Latest News March 20, 2007

Here's a piece written by my husband:

Is Carson in for more of the familiar " Culture of Corruption," even though there's been a power shift at City Hall following the recent election?

One of the many reasons Mayor Jim Dear lost his majority on the City Council was because he did not allow any Councilmembers to appoint people to commissions who did not support him, whether on issues concerning the city or in local elections.

Although he was within the law to appoint his friends and political allies, in the spirit of cooperation, fairness and equity he could have shared with the council the authority to make appointments, as was the practice of former Mayor Mike Mitoma.

For example, in the March 8, 2005 election in which I ran for a council seat, during the course of campaigning, the now-Carson Councilmember Mike Gipson mentioned to me after a forum with the Del Amo Homeowners Association at Anderson Park that he would like to see me appointed to the Planning Commission. Again, Gipson was not then a member of the Council; maybe now that he is, and Dear no longer has a majority, Gipson will be able to make such appointments.

But there is another issue in City government that needs to be addressed.

Just as the Mayor's appointments were inequitable and unfair, so is our city election system in which we have four councilmembers at large. Is it now time to be equitable and fair to the whole community and have representation based on the geography and population of the area?

It seems that we on the south side of Carson are now underrepresented on the Council. The north side is represented by three councilmembers: Harold Williams, Lula Davis Holmes and Mike Gipson. Only Elito Santarina represents the south side.

Many American cities, both large and small, are divided up for electoral purposes into wards or council districts. These allow closer, more direct representation for local voters.

Isn't it time we changed our system so that our City Council fairly and equitably represents everyone, in all areas of the city?

Is there a politician with integrity willing to support such a measure, even though he or she might lose their seat on the council if it was enacted?

Will the faction that opposes Mayor Dear's commission appointments, as well as the Mayor and his political allies, give their support to this idea of true representative government that allows equity and fairness to prevail? Will both the parties and all of Carson come together for the good of the entire city? Now there has been a power shift in Carson, there is surely an opportunity to change the tyrannical attitudes of the past and allow a political reform that will lead to better representation of all Carson residents.

Let me give two examples of what I am talking about.

Though Carson High School draws from the entire community, unless you drive or pick up your children to and from school you are probably unaware that there is a potential danger for the masses of children who walk around Main Street at 225th, since there is no signal in the early morning or early afternoon, not to mention throughout the day. If a motorist begins to accelerate to make the light at 223rd and Main before it turns, they may be surprised to find children crossing at the crosswalk and cause a tragic accident.

Our councilmembers, rather than being reactive to tragic situations, should be proactive and build a skybridge, similar to the one on Figueroa near Stephen M. White Middle School.

To accommodate the handicapped and disabled, rather than stairs, ramps could be installed similar to the skybridge over Figueroa near the Stephen White School. Another alternative to accommodate the handicapped and disabled would be elevators, as well as glass windows and cameras to prevent any problem from occurring inside the elevator.

Additionally, two members of the local south side community obtained signatures to get speed bumps placed along Carriagedale Dr. and Frigate Avenue to slow down traffic to prevent a tragic car accident, perhaps involving a child or senior. This was several months back, but they still don't have their speed bumps.

Although a Councilmember at large may in some cases provide adequate representation, a direct representative of the area concerned would likely fight harder and have more effective representation for their district than someone from another area.

Additionally, in this small town, where money is always a hot topic in political campaigns, dividing the city into wards or council districts would reduce the cost to candidates of campaigning at election time because they would only be concerned with obtaining votes from their ward or district. They would not need to seek out big financial donors. A system that forces a candidate to seek contributions from financial fat cats makes that candidate a mere puppet of the financial interests to which he owes his election.

Finally, does the group that opposes Mayor Jim Dear really care about what is right for the citizens of Carson or do they merely want the power to control the city as they see fit?

Both factions now have an opportunity to give the residents fair representation. Will they take this opportunity or will they adopt the same tyrannical attitude that Mayor Dear is accused of doing? Will their newfound power corrode their judgment and sense of fairness?

Or will both groups, in the spirit of cooperation and city unity, work to create an atmosphere in which the Council can act in the best interests of the city?

Let's hope this is the case, and that Carson will not continue to be governed by people who put their own political careers and agendas above the general good.

However, if Vegas were offering odds, I'd bet we were in for more of the same "Culture of Carson Corruption," just wearing a different face.

