Worst Legislator in California, Part II: Charles Calderon Lets...

Calderons lead opponents in Assembly campaign fund-raisingBy Mike Sprague, Staff Writer
Posted: 02/02/2012 09:50:55 AM PST
http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_1987...

Tom and Ian Calderon, uncle and nephew, respectively, have raised more money than their opponents in two Assembly races,
according to campaign finance reports filed with the secretary of state.

The Calderons - both Democrats are running in the newly redistricted 57th and 58th Assembly districts.

Tom Calderon, a former assemblyman from Montebello, raised $151,993 during 2011 and still has $134,197 in cash on hand, according campaign.
His expected opponent, Downey Councilman Luis Marquez, also a Democrat, raised $78,270 during that same period and has $98,951.

They are running in the 58th Assembly District that includes Downey, Montebello and Pico Rivera.

Ian Calderon of Hacienda Heights,
son of Assemblyman Charles Calderon,
raised $128,670 from July 31, 2011 through Jan. 30 of this year.
He has a $100,005.
Of his contributions,$33,600 were raised in January.

His opponent, Rudy Bermudez, a former Democratic assemblyman who now lives in La Mirada,
raised $16,500 during the last six months of 2011 and has a total of $51,027.

They are running in the 57th Assembly District that includes La Mirada, much of Norwalk, unincorporated Whittier and the city of Whittier.

Two other potential candidates, Cristina Garcia in the 58th Assembly District and Kevin Perez-Allen in the 57th Assembly District, have yet to open up finance committees.

Filing for the offices doesn't begin until Feb. 13.

The reports are available at http://www.sos.ca.gov .

Undead Undead
http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_19946964

Deceased Montebello school board member's campaign committee contributed money to nephew
By Mike Sprague, Staff Writer
Posted: 02/11/2012 08:42:43 PM PST

The late longtime Montebello Unified School District board member Marcella Calderon had one last gift and it was a $3,900 contribution for her nephew, Ian Calderon.

Ian Calderon, 26, a Democrat from Hacienda Heights, is keeping the family tradition alive -
his father and two uncles all have served in the state Legislature - in his expected run for the 57th Assembly District.

Thanks to contributions like the one he received from his aunt, Calderon has raised the most money in his campaign, according to campaign finance reports filed with the secretary of state's office.

Ian Calderon's uncle, Tom Calderon, a former Democratic assemblyman from Montebello, also has raised the most money in his expected run for the 58th Assembly District.

The contribution from Marcella Calderon is legal under state law.

While money left over in a campaign committee becomes surplus and has limited uses,
that won't occur for Marcella Calderon's account until June 30 when her next filing period would end,
said Tara Stock, spokeswoman for the California Fair Political Practices Commission.

Marcella Calderon died Jan. 1 following a battle with cancer.
If her death had occurred a day earlier, the contribution couldn't have been made to Ian Calderon, according to state rules.

Marcella Calderon's husband, Tom Calderon, said he was told that something had to be done with the money and it couldn't be spent on a direct family member.

"I talked to Yolanda Miranda and that was one option," he said, referring to Marcella Calderon's campaign treasurer.

"I think the rest will go to charity,"
Tom Calderon said.
"It could be a couple of things.
One is an animal shelter and another is a small scholarship contribution."

Ian Calderon said he had always understood that his aunt was going to contribute to his campaign but didn't have a chance to do anything before she died.

"She wanted to be involved and do everything she could," he said.

Marcella Calderon's account had about $9,199 as the report filed in late October and had received an additional $9,000 from state Sen. Ron Calderon's (her brother-in-law) state controller committee.

The latest report wasn't available from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/ County Clerk's Office.

Bob Stern, the primary author of the state's campaign finance laws,
said he sees no problem with the contribution.

"It's appropriate to give to another candidate," Stern said.
"If it's a relative, it's presumably following the person's wishes.
I don't have a problem with surplus funds going to other candidates."

Ian Calderon's report showed total contributions of $128,670 from July 31, 2011, through Jan. 30.
He has raised $100,005 in cash.

However, his opponent, former Assemblyman Rudy Bermudez, a Democrat now from La Mirada,
noted that the ending time for the report was supposed to be Dec. 31, 2011.

Of Calderon's contributions,
$33,600 was received in January.

"I think yesterday's report highlights the games that are routinely played in Sacramento by politicians," Bermudez said.
"If we reported January's (money) we'd have a much stronger showing."

Bermudez raised $16,500 during the last six months of 2011 and has a total of $51,027.

Ian Calderon said reporting his contributions in January was just a way of being more open.

"The process is all about transparency,"
he said.
"The money came in and I wanted to report it."

Bermudez and Calderon are running in the 57th Assembly District, which stretches from South El Monte south to La Mirada, and includes Whittier, Hacienda Heights, La Habra Heights, Santa Fe Springs, and parts of La Puente and Industry.

In the 58th Assembly District, Tom Calderon raised $151,993 during 2011 and still has $134,197 in cash on hand.

Calderon's expected opponent, Downey Councilman Luis Marquez, also a Democrat, raised $78,270, including a $25,000 loan from himself, during that same period and has $98,951.

They are running in the 58th Assembly District that includes Montebello, Pico Rivera, Downey and south to Cerritos.

Two other potential candidates, Cristina Garcia in the 58th Assembly District and Kevin Perez-Allen in the 57th Assembly District, have yet to open up finance committees.

Filing for the offices doesn't begin until Feb.13.

mike.sprague@sgvn.com

What's the latest on this Audit?
http://egpnews.com/...

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/montebello-ca...

jeffery just posted
"Central Basin is full of crooks. You pay for their incompetence with your high water rates! "

earlier post
At one point an audit was in the works, but Fierro says State Senator Ron Calderon (D-Montebello) canceled meetings that could potentially have led to the audit,
one of the few ways the public can exercise oversight on the water district.
Fierro says Calderon and his brother Tom Calderon, a former state assemblyman, backed a recall against him and fellow Commerce Councilwoman Tina Baca Del Rio in 2009 and suspects it was because they were vocal about issues that affected the water district:

Is this the quality of elected officials we want representing the San Gabriel Valley?
http://meetiancalderon.com/...
http://www.CaliforniaJewishAlliance.com/

http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_2049...

It's Politics: Whittier Councilman Bob Henderson pulls endorsement of Assembly candidate Ian Calderon

Why would Henderson enmdorse a Calderon in the first place?

http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_20604434/its-pol...
Drunks and Plastic bags

Calderon fails to show at debate
http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_20631848/ian-cal...

http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_20662277/six-can...

Four years after then-former state Sen. Charles Calderon came out of retirement and successfully ran for the Assembly,
his brother Tom, an Assemblyman from 1998-2002,
is trying to do the same thing.

But Tom Calderon is facing stiff competition with four Democrats and one Republican in the June 5 election for the 58th Assembly District.