It's Over For Hillary

CNN is reporting that Former Senator John Edwards will endorse Sen. Barack Obama's presidential candidacy, Obama's campaign says.

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Selling the city

Please, call me AnVil.

You’ve gotta admit, Mayor Sam’s writers and commenters have come up with some pretty clever nicknames for our Dear Leader Antonio Villaraigosa over the years. We’ve had ADV®, VillarSalinas, and, of course, Mayor PolloVillar.

Introducing: AnVil—a syllabic abbreviation you can almost envision adopted by the mainstream press—courtesy of Downtown News’ Executive Editor, Jon Regardie, who argues, “…if J Lo becomes common vocal currency, then why not?”

A standout Angeleno, Regardie doesn’t stop there, offering up a slew of potential naming rights sales opportunities for the city in these dark days of budget. Whole Foods Ninth Council District anyone? Read on.

~~~

Update: A reader suggests selling Central Los Angeles Area High School #9 naming rights to Knott's Berry Farm.

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City $$quirmish Moves Into High Gear

The Budget and Finance Committee has finalized their recommended changes to Tony Villar’s budget. The list includes some luke-warm news for departments unlucky enough not to be LAPD or LAFD (approximately 67% of the entire City budget goes into police and fire), but the biggest news is that the infamous City Surplus Property kickback will get a makeover. Previously, 50% of property sales went into the clowncilmember’s own discretionary fund. This will now go into the City’s General Fund, where clowncilmembers will no doubt find a way to spend it on their own projects anyway.

Another big one is a major City study into Departmental Mission Creep. Rec and Parks is a prefect target for this study since it has become the de facto social services provider for the entire City over the past two decades.

Some of the other bullet point recommendations include:

The Sidewalk Repair program will stay in business, and another another work crew will be added to the program.

Libraries: the book purchasing program will be funded; facilities will remain open on Sundays.

Recreation and Parks: RAP will be allowed to keep all cut Park Ranger position authorities but there will be no increase in allocated funding to actually pay for them.

Pension contributions will remain 1x annually rather than deferred per the Mayor's plan. (This saves the City $15 million annually.)

Citywide layoffs are still listed as 760; about half of these positions are vacant.

Parking validation to City facilities will be discontinued, saving some $350,000 annually.

DOT will expand advertising on buses and trains.

Instead of the annual mad money dash, there will be quarterly Budget development meetings.

And... the Mayor gets all the new LAPD officers he wants. Quel surprise.


The full City Clowncil will begin its deliberation on the Mayor’s proposed Citywide budget this Friday beginning with the public hearing at 10am sharp. Let the money squabble begin!

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Hump Day Hotsheet

Business as usual in Sacramento. Another mad taxer is sworn in as Assembly Speaker. Governor Schwarzenegger wants more borrowing to band-aid his bloody budget—and if he doesn’t get his way, a sales tax increase.

LAUSD is not “in the 21st century,” whines Superintendent David Brewer, and therefore needs another multi-billion dollar bond measure. What is this guy talking about? Substandard public education is so 21st century—and besides, who needs new computers when you’ve got a $95 million launch pad to nowhere?

But enough. Ron Kaye says pull the plug:

The issue for many years was the Valley's demand for breakup of the district into several more manageable districts. That's not good enough anymore. LAUSD must be dismantled and completely reorganized.

Congratulations are in order to John Tyler Hammons, 19, who will be sworn in next week as mayor of Muskogee, Oklahoma. Hammons—who won a landslide victory over incumbent Mayor Hershel Ray McBride—intends to continue his college education while governing the town of 38,000.

And finally, look out for a high wind advisory tomorrow afternoon. That’s right—Hillary Clinton is coming to town. Probably best to keep the kiddies indoors.

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Bedtime Music

El Mariachi Tequila with Guadalajara.

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The 70s at 7

What can we learn from the 70s? One college professor is teaching that to his students.

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Five O'Clock Funnies

Star Trek: The Next Generation as brought to you by the producers of Dallas.

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Senator Clinton Takes West Virginia

Cue the John Denver song and allow me a shout-out to Coro alumna Dr. Shelley Savage of the Mountaineer state, Senator Clinton has won today's West Virginia primary. Although pundits and political observers say the nomination race is all but over, Clinton picks up at least 15 of the 28 delegates at stake and now has 1,712 out of 2,025 needed (or 2,209 if you're drinking the Terry McAuliffe kool-aid) to "clinch" the nomination.