If you look at any current local politicians, you can see they are all linked to tainted politicians. Does the apple really fall far from the tree?

As one resident stated to me, current Carson politicians are beyond redemption. I agree. I have tried for years to get the city to post all its finances to the city's respective websites daily, to no avail.

Despite all of this, I'd like to be proven wrong.

Sincerely,


Steve Mozena

February 17 and 18

Wow! What a weekend for the Mozenas! On Saturday, February 17, they were featured on the front page of the local newspaper, The Daily Breeze, www.dailybreeze.com as part of an article entitled "Political Bedfellows: South Bay couples are putting their hearts into dual candidacies in Carson, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach." There was a huge color photo, 3 inches wide by 4 inches high, of Lucille and Steve Mozena, and the article contained information about their husband-and-wife team political campaign. Both Mozenas were quoted directly.

Then on Sunday, the Mozenas were featured on page 3 of the Long Beach Press Telegram, www.presstelegram.com with a black and white photo about one-inch square. The article was virtually the same as the one that had run in the Breeze.

The Mozenas are spending virtually nothing on their campaign. Steve figures he has spent enough money in previous campaigns to put out his message. Now these press articles appear . . . You can't buy this publicity!

The Mozenas would like to publicly thank both the publishers, editors, reporters and staff for the excellent articles in the Daily Breeze and Long Beach Press Telegram.

Here is the article as it appeared in The Daily Breeze.

Political Bedfellows

South Bay couples are putting their hearts into dual candidacies in Carson, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach.

By Andrea Sudano, Kristin S. Agostoni and Gene Maddaus, STAFF WRITERS

Forget chocolates, sunsets and flowers. Nothing says romance like campaigning, fluorescent lawn signs and endless candidate forums.

Ah, love is in the air, or maybe it's just election season in the South Bay, where upcoming municipal races have brought out three sets of married couples stumping for elective office in Redondo Beach, Carson and Manhattan Beach.
It's long been common to find couples and families holding political office on a larger, more national scale, but more married couples have started running together for local elected office lately, said Bob Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies.

"It's an increasing trend," he said. "The public is accepting it more and more."

Cindy Szerlip of Redondo Beach said she hadn't counted on running for city clerk when her husband, Don, was fighting for the District 3 City Council seat four years ago. But the financial planner and enrolled agent admits something stuck with her the night she watched election officials count the votes that put him in office.

Today, Cindy, 49, is making a bid for the clerk's job, while Don, 55, who runs an advertising agency, is hoping for re-election March 6.

She said she opted to run because the timing was right; the current clerk was retiring, and her tax and accounting firm "is in a place where much of it runs itself." And the couple's daughters -- Kelsey, 14, and Lacey, 10 -- don't need constant attention from Mom and Dad anymore.

Steve and Lucille Mozena saw opportunity in running together for two spots on the Carson City Council. With Steve on his fifth bid for office, his wife, a Filipina who became a U.S. citizen in May, is running for the first time.

"They have lots of Filipinos here," said Lucille, 31, who added she is running for office because she likes helping people and learning. "I just love it here."

But for Stephen and Bev Morse of Manhattan Beach, pure frustration with the city's direction, particularly the movement to underground utility wires in town, inspired the couple to throw their matching hats into the ring for two open City Council seats.

The couple discussed their options long and hard before filing nomination papers just before they were due -- or maybe not.

"You dragged me into it. Bev, let's be honest," Stephen kids his wife, before turning serious. "Bev really is the social conscience of our time."

Clearly still in love after 42 years of marriage, Bev, 65, beams when Stephen teases her. She twirls her long hair and giggles.

But running for elected office has not been all laughs for the Morses.

With less than a month before the election, Bev dropped out of the race this week after much thought. They worried votes would split between the two candidates.

"Most people feel we could generate a higher vote count alone," Stephen, 66, said. "Two candidates would dilute our chances."

So Stephen has emerged as the single candidate from the Morse clan, even though his better half's name will still appear on the ballot. Bev believes her husband's business background and more rational, less emotional personality would better serve Manhattan Beach residents.

But vote splitting shouldn't be the only concern for married candidates, especially if they both ended up winning, said Raphael Sonenshein, a political science professor at California State University, Fullerton.

