Torrance Election 2018: A Referendum on Mayor Furey

This election boils down to a referendum on Mayor Furey. Furey once labeled all his detractors as “Ambassadors of Negativity,” and claimed that “you can’t see the negative side from me because I’ve done a great job.” If you believe Furey and think he really has done a great job then you should vote for him and the rest of team Furey which includes current Councilmembers Tim Goodrich and Kurt Weideman as well as Jimmy Gow. If you are less than pleased with Furey’s leadership, then you should vote for Tom Brewer, Aurelio Mattucci, George Chen, or Bill Sutherland. It’s really as simple as that.

Furey wants us to trust him. When he tells us he’s done a great job, he doesn’t want us to question. But should we trust him? Has Furey earned that trust over the last four years? He dismisses any criticism as negative campaigning. He claims that when his opponents go low that he will go high. But is that what Furey has done? Has he always taken the high road?

Last week Councilmember Mike Griffiths sent out an e-mail urging his supporters to vote for Furey’s opponent Tom Brewer. Shortly thereafter, Griffith’s received a scathing e-mail from Furey’s official mayoral e-mail address which stated:

“Tom Brewer isn’t qualified to do anything but lie. Like you, he has never had an independent thought, nor a positive action”

Is that how Mayor Furey goes high?

Here’s what Furey told us about the allegations regarding the improprieties that occurred with his 2014 campaign:

“I had nothing to do with it…They had no coordination with me…I didn’t ask them to do it.  There was no control that I would have over it…This was no impropriety.  Although there can be a perception and there’s a local newspaper that wants to believe there is a perception.  There is no perception…I don’t see a conflict and I’m sorry that you do.”

But his campaign did illegally coordinate with the PAC and even tried to conceal that coordination by going to such lengths as establishing fake e-mail accounts. The violation enabled powerful backers to pour thousands of dollars into his campaign which was then funneled to his son who was acting as his campaign manager. Furey’s campaign was punished for breaking the law and levied a $35,000 fine. Furey could have been prosecuted by the City Attorney’s office, but citing a conflict of interest the City Attorney chose not to bring charges.

The incident brought shame upon the City, the office of the Mayor, and all those that played a role in the affair including the Torrance Fire Department and City Attorney. It also cast a dark cloud over one of the most important decisions made by the Council under the Mayor’s tenure – the award of the emergency services contract. McCormick won. Gerber lost and shuttered its doors.

Furey, Weideman, and Goodrich (Team Furey) all voted for McCormick.

Furey never took responsibility for his actions. He initially even claimed that he didn’t pay the fine by stating,” “I’m not liable for half of that [the fine], I’ve not paid a penny of it.” Despite Furey’s public assertion, Furey’s lawyer would later claim that Furey did pay the fine through an odd arrangement in which Furey paid for McCormick’s legal fees stemming from the FPPC case while McCormick paid the entire $35,000 fine.

Whether that’s true is difficult to verify.

Furey blamed the Daily Breeze for inaccurate reporting and unloaded on local reporter Nick Green calling him a “mullet” and a “hate monger.”

It was not the first time Furey had attacked Nick Green. Per the Executive Editor of the Daily Breeze, Mayor Furey once even tried to have Nick Green removed from his post by going to Green’s boss and threatening that he would boycott the paper if Green was not removed.

Is this behavior an example of the high road Furey claims that he takes?

Do we want a mayor that actively works to silence the local press?

Weideman and Goodrich could have said something about the Mayor’s actions at the time. They could have voted to censure the Mayor. They didn’t. They remained silent.

For the sake of the argument, let’s say that you believe Mayor Furey was totally innocent and that the Daily Breeze and FPPC colluded in some conspiracy to defame the mayor.

In that case, here are some other things that have occurred during the Mayor’s tenure that you might want to consider.

