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A new collection of original short
stories from the editor of
WatchOurCity.com that revives the Noir
Pulp Fiction genre, with a Latino twist,
based on real-life shenanigans at
small-time local city halls where the
public record is stranger than fiction.

The intrigue, the corruption, the
comedy, the incompetence and every
policeman's ultimate fantasy of sex in a
donut shop.

CUT ME IN is a series of riveting stories
of bumbling and deeply flawed
characters - mobsters, fringe players,
petty thieves turned politicians turned
petty thieves - with dark agendas who
betray their honor, and the public's
trust, on a dime's turn; at times
humorous and tragic; redemption is
always around the corner but flees
when tempted by small ambition; rare
moments of truth are discarded like
chump change, all played out over the
background both bleak and colorfully
gritty of a blue-collar immigrant town
in the shadows of the big city, a town
of second chancers, forgotten and
abused, but aching for a comeback...
tales with no moral lessons to uncover,
only everyday political dirty dealings
with the help of one lone hero,
Chucho* and his beloved low-rider.

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A courageously innovative, muckraking web site that focuses like a laser on the political, financial and legal shenanigans of the local government
California First Amendment Coalition

WatchOurCity

November 4, 2009
City of Maywood:
Felipe Aguirre Wins Back
Council Seat Placing 3rd with
5 Vote Margin
The Editor, WatchOurCity.com

Maywood, CA - F elipe is a happy camper after barely
squeaking by into third place to regain his city council
seat in Maywood in Tuesday's election.

Sergio Calderon and Thomas Martin placed 1st and
2nd with 971 and 897 votes each respectively. Felipe
scored a distant third with 860 votes, ahead of fourth
place candidate Ramon Medina by a margin of 5 votes.

The convicted ex-councilman from Bell Gardens, Mario
Beltran and his political sponsor State Senator Gil
Cedillo were heavily involved in the Maywood election.
Beltran also managed the campaign for another
election winner, Sergio Infanzon in Bell Gardens, an
LAUSD employee with a penchant for resume
exaggeration.

The now defunct L.A. City Beat wrote a report on
Aguirre and his shady dealings at city hall: "As City
Beat reported in the run-up to the recall, Aguirre has
accepted $95,000 in city money to refurbish his
business and home since taking control of the mayor’s
office. City checks from Maywood’s Commercial Façade
Program were supposed to have been made out to V
and M Ironworks, the contractor who performed the
work; instead, even Aguirre says, they were
improperly made out to his business partner, Hector
Alvarado. How that violation of city policy happened
remains a mystery. Also a mystery is how the money
was spent: our request for an itemized bill has so far
turned up nothing."

Felipe was also quoted in the L.A. Times just last week
stating bluntly that he wants to take control of an
LAUSD campus up for grabs to the lowest bidder,
Maywood Academy High. Felipe must be salivating
what with the Academy's multi-million dollar budget all
up for grabs.

Felipe Aguirre is also angling to take control of the
three water companies serving Maywood. The water
companies also have juicy budgets.

Somehow, Councilman Felipe can't fix his own budget
woes in Maywood. But he'll take your kid's lunch
money and taint your water.

WatchOurCity.com also posted an expose on Felipe's
political aspirations, foibles and a past shadier than
his mustache.

Felipe once ordered the U.S. flag in front of Maywood
city hall to be flown upside down with the Mexican flag
on top, right side up.

The City Beat report went on to say about Felipe:
"Aguirre’s questionable relationships extend beyond
Maywood. This past fall, Aguirre and his council allies
attended several Southeast DemsUnited events for
the Obama campaign. Aguirre and state senator, and
California Latino Caucus chair, Gil Cedillo, were the
featured guests. Those events were organized by
Cedillo’s troubled protégé, Bell Gardens councilman
Mario Beltran – who, as Jeffrey Anderson documented
in both City Beat and the L.A. Weekly, has had
repeated run-ins with the law. Perhaps most
infamously, Beltran was convicted of filing a false
police report last year after a wild night with a
downtown prostitute. Shortly thereafter, Los Angeles
County District Attorney spokesperson Sandi Gibbons
told Anderson that Beltran was under investigation by
county and state D.A.’s offices, as well as the FBI, for
his involvement in a crooked towing scheme."

Just one little catch: there are over 100 absentee
ballots which remain uncounted. With the election so
close for Felipe, it is really a tossup. So I would hold
off on popping any champagne cork.

Who knows, Felipe may end up being the looser,
right? Fat chance.

Rosario Marin giving a
speech which caused her
fall from Republican grace,
now aspiring city manager

The Editor presents:

November 4, 2009
City of Huntington Park:
Measure E Wins by a
30 Vote Margin -
You Pay, They Play
The Editor, WatchOurCity.com

Huntington Park, CA - The city's
Utility Users tax, Measure E, won by
a nail-biting slim margin of only 30
votes, with 541 voting "Yes" and 511
voting "No".

The city claims that monies raised
are sorely needed to patch a $2
million dollar hole in the city's budget.

The budget situation would not be
as severe had council not given out
over $500,000 over 4 years in
straight out gifts of public funds to a
shady but well connected business
group known as META 2000 to put
on the yearly El Grito event on
September 16.

Or perhaps if the travel budget of
each council member was not
$10,000 each per year (that's 5
council members times $10 K each;
you do the math).

Or if the city attorney wasn't
charging three times his contractually
stipulated monthly retainer totaling
up to $80,000 per month (that's
$80,000 times 12 months; you do
the math, dear reader)

Or if John Noguez can quit claiming a
monthly $1,000 reimbursable
expense for his fax machine at home
claiming that he uses it for city
business. What city business does
Noguez have that he has to fax
$1,000 per month?

Wednesday November 4, 2009

Election Results - our own little Afghanistan

What a career for Rosario Marin! From Huntington Park councilwoman
to 41st U.S. Treasurer, then State Secretary for Consumer Affairs, and
now this: Back in March, Marin quit her job/was forced out as the
Governor's top Latina due to questionable conflicts of interest issues.
Well now, she has gained her composure enough to seek the
appointment as city manager for the city of Huntington Park. Stay
tuned. A Republican, Rosario should have no problems being appointed
by her political proteges/council members. If corruption was bad when
she was a councilwoman, just wait till she's the city manager. Balsy!

Rosario Marin: El Dia de los Muertos Politicos- She's Baaack!