists think that Heidi is a tough lady, not afraid of a challenge, not afraid to stand on principle.

I was one of those people.

Now, sadly, I am starting to wonder ...

I had supported her second appointment to the Torrance City Council when Councilman Chen was re-elected in his own right to a district, compared to his election two years prior to an at-large seat on the city council.

Since then, sadly, I find her lack of resolve very disappointing. 

1. She was A-OK with discussing whether the city should impose a local mask mandate, just as Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach had done.

2. I confronted her about the former police chief, Eve Berg (once again, so glad that she is gone), and she rebuffed me completely on this. How could anyone stand with a police chief like Eve Berg, who thought that it was acceptable to let Black Live Matter bigots take up city streets, right outside of city hall and in front of people's homes? There is no excuse for allowing such lawlessness to run rampant, both outside as well as inside city hall.

Now, there are growing concerns about other serious issues facing the city council, and "Hiding" Heidi is done MIA. For a lady who spoke out a number of times on key issues, including her push to get rid of corurpt Mayor Pat Furey's son Pat Jr. from the Traffic Commission some years ago, she has become all too quiet, reticent, missing in action.

Will she support a resolution of No Confidence in pro-criminal LA County District Attorney George Gascon? There is no excuse for her to say or do nothing. She has enjoyed the support of local law enforcement, and she received the backing of every other city councilmember when she was appointed a second time to the city council. If she can build bridges and she could speak her mind before, what is problem now?

There is no excuse for her to say nothing, to not support the Resolution of No Confidence in anti-law and order DA George Gascon.

What's more, there is no notice, no information on the horizon that she will ensure that the homeless stay off our streets with a well-placed anti-camping ordinance. We need the city council to step up and speak out in favor of the issues that residents care about. We don't need "Hiding Heidi" to stay hidden.

Contact her office, and tell her to:

1. Support the Resolution of No Confidence against LA County DA George Gascon

2. Support the anti-camping ordinance to ensure that homeless do not come to Torrance to clutter up the streets and sidewalks.

EmailHeidi Ashcraft: hashcraft@torranceca.gov

Phone:   (310) 618-2801

Torrance Democratic Club: Racism, Wayward RINOs, Sexual Harrasment Issues, And Schaper Derangement Syndrome

The Torrance Daemocratic Club has some terrible skeletons in their closet.

Who would have known? Who would have guessed?

Some of the Torrance Democratic Club members have engaged in some pretty unseemly acts. TDC President Jimmy Gow's tresspassing on a veteran's hall is right there at the top of the list, for example.

We could also mention how he tried to turn the removal of a traffic commissioner into a partisan affair, going after me at the Beach Cities Republicans because we all took the lead to ensure that Patrick Furey Jr. was removed from the commission right away.

And then I received some incredible intel.

The Torrance Democratic Club is now meeting at the Hometown Buffet in Torrance.

And someone was able to find out for what is going on in there!

I have spies everywhere.

I have friends, contacts, fellow conservatives, activists, fighters of all backgrounds who are furious with the illiberal political perversities of Mayor Pat Furey, Tim Goodrich, and Social Services Commissioner Jimmy Gow.

Check out the info that I got about the Torrance Democratic Club at one of their more recent meetings!

First, let's talk about Sue Herbers. She is running for District Four to replace Councilman Milton Herring.

And she was speaking at the Torrance Democratic Club. However, she is a registered Independent, but still ... she was speaking at the Torrance Democratic Club!

According to one source, Herbers is using Patrick Furey Jr. as her campaign consultant. Wow! This is unbelieveable. What kind of folly is this? What is she thinking? This guy has been hit with multiple ethical violations. He was fined by the FPPC, too!

Her biggest pitch to the Torrance Democratic Club? She wants young blood in the Democratic party and on the city council. She needs to run because of all the "right-wingers" on the city council. Wow. Not a very centered, non-partisan lady, is she? And to think that she was the Clerk for the City of Torrance for years.

Then there was Andrew De Block. He is running against Councilman Mike Griffiths.

He is very progressive, of course, since he was the chief of staff for Al Muratsuchi. He has beeen talking a great deal about the homeless issue, and he is on par with housing the homeless as the best solution to the whole crisis.

Then there's Geoff Rizzo. He has turned out to be the biggest disappointment of them all. This guy is supposed to be a registered Republican, and yet he was speaking at the Torrance Democratic Club meeting at Hometown Buffet earlier this month.

