Don’t count those chickens before they hatch

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It’s only been a week since Rep. Hilda Solis’ Senate confirmation hearing, but Republicans are already kicking up dust over her nomination for labor secretary.

Politico.com has the story…

Here it is in a nutshell:

Senate Republicans, frustrated over the answers they say they’re not getting from Rep. Hilda L. Solis, may try to block her confirmation as Barack Obama’s secretary of labor.

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During the California Democrat’s Jan. 9 confirmation hearing, Solis repeatedly told senators that she could not speak for the incoming Obama administration on the card check bill, and she told Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) that she was “not qualified” to speak about maintaining right-to-work laws that prohibit workers from paying union dues as a condition of employment.

“These aren’t positions that you’re allowed not to have an opinion,” Wyoming Sen. Michael Enzi, the ranking Republican on the committee, told Politico. “These are extremely critical things that she was asked about. Each of the people that asked questions from the Republican side asked about different areas of labor law and wondered what she was going to do. And we still don’t know.”

Enzi said it’s “too early” to say whether he will place a procedural hold to slow down her nomination, saying he was still reviewing her written responses to additional questions from committee members.

And the El Monte Mayor police report saga continues….

Gina Aguirre, assistant city prosecutor for El Monte, left me a message last night about my most recent request for the full report detailing Mayor Ernie Gutierrez’ Nov. 18 arrest:

“I believe my secretary is sending you out the notice for the additional time and we should have a response for you shortly.”

I haven’t received any notices yet, though Aguirre’s message could count as verbal notice. At least this time around I got a response within the 10-day period outlined in government code.

New Year’s resolutions

Good morning and Happy New Year. A number of our readers were out on vacation or on furloughs the past couple of weeks, so now it is back to business. Sigh.

Among my New Year’s resolutions is to follow up on all those outstanding public records requests blanketing the San Gabriel Valley. My first stop: El Monte.

They’ve got a handful of documents for me about the city manager’s salary, annual compensation paid to city council members, car allowances, cell phone allowances, and pensions plans or any other benefit paid to council members and the city manager.

If at first you don’t succeed….

try, try again.

So that’s what we’re doing. I e-mailed this to El Monte’s city attorneys this week, asking again for the police report detailing Mayor Ernie Gutierrez’ Nov. 18 arrest.

As I understand it, if the investigation is complete (and to our knowledege, it is) the full report should be public record: 

I am re-submitting this records request in the hopes that I may get
the documents I originally requested. In Novemeber, I submitted a
records request for the police report detailing Mayor Ernie
Gutierrez’ Nov. 18 arrest. The city attorney’s office responded with
a summary of arrest details, including date, time and an incident
synopsis.

While I appreciate the response, it did not completely fulfill my
request. I am therefore re-submitting my request for the complete
police report. If the complete police report cannot be provided, I
ask that a written statement explaining why be provided to me.

The request is below. Thank you.

1/4/09

Attn: City Clerk/Records Specialist
El Monte

Re: Public Documents

To Whom It May Concern;

Pursuant to the California Public Records Act, which finds and
declares that access to information concerning the conduct of the
people’s business is a fundamental and necessary right of every
person in this state, I am writing to request the following:

1. A copy of the complete police report detailing Mayor Ernie
Gutierrez’ Nov. 18 arrest.

According to California Government Code Sections 6250, members of the
public have a right to this information.

6253. (a) Public records are open to inspection at all times during
the office hours of the state or local agency and every person has a
right to inspect any public record, except as hereafter provided. Any
reasonably segregable portion of a record shall be available for
inspection by any person requesting the record after deletion of the
portions that are exempted by law.

(c) Each agency, upon a request for a copy of records, shall, within
10 days from receipt of the request, determine whether the request,
in whole or in part, seeks copies of disclosable public records in
the possession of the agency and shall promptly notify the person
making the request of the determination and the reasons therefor.

If there are further questions, please call me at 626-962-8811, Ext.
2109. Please let me know when any of the documents become available
as I would like to come and review them first before obtaining any
copies. If there is no information on any requested item, please let
me know as well.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Tania Chatila
Staff Reporter
San Gabriel Valley Tribune
tania.chatila@sgvn.com
626-962-8811, Ext. 2109
Fax: 626-338-9157
1210 North Azusa Canyon Road
West Covina, Ca 91790

Office space

Well, I was able to hit about two out of three Mayor’s offices today. My plans — like lots of other commuters — got a little messed up because of a jackknifed big rig that tipped over along the 10 Freeway.

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So, today I visited the council digs over at Covina City Hall. Boring! The five council members share one office, which is very impersonal.

