Another LA New Year's Eve Dud
A large New Year's Eve street party in downtown Los Angeles was abruptly canceled tonight, prompting angry calls to the fire department, a fire spokesman said. Giant Village, billed as the "world's largest 21+ celebration,'' was to have featured the Black Eyed Peas and other music groups on six stages along Wilshire Boulevard, but late in the day it was canceled, said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department.Organizers had met with city officials who felt that weather conditions put public safety in doubt. The city officials were certain the event would have to be cancelled once started.
A rumor spread that the fire marshall had canceled the party, and the fire department -- which had nothing to do with the cancellation -- was deluged with angry phone calls from people who drove to the area with tickets to the event, Humphrey said.
Do y'all remember the really lame millenium celebrations the City came up with in 2000? LA is just not the kind of town that is going to have one big New Year's Eve celebration, whether the city runs it or private individuals put it together at some made up, wannabe "Times Square" of the West Coast. Most LA residents don't see themselves as Angelenos unlike New Yorkers or Chicagoans or San Franciscans. They are residents of a hodge podge of neighborhoods like North Hollywood, City Terrace, Beverlywood, San Pedro or Los Feliz. Those individual little villages are reluctantly part of a larger confederation known as "El Lay" and most of the time they try to forget it.
In case you're wondering, Mayor V. spent the evening at the Union Rescue Mission's New Year's Eve party.
Perhaps local New Year's Eve celebrations could work, still, it seems as if most folks are content enough to stay home or visit friends. This evening, driving to a friend's home in the Venice-Fairfax area, traffic was amazingly light. Having dinner earlier in Santa Monica, it was a ghost town.
LA is not New York and never will be. Even LA based Dick Clark - who made a valiant effort this evening to host his annual New Year's Eve telecast following a severe stroke - has known that for thirty years. He's live in Times Square, but his Hollywood segments are taped weeks earlier on a soundstage.
Its the LA way.
Labels: brian humphrey
Posted by Mayor Sam @ 1/01/2006 02:47:00 AM
31 Comments:
Daily News
Pothole ceremony
Re: "Patching No. 80,173"(Dec. 28):
Cracked streets and crackpot politicians were made for each other. Our mayor ... never misses an opportunity for a photo op, even when it demonstrates bureaucratic ineptitude and bumbling that makes us say: What were they thinking?
Think, city people. If Hudson Street is going to be repaved in a few days, why not have a symbolic pothole-filling ceremony? You can still have your pictures taken while touting the 80,173 potholes the city has filled (which will wash out after the next rain). Now that you're done wasting our money on this inane project, please come to my street and redo the giant pothole that extends from curb to curb and is already eroding.
- Sandy Sand
West Hills
LA: The largest minor league City. If we lost the entertainment industry, there would be nothing here. We don't have one top University, no NFL, no major philharmonic, weak opera, a scum bag who owns the Dodgers and on and on.
Agree that many LA residents don't think of themselves as Angelenos. Peedro is far away from North Hollywood.
It would be nice if LA had a university in the top 5, but Cal Tech (Pasadena) is ranked #7 nationally by US News, UCLA #25, and USC #30.
Also has aerospace and BRAC-survivor LAAFB, cultural institutions, and a booming port.
But then again, shitty traffic and LAUSD.
To some extent there will always be some enterainment industry here because the moguls like to live at the beach. But as technology makes it irrelevant where businesses are and people live, many of those moguls might find even better beaches to live at and Malibu won't matter anymore.
LA is a city whose best days are behind it. Too many years of incompetent and corrupt politicians - with a lack of leadership from the community other than NIMBYs - has sunk the place. Eventually, it will be a third world city that will require the massive support of the Federal government to stay alive, and only because of its strategic location next to the ocean.
What!? Tony couldn't control the weather! What kind of mayor do we have? At least he could have bullshitted us into thinking it's not raining - it's worked for him before.
1:18
You are SO doomsday. Why not just go blow your brains out right now? Or pack up your bags and hit the road. Perhaps you'll find a place where the politicians aren't corrupt? HA HA HA Where ever the hell that is.
I'm glad I am polar opposite in my thinking.
I love Los Angeles with all of its faults, shitty government, etc. and NIMBY'S rule and keep the government as honest as it is.
Or you could just stay here and throw yourself into the clean money campaign. That will help eventually.
The fire department told the organizers they would shut down the event if they opened it - so they were forced to cancel it.
Then one person at the fire department claimed they did not cancel it.
