NC's Taking Power? Greg Nelson weighs in
For those who thought former Department of Neighborhood Empowerment General Manager Greg Nelson was leaving the LA Neighborhood Council system for a long vacation on a beach drinking from glasses with little umbrellas in them, nothing could be further from the truth.In fact, much to the chagrin of some 4th floor residents, Mr. Nelson is not only still involved with the Neighborhood Councils, he is coaxing them to get their act together.
In short, he has showed up to the smoldering brush with a tanker filled with gasoline.
In the current edition of City Watch, an e-newsletter dealing exclusively with Neighborhood Councils and their issues, Greg Nelson writes about the newly formed Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Congress, describing it as a "dream" once envisioned by the designers of the City Charter.
"Now there are some at City Hall who are frightened to the point of irrationality because it's close to happening" Nelson writes.
He is right, and that perception goes along way to explaining the fear of the Neighborhood Councils held by some City Council members and their staffs.
The Neighborhood Council movement in Los Angeles, for all of its faults, appears to be slowly yet steadily moving forward. Nelson cites the DWP rate increase issue and the forming of the Congress as two stark examples of the progress.
"Power isn't given -- It is taken" Nelson says, "(for those who) have trouble finding (the NC Congress forum this Saturday) just look for those who look like they're not willing to wait for government to give them power, and follow them. I'll see you there."
Someone better call Fireman Fred. Those are fighting words if I ever heard them. I am thinking that someone in City Hall is probably wishing Nelson didn't quit his job.
Neighborhood Councils are probably the best hope this City has to rid itself of "pay to play politics" and return government to the people. But the question remains, will the Neighborhood Councils heed Greg Nelsons advice? Or will they fear the engagement of citywide issues reducing themselves to a glorified graffiti patrol?
Can you smell the smoke?
Your thoughts?
Posted by Councilman John @ 6/15/2006 12:09:00 AM
61 Comments:
Greg Nelson is my hero. He had the hardest job in the City and he did it!
Of COURSE he's going to come back and Of COURSE he's going to push NC's into action and organization.
That's what he does best.
I bet lots of people are sorry he quit his job and I bet lots of third floor people are wishing they had come up with a way to get him to stay.
Look out City Hall - NC's are about to show their power. Like it or not.
I think a good case could be made to say they already have shown their power.
DWP, Home Depot, Wal Mart, the Alarm issue, now the NC Congress... this is a freight train and the sooner city council figures that out (ahem up there in cd 12, 14 and 11) the quicker they can hop aboard. Or be steamrolled over and left in the dust.
If Greg Nelson tried to drink from glasses with little paper umbrellas, he'd choke to death.
He's two committee members short of a quorum (if you know what I mean).
I have seen more than my fair share of NC's in action.
All I gotta say is: they are ripe for abuse. I really like how much more involved they allow people to be, but I pray to God that they never get any legitmate legislative or executive power. The last thing I want is a select board of real estate agents and gadlfys telling me how to live my life.
We've got enough elected officials trying to do that as it is!
Antonio has his croonies are terrifed of the power of neighborhood councils. That's why Lisa Sarno got blasted at a council meeting two weeks ago for refusing to fold on simple procedures allowing 38 neighborhood councils to precede with their elections. ITs no secret AV doesn't like the power NC's have and if they gain even more his message gets drowned out.
You all want a good laugh to start your morning? Read the op-ed in the shit rag LA Times by the fruity Gustavo Arellano "RAZA isn't racist." Its hilarious. He defends MECha. Its interesting that many of the successful, well educated Latinos all over the nation denounce MECHa.
Of all the op-eds that are submitted leave it to this rag of a newspaper to print Gustavo's piece. Every tv and radio show he has been on is embarrassing. He doesn't know how to answer questions and acts as if he is speaking for all Mexicans.
El Serno neighborhood group is a farce!
Aguilar oneonone interview with O'reillllly today.
8:02
No such thing as "El Serno neighborhood group" or even "El SerEno neighborhood group" or even an "El Sereno Neighborhood Council".
How can you know it's a "joke" if you don't even know what it is?
YOU are one of the better arguments for restricting immigration (or maybe even late term abortions).
Archie,
Isn't "competant Councilman" or maybe "competEnt Councilman" (or Councilmember) an oxymoron?
There are only two kinds of councilmembers (all incompetent): those with competent staff who give them the appearance of competence some of time -- and then the other 12.
Now go get a competent spellchecker.
Greg Nelson was as lousy administrator and needed to go. As head of DONE, if he didn't have a lapdog running a neighborhood council, he would ignore that council. So, his pompous proclamations are nothing but hot air.