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And then there was South El Monte Mayor Blanca Figueroa’s office, which she has worked in for neary five years. The other four council members share one office. Figueroa said that offices to envy are those in El Monte and the office that Baldwin Park Councilman Manny Lozano works out of.

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.

UPDATE: Solis to get nod from Obama

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San Gabriel Valley native Congresswoman Hilda Solis, D-El Monte, was nomiated as labor secretary by President-elect Barack Obama, the Associated Press reports. Solis will be the nation’s 25th labor secretary, and will succeed a seat held by Elaine Chao

But what does this mean, if anything, for us in the San Gabriel Valley? And what does that mean for Solis’ open seat?

UPDATE: Two names being tossed around to fill Solis’ seat are Sen. Gloria Romero and Assemblyman Ed Hernandez.

AP source: Rep. Hilda Solis is Obama’s labor pick
By JESSE J. HOLLAND – 40 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — A labor official says Rep. Hilda Solis of California will be nominated as labor secretary by President-elect Barack Obama.

The Democratic congresswoman was just elected to her fifth term representing heavily Hispanic portions of eastern Los Angeles County and east L.A. She is the daughter of Mexican and Nicaraguan immigrants and has been the only member of Congress of Central American descent.

The official spoke on conditions of anonymity because an announcement has not been made yet. A call to Solis’s office was not immediately returned.

Solis, 51, has focused on immigration and environment issues while in the House.

An announcement is expected from the Obama transition team in the next few days.

Councilmembers among those to take 10 percent pay cut

Looks like El Monte police chief Ken Weldon is retiring in the nick of time:

In addition, city manager James Mussenden, future police chief Tom Armstrong, and city council members all took 10 percent pay cuts. City attorney Clark Moseley will retire early and work on a contractual basis for the next five months – saving the city in benefit payments.

El Monte cuts employees, programs
Article Launched: 12/17/2008 11:04:31 PM PST

By Rebecca Kimitch

EL MONTE – Jobs will be cut, programs will be reduced and high-level administrators will take pay cuts to help the city deal with a $4 million budget deficit. And the city is still more than $1 million shy of a balanced budget.

The city council unanimously approved the cost-cutting plan Wednesday night.

Departments across the city, from planning to parks and recreation to the police department, were asked to cut their budgets by 15 percent.

More than 100 full and part time positions will be eliminated temporarily or permanently.

The aquatic center will be closed from January to May; some after school recreation programs will be eliminated; and park lighting will be reduced. Trees will be trimmed less; parks and medians will be watered less.

Employees will cut their attendance of conferences and overtime will be reduced.

In addition, city manager James Mussenden, future police chief Tom Armstrong, and city council members all took 10 percent pay cuts. City attorney Clark Moseley will retire early and work on a contractual basis for the next five months – saving the city in benefit payments.

The police department, which accounts for more than two-thirds of the city’s $33.7 million budget that could potentially be cut, will reduce its budget by 6 percent through elimination of several positions.

In all, city staff found $2.9 million in budget cuts.

City officials are still in negotiations with union leaders that could produce pay cuts, further layoffs or shorter work weeks for police officers and other city employees. Officials hope the labor negotiations will “soften the blow” of the approved cost-cutting plan and begin to address future budget shortfalls in the coming years, according to assistant city manager Dante Hall.

Without the plan, the city could have run out of cash by Februay to pay salaries and other expenses. The city has drained its operating reserves, which are used to meet monthly expenses, and it has no rainy day fund.

With the council-approved plan, the city will operate with $2 million in operating reserves – $3 million less than what is ideal.

Officials attribute the deficit to a major drop in sales tax revenue and a reduction in funds from the state.

El Monte city employees brace for pay cuts

To deal with the increased deficit, the El Monte City Council on Wednesday will consider asking city staff to accept pay cuts, Rebecca Kimitch reports. This is the alternative to laying people off, which means that services can remain the same.

OPEN FORUM TO EL MONTE CITY STAFFERS: What are your thoughts about taking a pay cut?

El Monte fulfills records request, kind of

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You may remember me blogging about a records request I submitted to El Monte a few weeks ago. It was for the police report detailing Mayor Ernie Gutierrez’ arrest last month.

Well, I didn’t quite receive the report, but I did receive a report with limited details about that night.

Here’s a narrative provided to me:

The Suspect and Victim have a dating relationship. A week after the incident occurred, Suspect and Victim report the Suspect assaulted the Victim and that she in turn assaulted the Suspect.

A uniformed officer officially interviewed the Victim and the Victim changed her statement regarding the incident, stating she fell down.  The Suspect was arrested at his home in El Monte and the case was presented to the District Attorney’s Office after completion of the investigation.

Gutierrez’ wife has said on the record before that she was not the alleged assault victim that night.

See the docs I received from El Monte here:

EMRECORDS.pdf