Citizen About Town

By Nancy C. Arcuri, Editor and Publisher

E-mail: nancyarcuri@thecitizensvoice.net

Fax: 626-307-9081

Happy New Year to all!

Monterey Park Councilmember Frank Venti is not running for re-election in March 2011.

This is a blessing to all of us who have been threatened, intimidated or slander by him from the dais.

I personally did not sue Mr. Venti and the city in response to his threats against my newspaper, The Citizen’s Voice and myself.  Although I do have plenty of evidence and parc aquatique gonflable witnesses against him I don’t believe that the taxpayers should have to pay damages for his arrogance and stupidity.

Mr. Venti and his two cohorts, Betty Tom Chu and Mitch Ing have been trying to challenge our contract with Athens because they did not agree with the Council majority’s decision to enter into the contract for 15 years. Mr. Venti is still angry that the contract did not go out to bid.

The Athens contract stipulates that the next waste haulers  (trash) contract must go out to bid in 2017.

The Council majority has spent $20,000 to audit Athens for the residential billing. The auditors found no wrongdoing.  They also spent another $80,000 to audit the multi-family and business accounts as well as their facilities and trucks.  The auditors found no wrongdoing.

Council watchers remember the Blue Ribbon Committee spent many long hours to determine what would be best for the residents and businesses in the city to meet the new state law that required a major reduction in the land fill. The city faced a $10,000 a day fine if we did not comply.

The Council majority approved the Athens Services contract that gave the residents a better deal than the businesses.  However the businesses can write their trash bills off as a business expense on their tax returns.

Mr. Venti failed to fulfill his campaign promises for a restaurant row, brand name stores and the Market Place so Measure BB is Mr. Venti’s Last Hurrah as a Councilmember.

Measure BB will ask the voters if the next waste haulers  (trash) contract should go out to an open bid or not. This measure will cost $10,000 or more to put it on the ballot and translate it into several foreign languages.

I call Measure BB the Big BS because it is another waste of our money to ask the voters to approve an action that is already stipulated in our contract with Athens.

Monterey Park City Attorney Mark Hensley announced at the beginning of the January 5 Council Meeting according to the Brown Act that no one could use the Council Meetings to campaign as it would be considered a thief of public funds. City Manager Paul Talbot agreed with him.

Yet they sat by and allowed Councilmembers Venti and Chu to harass Mr. Ing for his vote in favor of the police officers’ rank and file contract that reduced their salary by 5%.  Mr. Ing stated the city manager at the time said this contract would only cost $160,000 more then a new contract being renegotiated to reduce their salary by 10%.

Councilmembers should never attack another Councilmember for voting their conscience.

Mr. Venti and Mrs. Chu now consider Mitch Ing the enemy so they feel they can use our Council Meetings to harass him just before the March election.

The city manager and city attorney should have put a stop to their actions since they are so concerned about violating the Brown Act and theft of public funds.

“Theft of public funds” is when moneys belonging to government are misused.

Examples are when Councilmembers use our Council Meetings to harass, slander and intimidate other Councilmembers, employees, residents and business owners.

My attorney advised Councilmember Venti using Council Meetings to redress his personal grievances against my newspaper, “The Citizen’s Voice” and myself during Council Meetings was a misuse of public funds.

My attorney also advised Councilmembers Venti and Chu that could not restrict my newspaper from government buildings, as they would be violating my Constitutional rights to freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

Now that I publish my newspaper on the Internet they have no chance to restrict my Constitutional rights:  freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

I have attended my city’s Council Meetings for the last 14 and 1/2 years and have watched Councilmembers, Council candidates and residents use these meetings to support their candidates and ballot measures or speak out against other candidates and ballot measures.

Our current city attorney has allowed Councilmembers to use our public meetings to harass, slander and intimidate Councilmembers, employees, business owners and residents.

He never advised them in public that they were misusing our public funds by their actions.

Now it is considered a theft of public funds for anyone to support a candidate or measure during Council Meetings.

Now it is considered a theft of public funds for anyone to speak out against a candidate or measure during Council Meetings.

The attorney has based his opinions on the Brown Act.

He should remember that the Brown Act deals with actions of elected officials not the taxpaying voters.

The United States Constitution protects our freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

Residents in our hometown do not believe the city attorney can over-ride the Constitution with the Brown Act.

March 8 is Election Day.  Please meet your candidates and read up on any ballot measures before you vote.

Your vote will make a difference in your hometown.