Thursday, March 15, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
A Open Letter from City Councilman Bernard Parks
200 N. Spring Street, Room 430
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213)-473-7010
wesson.hj@lacity.org
200 N. Spring St., Room 303
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-978-0600
mayor@lacity.org
- While this process may serve some politicians and their quest for future elections, the process is not serving you.
- The Redistricting Commission was part of a package of reforms approved by voters in 1999 with overwhelming support. The purpose was to make the once-a-decade process of drawing district boundaries less political, more transparent, and give the residents more of a say in how the city would be organized for the purpose of representing their interests and needs on the 15-member City Council.
- The Commission and the integrity of the process was corrupted from the very start when they selected Andrew Westall - Council President Herb Wesson's senior advisor- to serve as the Executive Director.
- The Commission lost transparency when they opted to split into three subcommittees to draw the district boundaries in secret
- The Commission lost credibility when they held numerous public hearings in every part of Los Angeles, promising to listen to community input, and then emerged from secret meetings to propose radical changes that the overwhelming majority of residents were opposed to.
- The Commission failed to follow city charter requirements that districts be based on equal population, that neighborhoods and communities not be split and that districts be compact.
- The media, community groups, neighborhood councils, open-government activists and commissioners themselves have described the Commission process as: “Corrupt, ” “Dysfunctional,” “Deeply Flawed,” “a Puppet Show,” “Devoid of Any Redeeming Qualities,” “A Mess of Gerrymandered Land Grabs.”
- The proposal would turn Districts 8(Councilmember Parks) and 9(Councilmember Perry) into impoverished communities with few opportunities for development
- South LA has already been dealt a huge blow by the elimination of the Community Redevelopment Agency and cuts to the federal Community Development Block Grant program. This proposal would doom South LA to a decade of no growth, no development, no jobs, and no hope.
- The driving motivation behind the maps is to segregate voters into districts based upon race
- The s plan to lop off huge chunks of the African-American vote in CD8 and give them to Council District 10(CD10), would weaken the influence of the only majority African-American district in the city. There are laws, such as the Voting Rights Act, that undeniably protect non-white majority districts like CD8. However, the commission has decided to only acknowledge the laws protecting the majority-Latino districts of 1, 7 and 14.
- Proponents will tell you is that they are “trying to save three black seats". That is a lie. Even though Council Districts 9 and 10 have been represented by African American councilmembers since the 1960's, only about 30% of the residents in those districts are voting-age African American citizens. Former councilmembers from those districts - such as 10th District Councilman (and then mayor) Tom Bradley - were elected by a coalition of races. The 8th District is the only majority African American district.
- The commission’s push for another Latino seat on the city council is to the detriment of the city’s African-American Community. Creating such a seat calls for a study that proves racially polarized voting exists, an assertion that is contradicted by the voters of this diverse city electing an African-American mayor, a Latino mayor, a Latino sheriff, and a Latino assessor.
- The City Attorney’s own representative on the Commission stated in her minority report that Council District 8 was “badly underserved in this process, for no apparent reason” and that the Commission's actions increase the risk of litigation.
- South LA should not be treated like a junkyard, with other districts taking the spare parts they want and dumping those they don't.
- We demand fair maps with fair boundaries, so that every part of Los Angeles has an equal opportunity to grow and thrive in the 21st century!
Labels: 2011 City of Los Angeles Redistricting Commission, bernard parks, jan perry
Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Wednesday
Villaraigosa called McOsker's criticisms outrageous, adding, "It is a reflection of the lack of leadership up in that union. It's the same guy who put out posters saying they were going to die (because of the cuts)."
Mr Mayor, you may want want to review this emotional testimony of Luis Gonzalez before pointing fingers at UFLAC leadership in the future.
** The City Clowncil Central Committee is back in session today as we near the start of the 48 hour countdown to a Friday meeting that may see a final vote on Redistricting 2012.
** 46th Assembly District Candidate Adrin Nazarian has picked up the endorsement of the Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA). We are still waiting word on the fate of candidate Laurette Healey.
