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In The Public Interest .com
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| Thursday, October 7, 2010, 9:00 am Editor, WatchOurCity.com PhD Fraud Scandal with BASTA Co-founder; USC denies it issued PhD to BASTA's Cristina Garcia Bell Gardens, CA - The University of Southern California has officially confirmed that it has never awarded a PhD to Cristina Garcia, BASTA's co-founder, a group which was created in June 2010 on the heels of revelations of salary abuse by Bell city officials. The Center for Investigative Reporting has posted a report on its website exposing that BASTA, the branded grassroots organization created by political consultant Leo Briones, is a front for Bell's Police Officers Association. Cristina Garcia, BASTA's spokeswoman, who is not a Bell resident, presumably lends credibility to BASTA by claiming that she has earned a PhD from USC. Cristina was a candidate for Bell Gardens city council in the November 2009 election. She came in 5th, last place. She posted her biography on the voter guide website of the League of Women Voters. Under "Biographical Highlights", Cristina notes that she has a "PhD in Public Administration from USC" (see link to League of Women Voters here). The same voter guide notes further that Cristina's other academic credentials are a "Master in Math Education from Claremont" and a "BA in Math and Political Science from Pomona College". Cristina Garcia was prominently highlighted on another website, The New Agenda, a Voice for All Women (www.thenewagenda.net). Cristina's Bio notes: Besides undue academic credit, Cristina also gives herself props for "her movement" in Bell "which resulted in the resignation of all Bell city" officers. Below is the official USC response to a request for degree verification regarding Cristina Garcia. USC confirmed that "TO DATE THERE IS NO DEGREE POSTED" and that Cristina has "NO DEGREE -- ENROLLMENT ONLY" as of the date of the request to confirm academic credentials on August 19, 2010. The Media and WatchOurCity.com has reported that BASTA's spokeswoman is an Adjunct Professor at USC. University officials also confirmed that Ms. Garcia is not currently teaching there. USC also confirmed that she attended from August 26, 2002 to December 4, 2009. Cristina's own Facebook page notes that "She then continued to complete her bachelors from Pomona College, Masters from Claremont Graduate School, and PhD from the University of Southern California (USC)." On Facebook Cristina notes that "her PhD has prepared her to identify problems and formulate solutions for them". LAUSD says the same thing about its K-12 curriculum. It would be interesting to see how she formulates a solution to this problem she created for herself. In a similar revelation, Huntington Park mayor John Noguez has not received a college degree. Noguez attended California State University at Los Angeles. Noguez is a candidate for the L.A. County Assessor, an office which will manage over 1,200 property assessors, and oversee a one trillion dollar property tax roll. Mayor Noguez is implicated in the Bell corruption scandal, having directed rigged multi-million dollar contracts to George Cole's Oldtimers Foundation in Huntington Park. Cole, who abruptly quit as a Bell councilman in October 2008 and was arrested on September 21, 2010 by the District Attorney's office in an unprecedented sweep of Bell's elected officials and top administrators, is Director of the Oldtimers Foundation, which is also under investigation by the Attorney General's office for under reporting multi-million dollar contracts directed his way by officials in the cities of Bell, Huntington Park, Norwalk, Hawaiian Gardens and Fontana. Here is the official response from USC to a degree verification request for BASTA's Cristina Garcia: |
RELATED:
| Saturday, Sept. 18, 2010, 6:00 am Corina Knoll, L.A. Times BASTA to BASTA The L.A. Times publishes report questioning BASTA leadership and finances. Bell PD paid $56,000 to Leo Briones; amount not shown on BASTA's website. Leo Briones recommended to Police by Cristina Garcia, neither of whom are from Bell. Hector De La Torre says BASTA leaders Ali Saleh and Cristina Garcia lied to him during a 15 minute meeting. |
| Thursday September 9, 2010, 9:30 am WatchOurCity.com Leo Briones, BASTA's owner, a business partner of George Cole at Oldtimers Foundation Former Bell councilman George Cole hired Leo Briones for a lucrative business partnership at the Oldtimers Foundation in '06. Briones prepared a proposal requesting grant funding totaling millions of dollars over several years for a water education project. |
| Thursday September 2, 2010, 9:00 am WatchOurCity.com BASTA accusing WatchOurCity.com as being Divisive in Bell BASTA owner Leo Briones has earlier said that BASTA will make him lots of money and that Police Officers Association is his client. WatchOurCity.com has been reporting on Bell corruption since 2004. BASTA was created in June 2010, just 2 months ago. Bell Residents Club has been operating for years in Bell. According to Briones' logic, The Times is also being divisive. |
| Thursday September 2, 2010, 9:00 am, L.A. Times Editorial L.A. Times warns Bell Residents about BASTA: - "find out who is funding the Firebrands and what their backgrounds are in the city" - "should be cautious of newly prominent figures who shout "Recall!" - Recall a bad idea - "Getting rid of old won't do good if can't replace with competent leadership" - Bell, Maywood, Vernon "should consider dissolving cityhood and join with other municipal bodies" |