Check out this grainy photo op of Rizzo with Gow:

Here are some things that he shared at the latest Torrance Democratic Club Meeting:

He wants to house the homeless in commercial building, and he wants to build showers for them.

According to my source, Rizzo said that "we must progress " on the homeless issue. Really.

Rizzo has been moving to the left for a long time, since he got elected in 2014, and even after that. He had no interest in doing anything about the pension issues when I talked to him. He has spoken out against concealed carry.

Then he shared that the following image was shared with the Torrance City Council:

This is unreal. Shame on the Black Lives Matter Hate Group that has been harassing Torrance City Council and residents. They think that they have a right to punish everyone else because Christopher "Cowboy" Mitchell chose to steal cars and drive around with an air rifle at his feet.

Notice how they have him floating in the sky with his little angel wings, and a marijuana leaf covering his private parts. Really? This is how they do justice to Christopher Mitchell.

Man, I am so tired of this crap. I am so tired of black thugs getting celebrated, when there are plenty of black lives doing good for this country. Many of these black lives do not want to be seen merely for their skin color, either. They are Americans. They may think of themselves as "African Americans" or "Black Americans", but they are Americans, nonetheless.

Christopher "Cowboy" Mitchell was a violent criminal. If BL(D)M has a problem with the DA not pressing charges on the police, then they need to complain to Jackie Lacey. They are wasting their breath screaming at the Torrance City Council

The very notion of this KKK crap and combining it with the police department is really insulting. On top of that, they have a picture of Christopher "Cowboy" Mitchell looking like some kind of angel, and they portray him getting beaten down by four police officers. Give me a break.

Does the Torrance Democratic Club endorse calling the Torrance Police Department "KKK"?

Rizzo did not want the above picture getting out, because he feared that residents might file a FOIA request on the matter. This is quite disturbing. These Anti-Black haters need to exposed for all that they are doing.

And there's more ...

My source then tod me that there is a major lingering problem in the Torrance Democratic Club.

The California Democratic Party is struggling with several sexual harassment issues. During their meeting in November, Jimmy Gow actually laughed about this. He thinks it's funny.

Another guy was attending the meetings, of course.

His name?

John Paul Tabakian.

This is the same guy who has been switching sides for the longest time, trying to find whichever side he thinks will help him win something or gain ground.

During some he meetings, he says nothing.  He just watches.  When the Torrance Democratic Club talks about the harassment issues that are coming to the forefront, Tabakian supports the women being harassed. In one meeting, John Paul was yelling at Jimmy Gow over the sex harassment issues, and he did this in public, in the parking lot in front of Hometown Buffet.

At one point, John Paul Tabakian announced that he did not want to help the club anymore.

Then there's Torrance Unified School Board member Terry Ragins.

Terry Ragins is seated on the far right

Terry Ragins ... she just sits there, says nothing.  She looked scared. According to my source, she did not react or say anything when the discussions turn to the issue.

And guess who else they talk about?

Yours truly.

They talk about Arthur a lot. Schaper Derangement Syndrome is at an all-time high with the Torrance Democratic Club.

Jimmy Gow saiys I am "unhinged". Tabakian actually spoke in my defense: "At least he doesn't fuck kids."

Jimmy Gow calls me "unhinged." Yes. Right, Sure.

True that. Democrats have a much sicker penchant of doing that. Should we be surprised, since they endorse homosexuality, transgenderism, at the rest of the sorry set of sexual deviance into their arty? Say "No" to all sexual perversions. Of course, Tabakian was very likely alluding to Mr. Eric Bauman, the previous chairman of the California Democratic Party who was ousted after numerous allegations of sexual misconduct. Very serious stuff. So serious, that even Governor Gavin Newsom got involved and demanded his ouster.

But as I wrote above, there is a whole slew of sexual misconduct issues plaguing the California Democratic Party.

They make fun of my videos. They also talked about the video where I got arrested. Good times.

They say I'm a Nazi, part of a hate group, Ku Klux Klan. Blah, Blah, Blah. I wish they could be more original when attacking me.

They are suspicious that I might be bringing in a gun. Funny! They were saying that that is why I can't teach kids anymore. Really funny.

Anti-Immigrant

They make fun of Aurelio... they make cub of his Italian voice. What kind of liberal group goes out of its way to make fun of immigrants? Two immigrants sit on the Torrance City Council, and yet the Torrance Democratic Club and the liberals in the surrounding city go out of their way to mock them. It is nothing short of disgusting. They talk a great game about caring about immigrants, but in reality they just want to use them for their own sick, narrowminded benefit.

