The Pacheco Play
A tipster just called in on the Sister City hotline a very funny e-mail sent out by the Nick Pacheco campaign.
Message from Team Pacheco...
Monday, July 11, 2005
*another Successful Councilman Nick Pacheco Project
Join Us in Celebrating Grand Opening of the Hermon Park in the Arroyo Seco Dog Park.
Let this be your warning Team Pacheco any attempt to use a city-event and somehow turn it into a campaign rally will not be taken lightly by the folks here at Sister City.
I mean we know you hang out and can speak on the record regarding the Vignali family and have continued to defend your La Colectiva friends but to pull a "romer" and use non-government money (campaign account) to publicize a government project is wrong and will be used against you.
What i find most disturbing is that you are trying to take credit for a dog park you had absolutely nothing to do with.
But you are desperate enough to try anything i suppose.
Posted by Anonymous @ 7/12/2005 12:19:00 AM
12 Comments:
Seems like team Pachuco are back in action playing unethical and loose with the rules.
Chief:
On Page 31 of the 90-plus page Transition Memo you will see an entry for Hermon Dog Park.
At the time it was fully funded and had enough money for 6 months of maintenance and staffing.
It is opening and we are advertising this project because Councilman Nick Pacheco played an important role in this project and is proud that it is opening.
E-mail me at robert_urteaga@yahoo.com and I will get you a copy of the transition memo.
IMHO, the more we advertise City Services or government projects, such as this dog park, the better we are serving the people.
Hope to see you there!
Robert Urteaga
Campaign Manager
FYI, look for the following emails as these projects come forward:
Hazard Park Green Space Recapturing: Page 22
El Sereno TNI (or now NBG) Projects: Page 25
Breed Street Shul Community Center: Page 26
Simon Bolivar Monument: Page 27
Eagle Rock Monument: Page 29
6th Street/US 101 Connection Study Report: Page 31
Garvanza Skate Park: Page 31
Former Crown Coach Site: Page 33
Moon Canyon: Page 33
Ex-Braceros House: Page 37
And any other projects initiated by Councilman Nick Pacheco that are part of the Transition Memo department attachments.
We want everyone to know what is going on in CD 14 and especially if Councilman Nick Pacheco had a role in its success.
If anyone had any doubt about what the "I'll be lying in the weeds, waiting for my shot" Transition Memo was about, RU just cleared it up. Class act? Doing then Councilman-elect AV a favor? Taking the high road? Nope. Staking out a position, bent on revenge. Nothing unusual or wrong about being a politician, being ambitious, or even thinking that "the community" needs you (even if that may be delusional). But you have to consider the totality of the evidence in every case -- not just the phony boy scout act. This is ambition fueled by consuming anger.
Why Returning From the Dead Will Be a Test of Character for Pacheco
By Tony Castro
Political Columnist - The Wave
Originally posted 3/18/2003
LOS ANGELES — Nick Pacheco is hurting, and he doesn’t understand — not really — why he was booted out of office after being the new kid on City Hall’s political block just four years ago.
“You tell me, do you really think I have a political future left?” he asks. “After losing this race? Or do you think I still have a political future because I lost to Antonio [Villaraigosa], the political messiah?”
The sarcasm doesn’t sit well. But Pacheco is hurting. He is still trying to come to grips with becoming the first incumbent Los Angeles City Councilman ousted in a primary election in modern history.
He chafes at reading the post-mortems, especially those that report Villaraigosa’s election triumph claims of having overcome what he has called the sleaziest campaign ever in Los Angeles — and also boasting that he did it without ever having gotten down in the political gutter himself.
Pacheco doesn’t believe any of that. He denies that his campaign engaged in any dirty politics and asserts that it was Villaraigosa’s campaign that indulged in last-minute attack mailers.
“Why don’t you [in the new media] call him on that? Why do you allow him to get away saying that?” he demands to know.
Mostly, though, Pacheco can’t understand how it came down to this: Getting not even 40 per cent of the vote and losing in what, for primary election purposes, wound up a 56 percent of the vote landslide for Villaraigosa, the former Assembly speaker and now the prince of not only the Eastside but of the city as well.
Nick Pacheco is hurting, and he is looking for some kind of political Ben-Gay to salve his wounds. Last week, he wrote United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta, demanding an apology for a political mailer sent out by the UFW on Villaraigosa’s behalf that accused Pacheco of a long laundry list of “sleazy politics.”
“I am writing because my family, especially my parents, were extremely hurt by your personal attacks against me during my recent re-election campaign,” he wrote.
Unfortunately for Pacheco, he is just now perhaps realizing the depth of the resentment he incurred for the controversial political mailers sent to voters last November by his longtime friend Ricardo A. Torres II that attacked Villaraigosa and his family in a manner that was roundly decried as some of the dirtiest tactics in the history of Los Angeles politics.
Those mailers cornered Pacheco into a niche of the city’s political consciousness from which he may never escape, no matter how much he protests as he did in the letter to Huerta.
In the letter, Pacheco replies to a handful of allegations with denials that hide behind cleverly used buffers, such as laying the blame for the November attack mailers purely on Torres when few doubt that Pacheco was completely blameless.
