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9781516539543

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This is a fascinating chronicle of government gone wrong and how it was set right. Very well written and engaging for all kinds of readers. More important, it shows how ordinary citizens (including students) can reestablish democracy in their local government. Earl Babbie, Chapman University Campbell Professor Emeritus in Behavioral Sciences 6th President of California Sociological Association 75th President of Pacific Sociological Association If you now pay little attention to your local government, you should read this book. Fred Smoller will convince you not to make that mistake again! Bruce Buchanan Professor of Government, Emeritus University of Texas at Austin

BASTA's success was possible because Latino and Lebanese immigrants joined forces to take their city back and end decades of corruption by City Manager Robert Rizzo. Together they ensured Rizzo and others were convicted, tax dollars were returned, and sunshine and transparency became the norm. BASTA shows that the narrative that immigrants or people of color from working class communities don't care or aren't smart enough to run their own government or are bad for our democracy is completely false. Fred Smoller's Kleptocracy to Democracy well-captures this important story. Cristina Garcia BASTA co-founder Member of the California State Assembly District 58 This is a fascinating chronicle of government gone wrong and how it was set right. Very well written and engaging for all kinds of readers. More important, it shows how ordinary citizens (including students) can reestablish democracy in their local government. Earl Babbie, Chapman University Campbell Professor Emeritus in Behavioral Sciences 6th President of California Sociological Association 75th President of Pacific Sociological Association If you now pay little attention to your local government, you should read this book. Fred Smoller will convince you not to make that mistake again! Bruce Buchanan Professor of Government, Emeritus University of Texas at Austin Fred Smoller's recounting of a shocking breach of public trust by city officials in Bell, California, is a true public service. No matter where you live, you should read about what this group of 'public servants' did to a small, working-class city. It came about, Smoller explained, because few people paid attention to their government. It's a warning for us all. But you should also read it for its uplifting message. A group of young and diverse Bell residents, through tireless activism and discovery of civic virtue, have since turned the city into a model of open government. Smoller's book retells the story in a compelling and thorough way. Steven Greenhut, Western Region Director of the R Street Institute and Columnist

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Fred Smoller, a frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register, earned his Ph.D. from Indiana University, Bloomington, his M.A. from the University of Texas at Austin, and his B.A. from State University New York, College of Fredonia. He is an associate professor of political science at Chapman University in Orange, California, where he teaches courses on public administration and state and local politics. His key area of professional interest is American politics, with a specific emphasis on media and politics, local government, and public administration.

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