Well, I was hoping someone else would log on to congratulate me, but it looks like I have to plan my own celebration. :)

On Monday, I was one of four new appointees to the city's Planning Commission.  I'll be joined by Larry Bevington, who I'm sure you all know.  I don't personally know the other two new appointees, and I only saw the holdover reappointee preside over a single commission meeting.  But I do hope we can all work together to improve the quality of life in Rosemead.

On how the Sheriff's Department failed to detain and prosecute a gang tagger:

http://www.sgvtribune.com/search//ci_5790538

And on Maggie Clark's irresponsible, distorting, Wal-Mart-paid-for mailer:

http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_5857929

. . . Or, at least, a FALL in sales tax revenue!

Sales Tax Revenue to Rosemead

Fourth Quarter 2005 (November 15, 2005 - February 14, 2006):

     $705,202

Fourth Quarter 2006 (November 15, 2006 - February 14, 2007):

     $684,190

Change, 2006 - 2007:  -$21,012

Percent Change:  -3%

Bottom line:  With Wal-Mart open in Rosemead during the entire Fourth quarter of 2006, and covering the holiday shopping season when most retailers have sales that rival or exceed their sales for the other three quarters of the year combined, total sales tax revenue to the city of Rosemead DROPPED 3% in comparison to the same period for the previous year.

This isn't my own opinion, but that of Bob Bracamontes of onlinewithbob.com. You may remember him from the 1990s, when the LA Times had regional writers, and he was their Eastside writer.

I'm just putting it up here because Montebello seems to lack a site like SOC, where people can discuss civic issues.

Here's the teaser, and a link to the whole article:

Why Montebello should consider a change in fire services

Today's San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Pasadena Star-News picked up an opinion piece from the New York Sun on the coming of Go-Go Curry to New York.  The writer foresaw this as the next "thing."  First curry, then kaiseki:

http://www.sgvtribune.com/opinions/ci_5467637

I think she's way off base.  After all, Hurry Curry and Curry House have both been here in Los Angeles for years, yet neither shows the sort of crossover appeal of even an El Pollo Loco.  I'm sure they do a fine business, but they're not going to be popping up on every corner.

You often here the refrain that "every vote counts."  And, every now and then, we find proof of this maxim.  This past March, this lesson was reiterated in Temple City, our neighbor to the north.  I've linked to a Los Angeles Times (free registration required to read) and a San Gabriel Valley Tribune article on that election:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-temple11mar11,1,6574300.story

Listening to Gary and Jay speak at the candidates forum last night, it was almost like they were making the case for their own defeat.  They went through a litany of the stores that have closed on their watch, and a litany of failed efforts to keep stores here or to attract new national chains to our city.

Ask Jay why they have failed, and he tells us it's because of our failed redevelopment effort.  I wish he would have clarified when this failure occurred.  As near as I can figure, he's talking about events from back when Ken Pike was recalled, and the four years or so after that.  Because of that, he says that Rosemead has gotten "a bad reputation."

Nice turnout at the kick-off for Victor's Campaign.  BOE member Judy Chu and 49th District Assemblyman Mike Eng both popped in to join in the festivities.  Rosemead Councilmembers John Nunez and John Tran were also there, as were Garvey School Board members Bob Bruesch, Henry Lo, and Felipe Agredano.  Rosemead Council candidate Polly Low and the usual suspects from SOC were also in attendance, to lend their enthusiasm to this launch.