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Bell council found loophole in law to allow big salaries (thru a special election w/low turn-out)
LA Times ^ | 7/22/10 | Jeff Gottlieb

Posted on 07/22/2010 8:59:45 PM PDT by NormsRevenge

The highly paid members of the Bell City Council were able to exempt themselves from state salary limits through a little-noticed city ballot measure during a special election that attracted fewer than 400 voters.

Council members in Bell earn nearly $100,000 – a salary that has prompted an inquiry by the Los Angeles County district attorney. A state law enacted in 2005 limits the pay of council members in "general law" cities, a reform prompted by the high salaries that leaders in the neighboring city of South Gate bestowed on themselves.

But the year the law passed, the Bell City Council held a special election with only one item on the ballot. It asked voters to approve a measure calling for Bell to convert to a "charter" city.

The move was billed as one that would give the city more local control, and there was no mention that it exempted Bell from the salary regulations. All five council members signed the ballot statement in favor of Measure A.

There was no mention of salaries, and no one filed an argument against the measure, according to documents obtained by The Times. The measure passed, 87% to 54%, with 336 people voting for it and 54 against. The majority of the ballots, 239, were absentee votes.

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; US: California
KEYWORDS: bell; california; loophole; salaries
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Well,, Gollllllll-ey Sgt Carter. That just seems sneaky.
1 posted on 07/22/2010 8:59:49 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
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To: NormsRevenge

87% to 54% ??


2 posted on 07/22/2010 9:02:27 PM PDT by Husker24
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To: NormsRevenge

400 hundred voters? did they hold the election in the city hall parking lot?
Just asking.


3 posted on 07/22/2010 9:02:32 PM PDT by J Edgar
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To: Husker24
87% to 54% ??

L.A. Times math.

4 posted on 07/22/2010 9:04:25 PM PDT by Graybeard58 ("Anyone pushing Romney must love socialism...Piss on Romney and his enablers!!" ~ Jim Robinson)
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To: NormsRevenge

This is precisely what is wrong with this city, the state and the federal government as well.

STOP THE INSANITY! STOP THE FRIGGIN SPENDING! STOP THE FRIGGIN TAXES!

Those people get paid too much money and have enormous benefits and the rest of us pay for it all with our taxes.

This is why the first Revolutionary War was fought and now we need to start to fight another and that fight begins in November by voting as many dems out of office as possible.


5 posted on 07/22/2010 9:04:51 PM PDT by Ev Reeman
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To: NormsRevenge

Just in case you couldn’t figger it out Bell is just one-length in the sewer pipe that is LA county.


6 posted on 07/22/2010 9:07:49 PM PDT by Cyber Ninja (Live and let live; is not working...)
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To: NormsRevenge

SO cities can ignore state law and the state can’t enforce federal law?

got it.


7 posted on 07/22/2010 9:08:25 PM PDT by GeronL (http://libertyfic.proboards.com <--- My Fiction/ Science Fiction Board)
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To: GeronL

Like sanctuary cities?


8 posted on 07/22/2010 9:11:13 PM PDT by Ev Reeman
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To: J Edgar

Special election that as not advertised well.


9 posted on 07/22/2010 9:13:11 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (The US will not die with a whimper. It will die with thundering applause from the left.)
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To: NormsRevenge

That is NOTHING compared to the loophole in the Fairfax County VA zoning code that allows any property zoned commercial (C8) to automatically transform itself into a place of worship.

Two doors down from my cul-de-sac a huge mosque and Islamist day school is about to be built. Damn I’m glad I’m in foreclosure. If I had ANY equity in this place I’d be steaming mad.

For those of you in middle America, a big mosque means huge traffic issues. Ramadan = police presence, big time. I already see white flight. Then you will see YELLOW FLIGHT (Asians). That’s when it’s time to SELL as fast as possible.


10 posted on 07/22/2010 9:18:09 PM PDT by japaneseghost
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To: Husker24

DemocRat math.


11 posted on 07/22/2010 9:19:05 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (The US will not die with a whimper. It will die with thundering applause from the left.)
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To: Graybeard58

Says a lot about the econ reporting doesn’t it.


