Recently in Rowland Heights Category

As I have spent the better part of the last month in a courtroom, it seems only fitting that I donate at least one post to what I have been doing.

The Manling Tsang Williams murder case has been ongoing for nearly a month now. Convicted of murder, the case is now being deliberated by the jury to recommend a sentence for Williams: life or death.

The jury's deliberations come at the same time that retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens has changed course and come out against the death penalty. You can read Stevens' review of a book on capital punishment - where he details his reasons for condemning the death penalty - at the New York Review of Books.

Stevens was part of the Supreme Court that made the death penalty legal in the 1970s, and his change in opinion has been the subject of major headlines.

In his essay, Stevens argues that system is rife with racism, is often lead by politics, and is contradictory to the principles of the justice system.

In one paragraph, Stevens directly addresses one of the main components of the penalty phase of a trial considering the death penalty. As we have seen in the Williams case, numerous family members and friends - on both sides - have been called to testify. For the family and friends of Neal Williams - some friends of Manling as well - testified to the impact the murders have had on them and their families.

For Stevens part, he criticizes the procedure.

The dynamic supporting a broader application of the death penalty is revealed in cases involving victim-impact statements, felony murder,2 controversy over attitudes toward the death penalty in jury selection, and race-based prosecutorial decisions. As Garland correctly observes, testimony about impact on victims "has been criticized for increasing the emotional temperature of an already highly charged process and exerting additional pressure on the jury to return a death sentence." In Booth v. Maryland (1987), the Court held that such evidence could serve no purpose other than inflaming the jury and was "inconsistent with the reasoned decision making we require in capital cases."

You can read the lengthy essay by Stevens for yourself and I suggest you do.

But for this blog, I am curious to see what other people think about the death penalty. I have seen some of the basic comments on my stories, but here I was looking for more of a discussion on the death penalty rather than a checklist of "fors" and "againsts."

For my feelings, I sit on the fence. I think most people have empathy with victims whose life has been tortured by the murder of a loved one. The death penalty often times seems fair. Eye for an eye. Life for a life.

But it can be more complicated. Despite horrific crimes, can a person still have something to offer the world? A positive impact? Cases like Stanley "Tookie" Williams speak to that. The founder of the Crips gang, convicted of four murders during robberies, Williams later became an anti-gang activist of much notoriety. He was put to death in 2005.

Then there is the efficiency argument. With a decision as serious as the death penalty - and the obvious implications - the system for appeal and review must be exhaustive. The decision to put someone to death must be one made with confidence and clarity. The slightest error, bias, misjudgment, prejudice, etc., could render the decision a grave mistake. To avoid putting to death someone innocent or to deny someone their right to appeal, would defy the justice system's purpose. But because the process is so lengthy and costly, does it render the death penalty moot?

What do you think?

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

I must apologize for the lack of posting on the blog over the last month. As those avid newspaper readers may well know by now, I have been covering the Manling Williams murder trial and subsequent penalty phase (who am I kidding, no one reads bylines).

But as the Thanksgiving holiday has passed and the jury remains in deliberations, we can get this motor running. We can pick ourselves up off the mat and get in the ring.

And what better to reignite this bonfire of city politics and general news blathering than a review of this weekends most important news items. (OK, no more metaphors)

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has completed its investigation into West Covina Police Chief Frank Wills. Wills asked for the review after it was revealed that officers from the West Covina Police Department investigated allegations of vandalism and rape against the ex-husband of Wills' then-girlfriend.

In El Monte, 108 of the city's 278 employees received wages topping $100,000 last fiscal year when you account for overtime, benefits and other perks.

The San Dimas Brasada residential project is becoming a reality despite years of push back. The environmental impact report is scheduled to be reviewed in December.

That is all for now. Let's take this slow. Don't want to rush it right when we are just getting started again. As for now, I will be waiting on a decision in the Williams' case. And I want to post something on that later today and talk about the death penalty. Controversy is just what we need to get reacquainted.

Mark me down a letter grade for bringing you the weekend's news this afternoon.

Economists have a tempered reaction to Jerry Brown's plan to create 500,000 new jobs.

Azusa approved a farmer's market that will operate as a filler at its ailing Block 36 parking lot.

There is a fight brewing in Rowland Heights. Residents advocating for the city to strictly adhere to its general plan are gearing up to battle a new high-density apartment complex.

As for tonight, there is a public hearing in Duarte to discuss a possible marijuana dispensary.

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

In my inbox today I was greeted by the news that Republican Congressman Gary Miller had not only joined Facebook, but would also be keeping us up to date via twitter, as well.

Miller's first tweet: "Crawling out of my dinosaur cave and into the 21st century ... Hello, Twitter World!"

