City Council's Latest Lawsuit Settlement: $92.7 Million
It's a dispute over property in the port of Los Angeles.
The City is:
1. Giving up the City's claim for $46 million in unpaid rent.
2. Giving up its stake in the operation, for which it paid $19 million.
3. Paying $27.7 million of your money to the plaintiff.
Total: $46 million + $19 million + $27.7 million = $92.7 million.
Can you say "signs of massive mismanagement?"
Maybe the Clowncil Diplomats should focus on avoiding fiascos like this instead of passing U.N. resolutions like the "Declaration of Los Angeles." Just a thought.
P.S. "The claims filed against the city alleged that [Councilwoman Janice] Hahn led efforts to close the terminal and block alternative proposals while receiving $8,000 in political contributions from executives and advisors of a firm that operated a competing terminal."
Lawsuit: http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/articles/4913581.html?showAll=y&c=y
and http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-settle14dec14,0,973784.story?coll=la-home-headlines
Declaration of L.A.: http://clkrep.lacity.org/councilfiles/06-0002-s82_reso.pdf
The City is:
1. Giving up the City's claim for $46 million in unpaid rent.
2. Giving up its stake in the operation, for which it paid $19 million.
3. Paying $27.7 million of your money to the plaintiff.
Total: $46 million + $19 million + $27.7 million = $92.7 million.
Can you say "signs of massive mismanagement?"
Maybe the Clowncil Diplomats should focus on avoiding fiascos like this instead of passing U.N. resolutions like the "Declaration of Los Angeles." Just a thought.
P.S. "The claims filed against the city alleged that [Councilwoman Janice] Hahn led efforts to close the terminal and block alternative proposals while receiving $8,000 in political contributions from executives and advisors of a firm that operated a competing terminal."
Lawsuit: http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/articles/4913581.html?showAll=y&c=y
and http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-settle14dec14,0,973784.story?coll=la-home-headlines
Declaration of L.A.: http://clkrep.lacity.org/councilfiles/06-0002-s82_reso.pdf
Posted by Walter Moore @ 12/14/2006 08:50:00 AM
41 Comments:
Why the hell aren't US attorneys investigation Los Angeles City Council Members?
Esplaino disso
Walter,
good morning to you. Your favorite morning talk show host went off on Dennis Zine over this STUPID "Declaration of Los Angeles". Doug was livid. He press Zine to come up with one example of Human Rights violations committed by the Minuteman, guess what?, Dennis couldn't state one.
TWO MUST READ ARTICLES
"BROKEN BRIDGES"
How CDD payed out grant money to "EX ?" gangbanger with ties to the Mexican Mafia, for anti-gang program.
"PULLING A HUIZAR"
For us political junkies in CD 14, The "Z MAN" has article on our upcoming political jihad.
**Note that both of these articles are in this week's LA WEEKLY, not the "LA ANTONIA TIMES".
"RED SPOT OF REASON IN CD 14"
P.S. "GREEN SHEET" has article on LATINO GANGS targeting Blacks in the San Fernando Valley. Wonder if the "CLOWNCIL" will protect the "Human Rights" of these Illegals
Suggestion
Ask to meet with CD 14 candidates and compare.
9:27
I have met Alvin and Jose. Now I long for the days of Art Snyder. Snyder had his "IN" box and "OUT" box. things got taken care of. Just had to watch out for snyder behind the wheel
School Project
I surveyed 100 people. Who wins your vote?
Huizar -- Alvin -- Other
Complaints-
No serious accomplishments
What has he done for us?
I don't trust a guy who runs against boss
I don't like the guy who's in office
Rents are too high
We need after school programs
Crazy people moving in the area
Where is affordable housing?
Cars go to fast in our neighborhood and no stop lights
I don't care
Politicians are all crooks I don't believe them
I went to Huizar's office and i was ignored
Why did the he quit?
Praises
He's a good guy.
The streets look better.
I like both
Who are they?
"Homer Simpson of L.A. Politics Seemed to Be After the Doh!
Let's be honest, men. At times, there are things you simply don't want your wife to know about. Problem is, she always finds out,
and you always end up in the doghouse. Am I right, or am I right?
