A coalition of homeowners associations and community groups that monitors the MTA and Expo Rail Line safety issues has demanded an immediate investigation into the alleged ethics law violations of their MTA Board Member and Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks, who is running for a seat on the County Board of Supervisors two weeks from today, June 3.
The Citizens’ Campaign to Fix the Expo Rail Line issued the following statement this morning:
“In total disregard for MTA’s ethics rules and California state law, Mr. Parks is taking money hand over fist from contractors doing business and in current negotiations to do business with MTA.
“These are hundred million dollar projects with MTA, and thousands upon thousands of contributions to Mr. Parks. It’s incumbent on all oversight agencies and authorities to conduct an extensive investigation to determine how egregious Parks has been.”
California Senate Bill 89 (“Limits on MTA Contributions”), by then State Sen. Tom Hayden, was signed into law during the 1997-1998 session and established the following ethics laws, which are still in effect today:
“Any firm, its owners and employees, or members of their immediate families who seek a contract from the Authority would be prohibited from giving to a member, alternate or employee any contribution over $10 in value or amount. ‘Contribution’ would be defined as any amount given to candidates or their committees in any federal, state or local election.”
“Any member, alternate or employee of the authority, or member of their immediate families, would be prohibited from accepting, soliciting or directing any contribution of over $10 in value or amount from a company seeking a contract with the authority or which has contracted with the authority in the preceding four years.”
And yet Mr. Parks has taken at least $21,800 from such contractors:
• Controversial MTA contractor Tutor-Saliba, which today is still involved in settlements for shoddy work done on the Red Line subway, and is currently constructing the new City Council-approved LAPD headquarters, has contributed $18, 000 alone through their executives and relatives:
- Ronald Tutor, Owner: $1000 on 12/28/07
- Gerarld Brown, Vice President: $1000 on 12/28/07 (the same day “Homemaker” Patricia Brown gave $1000).
- Mark Fischbach, Vice President: $1000 on 12/28/07 (the same day “Homemaker” Rosemary Fischbach gave $1000).
- James Foster, Equipment Manager: $1000 on 12/28/07
- James Frost, Construction Executive: $1000 on 12/31/07 (the same day “Homemaker” Nicole Frost gave $1000).
- Joseph Guglielmo, Construction Manager: $1000 on 12/28/07 (the same day “Homemaker” Ardis Guglielmo gave $1000).
- Michael Kerchner, Vice President: $1000 on 12/28/07 (the same day “Homemaker” Carolyn Kerchner gave $1000).
- Robert Lewis, Executive: $1000
- David Randall, Sr. Vice President: $1000 on 12/28/07
- Roger Sexton, Business Executive: $1000 on 12/28/07 (the same day “Homemaker” Diane Sexton gave $1000).
- Williams Sparks, CFO: $1000 on 1/24/08 (the same day “Homemaker” Vicki Sparks gave $1000.
• Koar Development Group, LLC and Archeon International Group are jointly building a $160 million mixed-use project with the MTA in Koreatown.
- Archeon International Group contributed $1000 on 2/25/08.
- Koar Development Group CEO Edward Dong, contributed $500 on 2/29/08.
• Hope Bullock III of Bullock & Associates, Inc., the Utilities Consultant on the Draft EIR for the Canoga Transportation Corridor project contributed $300 to Parks the same day the EIR was released on 3/5/08.
• On 12/31/07 MTA contractor URS Corp Vice President Gerard Orozco gave Parks $1000.
• Carter & Burgess, Inc. Professional Engineer Bruce Russell gave Parks $1000 on 12/17/07.
“Bernard Parks put MTA in the mirror and saw ATM,” said the Fix Expo campaign. “The dirty money has clearly compromised his ability to be independent and serve his constituents.”
Despite amassing a passionate coalition of South L.A. community groups to encourage MTA to address the safety hazards and other adverse impacts of the current Expo Line design through the South L.A. community, the concerns of the group have fallen on deaf ears with Mr. Parks.
In a moment captured on camera last fall and available on YouTube, Mr. Parks dismissively told the group’s leader, “Just because you don’t like the line, you should stop wasting other people’s time, because you have a concern about it.”
Additionally, in response to community concerns about the safety of the design of the Expo Line given its similarity to the MTA’s Blue Line, which is the nation’s deadliest light rail line by multiples at 90 deaths from 815 accidents, Mr. Parks defended the safety record of the MTA’s Blue Line.
“Parks’ actions were confusing, but it’s all beginning to make sense now,” said West Adams Neighborhood Council Public Safety Committee Chair and child advocate Clint Simmons. “Our advocacy on behalf of the safety of the children in his district, and the parents who have trusted him to protect them, is clearly interfering with whatever backroom deals he’s made for his personal political gain.“
“The former police chief looks more like a true criminal,” said Baldwin Neighborhood Homeowners Association President Carol Tucker.
• The list of Bernard Parks for Supervisor Campaign donors along with links to pages on MTA’s website verifying the above as MTA contractors/negotiators is available for download at the following web address: http://www.expocommunities.com/press/pr-parks_mta_donations_supplemental.pdf
• The direct links to the Bernard Parks for Supervisor Campaign donor lists are:
- 1/1/08 – 3/17/08: http://efs.lacounty.gov/public_rpt_sa.cfm?showall=yes&doc_id=1048
- 1/1/07 – 12/31/07: http://efs.lacounty.gov/public_rpt_sa.cfm?showall=yes&doc_id=1038
• Footage of Parks’ “[S]top wasting other people’s time because you have a concern about it” statement is available on YouTube at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMhIpW_x7_w
• The 90 deaths and 815 accidents are from the MTA's Summary of Metro Blue Line Train/Vehicle and Train/Pedestrian Accidents, which is computed quarterly.
Fix Expo will be co-hosting a community forum on the Expo Line this Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Dorsey High School Auditorium, 3537 Farmdale Ave., Los Angeles 90008. Mr. Parks has been invited but yet to confirm.
Damien Goodmon is the coordinator of the Citizens’ Campaign to Fix the Expo Rail Line. He may be reached at dg@fixexpo.org