My source also told me that:

1. The Torrance Democratic Club wants to raise taxes.

2. They want to form a group to destroy the wall.

3. They are afraid of  Sharon Kalani, who is running for Torrance City Council District Four. They actually that she's is a Nazi, too.

Too bad that they don't know their history all that well. The Nazis were progressives, just like them. EEK!

Final Reflection

A good friend of mine took the time to get this information about the Torrance Democratic Club. This little snippet into their inner workings should give people enough of an idea why people like this--especially Jimmy Gow--should not be anywhere near leadership or governing power in the city of Torrance.

Election 2018 Torrance City Council: Drop Out Tom Brewer!

Election 2018 is contentious this year.

We need to make sure that voters bring the best people into office, and put out the corruption and cronyism which have become endemic in our culture and our cities.

Pat Furey sold his soul for the McCormick Contract. His son Pat Jr. was a scuzzy political consultant who had no problem breaking the rules. He was cited three times for campaign finance violations, including the corrupt actions with his father's campaign for mayor in 2014.

To this day, the mayor and the city council have done nothing about Jimmy Gow, the regressive leftist who trespassed on a veterans hall, where his minions stole the phone from one veteran, then spit and pushed other veterans.

Now Gow wants to run for city council?!

We need to get rid of Pat Furey, too.

Now...

There are currently two other candidates running for mayor. 

I have endorsed Ron Riggs for Mayor. He is the only candidate who has bothered showing up to events. He has raised money, and he wants to do something better for the city.

So, this is my message to Tom Brewer ..

Look, Tom, I endorsed you boldly and without reserve in 2014. You had the better chance and the ethical stance on issues. Now I don't see you doing anything anymore. Did you really think that people were just going to throw money at you for your re-election bid?

It's over, Tom. You served as a city councilman for 8 years. We get that you wanted to be mayor, and we respect your service.

But it's time to step aside and let someone else run for mayor. If you couldn't get this thing settled four years ago, then it's too late to try again this time.

Tom, you need to drop out.

People, here a few more things I have to say about Tom Brewer.

He is pro-choice. I am pro-life. Values matter.

Tom is liberal-leaning, and he had told me that Republicans need to reach out and moderate for Millennials. That kind of thinking is wrong. We need to stand our ground for what is right, regardless of the age or background of any segment of people in the population.

I am no longer impressed if a candidate has a lot of endorsements from different elected officials, current or retired. The most important endorsement is the vote in the ballot box

We don't want a repeat of what happened in 2014:

With final votes counted, @CouncilmanFurey beats Tom Brewer by fewer than 900 votes in Torrance mayor race. Furey wins with 41% of vote

— Toni Sciacqua (@dailybreezeME) June 4, 2014

A Case of Schaper Derangement Syndrome: Corrupt Pat Furey Jr.

"I hate Arthur! He did what my father never did:
Hold me acocuntable for my corrupt behavior!"

Patrick Furey Jr. the corrupt, amoral fraud, the son of the other corrupt, amoral Torrance Mayor Pat Furey, apparently suffers from Schaper Derangement Syndrome.

You see, taxpaying residents in the city of Torrance were furious when they learned that Mayor Furey was fined $35,000 for colluding with the McCormick PAC.

And who was the campaign manager explicitly colluding in this perverse transaction?

Pat Jr.!

We the People pushed hard to have Little Pat removed from the Torrance Traffic Commission--and he resigned in disgrace before the city council pushed to formally have him removed.

Of course, he still hasn't gotten over it.

Check out what he posted about me after The Daily Breeze reported (belatedly) about the Beach Cities Republicans' charter revocation:

Here's the text of his fuming Facebook post:

Meet Crazy Art - one of the people three Torrance City Councilmembers cited when attacking me and my family last year. Too bad the "author" didn't post all his racist and homophobic rants for the world to see.

Who else complained about me? Which city councilmembers? I do not recall. I do know that the city council was ready to throw him off the commission for his corruption and unethical behavior.

Check out the video to see what we did:

There are a lot of people who are less involved in their community because of whack jobs like this man with special needs and politicians like David Hadley (or should I say former politicians) who actually get their advice from people like him. While he is blogging and harassing latinos in cities he doesn't even live in (after losing his job as a bag boy at a grocery store), there are people actually trying to make a difference in their community with real involvement.

"Whack job with special needs"--that sounds a lot like Pat Jr., actually!

David Hadley a whack job?! Now that's a good one!

Then he claims that people are making a difference in their community--but he had written that there are people who are "less involved."