• City Attorney was given a raise and made the highest paid City employee in terms of salary despite that office being implicated in numerous scandals and questionable decisions including the decision not to prosecute Mayor Furey for criminal violations.
• City Council has approved increases to water rates, refuse collection services, and sewer collection services as well as implemented a new green building fee. Other significant increases to user fees are currently in the works.
• Significant initiatives like the Optimized Street Sweeping program and the current proposal to move to district voting were implemented under false pretenses and the public was egregiously misled in both circumstances.
• The police chief resigned after being suspended for allegedly making hostile remarks about women, blacks, gays, and muslims. The department was also hit with a series of lawsuits including one that accused officers in the department of obstructing an internal investigation into criminal activity. Results of any internal investigations or disciplinary actions that occurred were never made public.
• It took 8 months for the Council to act and reconfigure crossing guards after a tragic accident that involved children hit in a crosswalk on the way to school.
• Property rights have been curtailed through the use of eminent domain, building moratoriums, and proposed restrictions on short term vacation rentals.
• Furey Jr. resigned from both the Traffic Commission and the TUSD Personnel Commission in wake of the scandal involving the Mayor’s 2014 campaign. He was replaced by the Mayor’s wife on the Personnel Commission. The Commission’s role is to ensure hiring decisions are not influenced by nepotism. Mayor Furey held a position on the Commission before his son and spouse.
• Torrance claimed it was not a sanctuary city even though a police memo obtained through a public records request revealed the Police Department adhered to a sanctuary policy. City took an official stance on SB 54 even though the matter was never openly discussed by the Council.
• Infrastructure improvements like the Wilson Park pond have stalled. The Dolphin at Miramar was only repaired after a private citizen started a Gofundme campaign. The Transit center also continues to be delayed.
• City spent an exhaustive and inordinate amount of time on ordinances regulating chickens and bees, garage sales, trees, and historic preservation but has claimed they have no power to impose any regulations on the refinery to allay concerns after it exploded in 2015;
• A volunteer City Commissioner was removed from his position after voicing his opinion that the library should not purchase materials in foreign languages.
• Furey sent a letter to communities across LA County warning them about Torrance activists who opposed SB 54 that might come to their cities, but when activists from the other side who supported SB 54 visited Torrance and raised a raucous at a Torrance Council meeting he embraced them.
• Furey responded to an elderly lady who voiced concerns about how her retirement and “American Dream” would be gone if a 7-Eleven opened next to her liquor store by stating, ““If that’s the American Dream, it frightens me.”
• At a recent forum, Mayor Furey treated Toyota like an unwelcome visitor that had lingered too long by stating, “Bye, Bye Toyota, you finally left.”

If you believe the above represents doing a good job on behalf of Torrance and its citizens then vote for team Furey. Under the leadership of team Furey, Torrance has increasingly become a City that is run by the City employees for the City employees. The impact is that the character of Torrance is changing. The trajectory is higher taxes, less services, dilapidated parks, aging infrastructure, huge billboards, and high density housing.

If that’s what you want for the future of Torrance then vote Team Furey as each one of them represents more of the same. If you want a new direction, then Brewer, Mattucci, Chen or Sutherland should be your choice.

I purposely excluded Ron Riggs from the above as he is generally perceived as a “spoiler” candidate. Riggs himself once said that Brewer had a clearer path to victory and that he was going to run for City Council instead of Mayor. He should have listened to himself and stayed out of the Mayor’s race. I suppose Riggs could pull off a very improbable win, but I doubt it. While he may be a very nice and capable guy, there is a prevailing sense that with no prior involvement in Torrance politics that he hasn’t earned a spot in the Mayor’s chair. His campaign has done little to alter that perception.

Candidate for Mayor Tom Brewer

Party Affiliation: Republican

Education:

• BS, Physics, Cooper Union
• PhD, Physics, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana

Biography: Tom Brewer was previously employed as a clinical laboratory scientist at UCLA.

