Letter to the Editor,
On January 20, 2022, the City of Cypress, Mayor Pro-Tem Anne Hertz-Mallari and Council Member Jon Peat received a letter from the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) stating that Mr. George Pardon had filed a formal complaint, alleging a conflict of interest existed between the City, Mayor Pro-Tem Anne Hertz-Mallari, Council Member Jon Peat and Valley Vista Services.
The FPPC stated that the parties named in the complaint would have the opportunity to provide a response to the allegations and that all responses must be received by February 1, 2022. The FPPC would then review the responses and make a determination as to their possible course of action, including:
• investigate the allegations of the complaint;
• refer the complaint to another governmental agency;
• take no action on the complaint because, on the basis of the information provided, the Commission does not appear to have jurisdiction to investigate; or
• take no action on the complaint because the allegations of the complaint do not warrant the Commission’s further action.
Mayor Pro-Tem Anne Hertz Mallari and Council Member Jon Peat provided a joint response to the FPPC on February 1, 2022.
On February 2, 2022, the Fair Political Practices Commission reviewed and dismissed the conflict-of-interest complaint filed by Mr. George Pardon regarding the City of Cypress, Mayor Pro Tem Anne Hertz-Mallari and Council Member Jon Peat. The FPPC letter to Mr. Pardon states, “The facts and information in your complaint failed to establish that either Hertz-Mallari or Peat had financial interests that would have been effected when they made or participate in making decisions regarding VVS. Therefore, after review of the complaint, evidence provided, applicable law, and communication with the Respondents legal counsel, the Enforcement Division will take no action in this matter.” The mission of the Fair Political Practices Commission is to promote the integrity of state and local government in California through fair, impartial interpretation and enforcement of political campaign, lobbying and conflict of interest laws.
Mayor Pro-Tem Anne Hertz-Mallari and Council Member Jon Peat wish to thank the Fair Political Practices Commission for taking quick action to resolve this matter and are pleased that this unfounded accusation has been quickly and thoroughly dismissed.
Regards,
Anne Hertz-Mallari, Mayor Pro-Tem
Jon Peat, Council Member
One Bad Apple
Dear Editor,
Something has changed in the City of Cypress over the last few years. There is one bad apple in the City of Cypress that has turned its city council against its citizens. Instead of working together to make the best decisions for the city with transparency, the council is busy ignoring communications with its constituents. Why is this the case?
For many years my husband and I used to attend every single city council meeting, many of the workshops, talked to city council members, and got help understanding details from city staff who were always very friendly and happy to help. Were we interfering in our city’s government? I think not. Abraham Lincoln said, “Democracy is direct self-government, over all the people, by all the people, for all the people.” If you don’t involve yourself in understanding the decisions and developments made by your city, state and federal governments, you are ignoring your civic duty. It is your right to stay informed.
When there is a lack of transparency and communication, citizens are forced to use tools such as requesting and paying for information through the freedom of information act, comparing our city to others with our own research and using various county and state agencies to understand laws and their enforcement. The frequently disappointing outcome to these quests to keep our city and council on track is that each agency is responsible for itself. So while other agencies will help citizens by answering questions and communicate with the agency in question, it can’t interfere with city decisions. So it leaves the citizens to seek and pay for legal council when the state and county representatives are non-responsive.
From all of the recent questionable actions involving the City of Cypress, most of the decisions have come down to a matter of an interpretation of laws, interpretation of the city charter and ethics. While we may not agree with some of the decisions, the question remains, where is the bad apple that is hardening the city council towards its citizens in the last few years, shutting down transparency, and eliminating communication in the City of Cypress?
Lynn Pardon
Cypress
Truth does matter, but who’s truth
Dear Editor,
Cypress Mayor Pro Tem Anne Hertz-Mallari has taken the position on social media that since the Fair Political Practices Commission has determined that the contributions received from the city’s trash contractor to her employer, the Boys & Girls Club, were not illegal that somehow there is no conflict. Her premise is that ‘Truth Matters’.
The question becomes ‘Whose Truth?’ She is absolutely correct that the Truth Matters. As I said in what I wrote on Facebook and in the Event News Enterprise previously: While there may be a legal path that allows her and Jon Peat to avoid recusing themselves, the question is what should they do to avoid a perception of a financial conflict of interest?
