Two years ago, Torrance City Councilman Mike Griffiths made excuses for not wanting to support a Resolution of No Confidence against LA County DA George Gascon. I shamed him for his disrespectful attitude towards me (and others), and reported his reticence to the public. I was really surprised how far that blog post traveled throughout the city. People were really angry with Mike Griffiths for his petulance.
Ultimately, he caved in with the leaders on the city council at that time–George Chen and Aurelio Mattucci–and he supported the Resolution of No Confidence against George Gascon.
That move was too little too late, apparently, since he was then unsuccessful the next year in his bid for City Treasurer. But I suspect it was more than just his reluctance to stand against George Gascon that cost him that city-wide office.
His disrespect and disregard for the will of voters has been unmistakable. Like Frank Scotto and Pat Furey before him, he shows off an elitist mentality which disdains the opinions of others, but focuses more interest in his narrow interests or self-serving outcomes.
A number of residents have shared with me their frustration with Councilman Griffiths, too. He mkes promises or assertions to residents in the city, only to backtrack or betray those pledges after the fact. He did that to me a number of years ago regarding a potential resolution against SB 54 in 2018, the legislation that turned California into a lawless sanctuary state for illegal aliens. He told me that he would not support such a measure, but then voted for it at the next city council meeting, only to witness its defeat when Councilman Milton Herring killed the measure. Why tell me one thing, then do something different on the dias? This kind of double-dealing has a long history with Griffiths.
During his three campaigns for city council, he gave off an insufferable arrogance, as though he doesn’t have to answer people’s questions, or respect their concerns, either. Sadly, this kind of attitude has been all too pervasive with a number of Torrance councilmembers. Something happens to politicians generally once they get elected. Too many of them forget that it was voters, not their own intelligence, work ethic, or connections which get them into office. That is a particular problem in the city of Torrance.
Mike Griffiths is just one more sad example of this.
Over the last two years, his repeated dishonor to Mayor George Chen is particularly disappointing. He repeatedly challenges his leadership on the dias, openly disagrees with him, and shames him directly when unique challenges come before the council. Yes, the council had to call a number of special sessions, but so what? At least more city business is taking place in the public square, so that all of us can see what is happening.
At the first city council meeting following Chen’s installation as mayor, Griffiths went out of his way to bellow to the public: “I am the senior member on the city council.” Yet his advice has not been effective or worthwhile. He has spent more time simply promoting himself or undermining his colleagues. For exmaple, he seemed to contradict his campaign pledge for more fiscal discipline when he questioned Councilman Kaji’s request for a comprehensive citywide audit. Why would he oppose that? Why would he question getting specific answers on how the city is allocating its funds while (hopefully) avoiding waste and fraud? It makes no sense other than the fact that he is unhappy with the Election 2022 results and just wants to frustrate the new governing majority on the council.
From his pattern of dishonesty to determined self-interest instead of public interest, to his disdain for the voters, it’s no surprise that Mike Griffiths is not City Treasurer, and likely will never serve as Mayor of Torrance.
Strangely enough, Griffiths touted during his campaing for Treasurer in 2022 that many people in the Torrance community wanted him to run for mayor. Of course, he would have ended up spliting votes with Mayor Chen and allowing Cliff Numark to be the next mayor. Very likely, a number of forces in city politics told him to back off and allow a candidate who had already won two elections in two short election cycles (once while running at large, and the second time running in one of the new districts). Despite Griffith’s extensive “experience” on the city council, nearly 80% of the Torrance voters did not want him as Treasurer. That’s a pretty damning outcome, to say the least.
The city will be better served once he is gone for good. Let’s hope, however, that city voters continue to raise their standards and expectation of their elected representatives. For too long, Torrance city councilmembers have maintained an elite arrogance, a constant disdain for the voters in the community, caring only for their limited interests while ignoring the ongoing concerns of the residents. Mr. Griffiths is just one more sad example of this, and hopefully the last for a long time to come.