Recently in Campaign contributions Category

A lot of national news this weekend dominated the headlines including the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell and the defeat of the DREAM Act. While you were absorbing all that, here are some of the things you might have missed.

An ethics scandal may have ended former congressman Jay Kim's political career and marriage, but in failure he found a new love.

Everything you want to know about the new smart meters rolled out by Edison.

As predicted, there was a shake up with the Water Quality Authority as a South El Monte councilman overtook longstanding representative Margaret Clark.

Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune

I hope everyone enjoyed their heat-wave filled weekends.

In case you were out enjoying your life, here is your weekend roundup so you can get the news and be an informed member of society and all that.

There is this whopper of a story where Glendora teen bartered his way to a Porsche after starting with a cell phone. (I know, I'm awestruck too. And jealous. Mostly jealous.)

When it comes to taking money from groups pushing for new laws - and introducing their so-called sponsored bills - Assemblyman Ed Hernandez, D-West Covina, stands out.

Three officers were severely injured when they were attacked with beer bottles while trying to break up a party Saturday, officials said.

As for the future, the Montebello City Council will meet at 4:30 p.m. today to discuss releasing Interim City Administrator Randy Narramore from his contract and appointing an interim to take his place.

And Azusa meets tonight with a second reading of the Vulcan Materials Co.'s Azusa Rock Quarry plan on tap.

Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune

What a day in LA.

Dodgers lost

West Covina Councilman Roger Hernandez's former campaing manager pleads no contest to voter registration fraud. Read here.

Montebello decides to hold off decision to let voters decide on who their trash haulers should be. Read more.

Walnut decides to back off ban of proposed businesses that could benefit the NFL stadium. Read here.

Michael Lewis and and the Citizens for Better Government Committee violated campaign laws five times in South El Monte's mayoral and city council elections for failing to disclose late contriubtions to Mayor Blanca Figueroa, and councilmen Hector Delgado and Luis Aguinaga. Lewis -- yes, this is the same Mike Lewis that helped pro-Wal Mart residents in Rosemead -- and agreed to pay $12,000 in fines. Read more.

Former Rosemead City Manager Frank Tripepi will be hired $20,000 a month as a consultant for La Puente. Read here.

Editorial board urges a "no" vote for El Monte's proposed Measure GG, the half-cent sales tax. Read here.

To address couple of comments made earlier about the campaign fundraising of Rosemead Mayor John Tran:

According to Roman Porter, spokesman for the Fair Political Practices Commission, a candidate can transfer funds from one committee to another if he were, for example, running for Rosemead City Council and later decided to run for the Assembly. But there are a couple of rules the candidate would have to follow.

1. The candidate would have apply for the proper paperwork.
2. The candidate would not be allowed to transfer contributions that exceed the state's limit of $3,600 contribution per one individual or business. That would erase some of these contributions.

Also, $100,000 is a start to fundraising for the Assembly, but if Tran were actually considering it, which he hasn't said and only commentors are speculating, he has about another $500,000 to collect.

My weekend story will be about the campaign donation totals in Rosemead. Some of the commentors have asked where the money is coming from. I will develop a spreadsheet later in the day, but here are some of the numbers that pop:

  Friends of John Nunez: $31,684

-Garvey School School Board member Bob Bruesch is listed as Nunez's treasurer on the campaign statement documents.

-Architect firm JWDA, which has done several buildings in Rosemead, donated $1,000.

-Valley Hotel, 8711 Balley Blvd., gave $2,500

-420 Boyd Street LLC, out of Los Angeles, gave $2,500

-Friends of John Tran donated $6,000

 

Committee to Re-Elect Margaret Clark: $1,969

-Her largest donation came from Henri Pellissier, a retired Whittier resident, gave $1,000.

-Mike Lewis of Lewis and Company gave $244 worth of "publication supplies." Lewis worked as a consultant to help get support for the Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Polly Low for Rosemead: $37,407

-H Hai Tran, an Arcadia resident who is the director of Saigon National Bank, gave $3,000.

-420 Boyd Street, LLC, of Los Angeles, gave $3,000

-Si Ming Lau, a Pasadena resident who is self employed for Si Lau CPA Associates, gave $3,000.

-Paul Chauderson, a Rosemead resident who is self employed at Classic Tees, gave $3,000

-Stephen Lam, a former Monterey Park planning commissioner who resigned because of questions about his residency in the city, gave $1,000.

-Valley Hotel gave $2,000.

-JWDA, the architectual company, gave $1,000.

-Yan Huang, a Rowland Heights resident who is self employed for Huang Tax Service, gave $3,000.

-She also paid back a $5,000 loan from Friends of John Tran.

Friends of John Tran: $100,218

-Tran may have raised 100 grand, but this period he also spent $58,913, including a $11,500 fundraising event in 888 Seafood Restaurant and a $7,500 donation to Foothill Unity Center for "children in need."

- Pan Construction, at 1234 San Gabriel Blvd in Rosemead, gave $3,000

-Hotels Southern California in Arcadia gave $5,000.

-Eastern Investment Group out of Rosemead gave $3,000.

-Valley Hotel gave $3,000.

-CB Home, at 1732 S. Wesetern Ave. in Los Angeles, gave $3,000.

-TT Investment from Los Angeles (no address is given) gave $4,000.

-420 Boyd Street LLC, from 420 Boyd Street Los Angeles, gave $6,000.

-JWDA gave $1,000.

-Hieu Tai Tran gave $3,000.

-Connie Lam, the owner of Classic Tees, gave $5,000.

-Mike Truong, owner of Kingfish Trading Inc, gave $3,000.

-Dana Denh Voong, a real estate broker out of Arcadia, gave $3,000.

-Polly Low for Rosemead gave Tran $5,000.

Rosemead Partners Political Action Committee: $1,349

-Largest contribution came from Councilman Gary Taylor, who gave $500

-Lewis and Company gave $150.

You read it right, La Puente Councilwoman Lola Storing is proposing the city prohibit council members from accepting any and all contributions from contracted or prospective consultants or developers in the city --- that includes campaign contributions.

Storing said contributions "buy votes" (I can hear the gadflies and advocates for open government saying "duh" in my head).

But contributions from developers are very common - rampant actually - across the nation. Lola acknowledged that, and the hard fight it would be to actually get a measure like this passed in La Puente. She mentioned it would probably be a 4-1 vote against her proposal.

Storing might be right. A few of the council members I talked to Monday seemed hesitant. Councilman John Solis argued if they took out developer contributions from the mix, it would become so cheap to run for office that then "everyone would be doing it." Now why would we want that?

Storing's proposal goes before the council tonight. See the story in today's paper.