Citizen About Town

By Nancy C. Arcuri, Editor and Publisher

E-mail: nancyarcuri@thecitizensvoice.net

Fax: 626-307-9081

During the Monterey Park City Council Meeting held on November 16 the Council majority took Mitch Ing to task for not being able to attend the latest workshop held during business hours.

Mitch Ing stated that he did not have any vacation time left so he was unable to attend the workshop.

David Lau, Teresa Real Sebastian, Anthony Wong and Betty Tom Chu each made a statement against Mitch Ing because he does not have the flexible hours that they have to attend all the various Council events.

I reminded the Council during the December 7 meeting their action brought to mind a statement made by former Councilmember Irv Gilman to my husband, Frank Arcuri. It is better to be self-employed or retired to serve on the City Council as corporate America does not provide their employees unlimited time off with pay to serve their community.

Irv Gilman lost his job in corporate America while serving on the City Council. He later became self-employed.

I believe that David Lau and Betty Tom Chu are retired and Teresa Real Sebastian and Anthony Wong are self-employed.

Teresa Real Sebastian also made a statement about a $50 parking fee during the meeting.

I checked with City Hall and was advised that this issue will be on the agenda during the first quarter of 2012.

I also reminded the Council when the issue of paying for overnight parking was on the agenda this chamber had standing room only.  The majority of the taxpaying voters are not willing to pay the city to park their cars our public streets.

Our topography is different from our sister cities of Alhambra and San Gabriel that are charging their residents to park on the street overnight.

We have houses built on hills that don’t have room for off street parking for more than one car. We have property owners who live in houses that have variances on the length of their driveways.  We have seniors living in complexes that the city only required one and one-half parking spaces per unit. We have residents living in older units that only provide limited parking.

Parking on the public streets is the result of our city’s various building requirements and variances.

If you are going to require the taxpaying voters to pay for overnight parking on our public streets you better hold several town hall meetings to explain this issue to them.

In fact this issue should be placed on the ballot for the taxpaying residents to vote on.

Just food for thought!

Councilmember Betty Tom Chu made a statement at the end of this meeting that she wanted City Manager Paul Talbot to have the applications ready for members of the Ad Hoc Committee required by our city law to complete so they can review the County Fire Service study.  I am not sure if this is the study done at her request by the County or if it is the one done at her request by the Firefighters Union.

Council watchers don’t believe that she as one member can request this action without support of two other members.

Betty Tom Chu is supported by the Firefighters Union. She owes them for helping her get reelected to the Council.

I find it interesting that she shows blatant favoritism in support of them and has caused problems for the Police Officers Union and the General Employees Union.

Monterey Park is run with the experience of all the employees.  Most of our employees are happy to have a job in these tough economic times.  They have taken financial hits with a reduction in their pay. Some of our employees have been laid off because of the lack of sales tax to pay their salaries. That is another story for another day.

However some of our firefighters keep thinking the grass is greener over the County side of the fence. They are willing to do almost anything to have the Council do a study on the County Fire Service and force the issue on the ballot for the voters to decide.

When we voted a BIG NO to Going County several years ago the firefighters were sitting on our fire trucks and watching the voters at the polling places.

Some of our firefighters have plans to exchange our local fire service to the County for a firefighting job with higher pay.

They are not guaranteed a job with the County but they don’t seem to care.  They only want to go County.

Many taxpaying residents have advised them to apply kids bounce house for sale with the County Fire Service for a job.  We can have their current job filled by a firefighter who wants to work in Monterey Park.

So the battle for life versus the almighty dollar goes on and on.

The taxpaying voters currently enjoy a four-minute or less response time in emergencies in Monterey Park.  We have our own Paramedic Ambulance Service that the County does not provide.

The County Fire Service responds as soon as they can to an emergency.  They are on record taking nine minutes to respond to a three-alarm fire in Carson a few months ago. They respond with a fire truck, a private ambulance and their paramedic truck.

I live near the County line and have noted the length of time it takes their paramedics to respond after the truck and ambulance are on site.

I often pray for the victim and hope that medical help has arrived in time to save a life.

Monterey Park taxpaying residents deserve the best services from our city staff.

We deserve to receive emergence services in the shortest time possible when every second counts in a life or death occurrence.

Give your family and friends a wonderful Christmas and Hanukkah gift by keeping an eye on this Going County Fire Service issue.

It will be presented to the voters as our firefighters know what in best for your and yours in 2012.

I want to thank each and every city employee, power company employee and the helpful residents of the West San Gabriel Valley for their wonderful assistance after our hurricane force windstorm.

The property damage will cost millions to repair or replace.  Thank God no loss of life was reported due to Mother Nature.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a very Happy and Healthy New Year.