12 posted on 07/22/2010 9:19:57 PM PDT by Bhoy
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To: NormsRevenge

There is no other word for what California elected officials, public employee unions, public safety employees, city management officials and administrators, and other civil serpents in the state are doing to the California taxpayer: LOOTING. What is going on at all levels of government is simply criminal. There appears to be nothing California taxpayers can do to stop this. But when the dems in Washington try to send US taxpayer dollars to California to bail them out when the inevitable collapse occurs, the revolution will come.


13 posted on 07/22/2010 9:20:26 PM PDT by Spartan79 (Malo periculosam libertatem quam quietam servitutem.)
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To: NormsRevenge

Yes, they have to be SNEAKY.

Bell, California: City Manager $800,000, Police Chief $450,000, City Council $100,000
Right Pundits .Com ^ | 7/20/10 | Shannon Bell

Posted on Wednesday, July 21, 2010 2:06:48 PM by nmh

A report by the LA Times sparked a protest at last night’s council meeting when it was learned that the Bell, California city manager makes nearly $800,000 dollars annually. That’s not all, the police chief of the 38,000 resident Town makes over $450,000 per year and each city council member rakes in $100,000 for their part time gig. Good work if you can get it.

Bell is a mostly Hispanic town of just under 40,000 people about 10 miles southeast of Los Angeles. At the City Council meeting last night it was like the final scene of Frankenstein, pitchforks and torches. The crowd showed up to call for the resignations of the Mayor, City Manager, and other city officials.

...

The Mayor of Bell, California said in an interview that “Our streets are cleaner, we have lovely parks, better lighting throughout the area, our community is better. These things just don’t happen, they happen because he had a vision and made it happen.”

Probably the most outrageous of all is the Bell, California City Manager’s $800,000 per year salary; not to mention his automatic 12% raise annually. Chief Administrative Officer Robert Rizzo earns $787,637 to be exact. While the Police Chief, Randy Adams pulls in $457,000, way more than even the Los Angeles Police Chief. The video below is just an aside about the Mayor of Bell.

BTW, the Mayor is Oscar Hernandez and is Hispanic earning nearly $800,000 with an automatic 12% increase a year

Chief Administrative Officer, Robert Rizzo earns $787,637

Police chief, Randy Adams, of the 38,000 resident Town makes over $450,000

City Council members rake in $100,000 for their PART TIME gig.

State Assemblyman, Hector De La Torre says that state law limits council members salaries to several hundred dollars per month.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2556700/posts

The people there almost DESERVE to be impoverished MORE when they DO NOT STOP IT!


14 posted on 07/22/2010 9:22:22 PM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: Husker24
87% to 54% ??

Bell must have passed the CVRA (cemetary voting rights act).

15 posted on 07/22/2010 9:31:31 PM PDT by budwiesest (It's that girl from Alaska, again.)
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To: nmh

I knind of think the people in the city deserved what they got and why only 400 people voted in a city of 38,000 is ridiculous. I vote in every election even though I feel like it is hopeless where I live it is totally liberal. About 6 years our City Council had a measure on the ballot to change our City Charter and it did say they were going to increase thier monthly stipend from 300.00 per month to 600.00 A few of the council memebrs came to one of our HOA meetings and I actually told them I did not think they needed a raise. My point is these people have to be informed and wathc them like a hawk they are all shady


16 posted on 07/22/2010 9:37:29 PM PDT by funfan
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To: NormsRevenge
I wonder what"s the diversity of the city. It may be the N.E.A. that dumbs down the kids of these poor illegals.
17 posted on 07/22/2010 9:58:37 PM PDT by 23 Everest (Zero, Glittering Jewel of Colossal Ignorance.)
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To: NormsRevenge

I was listening to Smerconish about this. Apparently, 50% of the town of Bell are illegals. If so, they may not vote (I hope) and so the council there gets away with a lot.


18 posted on 07/22/2010 10:06:29 PM PDT by Amberdawn
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To: NormsRevenge

Pre-tea party days. Hopefully over for good. Certainly over for this grabby group.


19 posted on 07/22/2010 10:33:37 PM PDT by jocon307 (It's the spending, stupid.)
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To: NormsRevenge

To be sure, the idiots are fortunate they are not swinging by a rope....just saying....


20 posted on 07/22/2010 10:40:41 PM PDT by cranked
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