Just take the case of Alvin Parra, a political operative who works for Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina.
Parra went behind the back of his wife,Nellie Rios-Parra, and drafted a plan to get her elected to the Los Angeles school board.
Good intentions.Dumb move.
Someone leaked Parra's harebrained scheme to The Times -- a scheme that proposed hitting up the city's biggest powerbrokers for millions of dollars -- and now the thing has blown up in his face.
Rios-Parra wept when she heard what her lesser half had done. The next day, she dismissed his plan as "ridiculous." We never learn, do we? Even when we're trying to do something nice, we manage to
mess it up in ways we never imagined. I rang Parra's office to find out if he's sleeping on
the couch, but he didn't return my calls.
Three-to-one his wife took away his phone privileges.Here's what the poor fool did: On Nov. 1, Parra read a Times story alleging that Eli Broad, with a little help from his friend Dick Riordan, was offering a $10-million-plus package to Occidental College if its president ran against an L.A. Unified school board member who refuses to be their lapdog.
A light bulb went on. If Broad and Riordan were throwing money around, Parra figured, why not get in on the action? I must admit I had the same idea. If these guys want to buy what little they don't already own, I'm still ready to offer my services. The day Parra wrote his memo, I wrote a column telling the Big Boys that if they needed another yes man on the school board, I'd be their dummy for a mere $3 million.
Parra, the rat, undercut me by $1 million. He said Broad and Riordan's political action committee should go ahead and give a few million to Occidental to make it look like they intended to all along, and then give $2 million to his wife's school district, Lennox.
That way, Rios-Parra's superintendent would be happy to pay her full salary -- she's director of the district's preschool program --even after she went part time so she could work on the L.A. school board.
"Nellie gets its [sic] all and there is no loss [sic] $," Parra wrote in a memo to his wife's campaign manager.
Nice to know that Molina hires only the best and the brightest.
Parra also suggested tapping the Big Boys for a cool $400,000 to
finance his wife's campaign, and "we control the expenses."
(Note to hacks everywhere: If you're going to play ball, play
hardball. Start at no less than a you write yourself into the deal as a consultant.)
Parra offered an explanation that Broad and Riordan's Coalition
for Kids might use to say why it suddenly decided to back his
wife:
"In any public comment, they need to say something like ... 'Nellie
was not our first choice, but now that she is looking at this race,
she clearly is the best candidate.... ' "
Clever, huh?
And what was he thinking when he wrote:
"Nellie doesn't know about this."
The minute he put those words on paper, Parra was a condemned
man. Rios-Parra was, of course, destined to know about it. She
would see it in his eyes, sniff it out, then let him have it.
They always find out.
"I had no idea that Alvin wrote this memo, and strongly oppose
everything contained in it," Rios-Parra said Tuesday in a prepared
statement that was accompanied by an apology from her husband.
"The demands and conditions contained in it are ridiculous," she went on.
Amen, sister.
Parra says he reconsidered his own scheme and never sent the
memo to anyone; all sides are saying they never saw it.
Doesn't matter. Parra has single-handedly managed to raise suspicions about his
own wife. And it doesn't help that Broad and Riordan's coalition --
which is dying to unseat David Tokofsky -- has shoveled $121,000 into Rios-Parra's campaign.
In the end, Parra couldn't have done Tokofsky a bigger favor. How can we think of Rios-Parra as anything but Broad and Riordan's stooge, thanks to her husband?
He'd be lucky to get the couch at this point.
But the deadliest flaw in Parra's get-rich-quick scheme was that even if it worked, he was going to end up sounding like one of the
Chipmunks when his wife got through with him. If she hasn't already, she'll hit him where it hurts and ask the following question:
Did he think so little of her that he believed she couldn't win without his help?
For men who are wondering, there is only one way to respond to the question.
You hang your head, you cower, you weep. Wet your pants if you have to. But you never, ever, under any circumstances, try to explain.
You'll only make it worse.
