The October 4 event in the MAYE Center on E. Anaheim St. wasn't a secret. LBREPORT.com attended (following-up on our coverage of an early August event detailing the unjust political gerrymandering of LB's Cambodian community.) We saw at least one other outlet present (LBPost.com); there may have been others, but to our knowledge none reported what we saw and heard. To our knowledge, to date LBREPORT.com is the only outlet to report what you can see below, which we originally reported on Oct. 5.

We refresh it here in view of Mayor Robert Garcia's response, reported by LBPost.com and PressTelegram.com, to a statement by retired LB Councilwoman Rae Gabelich that Garcia had [paraphrase] used the Cambodian community to gain support for his desired Charter Amendments AAA-CCC (which readers can see below.) In response, Garcia has now tried to shift focus by claiming what Ms. Gabelich said amounts to saying the Cambodian community can't decide for itself (which she didn't say.)

In our view, the issue is what the Garcia-operated, Garcia/Doud-named political committee did and why. It's not illegal; it's simply newsworthy and reflects political realities. LBREPORT.com reported this story nearly three weeks ago.

[Salient portion of Oct. 5, 2018 LBREPORT.com coverage]

A kickoff rally in LB's Cambodia Town for Measure DDD (would create a Redistricting Comm'n) drew about 40 people to the MAYE Center on E. Anaheim St. at late afternoon Thursday (Oct. 4) who heard opening remarks by Mayor Robert Garcia and 8th dist. Councilman Al Austin -- who exited together before audience Q & A -- along with statements supporting DDD by Common Cause (Sylvia Moore) and LB's League of Women Voters (Kimberly Ritter)...and ended with offering residents lawn signs supporting all four Mayor-sought Charter Amendments (AAA+BBB+CCC+DDD.)

[Scroll down for further.]

The meeting focused almost entirely on Measure DDD, although at one point Equity for Cambodians leader Charles Song stated in Khmer (and later translated for us) that the community should vote "yes" on all four Charter Amendments. If LB's Cambodian community votes in a unified citywide manner for DDD and also votes to support the three other measures, it could produce a sizable numerical boost for AAA (Auditor duties), BBB (allowing Mayor/Council 3 terms instead of 2 terms + write-ins.) and CCC (Mayor-chosen/Council approved "ethics commission")

And Equity for Cambodians supporters dropped a political bombshell: attorney Marc Coleman said that regardless of the outcome of Measure DDD, the group intends to press the City Council to begin the redistricting process immediately (as sought in a previous community petition) and not wait until after the 2020 election cycle (under measure DDD) to re-draw Council district lines but instead to impact the 2020 elections in Council districts 2, 4, 6 and 8 and "put this area [Cambodian community] into one district."

In response to a follow-up question from LBREPORT.com, Mr. Coleman said after the measure came forward, Councilman Daryl Supernaw (whose western part of the 4th dist. includes a sizable portion of the Cambodia Town) approached Equity for Cambodians, asked what the group wants, and indicated he believes their cause is just and should be pursued. Mr. Coleman said Councilmembers Uranga and Pearce have also been in favor of this "so we believe we can move forward and get the votes necessary."

Mr. Coleman, left, with translator

Asked about the Mayor's position, Mr. Coleman said he wasn't sure but Ms. Som indicated "the Mayor is in full support of this." (By that time Mayor Garcia and Councilman Austin had left, preventing an immediate follow-up.)

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...Earlier in the meeting, Mr. Coleman detailed the history of the redistricting effort, noting that discussion began in a class he was teaching that noted two LB Council districts were created years ago, in effect, to empower politically LB's African-American and Latino communities (6th and 1st districts respectively) but excluded LB's Cambodian community (whose voting power is currently split between four Council districts.) Mr. Coleman noted that when Mayor Garcia brought the Redistricting Commission measure forward in June, he and Equity for Cambodians supporters strongly opposed it as then-proposed [as it would have still allowed Council gerrymandering of district lines] but subsequent meetings with the Mayor's office resulted in revised text that he and Equity for Cambodians now strongly support.

In earlier remarks to the group, Mayor Garcia took credit, and was later publicly credited by Mr. Song, with having responded to a question during the 2014 Mayoral campaign in which Garcia committed to support redistricting changes for the Cambodian community. In their Oct. 4 remarks, Mayor Garcia and Councilman Austin both said the process has been ongoing for several years while omitting mention that the process produced text as initially agendized by Mayor Garcia that Equity for Cambodians strongly opposed.

Mr. Song publicly credited attorney Coleman, Ms. Som and Alex Norman, DSW for their roles and said without their efforts the redistricting measure wouldn't have advanced as it has now.

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