Maximum Cedillo exposure

I think it will, unfortunately, not have the impact it should.

Most of the people that look to important factors like this, are already swayed by the host of other factors towards Chu.

The people bulk of the people that will vote for Cedillo, will do so largely because of hispanic surname recognition. Thus, these largely uninformed voters (a) don't read the L.A. Times, and (b) if they do will not be swayed by this.

The uninformed electorate is a powerful force.

I'll let you know as a friend of a former Cedillo staffer, I was told he took them to try on new suits. "This one? No" "How about this one?". The whole thing about gifts for staff is a bunch of BS if you believe it check out staff members 700 forms from the FPPC to see if it's true!

Sorry Corrupted Cedillo (hint CC), I didn't know it costs$4,000 to take someone to try on suits. Bottom line is that he spent his campaign money on those items supposedly for "staff" and "friends". If he didn't spend it on his staff then who was it for? His wife? Himself?

We don't need or want another corrupt politician in the San Gabriel Valley. Cedillo needs to go back to LA and do what he is use to doing. Spending money like it is going out of style. In these hard economic times it is unfortunet that this Senator abuses his position and power to do what he wishes. People at having a hard time just holding on to their jobs that alone their homes. Shame, shame on this sorry excuse of a man. I have lost all respect for him and his workers. They know better than to accept any kind of gift. They will not report it on their 700 Form. They have learned from the best. Their boss.Talk about a ROLE MODEL!

We don't need or want another corrupt politician in the San Gabriel Valley. Cedillo needs to go back to LA and do what he is use to doing. Spending money like it is going out of style. In these hard economic times it is unfortunet that this Senator abuses his position and power to do what he wishes. People at having a hard time just holding on to their jobs that alone their homes. Shame, shame on this sorry excuse of a man. I have lost all respect for him and his workers. They know better than to accept any kind of gift. They will not report it on their 700 Form. They have learned from the best. Their boss.Talk about a ROLE MODEL!

Not illegal but disturbingly unethical. I'm not interested in electing another unethical and corrupt politician to DC when we are trying to clean it up. Sorry to say but not only is he out of touch with SGV but he is out of touch with the working middle class. Instead, he would rather be shopping, dining at some upscale sushi restaraunt or drinking on the rooftop at a bar. The lobbyist that contribute to his campaign are happy that Cedillo is happy because they have him right where they want him...looking out for their special interests so that he can keep living the extravagant lifestyle he lives.

It would be very interesting to see what our local councilmenbers reported on their 700 Forms. Jennifer can you get that information from the cities within the San Gabriel Valley? Let's see who got free tickets to sporting events, concerts and extravagent gifts.

It would be very interesting to see what our local councilmenbers reported on their 700 Forms. Jennifer can you get that information from the cities within the San Gabriel Valley? Let's see who got free tickets to sporting events, concerts and extravagent gifts.

What a cheap skate. He can't spend his own money.show how little he really cares about his staff and friends. Must be nice to have that kind of life style. What a total jerk this man is.

I have been very disappointed with the recent revelations of the extravagant lifestyle enjoyed by Mr. Cedillo and his staff. Initially, I was leaning toward Ms. Chu, but upon further reflection I have decided to support Mr. Pleitez. Unlike Ms. Chu and Mr. Cedillo he doesn't have a record of failure in Sacramento to bring about lasting budget reform and is not beholden to special interests.

You bloggers are not foolish enough to believe that our legislators (State or Federal) really stay at the Red Roof Inn or the Travelodge or they have their business or staff meetings at the Olive Garden or El Pollo Loco do you? Perhaps you expect them to stay in a hostel when they are in some foreign country.

As a political contributor who has sent out his fair share of checks to Congressional, Assembly, and State Senate members, I know that when I make a check out to "Friends of Joe the Politician"-- that good old Joe is going to utilize that money for WHATEVER he/she feels is going to assist him/her in successfully running and keeping their office. I personally really don't give a sh#* what they decide to use it on. If they choose to utilize these funds unlawfully, there are systems of checks and balances in place to penalize those who do so.

It appears that Cedillo has not broken any laws and the reason we and the Los Angeles Times knows about this is because Cedillo reported it himself.

Listen people, don't be so naive to believe that this is not common practice in both Sacramento and Washington D.C. Cedillo's spending habits only happen to be "front page" news because there is an election going on.

If we checked into the records of our elected officials spending habits to their "Friends of Joe the Politician" accounts, many of you would be surprised.

