LOS CERRITOS
Winner of Fourteen LA Press Club Awards from 2012- 2017.
Serving Cerritos and ten other surrounding communities • October 9, 2020 • Vol 35, No. 8 • loscerritosnews.net
HMG EXCLUSIVE CENTRAL BASIN GM DISCOVERS OVER $1.5 MILLION IN ‘UNREPORTED’ REVENUE & $700,000 IN OVERSTATED EXPENSES BY BRIAN HEWS The battle to take over Commerce-based Central Basin Municipal Water (CB), led on the outside by Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood), and Rendon’s attorney Alf Brandt, and on the inside by former employee Andrew Hamilton, failed miserably despite a last minute effort from Rendon, who went behind Senate pro tem Tony Atkins’ back, sending a letter to Senate Governance and Finance Chair Mike McGuire to asking to move the bill. The outright privatization attempt, using Garcia’s gut and amend SB 625, was supported by several local competing water companies that a Hews
Media Group-Cerritos News investigation found had given thousands to Rendon, Garcia, Assembly Minority Leader Ian Calderon, and the bill’s sponsor Steve Bradford. One, San Gabriel Valley Water Company, gave $16,900 to Garcia; SGVW was the employer of one of Garcia’s appointed directors Dan Arrighi, who recently resigned under pressure from his boss and, according to sources, the Calderons. SGVW also gave Rendon $5,600 from 2014-2016 and gave Ian Calderon $6,500 from 2014-2018. Three PAC’s were also beneficiaries of the SGVW, Downey’s Liberty/Park Water, and Whittier’s Cadway Water donations: the California Wa-
WATCHDOG: Asm. Cristina Garcia Paying Century City Rates for Office in Downey
ter Association, the California Association of Mutual Water Companies and Consumers for Clean Water. All three pushed for the passing of SB 625. The CWA was the biggest recipient, garnering over $58,000 in donations; second was CCW who took in $21,600 from Cadway and $22,100 from SGVW. Last was CAMWC, who took in $25,900 from the apparent cash-cow Cadway. PAC’s Donations to Candidates The CWA, flush with money donated by water purveyors who have a clear conflict of interest, donated to all the major players involved with SB 625. The donations are total numbers: $7,500 to Garcia (2012, ’14, ’16, ’18) $5,000 to Rendon (2014)
$5,800 to Calderon (2012, ’16,’18) $9,000 to Bradford (2012, ’16) And in what looks like payto-play, CWA gave Bradford, who was carrying the bill and who is up for re-election in November, $3,000 this year. The exposé put a dent in their armor, but Garcia and Rendon had someone on the inside who was working just as hard for the takeover attempt, former Finance Director Andrew Hamilton. Hamilton, who earned $207,000 annually, and other managers had been questionably promised jobs by elected officials when the bill passed, even though Hamilton had illegally paid a vendor, locked all the elected and appointed direc-
See COMMERCE page 11
The Gardens Casino Reopens Under Strict Health Rules and Protocols
BY BRIAN HEWS
square foot rates in Downey. And in Suite 203 of the The area on Firestone Blvd. Downey Plaza is the field offices bordered by Downey Ave. and of Assemblywoman Cristina La Reina Ave. is one of the busi- Garcia. est in Downey, with the iconic HMG has received docuPorto’s Bakery anchoring the ments from a Legislative Open upscale community gem. Records Act (LORA) request Known as Downtown that shows Garcia occupying the Downey, thousands of people, office since 2013. even during the pandemic, visit The space originally started the area every day to exercise at 1,626 sq. ft., then increased social distancing and enjoy the by 771 sq. ft to 2,397 sq. ft., or many fast casual restaurants, 46 per cent, in 2015. and then walk over to Porto’s for And since 2019, taxpayers a fabulous dessert. have funded the high-end office, THE GARDENS CASINO outdoor facility opened last Monday to Across the courtyard from complete with six parking spac- the delight of everyone, including the city. Porto’s, on the busy corner of es, to the tune of $2.21 per sq. Firestone and Downey, is the ft., $5,300 per month, $63,600 five-story Downtown Downey per year. BY TAMMYE MCDUFF a letter being sent to Governor Office Plaza, home to Wells FarJust down the street on FlorGavin Newsom regarding the go Bank, Keller Williams, Care- ence is an office building chargAs businesses struggle Gardens Casino. The City more Medical and, according to ing $1.70 per sq. ft. which is the to find creative solutions to receives more than 70 percent the Downey Chamber of Com- going rate in Downey. reopening, casinos seem to be of its revenue from the Casino, merce directory, former Downey That cost is 30% less than last on the list of organizations which has been closed during Mayor Mario Guerra. the Downey Plaza, but Garcia to receive permission. the pandemic. It is a high-end business chose to bilk taxpayers another In August of this year the Hawaiian Gardens slashed building, and its location com- .51 cents per sq. ft., $1,222 per city of Hawaiian Gardens detheir budget almost in half and mands some of the highest per clared a fiscal emergency, with
See GARCIA page 12
See THE GARDENS page 12
WHAT DID THEY KNOW?
Assembly Speaker Rendon, Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, & former Central Basin Director of Finance Andrew Hamilton.
Bellflower Forum Features New District Candidates BY TAMMYE MCDUFF The Bellflower Chamber of Commerce held a candidate forum via Zoom, Monday evening, October 5. This forum was for the five persons who have been nominated for District 4 [full term]. The district boundaries may be new, however the concerns are not. Candidate Roger Graham admittedly says he has ‘no political experience’ and hopes that will not be a deterrent to represent the new district. Graham stands on the promise to be accessible and available, “I want to hear from all the residents of our district. Your questions and suggestions will be the building blocks on how we succeed and improve our district together.” No stranger to public policy and advocacy, Luis Melliz believes he has proven that he will
See BELLFLOWER page 12