What do you expect from LA with a city council that embarrasses us consistently with their immature behavior at meetings, a Mayor who thinks filling potholes is newsworthy, residents who don't get involved, South LA who blames everyone about the black on black murders in their own backyard, and the list goes on.
L A. is on life-support!!!
When is someone going to pull the plug?
Did anyone see the three stooges on Channel 7 this morning? Garcetti, La Puentes, and the black woman (sorry, don't know her name)? How embarrassing!!!!!
And what about that pig with earrings - Alex Padilla? Who the hell does he think he is? What a beaner!
No hope for L.A. - third world all the way! Everyone that ever mattered is moving out...and we all know who is moving in!
Just pull the plug!!!!
Shit man! Have a little faith! The beauty of Los Angeles is how resilient we are- these seven suburbs in search of the city while our social problems tend to erupt now and then can survive even in the presence of mediocre politicians. How do you think with all due respect to Mayor Sam, this city survived the Yorty years with his media-whoring, going on foreign trips, budget deficit ways?
Happy New Year! And to those of you bad mouthing LA - have a great year too but move the fuck on!
If you don't like it, there's plenty of other cities in the country. The only reason we may not have the "angelino" identity is because of too many fuckin' transplants.
Love, LA-born resident
Fuck you 7:19 LA born resident.
I wrote the post that called a poster out for being doomsday.
I came here 18 years ago from the East and I couldn't love L.A. anymore than I do, even with all of it's quirks and corruption.
I am involved, I do more community service than half of the flaky, shallow natives I know here.
In fact, if all of the work were left up to the natives, nothing would get done. They're too busy taking off work to go to the beach and studying the movie stars latest escapades.
How dare you.
5:24
That was Garcetti, Gruel and Jan Perry. Sorry if I misspelled their names. I didn't see Alex was he on another segement? Well what's interesting is aren't they the small minority on the council that is critical of the Mayor or at least not the usual yes "persons" on the council. Sort of interesting they appeared together. Send a message ?
Comparing LA to NYNY is retarded to put it lightly. Trying to argue LA is imitating NYNY in a new years celebration is beyond mental retardation.
Get over your ego Mayor Sam and contribute something productive to society by focusing on a new drug therapy that helps prevent sudden mental decomposition while blogging.
Dickhead on 7:34... The 7:19 comment wasn't about you.
Both of you are on the same team pay attention.
11:01 I watched that too and thought the same thing. Where's that hottie Alex?
Daily Breeze, 11-11-05:
Nissan CEO says costs drove decision to leave area
By Muhammed El-Hasan
Daily Breeze
Nissan Motor Co.'s North American headquarters will end its nearly half-century presence in the Los Angeles area as the operation and its 1,300 jobs move to Tennessee.
During a news conference Thursday at the Tennessee State Capitol, Nissan President and Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn said the headquarters would move to Tennessee's Williamson County outside of Nashville to benefit from lower housing and business costs and the headquarters' proximity to Nissan manufacturing operations.
He also cited the convenience of Tennessee's relatively central location in the United States.
"The costs of doing business in Southern California are much higher than the costs of doing business in Tennessee," Ghosn said at the event, which included Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen and U.S. Sens. Bill Frist and Lamar Alexander...
"L.A. IS ON LIFE SUPPORT"
Absolutely true! I am native born, white, conservative and have lived here for decades.
What you see is a mayor and city council (primarily hispanic) who are feasting on the carcus and bones of what has become a third world melting pot. Padilla, AV, and the entire city council are robbing the taxpayers with their outrageous salaries and perks which, by the way, are TOTALLY undeserved considering the fact that they have accomplished NOTHING, have a combined I.Q. of -100, and are simply drunk with "power".
There is a huge cultural gap btween caucasians and hispanics - one that can NEVER be bridged. They do not want to assimilate and I refuse to capitulate to the mexican mentality.
California spends 2 billion a year on social services for illegals, billions on a broken school system becaause 80% of LAUSD are illiterate mexicans, and God know how mamy billions AV wants to spend for 'affordabe housing' when the obvious problem is the 3 million illegals squatting in our city.
Every city in the nation is terrified that their city will turn out like Los Angeles. Los Angeles is the poster child for EVERYTHING THAT IS WRONG FOR THE COUNTRY.
Until you get rid of people like AV, Bustamante, Cedillo, Dellagado, Jan Perry, etc. etc., there is no hope.
L.A. IS on life support!
Daily News reports on AV's accomplishments. Pretty lame that only 3 topics came up.
