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Thursday, November 30, 2006

Porn Stars and Woodsheds

You may not know the name Charles Peyton, but you may be familiar with his "business" name: Jeff Stryker the former well-endowed porn star who - among other things - is known for selling a dildo made from a cast of his own hoo-ha.

Peyton is on a one man crusade to shut down a local NoHo BoHo art venue that he feels is violating a number of zoning laws. Depending on who you ask, Peyton is upset at the venue because they threw him out for being drunk. The venue's supporters say that Peyton has allegedely done all kinds of crazy things like urinating on the owner's car and putting feces in their mailbox. On Peyton's side, he's accused patrons of the venue of smoking pot in the alley behind the building, littering and other not so neighborly things.

Whatever Peyton has done or not done, there are some questions to be considered about the venue. Apparently the owner allegedly chose not to follow the usual steps of getting a business license, food permits, etc. and claimed he was running the place as a non-profit and people could choose to donate for cover charges, snacks, drinks, etc. When the heat was on (apparently from Peyton) Councilmember Wendy Greuel arranged for a local, legal non-profit organization to "umbrella" the venue.

This reminds me of a similar music venue in NoHo that was selling wine without a license. They claimed they were a private club and that donations were being made to the venue - the wine was free. Local police didn't buy it and the place was shut down.

Other questions include if the small location within a retail building is quite right for this venue, if there is enough parking, etc.

Though the venue has numerous supporters who are quite vocal and emotional, it doesn't make it right for the operator to skirt the law. Numerous other businesses and non-profit arts venues in Los Angeles do things the right way and are good neighbors. Its not fair to them to excuse one who does not.

You may not like Peyton, his former profession or his alleged antics. But he does have a point.

Blogomercial: Pay Per Post

Imagine if your every word could make you money. That's the great thing about a happening site on the web called Pay Per Post. Yes, we like cash! So should you! By telling you how great Pay Per Post is, they're paying me. If you're a blogger, you should check it out yourself.

Pay Per Post will pay you to review products, services or even chat about the latest and greatest thing out there.

Maybe you want to pay bloggers to write about you? Pay Per Post is great for that too. And to top it off the folks at Pay Per Post believe in transparency so they've created DisclosurePolicy.org which helps bloggers develop their own disclosure policies.

Pay Per Post helps bloggers earn a few pesos so we can keep bringing you the content you like best. And so you continue to get it for free. How cool is that?

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Now back to our program...

Where's Rocky?

While the City Council pondered the $2.7 million tentative settlement with dog food guy, where do you suppose the City Attorney was? And now that they've rejected the proposed deal, and the case is headed for trial, where do you suppose he is?

If you were from any other City, your answers would be: i) in Council Chambers, explaining the pros and cons of the settlement; and ii) back in his office, preparing this high-profile case for trial.

But since you're from L.A., it will come as no suprise to learn, as reported by John and Ken this afternoon, that Rocky Delgadillo is (insert drum roll) . . . in MEXICO taking SPANISH lessons!

And that, my friends, is the CARTOON DU JOUR: WHERE'S ROCKY?.

Labels:

Come Out And Meet Zuma Dogg Tonight and Friday



Meet Zuma Dogg as he performs LIVE in Malibu and Agoura Hills for "Wild Karaoke."

Tonight: The Legenday "Dume Room" in Malibu. 10p-1a. (Heathercliff & PCH. Pass Kanan, then make left at Arco and into Dume Plaza Shopping Center.) It's a real "dive" bar but good enough for Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Micha Barton, Colin Farrel, Kevin James and Zuma Dogg...A real local experience.

Friday: Van Nuys City Hall for City Council meeting. 10am. Then 8pm, Zuma Dogg LIVE at the Alamo in Agoura Hills. ZD LIVE and karaoke. 8p-12mid.

These are two wild events thanks to "Gold Dust Entertainment" who organize the events and booked ZD to perform and rock the crowd.

And just to keep this thread "relavant" for all the crybabies who are going to complain I used this space to invite Mayor Sam readers out to meet me...$164 million in traffic fines that weren't collected and:

For a second day, members of the Engineers and Architects Association picketed at the Port of Los Angeles Thursday, delaying a Norwegian Star cruise ship and slowing work at two shipping terminals, a union spokesman said. Meanwhile, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge rejected a request by the City Attorney's Office for a temporary restraining order that would prevent impromptu strikes by the EAA.

www.ZumaDogg.com

Thursday Thread

Okay, I think we said just about everything about dog food guy yesterday.

The L.A. Times finally caught up with the Atomic Dog Park story depicted in one of my cartoons a few days ago.

The rest of the news leaves me uninspired. Racial issues seem to be heating up, or maybe just getting more coverage (e.g., the trial in Long Beach where 20 blacks beat three whites, the high school newspaper article, dog food guy, etc.).

Is it just me, or is this a slow news day? I'm pretty sure it's not just me. I mean, Doug McIntyre is on the air now (KABC 790), in a long segment, describing a trained cat performance in his studio, interviewing a Russian who speaks no English. Seriously.

So anyhow, here's your blank canvas. Go ahead and blog, and send me ideas for a cartoon, NOW. I'm still caffenating, and I could see one about the Clowncil voting, but nothing "laugh out loud" yet.....