** City Councilman Bernard Parks had this retort to a Betty Pleasant musing from last week.
In another column pushing Mark Ridley-Thomas over Bernard Parks in the Supervisor race, the Wave's Soulvine columnist tells some recent South L.A. history from when Mayor Jim Hahn dropped Parks as LAPD chief: "Even though I had serious problems with Parks as police chief, I was incensed by what all those white people were doing to him and I used the bully pulpit of my paper to help whip up rage against those people, to circle the wagons against those people who were bringing down a Black man. Our support for Parks had nothing to do with his being chief, and everything to do with his being Black. Yes, the instinct to close ranks racially does come to the fore, and to quote my grandpapa again, 'sometime it be like that.'" Pleasant was then city editor of the Sentinel. The Wave
Labels: 46th Assembly District, Adrin Nazarian, bernard parks, betty pleasant, lafd, mayor antonio villaraigosa, Pat McOsker
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Afternoon Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Scene for Tuesday
http://www.thevoicepub.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/ 2011_05_May_Color_VOICE.1381802 39.pdfwww.thevoicepub.com
Interesting to note the lack of comment from CD 14's Councilman Jose Huizar.
Your thoughts ..............
Scott Johnson in CD 14.
Labels: lafd
Monday, March 12, 2012
Mayor Sam Exclusive: Laurette Healey "not qualified" for 46th Assembly District Race
She screwed up her signatures and tired to turn in (in lieu of sigs) yesterday 10 days past the deadline. So at 11 yesterday (Friday) she figured out she screwed and took out nominating petitions and had 4 hours to get forty good sigs and make it to the register. No one knows if she made it or not, she is not listed as filed. .
As of Sunday evening, this was the latest on Healey's problems.
Won't know until tomorrow, but as of right now she is not listed as having filed. The story of her screw up has been confirmed, we just don't know if she will make it.
We will update this story later in the day..
Scott Johnson in CD 14
Labels: 46th Assembly District, laurette healey
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Liberal Hypocrisy Hits An All Time High
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| Rush Limbaugh |
However, Limbaugh, Kobylt and Chiampou have been garnering huge ratings for decades because there is a significant enough audience for their type of programming. On the other hand, broadcasters such as Larry Elder, John Phillips, Doug McInytre and Dennis Miller may also fall on the right side of the aisle, but present a more measured approach leaning more towards wry witticisms and irony than the man cave like observations of Rush/John and Ken. Both types of formats appeal and all of these radio hosts have been extremely successful.
Read more »
Labels: Bill Maher, jasmyne cannick, John and Ken, keith olbermann, kfi, kirsten powers, liberals, roland martin, Rush Limbaugh
Friday, March 09, 2012
Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Friday
Labels: "COUNCILMAN LAST SEEN AS JOSE HUIZAR, City Council President Herb Wesson, CLARTS Fund
Thursday, March 08, 2012
"Another Soulvine Thursday" via South L.A. Columnist Betty Pleasant
Labels: "Another Soulvine Thursday", bernard parks, betty pleasant
The Koreatown Spring continues
Labels: 2011 City of Los Angeles Redistricting Commission, Hands across Koreatown, michael trujillo
Wednesday, March 07, 2012
Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Wednesday
Labels: Arturo Chavez, LA Times, Laurette Watch, mayor antonio villaraigosa
Tuesday, March 06, 2012
A Message from CD 9 City Councilwoman and Mayoral Candidate Jan Perry on Redistricting
Labels: "COUNCILMAN LAST SEEN AS JOSE HUIZAR, 2011 City of Los Angeles Redistricting Commission, Jan Perry for Mayor 2013
Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Tuesday
Attorneys for Council members Bernard Parks and Jan Perry sent a letter to City Attorney Carmen Trutanich questioning the legality of the new map and whether it was drawn based on racial issues."The evidence amply demonstrates that a driving motivation behind the commission's plan was to segregate voters into districts based upon race," wrote attorney Nathan Lowenstein with Goldberg, Lowenstein and Weatherwax of Century City.In addition, Lowenstein said the citizens commission failed to follow city requirements that districts be based on equal population, that neighborhoods and communities not be split and that districts be compact.
This is not counting what most likely will be a legal challenge from an unified Koreatown supporters.
