Torrance City Council – A Town Hall Style Conversation About Local Politics

A meeting to debate the pros and cons of the proposed bond measures T and U that will be voted on this November drew a crowd of civic leaders and concerned residents to the Torrance Historical Society Museum late Thursday evening.  Former Mayor Frank Scotto provided the argument for the school bonds while Rick Marshall, a current candidate for the Board of Equalization, delivered an argument against the measures.

Measure T is a $144 Million bond that will improve school security systems, upgrade classrooms and science and computer labs, add new STEM courses, renovate auxiliary gyms, and make energy efficiency improvements.  Measure U is a $50 Million bond that will provide an aquatic center, add multi-purpose gyms at middle schools, and renovate facilities and playgrounds.  Together the bonds represent about $30 per year in property taxes for every $100K of assessed home value.

Scotto reiterated that people come to live in Torrance for the safe community and good schools and expressed his belief that the community should finish what it started when it passed bond measures Y and Z.  He confessed that as a Republican he is generally the last person that would ask for more taxes but said he believed in the bond measures as he thought of them as a good investment for the community as quality schools will help to maintain high property values that benefit all residents.

The former Mayor acknowledged that the aquatic center with its hefty $15 Million price tag has become a target for those opposing the bonds.  Part of the consternation is due to the lack of details about the proposed facility and the yet to be determined location for the pool. Current plans are to have an Olympic sized pool with stadium seating and an open roof. It will be made available to the general public, but high school swim and water polo teams will have priority use. Local schools currently use the outdated Plunge for swimming activities.

The question was raised whether the project could include more family friendly amenities such as slides and splash pads for younger children in addition to the pool. Those additions are not currently in the plans, but they are suggestions that could be raised at future community meetings should the bond measure be approved.

As for the location, no funds are included in the bond measure to acquire property for the project necessitating that it be built on City or TUSD property. According to Scotto, utilizing City property for the estimated 10 acre site might allow the City to help with maintenance costs and could lead to the City eventually assuming control of the facility. He commented that he didn’t want to see SCROC close, but suggested that if it did that the SCROC site could be a possible home for the Aquatic Center due to its central location.

To argue against the measures, Rick Marshall stated that increased taxes are an impediment to economic growth and job creation. In defense of that assertion, he quoted a recently released book entitled “An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of States.” The book claims that California has tax rates that are roughly 65 percent higher than are Texas’s tax rates and overall tax revenue that is 25 higher. Yet according to the book, “Texas grows faster, employs more people, and attracts more residents. Texas also has better roads, police protection, fire protection, schools, and prison facilities, as well as less poverty and less need for welfare workers.”

Marshall was also critical of utilizing borrowed money for many of the projects included in the bond measures and suggested that the taxpayers would get better value for their money if the School District used the General Fund to pay for such measures. He expressed concern that interest payments on the bonds often results in the taxpayers paying two or three times as much.

Marshall also stated that the 2010 census indicated that Torrance has an aging population with a decrease in the number of kids attending Torrance schools. Marshall used that statistic to suggest that TUSD could reduce the number of schools and facilities in the district and possibly sell the property as a way to raise the money for some of the projects included in the bond measures. Mark Steffen, a TUSD Board Member in attendance, acknowledged that the District currently relies on about 3,000 kids coming from outside Torrance to fill out its 25,000 enrollment figures, but claimed that argument was a red herring as the kids from outside Torrance bring with them needed state funding.

TUSD has formed a committee comprising of community leaders like former Mayor Scotto and head of the Torrance PTA Council Janet Tajii to spearhead a campaign in support of the bond measures. To help raise awareness, the Committee asked PTA organizations at each school to voice their support and provide a suggested donation of $500. Residents wanting lawn signs, pamphlets, or other materials can contact TUSD or their local schools for more information.

At the conclusion of the meeting, one resident seemed to capture the mood in the room when he commented that he did not like taxes, but that sometimes you just have to suck it up and bite the bullet for the good of the community. Whether the rest of the community agrees with that sentiment remains to be seen.

This Tuesday night the City Council will appoint two new members of the Planning Commission.  These critical appointments come on the heels of a recent decision to appoint former Planning Commissioner Mike Griffiths to the City Council.  That vacancy, along with that created by the election of Geoff Rizzo, created the two empty slots on the Commission.

The primary concern of the Planning Commission is the orderly growth of the community.  This important body is responsible for the preparation of master plans and zoning studies that affect the growth and development of Torrance.  The Commission conducts public hearings on precise plans, conditional use permits, subdivision maps, and other cases relative to land use, and makes recommendations to the City Council on zone changes and variances.

The Planning Commission is also seen as a stepping stone to the City Council.  Three current Councilmembers once held Planning Commission posts and two of the last three appointments to the City Council came from the Planning Commission.  With regard to the most recent of those appointments, one commentator lamented that “the 5 white people seated on the dais chose not to add a person of color to better represent the people of Torrance and had to reach so far down the voting results to pick another white male.”

The Council could choose to address that concern with the Planning Commission appointments.   Indeed, two of the persons of color recently passed over for the Council position have applied for the vacant Planning Commission slots.  These two familiar faces are Leilani Kimmel-Dagastino and Milton Herring and they figure to be front-runners for one of the appointments.  Both have City Commission experience and had a strong showing before the voters finishing 5^th and 7^th respectively.