What else can we call this? A very clear case of "Schaper Derangement Syndrome"!

Like Father Like Son: Pat Jr. Mocks Me (and Demeans People With Special Needs)

Patrick Furey, the corrupt mayor of Torrance, CA, has called me a sicko and then claimed that I was troubled.

This is another petty Saul Alinksy tactic, which before that was a silencing tactic used by the Soviet Union to remove dissidents.

Just claim that they are crazy or simple-minded, or mentally retarded.

Mayor Furey is on board with this shameful name-calling.

Everyone should know the motto "Like Father, Like Son."

Pat Furey Jr. has the same problems.

Check out his rant against me and others below:

So, Pat Furey Jr. claims that I have special needs?

What is that supposed to mean?

Then he demeans men and women who have developmental disabilities?

What kind of man would say such things?

His mother Terry Furey works in the public school system. Did she teach her son to have such a disdain for young special ed students in our schools?

Disgraced son of disgraceful mayor, Pat Jr.:
"I don't like Arthur! He's a retard!"

Since when did speaking out against corruption, against bad leadership in any city amount to "having special needs."

Wow--that is just distasteful!

Shame on them!

Of course, why would Pat Jr. engage in such hateful rhetoric towards me and then also demean people with developmental issues and special needs?

Because I was part of a larger Torrance coalition which demanded his removal from the Torrance Traffic Commission following a third conviction for FPPC violations. Click her for more information.

And like all spoiled children who have gotten away with rampant wrongdoing, he's still hurt because he finally got caught!

What Ambassadors of Negativity?

Torrance Mayor Pat Furey blamed his political problems on a little group of natty instigators whom he called the "Ambassadors of Negativity."

Why do these politicians not get it?

Citizens are entitled to petition their governments for a redress of grievances. If they don't want to hear the complaints, then they should not run for office.

The truth is, if the local governments, and the state agencies attached to them, would simply do their jobs and not wander into business which they have no reason to trifle with, then there would be no problems.

Little reason would remain.

Point of fact, activists in the city of Torrance and throughout the South Bay are not ambassadors of negativity, but are simply invested in making sure that our elected officials remember whom they work for.

Home News Political resignations

Torrance Mayor Pat Furey unloads on ‘enemies,’ council moves tofire his son from commission

On an extraordinary night of political theater in Torrance, the City Council set a public hearing to consider terminating the mayor’s son from his volunteer commission post, while his father railed against “political enemies” he accused of creating the scandal.

Mayor Pat Furey was the only panelist Tuesday night not to vote in favor of holding the hearing at the next council meeting April 12 that appears likely to end with the removal of Patrick Furey Jr., who managed his father’s mayoral campaign, from the Traffic Commission for ethics violations.

• VIDEO: Mayor Pat Furey speaks out against ‘political enemies’

Last month, the state Fair Political Practices Commission fined Furey’s successful 2014 mayoral campaign $35,000 for orchestrating and hiding illegal campaign contributions in concert with a supposedly independent political action committee backing his candidacy.

This is a big deal, and more politicians are getting hit with fines. The State Controller Betty Yee was hit with a fine, too, for not reporting her campaign contributions on time.

Pat Furey Jr. was a rogue political consultant, though, who brazenly broke the law and colluded with PACs to violate elections codes. He had been hit three times for these unethical, blatantly deceptive tactics.

That violated the state Political Reform Act as well as the municipal election code and has prompted an investigation by the Public Integrity Division of the District Attorney’s Office. McCormick Ambulance Service and the Torrance Firefighters PAC funded the PAC supporting the mayor.

McCormick later won the city’s lucrative ambulance contract backed by senior Fire Department officials on a split council vote. The mayor cast the deciding vote despite calls to recuse himself because of a conflict of interest.

McCormick Ambulance has lost its contract in Redondo Beach. I wonder when they will be kicked out of Torrance.

Furey brushed aside suggestions he take responsibility and instead blamed an unidentified group of “ambassadors of negativity” in the community.

Is this some kind of sick joke, or an alternative rock band?

“They always see the negative side of absolutely everything,” Furey said. “You can’t see the negative side for me because I’ve done a great job here. All they can do is point out this whole thing about this independent expenditure.

For the record, I had complimented him and the rest of the city council for relaxing the strict gun laws on the city books. I had blasted the Daily Breeze reporters in the past for their biased or slanted reporting.