"If you have a City Council with five members ... they'd have to not go have coffee with a third member of the council," he said. "The Brown Act is triggered right then. It goes back to the question are they going to vote as a team on all matters?"

A mother-in-law and daughter-in-law team both serve on the Long Beach City Council. James Hahn was mayor of Los Angeles while his sister Janice was a council member.

But married couples holding elected offices in local politics, where there are few seats to go around, is largely uncharted territory, Sonenshein said.

He wondered what would happen if their terms last longer than the union. What's off limits for dinner conversation or pillow talk?

In the meantime, both Szerlips say they've taken pains to campaign separately -- he didn't even attend his wife's recent fundraiser -- not only because they want voters to consider them on their own merits, but also because the clerk's role is to be politically neutral.

"We run separate campaigns. We have separate pots of money," Don said. "She has a much better organization than I have. I think it's great."

The Szerlips' introduction to campaigning came in 1990, when they launched a successful drive to build Redondo's off-leash dog park.

For a wedding gift, Don had given his wife a springer spaniel puppy named Nikki, and they soon discovered Redondo offered few places where they could legally walk the dog.

They took the issue to the city, and, with others, were tasked with the job of drumming up money and public support. A few years later, Nikki and other canines got a place to run.

The Mozenas have also kept their campaigns separate, but maybe less intentionally so than the Szerlips.

In past election efforts, including a 2001 try for mayor of Los Angeles in which he finished last of 15 candidates, Steve spent tens of thousands of dollars. This time around, the educational book publisher plans to spend no money on this campaign, calculating that he's already fairly well known.

Instead, he's focused his energy on candidates forums, which Lucille does not attend.

"Two Mozenas are better than one," Steve said at a recent candidates forum he attended solo.

The couple met at Ralphs supermarket in 2000. She was working there as a grocery bagger, having emigrated from the Philippines just three months before. He first laid eyes on her in the parking lot, where she was gathering up grocery carts.

"It was love at first sight," he said.

He gave her his business card. A year later, they were married at a drive-through wedding chapel in Las Vegas.

In lieu of rice, his friends threw McDonald's french fries.

Lucille earned her U.S. citizenship in May, and now she's running for office.

"She's like Arnold Schwarzenegger," said Steve, who tends to do the talking for both of them, given his wife's limited English skills.

Until Bev dropped out this week, the Morses ran their campaign together as a unit, just as they have functioned for their entire marriage.

When Bev was 17 and Stephen 19, the couple met on Long Island, when they passed each other on a road. Bev thought she already knew Stephen, so she stopped and gave him a quick hug and kiss, while he played along.

"I said, 'Wow, I'll be back for that,' " Stephen said.

Already pinned to someone else, Bev cut her beau loose and picked up with Stephen. They married, headed west and settled in Hermosa Beach, an immediate draw once they were warned of the area's rampant hippie population.

An artsy liberal attitude has since defined the couple as they raised their family in Manhattan Beach. They helped launch the Planned Parenthood facility in Lawndale and co-founded Manhattan Beach's first synagogue. The vocal couple has become a fixture at late-night City Council meetings.

The two vowed to spend just $1,000 each on their campaigns, refused donations and eschewed lawn signs. Bev, an editorial writer at a local weekly newspaper, penned her husband's campaign ad -- an epic comparing the small business owner to Don Quixote.

Now out of the race, Bev pledged to be her husband's "right-hand man" during the race and if he takes office.

"You have to," Stephen told his wife, "or it won't get done."

The Morses said they received praise for running together, but Cindy Szerlip admitted a handful of people she's met on the campaign trail have questioned her connection to Don.

"One guy just looked me straight in the eye and said, 'Two people with the same last name have no right to run for elective office in my city,' " she recalled.

But Randy Riddle, a San Francisco attorney who specializes in election law, said he doesn't see possible conflicts preventing either spouse from holding office.

"Holding and running for elective office is recognized as a primary fundamental right, so I don't think you could prevent anybody," he said.

The Szerlips have both pledged to disclose potential conflicts and step back from their roles if necessary. Obvious questions could arise if Cindy had to count her husband's votes in an election, or review signatures on a recall petition.

Ultimately, voters will decide if they will trust a married couple to serve in office in the same government system, said Cal State Fullerton's Sonenshein.

"Voters tend to apply common sense to things," he said. "The voters will probably have to decide, are they comfortable with this."