Labels: 2011 City of Los Angeles Redistricting Commission, Bennett Kayser, bernard parks, Carmen Trutanich for District Attorney, jan perry
Monday, March 05, 2012
Its all about the map for a future Los Angeles
“While the black appointees were highly visible, they were, for the most part, powerless. And their powerless visibility in and around the bureaucratic councils added an aura of legitimacy to illegitimate acts, providing a smokescreen for dirty dealings.” — Samuel Yette Author of “The Choice”
Labels: 2011 City of Los Angeles Redistricting Commission, City Council President Herb Wesson, David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsburg, L.A. Downtown News, Ron Kaye
Sunday, March 04, 2012
Witness Koreatown's Political Awakening against unjust Redistricting and Extortion
Labels: 2011 City of Los Angeles Redistricting Commission, City Council President Herb Wesson, David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsburg, Helen Kim, Jimmy Chai, Lloyd Lee, Michael Bae
Councilman Huizar/ Ana Cubas, El Sereno is awaiting your response to Public Records Request
Labels: "COUNCILMAN LAST SEEN AS JOSE HUIZAR, Ana Cubas, CLARTS Fund
Friday, March 02, 2012
Tales from the maps 2012
Labels: 2011 City of Los Angeles Redistricting Commission, bernard parks, City Council President Herb Wesson
Thursday, March 01, 2012
Discourse
- President Barack Obama
Labels: andrew breitbart, liberals
Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Thursday
DEAR READER: In the first decade of the DRUDGEREPORT Andrew Breitbart was a constant source of energy, passion and commitment. We shared a love of headlines, a love of the news, an excitement about what's happening. I don't think there was a single day during that time when we did not flash each other or laugh with each other, or challenge each other. I still see him in my mind's eye in Venice Beach, the sunny day I met him. He was in his mid 20's. It was all there. He had a wonderful, loving family and we all feel great sadness for them today... MDRUDGE
Labels: 2011 City of Los Angeles Redistricting Commission, Andrew Abrams, andrew breitbart, Carmen Trutanich for District Attorney, Helen Kim
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Nefarious Political Behavior begins at the Grass Roots Tips in the Second Ranked Corrupt City in the United States
Labels: HACLA, Ramona Gardens
Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Wednesday
Something does not pass the smell test. Last PM. on local TV news reporters interviewed CD Councilman Reyes. Reyes stated that he was upset over the fact that a Wal-Mart store was going to open up on Cesar Chavez and Grand Avenue in Chinatown. Reyes stated that do to the fact that there was school near by this store would post both a traffic hazard and also a public safety issue for the immediate surrounding community. Now I ask you . Remember that Reyes did not give a damn when he encouraged the opening of the 7-Eleven store in Lincoln Heights on Mission which sold both alcohol and cigarettes. (** Slight correction, 7 Eleven store on Broadway and Eastlake sells alcohol and cigarettes. Mission location will file for the right to sell beer and wine soon). Where was Reyes' concern for the school age children, residents and public safety concerns for those who reside and work in Lincoln Heights?
Some where, American Veteran and former Lincoln Heights Donut Shop Owner Ben Lee is shaking his head at the hypocrisy of a councilman who values increase corporate beer and wine sale over small businesses operated by immigrant American veterans.
** LA Observed "Westside Business White Guy" (WBWG) Mark Lacter gets it when it comes to the multiple national media "scribegasms" over the supposed political rehabilitation of Mayor Antonio Villar. What has Mayor Villar done to deserve all these media scribegasms? Ron Kaye also sees through the facade of a political rehabilitated Mayor Villar with the myth of "Antonio the Great".
** Ron Kaye also chimes in on the LAPD Chief Charlie Beck pandering crusade for a second term as chief by championing driver licenses for the undocumented. Something tells me that a certain park near Alvarado and Wilshire will be the designation of choice for those seeking the right (fake) documentation
** The sun rises in the east and another LAUSD employee is arrested for having sex with a student. Will this seventh arrest in recent days, become "Breaking News" or a normal daily feature of LAUSD's Channel 58?.
Your thoughts ..............
Scott Johnson in CD 14
Labels: Ben Lee, Councilman Ed Reyes, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, Mark Lacter, Wal Mart
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
CD 14 Violating Public Records Act Again on CLARTS Fund
Monday, February 27, 2012
Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Monday
Labels: 2011 City of Los Angeles Redistricting Commission, bernard parks, DWP Jan Perry, HACLA, Marshall Tuck, Mayor's Partnership in Education, Roosevelt High School












































