Letters to Editor and Opinions

Editor's Column
A Fine is a Fine-Albeit a Penalty-a Tax is a Tax and a Fee is a Fee

By Jerry Bernstein

At the April 9 Cerritos City Council meeting a resident during public comments accused the Council of adopting a tax under the guise of a fee. He said this was in violation of the City Charter and Proposition 218. He also said the Charter required fees “be cost based and not a revenue stream to the City.” He was referring to the Administrative Citation Fine for violation of city code by property owners. He concluded by stating if the administrative citation fines were not reduced, then he would report the matter to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office.
City Attorney Ken Brown rebutted the accusation at the Council’s April 23 meeting, pointing out that an Administrative Citation Fine was a penalty, and not a tax nor a fee. He said a tax was a monetary imposition by government for the purpose of raising revenue for public use. A fee was a monetary imposition for the use of a service or operating a facility. The Citation Fine enacted by the Council was a way for the city to enforce violations of city code without having to go to court. “”It is neither a fine nor a fee. It’s a penalty.” He concluded by stating the Administrative Citation Fine was legal and valid and was not in violation of Proposition 218, nor in violation of the Cerritos Charter.
Residents have the right to object about city policy and/or ordinances they believe are intrusive. They don’t have the right to throw about accusations they know are not true and which they hope Cerritos residents are gullible enough to believe without checking on the facts. Residents can be upset over actions taken by the city council, and they can come before the council and state their objections. What they should not do however, is spin facts around to fit their opinion.
Cerritos is and has been governed well since it became a city. It may have an overabundance of city codes that some believe should be modified and updated, but the majority of Cerritos residents like their city. They like its environment, the paved streets, its designation as a tree city and an “All American City.” They also like the programs available to their children, seniors and their library and Performing Arts Center. It’s a city where crime is low, especially when compared to other cities.
Cerritos is a city families want to live in. It may not be perfect, but that’s where you, its residents come into play. Members of the City Council are elected to serve you. The do the best they can and need to hear your voice, but they need to hear sound suggestions and/or complaints.
The Council’s adoption of the ordinance amending the city code pertaining to the regulations, driveways and walkways on single family residential property didn’t
really change the code. It updated it so residents could understand it more clearly.
At its April 9 meeting the Council sent back to the Planning Commission the
section pertaining to RV’s and campers for further study. In so many words, that part
of the code stays the same. The Council listened to your comments and acted accordingly.
Concerning night off-street parking, One suggestion made after the meeting by the Mayor was the city might utilized the internet whereby residents could e-mail their requests for parking, saving them the time of coming down to the sheriff station for a permit. Not a bad idea.


Publisher's Rant
Thanks Rush!

You heard it here first, on newsprint, forever emboldened in ink. I want to thank Rush Limbaugh (and Hannity and Beck). I want to thank you for being bombastic and racist, and for taking one-fifth (and dwindling) of the country that believes your drivel with you. Thanks for making the Right Wing Republican Party the “Talk Show Radio Party”.
You want Obama and his ideology to fail? Keep proclaiming it from your den filled with smoke and drugs (allegedly).
Thanks for being so darn far to the right that you are chasing some of your own out of the party. Keep up the good work! A recent Pugh poll showed that 79% of the voting Republicans don’t know where the party is headed and don’t like it. Spew Rush spew.
I can just hear what you will say about Arlen Specter leaving the party. “Outrage, let’s support the other Democrat running against him in Pennsylvania in 2010 (much like his failed vote for Hillary campaign this past year) to kick the bum out!” How dare he leave the party of the people! Traitor, he is doing it to save his political career!
True statement given the current wave in Pennsyvania-much like the party with only forty seats in the Senate now.
Truth is Rush, you and your colleagues have done the work, and I thank you.
Specter, 79, a veteran of 29 years in the Senate, has found his party dominated by ultra-conservatives and himself becoming one of a handful of Republican moderates remaining among the 535 members of Congress. “I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans,” Specter said.
Well said Senator. Who in their right mind would align with such radical political views?
In typical conservative criticism, not long after Specter met privately with Republican senators to explain his decision, the party’s leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell, said the switch posed a “threat to the country.”
The issue, he said, “really relates to ... whether or not in the United States of America our people want the majority party to have whatever it wants, without restraint, without a check or balance.”
You mean Senator McConnell, like when Bush and his cronies had the majority for eight years? Where were your complaints then?
The “threat to the country” is not one Senator jumping to the other side, it is, as I said in a column in this paper two months ago, the unchecked, uncensored blather that comes from right wing radio. But who knew that it would get so bad as to cause voters and politicians to jump the Republican right-wing ship? Not me. But in any case, I want to thank you for that Rush, keep on broadcasting!