The representative already has 39 followers at the time of this post. A sampling of some accounts he follows includes House Minority Leader John Boehner, Politico, CNN, Drudge Report, Fox News, other house representatives, and San Bernardino Sun reporter James Koren (@jrkoren).

What up, Gary? No follow back at @dgtedford? I also didn't see fellow Leftovers contributor James Wagner (@jmswgnr) in there? My social media feelings are hurt. (UPDATE: Breaking news alert: Gary Miller is now following @dgtedford and @SGVTribune. I can now begin to pick up these tears.)

You can check out both of Miller's new accounts at www.facebook.com/RepGaryMiller or www.twitter.com/RepGaryMiller.

For more on Social Media Day, check out this The Awl post. I laughed and then I was kind of sad, and then I watched videos about kittens and all was forgotten.

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

That's why he's drafted legislation to "remove the incentives and loopholes in our current laws that encourage illegal aliens to come to the United States to live, work, and overstay their visas," says Congressman Gary Miller's press people.

Of course, H.R. 994 is appropriately named the Loophole Elimination and Verification Enforcement Act ---- a.k.a. the LEAVE Act.

Wonder who thought of that one?

Miller represents the 42nd District, which includes Diamond Bar, La Habra Heights, Rowland Heights and Whittier

Few stories of interest spotted here and there:

Rowland Heights efforts for cityhood failed, for now. Read here.

El Monte hopes that its more than $43 million transit village will come to fruition. Read more.

Three Valleys Water Board Director Xavier Alvarez is facing three felony charges. His arraignment was postponed on Thursday. Read more.

After a year hiatus, the Covina Christmas parade returns tonight beginning at 6:30 p.m. Read more.

Moe still missing. Read more.

Leftovers Column: City's image takes a beating
By Jennifer McLain and Tania Chatila, Staff Writers
Article Launched: 10/05/2008 11:04:48 PM PDT

It's been a rough few months for the city of Baldwin Park's image.

Residents still are concerned about school board member Sergio Corona's arrest in May on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs and being under the influence of a controlled substance.

He currently is facing misdemeanor charges of vandalism, resisting an officer and driving without a license in connection with the arrest.

Then last month, Baldwin Park Councilman Anthony Bejarano was booked on suspicion of public intoxication.

The Los Angeles District Attorney's office said last week week it would not be filing charges against Bejarano, who said he was not drunk the night of his arrest.

Still, the incident has stirred unrest in the community and has brought to light a question that often goes unanswered in the political realm - just how high should the ethical and moral bar be set for our public officials?

We put the question out there and got some interesting responses from anonymous readers of the Leftovers blog.

Here's a sample:

-- "Let's face it none of us is perfect in our personal lives..., we go through divorces, we have children who occasionally get in trouble, we occasionally say things in frustration or in the heat of the moment that upon reflection we wish we didn't say, we sometimes get our facts wrong."

-- "Yes, we do hold our elected officials to a higher standard, especially when they are representing us at a public event."

-- "I'm not saying we treat our elected with kid gloves in terms of their policy positions or in terms of factors which might impact their ability to act fairly, honestly and impartially. But I don't care to know about him having a simple argument with a spouse or that his or her kid got a D on their algebra exam or that (on one isolated) night they may have seemed a bit tipsy..."

-- "Character does matter."

Our elected officials have been in the news a lot lately over questions of ethical behavior among themselves and their relatives.

Pico Rivera Mayor Ron Beilke's son was recently detained by the sheriff's department in a case where a reserve deputy's .45-caliber revolver and vehicle were stolen. Beilke's son wasn't charged, but two of the 17-year-old's friends were.

Last month, the teenage son of former Irwindale Councilwoman and Baldwin Park Chief Deputy City Clerk Rosemary Gutierrez plowed his car through a neighbor's wall while driving home around 4 a.m.

A police report was not made, no one was arrested, no one was hurt and neighbors decided not to press charges on what was classified initially as a hit-and-run.

Then in El Monte, Mayor Ernie Gutierrez - who is not related to Rosemary Gutierrez - took a lot of heat for allegedly showing up at a city event drunk and shouting vulgarities.

In May, city officials prepared a report looking into Gutierrez's actions, but concluded the allegations had no merit.

We see this all the time - someone in the public spotlight, whether they be authorities, politicians or entertainment superstars, slips up and all of a sudden their abilities to perform come into question.

Only voter turnout will tell us how much constituents really care.

Welcome back to the work week!

Here's this week's column inspired by the great dialogue by our readers last week. Thanks to everyone for participating in the conversation. There were many ideas that we've not heard from our elected leaders:

They say drastic times call for drastic measures.

We've certainly seen a lot of that as local leaders struggle with faltering revenues and excruciating budget cuts.

