Richardson opponent cites a "pattern of financial irresponsibility"

A journalist I respect suggested to me that, if I was going to devote space to the various financial travails of Rep. Laura Richardson, it is only fair that I give her Democratic opponents a chance to comment on her behavior. She is, after all, on the ballot Tuesday in California's 37th Congressional District.

Today Peter Mathews, a college professor challenging Richardson in Tuesday's Democratic primary, accused her of "a pattern of financial irresponsibility," citing published reports Richardson has defaulted at least seven times on three homes, including a default that led to foreclosure on a house in Sacramento this spring.

"It just seems to me she has not been financially responsible, and I'm wondering how she can be responsible for a federal budget when she can't balance your own budget," Mathews told me.

"She's not an average working American. She's making almost $170,000 a year," Mathews continued. "And most Americans don't own three homes. We need a congressman who can focus on the Iraq war, the economy, the environment and universal health care, which I support. A congressman should not be diverted by personal financial problems. It leaves her vulnerable to influence from the outside, especially from special interest groups."

He continued: "I wish her well as a private citizen, an individual. Everyone has faults and failings, but in this case it's a public official who has to be responsible to the public."

Richardson has not responded to repeated requests for comment from L.A. Land and declined to be interviewed for an article published in today's Los Angeles Times.

Mathews is a professor of political science at Cypress College and a community organizer. You can view his campaign Web site here. The other Democrat in Tuesday's primary, Lee Davis, did not immediately return a call for comment Saturday morning.

Your thoughts? Comments? E-mail story tips to peter.viles@latimes.com

Comments

[Geri Mander]

If you look at the flyer on Lee Davis' web page, top of bottom page, on left side, there's a reference to the "Million Dollar Wrigley House" being stolen for $58,000.

Looks like that might be an interesting topic to ask her about as well. What happened with this house?

No serious candidates from other parties? Wonder why that could be.

[BenK]

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/
features/2007/06/murphy200706

By the [Roman] empire's end, [...] the pursuit of money and personal advancement has become the purpose of all public jobs.

[CD]

So Jeff Gottlieb wrote about her today in the LA Times.
Good article. It should have been on the front page.
The way my LA Times is folded, the Calendar section always appears on top, as if I cared about Marie Antoinette's news. I keep my subscription to the LA Times out of respect for you Peter,tell that to Sam Zell, but I don't know how long I will last with paper print news.....Bloggers/citizens/ journalists have the news now....Anyway you got something with Richardson and that is what matters, she has to resign, she is a thief.

[robbie fields]

Peter,

I am grateful you have provided soon to be ex Congresswoman Richardson's primary opponents a platform.

I checked out Mathews' site and he seems well qualified and on impulse, I contributed. A few hundred dollars extra judiciously spent on Monday might make a difference!

I just hope your bosses at The Times don't consider that you've overeached your brief with this particular entry.

Suffice to say, your blog is must reading and has relevance beyond L.A..

[Steve]

He is right one more corrupt flake in Washington. Get real this hag will sell her soul for a donation. Just what we need in Washington and is out is sad is she will remain in Washington like the rest.

[Duke of Moral Hazard]

Here's a telling blurb from the Political Courage Test at Project Vote Smart:

"Representative Laura Richardson repeatedly refused to provide any responses to citizens on the issues through the 2008 Political Courage Test when asked to do so by national leaders of the political parties, prominent members of the media, Project Vote Smart President Richard Kimball, and Project Vote Smart staff.

This candidate will be asked again to provide responses during the general election."

"Doin' wacha need to do to get it done" doesn't seem to include telling her constituents "on paper" what she stands for. She has great courage when browbeating those around her, it seems, but not a lot when it comes to the issues. $20,000 donations direct from NAR, etc., and who knows how much through the bundlers... this is a little more telling.

Somehow I don't think that our housing crisis will improve much with Machiavelli and her ilk doing their capitol dance.

Anyone check yet to see if she got some killer deals down in New O'leen?

Anyone check to see how she and Daniel (Dan) Richardson are related and how come it looks like he was on title with her on the Sacramento house(s), but didn't receive NOD, while she did?

Luuuuuuucy, she got a whole lota splainin' to do.

Anyway, even if she does manage to weasel her way into re-election, she shouldn't be that hard to remove once they get a look at her mortgage apps.

37th... you need someone tough, savvy, aggressive, smart, but smart enough to do the right thing and not do it on your dime. You deserve far better.

[Uncle Billy Climbs Mont Pelerin]

Interested in keeping tabs on people who influence your housing values? Check out:

http://www.beyonddelay.org/

Strangely enough, most of the people on their hit list are republicans.

Have to go thaw out some bills now -- I've got like a half a mil sitting in my doublewide freezer -- hush money from housing, mortgage, and wall street friends to keep me from posting anything more about politics and real estate.

[Michael Snyder]

BenK,
As it has always been...

[MyLessThanPrimeBeef]

Maybe I should file this with the naked tree of the week column, but BenK is right. Not even the emperors could resist the seduction of money (As they say, there is no fortress so strong that money could not take.)

Witness Commodus - the evil emperor in Russell Crowe's Gladiator and Sophia Loren's The Fall of the Roman Empire - as an emperor and as a gladiator, he made tons of money from appearing in the Colloseum. Though he often fought NAKED, I don't think that's why they were forced to pay him that kind of money.

Thankfully, no modern leader has tried to imitate him, except perhaps that porn star politicain in Italy.

[Concerned Voter]

If you think her current personal financial are just a fluke, someone should check into her background when she ran for Long Beach City Council Sixth District!!... (Talk about self-serving and someone willing to sell their soul to the devil!!)

As we speak, I'm 200% positive you can and will find someone that Congresswoman Richardson has "borrowed" money from and has "conveniently" forgotten to pay! From as little as $100 to even more. May not sound like a lot for many middle-class supporters, but when you borrow from your generally working class volunteers/supporters, then $100 could mean a weeks worth of food on the table.

Bounced checks, overdue bills, money owed... this has been her pattern of behavior since her run for LB City Council, Assembly & Congress.

I guess it's true that a leopard never changes it's spots! She's all about herself and definitely NOT her constituents. She tells them what they want to hear, with no intentions of following through. Just look at her track record for proof! I'm so glad that she is NOT my representative and I feel for those that she represents!