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Cerritos City Council Nixes Reappointment of Planning Commissioner Frank Yokoyama

By Brian Hews

In a stunning move, Cerritos Mayor Bruce Barrows and Council-persons Carol Chen and new-comer George Ray voted not to reappoint Planning Commissioner Frank Yokoyama during Thursday night’s meeting causing Mayor Pro-Tem Mark Pulido to leave the meeting in protest.

Council-member Cho argued in favor of Yokoyama, but to no avail.

Yokoyama, who was heavily backed by Pulido in the recent March city council election, was expected to be reconfirmed by the entire city council, but the matter was met with stern opposition.

Barrows and company, in an ironic twist, cited the story published by LCCN of Yokoyama’s failure to report to the State Bar. Yokoyama could not be reached for comment.

Pulido left the meeting in protest. “I did not want to legitimize this action by the city council,” Pulido told Los Cerritos Community Newspaper.
When asked if he felt this action against Yokoyama was political retaliation, Pulido said he didn’t want to “speculate what was going through the minds” of Barrows, Chen and Ray.

“The Cerritos City Council voted not to reappoint Frank Aurelio Yokoyama to the Planning Commission, and I left the meeting in protest,” Pulido told Los Cerritos Community Newspaper just minutes after the decision was made.

“I don’t want to legitimize their action,” Pulido said.

“This sets a dangerous precedent of silencing challengers or dissenting opinions,” Pulido continued.

Pulido said he believed that Yokoyama is the first commissioner in the 55 year history of Cerritos that a seated Planning Commissioner has not been reconfirmed for an appointment.

“The community needs to respond to this action,” Pulido said.

For up-to-the-minute breaking local news, please visit our website at www.LosCerritosNews.net.


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  • Maria T. says:

    Now see…that never happened when Ann Joynt was on the Cerritos City Council….

  • Outraged says:

    Mayor Barrows and Council Persons Chen and Ray – SHAME ON YOU!

  • Carmelita says:

    An abuse of power shown by 3 Council members! Unbelievable! Keep your head up, Frank! We, who believe in you Frank and Mark, were stabbed by this Council action!

  • Bill Raabe says:

    Prior to the election, I was criticized by someone writing here because I didn’t know who Mr. Ray was. I’m sorry to say I now know who he is—a man as lacking in integrity as Barrows and Chen.

  • William says:

    Pulido has elevated with the help of LCCN the Cerritos City Council from non-partisan to hyper-partisan. When those who preferred to keep the position non-partisan are faced individuals (Pulido, Cho, Lowenthal, Sanchez) who will try any tactic to gain power, the days of the sit down and shut up Republican Party are over. Hopefully, the new council uses their majority to minimize the temper tantrum throwing Pulido.

  • George Medina says:

    I agree with Norman Carpio about stupidity and warn the Citizens of Cerritos, that, what comes after stupidity is CORRUPTION.
    Just look at the City of Bell. It started with stupidity and ended up with corruption.

  • McMahon, J. says:

    Friday, April 12, 2013.

    Republicans poured freshly brewed Manure Tea over (D) Frank, to kill his chance of running to replace termed out Battery Barrows seat in next election and also to shoot another arrow in to (D) Mark’s campaign future in politics. Remember Mark Pulido has already run in with the political law and flea bargained to escape prison time.

    Poor lame duck excuses by the Republicans to pour Manure Tea on the Democrats over Franks BAR charades, when Republicans have poisoned cabinet too:

    1. (R)Cindy Yen Chen, PR Comm was hit with federal Trade Fines.
    2. (R) Horseman Buells, is appointed to (2) cabinets, which is a conflict of interest, plus has death blood at his stables.
    3. (R) Edwards was termed out, and should extend to terming out his cabinets, so hello, (R) George Ray, has reappointed termed out prior cabinet, to your cabinet house. We need fresh blood and ideas.
    4. (D) Needham was Sacramento censored and afterwards, was appointed to many commissioners and never attacked compared to Frank
    5. Former councilperson Benhuam and Rabbit were both impaired and had a huge auto accident, which the citizens of Cerritos are still paying on. Rabbit since has sat on many commission and no booing by the council compared to Frank.
    6. (R) Hu was convicted for fraud and never censored for her appointed economic commission. Same time (R) Crawley was censored for and Edwards email blast, but walked away latter with a Golden Handshake.
    7. (D) Fuentes was removed as commissioner by Cho, as Cho stated Fuentes was less then man.
    8. City boowed and hissed on former councilperson Wong for not attending many CCC Meetings. Today, Mark Pulido attends CCC meeting, but can not vote on many resolutions, as he holds a state job and would create conflict of interest. Time for Mark to decide between is political elected position of his daily job to (D) Lowenthol.
    9. Five (5) Yrs in the making, thank god the PROTOCOL MANUAL was passed. Read the contents, many sections could be applied to the above stated issues. Hope the city Charter is updated, lot of old language, which is meaningless.

    ►►►SIDEBAR: Please, please please, no electronic art signs placement on the 605 Freeway for the Cerritos Auto Mall, the electronic art in public places, will only visually pollute the freeway corridor, cause additional accidents in that congested traffic zone and Caltrans frowns on creating obstacles to motorists. Today’s sale signs posted on the rear of buildings, up against the freeway, look tacky and are a distraction to the hi speed traffic and create more rubber necking. ◄◄◄◄

    http://hmg.theserver.me/loscerritosnews/2013/04/11/cerritos-city-council-nixes-reappointment-of-planning-commissioner-frank-yokoyama/

  • THE SHOE PINCHES CHO & PULIDO!! says:

    Cho and Pulido have been thick as thieves voting with Barrows, Chen and now Ray so GOOD! This is a graphic example of their spineless machinations backfiring on them! Maybe Cho and Pulido will now vote to censure Barrows for his assault on Jay Gray?

  • The Chickens Have Come Home To Roost! says:

    “This is a dangerous president of silencing challengers or dissenting opinions” -Pulido.
    This is standard operating procedure! Wasn’t it Cho and Mark Pulido that sat silent as Jay Gray’s assault went uncommented on?
    Wasn’t it Cho that removed Fine Arts Commissioner Chris Fuentes from the commission for challenging staff on spending?
    As I recall it was George Ray that appeared at the city council meeting to support the decision to silence Fuentes – so what did you expect?
    The story here in not the gang of three; Barrows, Chen, Ray, its the failure of Cho and Pulido to stand up for diverse opinions to begin with.

  • Smitty says:

    Has the planning of Los Cerritos gone well or is the city a gridlocked mass with no parking like LA?

  • Chit Yokoyama, mother of Frank says:

    I am very sad & cannot believe that Carol cannot even remember that when she was first running for City Council me & my husband supported her by letting her come to our office. We introduced her to our agents and got their votes. Now that she is on top of the world she cannot even think back how she got where she is now.

  • Disgusted in Cerritos says:

    SHAME, SHAME, SHAME on Mayor Bruce Borrows, council members Carol Chen and George Ray, They need to put a stop their mean/spiteful election campaign paybacks. Enough already!
    Memo of Warning: Attn. all Cerritos City Council appointees, DO NOT ever run against one of these three seated council members and lose. They are out for blood and will make your life a living hell!

    Cerritos is now going to be the biggest joke of all the cities in South East L.A. County.

  • RLinda90703 says:

    I personally know that Councilwoman Carol Chen Barrows is a very vindictive person, and everyone knows that she doesn’t do ANYTHING without MAYOR BRUCE BARROWS telling her EXACTLY what to do literally 24 hours.

    Why didn’t we just REWRITE IN former Councilman Jim Edwards instead of voting to elect George Ray during this past campaign?

    Why did this George Ray reappoint all of Jim Edwards former Commissioners BACK INTO POWER…including that Hughlett woman, and that guy who runs that infested horse stable.

    We can NOT TRUST GEORGE RAY or CAROL CHEN BARROWS every AGAIN!