Despite the turnout among her "broader base" of a certain kind of "hard-working Americans," many in the Democratic Party feel she has already jumped the shark and increasing the chances of a Republican third presidential term. I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens on May 20th--the date of the Kentucky and Oregon primaries--or May 31st--the day of the DNC Rules & Bylaws Committee Meeting--or June 3rd--the last two primaries in South Dakota and Montana.

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Guess What? Mayor Admits Event Waivers Drive Up City Payroll!

How do you win a jackpot if you don't go to Vegas or play the lottery? Be a city employee who gets overtime pay, usually for doing nothing. The Daily News reports that the City paid $350 million in overtime pay to employees last year. For at least 1500 city employees, the overtime earned them a bonus of $50,000 or more on top of their regular salary.

The Mayor says he's trying to cut back; getting departments to comply with cutting back non-essential overtime and holding accountable department managers who are not compliant with the order.

What's behind the overtime? You guys are going to love this. Mayoral spokeshole Matt Szabo told the Daily News that 'much of the extra pay is being driven by the cost of providing necessary city services and security for special events - from marathons to parades - that are granted fee waivers."

You think? Zuma Dogg and Greig Smith better get cracking!

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Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Tuesday

Despite the protests of NIMBYs, the City of Beverly Hills has approved a developer's $500 million project to bring the Waldorf-Astoria to the former hometown of Jed Clampett. Opponents plan to gather enough signatures to put a referendum on the ballot to overturn the Council's decision.

Normally, you see stained concrete and dripping ooze when you stare out the windows at the tunnel walls of the Metro Red Line subway, but the MTA has an idea for the tunnels near the Universal City Station - project trailers for upcoming motion pictures on the walls that riders can watch as they speed 800 feet under the Santa Monicas at 70 miles an hour. The cash strapped agency estimates it will earn several hundred thousand dollars from the scheme. Still, we're sure that Jill Stewart or Observing Anglos in the distant Westside will have an issue with it.

I missed it and so did Franklin Avenue. An LA Times piece on former LA City Mayors that gives a hat tip not only to the old, dead Republican Mayor but to the Sister City itself.

Miley Cyrus is only 15 but she's sure she knows what 21 - 25 year olds go through. The Hannah Montana star said of bad girls Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan, "Everyone has their time. And I think most 21- to 25-year-olds go through this kind of thing. Basically, they're being normal 21-year-olds, especially Lindsay (Lohan)."

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Bedtime Music

Chicago with Colour My World.

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The 70s at 7

For today's feature here are snippets from local television news during the 70s. See if you remember any of these.

KNXT (now KCBS) 11:00 p.m. news from around 1978 featuring a very young Connie Chung and Jim Hill.

Here's a KNBC News clip from the 70s back when Pat Sajak did the weather.



And Channel 7 Eyewitness News with Jerry Dunphy.

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Five O'Clock Funnies

The Japanese version of Candid Camera.

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The Heartfelt Words of a Dad: Jamiel Shaw, Sr. Responds to Smear Campaign

For the last few days, the editorial staff at Mayor Sam has received and rejected numerous slanderous comments trying to make the claim that murdered teenager Jamiel Shaw was a gang member, and hence he was killed because of his gang affiliation, not his race. The pro-Special Order 40 crowd has a strange need to maintain their position by creating this apparent falsehood.

Jamiel Shaw, Sr. has told me that Jamiel was not a gang banger. So has Walter Moore. I believe them.

The person making this claim has no credibility with me or many readers of this blog.

Those who are behind this should be ashamed of themselves. Your tarnishing the memory of a beloved individual, a minor child, who is no longer with us. What did he do to you?

Until I see otherwise, I believe Mr. Shaw. Below are his words that he has asked me to share with you:

To the Person or Persons trying to smear my son:

My son Jamiel A. Shaw, II, (Jas) was a SuperStar Destined for Greatness! The Mayor of Los Angeles spoke these exact words at his last State of the City speech. He was right! My Son was destined for greatness and he is, "A SuperStar"!

It's a shame, that an American Citizen youth, can be gunned down by an illegal alien gang banger, while his mother is fighting a war to defend all of us, and some people have the nerve to try and destroy my son? This makes me angry. My son is the victim! For every person that want to label my son as a hard core gang banger, I can get 100 more that will show that he was not.

Why would some people want to label my son as a gang banger? Why are some people willing to do almost anything to bring my son down? Where is the evidence to support that my son is a gang banger? Michelle Hansee didn't have evidence to prove that he was a gang banger. A spiderman back pack and a belt? I'm not even a lawyer and I know you need more then this.

