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A PRIMARY LOOK - Tuesday March the 5th. is the primary voting date for the state of California. Political mailers have been arriving every day in residents’ mailboxes and most of the written content in each of these mailers is false and misleading.
Sad to state that most California voters just vote straight party lines and fail to complete their own investigation of each candidate that is running for an elected office position.
As a resident of Los Angeles City Council District 14 there is no shortage of individuals running to represent residents of our CD 14 district area. Not only are we voting for City Council District 14 representative we are also voting for a new 52nd.State Assembly seat, US Congress representative for the 34th. District, US Senator, hopefully a new Los Angeles County District Attorney and President of the United States.
Also let’s not forget those ballot measures that would once again increase our state and local taxes State Measure 1 and Los Angeles Municipal Election Measure HLA.
There are also those vacant Los Angeles County Superior Court Judges Positions to be voted on.
Most voters just vote straight party line and fail to even read the mailers that they receive thru the mail.
I am an odd one. Each time that there is an election I try to interview face to face each person running for office. Or I least review their voting record and try to obtain information as to what tasks they completed to improve the welfare and safety for my community.
CD 14 Candidates. I made face to face contact with all but one candidate running for this office. The one that I did not communicate with is Miguel Santiago. He has failed to show up for our local face to face political forums.
Genny Guerrero is a grass root candidate who resides in El Sereno. She has spent more than 15 years involved in her own community projects. She is devout in her convictions and may lack a compassion and or understanding of the LGBT community.
Teresa Hillery is an attorney at law who resides in the downtown area of Los Angeles. She stated that she assists the homeless individuals who reside in the Skid Row area of Los Angeles.
Ysabel Juardo is a Progressive Democratic Socialist Candidate who grew up and continues to reside in our Highland Park community of CD 14. She is an attorney (tenants’ rights), single mother who continues to reside with her father. When asked to name one thing that she has unselfishly done for her community she was unable to name one thing. In fact, by her facial expression, she was completely stunned and taken back that I would even asked her this question.
Wendy Carrillo is our current State Assembly representative and is giving up her seat to run for CD 14. Ms. Carrillo at a recent political forum addressed the issue of her recent arrest for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol. She was very candid and extremely humble. She accepted full responsibility for her actions. Not like the time Jose Huizar was involved in a traffic accident (LA City Vehicle ) which occurred in Boyle Heights in October 2012. As per my then contacts with LAPD Central Division Traffic Unit, Huizar was indeed intoxicated on the date and time of the accident and LAPD did complete the paperwork for the DUI offense. However, it was all covered up by the former LA. City Mayor, City Attorneys office and LAPD Command staff. I might add Huizar’s auto accident cost LA Taxpayers more than 200 thousand dollars. I recall when Ms. Carrillo attended a major food give away at the Eagle Rock Plaza. Her office had nothing to do with this food giveaway event. She was so impressed that she stayed for the whole event and even helped the Boy Scouts hand out the food items to more than 120 families whose names had been submitted by each of the local elementary schools from our 14th City Council District. Carrillo has also supported our Military Veterans which for the most part are all but forgotten by the majority of our community residents. Carrillo accomplished many good things as an Assembly representative however she could have done more. If elected to CD 14 seat she has vowed to do more for all of the residents of CD 14.
Eduardo “LALO” Vargas. Mr. Vargas wants to be referred to as LALO. He is a Progressive and a member of the Democratic Socialist Party. I refer to him as a joke. He is an educator at Franklin High School yet when question by me face to face he did not know the name of the Franklin High School Principal nor was he ware of the serious and questionable illegal activities which are taking place within Franklin High School. Namely Illegal consumption of alcohol, illegal use of drugs, bullying and the recent drug overdose of a high school student and the locking up of the students’ bathrooms by the current Franklin high school principal during school hours. He is 100% anti police.
Miguel Santiago. Currently represents the 54th California Assembly District. Let’s go back in time, Santiago and Kevin de León, the best of comrades, made an agreement De Leon would be elected Mayor of the City of Los Angeles and then Santiago would run for CD 14. Low and behold Karen Bass entered the picture and De Leon was not elected mayor. Then De Leon looked like a shoe-in for re-election for CD 14 until those tapes were released. Now, Santiago is throwing those big knives in De Leon's back and they are indeed causing pain and damage. However the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor (those tapes were recorded out of the LA County Federation of Labor headquarters) has donated more than one half million dollars to the Santiago campaign. Santiago is bought and paid for by various unions, developers and big business. What upsets me is the fact that certain individuals of privilege who reside in our northern area of CD 14 simply contacted Santiago's office during the COVID vaccination period and made arrangements with Mark Gonzalez (current chairman of the California Democratic Party and contender for Assembly Seat 54th District) to receive their COVID vaccinations out of turn. Both Santiago and Gonzalez made this happen. Also remember when Santiago and De Leon spent the night in one of those tiny village houses in Highland Park. What a joke. LAPD was parked outside of their location all night long. My take is, if you want more corruption within Los Angeles City Hall politics then vote for Santiago.