In West Covina, every department head was asked to cut five percent from their budget to make up for a $2.1million deficit.

In El Monte, facing a $400,000 deficit, council members slashed the Police Department's funds, maintained hiring freezes and cut back on recreation programs.

And in cities like Pico Rivera, El Monte, San Gabriel and Covina, taxes seem to be the only answer to supplement wavering incomes.

Many city council members have said this undoubtedly is a difficult time and it never is easy making cuts.

But what you would do if you were running the show?

Here are some ideas readers came up with, and they're nothing like what our elected officials have suggested:

Eliminate all car, travel and cell phone allowances for council members, as well as car allowances for city employees. "Stop paying for trips to China, Paris, Mexico, etc.," according to one reader.

Cut back on recreation departments, including youth and senior programs.

"Seniors tend to be better off than most non-retired working age folks. Seniors, though they are on fixed incomes, usually have a lifetime's worth of savings and investments accumulated ... and they also enjoy many discounts that non-seniors do not enjoy," another reader wrote.

Turn off at least half of street lights.
"We're figuratively throwing our money into the sky with all the lighting that goes up where it is not needed," one reader wrote.

Cut back on overtime for public safety, review every contract that has been in place in the city for at least three years and consider cutting staffing of "non-essential things such as school resource officers or farmer's markets," according to another reader.

Require those on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to use public transportation to attend meetings. "They're in charge of the MTA; they should be able to get to the meetings using the same public transit they govern. If it's not good enough for them, it's not good for us, either."

While some of these ideas are downright impossible others are more feasible.

Elected officials say city government is a labor of love.

So maybe they should think outside of the box a little more often. And maybe readers should get up from behind their computer screens and attend council meetings a little more often, too. Give those councils a piece of their minds.

If all the tax measures pass, including a one-cent sales tax hike that the Governor is allegedly suggesting, cities such as Pico Rivera will be paying as much as 10.75 percent in sales tax.

Here are the proposed city and county tax measures appearing on the November ballot affecting San Gabriel Valley voters:

El Monte
What: A half-cent sales tax for a period of five years
Expected revenue: $4.4 million a year
Reason: To preserve funding for public safety, street and storm drain maintenance, rebuild reserve funds, plug a $400,000 deficit

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
What: A half-cent sales tax increase for 30 years
Expected revenue: $30 - $40 billion
Reason: To improve traffic flow, expand public transportation, extend light rail with airport connections and provide clean-fuel buses

Pico Rivera
What: A one-cent sales tax increase
Expected revenue: $6 million
Reasons: To preserve public safety, community programs, plug a $4.8 million deficit, and maintain city infrastrcuture

Pomona
What: An increase of the utility users tax to 10 percent from 9 percent for 2 years and 2 months
Expected revenue: $1.8 million
Reasons: Maintain city services and capital improvement projects

San Gabriel
What: An increase in the utility users tax to 8 percent from 6 percent
Expected revenue: $1.2 million
Reasons: Improve police protection and investigations that reduce crime, preserve fire and paramedic emergency response times, plug a $600,000 deficit, and perform capital improvement projects.

My apologies for not updating the blog earlier today. Because today will be a late night -- I got in at 2 p.m. to cover the El Monte meeting -- I am just now getting into the daily grove.

For the reader concerned about our Gregg Industries coverage: It is my understanding that a reporter has been covering that and is still at the hearing. We will have an update when she returns.

And yes, chasing down dead ducks and chickens does cut into blogging and reporting time.

Leftovers Column: Fuentes hit for political approach
By Tania Chatila and Jennifer McLain, Staff Writers
Article Launched: 07/27/2008 09:29:44 PM PDT

It seems Pico Rivera's city manager may have committed the cardinal sin in his profession: playing politics.

Of course, that depends on who you ask.

Charles "Chuck" Fuentes says he's just one of the few city managers who actually admit to politicking.

"Am I more political? I'm the first one to say yes, and that's a plus," Fuentes said in an article that ran a week ago in the Whittier Daily News. "Every city manager does what he or she has to do to take care of his majority."

But if you bring the issue up before ethicists at the state and national levels, they say Fuentes - who worked on President Jimmy Carter's re-election campaign and

eventually became chief of staff for Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-Santa Fe Springs - has got it all wrong.

After all, the job of a city manager is to work for all council members, not just the majority, experts said.

And if Fuentes were to read the code of ethics that the members of the International City Manager's Association follow, he would see that endorsing candidates - whether on the local or national level - is a big no-no, said Bill Garrett, executive director of the California City Management Foundation.

"The code of ethics says that you don't play favorites, and don't involve yourself in the political game," Garrett said.