If the meals, cocktails, shopping, or lodging dollars were coming from State or Federal tax dollars then you'd have the right to be pissed. It is not!! If you disagree with the way this money is spent--don't contribute.

Plese don't bother responding to this post with Judy Chu only spent four dollars in ten years!! She could have spent 10 million of MY HARD EARNED DONATED DOLLARS--This is my hard earned money that I wanted her to have. I really would not give a sh#$ how she decided to spend it.

SGV Resident,

I am a middle class guy from the SGV who eats sushi and enjoys taking the "ball and chain" to a nice meal at a nice restaurant from time to time. I am sure there are many other middle class families who partake in the same. How is this out of touch with the "working middle class?

You talk like Cedillo is using tax payer money for these things. If his contributors don't like the way he spends "their" money, perhaps they won't donate this time around.

You honestly don't expect us to believe your bs, do you? We know that your are a staffer for Cedillo. It is so obvious to all who read the previos blog. My family and I will no longer vote for Cedillo. He just lost 7 votes. We are ashamed and angry at him. What a big disappontment as a so called "Latino Senator." He needs a ethics class asap. By the way me and my wife would like to take the 12 grand kids to Disneyland. Where can I get Cedillo to cough up the cost? Surely his staff does not need such expensive gifts or fancy dinners and liquor? What a sorry excuse of a Senator and a piss poor staff!

Well, first the anonymous Cedillo staffer says, "Hey, it's common practice to spend campaign contributions on yourself." Then he says, "Don't bother telling me that Judy Chu doesn't do this."

So which is it, Cedillo staffer? Common practice? But obviously not universal practice.

Ethics is about more than just staying within the letter of the law.

Anonymous April 16, 2009 5:11 PM

You never had any intention of voting for Cedillo so save the drama!!

I said "this is common practice" not universal practice. Judy is obviously the exception.

With that being said, I urge all 32nd District constituents to make every attempt to attend a town hall meeting or debate and hear both Chu and Cedillo speak and watch them interact with potential voters. I guarantee that you will see that there is a huge difference between both candidiates. It will be as clear to you as it is to me who the best representative for our district is.

Why is it that anytime somebody writes something remotely positive about Cedillo you people insist that they are Cedillo staffers? For the umpteenth time....I am not...just a regular middle class voter from the SGV!

What is it exactly that would be wrong with Cedillo using Travelodge or having a meeting at the Olive Garden? That might expose him to the very people he is supposed to be representing. Why do I need to "hear" Cedillo speak? I could give a
sh#& how he speaks, instead I care about his lack of integrity, his lack of character and his total disregard for the voters of California.
The good news is that he is so arrogant and pitiful that folks are starting to catch on to his career politician antics.

I think the dictionary sums it up pretty well -

whore - 1. A prostitute. 2. A person considered as having compromised principles for personal gain. 3. Gil Cedillo - see definition #2.

Come on donors! Gil's cash on hand is down to $440,000!! Come on, Papa Gil needs a new pair of shoes! Keep them Banana Republic gift certificates, err, campaign contributions coming!

Come on average, middle class voter...aka Cedillo staffer. You are most definetly one of his loyalist! Where are you blogging your comments from? On top of a fancy upscale downtown restaurant or a 5 star hotel, executive suite? Either way the "goods" are out on Cedillo. Totally unethical and illegal. Definately someone we should make sure does not get elected to the 32nd Congressional District. Cedillo is not the people's candidate. He is self serving and self centered. What a bad seed he turned out to be.

To my fellow 32nd Congressional District voters,

Political Science 101--When your poll numbers are down and you are fighting for your political life...GO NEGATIVE!!!!

Please do not be fooled!!

We need a representative who has the leadership ability and heart to represent the working class men and women of the SGV. A man who will stand up for the "little guy" because it is the humane thing to do. As unpopular a decision as it was and still is, Gil has fought for the rights of immigrants living and working in the State of California even though they could not vote for him. He has weathered the conservative talk shows and shock jocks and never wavered in his quest for drivers licenses for immigrants living and working in the State of California. Again standing up for human beings who could not vote for him yet were a significant population of his Assembly and Senate districts--He continued to fight the battle in spite of the fact that it was a political hand grenade.

That being said, regardless of which side you stand on the issue, one thing that can be said....Gil Cedillo is not afraid to take on issues or challenges regardless of their popularity or because it would assist him politically. He is not reluctant to fight a battle or dirty his hands if the issue is humane in nature and/or important to the people he represents.

He has a clear understanding of the issues and needs of the SGV and has shown a willingness to speak for the people he represents. The hard working men and women of the San Gabriel Valley deserve a proven leader who is not afraid to represent their interests.