Steve Lopez
Steve Lopez Story on Alvin Parra
Link:
http://home.earthlink.net/~rguevara/lopez-home2-26.htm
we need to demand that they enact an ordinance that no city employee can divert their attention to campaigning for higher or other office, until their elected term is done and completed. Padilla, Villaraigosa, Delgadillo are all prime examples of elected officials deserting their elected duty to chase higher political goals.
padilla and villar successfully so.
constituents are being cheated, but its going on all day long. this musical chair merry go round of state, mayoral, council, attorney, commissioner appointments etc etc.
the contempt for the people is blatantly obvious. am I alone in this thought. anyone? plz explain....
Huizar Weasels
The board put on a show yesterday that must have Gloria Romero and Robert Hertzberg delighted. Julie Korenstein asked LAUSD attorneys about Tokofsky's obvious conflict of interest as a Greendot employee and school board member. Tokofsky had just asked that more bond money be earmarked in the bond isssue for charter schools. As the attorneys waffled, Tokofsky told Korenstein, "You sound like my four-year-old daughter." Tokofsky quickly apologized and corrected himslelf, "No, I'm sorry, you sound like my six-year-old daughter." I'm not sure who should be more offended Korenstein or his whatever-year-old daughter. I was glad to see the conflict of interest finally get some light, but the exchange and what followed strengthens the arguments of the city takeover camp.
As they were starting to vote on whether or not to put a bond on the ballot, Korenstein abruptly walks out and Huizar, who never met a bond he didn't like until he decided to run for city council, weasels out of the meeting shouting "pass" when his name is called. Apparently, he was in a rush to go to a fund raiser for his council race. Somebody please tell him that he doesn't need to sell his soul; he's going to lose to Nick Pacheco anyway. They, again, had to postpone the vote on this critical issue that they've been discussing for months.
Don't you remember White Daddy Parke Skelton won't let Huizar buy Signs. He despises them, that must have been the following sign I wrote:
"CD 14 MOST WANTED"
JOSE HUIZAR
CORRUPTION TEAM
"Villaraigosa's campaign consultant Parke Skelton said, "There is nothing illegal about taking contributions from any of these people."
Jack Weiss has his head so far up Antonio's ass I am surprised he can breathe. I know alot of Jack's friends from the past and they think he's a jerk too. His former US Atty workmates just laugh at what a grandstander he is and do nothing. People are already talking in the CA office that they will retire or flat out leave if he makes it.
Hi kids. I know that some people have said on this blog that all I have done since becoming mayor of this great city is to make appearances at various conventions, parades and high-profile national meetings. In response to these accusations, I would like to point out that I also had several potholes in this great city filled, and I am excited about future pothole-filling activities that I plan to engage in.
Looking forward to your continued support,
Antoonio R. Villaraigoosa
If you want to point out abuse of the special event waivers let's look at Jose Huizar.
Fiesta Broadway, sponsored by All Access Entertainment, Inc. and McDonalds in cooperation with the City of Los Angeles, is one of the most successful outdoor entertainment events in the City.
ITEM NO. (30) - 03-0566 (CD1,CD9,CD14) Motion (Huizar - Reyes) relative to declaring Fiesta Broadway on April 30, 2006 a Special Event (estimated cost of the event $209,951of which fees and costs absorbed by the City
WITH CORPORATE SPONSORS WHY THE HELL ARE TAXPAYERS FOOTING THE BILL FOR THEIR PERMITS??????
In a bold bid to brand Los Angeles as a world-class live entertainment center, the owner of Staples Center detailed plans Tuesday for a $1 billion, 5.5 million-square-foot sports-entertainment-residential complex that would be one of the largest developments in downtown history.
The hotel has become controversial since developers Apollo Real Estate and Wolff Urban Development entered into a proposed deal with the city that includes a $16 million loan from the Community Redevelopment Agency, $4 million in fee waivers and the forfeiting of nearly a quarter-billion dollars in room taxes the hotel is projected to generate over 25 years.
By Beth Barrett
Staff Writer
..... and running away from a question at Cypress Park, POLLORAIGOSA
This is nothing new in El Sereno. Same corruption, different names. Remember when Richard Alatorre's wife conned the El Sereno Youth Development Corporation for hundreds of thousands of dollars through her Eventfully Yours catering business. It looks as if Alvin Parra has learned well from the corrupt politicians that preceded him. By the way, Alatorre's sister worked for Antonio Villaraigosa when he was a councilman. The same sister that served as Alatorre's treasurer and was responsible for the largest ehtics fine at the time - that is before Padilla took that distinction.
