By Brett Callwood
As we build up to the General Municipal Election on June 2, the GVN will be speaking to the candidates, including Kale Morita, who is standing for City Treasurer
Can you give us a brief summary of your career / life in politics? What makes you an ideal candidate for this role?
I’ve been a paralegal for over 14 years dealing primarily in wage and hour class actions. We only go after the top corporations for their employment violations such as improper meal and rest breaks, improper wage statements, Working off the clock, overtime violations, expense reimbursements, PAGA claims, etc. I work at a solo practitioner firm, so it is just me and my Attorney. We are constantly pitted against the top-rated and top-billing firms in America with several attorneys defending our case. We also handle any appeals and have some published supreme court decisions.
I worked my way up quickly in my career and I am now at the point where I handle all briefings, attending all the hearings with my attorney, and attending all counsel and client meetings. We typically have 30-40 cases at a time, but currently only have around 25 cases as a lot of them have settled out recently. Most of our cases usually result in multi-million-dollar settlements for our class and PAGA representative cases. The money has to be well accounted for, fairly disbursed to the settlement members, and the firm’s costs have to extremely organized as we have to meet with the Court twice, or more, to get the settlement finally approved. Most of cases last anywhere between 3 to 5 years. However, we just settled one of our older cases that lasted around 11 years for $18 Million. Aside from my legal work, I am in charge of running and managing the firm on the business side and I also manage my boss’s apartment complex and art studio.
Politically, I served on the Planning and Environmental Commission, which I loved working on. I got to approve several development projects in Gardena, helped rezone certain areas, and got to pass out certain licenses to local businesses. Now, I currently serve on the Gardena Economic Business Advisory Commission (“GEBAC”). My most notable projects under GEBAC have been the Gardena Blvd. revitalization program where we are in charge of a $2 Million earmark to revitalize our historic corridor. We are also trying to tackle local hiring and using local resources for any developments done in the city.
I strongly believe I am the ideal candidate for this role. I have spent a lot of time dissecting what the Gardena City Treasurer’s role is in this community. Ultimately, I would be entrusted by the community to watch over their money and ensure that their money is well accounted for and properly invested. I would also have to adhere to Gardena’s investment policy, which was voted in by city council, and make sure our investments comply with local laws. The Gardena City Treasurer’s role, in my opinion, is a legal position just as much as finance position. There are a lot of similarities between my job and this position. This is why I believe I am more suited for this position. I work well under pressure, I understand level of detail that is needed when it comes to money, I am comfortable holding people accountable, and I don’t shy away from conflict.
What makes Gardena special?
Gardena is special to me for many reasons. The most important reason is what this city means to my wife, Kira. She is a Third Generation Gardena Resident and, from what I’ve gathered, is never leaving this place. Just as a side note, I used to commute 2-3 hours to work from Gardena when we first met. When we were ready to buy our own place I thought I convinced her to move somewhere halfway to my work so the drive wasn’t as bad. Next thing I know, closed on a house by Marine and Western 3 minutes from my Mother-in-Law, 4 minutes from my Sister-in-Law, and my Brother-in-Law is practically our next-door neighbor. My wife loves this place and I want to protect what she loves. Now, I will be raising my two kids here as the 4th generation. If I can, in any way, make Gardena a better environment for my kids, I am going to do it.
Gardena has always been in my life. My family and I used to drive down to Gardena when I was a kid because it was the best place to get Hawaiian food. Every time we would feel homesick, we would head down to Marukai or Gardena bowl. Eating at restaurants is probably my favorite past time and Gardena is the best place to find a wide range of great food.
Lastly, this is a very close-knit community. The City does a great job keeping the community involved. There is always some event going on and I love to bring my kids to them. From outdoor movies to Gardena Police Department’s national night out, the city hold s a ton of functions for every age. It’s great to see the community gather to have fun, meet their council members, and their police officers.
If successful, what would your first act be? What are your priorities?
Up until this point, all my research has been done from an outside perspective. The first thing I want to do is get to know the stars of the show, the finance and treasurer department, and dive into the details or the inner workings of the budget. Since I started this campaign, there has been one issue that is a major concern of mine and that is understanding the budget. I believe that Gardena already does a great job at being transparent, but from what I have heard and seen during this process is that people have trouble interpreting what they see. We even have a sitting city council member who believes we are operating at a loss, which is far from the truth. As my first act, I would like to figure out an intelligent way to express the budget so that everyone can understand. The Budget dashboard is great, but I think I can expand upon it.
As for my top three priorities: accountability, Proper investment strategy (that includes safety, liquidity, and a fair market return), and transparency.
How is the campaign going so far?
Honestly, this is a brand-new experience for me and it was a little overwhelming in the beginning. Things have started to slow down for me and I am starting to enjoy the process. I have met some nice and appreciative community members during my campaign and I have constantly pushed myself out of my comfort zone. Who I was before I decided to run and who I am now is a completely different person even in such a short time. I have learned a lot of valuable lessons that I can apply in my professional life and made a lot of connections. Overall, I am grateful for this entire process.
Any endorsements?
Tasha Cerda, Gardena Mayor, Rodney G. Tanaka, Gardena Council Member, Mina Semenza, Gardena City Clerk, Gardena Police Officer Associations
What would you like to say to the people of Gardena?
First and foremost, I am a community member just as everybody else. I want the best for Gardena and want to help in any way possible. That is what led me to my commissioner positions and it is what now leads me to run as the next city treasurer. Ultimately, I am asking for people to trust me to protect their money and my legal background should put people at ease. I will fight for their money and ensure that Gardena is getting the best possible return on their investments.