AV had to get rid of him. Now, Lisa Sarno is put in the difficult position of having to clean up the wreckage he left behind.
HEAR THAT ripping sound? That's the sounds of MeCha chapters all over the U.S. and successful liberal Latino's writing checks and approving grants to support Academia Semillas, now that it's under fire from right-wing radio.
Pretty soon they won't even need "your" taxpayer dollars, and they really can go "rogue" and not have to answer to LAUSD.
That's what the Right pretends to want (no taxpayer dollars involved), but really... that's NOT what they want.
Typical alarmist attack - ready, fire, aim and then you qualify for a handicapped plate after having shot yourself in the foot.
Thanks, "Borg" McIntyre.
Greg Nelson WAS a lousy administrator, but the thing about lapdog councils is bullshit. Greg helped those who helped themselves. That's still what he's doing. He got on board things like the DWP rate hike opposition, the MOU and the council file thing from the very beginning. And he facilitated from behind the scnes, to avoid stealing the NCs' thunder. Good for him.
And as for BrayJ... of course you don't want NCs to get any further power because you work for developers. You love to talk in lofty, highminded terms about improving communities but from what I can see, you're still just trying to get your guy's project approved. Plus...you say you've 'seen Ncs in action' but you sure haven't participatd. You skulk in the back and take notes. More shady developer action...
9:11
Not unusual. After having dealt with Lisa Sarno in CD14, I'm sure she finds every position "difficult" including standing and sitting and prone.
She started out "cleaning up" by alienating most NC board members her first week or so over the Congress, attempting to take it in the exact opposite direction it was intended and created for.
Sarno at DONE the "Dept. of Neighborhood EMPOWERMENT" is the biggest joke in the city. In decades of working with helpful, attentive city employees, Sarno was the breathe of stale, putrid air in CD14 for 24 wasted, accomplishment-free months. She is the least "empowering" influence now in any responsible position at City.
There were absolutely NO accomplishments during that 2-year period in CD14 she can claim to have been instrumental in. Unless alienation of constituents fits that bill in some warped way.
And any that anyone might concoct to list in her defense were 1) not hers, and 2) many times more difficult to attain that they would have been before her arrival, or would be now.
There are people who get into public life to help people, and those who simply hide there because no private concern would keep them on staff long enough to collect their first paycheck. Sarno is the latter.
Headline says: "Greg Nelson weighs in"
Featherweight, definitely...
7:44
I scanned that op-ed by Arellano but haven't had the chance to analyze it in detail. From what I've read, he argues Mecha is not separatist but is rather "educational." Is this just BS or does he make any valid points..?
Checks? What checks! All I hear is Zapatista papers shredded at Academia Semillas del Pueblo.
Oh? Post a list of LOCAL supporters who backup this school.
I won't shop or use their services.
It's completely naive to think that the neighborhood council system will rid the city of "pay to play" politics. It is only a matter of time before the same money that influences City Hall and the Council will start trickling down to the NC level.
The regulations on campaign advertising and just who is a stakeholder are so vague at most councils as to invite manipulation by outside actors. The only reason that the council races haven't become "pay to play" so far is that they NCs themselves aren't taken particularily seriously by those who are already paying to play, and it's so easy to get elected that candidates haven't really had to pay for advertising.
There's a catch 22 with the councils as they currently exist. So long as they remain primarily irrelivant to the polical process, they stay free of moneyed influence (either by outside actors or the candidates themselves). Any time an issue of importance is before the council, you see people bussed in to vote, votes outright bought and flyers start getting printed. If the councils are truly going to become relevant to the political process, then it will only get worse as they mature.
11:49 - That certainly is a direction the NC's can take them, if we let them go that way. One issue is guidance. In my NC we just had a sticky situation where we received consistently conflicting advice from the City, which led to further animosity by whoever didn't like the most recent version.
The NC's need guidance. The Congress can be that guidance, or at least be the bright light to follow on a dark and windy road. But the ultimate success of NC's will completely depend on participation.
As for taking them seriously, I think that has begun to happen. You wouldn't see developers and unions taking ads in Citywatch if the NC's weren't being taken seriously to some degree.
Alger -
Weren't you voted off your NC and didn't you get beat in the election? What are you gonna spend your days doing now?
Blog Blog Blog
Jim - I think they're beginning to be seen as relevant and important, but I don't think they've hit the tipping point yet, where that importance is ongoing. Right now I'm only seeing the NCs as being recognised as important when their support is being sought by development projects.
2;54 - Thank you for your concern about my well being. I am still the President of the Northridge West NC and plan on remaining so for a little while longer.
