Newsletter No. 72

Big bullies: Chen and Kaji

This is a tale of two bullies: Mayor George Chen and District 1’s Jon Kaji.

Let’s start with Kaji, who has a reputation for threatening anyone who crosses him or simply fails to yield to his demands.

I had heard various stories, and they all had the same sensibility. Kaji would have his attorney send a letter with demands and the threat of a lawsuit. The recipients, for the most part, didn’t have attorneys on retainers and/or didn’t want the expense of dealing with lawyers. So, they acceded to Kaji’s demands.

Then on Sept. 26, 2023, I got an email from his attorney. The subject line said: “Cease and desist.”

I won’t go into the whole complaint, except to say that Kaji’s attorney ordered me to stop writing about him and threatened me with a lawsuit.

I didn’t stop writing about Kaji.

He didn’t sue me.

And that is the way we need to treat bullies. Stand up to them.

Pairing Chen with Kaji in the bully department may seem surprising to some because most people who have encountered the mayor in person comment on what a mild-mannered individual he appears to be. But that façade is developing cracks.

It started during the 2024 campaign where Chen was determined to finally gain control of the Council. He had only three votes and was sure that Andrew Lee in District 2 and/or Tony Yeh in District 6 would give him the majority. The problem: He had, and still has, terrible judgment in candidates – more about his choices for 2026 below.

Both Lee and Yeh lost decisively.

Who helped torpedo their campaigns? The South Bay’s venerable Asian-American politicians from former Assembly member George Nakano to Rep. Ted Lieu to current Assembly member Al Muratsuchi.

They all supported Lee and Yeh’s opponents and eventual winners – District 2’s Bridgett Lewis and District 6’s Jeremy Gerson.

During a public campaign event, Chen held up the mailer they had done for Lewis and – in anger – Chen dropped the F-bomb over their backing her. His supporters were stunned. Patsy Okada, a huge backer, went online to express her amazement over his loss of composure. She was asked to take down her Facebook post, but others had already grabbed a screenshot of her dumbfounded response.

While the audience that day thought they were seeing an aberration, others have told me that Chen screams at people one-on-one behind closed doors. They have either heard him through thin walls – or have been among those on the receiving end of his yells.

I first became aware of it during his early days as mayor. Things were not going well for him. He had lost the battle to name the Council member to take his former seat. Then he tried a power grab over appointing someone to a Civil Service Commission opening. He bungled it, resulting in an emergency 8 a.m. Monday Council meeting.

The Council overruled his choice, and he was forced to agree never to attempt that power play again. (If you are interested in the history of that incident, check out Newsletter No. 10 at www.TakeBackTorrance.com.)

Fast forward to his re-election campaign that is showing signs of weakness, similar to what happened to Mayor Dan Walker when he ran for re-election and lost. I have now talked to a few Asian-American residents who supported him at the beginning because they liked what they thought he was promoting: The need to have Asian-Americans at the table when policy decisions were being made.

They are correct. Torrance’s population is around 40 percent Asian-American. Torrance promotes itself as a balanced city, and the electoral makeup should be reflected on the Council.

However, since 2022, many of his onetime supporters have recognized that his real interest is in his evangelical religion and a right-wing ideology, and they are walking away from him and turning to supporting his opponent, District 4’s Sharon Kalani.

When he learned of commissioners who intended to endorse her over him, he tried to bully them by saying he would have their appointments rescinded. Word about those threats leaked out, and four Council members agreed they would only vote to remove a commissioner if the City attorney raised improprieties. That made Chen’s threat worthless.

Now he is telling people that Kalani is racially intolerant and is intent on removing Asian-Americans from the Council. Given the racial makeup of the Kalani family, that accusation is laughable. And Kalani has a long history of bringing people together.

When I called to ask her about Chen's accusation, I thought I heard a sigh before she responded: "Nothing could be further from the truth. I have spent years working to bring people together in all areas of my life. This ongoing attempt to divide us saddens me.

"I am a member of the Torrance Sister City Assn. and have been a host for Japanese students as my house guests with the YMCA. I treasure the Asian community and hope they recognize my years of support long before I ever joined the City Council."

No Asian candidates for Chen:

Chen mistakenly thought the voters’ repudiation of Lee and Yeh was a disdain for Asian-American candidates, but they were rejecting his judgment. They wanted people made of the stuff of a Nakano, a Lieu, a Muratsuchi. He gave them a Lee and a Yeh.

Now Chen is supporting two non-Asian-Americans: Mike Mauno, a three-time failed Council candidate for the District 3 seat, and political novice Michelle Brooks for District 5. I predict that Mauno will not unseat incumbent Asam Sheikh and Brooks will be buried by Torrance School Board Vice President Betty Lieu.

In future newsletters, I will recount Mauno’s history of being caught creating false narratives in an effort to get support. Brooks has lived at her District 5 address for only three years, but she grew up in Torrance.

I have been hearing from people who went to school with her. Their memories have not been positive, and they encouraged me to share them with readers. More fodder for future newsletters.

I will go out on a limb and predict that sometime next year, Kalani will endorse the Asian-American candidate for District 5. Republican Kalani and Democrat Lieu have shown they have residents’ interests at heart, as opposed to the right-wing ideology Chen and Kaji have been pushing. Continuing talks will mean that they see ways to work together for the greater good.

At least, that’s what my crystal ball is telling me.

More on beating back the bullies:

If Kaji and Chen have intimidated people from endorsing their opponents, the threat is even greater to those who consider financially supporting them. That information is on the public record.

One potential donor told David Kartsonis how Kaji has in the past responded vindictively to people who cross him. Then Kartsonis, who is opposing Kaji, shared his thoughts on what he would do if elected.

The donor listened, wrote him a check for $250 and said there would be more before the election.

When the next round of campaign contributions becomes public in January, I predict there will be other donors who have decided it’s time to beat back the bullies. 

Drumming up community:

Taiko is routinely on the Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation’s program lineup because the shows are well-attended. This year’s Sept. 27 and 28 performances were no exception.

An unscientific survey of the hall indicated a little more than half of the audience was Asian-American. Which meant the non-Asian-American component was also large. It was heart-warming to see the Arts bringing people together.

Before I go: 

The City’s deadline for correspondence to be included in the Council’s pre-meeting public supplemental is 5:30 p.m. the Monday before the meeting. The Council will receive anything that comes in later before the meeting, but it won’t be posted until Wednesday. It will be at the top of the agenda.

You can also leave voicemails to be included as Oral Communications in the supplemental. Call 310-618-2404 to leave up to a two-minute recording that will be transcribed. Voicemails have the same deadlines as the emails. 

Want to tell the City Council your opinion on an agenda item or address any concerns? The City has changed how to have your comments appear in an agenda item’s Staff Report. You should use the OneMeeting Public Portal at https://torranceca.primegov.com/public/portal?fromiframe=true. 

Jean Adelsman 

Feel free to share this email -- or tell friends about www.TakeBackTorrance.com. And if you email a response to jeanadelsman@yahoo.com, please indicate whether you are expressing a thought for my eyes only or whether I may share your comments with the whole audience.