His values and principles come from his mother who worked as a seamstress and assembly line worker and his father who was a production mechanic at Kerns in the City of Industry. Gil understands our issues because he has lived them. He knows what it is like to walk to school in areas that are plagued by gang violence. He knows what it is like to wear second hand clothes and "hand me down football cleats" because at the time that is what his family could afford. Being the first in his family to attend college, Gil knows the pressure of stepping foot on a campus like UCLA and having to persevere...People were depending on him.

I could sit here and go on about his accomplishments in the political arena; however, that is all available online. I urge each and every one of you to do the research and see for yourselves.

The just of this post is...I have known Gil since I was a kid and know his compassion for all people I am not a Cedillo staffer yet I have been labeled as one each and every time I speak positively about Gil on this blog.

I will forever be a Gil Cedillo supporter because of his compassion for people. My fondest memory of Gil Cedillo was me sitting in a room, tears rolling down my face and grieving for my best friend and fallen comrade, Deputy Jerry Ortiz who was shot and killed in the line of duty. Gil reached out to me that day and walked me through the toughest day in my law enforcement career. There were other elected officials there; however, only one possessed the where withall and compassion to reach out to a street cop going throgh the roughest day in his career and reassuring me that all would be okay.

An SGV Street Cop

Anonymous April 16, 2009 9:47 PM,

No Sir or Mam, just a cop looking out for the best interest of the people I am sworn to represent.

"He knows what it is like to wear second hand clothes and "hand me down football cleats" because at the time that is what his family could afford."
No wonder he goes on Macy's spending sprees with other people's money. I guess it's ok then. Since he was poor once.
By the way, copper, telling somebody to give you money for one reason (i.e. political campaigning) and then using that money for something completely different (going on shopaholic spending sprees and boozing it up with your staff) I believe is considered fraud under state law. Sounds like, as a sworn officer, you are required to at least start an investigation of your hero, if not arrest the bum.

What Cedillo did was not illegal. Let's stop trying to make a federal case out of this.

It is, however, in my humble opinion, distasteful and indicative of a person who feel entitled to his position and the spoils that come with it. THAT is why Cedillo shouldn't get your vote.

I'm sure there are numerous heart warming stories by constituents about him. No person is ever a saint or an Ogre. But, his actions leading up to this race, the fact that he was looking at running for SEVERAL different offices to avoid not having a "job" when he's termed out, and the whole "this is a latino seat" rhetoric, demonstrate, to me, that he feels ENTITLED to political office.

I despise that mentality.

Hey, I know a former member of the state assembly who stood up for the little guy, by sponsoring and passing legislation that ensured that field workers have access to shaded rest areas and drinking water, and get the same right to work breaks that urban workers get. And guess what? HER name is CHU, not Cedillo.

I know a former member of the state assembly who stood up for the little guy by sponsoring and passing legislation to help realize Rep. Hilda Solis' dream of an Emerald Necklace, a ring of greenways and parks to serve one of the most park-poor regions of the state. And guess what? HER name is CHU, not Cedillo.

I know a former member of the state assembly who stood up for the little guy by guaranteeing that if a contract to purchase a car or other big-ticket item is negotiated in a language other than English (like, say Spanish), the contract you sign must also be presented to you in Spanish. And guess what? HER name is CHU, not Cedillo.

I know of a former member of the state assembly that does not try to live large by turning campaign contributions into a personal slush fund. And her name is CHU, not Cedillo.

I also know of a former assembly member who has spent virtually her entire adult life living in the 32nd Congerssional District, and spent the past 23 years working with state, local, and federal elected officials to improve the quality of life in the San Gabriel Valley. And, again, her name is CHU, not Cedillo.

I live in, work in, and vote in the 32nd Congressional District. That's more than can be said for Cedillo. Heck, on election day, he won't even be able to vote for himself, because he doesn't live in the district!

So who am I going to vote for on May 19? It's an easy call, isn't it?

Either way you look at it Cedillo has cooked his goose. He claims to be eithical and respect the law. Unfortunetly his actions speak louder than words. He has "mismanaged campaign funds." These are frivalious unecessary expense. Many of us did without many things as kids back in the day. But that does not give Cedillo the right to spend money like no bodies bussiness. Now that he been caught "red handed" there seems to be a excuse as to why it is ok. Well it's not. Certainly not in these tuff, horrible economic times that many people in the 32nd Congressional District are dealing with. That sends out a very bad message to all average voters in the San Gabriel Valley. One can say that Cedillo is NOT a humble man. He clearly forgot where he came from. He has gotten use to living "high on the hog" at some bodies elses expense. This is not the person we want to represent us in Washington!!!

ok chu staffers!