During his first six months in office, Villaraigosa has leveraged politics and personality to forge alliances between feuding hotel workers and owners, with a community upset with a high-profile police shooting and address a more than decade-old lawsuit over modernization of Los Angeles International Airport.
WHY DIDN'T THEY REPORT THE FAILURE OF THE DWP PAY HIKE, THE EAA NOT BEING HAPPY, AV GIVING IN TO ANIMAL TERRORISTS, THE ORANGE LINE ACCIDENTS, NO MONEY FOR MORE COPS, THE RACIAL TENSIONS IN SOUTH LA, APPOINTMENTS OF FRIENDS AND FAMILY ON COMMISSIONS, LOBBYISTS STILL IN CITY CALL ETC. ETC. ETC.
Good point 12:37
11:24 You are what is wrong with Los Angeles. If your world view is that narrow you deserve to live in Texas. Move to Delay country where you could see your tax dollars spent the way conservite white men in power do.
Nevermind... There's Mexican's in Texas too.
Ignorant Antonio lovers are still in denial and can't accept the truth. They ultimately always try to blame anyone else for Antonio's failures. Why don't all you AV lovers make a New Year's resolution to accept what others say and stop trying to blame others.
Get rid of the millions of illegals and the potholes will disappear! So will the traffice problems, the housing problems, the overcrowded schools, the billions spend on medical for illegals, disease, AND
96 of California's MOST WANTED ARE HISPANICS. CHECK OUT ATTORNEY GENERAL LOCKLEARS WEBSITEAND YOU WILL SEE THE PHOTOS OF CALIF'S MOST WANTED all homocide cases!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!95 HISPANICS, 1 WHITE, 3 ASIANS, 1 BLACK!!!!
Who would move to the gang captial of the world? MS 13, eighteenth street gang plus tens of thousands more.....AND AV AND CO. WON'T LIFT A FINGER TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!
Crime has doubled in Watts and Compton this year because the blacks and browns are warring. The blacks were here FIRST...it's their turf! Get rid of the mexicans!
The police were 100% correct in killing Pena....but it was tragic because the ASSHOLE PENA TOOK HIS OWN CHILD HOSTAGE! The police had no way to tell because the coward hid himself inside the shack.
PENA WAS AN ILLEGAL ALIEN WHO HAD BEEN DEPORTED AND SNUCK BACK INTO THIS COUNTRY!!!!! HE DESERVED WHAT HE GOT!!!! It's one more illegal criminal off the streets. I hope that Mexican ambulance chaser attorney that Pena's girlfriend (not wife...they weren't married) loses bigtime and sends the mother back to mexico. These people had no right to even have a child...unfit parents.
We Americans do not want Mexico's criminals on our soil!!!! Vicente Fox is systematically ridding Mexico of the mestizos because HE DOESN'T WANT THEM!!! Mexico is the MOST CORRUPT REGIME ON THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE and we need to send em all back to FOX!
6 million illegals in California...tax payers need to revolt...taxation without representation. Go Minutemen...!!!!
Antonio is an advocate for illegals. He's allowed Boyle Heights to go down the toliet since he was CM. You go into that community and you would think you were in Mexico.
Mayor Sam I think you should have been named by Forbes not LA Observed.
Forbes 'Best of the Web' *
L.A. Observed is one of the Los Angeles-based blogs named in Forbes.com's Best of the Web. The other locals are The Elegant Variation for literary blogs, Metroblogging in the city category and art.blogging.la in art, Little Green Footballs and Kausfiles in politics, BoingBoing in technology, and The Huffington Post in media. I like the L.A. Observed citation in the media blog category because it gets that the understated style of blogging here is an intended feature, not a bug:
why was post about MEAt removed?
Thanks, but the Forbes folks are part of the brie and chablis crowd that reads blogs like HufPo and LA(except east of the 405)Observed.
1:18
'I'm glad I'm so polar opposite in my thinking".
I think you meant to say " bi-polar"!!!!!
Just what this city needs - more people like you!
Yep, it must be truly horrible to have "people like me" come from other states because we love "your" state and then actually have the nerve to become active and want to do the right thing politically as opposed to those who sit around complaining about the state of affairs here, whining about the people who move here rather than do anything themselves.
I guess I must be bipolar? However that fits in here? How that is the same as thinking the polar opposite of the people who think it's a third world country and doomed to implode.
3:52
Six million more! Sox million more! Six million more!
Get it?
Well, I guess the blog's still alive.
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