Latest News February 16, 2007

Following the opening of his online campaign store, at which anyone can download campaign posters, bumper stickers and sticker buttons, Steve Mozena informed the public through letters to newspapers and a press release of this latest innovative approach to political campaigning. The letter to the newspapers is reproduced here:

Dear Editor:

The Internet continues to change the political landscape of America
as Steve Mozena inaugurates the concept of the decentralized political campaign.

Supporters of the candidacies of Steve Mozena and his wife Lucille for Carson City Council will not have to wait around for someone else to provide their campaign bumper stickers, posters or sticker buttons.

Campaign Headquarters for Mozena is everyone's home computer.

Supporters can go to his website, www.mozena.com and see the cutting-edge technology for themselves. Click on the link for the campaign store.

They can print their own Mozena Campaign Posters, Bumper Stickers and Button Stickers instantly!

How many other candidates have the initiative to democratize their campaigns in this fashion?

As the Mozenas lead, others will follow.

Now watch all politicians and would-be politicians start to use these instant marketing materials for their campaigns.

It's just another progressive idea brought to you by Steve Mozena.

The City of Carson needs this kind of creative thinking applied to City affairs.

Just as Mozena's instant marketing materials alter the way political campaigns are run, his ideas for Carson government, such as the daily posting of all government finances to the web, provide a necessary shake up to the old ways of doing things.

Let's go with Mozena for a new approach to Carson's affairs.

If the Mozenas win, everyone wins, especially in Carson.

Latest News
February 16, 2007.

Dear Fellow Carsonite:

Reporter Nick Diamantides of the Long Beach Business Journal, which covers both Long Beach and Carson, contacted Steve and Lucille Mozena about an article he is writing for the upcoming edition about the candidates for Carson Council. The website for the paper is www.lbbj.com

The questions asked of both candidates were the same. Here are Lucille and Steve's answers.

Lucille:

Questions from the reporter for the Long Beach Business Journal

Q: What is your current occupation or business and where is it based?

Lucille: Vice President of an Educational Publishing Corporation. The business is currently based in Carson, though on March 1, 2007, we will be relocating our business into our newly acquired strip mall property with 4 retail spaces and 2 studios in Long Beach, off the Lakewood Exit.

Q: Why are you running for election to the city council?

Lucille: I want to help my fellow Carsonites live their dreams.

Q: If elected, what would be your top two priorities?

Lucille: 1. More development of affordable housing.
2. More commercial development, so residents don't need to leave the city for services and products.

Q: Do you generally approve of the direction that the city council has taken in the last year or two? If so, tell me why. If not, tell me what you would like to see change.

Lucille: Yes. I like the direction for economic and housing development. I feel Carson is a diamond in the rough in the Southbay, and needs to expand by polishing itself instead of stagnating.

Steve's Answers:

Q: What is your current occupation or business and where is it based?

Steve: Chairman and CEO of an Educational Publishing Corporation.

The business is currently based in Carson, though on March 1, 2007, we will be relocating our business into our newly acquired strip mall property with 4 retail spaces and 2 studios in Long Beach, off the Lakewood Exit.

Q: Why are you running for election to the city council?

Steve:1. To bring fiscal honesty and integrity back to Carson by posting all government finances to the Internet daily.

2. Currently, the Council is made up of teachers and other governmental worthe link for the campaign store.

They can print their own Mozena Campaign Posters, Bumper Stickers and Button Stickers instantly!

How many other candidates have the initiative to democratize their campaigns in this fashion?

As the Mozenas lead, others will follow.

Now watch all politicians and would-be politicians start to use these instant marketing materials for their campaigns.

It's just another progressive idea brought to you by Steve Mozena.

The City of Carson needs this kind of creative thinking applied to City affairs.

Just as Mozena's instant marketing materials alter the way political campaigns are run, his ideas for Carson government, such as the daily posting of all government finances to the web, provide a necessary shake up to the old ways of doing things.

Let's go with Mozena for a new approach to Carson's affairs.

If the Mozenas win, everyone wins, especially in Carson.

Latest News
February 16, 2007.

Dear Fellow Carsonite:

Reporter Nick Diamantides of the Long Beach Business Journal, which covers both Long Beach and Carson, contacted Steve and Lucille Mozena about an article he is writing for the upcoming edition about the candidates for Carson Council. The website for the paper is www.lbbj.com

The questions asked of both candidates were the same. Here are Lucille and Steve's answers.

