They also teamed up to protect Hermosa Beach from a bankruptcy inducing settlement in court following the city's decision to ban oil drilling in the city.
And yet … in spite of all their work, Al Muratsuchi and his dwindling number of supporters claim that the fired former assemblyman did much of the work to stop drilling and save the city.
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| Kit Bobko |
Here are Bobko's words on what really happened.
Where was Muratsuchi?
who controls the present controls the past.” I was recently reminded of this
quote when I got a piece of campaign mail from former Assemblymember Al
Muratsuchi and Hermosa Beach City Council member Stacey Armato suggesting that
Muratsuchi’s opponent, Assemblymember David Hadley, was a responsible for the
prospect of oil drilling in Hermosa Beach.
Now this is the stupidest lie yet. Who would even begin to believe such nonsense?
This assertion is 100 percent false.
Muratsuchi, not Hadley, was a member of the state’s legislative majority when
our city was facing the prospect of an adverse judgment at trial and inevitable
bankruptcy (and possible city-hood disincorporation?). Muratsuchi, not Hadley,
was our representative in Sacramento when the trial against Macpherson and its
$750 million damages claim was coming to a head in March 2012.
That's right. How quickly Democrats forget!
One would think
the financial extinguishment of a constituent city would be enough to move an
elected official to action, particularly when the injury would come at the
hands of (gasp) an oil company. But it wasn’t. Muratsuchi didn’t sponsor any
last-minute bills to protect Hermosa Beach. He didn’t do anything at all. If he
was so gravely concerned about oil drilling in Hermosa Beach, this would have
been the time to help. I know this because I was on City Council and we
asked. Muratsuchi left Hermosa Beach to fend for itself.
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| Stacey Armato |
I will ualify this comment. Muratsuchi floated an emergency loan to cover the $17.5 million settlement, but rescinded within weeks. It was a PR stunt. Nothing more. On principle, why should the entire state pay for the settlement of one city, especially one with such a high retail index and some of the wealthiest residents in the state?
Hermosa’s voters decided to pay off the $17.5 million settlement instead of
allowing oil drilling in our community.
which would have you believe David Hadley is the real life incarnation of
Daniel Day Lewis’ character from “There Will Be Blood.” Hadley had nothing to
do with the Macpherson settlement or the oil vote in 2015. The truth is Hadley
had as much influence over oil drilling in Hermosa Beach as my mailman. Maybe
less.
Exactly!
to revise the history of the oil issue, now comfortably (and rightly) in our
city’s past, and claim credit for a victory neither had any hand in winning.
But it’s unfair and untruthful to accuse Hadley of something he didn’t do.
Don’t be fooled by their mail. And don’t let the people who are in control of
the present rewrite the past to control our future.
Final Reflection
Stacey Armato and Al Muratsuchi are engaging in some slimy politics.
Should anyone be surprised?
We don't call him "Oil Muratsuchi" for nothing!
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