| Cristina Garcia, BASTA co-founder, is not from Bell |
| Leo Briones is not from Bell |
| The Editor, WatchOurCity.com Sunday, August 15, 2010, 6:00 a.m. Center For Investigative Reporting California Watch: BASTA a front for the Police Officers Association; Bell Police Highly Paid, Too |
| BASTA's owner revealed: "BASTA will make me lots of money" The Editor, WatchOurCity.com August 13, 2010, 6:00 a.m. Part II: BASTA issues Press release criticising Whitman's politicizing of Bell; Gubernatorial candidate Whitman Dismisses BASTA as funded by Police Union |
| The Editor, WatchOurCity.com Sunday, August 15, 2010, 6:00 a.m. BASTA's owner Leo Briones and co-founder Cristina Garcia: using Bell's corruption saga and media attention as staging for 2nd attempt at a Bell Gardens city council campaign |
| Why BASTA is not calling for Carrillos' resignation The Editor, WatchOurCity.com August 12, 2010, 6:00 am Part I: Rizzo, George Cole & John Chiang Donated to Pedro Carrillo's 2001 Assembly Campaign |
National Student Clearinghouse ************************************************************ This e-mail was sent from a notification-only address that cannot accept incoming e-mail. Please DO NOT reply to this message. *************************************************************** _______________________________________________________________ IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ the following comment(s) provided by the institution: TO DATE THERE IS NO DEGREE POSTED. _______________________________________________________________ Transaction ID.........: 0197258456 Date Requested.........: 08/19/2010 16:54 EST Requested By...........: INFORMATION YOU PROVIDED ____________________________________________________________ Subject Name First Name.........: MARIA Middle Name........: CRISTINA Last Name..........: GARCIA Name Used While Attending School First Name.........: Middle Name........: Last Name..........: School Name............: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (001328-00 Degree Award Year......: 2003 Degree Title...........: POLICY, PLANNING, AND DEVELOPMENT DOCTORATE Major Course of Study..: POLICY, PLANNING, AND DEVELOPMENT Attempt To.............: Verify a degree. INFORMATION VERIFIED ____________________________________________________________ Name On School's Records: MARIA CRISTINA GARCIA Date Awarded............: N/A Degree Title............: No Degree -- Enrollment Only Official Name of School.: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Major Course(s) of Study: POLICY, PLANNING, AND DEVELOPMENT Dates of Attendance.....: 08/26/2002 to 12/04/2009 Click the link below to access more detailed information: https://www.studentclearinghouse.org/secure_area/DVEV/dvdtl.asp?id=197258 78 Disclaimer: All information verified was obtained directly and exclusively from the individual's educational institution. The Clearinghouse disclaims any responsibility or liability for errors or omissions, including direct, indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages based in contract, tort or any other cause of action, resulting from the use of information supplied by the educational institution and provided by the Clearinghouse. The Clearinghouse also does not verify the accuracy or correctness of any information provided by the requestor. *************************************************************** Questions? Visit our DegreeVerify FAQs at http://help.studentclearinghouse.org/NSCHelp/server?prj=DV_Commercial&area =DV National Student Clearinghouse A Non-Profit Association Founded by the Higher Education Community *************************************************************** |
"Cristina Garcia- A PhD and Statistics Professor at the University of
Southern California, ran in 2009 for city council in Bell Garden City in
California with the purpose of challenging the corruption in the local
government and improving the state of her community, but she lost.
Instead of resigning to her loss, she turned it into an opportunity, and
organized the Bell City community to question the city’s officers and city
council stratospheric salaries (up to $900,000). Her movement of citizen
mobilization and awareness to demand accountability, which has
captivated the nation, resulted in the resignation of all Bell city major
officers, and city council members have been required to reduce their
salaries by 90%. As a founding member of BASTA (Bell Association to
end the Abuse), Cristina Garcia plans on keeping the movement to end
abuse and for better governance, as “she suspects the vultures
deliberately move into cities where they think it’ll be easy pickings”."
Southern California, ran in 2009 for city council in Bell Garden City in
California with the purpose of challenging the corruption in the local
government and improving the state of her community, but she lost.
Instead of resigning to her loss, she turned it into an opportunity, and
organized the Bell City community to question the city’s officers and city
council stratospheric salaries (up to $900,000). Her movement of citizen
mobilization and awareness to demand accountability, which has
captivated the nation, resulted in the resignation of all Bell city major
officers, and city council members have been required to reduce their
salaries by 90%. As a founding member of BASTA (Bell Association to
end the Abuse), Cristina Garcia plans on keeping the movement to end
abuse and for better governance, as “she suspects the vultures
deliberately move into cities where they think it’ll be easy pickings”."