By working for all members of the council, the city manager is completing the obligation to serve the interest of the com-

munity, said Martha Perego, ICMA's ethics director.

"When you have city managers that are more concerned about protecting their jobs and counting votes, then you need to think: Are they serving the long-term interest of the community?" Perego said.

Fuentes is not a member of the ICMA, Perego said.

Nearly 100 years ago, the council-city manager system was formed as a way to keep City Hall staff - the brains behind the requests and wills of council members - from being politicized, according to Garrett.

"It has been set to try to make sure that the manager responds from a professional standpoint, not from a political one," he said.

That hasn't always been the case.

South Gate's former elected city treasurer Albert Robles was convicted of soliciting more than $1.8 million in bribes from bidders on municipal contracts.

According to the Los Angeles Times, three of Robles' supporters formed a new majority on the City Council in 2001.

With their votes, Robles influenced ranks of city department managers, firing those who refused to do his bidding and promoting those who would, even though his official title granted him no such authority, according to the Times article.

"South Gate is a good example of what can happen when a City Council hires someone purely from a political background, and then tells them, `We want you to run this thing the way we want you to run it."'

Of course, some argue politics is inevitable when you are working for, well, politicians.

"Every city manager has to deal with the reality that there is a political component to the job," said Rosemead City Manager Oliver Chi. "But we must continue to strive in all ways to remain apolitical in our efforts to serve every single council member."

jennifer.mclain@sgvn.com

tania.chatila@sgvn.com

(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2477, 2109

www.insidesocal.com/sgvgov

Star-News report Nathan McIntire's story about a Southern California Edison proposal to increase rates is getting picked up everywhere.

ROSEMEAD - Southern California Edison estimates rates for some residential customers could increase by an average of 30 percent or more next year because of soaring fuel prices and costs to upgrade infrastructure, according to a company executive.

The utility will submit the final component of its application to raise rates next month. Any rate increases must be approved in December by the Public Utilities Commission, which sets the three-year rates and can deny all or parts of Edison's request.

Another interesting point in the story is Edison's proposal could really affect municipalities too, as Arcadia City Manager Don Penman points out: "Obviously its ominous, both for the consumer and for public agencies that depend on a lot of electricity."

I guess gas isn't the only thing we should be worried about these days...

El Monte Councilman Art Barrios called this week, asking why I wasn't at the pancake breakfast last Friday. Um, because I had the day off and would much prefer to spend my free time at the beach.

But he didn't care about me: He wanted to know why the Tribune only writes negative stories about El Monte. It's a common complaint we get. Barrios was right, we didn't cover it. But we also didn't cover the dozens of other Fourth of July events in the 31 cities in the San Gabriel Valley. There's just not enough space.

But in honor of Barrios, how about we spend some positive attention to what is going on in your cities this weekend.

OPEN FORUM: What will you be doing in the SGV this weekend? 

We often read about rewards being offered for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for certain murders and other crimes, but rarely do we read that those rewards have been doled out.

Well, believe it or not, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will be distributing two separate $10,000 rewards this week paid to the individuals who provided information that led to the conviction of those responsible for:

--The assault of a Rowland Unified School District police officer while he was investigating a school burglary at Jellick Elementary School in Rowland Heights on August 15, 2006

--To the individuals who provided information to law enforcement that led to the conviction of Tonya Shaefer, the person responsible for the death of a newborn baby girl whose body was found on March 11, 2006, along the railroad tracks in the City of Alhambra.

Weekend links:

Montebello is prepared to pay an extra $227,000 for a third administrator. Here's the story.

Glendora is facing a balanced budget. Read here.

Plans to develop 45 acres off the 60 freeway in Monterey Park could mean a previous deal with the old developer fell through. Here's the story.

Baldwin Park, El Monte top the jobless rate in the SGV, although all of Los Angeles County saw the rate increase by one percent last month. Read here.

Duarte seeks to block Vulcan Materials from expanding in Azusa, near the border of Duarte. Read more.

A group of nearly 200 residents are upset at a development plan in Rowland Heights that would displace a Christian school. Read more.

A consultant deal out of La Puente is raising eyebrows, and at least one councilwoman is calling for the District Attorney's office to get involved. Read more.

Some residents are fighting a plan to bring a discovery center that they say is too big and that it will wipe out part of the natural habitat in the Whittier Narrows. Read more.

There are plans to develop 15.7 acres in Rowland Heights into 775 multi-family residential units. On Thursday, there will be a public meeting to discuss the proposal from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Southlands Christian School,1920 Brea Canyon Cut Off Road. This is the same location where the proposed development will be located, said Anthony Curzi, with the Department of Regional Planning. It is located across from the Los Angeles Royal Vista Golf Course, near Fairway and Colima.