CCMP CITY COUNCIL RECOMMENDATIONS – MARTINEZ AND LAU

Concerned Citizens of Monterey Park came together a couple of years back with the notion of encouraging thoughtful discourse on City issues and promoting election of a City Council that works together for the good of our city.

No “4 for 3” This Time Around
In the 2007 election, when three City Council seats were being decided, we found that there were four candidates who met our criteria. It didn’t seem fair to squabble over who should be the odd person out, so we ended up endorsing all four (the right thing to do – but confusing to you, the voter).

This year it’s much easier. Our recommendations coincide with the number of positions being contested: two. Our choices: incumbents Sharon Martinez and David Lau.

“State of the City”
We agree with Mayor Frank Venti’s recent  “State of the City” address in which he described a city on the move – mixed use development coming to Garvey, North Atlantic Time Square under construction, EPA remediation  underway at the building site for the Marketplace on the north side of the Pomona Freeway. And a balanced budget that a year ago was expected to be $2 million in the red. What’s not to like?

Martinez and Lau Supported
It is only sensible to retain in office the leadership responsible for producing this
rosy outlook. So we’re for returning Martinez and Lau, who, by the way, exemplify the kind of civility that goes hand in hand with productivity.

The Other Candidates
Of the other four candidates, Joe Avila and John Abajian seem to be running in name only. The remaining two are former Councilwoman Betty Tom Chu and failed 2007 candidate Luis Estrada. Both are backed by the firefighters, which suggests that a potentially divisive resurfacing of the County fire issue is lurking. The idea of transferring our City Fire Department to L.A. County has been dowsed by M.P. voters but kept burning by some of the firefighters.

We also have a problem with these two on the civility issue. At the Soroptimist candidates forum last month, Estrada began by hurling accusations at the incumbents and had to be reigned in by the moderator.(“Candidate assails rivals at Monterey Park forum” headlined the Pasadena Star-News). And Chu, in her closing statement, also went into attack mode against Martinez and Lau.

Those are the kind of behaviors that CCMP came into being to discourage.
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