Candidate’s Forum Chris Fuentes

As I watched the incredible story of the city of Bell unfold in the papers and then on the national media, it reminded me how the truth is always stranger than fiction, the recurrent question was not “Why?” that’s simple: Greed, the perplexing question was “How?” In plain sight, an all-powerful city manager and a rubberstamp city council were able, for an extended period of time, to escalate staff salaries and benefits along with city council salaries and benefits to the point where even an apathetic citizenry was forced, with the help of the Los Angeles Times, to confront the obvious. There were “watchdogs” in Bell, people branded as “critics” and “negative muck rakers” who actually brought this runaway abuse of power to the attention of the Times and then a shocked nation. Those people wondered how it was that their staff had such huge wage/benefit packages and how their elected representatives were able to vote themselves huge pay, benefits, insurance, travel, perks, credit cards and even fat retirement packages. “Well that was Bell it could never happen right here in the “model city of Cerritos!”… could it? Those negative muckraker critics here in Cerritos know better, the answer is YES and although not yet to the scope of Bell, well on its way. Our executive city staff are OVERPAID. Our elected representatives on the Cerritos City Council are OVERPAID ($3500 per month EACH! They have voted themselves the same type of perks, travel, credit cards, etc. as the now-disgraced routed former Bell City Council. Bell was run on cronyism, just like Cerritos is. That is why the SAME people play musical chairs on city commissions and though voters by 73% voted for term limits (2 Terms) councilmembers use a loophole to run again and again and again. Some challengers have even spent $250,000 to buy a seat! We know why? Again it’s: HOW? History repeats itself. I believe the residents of Cerritos deserve better. Please vote for Open, Transparent, Independent representation on the Cerritos City Council, my name is Christopher F. “Chris” Fuentes and I approved this message. www.chris4cerritos.com