  • Rosemary Economy says:

    I am a former Cerritos Planning Commissioner (9yrs.) and I do watch the Commission meetings when I can. Frank is one of the best Commissioners I have ever seen, always prepared, asking the right questions and making wise decisions.
    This really is a sad time in the history of the Cerritos Planning Commission. I am so very proud of Commissioner Frank Yokoyama, what a terrible injustice by the Cerritos City Council and truly a loss for our city.
    Sorry Council, “BAD DECISION”

  • casey says:

    Seems like this paper has almost all the discontented residences in one place. Unfortunately this “news” paper has elected to get wildly partisan and use the forum to basically not report news but rather to advance a political agenda. At least you have given Mcmahon something to do..now if he could just string words together that make a point…..

  • Chen, Barrows, Ray Don't Know Chit ! says:

    The mother of Yokoyama cries that she worked so hard to elect Carol Chen? Now the 3 little pigs don’t know her? Get a clue Chit these ungrateful bastards don’t know you from Chinola! They use people, clubs and institutions to further their own agenda, sort of like your son did with the Hubert Humphery club and the Democratic Party? What did you teach Frank? Apparently he is not a real Democrat so why be surprised that his rabid republican pack turned on him and you?

  • Mr Outraged says:

    Did Ray,Chen and Barrows meet in closed session to discuss their action prior to their vote to ax Yokoyama? If so,does the Ca Brown Act apply?

  • Viktoriya says:

    Our forefathers came to build this beautiful country with the dream that we all could pursue whatever dreams we wanted to with no oppression from the government. The city of Cerritos is blatantly spitting on everything that our country stands for by their treatment of Frank Yokoyama. Frank is hard working, brilliant, Harvard educated man. He followed his dream and ran for city council and was regretfully not elected. It is evident that Frank was viable enough of a candidate that he scared the two newly elected members into kicking him out of City of Cerritos politics. They think that by removing him from this position, it will ruin any chances he has to ever run for city council again. But is this the country we want to live in, where good candidates scare incumbents so much that they play dirty politics to secure their seats. If Barrows, Chen and Ray stooped to this low to get rid of Yokoyama, then I am truly scared for the people of Cerritos. They obviously have no moral compass. A lack of morals leads to corruption, and it is sad to see that city of Cerritos is in the hands of such horrible human beings.

  • Lydia K. Cerritos says:

    to: Rlinda90703

    I too find it amazing that new Cerritos Counciman George Ray reappointed most of former Council Jim Edwards’ commissioner retreads. He did add two new ones, a former city employee Becky Lingad,(manager of finance) to the Planning Comm.and Dan Padelford, Artesia resident, to the Economic Development Comm. ARTESIA, HUH!! What the??
    Come on George,surely there is one resident in our city of 45,000 plus who would qualify for this commission position.
    Have you ever heard of any other city around here appointing a Cerritos resident any of their Commissions? I haven’t.
    “GOOD OLD GEORGE”
    Retreaders and out-of-towners,
    How exciting!!

  • Carmelita says:

    This is for J Mcmahon: You seem to be the Mr Know It All! If you are so knowledgeable of everyone’s life and so critical of everyone especially the best of the best individuals, like Mark and Frank, what does that say about you? You must be a very unhappy person to get so negative about life and everyone! I feel so sorry for you! I always believe in truth and justice! Those two virtues will triumph at the end! The issue at hand here is the action by Chen, Ray and Barrows on the appointment of Frank at the last Council Meeting. Is it hypocrisy, injustice, and abuse of power in action? I absolutely say YES!!!
    And for Justice Fighter: Keep on fighting! I support your arguments all the way and will continue to do so. I always believe in the power of the mind, hard work, and prayer! In unity, there is strength!

  • Ding Dong says:

    Attributing Mr. Yokoyama’s removal from the Planning Commission to racism is intellectually shallow. The outcry over the Council’s decision is a complete overreaction. It is not unwarranted to feel or express disapproval, however, it is both immature and baseless to accuse the Council members of being racist. Not everything has to do with race. Viewing life through a racial lense is debilitating. Let’s rise above this decision, dust ourselves off and move on. I’m sure this is what Mr. Yokoyama himself is doing.

  • Concerned resident says:

    Bunch of clowns running this city and wasting tax payers money… That’s an insult to clown professionals, I should say bunch of morons