“There was a determination by the Fair Political Practices Commission that was pushed through by some political enemies of mine,” Furey added. “And I know who they are. Some of them have been cited and some of them are being investigated as we speak here today. I’m just appalled that it goes to this.”

Uh ... no. The investigation took two years. If political enemies were behind this, they would have wrapped it up much faster. 

Furey spoke amid rising calls in the community for his son to be fired from his commission post and the mayor censured in the wake of the still unfolding political mess that is virtually unprecedented by Torrance’s standards.

The city received about two dozen emails ahead of Tuesday’s council meeting condemning the actions of the mayor and his son and just one — from a city commissioner who previously publicly endorsed Furey — expressing support.

The pressure on the city council was more than partisan politics, but a demand for public integrity.

Many of the emails suggested that both father and son should step down:

• “It looks bad, it smells bad and it’s disgraceful to allow this behavior to continue,” wrote Pam and Phil Burnette. “The council will pay for this at re-election time. The ambulance debacle is on your shoulders as well. Things are adding up and not in the council’s or the residents’ best interests.”

• “I felt that Mayor Furey was sleazy when elected, but even more so now,” wrote Gene Koester, a 44-year Torrance resident. “Adjudicate, stipulate, hypocrisy. An attorney will do and say anything to justify his unethical behavior. I do not trust or respect him any longer.”

• “Mayor Patrick Furey and his son have ruined their reputations and their credibility with their illegal and unethical actions,” wrote Vera and Bob Little. “They’ve also tarnished the reputation of the entire City Council by association, especially those members willing to speak up for honest government.

“The mayor’s son added insult to injury when he blamed ‘political enemies,’ ” they added. “How childish. The mayor and his son have corrupted Torrance city government, making it just like several other city councils in Southern California. Will the Torrance City Council show moral leadership and integrity in this sordid saga?”

Panelists have yet to respond or comment to calls to censure the mayor.

Meanwhile, a discussion on whether to issue a request for proposals to replace McCormick as some suggested fell flat, with only two council members supporting a motion to do so.

More people are supporting this measure.

McCormick officials, faced with the possible loss of the lucrative contract, made a lengthy presentation addressing the “appearance of impropriety” that resulted from the affair. Still, they also suggested the company was a victim of the campaign experts they hired, including a business partner of the younger Furey who later was fired.

The mayor warned that the issue had nothing to do with the level of service McCormick had so far provided — Fire Department officials and panelists also agreed the company had met or exceeded expectations so far — and was instead prompted by political motivations that could have negative implications for the city.

I do not care how well the company may doing. There are plenty of other ambulance companies in Los Angeles County.

Anyone of them could be properly vetted to provide good service for the city.

We need honesty and integrity at all levels of governance.

“We’re talking about a company that has come here and provided an outstanding level of service for the safety of our community,” Furey said. “We’re here to do a request for proposals and they might not even apply. And nobody else may apply because of the treatment they’ve received from the city of Torrance.”

Companies won't apply if they feel that the city council is tipping its hand!

Final Reflection

No, Mayor Furey, I am not an ambassador of negativity.

We just want our elected officials to obey the law, and stop acting as if they are above the law.

LIE-Lani Lunacy Let Loose to Rafu Shimpo

Leilani Kimmel-Dagostino.

She was one of my top choices for Torrance City Council in 2014.

At the time, I respected her as connected, forthright, and business-oriented.

She opposed the Big Green nonsense, and as a registered Republican, I trusted her to advance conservative principles in a principled fashion.

She lost out for her first bid by 700 votes, and even when the city council appointed a replacement for Pat Furey, since he was elected mayor, the council passed on her and appointed Griffiths.

I did not think that outcome was fair.

Looking back at that moment, and seeing how far the council has progressed since then, it was a blessing in disguise.

Griffiths has stood up to the corruption on the city council, and has remained a vocal--and welcome--thorn in Mayor Pat Furey's side.

Leilani wanted to stand side-by-side with the corrupt mayor, and she ended up paying the price.

Election 2016, and once again, Leilani ended up in fourth place.

She is now 3,000 votes behind.

She lost the credibility of many supporters, including me, when she held onto Pat Furey Jr. as her campaign manager/consultant.

Following the money, the consultant company etc. it was pretty clear that Furey Jr. was still working for her.

How sad. She really could have made an impact on the city and for the better, if she had chosen integrity instead of ambition.

Rafu Shimpo, the Japanese-American newspaper based in Gardena/South Bay Los Angeles, reported one of the reasons why her second bid failed:

"An endorsement from Mayor Pat Furey may have been a factor in her fourth-place finish."