But Pacheco insists. He also blamed the infamous “Gloria Morina” telephone scam on another friend, Martin GutieRuiz. That was the 2001 mayoral campaign prank in which a woman pretending to be Supervisor Gloria Molina placed calls to Latino voters criticizing Villaraigosa and urging votes instead for Rep. Xavier Becerra, another Latino primary opponent.
The calls were traced to a phone bank owned by Pacheco, though a district attorney’s investigation failed to turn up enough evidence for charges.
But then when are politicians, except the inept as well as corrupt ones in suburban cities, ever charged with any kind of crimes?
Pacheco protests with the innocence of the Boy Scout handle that was given to him during his 1999 election. He may well still be the Boy Scout, but his pals Torres and GutieRuiz sure as heck aren’t. He should know that former prosecutors have no business hanging out with high-tech gang-bangers in business suits.
Mostly, though, Pacheco fails to realize that the unspoken retort from anyone hearing his complaints is that perhaps he reaped what he sowed.
Besides, no one wants to hear it now. The only thing more pitiful than a loser’s wails and moaning are a sore loser’s wails and moaning...
In the history of local politics, Nick Pacheco is the first incumbent to lose the LA City Council seat, and he will be the first incumbent to lose again.
Vote smart!
Nick Pacheco had EVERYTHING to do with the Hermon Dog Park, funding and all. AV's brain-dead staff sat on it for 18 MONTHS, and then -- when he decided to run for mayor -- figured out they MIGHT need to move some project (any project) ahead a few paces, just in time for the runoff.
AV is the dog turd lying in the bushes, and Chief Faker just stepped in him...
Jose Huizar might be the LAUSD president yet his record does not stand too well with the parents of Roosevelt High. He has failed to reduce the drop out rate, hiding it by having students transfer out to other districts. How about the military recruits? Wow at this rate we should expect many things from Huizar. Jose is not capable of running a department, I mean just read the LA Times articles. His own board alienates him and so far I don't see them sponsoring his qualifications. Plus if you think about the situation, Mayor Villaraigosa was highly supported by Huizar (LAUSD President) in the Mayoral Campaign. It was just of matter of time he would support his great buddy Huizar for CD 14. What surprises me the most is the fact that Pacheco is a Mechista as well as Villaraigosa, yet Huizar doesn't even know what MECHA stands for. Where's the loyalty Villaraigosa, Where's the Brotherhood in Aztlan....Mexica Tiahui.....
After Scramble, Canter Elected to Lead School Board
By Joel Rubin
Times Staff Writer
July 6, 2005
The Los Angeles Board of Education selected Marlene Canter as its president Tuesday after last-minute, behind-the scenes maneuvering that involved the new leader of the teachers union.
Canter, who beat Jon Lauritzen for the position, was elected 5-1 by the seven-member board. Lauritzen abstained, and Marguerite LaMotte dissented. Canter voted for herself.
The vote occurred quickly, with no public discussion, but came after a lengthy delay as outgoing board president Jose Huizar spearheaded an attempt to persuade Lauritzen to step aside.
"It was a three-hour scramble in an attempt to get a 7-0 vote — to find unity," Huizar said. "But Jon decided to press ahead and take the vote nonetheless."
Huizar said he sought the help of A.J. Duffy, president of United Teachers Los Angeles.
Duffy, the recently elected chief of the powerful teachers union, said he called Lauritzen to relay a compromise at the urging of board members. He declined to elaborate.
Union leaders supported Lauritzen in his election four years ago and have repeatedly weighed in on the selection of board presidents. This year, Duffy said the union would remain neutral.
Board members and district staff members, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that Lauritzen was asked to abandon his push for the presidency in exchange for promises that Canter would support him in a future run for the position.
Lauritzen expressed frustration as he waited for the meeting to begin. "There are still negotiations going on. I'm disappointed that it has come down to this."
Canter's election comes at a time when L.A. Unified is under scrutiny from inside and outside the district. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who was sworn into office last week, has said repeatedly that he will push for a larger role in how the traditionally independent district is run. In addition, the City Council has created a commission to explore the governance of the district.
Canter said she welcomed the interest of the mayor and City Council, but added that she expected the board to have an equal voice in the discussion.
"There is a very big civic dialogue going on right now about our schools, and I want to represent a strong voice of the board in that discussion," Canter said. "I do not want people to write it off as, 'Nothing is working and therefore the board is not working.' … I want everyone to know as they step into this how complex and difficult it is. Governance is not the only issue."
As board president, Canter will also play a leading role in setting the agenda for the second-largest public school system in the country, which serves about 745,000 students and operates on a more than $6.5-billion annual budget. Along with running the unwieldy meetings, the president decides when the board votes on issues and attempts to find middle ground on contentious matters.
One of those issues is likely to be whether the board will allow Supt. Roy Romer to remain through the end of his contract, which expires in 2007. Because of a compromise when the contract was extended a year ago, the board must decide by October whether to keep Romer on or remove him next year.