So where is the evidence?! A Myspace page? I see a picture of my son on myspace making the peace sign...and some words that you say...he said? Please, give me a damn break. Now my son is a hardcore gang banger? Because of a myspace page? Are you kidding me? This is similiar to the picture when Obama was oversees and had on a certain garment. Some people tried to label him as a Muslim. Some people are protecting illegal alien gang bangers and they need my son to be a gang member in order to help their case. But he wasn't! He was and is, innocent!

The person arrested for killing my son is an illegal alien gang banger. A Documented illegal alien, and a documented gang banger. So where is the evidence? Well let's see, "he was release from jail on March 1, 2008 on gun charges. He had prior arrests before March 1, 2008. It is a known fact that he was not born in the United States and he's in the gang database". We all know he wasn't a boy scout. Why doesn't this make you angry? Why would this make you want to smear my son? Are you out killing people too? Are you an illegal alien gang banger? What's up with you?

Twenty eight hours after Pedro Espinoza was released from jail, he's seen in my neighborhood and now my son is dead. Even if my son wrote the words on myspace, where is the proof that Pedro Espinosa saw this? All he saw was a black kid walking. I continue to repeat, why are you trying to convict my son? Why are you defending illegal alien gang bangers? Could it be that you are illegal. Could it be that you are trying to smear my son because you support Special Order 40? Could it be that you are trying to smear my son because you don't want to see Jamiel's law passed? Could it be that you are a gang banger or a gang banger wannabe?

There are people that want to classify all black kids as gang bangers. We're not going to let this happen! The Community will not let this happen! To any parent reading this, if anyone tries to make your child out to be a gang banger and you know that they are not, please speak up! Don't let the system or anyone else try and smear your child! Especially when you child is not able to defend themselves. We will always defend the honor of my beloved son, Jamiel Andre' Shaw, II!

The fact is, my son was born at California Hospital. He was an American Citizen. He was raised in Los Angeles, California. He went to school in the neighborhood. He played sports all over the State. He is a documented athlete. His mother was in the Army fighting a war! I was home taking care of him. His brother loves him very much! His family love and miss him dearly! He was loved by many! My son was gunned down and shot to death! He is an INNOCENT VICTIM. He was gunned down three doors from home. He played on the very street where an illegal gang banger killed him. He was murdered!

This was a HATE CRIME! Anyone trying to bring my son down is someone that is not ready for the facts or the truth. The evidence will prove this and the facts will come out.

There are people that support Special Order 40 and some people don't want Jamiel's Law to pass. Is this why they want to discredit my son? Could this be why they attact Walter Moore and Michael Higby and all of the other people that speak out against illegal immigration? Why are people trying so hard to make my son a gang banger? This is an important question.

Whoever want's to find evidence on my son should talk with the Gang Intervention Unit at LAPD. You should talk with Gang Intervention Specialists. My son was not in a gang database. My son was never arrested. My son was killed while he was on his way home. He was walking and talking on the telephone. He is innocent!

If you have the evidence to prove that my son was a gang banger, then call Pedro Espinoza's defense team and see if they will hire you. Until then, shut the hell up!

Jamiel Sr.

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Ask Mayor Sam

Dear Mayor Sam, I am a faithful reader of your blog. Not sure if you are aware or not but last week a group in Phoenix announced it is going to try and do a recall on their city mayor; Phil Gordon. As they feel he has been too sympathetic to illegal aliens. Here is a link. I was wondering if it would be a possibility here to do the same to our wonderful illegal alien circus leader, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

As much as I love seeing him pop his smiling face into every celebrity filled event or happening around town, I think he needs to be relieved of his duty so he can party full time. I just think i want a mayor who represents my demographic, i.e. working class tax payer with two kids, with legal status. Somebody who is not comfortable with a high level of illegality because it is good for his career or pocketbook. Someone who will re-establish Los Angeles as a world class city, not a third world slum. I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Signed, Anonymous

Dear Anonymous,

As much as many of us would love to see Mayor Villaraigosa vacate the third floor, a recall is not practical. The illegal immigrant issue may be enough for the folks in Phoenix to hang their hat around; though there is significant dissatisfaction with the Mayor's positions on illegal immigration I doubt it would gain enough traction for a recall.

Another issue is timing. We're less than a year away from next year's election where the Mayor will stand for a second term. Even if succesful, a recall would have the effect of removing the Mayor only a few months before an election anyway.

Your best bet is to put your efforts into getting behind a candidate such as Walter Moore. You could donate to him here. If Moore isn't your flavor, rumors are that County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky or perhaps developer Rick Caruso are planning to get in the race and challenge Villaraigosa.