The headlines in the Daily Breeze spelled it out clearly that his campaign and his son, along with the Ambulance, were colluding in violation of municipal and state law.

Leilani never took a strong stance against this corruption. She had spoken with me directly and shared with the press that the city needed to "move on."

There is no moving forward when there is corruption and malfeasance in the midst.

Her latest rant against her opponents following her second loss was beyond telling in its lunacy:

"In a statement to The Rafu, Kimmel-Dagostino attributed her defeat to "a vicious hate campaign that was waged against me in the last three weeks of the campaign.'"

Oh brother. She plays the "hate" card. For the record, I am not ashamed to declare that I hate corruption and wrong-doing. I hate political candidates who refuse to answer uestions or to disavow themselves from corrupt actors.

LIE-lani continued to blame everyone else for her second epic loss:

"'It all started [when] The Daily Breeze published ... a story filled with inaccurate information about me,' she said."

Which stories? What information was inaccurate?

"'It continued with three more inaccurate articles and was followed by a paid advertising campaign by a hater on Facebook to all Torrance residents that I was a liar and a fake because I lied to The Rafu Shimpo about the associations I was involved with."

She claimed leadership roles which she actually did not have, and then she tried to back-pedal those claims in the same article! UGH!

"Then when I received endorsements from [Rep.] Maxine Waters, [former Assemblymember] Al Muratsuchi, [State Sen.] Ben Allen and several other prominent Democratic leaders, the salvo started because it was impossible that Democrats would endorse a Republican person. This was orchestrated by members of the Republican clubs that I belonged to.""

Another lie.

I am the President of the Beach Cities Republicans, and I supported with the rest of my club to endorse the three winning candidates long because Leilani received endorsements from illiberal, regressive Democrats like Maxine Waters and Ben Allen.

I am really surprised that Muratsuchi endorsed Kimmel-Dagostino. After all, he had openly despised her two years ago and would have nothing to do with her, She had told me this herself?

What would have caused Muratsuchi to change his mind?!

As for the endorsement from Waters ... I mean, who in their right mind would want her support for anything? She is corrupt, unethical, and just plain untrustworthy.

As far as I am concerned, anyone endorsed by Maxine Waters can go straight to hell!

LEI-lani plays the hate card, and she plays the race card to excuse her loss.

"I think the final insult was that The Daily Breeze kept publishing a racist photo of me with al the stories about the campaign."

Really?! Are you kidding me?!

Here is the photo:

(Source: Daily Breeze)

This headshot is appropriate and even flattering. What is she talking about?

"'I reason I objected to this photo was that several Japanese people who were imprisoned in camps during World War II said it reminded them of some of the caricatures that were done by the media to make fun of us."

What?!

One Japanese-American in Torrance objected to Leilani because of her unethical dealings, and her untrue claims of leadership and endorsements from non-profits groups in the city. Other Japanese-Americans shared with me that they did not trust her, and suspected bad things about her because of her tight alliances with Pat Furey.

"'By then the damage was done and it was too late because any people who saw the old photo and were deciding who to vote for would not cast their vote for someone who looked like the Wicked Witch of the East."

First, she claims racism, and then she claims that the photo was simply unflattering. She contradicts herself in the same statement in the same article. The woman has at best a loose connection to the truth.

"'I could not believe how nasty this campaign turned out to be ... It just goes to show you that Torrance still does not want Asians on the city council, let alone an Asian woman."

Excuse me!

Asians of all backgrounds rejected LIE-lani. They did not want her scheming, selfish ways.

One restaurant owner informed me that from the first moment he met her, he could tell that she was out for herself. She refused to buy a meal at his restaurant when she was visiting prospective voters there.

One more time, she reverses herself on that blatantly false charge, when she claims: "Even The Daily Breeze kept publishing that the Asian population was not supporting me, even though this was not true."

OK ... she does not get elected because she is Asian, and yet the Asian population was supporting here? A number of leaders in the Japanese-American community were not supporting her, yet LIE-lani loses because of racism. Is she claiming that Asian voters are racist, self-hating, or confused?!

This lunacy was just disgusting and sad.

The city of Torrance dodged a bullet in 2014 and 2016.

The good news at the end of the Rafu article?

"Kimmel-Dagostino, whose term on the Commission on Aging ends Jan. 31, 2017, has indicated that she will no longer be involved in local politics."

Election 2016: More Torrance City Council Race Takeaways

I have shared my preliminary happiness about the Torrance City Council race outcomes.

