Let's go to Mexico
Pico Rivera might be in fiscal crisis, but that doesn't mean they don't have the money to send a delegation to Mexico for four days.
Whittier Daily News reporter Airan Scruby reports:
PICO RIVERA -- City officials are mum on the cost of sending a delegation on a biannual visit to Sister City San Luis Potosi, Mexico, this month.
City Manager Chuck Fuentes said Pico Rivera paid for one city employee, Ray Chavez, to go as an official liaison to the Sister City. It also paid for Mayor Ron Beilke, Councilman Bob Archuleta and for Sister City Commission Chairwoman Grace Gallegos to attend. Miss Pico Rivera also went on the city's dime
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Guests of those people were not paid for by the city, Fuentes said, and other community members who chose to go did not receive financial help from City Hall.
However, the cost of the four-day trip is not yet known, Fuentes said.
Interim Finance Director John Herrera said Friday that spending records would not be available for another week. He said he did not have access Friday to the amount budgeted for the trip because he was out of the office.
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Archuleta said he was not sure of the numbers, but he believed the cost came out to about $1,200 to $1,300 per person, and that Miss Pico Rivera's tickets were partially paid for by fundraisers.
Some questioned the necessity of the trip, considering the city faces a $4.8 million deficit if voters do not approve a 1 percent sales-tax hike in November.
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"It has zero benefit to the residents of Pico Rivera," Salcido said. "It's a city-paid vacation."
What do you guys think?
Cities like Pico Rivera need to have a Sister City Commission. They help raise money to pay for the visitations to their respective cities in Mexico, China or where ever. The city does not spend a dime on these visits at all. Some of the "smarter cities" have started such commissions. They have proven to benefit a cause and the program that was started by our own, United States President Dwigdht Eisenhower.
Ray Chavez and the queen of Pico Rivera should of stayed at home. There is "no" real need for them to go. None what's so ever.The mayor and two councilmembers would of been the proper delegation to represent the city of Pico Rivera.
Cities like Pico Rivera need to have a Sister City Commission. They help raise money to pay for the visitations to their respective cities in Mexico, China or where ever. The city does not spend a dime on these visits at all. Some of the "smarter cities" have started such commissions. They have proven to benefit a cause and the program that was started by our own, United States President Dwigdht Eisenhower.
Ray Chavez and the queen of Pico Rivera should of stayed at home. There is "no" real need for them to go. None what's so ever.The mayor and two councilmembers would of been the proper delegation to represent the city of Pico Rivera.
I think that Mayor Beilke and councilmembers Gallegos and Archuleta should attend. You do not need the other two to go. It is a waste of tax payers money. What programs or projects are they going to work on. I hope that this is not a junket either. We can't afford spending money in another country. They picked the wrong time to go. The city has a 4.8 million dollar deficit at the present time. Their city manager should advice them to attend when the city is in the black.
Why go at all? What will the city and residents benefit from this visit to Mexico? Money spent that we can't afford to spend at this time. DEFICIT!!!
There was absolutely no need for any of the council members to go Mexico courtesy of the residents.
Ray Chavez should be ashamed.
The Sister City was an independant committee until the city council members took it over, and made a city commission.
This just goes to show the lack of integrity, respect, or compassion that any of that delegation has for the people they are supposed to be representing.
How long can a city have an interim anyway?
Hasn't this guy been acting as interim for going on two years? What is going on with him?
He never seems to have any of the figures available?
Is the newspaper still waiting for figures on how much the City of Pico Rivera has spent on anniversary?
The City Manager's job is to stay informed about how much the city is spending on certain programs, so he should have been able to give an answer right away.
Can the Tribune get some solid hard numbers on much has been spent on the cities anniversary events. Who benefited from them? Where they open to the public or not?