Judge's ruling deals setback to Rosemead's Wal-Mart plans, SGVTribune 06 April 2005

"Yaffe had harsh words for the City Council, which at first told residents the store would not operate 24 hours a day, then allowed Wal-Mart the privilege when it approved the project at a Sept. 7 meeting."

Even if it wasn't a 24 h

Traffic study sought on Wal-Mart site, Pasadena Star News, 03/29/05

"Caltrans officials say City Hall has ignored repeated requests for a study of a planned Wal-Mart Super Center's effect on streets intersecting the Pomona (60) Freeway."

"Save Our Community, with the support of labor unions, will challenge t

Tran calls for Rosemead PD study, Whittier Daily News, 03/25/05

"A closed-session motion by Tran to hire independent counsel to examine the environmental impact report submitted by Wal-Mart was blocked by Clark, Imperial and Taylor. The report will be challenged in court by Wal-Mart opponents on April 6.

Tran: Focus on Rosemead
Opinions, Whittier Daily News, 15 March 2005

"Tran should step down from his school board seat immediately so he can concentrate on issues within Rosemead. Those who overwhelmingly elected Tran deserve his full attention and undivided loyalty. California law backs that premise."

Is John Tran still planning to stay on the Garvey School Board until November.?

Voter turnout high in Rosemead, Pasadena Star News, Wed 09 March 2005.

"The council is gaining its first Asian-American member but losing one Latino member. The city is about 53 percent Asian and 40 percent Latino."

The former and current City Council is 60% White (Clark, Imperial, Taylor), highly disproportionate to the actual population of Rosemead. It is difficult to find the make-up of previous Rosemead City Councils, but it seems Clark has been the only woman for a while, and Joe Vasquez was the first Latino councilmember (elected in 1999?). So before 1999, the council was 100% White (Bruesch, Clark, Imperial, McDonald, Taylor).

I found a couple songs that refer to Wal-Mart. The first is by Dave Lippman, a protest singer. The second is sung by Tracy Byrd, a popular country singer. (That one isn't anti-Wal-Mart.) Third is by Carla U. (Look them up on Google.) There are a couple more that mention the store that I've heard on the radio, but don't know what they are.

I HATE WAL-MART by Dave Lippman

I've always hated Blockbuster

The satirical website The Onion had a funny story about Wal-Mart.

The Onion

Rosemead PRIDE, toward the deadline date when petition signatures were due, sent out an inflammatory mailer saying that we were being paid by "the union" (I guess the AFL-CIO) to get signatures, to the tune of $5 a signature. Then they said that we'd take this money and use it to bring Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton to town.

I smell race-baiting.

This wasn't the only letter they sent, either. There were a few. Someone needs to look into the finances of these mailings, because the Chamber of Commerce, which is funded partly by the City, may be paying for them.