Past Community Involvement:

• Torrance City Councilmember, Two Terms
• Torrance Civil Service and Environmental Commission, Past Chairman
• Torrance Education Foundation, Past President
• 66th Assembly District, Ambassador

Individual Endorsements:

• Former mayors Frank Scotto and Ken Miller
• Councilmembers Heidi Ann Ashcraft, Mike Griffiths, and Milton Herring
• Former Councilmembers and Assembly Members: Rod Guyton, Mike Mauno, Paul Nowatka, Maureen O’Donnell, Bill Sutherland, David Hadley, and George Nakano

Major Donors:

• Political Organizations: New Majority PAC, LA County Lincoln Club
• Developers and Business Representatives: Surf Management, Robinson Helicopter, VanLingen Towing, Rolling Hills Business Centre, Rolling Hills Plaza, Torrance Towne Center Associates

Campaign Warchest: ~$40,000.

Candidate for Mayor Patrick Furey

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Education:

• Associate in Arts, Journalism, El Camino College
• JD, University of West Los Angeles

Biography: Just prior to being elected mayor, Pat retired after almost two decades of service to the County of Los Angeles as a Principal Deputy County Counsel assigned to the Children’s Services Division. In 2007, Pat and his wife Terry were the recipients of the James R. Armstrong Community Leadership Award in recognition of their contributions to Torrance schools and the community.

Past Community Involvement:

• Current Mayor
• Torrance City Councilmember, 6 years
• Torrance Education Foundation, Past President
• North Torrance Homeowners Association, Past President

Organizational Endorsements:

• Torrance Police Officer’s Association

Individual Endorsements:

• Councilmembers Tim Goodrich and Kurt Weideman
• Elected Officials: Ted Lieu, Maxine Waters, Janice Hahn, Al Muratsuchi, Ben Allen, and Terry Ragins

Major Donors:

• Unions: Torrance Police Officers, AFSCME (Municipal Employees), Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 1309, Torrance Police and Fire Associations, UA Journeymen and Apprentices, International Union of Operating Engineers, District Council of Iron Workers,
• Political Organizations: Air Products Political Alliance, Bizfed PAC
• Developers and Business Representatives: BQE Software, Muller Southbay West and East and Del Amo Financial (linked to digital signs), Surf Management, VanLingen Towing, Dave Shaw Concrete, Tan Property Investments, Robinson Helicopter, Torrance Towne Center Associates, Greene Development, Anastasi Construction Company, ToTex Manufacturing, KIG Properties, Cherry Truck Sales, South Bay Motors, Prime Point Property, Southern California Edison, Advanced Critical Care and Specialty Services, South Bay Lexus,

Campaign Warchest: ~$70,000.

Candidate for Mayor Ron Riggs

Party Affiliation: Republican

Biography: Ron Riggs is a 17 year Torrance resident and proud husband and father. He has worked as a real estate broker for 26 years and as a college and High School basketball coach for 26 years.

Past Community Involvement:

• El Camino College Foundation Board/Executive VP – 8 years

Major Donors:

• Developers and Business Representatives: Autobahn Collision Center, United Global Express, Educationally Developed Products, Shobie Enterprises, BQE Software

Campaign Warchest: ~$34,500.

Aurelio Mattucci – Candidate for City Council

Party Affiliation: Republican

Past Community Involvement:

• Torrance Social Services Commission, Vice Chair
• Torrance Rose Float Association, Past Board Member
• Unified Small Business Alliance, Founder

Individual Endorsements:

• Former and current Councilmembers Tom Brewer, Milton Herring, Rod Guyton and Mike Mauno

Major Donors:

• Unions: Torrance Police Officers Association
• Developers and Business Representatives: Coccorino Custom Homes, Auto Scan, First Class Auto Body, Accelerated Holdings, Kenji PCI,

Campaign Warchest: ~$23,100.

George Chen – Candidate for City Council

Party Affiliation: Republican

Biography: Employed as a senior program manager at Raytheon company before retiring in July 2017. Married with two adult children that attended Torrance schools.  Torrance resident since 1992.