The truth remains that her employer has financially benefitted from both monetary and in-kind contributions from George Briggeman, the Valley Vista Account Manager. The truth remains that George Briggeman was fined in the past for contributions made to Cypress City Council members. In my opinion, the fact that he contributes to her employer instead of to her directly may make it legal but it doesn’t make it ethical. Similarly, as a member of her employer’s Board of Directors, Jon Peat should be concerned by the appearance of this process.
The refusal to take the trash contract out to bid is even more questionable since Los Alamitos went out to bid and Valley Vista submitted the highest price for residential trash services of the 7 vendors that bid on their contract. Cypress residents now pay 50% more than Los Alamitos residents for trash services and that’s the truth.
The truth is our trash services cost is going up by 32% and the contract has been extended without a bid process for an additional 10 years. The agreement the City Council also reached with Valley Vista is that they are eligible for another consumer price increase in the next few months which could amount to another 6% increase. The truth is that Anne Hertz-Mallari voted to support this increase in cost and contract extension while her employer is provided free trash services. You can understand why she would want the agreement to last as long as possible.
Another benefit Anne Hertz-Mallari has as a Council Member is that she has access to a highly paid attorney to present a legal defense for her, an attorney paid for by taxpayers’ money. When the residents want to take a position against an action taken by the City Council, the residents have to use their own money to hire their own attorney.
Michael Josephson from the Josephson Institute on Ethics and the author of The Six Pillars of Character wrote: ‘Compliance is doing what you are required to do; ethics is about doing what you should do. An act is not ethical simply because it’s legal, nor is it proper simply because it’s permissible.’
Sincerely,
George Pardon
Founder, Citizens for the Responsible Development of Cypress
Not the same LAHS
Dear Editor,
You may have attended Los Al schools or your children may have gone there. And now maybe your grandchildren attend. Or maybe you moved here because of Los Al’s reputation. But those schools, remembered from yesteryear are not the same in 2022.
In particular, the principal advised parents of students in the High School 2nd period Spanish class that on January 24th, a substitute teacher inappropriately questioned the students about their social life by asking, if they ever flirt. And about their parents’ marital status.
The email did not clarify that it was a regular licensed, certified teacher employed by this district for many years, who was filling in for the regular Spanish teacher because no substitute teacher was available. The email stated that “flirt” and “divorce” were Spanish vocabulary words and asked parents with concerns to call the principal.
The email failed to mention that minor children with divorced parents were also asked, when was the last time they saw their father? Nor did it mention that the teacher started reading a story but stopped in the middle of the text to single out one child, not to ask more inappropriate questions, but to make cruel and disparaging comments about the child’s father.
• Why would this teacher bully, harasses, intimidate, and verbally persecute this minor child?
• Was the goal to have a chilling effect on the other children in this class?
• Wouldn’t the children think that if it happened to one of them, then it could happen to any of them?
• Could it be because that child’s parent is outspoken at school board meetings?
• Was this child singled out to send a chilling message to other parents who may be concerned with issues brought before the school board?
Five children substantiated these events when they were interviewed by high school administrators, who investigated the matter.
Since that teacher was a colleague of former school board president, Marlys Davidson, could she have felt empowered to abuse that child in front of her classmates because Marlys Davidson said, “F— You” to her parent at a school board meeting? Especially, since there were no repercussions for Marlys Davidson’s conduct, was that teacher sure she would face no repercussions, as well.
Parents, now you know that the Los Al schools of today are NOT the same as the ones you fondly remember. So, talk with your children in grades K-12 to learn if any teacher, guidance counselor, or mental health counselor has asked them personal or invasive questions about your family dynamics.
Specifically, parents of students in the high school 2nd period Spanish class, ask your child how they felt on January 24th when they were asked such questions and witnessed a teacher embarrass and bully a fellow classmate.
Then for the sake of all the outstanding teachers and staff in Los Al Schools, call your child’s principal to discuss this matter and show your support for a first-class, true ACADEMIC FOCUS in our schools.
Hope K. Horning, former elected public school board member 1990-94, Seal Beach