| Did St. Matthias Catholic Church Approve Use of Church Picture On Campaign Brochure By Romo/Molina? Molina Gets $500 Campaign Donation by St. Matthias Church Secretary. Councilman Mario Gomez is Campaign Manager. Top endorser is Former US Treasurer Rosario Marin. They are all St. Matthias Parishioners. February 28, 2005 Editor, WatchOurCity.com Huntington Park, CA - The campaign Team of Romo / Molina uses picture of St. Matthias church on recent campaign brochure mailer. Did the Catholic Church authorize use of pictures of its church building on political campaign propaganda? An Archdiocesan official stated that WatchOurCity.com has no "proof" that elected officials have any connections to church personnel (click here for link to WatchOurCity.com report). The Catholic Archdiocese may have to answer to the I.R.S why it is allowing certain politically active parishioners to use images of St. Mathias church for blatant political campaigns. Do the candidates Elba Romo and Andy Molina, councilman Mario Gomez and former US Treasurer Rosario Marin really care so much about their church that they risk Federal scrutiny of church/political activity for seemingly blatant political gain? Do they really care about the voters if they resort to such seeming blatant acts of deceit? It is curious that despite official statements by the L.A. Archdiocese which flat out refutes WatchOurCity.com's connecting-the-dots linking the political team of Romo/Molina/Gomez/Marin and St. Matthias church officials, council candidate Andy Molina sneaks in under church radar a $500 political contribution given to him by the St. Matthias church secretary on January 8, 2005 (see Molina's Form 460, Monetary Contributions Received). Elba Romo's entire campaign team is connected to St. Matthias church and school, despite the Archdiocese's comments to the contrary. During the 2003 campaign, Mario Gomez, along with John Noguez and Ofelia Hernandez, used a picture of a priest from St. Martha's Catholic church on a political mailer. Evidently, it had an impact on the voters. All three won council seats. The lesson was not lost on Mario Gomez. Romo states she is a St. Matthias "Lector"; Andres Molina, Romo's running mate, states he is/was involved in church and school; Mario Gomez is a "Eucharistic Minister" and "Lector". Rosario Marin has on occasion passed out the Holy Eucharist during high Mass. Even Gomez's relative, a registered sex offender and convicted child molester, was a volunteer coach at St. Matthias Elementary School before Archdiocesan officials kicked him out after finding out about his past through a Fox 11 News broadcast report in late January 2005. Surely councilman Gomez could have saved the L.A. Archdiocese some grief and potential exposure to legal liability by not keeping his relative's convicted child molester status a secret. Was councilman Mario Gomez's deceit in the best public interest? It seems to be recurring and disturbing pattern of behavior. Mario Gomez is the same man who orchestrated the deceitful half-truths, and outright lies PR campaign of "Measure L" during November 2004 (click here to see watchOurCity.com report). Will the voters believe the deceitful tactics, half truths and outright lies that Councilman Mario Gomez and team is printing in campaign mailers for Romo/Molina? Gomez is a self-described St. Matthias Church Eucharistic Minister and Lector. Evidently Elba Romo and Andy Molina learn well from their mentors. They seemingly partake in the deceit, half truths and outright lies concocted for ethically questionable campaign strategies by Gomez, despite their Catholic selves. What must they be thinking when they are at the lectern reading holy scripture, or passing the Holy Eucharist during high mass on Sunday? Consider deceit, half-truth and lie #1: The recent campaign brochure states that Romo and Molina "campaigned tirelessly to build support for "Measure L", the Community Safety Enhancement Measure. Their success is now generating enough funding for significant improvements to our street lighting, parks and public safety". Last time WatchOurCity.com checked, and double checked, all the campaign material for Measure L had an address printed on the brochures matching Mario Gomez's home address on Arbutus Street. WatchOurCity.com's report on Measure L exposed the flaws in the measure. Potentially, funding could be used for purposes other than for Street lighting. There is no public record supporting the assertion that Romo or Molina ever "Campaigned tirelessly" for Measure L, other than the brochure picture taken from what looks like a sidewalk across the street from Mario Gomez's house showing Romo and Molina standing next to a "Yes on L" lawn sign. To give Romo and Molina the benefit of the doubt, it must have been tiring to put up one or two of these lawn signs across the street from Gomez house while posing for a picture to be taken presumably by Mario Gomez himself. They must be proud of their lies and deceit. Consider deceit, half-truth and lie #2: The same campaign brochure shows a picture of Andy Molina on the main commercial thoroughfare of Pacific Blvd. The brochure states "As part of the Huntington Park task force committee, Andy Molina has played a fundamental role in the strategic plan to redevelop and beautify Pacific Blvd. His role is ensuring that the city's fiscal revenue from local business remains strong and vibrant for the betterment of the community." Wow, Andy, this fish is a really big one. You and Mario must have done some real thinking on this one. So, Andy Molina is apparently doing the job of redevelopment manager, city planner, fiscal manager. The Business Improvement District (BID) must not be doing its job either. Andy single handedly usurped their powers. That must explain why no Pacific Blvd. retail entity gave Andy any political contributions. His "fundamental role" must have really shaken things up. Yep, the voters can swallow this one too. Consider deceit, half-truth and lie #3: The same campaign brochure shows a picture of Andy Molina with a background showing the new Bally's Total Fitness building on the corner of Slauson and State streets. The brochure states "As Part of the Planning Commission, Andy Molina has assisted in the final development of two new sites, the Bally's Total Fitness Center and Staples Office Supply Store". These developments were planned and approved way before Molina was appointed planning commissioner. In fact, Molina had very little, if anything to do with these projects. Why lie about this? Why exaggerate, Andy? For Elba Romo, Andy Molina and Mario Gomez to make such false claims questions their integrity, honesty and respect for public trust. And they want your vote. So it seems also that their gratuitous claims of affiliation with St. Matthias Church, holy scriptures read at the lectern, and passing out the Holy Eucharist during high mass by all of them is really just a hypocritical cover for their shameless political activity that is contrary to doctrine and teachings of the Catholic Church. They would want us all to believe what good catholics they are. And Elba Romo states she is "Leading by Example" in the recent mailer: which example? Stated also is that Romo/Molina share "Deep moral convictions"? Which ones? Romo and Molina's gratuitous use and mention of St. Matthias church on campaign literature, Mario Gomez's reported orchestrating of it, and Rosario Marin's seeming tacit approval and out-right endorsement is blatant, offensive and highly disturbing. The voters should know better. How sincere is their religious practice when they wear it on their campaign sleeves? I wonder if the Archdiocese still backs its assertion that elected officials have no connection to church officials. One wonders if the Archdiocese even cares that St. Matthias Catholic church is being used for shameless political gain by Romo/Molina/Gomez/Marin. 1. Source of Data: Campaign Contribution Statements Form 460 filed in the City Clerk's Office in the City of Huntington Park, CA |
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Campaign Watch - More Deceit, Half-truths & Lies?
| Campaign 2003: This picture was the back cover of the above political campaign mailer. Pictured clockwise Noguez, Hernandez, U.S. Treasurer Rosario Marin, Fr. Ricardo De Alba of St. Martha's Church and Gomez in Huntington Park. |
| Campaign 2003: This campaign brochure stated: "Working Together For Our Community For Our Children For Our Future". Pictured left to right Gomez, Noguez, Hernandez |