Wednesday, August 04, 2010

BREAKING: Edward Lee OUT as CITY ATTORNEY in BELL. Well oiled Eastside attorney JAMES "JAMIE" CASSO takes the legal reigns after closed door session

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Breaking News
By Randy Economy
www.Economy4ABC.Blogspot.com
August 4, 2010
10 p.m.

Bell, CA

The Bell City Council has dumped controversial attorney Edward Lee tonight and hired longtime Eastside political insider Jamie Casso as its new attorney.

Casso has been the city attorney in several local cities including a recent stint in the City of Pico Rivera.  Casso is the son in law of retired US Congressman Esteban Torres. Casso is now with the law firm Myers Nave.

One thing that I can say about Jamie Casso, is that he knows municipal law and is tough as nails.   He will run circles around former Bell Attorney Edward Lee.

Casso is politically well connected and has worked "miracles" in embattled city halls in the past.  Casso also ran unsuccessfully for Congress to replace Torres more than 14 years ago, losing a bruising primary campaign to current Rep. Grace Napolitano who won that campaign by less than 260 votes.  (I was one of Grace's main consultants in that campaign....we are STILL talking about that campaign here in our hood....)

Here is more about Casso:

Currently, Mr. Casso serves as General Counsel to the Community Development Commission of the City of South El Monte, the La Puente Community Development Commission and the Water Replenishment District of Southern California.

He is Special Counsel to the City of Inglewood Redevelopment Agency, the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Guadalupe, the Redevelopment Agency of the City of Pismo Beach and the Community Development Agency of King City.

From 2001 and 2009, Mr. Casso served as the City Attorney for the City of La Puente. From 2001 to 2007, he was City Attorney and Redevelopment Agency Counsel for the City of Pico Rivera.

Mr. Casso also served as the long-time Chief of Staff for former U.S. Congressman Esteban E. Torres, gaining more than 30 years of public policy experience and knowledge. During his tenure with Congressman Torres, he spearheaded the formation of federal funding legislation aimed at addressing public transportation projects throughout California, but particularly in Southern California.

He was the Congressman’s chief advisor in the development of legislation dealing with the clean-up of groundwater contamination in the San Gabriel Valley and related conjunctive use and groundwater storage agreements involving the Bureau of Reclamation and the Department of the Interior. Mr. Casso has an intimate understanding of the federal and state legislative and regulatory processes. He regularly consults with state and federal elected officials on public policy matters of local concern.

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