The Bell scandal involved misuse of public funds in Bell, California, USA, for several years in the late 2000s. In July 2010, the Los Angeles Times published an investigative article about possible irregularities in the neighboring town of Maywood, revealing that Bell city officials received the highest reported salaries in the country. Subsequent investigations found very high property tax rates, alleged voter fraud in city elections and other irregularities that increased the next scandal. These and other reports caused widespread criticism and demand for city officials to resign.
In the end, seven municipal officials of Bell, including former mayor Oscar Hernandez, former city administrator Robert Rizzo, assistant city administrator Angela Spaccia, and four city council members were convicted of corruption and corruption, and sentenced from probation to twelve years. in prison.
Video City of Bell scandal
Komunitas
Bell, California, is a small suburb of Los Angeles that covers 2.5 square miles (6.5 km 2 ), with a population of about 38,000. It is one of the poorest cities in Los Angeles County, where nearly one in six people live below the poverty line. In 2009, Bell's per capita income was about $ 24,800 and 90% of the population was Hispanic or Latino. In 2010, only 43.3% held high school or equivalent degrees, while only 6.0% held a post-secondary degree. Small businesses, car shops, markets, carnicerias, and panaderias dominated Bell's streets. The city's unemployment rate is 16%. Like other cities in California, all Bell's local elections are nonpartisan.
Voice and deviation of the charter
In 2005, an act approved by Bell voters freed the city from state laws enacted earlier in the year that restricted the payment of members of the council of common law cities - cities without their own charter. State legislation has become a reform driven by the high salaries that are leaders in the southern area of ​​the South Gate of Los Angeles, their neighbors give to themselves. The five Bell City Council members signed a statement supporting the "small-town vote size," which turned Bell into a charter city and "billed as a city that would give more control to the city," but failed to mention that Bell was exempt from payroll rules. The move passed, 336 votes supported and 54 opposed.
The salary and pensions scandal at Bell also questioned the issue of voter fraud. In the 2005 elections, fewer than 400 votes were given in special elections that paved the way for City Council members to dramatically increase their own salaries. In the election, more than half of the votes cast were absent votes, the most vulnerable method of manipulating fraudulent votes. One of the residents of Bell, who asked not to be named, told Los Angeles Times that he was assigned to retrieve an absentee ballot: "Our goal is to collect ballot papers that are absent, and if they do not filled in, instruct them how to fill it, and if not, fill it for them, "he said. It is estimated that less than 1% of registered voters actually appear to cast their votes. It has been reported that some residents went to the polls, only to find that their voices had been cast.
Deception chooser leads to scandal
The statement of non-conformity in the 2009 elections was also examined by the FBI and the California Secretary of State. A source at the FBI confirmed that they knew the allegations. In the police report were listed the names of 19 voters suspected of living in Lebanon, or have died when their votes were given. When L.A. prosecutors are investigating potential voter fraud, some residents allegedly told the Times that city officials encouraged them to fill out the absentee ballots in a way that electoral experts say has significantly increased the likelihood that state laws have been violated. "Under state law, this should not be done unless a person is sick or disabled, if, in fact, the election itself has been tainted by inappropriate elections or violations of the law of another country, it involves civilian - perhaps even criminal - punishment, and in some circumstances, you can cancel the election itself, "said Attorney General Brown. "If (the officials) meet in the back room and say, 'How can we run an election where nothing comes up so we can fatten our own salary and pensions?' "It could be a violation that would question all elections", he added.
Maps City of Bell scandal
The scandal
A series of investigative articles published by Times in July 2010 revealed that some municipal officials at Bell were paid higher than in other cities. The two main journalists involved in the investigation were Ruben Vives and Jeff Gottlieb, and Kimi Yoshino was the guiding editor. In a press release issued through the Bell City Clerk office, Mayor Oscar Hernandez claimed that "the salaries of City Managers and other top-level staff have been in alignment with the same position during their term of office," and then accused the Times of having "the oblique view of the facts." Hernandez later apologized for what he called "the city's untenable administrative salary". He was later withdrawn, arrested, and indicted for fraud and other charges.
Bell City Council members then voted to reduce their salary to what a board member, Lorenzo Velez, paid: $ 8,076 a year. Before the meeting, all other board members made at least ten times that number. State Superintendent John Chiang said that the salary at Bell had been "outrageous and unjustified" and a voter fraud hotline was formed.
