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DIRTY POLITICS: Artesia Cerritos Woman’s Club Suddenly Cancels Open Candidates Forum

 

By Brian Hews

The Artesia Cerritos Women’s Club sent out an email today cancelling it’s March 22 forum that was scheduled for 7 o’clock at the Cerritos City Council chambers.

This type of cancellation has never occurred in Cerritos politics before.

The ACWC went through the usual channels in scheduling the forum, writing a letter to Cerritos City Council to be agendized with the full city council voting their approval.

The ACWC  sent out a  brief, cryptic, and very contradictory release saying, “The Woman’s Club of Artesia-Cerritos is a non-partisan, non-denominational organization. That being said, our members are free to express their personal opinions and views on their own behalf.”

“It has come to our attention that there has been some discourse between members of our club and outside sources. We do not wish this to become a distraction to the candidates nor the city election.”

It is unknown what the phrase “some discourse between members of our club and outside sources” indicates, and also the phrase “we do not wish in becoming a distraction to the candidates.”

The statements are unusual given that 95% of the forum is formatted to take questions from the audience.

HMG-CN is reaching out to candidates for comment.

Resident Jay Gray told HMG-CN, “This is wrong. Ray and Edwards both ran just after serving as Chamber Presidents and the Chamber event was never canceled. This stinks of politics. The main candidate to benefit from muzzling the residents and other candidates from the democratic process is BARROWS and the other candidate supported by the the majority council. This could have easily been remedied, simply do what Cerritos does for elections. Ask for volunteers from the Recreation staff to collect question from the audiences and submit to the moderator. The city and those in power were stunned by Anantha and his willingness to take on the establishment.”

Resident Jim McMahon told HMG-CN, ” Don’t like that Jay Gray was attacked by Chamber or any other level of business. Chamber is about business relationship(s) and no trustees, councilpersons should be seated or elected to the Chamber.”

“Jay has right to be upset, over loosing a contract for forums. Forums create wise and educated voters. Very sad that the woman’s club had to recall the forum. Voters big lost!!!”

With CCC John Crawley era, back in the 90’s, John Crawley did not think it was fit for the city to hold a candidates Forum in a public building, and also pay for the television w/ public general funds.  One of his suggestions was to hold it, off site, in a non- city building, and his other suggestion, at Chambers pay for their video broadcasting or some other third-party sponsor & not the city of Cerritos. Fine line of mixing elections and tainting elections pools. Councils past allegations, did not want to hold forums at a city council chamber, they said that the city owns and pays for it, and it should be not paid for by the citizens who create the general fund. You can agree or disagree with the council’s debate over that. City general funds must remain neutral on the debates.

McMahon went on, “Today, don’t like the Republican racketeering slate: Republican (Vo-Barrow’s), did not like the way the first/second forum preceded, so they complained to a another Republican, mayor George Ray, and mayor George Ray attacked the Woman’s Club; therefore, the Woman’s Club removed themselves from The Forum. This is all over debates: Seniors, RDA Litigation settlement and Smart City Movements, packaged in Q/A and so forth. Both sheriffs and staff are upset.

“Republican slate knew about this RDA judicial settlement, before the 2nd forum, but was not made available to all 7 candidates, in order to produce healthy debates.”

“I’m an advocate for fair and balanced politics, not back door ambushed politics, which has leaked in to the debates from city Managers office & tainted the republican pool of candidate’s slates.”

 

 


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  • Scott Smith says:

    Mr. Gray, since you mentioned the Chamber, I feel it is my obligation to respond. Please note that neither Mayor Ray nor Councilman Edwards ever served as “President” of the Cerritos Regional Chamber of Commerce. Mayor Ray was on the executive board of the Chamber and had the title of “Vice President” and Councilman Edwards was simply a member of the board. I’m not aware of why the Woman’s Club, a great local organization, decided to cancel their event, but it appears to have been their decision. I can tell you that, as CEO of the Chamber, we have to go through the exact same process as the Woman’s Club and the AAUW to get City approval to hold a forum. I believe that vote is taken during a regular City Council meeting – which was passed 5-0, like in past years. I too am sad to see Cerritos voters lose another chance to hear from candidates, but I will not have the Chamber’s name pulled into local politics. We play no role in the City Council race other than holding an informational forum. Thank you and I’m happy to visit with you further about this issue if you would like.

  • Jay Gray says:

    Mr. Smith,

    Thank you for the correction and clarification regarding both current council members. My main point remains that both Edwards and Ray were part of the Chamber and the forum event was not cancelled when they participated.

    I make this point to indicate that organizations can participate in candidate forums without bias. It appears to have been the case in the past with your organization and the Woman’s club.

    You may choose not to have your organization pulled into local politics; however, both Ray and Edwards pulled your organization into local politics when they each publicly advertised their affiliation when running for city council.

  • Res Ipsa says:

    if this stinks of politics then LCCN is long overdue for a bath (still waiting on that retraction article or are facts not “newsworthy”). Mr. Gray could use a dunking himself as well as the only thing more transparent than his bias are the walls of the glass house he lives in. Should I have put that last sentence in CAPS as well?