The Council choice will be made difficult, however, as several other veterans of City Commissions applied for the job.  Of these, a leading candidate may be Robert Rudolph.  Rudolph currently serves as a Traffic Commissioner and as President of the North Torrance HOA.  He was known as a staunch support of Mayor Furey in the recent election and lists the mayor as well as Councilmember Kurt Weideman among his references.  As one of his qualifications he listed his penchant for studying land use issues.  He also expressed his desire to evaluate land use issues with an eye toward “balancing individual rights with public welfare.”

Real Estate Broker, Richard Tsao, also brings a wealth of City experience.  He has served on both the Traffic and Cable TV commissions as well as served in volunteer roles with the Torrance Rose Float, the Arts Foundation and the Historical Society.  He stated that his goal was to “preserve the high standards of residential neighborhoods,” and encourage “responsible economic development.”

Accountant Melvin Glass also applied.  He served 8 years on the Disaster Council and currently serves on the Airport Commission.  Glass has also served on the Board of Directors for Windemere HOA.  The current H & R Block Tax Preparer believes he has the “ability to listen to all points of view” and “see the big picture.”

Retired Sr. Project Engineer on the Space Flight Program, Arthur Plourde, is another applicant. His list of references includes well-known community leader Paul Nowatka and notable republicans Craig Huey and Evan Chase.  Plourde has lived in Torrance for 45 years and now sees a city in trouble.  He claims that bad policies have caused businesses to leave resulting in too many vacant properties that could be generating revenue for the City.  He aims to tackle those issues should he be appointed.

Dan Thomas is another well-known and well-qualified candidate.  He believes that his residency in the hillside overlay area and his own personal experience with the remodel process gives him a unique perspective that would aid him on the Commission.  He has prior commission experience on the Cable TV Board and currently works in sales at Time Warner Cable.  He’s served on the Board of Directors for the Torrance Chamber of Commerce and lists the current President of the Chamber, Donna Duperron, among his references.

Special education teacher Charlotte Svolos, who finished 11th out of 16 in the past recent election, also seeks a seat on the Commission.  Svolos, who is known to wear many hats, has never served on a City Commission but has served the community in several other capacities.  With her expertise in education, she would bring a unique perspective to the Commission.

The applicant field is rounded out by Gregory Taylor and George H. Simon.  Neither has City Commission experience, but that doesn’t mean they are not well qualified.  Taylor is a biology major that currently works in Insurance.  He hopes to bring the “perspective of a long-term resident and future retiree.”   Simon is a Real Estate Broker and President of Dad’s on campus at Seaside elementary.  He describes himself as a self-motivated entrepreneur and successful businessman.

The Torrance Voters PAC to Support Pat Furey for Mayor (“Furey PAC”) made headlines in the recent mayoral election when it received large donations from McCormick Ambulance and the Torrance Firefighters Association that helped propel Furey to an election victory. Where did all that money go? A familiar name that keeps surfacing at the end of the money trail is Patrick Furey, the campaign manager and son of Mayor Pat Furey.

PAC campaign contributions are not subject to the same contribution limits as donations made directly to a candidate. For that reason, the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) forbids candidates, and their agents, from coordinating in any fashion with independent PACs.  As the Campaign Manager for his father any involvement by Patrick Furey in the Furey PAC would trigger concerns about illegal campaign coordination.

Required Campaign expenditure filings show that the Voters to Elect Furey PAC made over $30,000 in payments to Veritas Consulting. The address provided for that business is a residential apartment located at 23930 Ocean Ave #266. Other than the campaign disclosure, no records seem to exist of any business with that name operating at that location.

A business called Zakka, LLC, however, does appear to operate from that apartment. Interestingly, a business search on the California Secretary of State website affirms Patrick Furey as the principal corporate agent of Zakka. The same website also lists Patrick Furey as the principal agent of another company called Veritas Campaigns – a company name that is strikingly similar to Veritas Consulting.  According to the company website Veritas campaigns assisted with Mayor Furey’s then Councilmember campaign in 2011.

Adding to the puzzle, the listed Treasurer for the Furey PAC is a lady by the name of Tina McKinnor. Patrick Furey and McKinnor have been linked working together before on other campaigns. The Daily Breeze in fact reported on a lawsuit filed against the pair for their involvement in a City Council race in Simi Valley.

All of that in itself is surprising, but the story goes further. One way the FPPC determines illegal coordination is if the campaign and the independent PAC utilize the same service. Both Furey’s campaign and the Furey PAC list expenditures to Jeff Taylor Graphics located at 2633 Lincoln Blvd, STE 837 in Santa Monica.  A search for the entity yields no results and the location provided is a P.O. Box at a UPS store in a strip mall.  How is it that both the Furey Campaign and the Furey PAC could have contracted with the same phantom business without coordination? CBS Outdoor is another vendor listed in both financial disclosures.

Maybe all of this is just a random coincidence and there is no connection between the shadowy Veritas Consulting and Patrick Furey.  Given the above facts, however, one has to wonder to what extent, if any, the Furey campaign was involved with the Furey PAC.  Whether there was illegal coordination or just unfortunate circumstance, it does appear likely that Mayor Furey will have some explaining to do before the FPPC.

If that does turn out to be the case, it won’t be the first time. Patrick Furey was already fined by the FPPC in the past election for a deceptive slate mailer.  Despite that, Mayor Furey has been a staunch supporter of his son suggesting that the work Patrick did for his campaign merited an award.   To that effect, Furey’s campaign did reward his son quite handsomely for his efforts.  Indeed, records indicate that Liberty Campaign Solutions, yet another company operated by Patrick Furey, received nearly $40K from the Furey Campaign in what was presumably payment for Patrick’s efforts as Campaign Manager.