Documents released to the Times revealed that the California Public Employees Pension System (CalPERS) knew four years earlier that Rizzo had received a 47% salary increase to $ 442,000. The then California Attorney General, Jerry Brown, argues that such a major increase should have aroused suspicion from CalPERS. "The outrageous salary at Bell is shocking and beyond belief," Brown said. "With the painful record of deficits and budget cuts facing California cities, the extraordinary local government salaries pose serious questions and demand a thorough investigation."
The end of August 2010 ended the season of legislative legislation in California, and the bill (AB1955) which would strictly regulate the income level of elected officials dead when in the Senate of the State of California. All related bills were vetoed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. A piece of law that has passed before the legislative deadline, AB1987, will put an end to the practice of "spiking" retired public employees - the accumulation of holidays and sick times until the end of their tenure so that their retirement benefits increase, sometimes by tens of thousands of dollars per year; The bill was also vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger. "To be honest, Bell people need to know if their city is a solvent," said Superintendent Gloria Molina, who heads the council and district including Bell. Molina said that the audit, which is estimated to cost about $ 100,000, was paid from his office's discretionary fund and at no cost to the city.
Marcia Fritz, who heads the California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility states that at the age of 62, when Rizzo began receiving Social Security payments, his annual pensions and allowances would rise to $ 976,771, surpassing $ 1 million two years later. "This guy will be our first seven-digit pensioner," Fritz said. The million-dollar retirement Rizzo estimates has been reduced to about $ 100,000 per year, ABC News reported in December 2010. Seven other city council members have been arrested for misappropriation of funds will receive the same pension cuts.
A week after Brown sued, Rizzo and six of the seven others mentioned in his lawsuit were charged in criminal court by plundering $ 5.5 million from Bell. More secret funds containing millions of dollars were discovered in April 2011. Judge Ralph W. Dau ruled that part of the lawsuit accusing Rizzo and others of "a conflict of interest, wasting public funds and placing their own interests in front of Bell" could move on. When Brown declared the suit, he said he hoped to get hundreds of thousands of dollars for the population. He admits it is a "new legal approach" but says he "believes his office has authority."
The city of Bell is still having trouble returning to some semblance of normality in the following year following a pay scandal involving Robert Rizzo and seven other officials revealed. Residents have opted for an entirely new city council and city manager while Bell has proposed to stabilize the scandalous scandalous Los Angeles fringe financial position with a balanced budget that eliminates some high-ranking administrative and police positions, makes other cuts and uses federal grants. to pay the salaries of the police. On August 12, 2011, the city announced that Arne Croce will start Aug. 22 as a temporary city manager. He started with a $ 3,230 weekly salary without medical benefits or retirement, and replaced the temporary city manager when Kenneth Hampian
As Governor, Jerry Brown makes it harder for city council members to be dishonest of pocketing their salary, giving his first signature to reform legislation in connection with Bell's financial scandal. Brown signed a law Assemblyman Cameron Smyth (R-Santa Clarita) law, AB 23, which requires city officials to publish when they hold simultaneous or back-to-back meetings, and what they will attend the meeting will receive in alimony. "The goal is to prevent potential abuse by making public how many officials are paid," Smyth said.
"Special Selection" 2011
33% of the 10,485 registered voters Bell turned out to vote in the withdrawal selection for City Council members. Mayor Hernandez, Deputy Mayor Jacobo and Councilor George Mirabal, are recalled, each with a referendum of over 95%. Danny Harber received 54% of the vote to get Jacobo's seat. Filling the short-term board seat vacated by Mirabal, is Ana Maria Quintana, with 44% of the vote. The next day it was announced that Ali Saleh, Nestor Valencia and Violeta Alvarez would fill three other council seats. Councilor Lorenzo Velez, the only Bell official not accused of wrongdoing, was also replaced to the city council even though he was not involved in the scandal. Assembly Bill 93 which allows the City Clerk to swear on the new board and also allows the Los Angeles County Supervisory Board to validate the results of the March 8 election. The new city council could not take over the office because there was no quorum (none) from the previous city council to swear them in. They were inaugurated in the last week of March 2011. The bill was the first one signed by Brown since taking office and Ricardo Lara's first Assemblyman (D-Bell Gardens) was introduced. The council has appointed Ali Saleh as the new mayor.
The California Fair Political Practices Committee said on July 1, 2011 that they were investigating whether Bell's police union violated state law when unions handed out campaign leaflets in favor of their candidates in the recall election. The commission said it was investigating whether the Bell Police Officers Association was actually recorded as the source of the leaflet. Three of the five elected councils are those who are supported by the Bell Police Officers Association.