This was a Presidential election year, with an incredibly high Democratic turnout.

Yet in spite of the largely liberal bent of the voters, Three Republicans won the three open council seats.

Good, solid, reform-minded, action-oriented conservatives.

Independent thinking is a must in Torrance.

We need to not just stop the Big Green agenda trying to work its way through the city.

We need leaders in Torrance who will stand up to the labor unions, demand the best for our local businesses, who will ensure that public safety and economic development remain top notch.

The success of the June 7th turnout was a real relief for me:

I had already shared about the signature victory of electing the first African-American to the Torrance City Council.

The greater achievement, however, rests in his service to our country and the ministry of the Gospel. What a wonderful combination we have received in Milton Herring!

Mike Griffith's victory is noteworthy because the mayor's political machinations were determined to remove him. Why? Griffiths had the smarts to call out the mayor, suggesting that he should have recused himself on account of the pro-McCormick spending big money on his election big in 2014. I have heard the store from a number of sources that ...

Mayor Furey attacked Mike Griffiths in front of his colleagues shortly after the McCormick vote. That was wrong. That is evil.

Furey still snaps and mocks people who do not agree with him. His time is short.

Griffiths received no union-backing, either, and yet he won! Good for him. We need common-sense fiscal prudence free of Big Labor interventions.

Also ...

LIE-lani Kimmel Dagostino bit the dust, big time.

I had long-standing contacts with her throughout the election cycle. Shortly after her untimely loss in 2014, when she was within a few hundred votes of making it into the Top Four.

Then she went to the dark side.

First, she started bad-mouthing other people in the city.

She told me that the other candidates running were saying nasty things about the police department, fire department, etc.

She gossips a lot.

Then she allied herself with Pat Furey. I learned so much about what was going on behind the scenes in the city through her.

She had informed me of the mayor's attempt coup to place Ray Uchima on the city council, even though he had not run for office, and was basically trying to buy influence through ethnic peddling.

For all her efforts to bring reform and balance in the beginning, all of it fell away within the last six months.

I saw her at the ExxonMobil meeting in January, and she walked passed me without talking to me. I told how snubbed I felt, and it seemed at the time that she understood how I felt.

Then the news hit the headlines about Pat Furey and son engaging in illegal practices with McCormick Ambulance, and the Fire Department PAC, too.

By then, I had asked Leilani what she was going to do next. She needed to drop Pat Jr. as her consultant and campaign manager.

She was very evasive at that point, stopped returning my calls, and even unfriended me on Facebook.

She drifted further and further away from any kind of principled leadership and campaign integrity at that point.

Then she posted this "endorsement":

Leilani "endorsed" by Maxine "Tea Party Can Go Straight to Hell" Waters

This was too much for many, including me, although by this time I had given up on supporting her.

She was covering up for Pat Jr which according to the campaign filings was still working for her, but under a different company heading.

A lot of concerned conservative voices in the city feared that many women voters would vote for Leilani because ... she was a woman. A number of her supporters were convinced that she would do very well because of her gender.

I am so glad that the voters in Torrance were paying attention to all the facts.

The Daily Breeze even reported the disturbing facts about her campaign. Leilani had boasted to me that she would probably raise $60,000 by January.

She didn't. She had to loan herself a lot of money, and she depended on donations from outside of the city, too!

Now that's just sad.

It was good to see integrity and honesty win out in this election.

It also spells further doom for Pat Furey and his corrupt connections throughout Torrance.

He will probably not remain mayor for much longer, either.

Torrance City Council Election 2016: Success and Restoration

Election Night, June 7th, 2016.

The national and statewide races were not the most compelling element of the evening for me.

Two Democrats running for US Senate.

Dem on Dem fights throughout the state.

I was not as dismayed about David Hadley's second place showing. After all, the turnout throughout the state was huge for Democrats.

Things will not go so well for them in November, I fear, if the civil between Bernie Sanders socialist-activists and the pro-establishment Hillary Clintonites dos not heal.

But right here in Torrance, CA, a restoration of good government and positive principles won out.

Check out the final tally:

At 11:00pm on Election Night, Milton Herring was in third place.

At the end of the final tally, Milton Herring--father, pastor, retired military officer--was in FIRST place.

Incredible.

Milton Herring

From what I have heard, Herring was the last political client for consultant Paul Nowatka, who has served as a Torrance police officer, city councilmember, state assembly candidate, and Republican party central committee chairman.

What a way to end a storied career in The Balanced City! Thanks for your great work, Paul!

