Gambling and the Pomona Council
The Pomona City Council meeting Monday, March 5, was an exhibit of how dirty rotten politicians can get. The issue was gambling for the city of Pomona. The first warning of the council agenda was in the L.A. Times (March 1).
After repeated questions, there was no one on the council that would tell who it was that put the item on the agenda till one party confronted them with The Times article--and all faces turned red and other colors.
The gambling interests will no doubt spend whatever amount of money is necessary in ads and propaganda to win the election. According to The Times, the investors have agreed to pay $40,000 or $50,000, the cost of putting the measure on the ballot, but alas the council will not divulge who those investors are.
There were 15 citizens who protested at the meeting to the council and only one who spoke in favor of putting the issue on the ballot, and he was a member of the Community Redevelopment Agency.
The council ignored the solid bloc of protesters and voted 3 to 2 to go ahead and put the issue on the ballot. Tomas Ursua and Mayor Donna Smith were the dissenting votes.
It was obvious that their minds (the council majority) were already made up and the public “input” was only a form.
GEORGE W. RAY
Pomona
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