Corruption hearings
City Council
The preliminary hearing for alleged misconduct and misconduct of Bell City council members is charged, beginning on February 7, 2011. Councilor Lorenzo Velez, Bell's only non-accused official, testified that he did not remember participating in one of the meetings where the other council members charging tens of thousands of dollars to the city. Velez testified that he did not remember any of the council members doing any work for any committee or if there were any meetings held at all. "I should have asked more questions, I do not deny that," said Velez, the only member of the city council who did not receive a large salary. "If ignorance is a crime, I think I am guilty." Velez was defeated in the March 2011 election. The defendants at this preliminary hearing were Hernandez, Jacobo, Mirabal, former Mayor George Cole and former Council Member Luis Artiga and Victor Bello.
Former city employee, Rebecca Valez, testified in court that she was ordered by Rizzo to lie to residents, Roger Ramirez, who asked about the salaries of board members. The first witness at the preliminary hearing, Ramirez testified that when he faces Rizzo at city council meetings, about rumors that he was paid $ 400,000 a year, "He immediately said, 'No, Mr. Ramirez, if I will make $ 400,000 a year I will not work here ". Ramirez had previously filed a public record request with City Hall. The fake notes given to him show that Rizzo earns about $ 15,000 per month, and City Council members are several hundred dollars a month. Valez, who has partial immunity, said he prepared the document and Rizzo changed the correct figure much lower than the actual salary; he was ordered to show low-faked figures faked to Ramirez. He also testified that Rizzo awarded a contract with a major increase without the consent of a city lawyer.
Bell administration service director Lourdes Garcia said not long before he gave Ramirez falsified documents, City Officer Rebecca Valdez told him that Rizzo had directed him to have Mayor Oscar Hernandez retroactively sign Rizzo's contract, although Hernandez was not the mayor during that period. contract is written. "She's crying," Garcia said of Valdez. "He's very nervous." Valdez testified at the previous hearing that Rizzo had instructed him to give Ramirez the false numbers. The testimony is over and the High Court Judge Au Henry Hall is expected to issue a verdict after opposing lawyers file their arguments.
The pre-trial hearing was set for May 2011 for six defendants. They must all be brought to justice once the judge decides to try them. They all pleaded not guilty to all charges
The trial begins January 22, 2013, with deliberation starting 28 February. The deliberation was suspended Feb. 28 after a jury admitted to discussing the trial outside the jury room. An alternative judge sat down and deliberation continued. After 18 days of consideration five members of the council were found guilty of several counts and not guilty of the same amount of charges, with other charges split 9-3 in favor of guilt. Luis Artiga, who took office after the high salary began, was released from all charges. Subsequently, on March 21, a jury wrote a note to a judge requesting a review of the previous decision, and another jury wrote a note accusing another jury of misbehavior. "It seems that all hell has been lost," the judge told the lawyer in this case. After a day of deliberation, the judge announced the cancellation of the trial of all remaining amounts, allowing the prosecutor to determine whether they would like the case to be retried.
Former City Manager and assistant
At Rizzo's hearing, documents obtained from former computer City Assistant Manager Angela Spaccia by District Attorney Steve Cooley show that starting in 2005, he and Rizzo created fraudulent contracts that were not approved by the City Council that raised their salaries to "outrageous" levels and made almost it is impossible to say how much they are paid, according to a 19-page memorandum from Cooley. "Rizzo and Spaccia managed to hide their behavior for a long time, partly out of deceit... and partly by buying the loyalty of city employees," the memo said. Rizzo is suspected of being the ringleader among "Bell Eight", a former Bell city official (now resigned, withdrawn or fired), accused of burdening taxpayers of about $ 5.5 million through massive salaries, allowances and illegal public money loans.
In his opening presentation, Rizzo's lawyer, James Spertus, stated, "Everyone agrees that it's not a crime to pay too much." Later that day, February 23, 2011, Rizzo complained of chest pain and felt dizzy and carried on a stretcher during the preliminary hearing. She had a towel on her face as the paramedics moved her to the ambulance. He was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital, and the trial was adjourned for the day. Rizzo was released from the hospital the next day. Rizzo returned to court the following Monday. The next day, Rizzo sleeps through a good part of the trial.
On Friday of the same week, the focal point is Rizzo's tremendous salary and the intrigue of what he made to accept it. The main problem is that Rizzo has signed a contract, because although the former city prosecutor admits the signature appears to be his, he claims that he did not sign it. The D.A. claiming that Rizzo signed it himself.
