To: Abused Los Angeles Renters & Property Owners (Landlords)
Fr: LA City News
Re: Public Comment Script for Tuesday's L.A. City Council meeting on LAHD/Roberto Aldape
Dt: 10/16/10 - REGARDING Tuesday, 10/19/10 Council Meeting (10 AM start time)
HERE IS A SCRIPT PREPARED FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SHOW UP AT L.A. CITY HALL ON TUESDAY (10/19/10) TO TAKE BACK THE CITY FROM THE CORRUPT L.A. HOUSING DEPARTMENT UNDER ASST. GM, ROBERTO ALDAPE. (See this post for more info on Tuesday's meeting regarding this matter.)
[START]
Good morning, Mayor Villaraigosa and Los Angeles City Council.
I am here today, to follow up on the Council discussion of "conflict of interest" allegations at the L.A. Housing Department as you discussed at the July 21st City meeting, in these chambers.
In a committee meeting, it was revealed that a complaint has been filed, regarding alleged conflicts of interest, regarding the LAHD "RENT ESCROW ACCOUNT PROGRAM" -- or REAP.
Since then, more information has come to light on these allegations, and how the conflicts are taking place in the City of Los Angeles as we speak.
Much of the information came from within the L.A. Housing Department, itself, from fearful and frustrated LAHD staffers who not only don't like the way they are being treated by Assistant General Manager, Roberto Aldape, but don't like what they are seeing in regards to the fraud, waste and abuse within the department under the management of Mr. Aldape.
It has been brought to light from within the department, that Mr. Aldape is allegedly putting the city at HUGE RISK of a MASSIVE wave of lawsuits from property owners in Mr. Aldape's multiple roles he is playing in the L.A. housing market, wearing many "conflicting" hats.
LAHD has awarded HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of DOLLARS to "L.A. Housing Law Project." A firm hired by the City as a REAP, Rent Escrow, Outreach Contractor. LAHD Asst GM, Roberto Aldape, is listed as the contact person for L.A. Housing Law Project. (The firm hired by the city to go out to properties to inspect for violations.)
Mr. Aldape also has a private law practice. The address for his law firm, is the same address listed for L.A. Housing Law Project.
The allegation, that Councilmember Bernard Parks called, "fairly serious as relating to the conflict," is that Mr. Aldape is taking the information gathered in his role as REAP Outreach Contractor and using it to create lawsuits against property owners.
This is done through a process of racketeering by going to the tenants of the buildings -- that were inspected by the outreach contractor -- to conspire to create the lawsuits.(Which sometimes includes instructing tenants to purposefully damage the building to keep tacking on violations to enhance the lawsuit; and bring in more revenue to the REAP account.)
So you have one individual who is the Asst. GM of the Housing Department -- and the person of overseeing the Rent Escrow Program for the City of Los Angeles -- who is alleged to be taking the information gathered by the Outreach Contractor firm (that he is listed as the contact person) -- to create lawsuits against property owners (in his role as private attorney.)
Additionally, it has been brought to community attention that SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS ($7-$10) ARE UNACCOUNTED FOR FROM THE L.A. HOUSING DEPARTMENT ACCOUNT.
We are calling for City Controller Wendy Greuel to call for an accounting of this unaccounted for balance.
On the heels of the FEDERAL investigation, which includes an FBI investigation in L.A. developer ADI, accused of giving bribes and illegal campaign contributions to L.A. elected officials -- including CONFIRMED campaign contributions to current L.A. mayor Antonio Villaragiosa -- a lot of ends are being tied together by insiders who are then providing the information to LA City News.
Especially, when you consider the Controller revealed that FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY was not being used in a timely or efficient manner, preventing project from being started OR completed -- it has been noted in the details of the FBI investigation into ADI and the Bonnie Brae project in Council President Eric Garcetti's district, that this most valuable affordable housing is not being built as promised, once the money has rolled in to build it.
So at a time when the city is faced with a housing crisis, as more and more property owners who house lower income tenants are at risk of losing their property -- due to corrupt tactics of LAHAD's ROBERTO ALDAPE -- and more and more tenants are going to be joining the already 40,000 (PLUS) of homeless on the streets of L.A. -- IT IS REVEALED THAT THE HOUSING ISN'T BEING BUILT...
And the Asst General Manager of the Housing Department seems to be running his own corruption ring at the FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT'S EXPENSE.
This is an urgent matter of public safety and we are asking for FEDERAL AUTHORITIES, including the FBI take a close look at the books in the L.A. Housing Department to see why people can't account for SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS, why housing isn't being built when the money was given for it -- and how a conflict of interest, organized-crime racket is hurting the ENTIRE L.A HOUSING MARKET -- with both renters and owners. (And infuriating BOTH sides is a rare task, not easily achieved.)
Insiders are contacting the California State Bar Association over Mr. Aldape's alleged practices. Additionally, L.A. Housing Law Project is NOT a registered non-profit listed on the CA Attorney General website. And is the ONLY "Outreach Contractor" being hired by the city that IS NOT listed on the site. It's likely that the entire organization is operating in violation of STATE and FEDERAL law, regarding non-profits. AND, lawsuits have already been filed against the city regarding the Rent Escrow Program conflict allegations, that will become "facts" in court and in the next L.A. City Attorney's report on this matter.
I hope council is able to work with the mayor on calling Mercedes Marquez (who appointed Mr. Aldape) and find somewhere in Washington to absorb his corruption. The City of Los Angeles can no longer afford to let Mr. Aldape and his organized group of cronies to bleed this city dry of money and housing.
Please demand his resignation before we are demanding YOURS, Herb Wesson, Eric Garcetti and Antonio Villaraigosa. Thank you.
[SHOW UP AT CITY HALL ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2010 by 10 AM TO DELIVER THIS SPEECH AT THE L.A. CITY COUNCIL MEETING.]