Now, Councilman Herring!

He is also the first African-American elected to the Torrance City Council.

More importantly, he holds strong, solid principles.

I also want to stress that he is a Republican!

Here are some of his comments about his political affiliation:

I am a Republican because I believe in the prosperity of America and believe that the Republican Party’s approach is the most prudent one. I believe in strong families are the foundational social order and defining marriage between a man and a woman is the Capstone of the family. I believe in the support of Israel. It is the party that was founded to prevent slavery from spreading into the new Territories and it is called the party of Lincoln. We promote limited government, and maximum freedom. This party led to fight for the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendment to the Constitution.

Wow! Milton makes me feel proud to be a Republican.

I look forward to his leadership and representation on the Torrance City Council.

We have longed for honest government in our city. Since the fallout over Mayor Pat Furey's corrupt practices and disrespect to voters and homeowners in the city; plus the fallout over his corrupt son's campaign lawlessness, the residents of Torrance are looking for honesty and integrity once again.

Sandra Goetz could not have said it better: "The residents of Torrance elected an ordained minister to city council, and he won with the most votes. The city sent a clear message to the city council. We want good government."

Yes, indeed.

Geoff Rizzo

I candidly share that I had concerns about Rizzo. I respect very much his service to the city, including his long career as a police officer and member.

He is also receiving a pension from the city of Torrance. Six figures!

The city needs to address its long-term pension obligations. Certain reforms have been effective, but leadership needs to ensure that public revenue goes toward addressing all public needs.

I have remarked also that he has taken bolder steps to address concerns about public safety and integrity in the city. He is thoughtful and deliberate. He has repeatedly taken time to sit down with me and share his concerns.

I do not see him as corrupt or badly influence in regards to the McCormick vote. Please keep in mind that Councilwoman Heidi Ashcraft wanted to end the contract, but did not receive enough time to review the other bidders.

He is respectful and knowledgeable, and he cares about this city. I had no reservations voting for him.

Mike Griffiths

This candidate has been the most surprising and welcoming of all.

I had not given Griffiths a great deal of hope or attention during Election 2014.

I had sent out a series of questionnaires to a number of candidates, and he did turn in his answers to me on time (I admit I had not articulated a clear deadline).

To see a candidate who had finished in eighth place, then receive an appointment to the council--I thought something fishy was going on.

Or at least that this process was unfair.

And yet Griffiths has articulated the need for a number of key reforms. He has sought ticket forgiveness for city residents who park on the street during the widespread street-sweeping days. He called out Mayor Furey for his controversial, now corrupted, vote for ending the city contract with Gerber and taking on McCormick,

He also aided with the push to remove Patrick Furey Jr. from the Torrance traffic commission.

I underestimated Griffiths, and I am glad that he won his seat in his own right.

Final Reflection

Election 2016, June 7th was a good night for this Torrance Republican!

Congratulations, Milton, Mike, and Geoff!

.

LIE-Lani and Pat Jr. Still Working Together

So, different names still use the same address.

Leilani and Pat Jr. are in collusion.

Wow!

How shameful.

How utterly contemptible.

I tried to ask Leilani some basic questions about her continuing relationship with Pat Furey Jr.

She just ran away from me. Why was it so difficult to simply tell me the truth?!

How disgusting.

Here is another letter issued by a concerned citizen against the LEI-lani corruption::

Hello Patrick Furey Jr.:

I just wanted you to be aware that your RFC Communications website has been taken down since I posted a few links online.

You may want someone to take a look at that and restore it. http://rfccommunications.com/

Also, feel free to correct me if I mistakenly said that you were part of RFC Communications.  After all, both the PO box and phone number match the numbers of Liberty Campaign Solutions, which is your company. Also the registration of the name listed on WHO IS is marked "Private" which also seems strange.

I checked Liberty Campaign Solutions -- and there is no longer a website there. What's going on?

(LCS is the same firm which Pat Jr. was working in).

Again, feel free to correct me if I am wrong. All I want is an answer made public as to your involvement in RFC Communications, and why was it changed in the first place.

I also have a screen shot of that in case you thought it would go away by taking down the site. 

I am not part of the angry crowd as a few have said about me, I'm part of the crowd that wants something better for Torrance and is always seeking the truth.

Truth is a good thing. Evidence helps a great deal, too.

Why is there so little of it from certain city council candidates?

This Pat Furey Jr. guy -- he is trying to tie up all the candidates and elected officials in Torrance.

Another betrayal of the consultant class.