The second preliminary hearing for misuse of public funds by Rizzo, and former Assistant Town Manager Angela Spaccia, began March 22, 2011. The couple has been ordered to stand trial on previous charges. On the indictment on March 24, 2011, Rizzo, Spaccia, former Mayor Hernandez and former board member Luis Artiga pleaded not guilty to allegations that they plundered Bell a small millions of dollars.
More charges for duo
Rizzo and Spaccia were indicted on several new charges by the Grand Jury of Los Angeles on March 30, 2011. The allegations include new allegations of misuse of public funds, conflicts of interest, falsifying public documents and secreting public documents. Yet another accusation claimed that the document created by the duo appeared to be a contract for former police chief Randy Adams and issued an indication of an actual contract that paid him nearly $ 10,000 more per payment period than claimed. The indictment adds eight indictments to a public corruption case against Rizzo and seven former Bell officials
More money spent
As of April 25, 2011, it was revealed that at least two more illegal pension accounts had been found. An additional $ 4.5 million was found secreted to avoid retirement limits for public employees and to benefit Rizzo, Spaccia and several elected board members. Other accounts were found set up to only benefit Rizzo and Spaccia, letting them avoid the IRS regulations that limit government pensions. Lourdes Garcia, director of municipal administrative services, testified under the limited immunity that Rizzo told her in 2008 that his goal was to include $ 14 million in secondary pension funds, which the city would pay.
Overthrown officials are demanding more city funds
Four of the city's officials have requested that the city of Bell pay their legal bills. Hernandez, Jacobo and Cole face allegations of corruption for allegedly plundering the city's treasury, according to L.A. Times in January 2011. City audits have shown that the city is close to bankruptcy. Cole's lawyer, Robert Kaye, claimed that, although he was paid about $ 100,000 per year for a part-time position and attended a meeting that did not happen or lasted only a few minutes that "At that time... Mr. Cole did not believe that his actions were unlawful. "High Court Judge Henry J. Hall ordered in February 2011, that no compensation was paid to city officials without the consent of the court.
However, in March 2011, Robert Rizzo (and two other former board members) insisted in their claim that they were entitled to a replacement from the city of Bell for the legal expenses spent on his defense of his indictment of deceiving the city of Bell from millions of dollars. His legal counsel filed more than 400 pages of additional papers to support his allegations. Former Bell City lawyer Edward Lee asserted during a deposition testimony in 2010 that he outlined a defense clause in Rizzo's contract and that it was intended to guarantee the former defense fund manager of the city "against all types of claims", according to Rizzo's new court document. "All those claims sparked a defense obligation from the city of Bell under Mr. Rizzo's employment agreement and he sent a claim to the city for defense, but all the bids were rejected by the city government," the Rizzo court's daily newspaper said. Rizzo's request and problem intention in the employment agreement.
Hearing
The two-sentence order rejecting the petition was later signed without comment by Judge Dennis M. Perluss and Laurie D. Zelon from District Court 2 in Los Angeles.
In December 2011, Los Angeles County Supreme Court Judge Kathleen Kennedy dismissed their moves to drop demands and the presumption that their pay was protected by the city's charter. He issued a very critical ten-page decision that completely negated the claims of politicians that they had no intention or knowledge that they might be breaking the law. "The Bell Charter City," Kennedy writes, "does not make Bell a sovereign state that is not subject to California's general criminal law."
On February 28, 2012, Judge Kennedy sacked several alleged crimes against former Mayor Oscar Hernandez and two charges of misappropriation of public funds against former councilman Luis Artiga. Hernandez and Artiga will still face charges of misusing funds in separate cases. The judge rejected the motion to deny any allegations against former city manager Robert Rizzo and his assistant, Angela Spaccia.
In his decision Feb. 9, Kennedy stated that Rizzo "runs this loan program unilaterally" and distributes at least 40 loans for a total of nearly $ 2 million between 2001 and 2010. In rejecting the dismissal movement by Rizzo and Spaccia, Kennedy said they " own financial requirements that give rise to large and other benefits, "and that" This is a case of conflict of interest textbooks. "
Salary of salary
Bell city manager
Rizzo collected a salary of US $ 787,637 a year, with a 12% increase every year every July, he received $ 1.5 million last year. Rizzo remained unrepentant about his salary and said, "If it's the number of people choking, maybe I'm in the wrong business... I can go into private business and make that much money." This board has given me compensation for the job. already completed." Spaccia agrees, saying: "I have to argue you get what you pay for." Rizzo and Spaccia never achieved such a salary in the private sector.
