INSIDE INGLEWOOD-Inglewood’s mayor, James T. Butts, sent out his latest campaign mailer this week. While there are number of obvious misstatements (that most folks would call “lies) which will be covered in stories later this month—such as violent crime rates, which have risen since Butts’ became mayor—the false address on the campaign mailer is of significant concern.
The property that Butts’ campaign, “Elect James T. Butts for mayor 2014,” listed 401 E. Florence, Inglewood CA 90302. (Photo left)
The property is owned by Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA), better known as Metro.
The property was previously owned by Faithful Central Bible Church, a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose for-profit arm, Forum Enterprises Inc. (FEI) owned the Fabulous Forum from 2000 until January, 2013, when it sold the iconic venue to Madison Square Garden (MSG).
Butts regularly holds town hall meetings at the church. Faithful Central Bible Church COO Marc Little frequently contributes to Butts’ campaigns and is often seen with Butts at events.
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The 401 E. Florence address was previously an auto upholstery repair shop until it was razed in by Metro contractors in late-2013 to make way for the Crenshaw Line’s Florence/La Brea Station.
At present, the property is fenced in and has a sign on it that states “Florence/La Brea Station, Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor, If you see dust coming from this project, call Arturo Gomez, 310-296-2306. If you do not receive a response, please call the AQMD at 1-800-CUT SMOG.”
Butts has a history of filing false addresses. Earlier this year, he had the Inglewood City Clerk announce that his campaign’s contact address was Inglewood city hall, and thereafter changed it to a private mail box near a house he owns outside Inglewood and several miles from the shed behind a house in which he claims to reside and which is owned by someone else. (See related stories here and here.)
Butts did not respond to request for comment.
(Randall Fleming is a veteran journalist and magazine publisher. He has worked at and for the New York Post, the Brooklyn Spectator and the Los Feliz Ledger. He is currently editor-in-chief at the Morningside Park Chronicle, a weekly newspaper based in Inglewood, CA and on-line at www.MorningsideParkChronicle.com. Mr. Fleming’s views are his own and do not reflect the views of CityWatch.) Photo credit: Randall Fleming.
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 12 Issue 86
Pub: Oct 24, 2014