Lucille:

Questions from the reporter for the Long Beach Business Journal

Q: What is your current occupation or business and where is it based?

Lucille: Vice President of an Educational Publishing Corporation. The business is currently based in Carson, though on March 1, 2007, we will be relocating our business into our newly acquired strip mall property with 4 retail spaces and 2 studios in Long Beach, off the Lakewood Exit.

Q: Why are you running for election to the city council?

Lucille: I want to help my fellow Carsonites live their dreams.

Q: If elected, what would be your top two priorities?

Lucille: 1. More development of affordable housing.
2. More commercial development, so residents don't need to leave the city for services and products.

Q: Do you generally approve of the direction that the city council has taken in the last year or two? If so, tell me why. If not, tell me what you would like to see change.

Lucille: Yes. I like the direction for economic and housing development. I feel Carson is a diamond in the rough in the Southbay, and needs to expand by polishing itself instead of stagnating.

Steve's Answers:

Q: What is your current occupation or business and where is it based?

Steve: Chairman and CEO of an Educational Publishing Corporation.

The business is currently based in Carson, though on March 1, 2007, we will be relocating our business into our newly acquired strip mall property with 4 retail spaces and 2 studios in Long Beach, off the Lakewood Exit.

Q: Why are you running for election to the city council?

Steve:1. To bring fiscal honesty and integrity back to Carson by posting all government finances to the Internet daily.

2. Currently, the Council is made up of teachers and other governmental workers. I am the only businessman and entrepreneur in the race, and I have more than 20 years' experience in several fields. I will bring a fresh view to the Council that will help facilitate economic growth and housing development.

Q: If elected, what would be your top two priorities?

Steve:1. Post the Finances to the web daily to thwart waste, fraud, and corruption.
2. Help Carsonites who want to start their own businesses in Carson. Bring new businesses to Carson and help established ones.

Q: Do you generally approve of the direction that the city council has taken in the last year or two? If so, tell me why. If not, tell me what you would like to see change.

Steve: Yes and No. Yes, there seems to be some good economic development, but it appears some of it is at the expense of my fellow Carsonites. I'd like to make sure that the wishes of Carsonites are being met. Additionally, the acrimonious nature of the current Council is awful. It's a circus. I'd like to bring a more logical, managerial approach instead of the emotionalism that produces warring factions and prevents business being conducted in a proper manner.

Latest News
February 14, 2007

Dear Fellow Carsonite:

Here's a full response to questions asked by Lyn Jensen, a reporter from the Random Lengths News, which covers commerce stories in San Pedro, Palos Verdes Peninsula, Harbor City, Wilmington, Lomita, Long Beach and Carson. The newspaper will be publishing an article about the Carson Council Candidates in its upcoming edition. The website for the paper is www.randomlengthsnews.com/

Questions from the reporter for the Random Lengths News.

Steve and Lucille Mozena. Lucille's answers are listed first.

1. Please provide your name (as listed on the ballot) and your years of residency in Carson.

Lucille Liongpera Mozena

Five years residency in Carson. Purchased home in Carson in 2002.

2. Your occupation and number of years in your occupation or, if applicable, your number of years on the city council.

Lucille: Manager of Mozena Publishing - 7 years

3. Your education.

Lucille: Holy Child Academy, High School, 1993
University of Liceo De Cagayan in Cagayan De Oro, Mindinao, Philippines, Major: Marketing

4. Contact info for your campaign (HQ address, phone, web site, e-mail).
Lucille Mozena
Website: www.mozena.com
e-mail address: mozena@ca.rr.com

5. If elected to the Carson City Council for the 2007-2011 term, what is the one achievement you will work hardest to accomplish during that term?

Lucille: Business development; affordable housing for everyone.


What is the one issue that you will most staunchly support?

Lucille: Housing development; business development.

6. What is the one issue that may come before the city council in the next four years that you will most staunchly oppose?

Lucille: Anything that thwarts development, either in business or home developments.

7. What is the "wow factor" in your campaign?

Lucille: As an immigrant, I passionately believe in the ideals of my adopted country. I'm energetic, resourceful, responsible -- and I believe that anything is possible.