Yes, I lost the Assembly race by about 700 or so votes... while obviously I would have rather won, I am not ashamed at all about my showing.
Thanks again for your concern.
3:06 - I agree. That is what we need to change.
Alger for CD12!
Alger for CD12!
I could have written that first post about Greg Nelson, but I didn't.
And those of you who are hating Lisa Sarno, get over it.
I'd like to see proof of her incompetence. As an activist who has had to deal with AV from his assembly stint to his mayoral election - I've found Lisa to be extremely competent, helpful, intelligent and organized.
I LOVE Greg, but an organized woman like Lisa will get some administerial things done.
I won't personally attack Lisa Sarno but will state my perception from meetings all over the city when DONE subject has come up. Hahn stated in city council that Lisa and DONE were putting so many restrictions on NC's that they were becoming too bureaucratic and making things very difficult for them to get things done. I agree. Also, other city council members stated that NC's reps are VOLUNTEERS in their communities so why would DONE with Lisa try and prevent them from helping their communities by enforcing dumb regulations that don't make sense. Zine stated that since the new management in place at DONE including Lisa everything has gone downhill. I'm sure Lisa has something to do with it however, everyone Knows that Lisa is having her strings pulled by AV.
I still cant even fathom those who see Greg Nelson as the greatest thing since sliced bread. Those that really had to work with him to resolve issues found him to be incompetent at best and even cheered his departure. I'm not saying his replacement is great either, but seriously folks, the hero worship of the City Watch rag is absurd. Things got "DONE" in spite of his leadership there, not because of it.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Neighborhood councils are political ant traps. They are a way to attract and distract politically active people, so they won't focus their attention on the actual center of power: City Council and the Mayor's office.
By encouraging people who care about the city to spend their time on endless meetings about small things in their neighborhood, the City Council and Mayor keep them away from City Hall shenanigans.
Walter u md sense.
Under Lisa's watch
Do u know hw mny members have been fired, resigned, terminated, or other?
The neighborhood councils are a bunch of banana republics. Hardly anyone votes and one needs only to be resident and not citizen or taxpayer.
If one can win a seat on the Arroyo Seco with as little as 87 votes. El Sereno (LA32 neighborhood council)is a joke.
Marcos Aguilar has strong influence on some members and trying to get free or cheap land for his next school. If he can't get part of DEBS Park, then threre is always City Redevelopment Property on a adjacent hill, or putting the squeeze on the owner of Elephant Hill for a piece of the his land with the threat of emminent domain.
El Sereno while in Huizar district is heavily influenced by Reyes who chairs the commitee for the City park and city after school centers. Maybe the community councils were intended to stop pay and play, but it one only needs support of few hundred or so votes in neighborhoods wherever they be Hermon, Lincoln Park, El Sereno, Mt. Washington - to exert an disproportionate amount of influence.
This Balkanization of local power to putative residents not necessarily citizens only dilutes the value of owning property and paying the bulk the taxes by real estate assessments.
If one can win a seat on the Arroyo Seco with as little as 87 votes. El Sereno (LA32 neighborhood council)is a joke.
87 VOTES AND IN THEY GO.
LA32 CAN'T GET 6 STAKEHOLDERS TO ATTEND AND WATCH MEETING. WHO VOTES MEMBERS IN?
Lisa Sarno Unfortunately is a leftover from Mike Roos, Jackie Goldberg, Dodgers etc...How she ended up in ELA Eagle Rock with the Mayor is beyond me. She was never a person friendly person unless you did what she wanted you to do. This leads me to believe that NC's are dead as they exist today. Maybe that is what the Mayor wants, however, there are more competent strategist in his administration to take this on.
If MAV truly wants to kill the NCs, Sarno is the "hitter" for that job.
Sho nuff...
7:13
The original "dare" was for someone to show proof of Sarno's COMPETENCE.
You've now apparently accepted the dare, and offered this as your response?
"I'd like someone to show proof of her incompetence"
No fair, I asked first. Your's is a dodge.
Now begin. . . Take as long as you need. I'll check back in another 24 months.
GOD, if 8:40 p.m. isn't that crackpot Lewis Wong -- with his 55 rambling, unintelligible e-mails a day to everyone above the rank of security guard at City Hall -- then I'll eat my keyboard.
Kicked off one NC, cheated to get into another one, and defeated 3-4 times for board seats.
Every 3rd word he types about NCs is "balkanization"... here's a clue, Lew -- most people under 40 don't KNOW what that reference means. It's a Cold War hangover.
9:08
Have you seen how many regular citizens (not staff, not people getting parchments) typically attend City Council meeting?
Six is pretty good most days of the week. People elect others to represent them. They don't all feel they need to look over their shoulder to do that.