As for the emerald Necklace ...wow. Big deal!they should be creating parks in areas where children can use them and not transits!

HOW WOULD CEDILLO KNOW WHAT IS HERE OR NOT. HE DOES DOES LIVE IN THIS AREA. HOW COULD HE POSSIBLY KNOW WHAT IMPACT THE EMERALD NECKLACE HAS MADE ON MANY CITIES AND THE PEOPLE AND CHILDREN WHO USE THEM. WHAT A SLAP IN THE FACE OF THE COUNCILMEMBERS AND MAYORS WHO APPROVED AND DONATED MONEY TO THESED MANY FINE PLACES. HE AND HIS STAFF NEED TO DO THEIR HOMEWORK BEFORE POSTING SUCH OFFENSIVE COMMENTS. HE HAS JUST LOST OUR SUPPORT.

HOW WOULD CEDILLO KNOW WHAT IS HERE OR NOT. HE DOES DOES LIVE IN THIS AREA. HOW COULD HE POSSIBLY KNOW WHAT IMPACT THE EMERALD NECKLACE HAS MADE ON MANY CITIES AND THE PEOPLE AND CHILDREN WHO USE THEM. WHAT A SLAP IN THE FACE OF THE COUNCILMEMBERS AND MAYORS WHO APPROVED AND DONATED MONEY TO THESED MANY FINE PLACES. HE AND HIS STAFF NEED TO DO THEIR HOMEWORK BEFORE POSTING SUCH OFFENSIVE COMMENTS. HE HAS JUST LOST OUR SUPPORT.

I agree with you. Where does he get off telling the Emerald Necklace Staff what they should do. He has just thrown caution into the wind. I assure you that all the cities that are part of this great project will be upset over your dumb comments. Shame on you Mr. Cedillo and your rude staff.

HOW WOULD CEDILLO KNOW WHAT IS HERE OR NOT. HE DOES DOES LIVE IN THIS AREA. HOW COULD HE POSSIBLY KNOW WHAT IMPACT THE EMERALD NECKLACE HAS MADE ON MANY CITIES AND THE PEOPLE AND CHILDREN WHO USE THEM. WHAT A SLAP IN THE FACE OF THE COUNCILMEMBERS AND MAYORS WHO APPROVED AND DONATED MONEY TO THESED MANY FINE PLACES. HE AND HIS STAFF NEED TO DO THEIR HOMEWORK BEFORE POSTING SUCH OFFENSIVE COMMENTS. HE HAS JUST LOST OUR SUPPORT.

It's nice to see such sentiments coming from my fellow San Gabriel Valley residents, many of them fellow Latinos as well (shout out, Gato Malo!). This is clear evidence of the fatal flaw in Cedillo's campaign strategy, because contrary to Mr. Cedillo's assumptions, Latinos, and particularly Latinos in the San Gabriel Valley, are not a monolithic, hive-mentality, Borg-like voting bloc that will blindly support a person simply because he or she is the "Latino" candidate. It shows that Latinos are not averse to "throwing the bums out" when their penchant for drugs and hookers are revealed (see former L.A. Councilman and cokehead Mike Hernandez, or notorious former Bell Gardens Councilman, boozehound and prostitute abuser Mario Beltran, incidentally a Cedillo political protege). And it shows that, when it becomes evident that a politician has become ineffectual because of his blind ambition for higher office, and that his taste for high fashion, haute cuisine and livin' large has taken priority over his duty to fight for the interests of the working class people he has been elected to represent, then Latinos will very likely no longer stand by "their" man.

A slap on the face of mayors and council members that supported & donated money to the emerald necklace- HAHA! IT COST THEM NOTHING! They will never use their money or these areas- they are just FAT CATS taking special interest money to go on so called business trips to Asia, Mexico, etc.

Stop blaming Cedillo when people do not support chu.

i am not voting for any of them. but your stupid allegations almost makes me want to vote for him. If this is how the chu staff behaves, just how bad is chu?

her staff is a reflection of how she is. I guess everything goes in love, war and POLITICS.

SHAME,SHAME ON YOU MRS.ENG-CHU AND YOUR UNINFORMED, CONFUSSED AND RUDE STAFF.

and the person was right about those so call emeralds- they are just for transits!