In comparison, Los Angeles County Chief Executive William T Fujioka earned $ 338,458. The President of the United States earns $ 400,000 per year. Rizzo also receives an enormous benefit package, including paid holidays, sickness and personal time of 28 weeks off per year. In addition, both Rancho Cucamonga and Hesperia may be required to pay a significant percentage of Rizzo's annual retirement estimate of $ 600,000, according to Daily Hitches estimates. Rizzo is lining up to receive a pension of $ 880,000 per year.
In September 2010, Rizzo, Mayor Oscar Hernandez, former assistant city manager Angela Spaccia and councilor George Mirabal, Teresa Jacobo, Luis Artiga, George Cole and Victor Bello were arrested and accused of misusing public funds. When Hernandez refused to answer the door at his home, the sheriff's department used a breaking device to break down the door and pull out the mayor with handcuffs. He refused to resign from the mayor's office, and was recalled in March 2011.
Rizzo was released from prison after Los Angeles County Supreme Court Judge Mary Lou Villar decided that the funds sent for her $ 2 million bail were not linked to any money she earned at Bell. Rizzo was asked to hand over his passport and use an electronic monitor. The hired guarantor to pay a ransom fee of $ 2 million Rizzo, James Demayo and Morris Demayo, negotiated for several weeks with prosecutor Max Huntsman to get his bail approved. The electronic monitor was forced by Max Huntsman.
Since he resigned, Rizzo has requested that the city pay his legal bills and claim that the city paid him back. No deal was made with Rizzo when he resigned. "He resigned without severance pay," said former board member Velez, adding: "I would not even give him one and a half pieces."
Rizzo has also been ordered to stand trial in the conflict-additional interest on the horse race agreement with Bell's contracted private planning director. Spaccia, accused of misusing public funds. Rizzo previously enjoyed buying horses and visiting nearly $ 1 million of his ranch in Washington state.
Police Chief
On September 24, 2010, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office finally initiated an investigation of former Police Chief Bell Randy Adams, as part of a widespread investigation of city officials. Other policemen including Adams negotiated an agreement with Rizzo when he was hired in 2009 that determined that he suffered a back, knee and neck injury and that the city would support his appeal for a disability pension (Liz O. Baylen, Los Angeles Times ). Prosecutors filed a lawsuit regarding a deal with Rizzo, Adams himself declared disabled on the day he was hired at Bell. Status defect stands for millions of net Adams dollars tax-free in taxpayers' fees. Under the agreement, the 59-year-old Adams will receive a lifetime disability allowance whenever he is ready for retirement, which means he will not have to pay taxes on half of his $ 400,000 annual pension. His Bell Pension will be the third richest in the state's large retirement system. State attorneys filed a lawsuit against Adams and Bell following the report's "flaw". "You should only receive a disability pension if you are disabled and unable to perform the normal duties of your job," said California Employee Retirement Office spokesman Ed Fong. "If that's not the case, it will be a fraud."
The injury quoted Adams to collect millions of dollars tax-free from law-enforced disability pensions did not stop him from taking a tight spinning class and runs in the 5K race, Glendale Downtown Dash, in 2009. Not also stopped him from declaring on the 2008 app for Orange County sheriff, that he likes to ski and has been on a 120-mile Baker to Las Vegas Relay run. When Adams applied for the Orange County sheriff, years before joining Bell, he did not mention having any physical problems, says Rick Francis, chief of staff for the Supervisory area of ​​John Moorlach. "He's not handicapped," says Glendale City Manager Jim Starbird, who is Adams's boss until he goes to Bell. "I have never heard of anyone employed to work in a city and have a determination [disability] coming in." Glendale has joined two other cities in an attempt to block what is potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in pension payments to Adams, whose highly profitable term as the Bell police chief has far-reaching consequences for the country's elaborate employee retirement system. Adams's salary of $ 457,000 is roughly double that of Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck who oversees nearly 10,000 officers. Bell department police department number 48.
In February 2008, it was revealed on CBS's evening news that Adams allegedly exchanged e-mails with assistant city managers about how they would manage more than $ 400,000 in salaries and how to hide the facts from residents. The contents of the email were presented in a funny way about bilking the city. "I'm looking forward to seeing you and taking all of Bell's money," Adams wrote, according to the memo. Adams has not been prosecuted or arrested. Some people at Bell speculated that Adams had not been arrested because of his relationship with law enforcement to District Attorney Steve Cooley.