Steve's answers:

1. Please provide your name (as listed on the ballot) and your years of residency in Carson.

Steve Mozena
Five years residency in Carson. Purchased home in Carson in 2002.

2. Your occupation and number of years in your occupation or, if applicable, your number of years on the city council.

Steve: President of Mozena Publishing - 15 years

3. Your education.

Steve: B.A. Major: Journalism, Minor: Business, 1985, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR.

4. Contact info for your campaign (HQ address, phone, web site, e-mail).
Steve Mozena
Website: www.mozena.com
e-mail address: mozena@ca.rr.com

5. If elected to the Carson City Council for the 2007-2011 term, what is the one achievement you will work hardest to accomplish during that term?

Steve: To get the City to post all its finances to its web sites daily in order to thwart waste, fraud and corruption.

What is the one issue that you will most staunchly support?

Steve: Anything that could improve the health and enhance the wealth of the residents of Carson.

6. What is the one issue that may come before the city council in the next four years that you will most staunchly oppose?

Steve: Anything that hides any government business from the public. I believe in a totally transparent government.

7. What is the "wow factor" in your campaign?

Steve: My ability to quickly solve problems. Additionally, my resourcefulness and ability to get things done. I have creative ideas and can come up with solutions to any challenges.

Latest News 
February 13, 2007

Following the appalling scenes at the recent Carson City Council meeting, Steve Mozena felt compelled to protest at how low our local government has sunk. The following letter was sent to local newspapers.

Dear Editor:

As a resident of Carson, I'm embarrassed. When did the circus come to town?

Carson City Council has become a national laughingstock.

We should nominate Carson Commissioner Jan Schaeffer for an Oscar after her theatrical fall to the ground after being tapped on the head with a file by Vera Robles Dewitt.

And we should be appalled by the conduct of Mayor Jim Dear who fanned the flames of conflict when he claimed that Schaeffer had been hit in the eye, which was plainly not so.

Carson politics has sunk to a new low, and there it was on national TV for the whole nation to watch.

What a mess.

Everyone can see that it is time for a change. It is time that Carson was known for starting positive initiatives, not for infantile squabbles.

Again and again, I have called for radical reform in the way the City does its business. Posting all Carson finances daily to the Internet is an essential first step toward the kind of open government we need.

Carson City Council has been known too long for all the wrong things. Financial corruption has tarnished the good name of the city for many years, and now we seem to be building a national reputation for divisiveness, acrimony, childishness, and a lack of leadership.

It's got to stop, before things get even worse.

Enough is enough.

City Council meetings should not resemble a Ringling Brothers show. Nor should they resemble theatrical performances. We do not need drama kings and queens as our representatives.

We need councilmembers who will do the people's business -- efficiently, fairly, and quietly.

I appeal to the residents of this city to make their disgust known at the City Council election on March 6, 2007, and vote for those candidates who are capable of restoring dignity and leadership to our city.

Sincerely,

Steve Mozena

Latest News

On Monday, February 5, between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., Steve Mozena, candidate for Carson City Council, spoke at a forum hosted by the South Bay Association of Realtors at the Carson Community Center. Mr. Mozena also represented his wife, Lucille Mozena, who is also a candidate for the City Council. The forum was moderated by Mr. John Greenwood.

Below is an introduction that explains our interest in real estate, followed by the written answers we gave to the questions posed by the Association at the forum. The questions were prepared by David Kissinger, the Association's Director of Government Affairs. 

Dear Carson Voters:

My wife and I are pro-development. My wife owns several properties in the Philippines and we are in escrow for a strip mall in Long Beach with 4 retail spaces and 2 studios.

Real estate is important to my family of origin and my immediate family. My deceased father owned a number of properties including a family home, a vacation home and several commercial properties. From when I was a young boy until I was a teenager, he would bring me along whenever he was making property transactions. He passed away when I was 19.

My siblings also own property. One sister, a Psy.D., owns a couple of properties; a brother, a lawyer, owns several personal and commercial properties, and a third brother, a doctor, owns personal and vacation property, and is currently having a 7-bedroom home built on the most exclusive lakefront property in Oregon.

Additionally, my mother lives in a lakefront property in Lincoln City, Oregon. Prior to this she bought a 10-room house and developed it into a world-renowned bed and breakfast known as Portland's White House. After about 15 years, she sold the Portland White House property and business, which helped then to re-invigorate the Irvington neighborhood in Portland, Oregon and even today continues to do so.