And whats with charging to get into a carnival that is being held on a public street! This isn't a community of limtless resources. San Gabriel and Alhambra - two very more affluent communities than El Sereno, don't charge admission for their fairs! This fair was held in front of a Food4Less - shouldn't that be a clue as to the economic standing of this community.
But just like the backroom, cigar chomping Mexican politicians of the past - these greedy bastards are only looking out for themselves. Where is Laura Chick on all this?
How many festivals have I paid for?
www.lacity.org/cad/
Yours truly,
Extremely PISSED OFF taxpayer
This is an excess amount of corrupt kick backs offered to developers. Why do poor or less than middle class have to pay for buildings, hotels, and luxury shops they can't afford to use. Do you think the developer will cater to the average L.A. taxpayer? That's right! Developer is high end dollar investment and kick back grants from the city.
An independent agency is necessary to investigate abuse of taxpayer money.
10:44 Do you remember?
“This year, I proposed [an education] budget of 1.3 billion dollars more than the year before,” responds Villaraigosa. “I am the product of public schools. I advocate for investing in public universities. I know that, for our community, we need to focus on schools that have low performance. People are not excelling. There has been a lot of disinvesting in public education,” adds Villaraigosa, who attended Cathedral High School in Los Angeles, where he had to help with cleaning to pay his tuition. He later attended UCLA and the People’s College of Law in Los Angeles, where he obtained his law degree. Villaraigosa is proud of the $9.2 billion school bond approved by this year’s legislature session, the largest in state history.
Crossover Latinos
"Dime con quien andas y te diré quien eres. “Tell me who you hang out with, and I will tell you who you really are,” goes a popular saying in Spanish. This is what Villaraigosa told the crowd at the Salinas fundraiser. He comes from a breed of Latino elected officials who are able to represent the growing number of Latinos in California as well as the population at large. With agendas that include education, safety and civil rights, the new Californios are elected by Latinos and by non-Latinos alike. Call it facing reality: they have to rely on non-Latino votes if they have high aspirations - and politicians generally do have big ambitions.
There is Cruz Bustamante, the Lieutenant Governor-elect. “I’ll let you in on a secret. Trying to have a decent place to live, good jobs, and decent schools for their kids — that is the Latino agenda,” says Bustamante. “The Golden State is at a crossroads,” adds state senator Joe Baca. “It has a great opportunity to tap its intellectual, financial and cultural resources to move successfully into the twenty-first century.”
In this $92.7 million case, the City was represented by outside counsel, Nossaman Guthner Knox & Elliott. I guess that when you pay hour attorneys an hourly fee, you tend to accept their recommendations for settlement, even the expensive recommendations.
“I do not subscribe to the idea that we are any different than anyone else,” Villaraigosa says. “Coalition building has always been part of who I am politically. The other thing is that when you get elected Speaker you no longer represent just your district or your ethnic group or other Democrats. I am Speaker of the whole Assembly, including Republicans,” he recently told a reporter.
WHHHHAAAATTTT?
Can we draft a bill?
Bill: People are not allowed to sue the city.
You win a fee waiver from Jose Huizar & a hot night w/promoter's psycho slut.
Night?
Are you insane? Don't ever do anything with that bitch after dark! They have 72-hour hold forms at the local nuthouse PRE-printed with her name on them (in pads of 100 sheets each).
I think the neighborhood council pays for them.
The topic ruffled some feathers and psycho sluts boyfriend is mad. This argument can be remedied by attending City Council meeting on Tuesday.
Why abuse the poor neighborhood of El Sereno. Don't they have enough problems of their own. Take your over priced festivals to Pacific Palisades.
Sugar Coated comment is desperate attempt to cover up his 2nd set of bookeeping logs. Jabba the Hut, how far will you go with this defense?
Stop talking about Dora Garcia. Just because all of the Mayor's office hates her does not mean you should talk about her. Question: how did she get that job?