Are the Balkans even balkanized anymore?
I know most Vulcans aren't really vulcanized. And it's probably considered assault to try and martinize a guy named Martin.
City can't take property through eminent domain for a charter school, even with recent Supreme Court rulings.
That's BS.
Well, LAUSD can take property by eminent domain for a charter school.
The city isn't in charge of the school district.
The mayor just wants to be. Unfortunately, he has a big city to take care of. He should prove he can handle that before he tries to take over something else.
Silly rabbit..
When people from the valley, westside and South LA all bash Lisa Sarno as a negative with NC's there's a big problem. Woodland Hills wanted to have their elections this month. Just because they had a minor glitch on their paid advertisements that other NC's have had and still been allowed to proceed Lisa stopped them. When Lisa went before city council in a subtle way members asked her why she was being so stubborn? She didn't know how to answer questions, she was arrogant and very condensending to the members. Let's see when they call her name at the Congress tomorrow if they boo or clap for her.
How much does Lisa Sarno get paid?
If you don't clap for Lisa Sarno tomorrow at the Congress purely out of respect for her position if you hate her so much, then you suck so bad that you have no reason being involved in neighborhood councils, much less any kind of politics.
We don't need yer kind in NC's.
We need all kinds in NCs. That's been the problem.
So far, most of the "leaders" have been the same 10-12 panting toadie followers of one seated politician or another. Afraid to criticize their own elected leaders and force them to perform.
Defensive of them, when they're obviouly wrong on some issue -- or just plain wrong for the job (case in point).
Lisa Sarno begins and ends her interactions with the public with arrogance and a desire to control them, more tha listen to them. Her people skills are virtually non-existent. She laces through the middle of all dealings a vindictiveness that is intended to intimidate the people who pay her salary.
Her interactions with City Council show that it's a massively flawed character trait that she can't even control.
She kept CD14 people from ready access to then CM Villaraigosa, and held up progress on countless projects that could have been low-cost slam dunks -- for no other apparent reason than that they were not "her idea" or a product of her bosses' short reign there.
We don't "show respect" for positions in this country. We don't dip the flag to visiting kings who inherited their position. Same goes for "interim appointees".
One of Greg Nelson's mantras to NCs is even more apt for Sarno. You "earn" respect; it doesn't come with the position.
Sarno gives no respect to volunteers attempting to change their communities for the better; she earns none by her incompetence.
We keep the good fish and throw out the bad ones.
Lisa's a bad one.
(No "disrespect" intended, Lord Mayor)
Antonio Villaraigos from hence is now to be referred as Lord Mayor.
Lisa new name "Huntchback of Notre Dame"
I like it, but I'd punctuate it a bit different:
LORD, mayor... (what HAVE you gone and done now).
Maybe considering how seldom he's in town, that should be "Lost Mayor"?
June 15, 2006 9:08 PM
It amazing even 6 stakeholders show up for a 6 PM monthly meeting - a meeting time established to avoid larger public participation who don't get home until later or trying to have dinner with the family.
Its hard to find parking anytime around El Sereno community center, much less there is strong tendency to conduct the meeting in Spanish which further stifles broader community involvement. LA32 board meetings are a farce.
LA32 meetings are not held at the "community center" so maybe you're thinking of another NC.
Or maybe you just don't know what you're talking about in general (my guess)
When Huizar held his first meet-and-greet at the same place where the NC does meet (ES Senior Center) people found parking for 80-100 cars in and around the location, so that's not really an issue.
(Again, maybe you just don't know what you're talking about -- still my guess)
I've been to this NC's meetings many times -- the audience was typically 50 people. Once, more than 100 attended.)
(Once again, maybe you just don't know what you're talking about -- not really a "guess" anymore).
Meetings were always held in English, with headsets provided to hear Spanish translation.
(You just don't know what you're talking about -- I'm certain now).
It looks like the "farce" was 12:25.
I've been to this NC's meetings many times -- the audience was typically 50 people. Once, more than 100 attended.)
Nope! 6 attendees at best. The 50 people are Marcos Aguilar staff & parents at meeting typically 10 minutes. Agenda item handled, clan leaves. Who's left?
1:05 p.m.
What was I thinking, believing my OWN eyes, when I should have been listening to your apprraisal.
DOH!
If no one votes in that community, and no one attends NC meetings, then it should be a piece of cake for you (who obviously hate this school and the principal), to get up enough support and other candidiates in the community to take over ALL the board seats at the next election (you only need 100 friends and relatives, right?) and to overturn ALL of the NC support on record for Academia Semillas, and go on record as the NEW board in saying that the school is "bad."