How dare you call the families of these cities transits. You should educate yourself before you open your ignorant mouth. As for Latinos being nothing but losers, just look at Mayor Gutierrez from El Monte and Mayor Lozano from Baldwin Park. One is the town drunk and woman beater and the other a gay dancing fool. Cedillo fits right in with these two Latino losers. What's one more to the good ole Latino Boys Club.

Great news Judy Chu took all but two votes from the Delegates from the 42nd Congressional District. She swept the floor with 286 votes from the San Gabriel Valley. We are so proud of her. Here's to our next Congresswoman!

Unfortunately, this race is RACIAL when there is only one race HUMAN you ignorant, racist poor excuse of a human being.

Every campaign will say or do anything ( unmorally and illegally, etc)
to win! If you think that these individuals are going to change your life - they are not. And there is something wrong with you if you believe that. Solis, Molina, Eng etc have only done things that secure their personal interest and they have done nothing for residents of San Gabriel Valley. This area is suffering and they have done nothing for citizens.(This is where Cedillo /Chu/the other Chu and whoever else is running for this may election supporters and staffers will go on this blog and lie to voters on how their candidates cares about us and will do such and such for the San Gabriel Valley)

Yes, they will show up at our cities for a pr picture and they moment the picture is taken they leave. They do not even have manners to wait a few minutes. They give people a dollar printed certificate of whatever they want to call it and they act as if they have done something humble and great.

as for the mayors and councilmembers that are drunk, gay, looney, corrupt etc, they are in their positions because they were elected and re- elected residents in their cities. That is why cities should implement term limits.

Finally, to the racist bloggers-
Asians, Blacks, Latinos, Whites, racists , idiots, educated , etc all bleed the same and we will all be judged by the same divine power.

Chill out brother!

Let me preempt the Cedillo camp's upcoming damage control that the California Democratic Party endorsement is not that big a deal. According to most political observers, it is, indeed, a huge deal. In fact, having the trifecta of the LA County Federation of Labor, the California Teachers Association and the CDP (all of which Chu now holds) is considered essential for any Democratic politico seeking office in the state. Chu is now the officially endorsed candidate of the state Democratic Party among the seven or so Dems seeking the 32nd District seat.
What was interesting about Saturday's caucus vote was that not a single delegate turned out for Cedillo, while Chu's supporters swarmed the small school where the vote was held. It's amazing what having a local base in the district that you are attempting to represent can do! Cedillo's folks will likely try to use the total absence of involvement by the senator's supporters to in some way delegitimize the whole process. But those who were there know that the groundswell of local, grassroots support for Chu among the Democratic voters of the 32nd District was nothing but genuine.
Likely the true reason why Cedillo's folks were AWOL was because a) they saw the writing on the wall and knew ahead of time that Chu was going to win handily, and b) they figured that, unlike their campaign headquarters kickoff, the complicated rules of the CDP caucus means they couldn't just bus in a bunch of out of district, L.A. area supporters to boost their nearly non-existent local ranks.

When then Assemblyman Martin Gallegos ran against then Assemblywoman Gloria Romero for the State Senate seat, Gallegos won the Democratic endorsedment from the state party by a large margin. Furthermore, he was endorsed by then a popular democratic governor by the name of Gray Davis. It looks like Senator Cedillo is a shoe in.

Romero had the advantage of actually living in the district she was running to represent, as well as having been elected by many of the same voters to previous offices. Even as a freshman assembly person, she already had a record of service to residents of the SGV Valley. She was also endorsed by the County Federation of Labor and had strong backing from the teachers' assocation.

But, other than that, yes, Cedillo staffer, this election looks to be shaping up just like the last one. LOL!

Don't count your chicken's before they hatch! Cedillo is not in the bag. Far from it. The manner in which Cedillo's campaign workers and staff send out misinformation, will moe than likely catch up with Cedillo, and blow up in his face. He has shown his true colors. You live by the sord...and well you know the rest. I am certainly not voting for someone who has no credibility at all and has flushed his ethics down the toilet. No can do.

Judy Chu and Hilda Solis both know what "environmental justice" means. They both want to bring parks and recreational opportunities to the poor (and, yes, minority) neighborhoods of the San Gabriel Valley. That's what the Emerald Necklace is all about. Why should only rich people get the opportunity to enjoy bike and hiking trails or pocket parks where they can get away from the noisy day-to-day of city life.

I think it speaks volumes that the Cedillo staffers want to pooh-pooh the Emerald Necklace. They just don't get it.

And, hey: Just because the only people posting in favor of YOUR candidate are paid staffers, don't assume the same is true of your opponents.