Since August 2010, the city of Bell is still looking for a new police chief. Gilbert Jara, head of Bell Assn Police Officer, called the search "a good first step in ensuring not only public safety but also a restoration of public confidence in Bell officials." The city of Bell has claimed that they are negotiating with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department to take over the police contract, but Sheriff spokesman Lee Baca said LA County Auditor Superintendent Wendy L. Watanabe did not contact him about it. possibility.
In October 2011, the city hired the first Temporary Chief of Police since the scandal broke out. Steve Belcher is retained as a temporary head and brings nearly 40 years of law enforcement experience. Belcher was given the task of giving the police department a critical outlook and providing new city management with a review of police management. Interim chief Belcher submitted his recommendation and served as Temporary Chief of Police for one year.
In October 2012, Police Captain Bell Anthony (Tony) Miranda was promoted to Chief of Police after a search of more than 70 candidates nationwide. The department continued its journey to recovery under the direction of Head Miranda.
In June 2015, California Public Employees' Board of Pensions (CalPERS) Board was set as a precedent to its decision to reduce former Bell City police chief Randy Adams, who asked to retire more than half. The Council's decision to designate Adams's decision as a precedent meant that it could be formally cited in court, in other administrative proceedings, and be widely applicable to other cases.
More police caught scandal
The office that manages retirement benefits for California public employees is seeking validity of the pension program for at least 10 police officers, including four heads, who receive disability pensions and workers' compensation compensation when they are forced to leave their jobs in the city of Bel. The California Public Employees Retirement System, or CalPERS, has asked Bell officials to ascertain whether Rizzo approves a pension deal that increases payments to the officers, the Los Angeles Times reported on its website May 11, 2011.
"If Rizzo wants to get rid of you, he will make some way to pay you and make it profitable for you financially," said former Chief Andreas Probst, who was awarded compensation compensation $ 250,000 workers and $ 158,057 annual disability retirement. Probst claims that his pension was handled properly because he suffered injuries that were in an accident with a drunk driver. But he said Rizzo was giving away severance, vacation, and sick money paid to him in the settlement of workers' compensation - a practice which authorities say would violate the tax code.
Other city officials
The city's website shows that seven city workers receive too high salaries, with two earnings of over $ 400,000 per year and three earning over $ 200,000. City Assistant Manager Angela Spaccia collects $ 376,288 per year, with an annual salary increase of 12%, more than the top administrator for Los Angeles County. Police Chief Bell Adams, who oversees the 46-person department, has an annual salary of $ 457,000, which is 33% higher than LAPD police chief Charlie Beck who oversees 12,899 employees in Los Angeles and earns $ 307,000. In 2009, 11 officers at Bell paid more than $ 10,000 in overtime. An officer charged $ 26,109 in overtime.
All members of city council part-time collect nearly $ 100,000 per year, except Board Member Lorenzo Velez. Velez, who is paid only about $ 8,000 a year for his ministry on the council, said he did not know about the exorbitant salaries other officials had gathered. He also testified that he did not remember participating in any meeting that other council members charge tens of thousands of dollars into the city. Board members in towns similar to Bell in an average size of $ 4,800 a year. In contrast, the city of San Marino City Council, did not receive any salary at all. California Attorney General Jerry Brown and L.A. prosecutors are investigating whether board salaries currently violate state laws that govern how many board members are paid. Bell officials voted unanimously to seek legal action against city officials, political consultants or others. Other city officials receive an increased salary. Lourdes Garcia, director of municipal administrative services, and Eric Eggena, director of general services, paid over $ 400,000 each. Garcia has since agreed on a 61% wage cut and Eggena was fired. An unnamed third official was also released.
State MPs and investigators traveled to the city of Bell on November 8, 2010, to investigate allegations of corruption and governance issues in the suburbs of Los Angeles. When citizens were notified by the state auditors that their political leaders mismanaged millions of dollars from blue-collar city money, used it mostly to pay for their own big salaries, they "snapped in shock and disbelief." The auditor spoke at a session called by state lawmaker Hector De La Torre, who said he wanted to give 36,000 working-class townspeople a "full accounting of what had happened".
The L.A. The Times reported that in a review of state and local records it was found that independent audits from public institutions in California often failed to recognize and record cases of questionable mismanagement and clear fraud. The report cites San Diego, Compton and South Gate as other cities that are plagued by public corruption that receives a clean and suspicious audit. "Bells know their homes are a mess," said Superintendent Gloria Molina. "There is no way to be restored at Bell until the inhabitants there have an accurate picture of the city's finances."
