MEDIA ADVISORY: Mike Gatto to Host Senior Scam Stopper Event; Prevent Financial Abuse of Senior Citizens

MEDIA ADVISORY                                                                    CONTACT: Justin Hager  818-558-3043
Thursday, May 29, 2014                                                                                       Mobile  415-889-9762

Mike Gatto to Host Senior Scam Stopper Event;

Prevent Financial Abuse of Senior Citizens

What:  Members of the public and local media are invited to attend a FREE Senior Scam Stopper seminar Thursday, June 5, 2014 at the Glendale Adventist Medical Center.  Organized by Assemblyman Gatto in conjunction with the Contractors State License Board and the Live Well Senior program at GAMC, the free seminar will teach senior citizens, their family members, and their caretakers how to protect themselves from fraud related to home repair, finances, identity theft, and Medicare, and will help seniors to identify scams before they become a victim. 

Less than two weeks ago, Glendale police issued a community alert, after residents were scammed out of thousands of dollars by people posing as law enforcement, federal agents, or city employees and pressuring them to pay up or risk being arrested or having their power shut off. 

In a separate incident in March, an 83-year old Glendale woman was scammed out of nearly $52,000 by a man posing as a lottery official.  The elderly woman was told that she had won seven-million dollars but that in order to claim the prize, she must pay fees certain fees and taxes.  The perpetrator was arrested last week and Glendale police have now identified victims of the scam in at least twelve other states.

To educate our community about these and other predatory behaviors, Assemblyman Mike Gatto will introduce a panel of experts from the Glendale Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Bureau of Automotive Repair, and discuss legislative efforts to protect seniors from fraud and financial scams, including AB 1624 (2012), his legislation to protect senior citizens and others from having their bank accounts drained by a co-signatory.

This educational event is FREE and open to the public.  Photography will be permitted at the event; permission to record video or audio must be cleared in advance by contacting Justin Hager, Communications Director for Assemblyman Gatto.

Thursday June 5, 2014

4:00pm – 5:15pm

Glendale Adventist Medical Center

Community Gym

311 Vallejo Drive

Glendale, CA 91206

Parking is available behind the gym or in the main tower.  Street parking is also available.

Why:  According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, senior citizens are the most likely demographic to have developed solid financial resources, to live alone in homes they own, and to have excellent credit.  Each of these attributes make them prime targets for scam artists seeking to defraud them of money or personal information.   

Unfortunately, misinformation, shame, and fear often make seniors less likely to report when they are the victims of fraud.  Senior Scam Stoppers is a joint effort of Assemblyman Mike Gatto and the Contractors State License Board that seeks to lift the veil of misinformation and equip seniors with the tools they need to protect themselves from fraudulent scams.

Mike Gatto is the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee in the California State Assembly.  He represents Burbank, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Montrose, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Atwater Village, East Hollywood, Franklin Hills, Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz, and Silver Lake.  www.asm.ca.gov/gatto 

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Congratulations to Boo's Philly Cheesesteaks!

Two of my field representatives, Eric Menjivar and Moonyoung Ko, presented a certificate of recognition to Boo's Philly Cheesesteaks in East Hollywood to congratulate them on being named to the menuism.com list of
TOP 10 SANDWICHES IN LA!
Congratulations to this delicious, locally-owned sandwich shop!

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Mike Gatto is the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee in the California State Assembly.  He represents Burbank, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Montrose, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Atwater Village, East Hollywood, Franklin Hills, Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz, and Silver Lake.  www.asm.ca.gov/gatto

CV WEEKLY: Gatto Speaks to Local Democrats

A great piece in the CV Weekly on a mini Town Hall I had recently in La Canada.

Gatto Speaks to Local Democrats

Photo by CHARLY SHELTON - CV WEEKLY

By Mary O’KEEFE - CRESCENTA VALLEY WEEKLY

On Aug. 18, Assemblymember Mike Gatto spoke to the Cañada-Crescenta Democratic Club at a meeting hosted by Anthony and Ellen Portantino at their home.

At the meeting, Gatto answered questions from the audience on a variety of issues and spoke about what was happening in the state assembly.

He spoke on AB440, a bill that had cleared the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality and is now on its way to Appropriations. The bill would give local governments the tools needed to clean up contaminated properties, known as brownfields, and to recover costs of the contamination from the responsible party/parties.

He also spoke of a bill to ease traffic. AB405 would allow HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) lanes to be used by all vehicles during non-peak hours.

“It doesn’t do anyone any good when there is an accident [on the freeway] and you can’t go around it [because of the HOV restrictions],” he said.

Gatto added that other areas, including northern California, have time sensitive HOV lanes in which carpool restrictions are in place during rush hour and then open for all vehicles during non rush hour.

“This is the last month the legislature is in session,” Gatto said. “There are hundreds of bills in the mix.”

One of those bills was signed into law on Aug. 12 and will allow cities more freedom to build dog parks.

“The idea came from Laura Friedman,” he said. Friedman is a Glendale city councilmember. “She came to me at the opening of the Crescenta Valley dog park.”

The CV dog park was the first park of its kind opened in Los Angeles County. Friedman had pointed out to Gatto that L.A. County had the ability to self insure, but for a city it would be cost prohibitive to have a dog park. AB265 limits the liability that cities and counties face when operating dog parks and protects them from litigants who claim, for example, that they were unaware of potential dangers, according to Gatto’s website.

“We were able to get that bill through this year,” he said.

He commented on the 710 extension, saying, “I don’t see anything that is good” about that.