So relax and work towards another candidate. We'll have the opportunity to recall the Mayor soon without a special election.

Cheers,
Mayor Sam

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Interim DONE GM Slammed in Management Study on Eve of Confirmation

Explosive inside information from the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment comes to the Sister City on the heels of the confirmation of interim General Manager BongHwan Kim to take the post vacated by the sad passing of previous GM Carol Baker Tharp.

Insiders tell the Sister City that in the last month Kim hired management consultant John Wisor to assess the work of the supervisors in the office. Wisor recommended a confidential survey of the rank-and-file, and asked them to rate their supervisor. According to the survey, 42% of respondents (17 people) did not rate their direct supervisor, but instead rated and commented on Kim in order to "send him a message about how dissatisfied they have been with his leadership, or lack of it."

Wisor issued the following statement to the Sister City. He did not respond to our request for an interview:

"I was hired to conduct an employee opinion survey and report results to the management and staff of DONE. I am no longer associated with them. They have all my reports and comments and I know that the management team is reviewing the data and determining action steps in response to the various reports."

The DONE staff members who responded to the survey were highly critical of Kim and other DONE senior managers found serious concerns with respect to accountability, distribution of work and management's - including Kim's - lack of the needed skill sets to manage the department. DONE employees also complained that management rarely takes and implement suggestions; that the only such recommendation implemented in the last year was that of a "morale club."

Our insider had told us that the results of the survey have been suppressed while the confirmation process continues. Kim is scheduled for confirmation by the City Council on Tuesday.

Wisor was reportedly paid $1000 by DONE for his work. You can read a summary of his report at MS2 by clicking here.

"It was difficult to tell the man who hired me that he was the problem."
Management Consultant John Wisor, regarding DONE Interim GM BongHwan Kim

The biggest bombshell of the Wisor study was not contained in the report but allegedly in an email from Wisor to an unamed DONE staffer, an email the Sister City has obtained a copy of. In a very candid assessment of Kim's ability to lead the department Wisor tells the DONE staffer that it was "difficult to tell the man who hired me that he was the problem." Wisor further stated that the DONE staffers he spoke with wanted to send a "direct message to him (Kim) that he was a failure in being a leader at DONE." Our insider said the survey results confirms the concerns of staff.

Reportedly, it's not only DONE staffers that are dissatisfied with Kim, but at least two members of the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners who doubt his ability to lead. On Friday, Commissioner Tsilah Burman resigned her post. Our insider said that Burman allegedly told others "that the appointment of BongHwan Kim by the Mayor to be the permanent General Manager of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment was the last straw." Burman's resignation follows that of fellow commissioner Diane Middleton who also expressed concerns about Kim in her resignation letter.

Maybe there's still time to bring Kim Thompson or Huell Howser on board as DONE GM!

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Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Monday

The City is going broke yet salaries continue to skyrocket. The Daily News has compiled a database of city salaries. The list of employees who make over $200,000 a year is staggering, including LAPD Chief Bratton who makes $300,000 a year to tell his constituents where to go. City Chief Administrative Officer Karen Sission makes $220,000 and her replacement - Marcus Allen - wants another $70,000 per year. Do these people know this is the taxpayer's money not theirs?

Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Arnold Schwarzenegger all say that immigrants to the United States need to learn English. Schwarzenegger, an immigrant himself who came to America not knowing how to speak English urges Spanish speaking immigrants to turn off Telemundo and watch English television. However, Joe Mathews of the Washington Post disagrees; his view is that local Spanish television news does a superior job of covering the municipal scene.

A transit blogger says that Mayor Villaraigosa's and Supervisor Antonovich's Gold Line extension encourages sprawl and should be ditched in favor of two light rail lines that would serve Glendale and Eagle Rock.

In the Daily News Sunday, Doug McIntyre recounted a recent road trip across the country which allowed him to reflect on life here in LA. While Councilwoman Janice Hahn is reportedly paying gang members to fight gang crime she's been working on ownership of chickens in Los Angeles, a serious issue facing our city.

There could be something sinister happening in Hollywood; development of the area's first skyscraper on the former site of CBS's Columbia Square at Sunset and Gower. Strangely, the project's website is blank.

A group of Black Republicans are raising funds on the notion that the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Republican. According to the group the civil rights leader registered GOP in 1956.

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Your Britney Spears Report

Ashlee Simpson decided to slam Britney. When asked by a British paper if she had too many "Britney Spears," a euphemism for "beer and alcohol," Simpson said she had too many "trashy girls."

Mario Lopez claims that rumors that he and his girlfriend - hottie Marin