Who cares. She needs to get fired if not for being a bitch, but for sleeping around in the back seat or cars.
If I smile real good and pretend to he lat-TEE-no, can I get a waiver and a crack at some fine Latin J-Lo type booty?
Watch Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBIqMD0Hc2c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wNpZEXPwqA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_gVa-b6rHI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58ZSsYpIJ_M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSc5t8CPYLA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdvhUQqXxcg
Parke is gorgeous! I'd do him. I'm in love with Fabian Nunez.
xxooxxooxxxoxoxXOxo
Alex
The no accountability LA City CLowncil and governance. At least it was a joy to hear Doug McIntyre this morning make Dennis Zine squirm and sound like a total fool for supporting ridiculous resolutions like the "Declaration of Los Angeles" while Latino gangbangers are destroying his district.
Great job by the Catorce C&P crew this morning. Alvin doesn't even have a website or a phone number out.
10:36, festivals are a drop in the bucket. They are one of the cheapest ways to offer cultural programming, which a City really must do to call itself a City.
Look at your basic $25K festival---you can have 80 Neighborhood festivals, or 5 in every district, for every $2MM you save on settlements.
ZUMA POSTED 9/10/2006
HERE'S THE FLYER. REALLY SORRY I MISSED IT...LOOKED LIKE FUN:
Councilmember of the 14th District Jose Huizar
The Greater El Sereno Chamber of Commerce
Presents the 2nd Annual - LABOR DAY WEEKEND!
El Sereno Street Fair Concert and Carnival
Saturday - Monday, September 2nd - 4th 2006
FLASH BACK TO THE 1970s
This exciting three day celebration takes place in the heart of El Sereno The Gateway to the City of Angels - On Huntington Drive between Eastern Avenue & Pueblo Street
* DISCOUNT PRE-SALE CARNIVAL TICKETS AVAILABLE
* VENDOR & SPONSOR OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE!!!
Attention community organizations, agencies, churches and schools. Last years event drew 20,000, plus. Visitors don't miss this FANTASTIC fundraising opportunities! (Yes, poor grammer.)
For more information contact: Mission Accomplished Events
BUT WHERE DOES ALL THE MONEY GO, Y'ALL. AND WHY DOES THE CITY CONSTANTLY REIMBURSE COMMERCIAL, "FOR-PROFIT" ORGANIZATIONS WITH MONEY THAT IS SUPPOSED TO GO TO ACTUAL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN THE CITY? (I don't know. Maybe for the same reason City Council has to spend HUGE City money to defend their own "term extention/pension guarantee" ballot initiative in November.)
Oh...lots more on this one. See you Tuesday! And buy a $1 incense at Venice Beach.
At September 10, 2006 7:50 AM, Walter Moore said...
Sounds like you hit the proverbial nail on the head. If this isn't a quid pro quo -- political advertising in exchange for a fee waiver -- then why in the world would anyone put, as the first line of a promotional flyer: "Councilmember of the 14th District Jose Huizar"?
Look at the flyers in the newspaper today for Macy's, Pep Boys, whatever. None of them will start with, or ever mention, the name of politicians for the districts in which the stores are located.
Nice catch, Zuma Dogg!
Festival de la gente on OCtober 28th is also going to get a fee waiver with over 75000 people showing up and big corporate sponsors and also with a big Jose Huizar on their poster on their website.
www.festivaldelagente.com
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
MISSIONTORPEDOED.COM
What happened to the intelligent people who use to post? I can't believe no one in this city is screaming loudly about the inept city council members we have. And to think they will get a pass to stay longer. Everyone cross your fingers for tomorrow's court hearing on Prop R. LA Weekly does an amazing job stating how city council members have given away over $100 million in gang programs that not only don't work, they are run by gang members. Laura Chick N Shit should do her damn job and AUDIT ALL THESE NON PROFITS. And our idiot Mayor should be ashamed of himself that this is happening right during his watch. Why the hell hasn't he made a statement?
We're throwing away millions into gang prevention that is futile and only lines the pockets of gang members and their families. Tony Cardenas is chairman of the City gang committee. That says it all.
The taxpayers are willing to give him a raise, though.
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