Heads up. Lynwood Watch reports that the Montebello city council voted to hire Arnoldo Beltran as city attorney.

http://lynwoodwatch.blogspot.com/2007/02/montebello-city-council-selects-beltran.html

The LW people say that it's because a big developer lives in Montebello.

LA Weekly reports that Beltran is one of three lawyers involved in pulling out recall campaigns against unfriendly city council members.

Backers of the incumbent city council members have been trying to blame "someone else" for all the turnover among city staff in recent years.  They're including this charge in some campaign literture, and they've sent numerous Mike Lewis-penned letters to the editor.  Our own supporters have rebutted those charges in recent letters to the editor:

From Brian Lewin, in the Feb 23 Pasadena Star-News and San Gabriel Valley Tribune:

http://www.lavote.net/LOCATOR/Default.htm

The link above will take you to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder website, where you'll be able to enter your number and street name to learn your polling place for the March 6 Rosemead city council election. 

Confirming your polling place is a good idea, because there are only going to be six polling places open on election day.  That compares to 11 that were open for the September recall election and 21 for the November general election.  That means most of you will be voting someplace different on March 6 than you did in the last election.  And, to make things even more confusing, some of you may also receive a sample ballot for the Pasadena Area Community College District Board of Trustees.  And you might discover that, even though that election will be on the same day as the Rosemead city council election, the polling place is different!  So be sure to double check your polling place, or vote absentee.

A lot of people think that endorsements don't really matter when it comes to deciding who to vote for.  I disagree.  But explaining why will take a while. . . .

A few years ago, our representative in Congress, Hilda Solis, managed to get a bill passed that authorized a National Park Service study of the recreational potential for lands in the upper watershed of the San Gabriel River.  The Park Service is currently undertaking that study:

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."

There was a disappointingly small turnout at the candidates forum this evening.  It's a shame, because, as Yogi Berra once said, "You can observe a lot by watching."

I observed Jay Imperial interrupt his own response to a question to check his ringing cell phone.  THREE TIMES!!!  For goodness sake!  You're at a candidates forum, and you're a candidate, up there on the stage, with four other candidates and a moderator.  If the phone rings while you're speaking on the stage, apologize, then turn it off immediately.  Don't check to see who the call's from.  And don't check to see who the SECOND call is from.  And do not, under any circumstances, check to see who the THIRD call is from.  Show a little respect for the dignity of the office and dignity of the event.

California State Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero dropped by the campaign headquarters of the Polly Low for Rosemead campaign headquarters this morning.

Picture, attached, from left to right:  Garvey School Board Member Henry Low, Sen. Gloria Romero, Rosemead City Council Candidate Polly Low, and Rosemead Mayor Pro Temp John Nunez.  Also present, but not pictured:  Rosemead City Councilman John Tran, Garvey School Board Member Bob Bruesch, and Rosemead City Council Candidate Victor Ruiz.

For anyone curious, the California state FPPC disclosure reports for the period July 1 - December 31, 2006 were due today. A quick peek at

http://cal-access.ss.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1013468&view=contributions&session=2005