INSIDE INGLEWOOD - The City of Inglewood has a run-off election on June 11. It may seem that a nine-square mile charter city in the middle of LA County is of little consequence.
However, the outcome of the election will determine a great many decisions for the city and county of LA. Among them will be LAX's northern runway, Residential Sound Insulation funding, Metro's Crenshaw Line, the future of the Forum, the management of Hollywood Park, and much more.
The situation is so serious as to personally involve Sentinel owner Danny Bakewell, California BOE chairman Jerome Horton, the city clerk (Yvonne Horton—who is Jerome Horton's wife), LA County DA Jackie Lacey, the Inglewood Police Department, the City of Compton, the city attorney (Cal P. Saunders), murder, arson and drive-by shootings.
As such, it is significant that the "official" newspaper of the city, Inglewood Today, has and continues to promote an incorrect date regarding the run-off election.
According to campaign financial disclosures Form 460 found in the Inglewood city clerk's office, the paper's owner—Willie Brown—is a paid political consultant to the mayor, James T. Butts. In every edition of Brown's paper is a page on which Brown has an editorial; right next to that editorial is a brief article that features a photo of—and quote by—Inglewood city clerk Yvonne Horton. And in every election-related edition of 2013 are political ads supporting the election of the mayor's hand-picked and publicly acknowledged candidates—both of whom will be in the run-off election on June 11.
Butts is a 19-year veteran of the Inglewood Police department, the former police chief of Santa Monica and for a brief term the Executive of LAX Security with an FBI rating of "Secret." He was allegedly fired from Santa Monica and LAX before accepting a low-paying job as mayor of Inglewood in 2010.
Bakewell has and continues to run ads supporting the mayor's candidates as well as articles by and about Jerome Horton. The Inglewood Police Department has refused to properly investigate a murder, a drive-by shooting, two arson incidents and no less than three home burglaries that have recently taken place near the opposition candidate's headquarters and volunteers' houses. The aforementioned crimes are practically unprecedented, as the areas in which they have taken place over the last five weeks are of the sort that have not happened in the area in nearly 30 years.
The City of Compton is where many of those who have openly insulted the opposition candidate cut their teeth during a period that on April 6 came under investigation by DA Lacey.
Along with the irregularities and voter intimidation allegedly carried out by Yvonne Horton, recorded by Inglewood residents and possibly under investigation by the CA Secretary of State, it is curious that the "official" newspaper of the City of Inglewood is promoting the wrong date for this very important run-off election.
Will there be a second "inexplicable homicide," another "mysterious" drive-by, a third "unexplained arson incident" that Inglewood District 1 IPD officers will explain away as just more "random gang violence" after this story is filed? Will the election go without another plethora of irregularities? And will Inglewood Today print a front-page retraction to undo their "mistake"?
(Randall Fleming is a veteran journalist and magazine publisher. He has worked at and for the New York Post, the Brooklyn Spectator and the Los Feliz Ledger. He is currently editor-in-chief at the Morningside Park Chronicle, a monthly newspaper based in Inglewood, CA and on-line at www.MorningsideParkChronicle.com)
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 11 Issue 39
Pub: May 14, 2013