Kevin de León (see attached City Watch Article) What we are seeing now with Kevin de León is that he is giving out a lot of free food to everyone and anyone. All paid for by taxpayers’ dollars. The only thing is that many of those individuals receiving the food don't reside in CD 14 or in the city of Los Angeles.. As per his own staff members who cover the El Sereno area a lot of the food give away are being given to folks who reside in Alhambra and Monterey Park. A couple of years back Deleon's staff members were giving out turkeys to anyone who shopped at the Eagle Rock Plaza. Many who received those turkeys resided in Glendale, South Pasadena and outside of CD14. De Leon has for the past several years handed out Turkeys and Hams to his favorite backers who reside in CD 14 area. Mind you all of the food paid for by taxpayers’ dollars. In 2023 one Highland Park female resident even boasted that she received several turkey that were left over from 2022 and she cooked the turkeys and gave the meat to her dogs. Is this to say that De Leon could not find enough needy families in CD 14? Today De Leon is hosting Coffee with a Cop. In all of De Leon’s past years as the CD 14 Councilman he had not previously hosted a Coffee with a Cop event. Now he is so desperate for votes he will say and just about do anything to get re-elected. He brags about his accomplishments in providing those tiny houses for the homeless in Eagle Rock and Highland Park. However, he fails to tell you how many times LAPD has responded to both of the Tiny Homes locations due to assaults, drug overdoses, thefts, and other crime incidents. If you want more corruption within Los Angeles City Hall then re-elect Kevin de León. Also Kevin supports George Gascon.
Nadine Diaz. Ms. Diaz holds a PHD and is employed by former USC Medical Center (now has a new name). Her specialty is working with the elderly. Other than her employment she could not state what she herself has done for the CD 14 community.
For the State Assembly Seat 52nd District, I was only able to interview three candidates.
David Giron. I asked him how he voted for Prop. 47 and 57. His response. The LAPD treated him badly when he was a young man therefore, he voted yes on both Prop.47 and 57. He acknowledged that he did not read the content of the propositions prior to voting in favor for both of them.
Ari Ruiz. Mr. Ruiz acknowledged to me that he does not view Television news or read the local newspapers. I suggested to him that he should hold a news conference and request that current State Attorney General Bonta cancel the permit of retired LAPD Commander Cory Palka to carry a concealed weapon. Ruiz had no notion as to who Cory Palka is. He was not aware of the incident where Palka gave a CBS executive an unredacted police report of a sexual assault. My take how can anyone vote for someone who does not know what is taking place not only within our city but through the US and the world.
Sofia G. Quinones. This candidate is home grown. She has spent years doing many things for the whole of Assembly District 52. She is not beholding to any unions and or big interest groups. When communicating with Sofia she is all over the place however she is very much aware of all that has been ignored by our current elected officials. She would be a spark of positive light if elected to Assembly District 52. I doubt if she will allow herself to be corrupted by the good ole boys club in Sacramento.
Jessica Caloza was to have stopped by my home for an interview, but she did not show up. The following day an Occidental college student did come by and stated that Ms. Caloza had been at the Yosemite Park the day before and was unable to stop by. Now this college student majoring in Poly Sci and world affairs was not aware that an Assembly member writes laws which affect the whole of the state population and not just the area for which they were elected to represent.
US Representative.
Jimmy Gomez has played it safe. He really has not done mush for our 34th. District.
I did not interview anyone running for this office.
District Attorney
I have not interviewed anyone running for this office.
I 'm not voting to re-elect George Gascon. George Gascon is the Godfather of Prop. 47. Even California State Attorney General Bonta stated that he wants to amend Prop. 47. Remember Prop. 47 did away with the collection of DNA for misdemeanor arrests.
I voted for the various judges endorsed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Associations.
I voted no on Los Angeles City Municipal Measure HLA. One only needs to drive down York Blvd. and see the mess with vehicle traffic because of Vision Zero and LA City Road Diet.
On the County Central Committee 52nd Assembly District. I did not vote for anyone endorsed by the Eastside Progressive Party.
On State Measure 1, I voted NO. This past week the state stated in Sacramento Bee that California is 78 billion dollars in the RED, not 38 billion as Newsome continues to state.
US Senate. I did not interview anyone for this office. I did vote for Adam Schiff. I feel he is the best qualified. As for Ms. Lee of Oakland. She wants to increase the minimum wage to $ 50.00 per hour. Also, Oakland is so out of control with increase in crime that the California Highway patrol has more than 200 units patrolling the streets of Oakland.
President of the United States. I did not interview anyone.
I could not believe the ads on local Television where the mayor of the City of Los Angeles Karen Bass endorsing Mike Feuer to replace Adam Schiff for US Congress. Just last week US Federal Judge Wu is allowing a federal lawsuit to move forward which involves Mike Feuer when he was the Los Angeles City Attorney over the overbilling of Los Angeles residents by the Department of Water and Power. Remember those convicted stated that Mike Feuer lied to federal investigators. Now Feuer will have to testify under oath by individuals supervised under AB 109. This is a perfect example of you scratch my back and I will scratch yours.
Here are links to the CityWatch Articles:
Who is the Real Kevin De León?
Former LAPD Chief Charlie Beck and George Gascon are Straight Up Hypocrites
(Caroline Aguirre is a retired 24-year State of California law enforcement officer, LAPD family member, community activist and Neighborhood Watch captain. Aguirre is a CityWatch contributor.)