Canter, who is widely seen as a strong supporter of Romer, said she "believes it is in the best interest of the district for the superintendent to remain until the end of his contract." She emphasized that the board had not yet discussed the matter, but said removing Romer early would disrupt the district's ongoing, multibillion-dollar school construction project.
First elected to the board in 2001, Canter was reelected this year when she ran unopposed. Since joining the board, she has led efforts to increase the number of credentialed teachers and to ban the sale of soft drinks and junk food on campuses.
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Jose Huizar will have to try harder to get any support from his own board. Canters is much more organized and skilled in the community, maybe she should be the one running for CD 14. Peace
JUST TO MAKE YOU AWARE! UPDATE: EX PRESIDENT JOSE HUIZAR OUST FROM LAUSD.
HUIZAR KNEW IN ADVANCE HE WAS NOT GOING TO BE SUPPORTED BY THE BOARD FOR ANOTHER TERM IN OFFICE. HENCE, CANTER!
PUBLIC RECORDS & STATISTICS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES; LAUSD HAS A 60% DROP OUT RATE. 39% GRADUTATION RATE.
HUIZAR'S HAD FOUR YEARS TO MAKE A CHANGE IN OUR SCHOOLS. TO DATE, LAUSD IS AT IT'S ALL TIME LOW. HE'S LACK OF COMMITTMENT TO OUR KIDS AND THEIR EDUCATION IS UNACCEPTABLE! SO MUCH FOR THE A-G REQUIREMENT. MAKES YOU WONDER WHY HE PRESENTED THE A-G REQUIRE, RIGHT BEFORE THE ELECTIONS???? by Jose not staying to see the completion the A-G program to the finish, our kids lose out again.
WE NEED TO HOLD JOSE HUIZAR ACCOUNTABLE!
Los Angeles Daily News
Special-ed spending hard to determine
By Naush Boghossian
Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 26, 2005 - Because of inadequate documentation supplied by the LAUSD, an independent monitor said Monday that he cannot determine how much money the district has spent on court-ordered improvements to its special-education programs.
Monitor Carl Cohn said he wants to meet with Los Angeles Unified School District officials to determine how much of the $67.5 million the district has pledged to spend has actually gone toward access ramps and other improvements. In a highly critical progress report released Friday, Cohn wrote he had "serious concerns about the reported expenditures" and wants district officials to explain what they've done to comply with the consent decree and how they've spent the money.
"They have failed to present us with the information to give us reasonable assurance that they're moving forward on this," Cohn said in a phone interview Monday. "We need to make sure the facilities people are providing information that is complete and actually shows what the nature of the work is."
District officials had reported to Cohn that they had completed $21 million in improvements and were working on $37 million more.
But none of that work had been verified, Cohn said, which means he cannot determine whether it is applicable to the requirements of the consent decree.
Donnalyn Anton, associate superintendent of special education, said her staff will meet with the district's facilities officials to clarify how the money was spent.
"The money really is going toward accessibility issues," Anton said. "From my perspective, we're moving forward. This district is very committed to its learning program, which includes accessibility for people with disabilities."
Cohn's report questioned whether the district was counting work that predates the consent decree as part of the $67.5 million obligation.
The consent decree came in 1996 to settle a civil-rights lawsuit filed three years earlier on behalf of Chanda Smith and others. The suit said the LAUSD had violated federal law by allowing the teen to twice fail 10th grade before determining that she had the academic skills of a second-grader.
The decree was modified in 2003, with the LAUSD agreeing to spend $67.5 million over five years to renovate older schools and provide handicap-access equipment for disabled students.
An attorney for the plaintiffs said Monday that he wants more information provided to ensure that the district fulfills its pledge to its 85,000 disabled students and that the money is really going for accessibility improvements.
Cohn said he hopes the progress report will urge district officials to provide the detailed information soon.
"I don't want to make harsh judgments. We're concerned, but this is a large urban school system, and this is an area where it could easily be a communication problem rather than a problem of substance."
Board President Marlene Canter plans to announce on Wednesday the creation of a select committee on the consent decree that will provide oversight and an action plan to meet the June 30 deadline for compliance.
"A special committee will be focused on this in the first half of September and I assume that these kinds of questions are the ones we'll want answered for the whole board and the public," board member David Tokofsky said. "The consent decree has 18 specific goals and they are all quantitative and measurable. There should be no doubt if the district has met or will meet the goals when they meet the federal judge."
The district also agreed to spend up to $20 million on immediate renovations requested by principals in order to provide handicapped accessibility such as accessible drinking fountains or a ramp to the school auditorium stage. It appears that 19 percent of the $20 million has been committed to requested renovations, the monitor reported.
For those that need more convincing!! Learn, read, study the facts, do the math.
Our children/Students are paying the price for a totally mismanaged organizations. LAUSD. Notice how new president Canters is taking charge, don't forget this was Jose Huizar's job duty as president. So what happen?
Read the article above once again, tell others. why has it taken so long for the Special Ed kids to get help??.
Oh this is why you should vote for Huizar, he is an amazing Community Leader.
YEAH RIGHT !
Be smart make the best choice @ the polls in November !!
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