My wife and I will continue to invest in real estate in the future.

Finally, we would be more than happy to obtain support and funding for our campaigns from individual Realtors and from the South Bay Association of Realtors itself.

Sincerely,

Steve Mozena and Lucille Mozena
Candidates for City of Carson Council
"Two Mozenas are better than one!"

Questionnaire:

What regulations do you believe the City should require for real estate lead-in/OPEN HOUSE signs?

We believe that Civil Code Section 713 covers the regulation well enough. In this Internet age, signage for Realtors isn't as important as it once was, since potential buyers have many options available in searching for real estate, such as Multiple Listing Service (MLS), business real estate websites and so forth.

We believe therefore that the City needs no new regulations. It should simply follow the California Civil Code Section 713 which states:
(a) Notwithstanding any provision of any ordinance, an owner
of real property or his or her agent may display or have displayed on the owner's real property, and on real property owned by others with their consent, signs which are reasonably located, in plain view of the public, are of reasonable dimensions and design, and do not
adversely affect public safety, including traffic safety, as
determined by the city, county, or city and county, advertising the
following:
(1) That the property is for sale, lease, or exchange by the owner
or his or her agent.
(2) Directions to the property.
(3) The owner's or agent's name.
(4) The owner's or agent's address and telephone number.
(b) Nothing in this section limits any authority which a person or
local governmental entity may have to limit or regulate the display
or placement of a sign on a private or public right-of-way.

How should the City conform with California Civil Code Section 713 under which a property owner may place real estate signs on another property with the owner's consent?

The answer is simple: Follow the code, which is quite explicit on this matter.

What should be the City's role in affordable housing and workforce housing?

The City should create affordable housing, but not at the expense of quality of life. We do not want new houses placed so close together that there are no lawns and backyards for young families to enjoy. We think it's a shame that in housing here in Carson, we can't aim for the American Dream of a standard-size home with a standard-size back yard and front yard. In other words, it is wrong for developers to put multiple townhouses or other houses on a lot that was originally intended for only one or two homes. Lucille Mozena is in favor of more development, and is likely to look favorably on plans submitted by property developers. She believes basically in full property rights, that property owners are entitled to do whatever they wish with their own property.

The City should also create senior citizen sub-developments along the lines of those created by Dell Webb, Inc., www.delwebb.com  For seniors and the handicapped, it does make sense to have yards that need little or no maintenance.

As a city, we need to aim for an adequate supply of affordable housing and workforce housing, for which no one has to pay more than 30 percent of their gross income. We need more mobile home parks, more condos, and more townhouses, though we also need to make sure through careful planning that none of these new developments become projects or high-crime areas.

Why should or should not the city annex Rancho Dominguez?

Bigger isn't necessarily better, and this annexation may be an exercise in futility. If the residents had an opportunity to be annexed to Carson or Long Beach, it seems being annexed by Long Beach would be more prudent because it would offer residents an increase in their property values, and so forth. We would be in favor of the annexation of Rancho Dominguez if the argument presented on the City website, that revenues from the annexation will be sufficient to meet the costs of providing municipal services to the area, is well founded. See this link

However, we would not be in favor of it if city services like police and fire were spread thin, which would not be serving the new or the current Carson residents well.

How have you voted or would you vote on an issue of rent control or inclusionary zoning?

We are against rent control. However, we do favor the establishment of inclusionary zoning regulations which create incentives or requirements for affordable housing development, though I am opposed to packing people in like sardines. Lucille Mozena is more favorably disposed to the wishes of developers and believes the most important thing is to create as many new homes as possible.

Should the City mandate its own property inspections during a real estate sale, even though the buyer already requests an inspection? If so, why?

Absolutely not. The buyer has a vested interest in making sure the property is sound, and the buyer should be the one to exercise that responsibility. Using City inspectors would be a waste of taxpayer money.

How much should the City regulate new multifamily construction or condo development?

Personally, we prefer Carson as an American Dream City where everyone can own a house. If we, as council members, chose to regulate apartment and condo development, it would have to be at the wishes of the local community. We are in favor of involving the entire small city of Carson citizens when it comes to changing the make-up of their neighborhoods and city. Carson still has enough land for individuals to build new homes, though, again, Lucille Mozena favors full developments.
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