Comment on Luera

Dear Editor:

You recently reported that Norwalk Councilmember Jesse Luera was sued for sexual harassment by a city employee. While I defended another Councilmember who was sued for sexual harassment, I cannot defend Mr. Luera when it comes to these charges. First and foremost, the employee involved is a valued member of our community and to my knowledge has a stellar record as an employee of the City of Norwalk. I have personally worked with Mrs. Sanchez on various volunteer projects and have seen her perform an excellent job as both a Public Safety Officer and being in charge of the Public Safety Cadet Program.
Unlike the other Councilmember who had no previous accusations of harassment, Mr. Luera has a long legacy of sexual harassment allegations and lawsuits brought by employees and residents. He was sued in 1985-1986 for wrongful termination and harassment by an employee and sued again in 1991 by a minor child and her mother for personal injury while a member of the Norwalk LaMirada School Board. In addition, I am aware (as reported in another newspaper) that two employees of the Social Services Dept. brought accusations of sexual harassment against Mr. Luera, who was the City’s Social Services Director in 1994. Mr. Luera’s employment was terminated due to those charges. I worked for the local community newspaper at the time and was aware of not only these charges, but that one employee also accused Jesse Luera of rape. The Sheriff’s Department investigated the complaint but did not find enough evidence to charge Mr. Luera. I am told that there are two other lawsuits from the late 1970’s and early 1980’s but the Superior Court only keeps records online from 1983 so I was unable to verify that information.
Finally, in his comments during the City Council meeting on April 21st, Jesse Luera said that he would retaliate against this employee and file his own lawsuit later. The word RETALIATE was an interesting choice of words by Mr. Luera. On March 6, 2008 Mr. Luera himself told me that he was angry at the Public Safety Director and the Cadet Program and in his words, “he was going to get rid of that girl in charge of the Cadet Program”. The “girl” he referred to was Mrs. Sanchez. I asked him why and he refused to elaborate. Mr. Luera and I had this conversation just prior to Mrs. Sanchez being informed that she was being removed from the Cadet Program based on a complaint by a City Councilmember. I can only see this as retaliation by Mr. Luera against an employee. For what reason, I do not understand. As I said previously, Mrs. Sanchez was a good employee and did not warrant this type of retaliation.
I would hope that the City would settle this matter immediately, restore Mrs. Sanchez’s good name, and not retaliate any further against her or her family. She has suffered enough.
Hopefully, the voters in Norwalk will show Jesse Luera that we will no longer accept this type of behavior from him should he run for re-election in two years.

Mary Jane McIntosh
Norwalk Resident

Open Letter to Korean Veterans

Mayor Pro Tem Cho is working with the Friends of American Veterans of the Korean War to commemorate the 61st Anniversary of the Republic of Korea. As part of this event, the Korean and Korean American communities would like to express their appreciation to those members of the American military which assisted the Republic of Korea in expelling the Communist invasion. An appreciation dinner, concert and symposium will be held on June 21 and 22 (Sunday and Monday), at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada to honor those veterans.
Mayor Pro Tem Cho would like to obtain the names of all American Veterans of the Korean War that reside in the City of Cerritos, and extend an invitation to those veterans and their spouses to this special event. The Friends of the American Veterans of Korean War will host the event and provide for full accommodations for the night of June 21 and meals associated with the two day program. Transportation will be at the expense of the attendees.
We are asking for your help in locating these individuals so that they can be acknowledged by the Friends of American Veterans of Korean War for their help and sacrifices during that time. Please submit any names and addresses of those that served during that time to my attention and I forward the information to Mayor Pro Tem Cho for mailing of the formal invitations. Since time is of the essence, I would appreciate any information at your earliest possible convenience.
Please do not hesitate to call me if you have any questions.

Thank you.
Kathy Matsumoto
(562) 916-1303

ABCUSD Swine Flu
Information to
Parents and Staff

Dear Parents and Staff,

In an ongoing attempt to keep staff and parents informed on important health issues, we are providing this information letter regarding the Swine Flu.
Recently there have been a few diagnosed cases of Swine Flu in Mexico, San Diego County and Riverside County. Currently, there have been no confirmed cases of Swine Flu in Los Angeles County.
The following information includes facts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the California Department of Public Health. It addresses many of the questions you may have regarding this strain of flu.
Swine Influenza is a respiratory virus with symptoms similar to that of regular flu.
• The virus is not spread by food, such as eating or handling pork products, but by direct contact with an infected person and/or coming in contact with a contaminated surface.
• This season’s flu vaccine will not protect against the swine flu.
• Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing.
• We encourage you to continue to use the same safety practices you have had in place during the flu season. These practices include:
• Stay home when ill. Students must be fever free for 24 hours without the use of medications to control fever.
• Wash your hands before eating, after using the bathroom and after using a tissue for coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.
• Cough or sneeze into the fold of your elbow or into a tissue.
• Stay in good general health by getting plenty of sleep, being physically active, drinking plenty of fluids and eating nutritious food.
Flu symptoms usually come on quickly (within 3-6 hours) and consist of the following: fever, lethargy, sore throat, dry cough, muscle aches, and lack of appetite. Less common symptoms are nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. If you experience these symptoms, stay home and speak to your doctor within 12 to 48 hours of becoming ill. Antiviral drugs such as Oseltamivir and Zanamivir are recommended by CDC for treatment if swine flu. Swine flu can only be diagnosed by the collection and laboratory testing of a respiratory specimen within the first 4-5 days of becoming ill.
We will continue to keep you informed on the status of Swine Flu in Los Angeles County based on information received from the California Public Health Department and/ or the CDC.
Sincerely,
Dr. Gary Smuts
Superintendent
ABCUSD