Whistleblower hotline: (213) 785-6098
mayorsam@mayorsam.org

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Wednesday Hotsheet: Code Blues

Issue 1: Code Enforcement
The Daily News has an article on how a "San Fernando Valley contractor has shaken Sun Valley for 13 months with what city officials say is an illegal mining operation used to excavate, crush, sort and sell rock." In other words, FOR OVER A YEAR, this guy was operating a "D-9 Caterpillar and diesel rock-crusher . . . in a crater next to" the homes of L.A. residents. The paper reports that "city officials said the contractor dug a 15-foot crater to excavate river rock with a series of belching Caterpillars, crushers, sorters and heavy trucks." Why did it take so very long to shut this down?

Issue 2: Code Enforcement - The Sequel

The City of L.A. now refuses to enforce its own sign ordinances. Want to put up a sign in your yard offering to sell Tarot Card readings? No problem! The City has gone absolutely gutless, and will not lift a finger, saying that the First Amendment allows people to put up whatever signs they want. This is wrong -- courts have always upheld reasonable restrictions on time, place and manner, especially with regard to commercial speech -- and is a cop-out. Perhaps it's time for a City Attorney willing to spend less time campaigning and more time litigating?

Issue 3: Code Enforcement - What City Council Is Doing Instead

Rather than ensuring that our absentee Mayor enforces the City's laws, City Council Members are pretending that they, too, are needed in Sacramento. So, reports the Daily News, "the Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday backed state legislation that would require motorists to use hands-free cell phones." Excuse me, fellahs, but instead of passing meaningless resolutions on bills before other governmental bodies, could you instead please take a few minutes to run our City? You know, the City that pays your salary?

Issue 4: Gita-Gate?
The San Jose Mercury News reports, "Federal authorities should investigate the treatment and death of a 48-year-old Asian elephant at the Los Angeles Zoo, animal rights activists said Tuesday." A group called "In Defense of Animals" wants the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate, saying they believe the zoo violated the Animal Welfare Act.

Issue 5: Real Estate Watch . . .

The L.A. Times reports, "Southern California home sales declined to their lowest point in seven years in May, while the median home price was virtually flat for the third month in a row, data released today showed." Prices are always "sticky downwards," as you'll recall from Econ 101. However, excess supply means actual prices -- as opposed to asking prices -- will flatten if not fall. So don't count on a continued massive growth in property tax revenues to bail out the big spenders at City Hall and in Sacramento.

Issue 6: The Photo

It's actually an Indonesian coal mine, not the one in Sun Valley. Think of it as an "artist's conception."

9 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Elephant die? Where's insane Mayor Danielle and her lies, lies, lies, lies, liles, liles, lies, lies, liles, lies, lies, liles, lies, lies, liles, lies, lies, liles, fibs, falsehoods, prevarications, half-truths, disemblings, little white lies, oh you get the idea.
Who cares, maybe I'm the psycho?

June 20, 2006 10:39 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Issue 1-5 Villaraigosa approved.

June 20, 2006 10:48 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Walter, 2 things.

1- THANK YOU for not another illegal immigration rant. BUT

2- Can you PLEASE cut the posts down to 1 per day? MY GOD you just go on and on and on and bury good posts. MayorSam is hard to keep up with now because of all your damn posts.

Ya know, just because the sun comes up doesn't mean you MUST post 300 more rants today?!?!

June 21, 2006 6:03 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Wonder how the Democrats in Sacramento feel knowing that Antonio is spending more and more time with Arnold. They had lunch yesterday and now Antonio is kissing ass to the GOP to get their support for LAUSD takeover. Antonio is acting more like a Republican these days and I'm sure it has to be pissing people off.

June 21, 2006 6:29 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Attention Sr. Antonio Villar
Contact Los Angeles County Office & Change Party

June 21, 2006 7:54 AM  

Blogger Walter Moore said:

To Anon 6:03 a.m.:
Three things:
1. If you don't like it, don't read it.
2. This posting was at Mayor Sam's request.
3. Don't hate. Appreciate.

June 21, 2006 5:36 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Regarding real estate tax revenue: If prices remain steady, real estate tax revenue will still increase, albeit slowly.

Homeowners currently pay taxes based on the value when they bought their house, plus 2% a year. That assessed value is often far below current property values.

When they sell, the new buyers will pay taxes based on a far higher value, and tax revenue will still grow, even with currently values remaining flat.

Real estate values will likely have to drop 10-15% or more for property tax revenue to actually drop.

This would occur partly because if actual value drops below assessed value, owners can get their properties reassessed to a lower value and pay lower taxes, if they bought at or near the peak value.

It will probably take that much of a drop in values, combined with the few new sales that are below the last previous sale, for enough people to bother lowering their bills, to cause a drop in tax revenue.

An economist would be able to give a better estimate than little old me.

June 21, 2006 7:37 PM  

Blogger Walter Moore said:

Exactly, and that is why I said, "So don't count on a continued massive growth in property tax revenues. . . ."

June 22, 2006 7:21 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Insane Danielle started her own blog and won't allow any responses.

June 24, 2006 8:53 PM  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home

Advertisement

Advertisement