    It shouldn’t be too difficult to figure out why this happened, especially since this paper pats itself on the back for its investigative journalism. Particularly so given how cavalier some people have been in openly (and electronically) declaring their motivation. But as said above that would require publishing facts, not innuendo and that doesn’t seem to be the business this paper is in.

    On the contrary, it’s far easier to contrive a pet conspiracy, and then run off to conduct a “random interview” of a resident that has nothing to do with the women’s club or this cancellation. But I suppose never let an opportunity to sling mud pass by. Journalism 101 right?

  • Cerritos /90703 Resident says:

    RE: Woman’s Club and Chamber of Commerce | Alleged Insider Trading |

    Decades ago, governmental office issued an memo, how to vote in elections. They stated how to wisely vote in some or many national elections. They mentioned poss. the best candidates usually are the virgin candidates, candidates who are running or not recycled, and are new to some political markets, so there’s not a lot of garbage bleeding into the election. Government would rather train new elected officials, then try to recondition old re-cycled habits. They stated that some of the most famous people elected into national public offices, have been virgin politicians, they are very neutral. This is very much true to the situation which happened in the Cerritos forums, we had too many recycled Commissioners and Ret. Council people, and they had too much inside Cerritos Trading information, hence upsetting the debates.

    Maybe its time, Chamber of Commerce Web site needs a bath, abort branding many hot political subject matters.
    1st CEB Adoption Committee Member! Why is the Chambers involved in supporting war times, with the diversity of Cerritos, many residents cannot get involved with any military NP measures, since their religion bans them? Same holds true at CCC chambers, many religions ban residents from entering chambers, when they are supporting war propaganda. City and Chamber should not be supporting military. Chamber is about supporting good business, city is about municipal government, not about military alignments.

    Wells Fargo Bank; WFB is one of the most corrupt banking institutions in USA. Why support / advertise corruption? WFB has screwed more mortgage holders than any other institution. Lost count, does WFB or BOA have more federal judgments against them by the state/ feds for corruption?

    For many decades, said chambers has branded local Ret. Council –Trustee members, in order to digest local politics with their association, hence creating bias to the general public. On Chamber web site, why use public government buildings in Cerritos, it alludes there is a pseudo contract between Chambers and city hall? Surely, city has enough generic real estate and parks, to use for a backdrop on your Chamber web site.

    Why has most residents in 90703 choose to purchase in to Cerritos Real Estate Market? Most would say, it’s the environment, could not agree more. Said environment is about landscape horticulture. On Chambers business directory, your organization has sponged out-erased: Landscape-Nurseries-Landscape Architects-Gardeners-Sculptures-Irrigation-Tree Trimming, Designers, Building Maintenance, Patios, etc. Cerritos has become a very dirty and menopausal city of 15,000 homes, why not help the residents, and list home services for valuable resources; or are these occupations considered rectum subjects in your organization? All code enforcement departments need a tool in hand to aid property owners, your organization has airbrushed this from your web site.

    Cerritos-Artesia Woman’s club is branding the name of Cerritos. Why create 2 bias: “Woman’s and Cerritos”? In 2017, we have reached a pivot point in society, where we don’t have to segregate woman from a man plus why choose the halo of Cerritos? Name alone implies that poss. Transgender, cross dressers and G&L, open marriage laws, may have closed doors in to your group. Why not change the name to “Greater Dairy Valley Club”, which is not so orthodox and name calling. Said club wants to use general funds from the city for forums, to promote a poss. prejudice associations.

    Please reviews Cerritos Chambers link, they are promoting & branding politics.
    https://www.cerritos.org/

    https://www.loscerritosnews.net/2017/03/17/dirty-politics-artesia-cerritos-womans-club-suddenly-cancels-open-candidates-forum/

  • Council Neighbor says:

    Mr. S. Smith:

    More political gu gu- ga ga; for the captive Voting viewers.

    Feb 2015; seems like the Chamber had the same political issues compared addressing the Candidates Forum during March 2017. Non-sense and waste of time. History is repeating itself. Hmmm, almost same candidates running for office in 2017, compared to 2015, same scripts by the ye olde candidates, still the sky’s are falling in 90703, no improvement, except city has 58 less employees and more out of control deficit spending, continuous subsidies paid for by public, voters pay and city plays theory. Our public works causalities are increasing leaps and bounds.

    https://www.loscerritosnews.net/2015/02/04/cerritos-regional-chamber-hosts-candidates-forum/

    No wonder why the sky is financially falling in Cerritos, Chamber seems to be out of the business loop for 90703.

    Candidates Grace Hu and C Vo, both have the same political speeches, almost word for word. Same promises for State of the Union failures in Cerritos Dixieland.

    https://www.loscerritosnews.net/2017/03/17/dirty-politics-artesia-cerritos-womans-club-suddenly-cancels-open-candidates-forum/

    90703 Voters, please review the above 2 links for comparison, before voting for 2 brand new candidates running with limited hidden agendas.

    Regards,
    Council Neighbor