Local Politicians Gone Wild

It is hard to believe politicians that voters continue to elect. Would you vote for someone running to represent you on your Water Board who was recently and successfully recalled as a City Council Member? Well the voters of the Central Basin did just that. Meet Leticia Vasquez of the Central Basin Water District, long know for political corruption

She is now under investigation for not actually living in the District, a California legal requirement. While this is still an investigation and not a conviction, at what point do we, the voters, just press the "reset" button and elect an entirely new crop of representatives? After all, the Central Basin pays almost $3 million per year in legal fees, mostly due to defending lawsuits for its practices. To compound this issue, Ms. Vasquez and two other members, another of whom was under investigation) voted to close down the ethics subcommittee.

I am not taking a position as to the guilt or innocence of Ms. Vasquez, but as a voter, why elect someone who obviously has issues. Why not keep the distractions (and unnecessary lawsuits) away. Don't you really just want to turn on your tap and have high quality, affordable, lawsuit-free water come out?

I strongly suggest you check some of the links out, this is the veritable "rabbit hole" of the internet. Amazing that voters still elect these people.

Here is a list taken from a Lamplighter.com OP/ED recriminating Ms. Vasquez.

Consider the following:

1. Ms. Vasquez has filed a qui tam lawsuit against the District’s former lawyers, staff and 50-does alleging illegal action re the slush fund. If successful, Ms. Vasquez stands to receive millions of dollars.
2. Legal representation for the District in the qui tam matter has cost the District hundreds of thousands of dollars.
3. The presiding judge in a recent hearing indicated that she was inclined to dismiss the suit, given that Ms. Vasquez clearly is not a qualified qui tam plaintiff and the District’s refusal to waive attorney-client privilege. Ms. Vasquez had lobbied aggressively for months to persuade the District to waive privilege despite the strong warnings by the District’s legal counsel. It is now clear that Ms. Vasquez was advocating waiving privilege to help her lawsuit, and thus secure a large payday.
4. If the qui tam is dismissed, Ms. Vasquez and the District are exposed to millions in a likely lawsuit by the defendants for malicious prosecution.
5. Ms. Vasquez attempted to fire GM Tony Perez after only 6-months of a 5-year contract, despite his settlement of long-standing lawsuits, the universal support of the water industry, and the completion of the largest sale of replenishment water in the District’s history.
6. Ms. Vasquez is associated with and is a strong supporter of accused sex offender, Compton School Board member Skyy Fisher, also of accused embezzler West Basin Water District Director Ron Smith.
7. Ms. Vasquez has allied herself w/ Dir. James Roybal, which HMG-CN found to be assigned to LAUSD’s “teacher jail” and illegally receiving tens of thousands of dollars in District salary.
8. Ms. Vasquez retained known convicted felons to run her campaign, and just recently paid them off.
9. Ms. Vasquez’s actions as a Board member were a determinant factor in the ACWA/JPIA’s decision to drop Central Basin’s insurance coverage due to increased liability for “board dysfunction”.
10. Ms. Vasquez’s actions as a Board member were a determinant factor in the L.A. County Board’s motion to investigate the District over concerns that the Board’s dysfunction may affect the District’s ability to deliver water.
11. Ms. Vasquez is the primary suspect for illegally providing a confidential federal subpoena to a private citizen. The District is investigating the source of the leak, which if the source is found and convicted is considered an obstruction of justice punishable by 20-years in prison.
12. It was reported in this paper in March 2014, that a recall campaign was being launched by concerned citizens.
13. Ms. Vasquez has previously been recalled as a Lynwood City Council member due to political corruption charges.