EDITORS NOTE: The next La Mirada General Municipal Election for District 3 will be held on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. The qualified candidates are John Accornero and Ed Eng. This letter was emailed to us by Candidate Accornero.
In Districts 4 and 5, only incumbents Steve De Ruse and Anthony Ortero filed nomination papers respectively, therefore they were appointed to council and the election for these two districts was cancelled.
Dear La Mirada Resident,
My name is John Accornero and I am running to be elected to the City Council in the 3rd District.
I am asking you to vote for me in the election on March 5, 2024.
About me
I have lived in La Mirada since I was two years old and except for a six-year absence, have lived here ever since. I am 58-years-old, love gardening (I have orchids, palms, carnivorous plants and of course fruits and vegetables). I have been married to my only wife since 2009 but was not blessed with children. I love astronomy and watching rocket launches like some watch sports games. I used to scuba dive and hope someday I can get back into the ocean getting wet (I love water). I went to St Paul High School, class of 1983 and to Cerritos College, not knowing what I really wanted to do, but I took Botany, Zoology, Marine Biology, Calculus, and Ornamental Horticulture.
Experience
I am recognized to practice before the IRS as an Enrolled Agent, am a Realtor, and I work retail sales at a Home Depot in the garden department in another city.
I may not have any experience in city government, I don't have any college degrees other than an Associate of Arts, general. I have no agenda other than serving the public. I love blazing new paths. Perhaps my apparent inexperience is a strength.
Why me?
Make no mistake, Ed has done a good job in the last two terms as your representative and if he was running for Governor, I would likely vote for him. This election really has nothing to do with his lack of accomplishment.
So why? Why vote for me? My platform has two main points and several smaller, actionable items.
TERM LIMITS
Why should we fix something that isn't broken? Term limits are designed for a few reasons, namely, keeping the threat of corruption at bay and keeping ideas and processes fresh. If we go by “that is the way we have always done it,” it curbs growth and development even at a non-material level. Two terms is already in place for the President, the Supervisors, and many other public offices and there is no reason why we cannot be consistent here with best practices. I promise I won't run for a third term consecutively unless the public asks me to do so.
BETTER COMMUNICATION
I have never seen my opponent post much of anything about happenings in the city, where John Lewis is in his district via postings on Facebook or Next-door. I would like to connect to my constituents more fully by letting them know how I voted on issues that matter to them or by letting them know about community events by social media postings. You really would like to know that your representative is working for you.
IN ADDITION
-Holding periodic town hall meetings to get a real ear and an actual voice. I want you to be able to recognize your representative.
-How about getting a dog park? Dogs are very much a part of our families, and they need a place of their own to play and be dogs. Sometime ago they were going to remodel or redesign Creek Park, but remarkably, they left out a dog park.
-Solar power. Whether you like it or not, solar will be on our doorstep soon even more than it is now. We currently have ONLY ONE place in the city to charge your car on the backside of the La Mirada Shopping Center and in a few years, we will need many more due to the eventual phaseout of gasoline powered cars. I would also like it to be possible that the city will help pay for your solar energy home system.
-I will simplify the needs of getting a building permit. Permits make up a small fraction of our revenues anyway, but did you know you need a permit to change a faucet? Or to change the toilet? Or a water heater? If my water heater breaks down, I need a new water heater and don't want to be waiting for a permit. I aim to eliminate permits for maintenance items. There is very little hazard in changing a toilet, except for the over exertion of your back!
-Small business. I think small, home-based business is the heartbeat of America. If you had a product, I would be interested in it; I wish I could buy it from you without raising eyebrows because you had a few cars parked on your curb occasionally. This too would propel membership in our local Chamber of Commerce so that our local economy could be supported and maybe our sales tax revenue could increase and fund the city even more.
There you have it, actionable items, that if elected, I will get to work on getting approved.
Thanks for taking the time to read this,
Yours,
John Accornero
John Accornero for La Mirada City Council District 3 2024
