““They attacked me from here until kingdom come,” he said, pointing to multiple campaign fliers and commercials that aired against him. Patel said he was particularly attacked for supporting a new Walmart coming to El Monte and for statements that the city might have to consider closing a fire station to close a pending budget gap. But other candidates shared those same sentiments, Velasco included, and were not attacked, leading Patel to conclude part of the push against him was personal, and driven by Quintero. The two have sparred on and off the dais all year. Team El Monte candidates are also changing the face of the El Monte Union High School District. Carlos Salcedo, a former board member, and his ally, Maria Morgan, were the winners in that race, pushing out board president Sal Ramirez and filling one open seat. They will also fill two open seats on the Mountain View School District board. Christian Diaz, a clinical social worker at Huntington Memorial Hospital, and Jacqueline Saldana, a family counselor at a foster agency, were the top two vote-getters in the five-person race. And in El Monte City Schools, Team El Monte candidate Jennifer Cobian, who was named to the school board in May, won her seat back. However, her ally and colleague, Cathi Eredia, lost bid for reelection to David Siegrist. Eredia, so far the only Team El Monte member to lose, was also the only member not endorsed by the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. That labor support, and the organization and strategy that comes with it, certainly benefited the victorious candidates.”
–San Gabriel Valley Tribune:
By REBECCA KIMITCH | Rebecca.Kimitch@sgvn.com |
PUBLISHED: November 5, 2015 at 12:33 a.m. | UPDATED: August 30, 2017 at 6:58 a.m.
QUESTiON: Exactly what is “Team El Monte” and what has been their latest contribution for El Monte?
FOLLOW-UP QUESTiON: Does “Team El Monte” also support Solidarity for El Monte?
unpublishedjack.com 