More Deceit From a BDC Contracted Employee.

Dateline: Sunday July 22, 2007.

Place: Point Fermin Park in San Pedro.

Event: Music by the Sea

"BDC" stands for Bisno Development Co. They have contracted with a company that gathers signatures on petitions favoring Ponte Vista at San Pedro. I will call the paid petition gatherers who attempt to gather signatures, "PPG".

There is one particular PPG who is known around town by a number of individuals as being paid to gather petitions. This individual has a job that pays her to gather petition signatures. It is her job and that I do not call into question, at all.

There have been statements made by PPG personnel which are false and not only does Bob know this, there have been claims from representatives of BDC that they have made specific instructions in not stating certain false claims when gathering petitions.

On Sunday I approached the specific PPG because I wanted to listen to what she said to a prospective petition signer. She approached a person listening to music and asked; "Would you sign a petition for affordable senior housing in San Pedro?" She handed the petition to the person who began to fill it out. When the petition was being signed I asked the PPG to see the petition she was trying to get signatures for. She handed it to me and I did read that the first sentence of the petition form stated "We support Ponte Vista at San Pedro." That too, is something I don't need to question. I am glad that it comprised the first real wording on the petition.

I then stated to the PPG that her statement was a falsehood and she replied, "I am just helping a friend out." I asked her if she was getting paid to collect signatures and she again stated, "I am just helping a friend out." She asked me to find the other person in the park gathering Ponte Vista petition signatures, but I wanted to see if this particular PPG would make the same false statement to another person she tried to get to sign the petition.

We had a back and forth discussion where she continue to claim she was not getting paid, she was just helping a friend out, and didn't know that her statement was false. I continued to let her know that I knew she was being paid to gather signatures and she should at least admit that fact. I did state that if she wasn't getting paid that it would be wrong for her not to be getting paid when the other PPGs were receiving pay for the work they do.

Finally she asked me to stop "harassing" her because she had to get back to her "job." I stated that most people with jobs get paid for doing them and if she wasn't getting paid to do the "job" she was doing, then I thought she was being cheated.

She went up to a group of folks who I think she knew and stated to me that if I didn't stop asking her questions she would "call my husband to come down here." I also saw a fellow staring me down in a posture and demeanor that suggested he thought he was a tough guy.

I determined that her comment about calling her husband down to deal with me was enough of a threat that I asked a witness to come over, state that I had received a threat, and it was time to call the L.A.P.D.

Actually, I know that there is a presence of L.A.P.D. members in the park and I really didn't need to call the L.A.P.D., which I never did.

When I talked to the person who holds the permit for the park, he told me that there should never have been any PPG persons in the park during the events he holds the permits for. I pointed out the PPG to the permit holder who instructed the PPG to stop collecting signatures on the grass area of the park and that she had every right to attempt to collect signatures if she stood on the concrete sidewalk on the border of the park. She complied with that demand. I do not know whether the other PPG in the park complied.

So what we had here was a veteran PPG continue to spew language that representatives of Bob Bisno have said should not be used. We have a veteran PPG continue to lie about getting paid, (of course she did finally admit that she was being paid) and she had to threaten me.

There was a period of time she stood nearby where I was sitting and was on her cell phone, but I was not bothered at all by that. It made me and some other folks laugh because I am back to using my crutches. I did get in trouble with a good friend because she told me I should have been sitting down the whole time and not visiting the PPG.

What have we learned. The deceit continues. A veteran PPG still is willing to go against the demands of the contractor and use falsehoods. I can't blame Bob or Elise for this one because I do know that told us they did talk to the contractor.

We also learn that you should be very wary of everyone who approaches you seeking your signature on any petition. We should always read what the petition states and make sure we are not being fed falsehoods. If anyone questions us about the R1 petition, we all have the responsibility to be truthful and have as much correct information as possible. If R1 petition gatherers don't feel they have enough accurate information, they can always contact me or John or Gabriel or Winnie or Nancy or Barbara or Bruce or a host of others in OUR community that can clear up any misinformation they may have.

The R1 petition is simple. It states that the zoning currently at the Ponte Vista should remain and that no zoning change be approved.

We also learned that we must continue to monitor representatives of BDC and their contractors. We can't seem to count on BDC to do anything about their contractors even though they are not working truthfully.

If the representatives of the company hired to collect petitions for Ponte Vista wish to contact me and discuss these issues, folks already know where to write.

We also have learned since last Monday that Bob hasn't amended his application to reflect his new total-unit application, there continues to be an allowance for falsehoods on the part of paid employees representing Ponte Vista, there was a fake R1 blog created to further confuse real issues that it appears BDC wishes to avoid addressing, and that there have been over 10,000 signatures on petitions that are simple to read, understand, and support.

When Bob and BDC do things correctly like oppose any new high school on the Ponte Vista site, I have stated that and praised Bob and offered my support. When Bob and I both agree that a road from Western to Gaffey and continuing on to new ramps for the 110 Freeway be built, I also thank him for that support and I believe we should all support both the opposition to any new high school and the support for the new road.

I do "attack" Bob's position and the positions of supporters and others who want to place such an overly large housing project at the Ponte Vista site. I do criticize folks who I know wish to achieve their own gain at the expense of the rest of OUR community.

I do condemn folks who claim a "need" when they are actually trying to get what they "want" passed.

But I still believe I am reasonable, responsible, realistic, and respectful, even though I have been subjected to some of the worst personal attacks I and many others have ever seen.

I will try to continue to be nice, but I reserve the right and the obligation to get mean if I think it is necessary. With the vast majority of these posts I have been civil. There is no law that states I must always be civil or fair, but I try as well as I can, anyway.