Unless you're lying, and the NC is already representative of the community and of its support for the school, and your view is the one lacking support.
One way to tell. . .
See you at the next election. Simply majority wins.
1:05 You moron. Last month we had 500 people show up.
Name elected board members who support Academia school!
Why, you got another BOMB threat to phone into their homes and businesses?
RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!
(But NC President Hugo Garcia IS the main cheerleader for the school on the board.)
Greg Nelson is responsible for developing a system that departmentalizes democracy. The Neighborhood Council System denies’s basic Civil Rights Protection to the Resident Citizens of this City.
The 912 Commission should look into:
1. Why roving numbers of so-call stakeholders can vote in different neighborhood council elections.
2. Why youths who are less than voting age can vote, why there is no system to keep felons and other law breakers from voting in Neighborhood Council Elections.
3. Why people living in Pasadena, Glendale and cities outside of Los Angeles can sit on Plan and Land Use committees of the Neighborhood Councils. And
4. Why non-citizen non-residents can receive city funds for such ridiculous things as tying ribbons on city trees and be paid $1,500.00 when it was suppose to be a volunteer effort.
5. Why the Brown Act is constantly being violated with budgets being decided where only the treasurer and acting president get written information.
6. Why the entire system is inconsistent from one neighborhood to another. Where is the equal rights protection.
The Citizens (I mean resident legally documented citizens of the United States) should tell our Politicians its high time they recognize that it’s a privilege to vote not a right, to be abused by bureaucratic nit-wits.
Greg Nelson has developed one of the most politically corrupt systems and we the citizens of the Great City of Los Angeles must make sure that it gets back to representing us the legitimate taxpaying public.
Nighty-nite, Lewis W.
We've heard it all before. Sorry Mr. Nelson hurt your feelings by not sticking up for you when another HP board member bitch-slapped you.
Hey, it's a tough neighborhood.
Reverse Psychology 7:09
Hey 9:08 - What are you complaining about? In the last election for the Del Rey NC, several candidates were elected with less than 10 votes! One guy walked in to vote and found no one running in his district, so he nominated himself and voted for himself and won the seat on the basis of his one vote!
Now we give these people $50,000 and they have Villaraigosa and Rosendahl come to their meeting. What a crock. They act like they speak for the community when they don't in fact even represent as many people as sit outside at Starbucks having coffee.
Does DONE do anything to consider whether this NC is worthy of staying chartered? Of course not - way too logical, plus they are too busy screwing up the legitimate elections of 38 other NC's!
It is incredible that people actually think that having Greg Nelson leave the DONE was a sad moment. Why do you think the DONE is in the shape that it is? Why do you think there are so many dysfunctional and non-functioning (LA32NC – I’ll get back to this issue later!) neighborhood councils? What was Greg motto? “happy, happy, happy campers” – except that he forgot that the City of Los Angeles is composed of more than just the Valley folks. He and Mr. President Christopher forgot that there is a South L.A., East L.A. and only sometimes remember there is a Central L.A (Christopher’s NC area). Greg’s idea of meeting the needs of these areas was to have “project coordinators that reflected the community” and meeting with the “commissioners” that looked like they were sympathetic to those communities. And of course the big “happy, happy, happy campers” motto was to keep Hahn (Jim) in office and by not letting the secession movement win. Never did he acknowledge that other areas other than the valley would ever get their act together and do something for their communities and never intended to help them through the process. He always referred to them as those “dysfunctional” communities and his biggest contribution was to leave them alone.
I am glad that he is gone. Maybe now the department will not suffer from his ADD and stop acting like an ADD department. It is too bad that so many great people in this department slowly moved on to something else – not necessarily better but at least free of Greg and his unfocused, unstructured, knee-jerking, fire-starter, putting-out fires (that he started!), butt-kissing, undermining (of his own department and staff’s recommendations, work and knowledge of the community) and his very successful manipulation of the Commission (specially since most of them did not have a backbone!). Ding, dong, the evil is gone!!!!
Now, Mr. President Garcia, LA32 NC, do not dilute yourself and think that 5 people in the audience at your last general meeting lacking quorum (two meetings in a row now!) represented 50 members. It is ludicrous and insulting to have driven not only good people on your board away but also community members who had the best intentions to support you when you decided to go after the last loser (Acosta) and lying to all of us that you were the best thing “since sliced bread”. And by the way, your “Social Justice Committee”, which you run because its chair is never there and you knew that was going to happen, is just a way to continue your MEChA ways; funny, you were a nobody in college and like Marlon Brando said “I (you) could have been somebody; I (you) should have been somebody!” it never happened with you - guess old habits die hard!
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