When You’re Right You’re Right When You’re Wrong You’re Wrong

By Jerry Bernstein

Recently a petition was submitted to the Hawaiian Gardens City Clerk recalling Councilman and former Mayor Mike Gomez. Unfortunately for the backers of the petition there were only 10 signatures on it, not the required 20. In addition some of the signatures were ruled invalid.
The person who instigated the recall apparent reasons for trying to remove Councilman Gomez are apparently revenge for having been terminated from his city job. Will he try again? Speculation is that he hasn’t given up.
A look at Councilman Gomez’s record since he has been on the council shows no reason for his being recalled. For that matter none of the council members, at this time, deserve to be recalled.
This writer has covered Hawaiian Gardens for the past 13 years. Many changes have occurred in the city. All good changes. Many problems and complaints have been addressed. Residents no longer fear for their safety. Children can now play outside without the fear of being hit by a speeding car or a stray bullet. This isn’t to say everything is perfect. Much remains to be done. But, as they say, “Rome wasn’t built in a Day.”
This brings us back to the city council. No one is perfect and that includes city council Members. They may disagree on issues, but hopefully that all agree that serving the city the best they can is their priority. A recall petition should have good reasons why it is being circulated. It should not represent revenge.
If there is another attempt to recall Councilman Gomez or any of his colleagues on the council there had better be a good reason.
The Hawaiian Gardens City Council is made up of members who are new to the world of governing a city. The only veteran is Mayor Pro Tem Michiko Oyama-Canada. You don’t learn the in-and-outs of city government immediately. It takes time. Not only does a councilmember serve on the city council, but he or she also participate in such organizations like Contract Cities, The League of California Cities and their different committees which councilmembers are assigned membership. There are also state and county laws which councilmembers need to be aware of and how they affect the city.
In so many words, when an individual is elected to the city council, he or she does not just become a member of city government but becomes part of the system that governs the city, county and state.
There are conferences and meetings to attend. Some are formal and others are informal where a lot of networking is accomplished. An example is the annual Contract Cities meeting held in Palm Desert every year. There are committee meetings, speakers, and in this case time to play some golf, where I might add a lot of networking occurs during the game.
Hawaiian Gardens needs councilmemers who know what they are doing, have a good understanding of local government and most of all has the city’s welfare at heart. If there is going to be a recall election, it must be for a good reason, not a trumped up one.