Unintended campaign smiles. Which judges to vote for. Smear update. It’s time to take a break from all the negativity that voters tell me they are seeing on social media and in their mailboxes. Let me share the items that are making me smile, starting with . . . . Team Torrance. That’s what Mayor George Chen is calling his slate for which his PAC is raising hundreds of thousands of dollars from donors outside the City. What made me smile? I got their first mailer and saw that

Chen, Kaji and Mattucci get taken down. Local voter guides. Pilots facing fines. The City Council’s three bullies got taken down at its May 5 meeting. Mayor George Chen, District 1’s Jon Kaji and District 5’s Aurelio Mattucci were called out for their reprehensible attempt to smear District 3’s Asam Sheikh and for their threats to commissioners for failing to endorse their election bids. District 6’s Jeremy Gerson started the extraordinary session by condemning the smear and

Chen flubs Friendship Cities' argument. Mattucci drops an S bomb. Kaji on wrong side of reparations. The last candidates forum became the most tendentious yet with Mayor George Chen and District 4’s Sharon Kalani’s sparring over Friendship Cities and Aurelio Mattucci saying “shithole” twice. The League of Women Voters’ moderator called him out for his obscenity, but we will talk about that brouhaha later. (Anyone who missed the April 23 forum can watch it on the link listed w

Anatomy of a Campaign Smear* Plus: Kaji's Crown problem. Chen digs another hole for himself. Strange bedfellow. *If you are new to this newsletter, please go to www.TakeBackTorrance.com and click on Newsletter No. 80 for a history of the problems caused by Chen/Kaji/Mauno and on No. 81 for the start of the smear that is this issue’s lead topic. The victim: District 3’s Asam Sheikh who is running for re-election. The perpetrators: Mike Mauno, Sheik’s opponent who has ru