BASTA
The main groups organized against the city are the Bell Association for Stopping Abuse (BASTA); Basta means "enough" in Spanish. BASTA consists of community members who motivate people to be educated and learn where and how their tax money is spent. BASTA held a march on July 25, 2010. Some protesters wore T-shirts with the words "My city is more corrupt than your city". BASTA is supported in part by the Bell Police Police Association. The Association of Police Officers has opposed service contracts from the Police Department or consolidated police services to joint force authorities and has criticized payroll posting on the Bell City Clerk website, calling them "cheated" due to overtime entry. BASTA collected enough signatures to force the recall election in March for four members of the City Council who face corruption allegations. Organizers with BASTA began the process of recall in August after unsuccessfully calling for the resignation of Mayor Oscar Hernandez and Luis Artiga board members Teresa Jacobo and George Mirabal. Artiga has since resigned.
Investigate the Bell scandal further
Real estate deals under investigation
Officials at Bell pay more than double the assessed value for a piece of land that was never rebuilt. The latest scandal involves a land channel currently leased by car washes. The Los Angeles Times reported that Rizzo and former General Services Manager Eric Eggena negotiated purchases for $ 1.35 million, despite his $ 612,000 valuation. "This is a raging real estate deal", says Larry Kosmont, a Los Angeles real estate consultant. "Basically, they cook books about this."
Civil Rights Violations
The FBI has begun to investigate allegations of violating the civil rights of some citizens, especially whether Bell officials violate the Latino civil rights by charging suspected targeted cars and burdening too-high-cost populations to take their vehicles. A memo entitled Baseball Bus List of the Police Department contains "points" for officers to ticket for targeted breaches. Police officers at Bell said in an interview in August 2010 that they often spent their shifts pulling vehicles for minor offenses in the hope that they would become unlicensed drivers. "Although the officers are not specifically looking for immigrants, it is clear that most of the drivers pulled were illegal immigrants," said Officer Kurt Owens. "We will look for younger people in their 20s and 30s, people with dilapidated cars, broken lights, loud music or dark windows," Owens added.
Bell's budget shows that the city generated an increase in revenues from fees and taxes over several years. Bell notes show that the city generated nearly a million dollars just by charging fees in the 2008-09 fiscal year, which managed to be about $ 10 per citizen in this small town. Bell picked up $ 300 for unlicensed riders to recover their cars, three times what Los Angeles County and its neighboring cities demanded. "All this is just a Rizzo way to nickel and dimit people to death to get more money from them", Christina Garcia, a community activist, said.
Bell requires additional fees from some businesses
The Los Angeles Times reported on November 1, 2010, that for at least a decade, officials at Bell arbitrarily needed some business to make payments to the city for tens of thousands of dollars each year, and at least one case threatening business owners with closure if he fails to comply. The Oregonian editorialized that "Shaken local business, Sopranos-style, just to stay open."
"Breast Cancer Awareness" Fund
Bell City raised $ 100,000 reported from a multi-year breast cancer awareness raiser. Former deputy mayor Teresa Jacobo is one of the leaders of the campaign and people from Bell are trying to find out where the charity donations go and if any funds are donated to breast cancer awareness organizations.
Property tax
Investigations against city property taxes found that Bell homeowners paid tariffs higher than those of prosperous Beverly Hills. Homeowners at Bell pay the second-highest tax rate in any city in Los Angeles County. Wendy Watanabe, a Los Angeles County auditor controller, stated that Bell residents pay 1.55% of their house value assessed in taxes, 34% above normal. State Supervisor John Chiang said the rate of increase was illegal. Wantanabe says the average for the county is 1.16%. Auditors have found that taxpayers overly charged $ 2.9 million for "retirement taxes" to fund city employee pensions. Under the California state tax code, nearly $ 3 million was paid more by Bell homeowners, had to be transferred to local schools; however, on September 1, 2010, MPs approved AB 900 by Assemblyman Kevin De Leon (D-Los Angeles ), which returned $ 2.9 million in direct property tax returns to excessive city invoices. On September 13, 2010, Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado, approved the bill. Since the boundaries of the Montebello Unified School District belong to a small area of ​​Bell, it is to receive a share of the $ 2.9 million property tax return scheduled to be returned to Bell under A.B. 900, which was signed into law by Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado. In a solidarity event with Bell residents, the Montebello Unified School District has rejected the legal part of its return.
