Valley Legislators List Fees, Gifts Received

State legislators representing the San Gabriel Valley received more than $50,000 worth of gifts and were paid nearly $65,000 for speeches last year, according to statements filed with the state Fair Political Practices Commission.

Gifts included trips abroad, tickets to Olympic events, race-track passes and a host of other goods and services.

Sen. William Campbell (R-Hacienda Heights) reported the largest outside income from speaking engagements, $29,150, nearly as much as his state salary of $33,732. Three legislators--Sens. Ruben Ayala (D-Pomona) and Walter Stiern (D-Bakersfield) and Assemblyman Richard Mountjoy (R-Monrovia)--did not accept lecture or speech fees.

Sen. Art Torres (D-Los Angeles) received the most expensive gift: a trip to Iraq in November paid for by the Iraqi government. The $6,000 trip, added to an assortment of other gifts during the year, including airport parking, $365 worth of vision care and $492 worth of tickets to Olympic events, pushed his yearly gift total to $9,089, which was the highest amount for any San Gabriel Valley legislator.

Annual Filing Required

Legislators are required to list outside sources of income, loans and gifts of $50 or more on “statement of economic interest” forms that must be filed annually under the Political Reform Act of 1974. The disclosure requirement is designed to discourage conflicts of interest.

Several legislators reported air travel paid for by corporations or foreign governments. Sen. Joseph Montoya (D-El Monte) traveled to Taiwan last April as guest of Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Walls Pacific Corp. of Daly City, Calif. Montoya headed a delegation of legislators who went to Taiwan for ceremonies honoring passage of Montoya’s bill making Taiwan a sister state of California.

Assemblyman Frank Hill (R-Whittier) traveled to Germany in September with a delegation from the Assembly Utility and Commerce Committee. A German corporation interested in selling telephone equipment to the state paid for the trip, Hill said, but in his case it was not a wise investment. What impressed him most, Hill said, was the inadequacy of German telephone technology.

Assemblyman Pat Nolan (R-Glendale) traveled on three occasions in chartered planes paid for by the Western Growers Assn. Political Action Committee, Westlake Farms and Sony Corp. Nolan reported that Sony paid $2,818 to hire a plane last August to fly him from Long Beach to Sacramento so he could cast the deciding vote in committee on a bill giving a tax benefit to foreign corporations.

Gifts to Nolan

Nolan, the GOP leader in the Assembly, reported $8,279 in gifts. He reported receiving $150 worth of allergy treatments from a Sacramento physician, $420 in chiropractic treatments from a Glendale doctor and honorary memberships worth $1,440 in two Glendale country clubs.

Six of the area’s 15 legislators reported less than $1,000 in gifts. Sen. Stiern, who represents part of Pasadena, reported the smallest amount: $134 worth of tickets to the Tournament of Roses and the Rose Bowl game, but no other gifts or speech fees.

Sens. Campbell and Montoya received far more income from speeches than did other area legislators.

Campbell reported $5,000 in speech fees from Greatwest Hospital of Santa Ana, $3,000 from the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Assn., $2,500 each from Western Medical Specialties of San Bernardino and Pepperdine University and $2,000 each from Traweek Investment Co. of Marina del Rey, the California Film Extruders and Converters Assn. of Pasadena and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers of Los Angeles.

Campbell: Plane, Auto Travel

Campbell also received a gift of $1,404 worth of air travel paid by Fluor Corp. In addition, Hitchcock Ford in the City of Industry lent him a car, a service Campbell valued at $1,800.

Montoya in his list of honorariums from speaking engagements reported $1,500 each from the California Dental Political Action Committee and the Public Accountants of California and $1,000 each from Rosston Hair Enterprises Inc. of Anaheim, National Technical Systems of Saugus, Pest Control Operators of Los Angeles, California Cable Television Assn. of Oakland and Dr. Howard M. Stein, a West Covina dentist.

Torres was the only other legislator reporting more than $5,000 from speaking engagements. He received $1,600 from the Hospital Financial Management Assn. Institute Council in Glendale, $1,500 from Pacific Hospital of Long Beach and $1,000 from Community Hospital of San Gabriel.

Assemblyman Richard Alatorre (D-Los Angeles) reported $4,700 in honorariums, including $2,500 from National Medical Enterprises Inc. of Los Angeles and $1,000 from the Beverly Hills law firm of Finley, Kumble, Wagner, Hine, Anderberg & Marley.

GIFTS, HONORARIUMS

These are amounts of gifts and honorariums reported during 1984 by state senators and assemblymen who represent the San Gabriel Valley.

Legislators Gifts Honorariums State Senate Walter W. Stiern (D-Bakersfield) $134 None Newton Russell (R-Glendale) $5,422 $600 Joseph Montoya (D-El Monte) $8,058 $12,400 William Cambell (R-Hacienda Hgts.) $5,564 $29,150 Ruben S. Ayala (D-Pomona) $1,450 None Assembly Pat Nolan (R-Glendale) $8,279 $2,050 Richard Mountjoy (R-Monrovia) $382 None Frank Hill (R-Whittier) $3,707 $2,300 Richard Alatorre (D-Los Angeles) $4,450 $4,700 Charles Calderon (D-Alhambra) $1,892 $1,500 Sallay Tanner (D-El Monte) $874 $1,500 William Lancaster (R-Covina) $213 $500 Charles Bader (R-Pomona) $560 $1,500