‘Disincorporate’ Vernon: It’s the right thing to do

In announcing the guilty plea of yet another disgraced Vernon official this month, L.A. Deputy Dist. Atty. Max Huntsman put the issue squarely: “All the crimes that happen there happened because of the misrepresentation of Vernon as a city, when it’s not.... It’s a corporation.” Former Vernon City Administrator Donal O’Callaghan, who racked up $785,000 in pay in 2009, admitted felony charges that he illegally hired his wife for lucrative consulting contracts.

Vernon, population 112, has operated like the corrupt city of Bell for generations. John Leonis, Vernon’s co-founder, served 45 years on its City Council. His grandson, Leonis Malburg, served 53 before his conviction for voter fraud. Bruce Malkenhorst served 33 years as city administrator before passing the job to his son. Like O’Callaghan, the elder Malkenhorst recently made a deal with prosecutors, pleading guilty to misappropriating more than $60,000 in public funds. He did so to protect his public pension payout. At $509,664 a year, it’s the highest in California.

Despite a torrent of corruption and abuses, it’s been impossible to either generate public indignation or genuine reform because Vernon has no actual “citizens” in the typical sense.

No one can move to Vernon. The entire housing stock is controlled by members of the City Council or the city government itself. The last time interlopers sought residence there (in a warehouse), the city cut off their electricity, hired armed guards to tail them and canceled their voter registration forms. Ironically, the three would-be voters shared the same motive as Vernon’s officials. They wanted control of Vernon’s $4.1-billion assessed tax base. With a dozen or more confederates, they could have grabbed power, but only if the city actually held an election. Instead, the City Council abruptly canceled the election. It took a court order to reschedule it and another to count the votes months later.

That was in 2006, and it was the first contested election that Vernon had held in 25 years. If you think this bizarre perversion of democracy looks more like Enron than your local government, you would have put your finger on why reform is literally impossible in Vernon.

But you’d never know any of this from Vernon’s pervasive public relations blitz. Since Assembly Speaker John Pérez (D-Los Angeles) filed a bill — AB 46 — to “disincorporate” Vernon, the gang in charge has spent lavishly to whitewash the city’s sordid history. Slick television ads were launched, masterminded by one of the nation’s premier political consultants. And former state Atty. Gen. John Van de Kamp was hired as their “ethics advisor.” After decades of brazen contempt for outsiders, Vernon officials suddenly sought aid from big business and big labor.

It’s unfortunate, but understandable, that professional advocates like Van de Kamp would go on their payroll. It’s predictable, if lamentable, that business and labor bosses would forge an alliance of special interests. But what’s dumbfounding is the support of the League of California Cities representing California’s 481 genuine municipalities.

After the Bell salary scandal tarred California cities with the brush of guilt by association, you’d think the league would shun Vernon like the plague. But you would be wrong.

No one at the league defends Vernon’s abuses; they are indefensible. But the league has put its considerable lobbying power behind stopping the Pérez bill. Why? Primarily because city officials are so furious at state government that they can’t see straight. After decades of Sacramento politicians raiding local funds, city leaders fear and despise virtually anything originating from the capital.

If only the league had taken the lead in challenging Vernon’s sham democracy. But because it was the powerful Assembly speaker, league leaders assume dark motives. Their paranoia runs deep: They claim that if the state can disband Vernon, their cities could be next.

It’s hard to conjure up a more self-defeating stand. Instead of escaping Vernon’s contamination, they’ve embraced it. If Vernon is a city, then some cities should not exist. But Vernon is anything but a city. It’s time to end the charade.

After passing the Assembly with overwhelming bipartisan support, the Pérez bill is awaiting a final vote in the state Senate. Business lobbyists have turned some Republican support, and labor allies have picked away Democratic votes. There is no powerful and well-funded lobby for public integrity. Only public opinion can turn the tide. If Vernon wins, we all lose.

Rick Cole is the city manager of Ventura. These views are his own.