Illegal sewer cost
Bell City assessed the property owner for the gutter charge without obtaining the mandated voter approval. The Times got a letter to the city where Controller John Chiang stated that the property owner paid over $ 621,737 in fees that have illegally increased since 2007. An additional tax was added about $ 20 per package for each of the three years last 'tax bill. After the pay scandal arose in July 2010, about a hundred residents protested at the City Council meeting, saying they believed their taxes were too high. Many residents say they have noticed the assessment on their tax bill that they have never been told and do not understand. ABC News announced that Bell homeowners who have paid more than their property tax for the past three years will be refunded the funds collected illegally. In September 2010, Lt. Governor Maldonado signed the Assembly Bill 900, which returned the $ 3,000,000 collected from 4,000 residents.
Negligence of the auditor
In connection with the allegations (AC2012-17) that audit firm Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C. (MHM) from Irvine, California "committed repeated omissions on more than one occasion in the 2009 audit of City of Bell (Bell) and Bell Community Redevelopment Agency (Bell CRA) departing from professional standards" and "not adequately documented audits for Bell and Bell CRA for the year ended June 30, 2009. "The California Board of Accountancy suspends the CPA Corporation MHM License for six months fixed, with a two year trial period, and impose administrative penalties of $ 300,000, including enforcement action, effective June 2012.
The local newspaper dies when Rizzo is hired
A local newspaper, Industrial Post , was founded in Bell in 1924. It was renamed at least twice, becoming Community Service in 1998, when it was sold. Rizzo was hired around that time. Community News stop publication shortly thereafter. Journalist Terry Francke claims that, "Bell's spectacle is what happens to the community without their own persistent news coverage by veteran newspaper reporters, or at least intelligent reporters led by veteran newspaper editors."
Impact
US Vice President Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, appealed to federal prosecutors to examine widespread political corruption in Los Angeles County. At least six other cities where officials have recently been accused of corruption include Irwindale, La Puente, Monterey Park, Pico Rivera, Temple City, and Vernon. "A much tighter focus obviously benefited from events," Schiff said, citing laws specifically aimed at fraud involving taxpayer dollars. "Some of these cases are difficult to prosecute (at the local level) and where the US Attorney does well is to pursue them." Schiff said he wanted to see federal prosecutors look closely at several towns beside Bell. "I think they have an interesting interest... The federal government clearly has jurisdiction in public corruption investigations," Schiff said. Now there is a deficit of several million dollars in general funds. An audit by Los Angeles County auditors found that the city needed to significantly reduce its budget, including the possible dissolution of the Bell Police Department and enter into a contract with the Sheriff County Department of L.A.
The oppression at Bell has also received extensive coverage in Spanish-language media and has resonated among voters in blue-collar Latin communities who often feel neglected both in terms of government service and the judicial system, "said Jaime Regalado, director of Edmund G." Pat "Brown Institute of Public Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles.
The Palm Springs Desert Sun dipertahankan, dalam editorial:
That, in a very disturbing way, we all owe it to the thankful Bell community. The elected and unelected hierarchy of the [small] town goes to extremes while the voters are asleep... As now, every Californian citizen has the right to ask public institutions to calculate salary funded by taxpayers and other compensation. It applies to all public employees - from city managers and board members to every teacher or librarian.
Awards to expose scandal
Los Angeles Times reporters Ruben Vives and Jeff Gottlieb were awarded the Selden Rings Award for Investigative Reporting to expose Bell's pay scandal, 'Violation of Faith'. The award, presented by Annenberg School for Communication & amp; Journalism, the prize is worth $ 35,000. On April 18, 2011, it was announced that L.A. The Times has won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service award for breaking the Bell scandal.
The L.A. Times announced an award-winning in-house editorial in May 2011. The award-winning Pulitzer Prize-winning Bell award is in the "Investigation" category as well as Publisher Prizes . Eddie Hartenstein said of Bell's coverage in his newspaper: "Robert Rizzo and his cronies, I think, enjoy their good fortune and know well what they do and know they have to keep it a secret. And if anything brave enough to reveal it, there are some people here, they ask the town clerk at Bell, Calif., And the response they get repeatedly is 'The note is not available; come back two weeks.' But they will not accept that... [W] he [cover] finally got out of Bell's pay scandal, it was not for a grand jury or a conscientious official or anything like that.Because two brave reporters of LA Times . "
In popular culture
In 2016, Arizona State University Professor and former Director of the Morrison Institute for Public Policy Thom Reilly publishes Government Failure in Bell, California: Large-Time Corruption in Small Towns, detailing scandalous events and combining norms of analysis - cultural norms and government structures that have been historically designed to prevent corruption. See Reilly ASU Impact Talk.
True Detective Season 2 is loosely based on events in Bell, CA.
References
External links
- Robert Rizzo as street art, from Los Angeles Times
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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