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Pasadena Resident Says Armenian Genocide Memorial violates all ethical and legal standards
Pasadena Independent Apr 15, 2015
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The tripod represents similarly-shaped structures which Armenian leaders were hanged from during the Armenian Genocide. The tripod and stonework will be 12 pomegranate trees, representing each of the 12 “lost provinces” of Armenia. A dedication ceremony is planned at 3 p.m. April 18, ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on April 24. – Photo by Terry Miller
Editor’s Note: The City of Pasadena plans to unveil the Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial at Memorial Park on April 18th, just ahead of the 100th anniversary of the April 24, 1915 Genocide. The design chosen in April 2013 was approved by the City Council on Sept. 9, 2013. Ground was broken for the site on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015.
By Richard M. Vartanian
The City of Pasadena can evict this $400,000 memorial on 30-days’ notice.
Per license agreement no. 22,112, willfully, deliberately, and insanely agreed to and illegally signed by PPD Sgt. Greg Afsharian for the Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial Committee (PAGMC).
Common sense clearly dictates and confirms that License No. 22,112 violates all ethical and legal standards. No sane business person would ever sign a License/Lease for their private enterprise with 30-Day Eviction of their $400,000 investment.
The City Attorney conceded on 26th March 2015 that any future hostile City administration (or Court challenge) could evict this Memorial. These are facts: the City failed to lawfully follow, and violated, these four City Charter sections requiring: Approval of the Voters, City Council Approval and Public Comment, Competitive Bidding, and Prohibiting Illegal (conflict of) Interest of Involved Parties. Eviction would be at Armenian expense. A victory for Turkish denialists and their friends!
State law and Pasadena ordinances require full disclosures when soliciting charitable donations. This means the PAGMC must lawfully disclose to all Donors this essential and material fact that their donations are being illegally invested in this Memorial that has a revolving life-span of only 30 days. This Memorial is not permanent, as touted to donors and as they expect. This is one of many PAGMC failures to disclose.
Any PAGMC failures to disclose to any Donor(s) that this Memorial can be evicted on 30-Day Notice, or any failures to disclose any other material facts to any Donor(s), would be violations of State law and constitute fraud!
Noteworthy Additional Facts:
-The illegal building permit, which was illegally extended on 11th Dec. 2014 by the City Building Official, via “illegal insider manipulation” in violation of the California Building Code.
-Violations of California Corporation Code governing corporate conduct compliance.
-Violations of California Business & Professional Code and The Supervision of Trustees for Charitable Donations.
-Violations of California Code RE: Charitable Organizations Audits.
-Violations of California Penal Code RE: Illegal Lotteries, Sections 319/320/321.
-Violations of IRS Regulations RE: Disclosures and prohibiting co-mingling political campaigning.
-Violation of Pasadena Voters Civil Right to Vote; per the below bullet point.
-Give-Away of City Property and Assets to a private entity, reeking of favoritism not available to other ethnic groups.
-Violations (multiple) of City and Pasadena Police Department Personnel Policies.
-The failure of the City of Pasadena to enforce: State Law, City Ordinances, and City and Pasadena Police Department policies.
City of Pasadena and Police Department personnel, present and former, are deeply and unethically involved in these above violations kept hidden from the public. Unfortunately, among them is a clique of persons of Armenian ancestry.
The PAGMC Board Members are aware of the above violations and illegalities. They have chosen to ignore! They put themselves at personal risk. Each one can be sued, personally and collectively, by the California Attorney General’s Registry of Charitable Trusts.
City Manager Michael J. Beck, Assistant City Attorney Julie Gutierrez, Assistant City Attorney Brad Fuller, and other City Department Heads or Staff, are either deeply involved in, or aware of, License No. 22,112 and its illegalities. Internal memos of 22nd Dec. 2014 and 7th Jan. 2015 addressed to City Manager Michael J. Beck tie Mr. Beck directly to illegal License No. 22,112, and to the $329,700 Performance Bond which caused a violation of the City Charter.
This Memorial Scandal is significantly greater than Wooten’s $6.4 Million embezzlement as it goes directly to the heart of exposing the years of pervasive culture of corruption that exists in City Hall that made this Memorial Scandal possible. Wooten was larger only in dollar amount.
It is important for readers to know that official documents supporting and confirming all stated herein have been obtained from the City of Pasadena via the California Public Records Act (Freedom of Information).
Armed with these documented facts, complaints have been officially filed with the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Public Integrity Unit, the California State Bar, the California Attorney General’s Registry of Charitable Trusts, and the IRS.
This presentation to readers about the Pasadena Genocide Memorial is not a trivial matter. It should be of grave concern to all voters of Pasadena and the State of California; to all citizens of the U.S.; and to all true Armenians!
This is personal to me, being born in 1935. I am the eldest son of a Genocide survivor, hidden Anne-Frank-style by my grandfather’s Turkish partner. Dad then became one of the “Orphans of the Genocide.”
I am also the grandson and nephew of the top Armenian leaders in Sepastia province. Enver Pasha was acquainted with my Uncles, who were arrested 28 March 1915, murdered June 1915. Sepastiatsi Murad was a “dear brother”and fellow compatriot in the cause. Vartanian money funded the Mauser rifles and ammo that armed Murad and his Fedayee! All this is well-documented in books; the first a 1916 publication for the British Government, “The Treatment of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire” by Viscount Bryce, plus many other books and online sources. Not many have this legacy pedigree and credentials. No one should dare to question my motives.
The City of Pasadena and the PAGMC have scandalously illegally mismanaged this Memorial for our Centenary! A once-in-our-life-time event!
Our Martyrs would be appalled at this dishonor to their pride of dignity and self-respect, and never accept any Memorial built so disrespectfully upon fraud, deceit, and lies by zero-character photo opportunists!
Their memory, & the 2 million Armenians whose identity is known only to God, deserves the highest solemn dignity and respect.
These photo opportunist self-promoters can be forgiven only by God!
Armenians must lead in efforts to assure that all Illegalities must be corrected to comply with California Law and the City Charter, with a new Memorial Committee entity, untainted and free of the present Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial Committee’s (PAGMC) multiple Violations of Law.
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants in this newspaper or websites do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Beacon Media or official policies of the newspaper, our editorial team , employees or advertisers. The opinions expressed are solely the author’s personal responsibility/opinion. As always, we welcome and encourage divergent opinion and dialogue on this and any other community issues on which you may wish to remark. Please send requests to: tmiller@beaconmedianews.com.
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