Major Donors:

• Unions: Torrance Police Officer’s Association
• Political Organizations: Bizfed PAC
• Developers and Business Representatives: Accolade Communications, Torrance Auto Repair, Kaji & Associates, Uniwell LLC, Bravo Music School, Ideal Property, Vegas Buffet, House of Imports,

Campaign Warchest: ~$53,000.

Bill Sutherland – Candidate for City Council

Party Affiliation: Republican

Biography: Bill is a small business owner that has lived in Torrance for 39 years. With his wife, Diana, they have 4 children and 11 grandchildren.  Bill has decided to again seek the office of Council Member because he is uncomfortable with the current state of affairs at City Hall. He feels that the City Council has lost touch with the people.

Past Community Involvement:

• Torrance City Councilmember, Two Terms
• Salvation Army Boardmember
• Rotary International, Past President
• AYSO Regional Commissioner and Little League Coach

Organizational Endorsements:

• Unions: Torrance Police Officers

Individual Endorsements:

• Former mayor Frank Scotto
• Councilmembers Mike Griffiths, and Milton Herring
• Former Councilmembers and Assembly Members: Maureen O’ Donnell, Rod Guyton, Mike Mauno, Paul Nowatka, David Hadley, Bill Applegate, Susan Rhilinger, Gene Barnett, and Tom Brewer

Major Donors:

• Unions: Torrance Police Officer’s Association
• Developers and Business Representatives: Van Lingen Towing, Surf Management, Robinson Helicopter, Town & Country Investors, Anastasi Construction

Campaign Warchest: $15,382.

Kurt Weideman – Candidate for City Council

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Biography: Kurt has been Torrance homeowner for 33 years and has had four children graduate from TUSD schools.  He is currently retired after working as  General Manager in the aerospace industry.  Kurt believes his candidacy represents our shared values that Torrance citizens should expect from their elected officials – openness, sound judgment, fair play.

Past Community Involvement:

• Current City Councilmember
• Past President of the Torrance Historical Society
• Past President of the Cultural Arts Foundation
• Chairman of SBCCOG

Organizational Endorsements:

• Unions: Torrance Police Officers
• Political Organizations: Sierra Club, Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters, BizFed PAC

Individual Endorsements:

• Councilmembers Tim Goodrich, Milton Herring, and Geoff Rizzo
• Former Councilmembers: George Nakano, Mike Mauno, Paul Nowatka, Mark Wirth

Major Donors:

• Unions: Torrance Police Officer’s Association
• Developers and Business Representatives: Van Lingen Towing, Rolling Hills Business Center, Tormed Medical Buildings, Surf Management, Robinson Helicopter, Anastasi Construction,

Campaign Warchest: ~$30,000.

Tim Goodrich – Candidate for City Council

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Education:

• Bachelors in Business Administration
• Masters in Public Administration

Biography: Tim previously served in the United States Air Force.  He was elected to the City Council in June 2014.

Past Community Involvement:

• Current Councilmember
• TUSD Bond Oversight Committee, Past Member
• Torrance Education Foundation, Past Boardmember

Major Donors:

• Unions: Torrance Police Officer’s Association
• Political Organizations: America Works Coalition PAC, Bizfed PAC,
• Developers and Business Representatives: Fiesta Parade Floats, Rolling Hills Plaza LLC, Torrance Towne Center Associates, Van Lingen Towing, McCormick Ambulance, Inspired Ventures, Surf Management, Freeman Public Affairs, Muller Southbay East and West LLC, Tormed Buildings LLC, Anastasi Construction Company, Robinson Helicopter, Servicon Systems, Southern California Edison,

Campaign Warchest: ~$31,000.

Campaign Notes:

Jimmy Gow – Candidate for City Council

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Past Community Involvement:

• Social Services Commission, Chair
• Torrance Democratic Club, President,

Campaign Warchest: ~$4,000.