“And I think the community has spoken,” he added. “We don’t want this.”

A question came from the audience regarding the Rainy Day Fund, which is purported to increase the potential savings in the state fund from 5% to 10 % of the General Fund. Gatto is a supporter of the measure.

“To me, [the concept of] a rainy day fund is simple,” he said. “[It’s like] you see this guy and he is very wealthy and [appears to be] responsible but he has nothing in his retirement or savings. [After finding this out], you would say he is not responsible. … Well, that is what California is like.”

Gatto added the state tends to spend all its money in the good times and then has nothing when bad times come around.

The Cañada-Crescenta Democratic Club was chartered in 2005 to serve the Democrats in the area. They were then called the La Cañada Flintridge Democratic Club. In 2008, the name was changed to Cañada-Crescenta Democratic Club because its reach had grown throughout Crescenta Valley.

They meet on the third Sunday of each month except for June and December. 

You can read this article and more at http://www.crescentavalleyweekly.com/news/08/29/2013/gatto-speaks-to-local-democrats/ # # # 

Mike Gatto chairs the Appropriations Committee in the California Assembly. He represents Burbank, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Montrose, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Atwater Village, East Hollywood, Franklin Hills, Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz, and Silver Lake.

Glendale's Fresh Laundry receives Certificate of Recognition

Two of the staff members in my district office presented a certificate of recognition to Rafael Vardumyan of Fresh Laundry for their dedication and professional service to residents of the City of Glendale.  I wish Fresh Laundry continued success in their future endeavors.

Happy 25th Anniversary to the Oaks Homeowners Association

Field Representative Eric Menjivar presented a certificate recognizing the
25th Anniversary of the Oaks Homeowners Association  at their annual picnic.
This photo shows all of the past-Presidents of the Oaks HOA,
and one aspiring, future President in the bottom left corner. 

Local Student Reporter Honored by Assemblymember Mike Gatto

Ivanhoe Elementary 4th grader, Charlotte Gilmore, was recently honored by California Assemblymember Mike Gatto (43rd District) for her reporting and writing on school events for the Los Feliz Ledger.

Gilmore received a certificate from Gatto that reads: “California Legislature Assembly Certificate of Recognition Presented to: Charlotte Gilmore. Ivanhoe Elementary School.  Congratulations on having your writing piece “Our New Principal and More News” published in the Los Feliz Ledger. Your hard work, determination, and efforts are truly commendable and will open many doors in your future.  I wish you many more years of academic success.”

This article originally appeared in the Los Feliz Ledger.  You can read this article and more in the Los Feliz Ledger by clicking HERE

Los Angeles Firefighters Offer Wind Safety Tips

After the fierce winds in Los Angeles last week, and moderately high winds expected this week, I thought it might be useful to post wind safety tips from the Los Angeles Fire Department.  A heartfelt thank you to the LAFD for helping to keep our homes and families safe.

Los Angeles Firefighters Offer Wind Safety Tips

With strong winds predicted for our area, the Los Angeles Fire Department reminds Southern Californian's to use caution at home, in the workplace and on the road. 

Strong winds compound wildfire danger. We therefore ask residents - especially those in foothill and wildland communities, to use caution with flame, heat and spark producing equipment, including vehicles, barbecues and power tools. 

Those living near flammable vegetation should remain vigilant to the possibility of brush or structure fires, and report nearby smoke and flames immediately to 9-1-1. 

Additional preparation, such as a fire safety survey of your property and a review of household emergency and neighborhood evacuation plans can help remove the apprehension that many of us feel when winds begin to blow. 

With the possibility of downed power lines causing local power outages, drivers should use extreme caution when approaching darkened traffic signals. Whether driving on a main thoroughfare or a side street, motorists should treat all non-functioning traffic signals as a four-way-stop. 

If you encounter downed wires, assume them to be energized and potentially lethal. Be careful that such wires haven't electrically charged puddles of water, chain link fences or other conductive sources - and report them to authorities. 

In many circumstances, but especially during high winds, firefighters discourage the use of candles, lighters, fire pits and fuel-powered lanterns. 

If you experience a loss of electrical power, do not use devices designed for outdoor use to light, heat or cook within your home. Before you activate a portable generator, make certain you know how to use a generator legally and safely. 

In fact, now is a good time to fully charge your cell phone, check your flashlights, portable radios and spare batteries. Place these items strategically, and make sure others know how to find them. 

And finally, please take a moment now to secure household items, such as outdoor furniture, that could cause harm or damage if catapulted by a wind gust, and to remove flammable items from around your home. 

When outdoors, wear sturdy glasses to protect your eyes, and be careful for toppling trees, wind-blown debris and high profile vehicles buffeted by turbulent wind. If you must get behind the wheel, Los Angeles Firefighters remind you: "Heads Up, Easy on the Throttle and Expect the Unexpected!" 

Brian Humphrey, Spokesman 

Los Angeles Fire Department 

Smart-a-Thon Competitors Raise Education Funds

Much gratitude to the Mary Pinola-Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund for their support of education in our community.  While my team, "The Gatto-ettes" were not victorious, we did have a lot of fun and were happy to help raise money for a good cause.  Competitors should be warned that my office is already studying up and practicing strategy for next year.

Newspaper clipping from the April 4, 2013 edition of the La Canada Flintridge Outlook

Surprise Visitor at the District Office

The District Office had a pleasant surprise this afternoon, when Bess Meisler, of ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ and ‘Daddy Daycare,’ and her daughter, stopped by to say hello and thank me for fighting to secure California’s financial future.