ADDENDUM: Speaking of newspapers catching up with us here at Mayor Sam, TODAY the Daily News ran an editorial cartoon about dog food guy, in which dalmations at a fire station are disappointed with what's in their bowl. Sound familiar? It should. I posted just such a cartoon on November 22.

We are SO cutting edge here, especially in dog-related stories

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Disclose This

In America our market based economy encourages individuals to do and create things for which those individuals may be compensated, usually with cash.

Cash is a good thing.

The purpose of this blog has always been to inform and entertain. It remains so. However, to do so requires a significant investment of time on the part of the blog writers. I'd like to make some money off this blog and I would like to see our writers be compensated some way as well.

Therefore, we will continue to take advertising and we will occasionally run paid content on the blog. Unless there is a good reason (in our view) to do otherwise, most likely that content will be identified. We will not run paid content is influenced by compensation from any elected official, politician, political consultant, government employee or anything related to the coverage of local politics unless you are made aware of such. Most of the paid content will be related to non-political issues. Consider it a way to keep the lights on here without asking you to pay. Its like a pledge break without a pledge.

Whether content is influenced by some form of compensation, you as a reader continue to have the right to take it or leave it.

I agree with the mission of disclosurepolicy.org in which bloggers should publish some policy as to their intents to earn compensation from blogging. Therefore, I am publishing the following policy both in this post and in the sidebar. I encourage other bloggers to do the same.

If you don't like it, go play on the freeway.

This policy is valid from 30 November 2006

This blog is a collaborative blog written by a group of individuals. For questions about this blog, please contact mayorsamyorty@aol.com.

This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content.

The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

This blog does contain content which might present a conflict of interest. This content may not always be identified.

To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org

Open Letter to Tennie Pierce

From Jennifer Solis –

Now that the Los Angeles City Council has voted NOT to hand your lawyer a check for $2.7-million of our taxpayer funds, it’s time to get back to work.

You are a highly trained, professional fire fighter, and we need you to be back in uniform doing what you do best – saving lives and property in your community.

Forget for a moment that you signed papers authorizing Ms. Harrison to sue the city. At the time I’m certain that you thought it was the best choice for you and your family. The lawsuit will proceed, along with several other pending claims for various grievances, and if you win the big bucks from a jury, so be it.

Meanwhile, sitting around waiting for a verdict, then the requisite appeals, will be much harder on you, your family and friends, than if you simply bite the bullet, and return to the work you did so well for 19 years.

Whatever retaliation you might have suffered when you were bounced around for the past two years is not going to happen now. If the Fire Department administrators have learned anything from this unfortunate episode, they know that they did not handle your situation properly during that time, and you can be sure that they are going to be vigilant about your situation, as well as any other signs of hazing or bad behavior toward women, minorities or anyone else, which smacks of un-professionalism.

Despite the fact that we, the taxpayers of Los Angeles, are dubious about some of these claims that have surfaced, we need to learn if there are deficiencies in the administration of our city’s fire department, and if anyone in management has failed to carry out their responsibilities. You can have some satisfaction, regardless of the monetary outcome of your case, that your claims are going to put a magnifying glass to many aspects of your department. There’s nothing wrong with such scrutiny.

If you are still headed for retirement in five years, this will at least provide you with your full income and benefits for another sixty months. But you are still a young man, comparatively speaking. We would hope you could continue your fine work for as long as possible, and use your knowledge and experience to help train others who are coming up in the ranks.

In my book, you are still a hero – as are all your brothers and sisters who have put their lives on the line for their community.

Six Council Members STILL Don't Get It!

But since 10 votes were needed to reinstate the tentative settlement, dog food guy has to try to pitch it to a jury. Good luck with that!

ADDENDUM:
Each lawsuit comprises two components: liability and damages. The former deals with whether the defendant has to pay anything; the latter deals with the amount.

Assume for the sake of argument he somehow prevails on the issue of liability. In other words, assume he dupes a jury into believing he's entitled to compensation. Unless the City has exceptionally horrid trial attorneys handling this case, there is just no way in Hell this guy gets anywhere near $2.7 million in damages. It's DOG FOOD, not lung cancer.

Dogg Food Settlement Ball BACK In City Council's Hands For One More Try

Even Jack Weiss was slightly confused about what was about to happen due to what Council President Eric Garcetti acknowleged is a "loop hole in the Charter that we can look into remedying". (Usually Council would only have ten days, as in the case of ordinances, but since this is litigation they can hold onto it until the court date.)

But Council just had two votes that put the $2.7 million dogg food settlement BACK into the hands of City Council.

The first vote was 6 yes, 9 no to OVER-RIDE the Mayor's veto, meaning the Mayor's veto remains. (So Janice Hahn was defeated in her motion to pay the money now, without a legal battle.)

The second vote was a motion by Jack Weiss, seconded by Councilmembers Greig Smith to "receive and file". This gives Council until the trial date in March to retain control of the settlement, meaning they can choose to still settle; but at a revised, probably LOWER amount, then offer it to Pierce's attorney. (And based on her public comment, she would probably reject it cause she was all "puffed up" over how her client would probably win in court.) Or, Council can still decide to offer NO settlement, and take the City's chances in court.

So the soap opera continues with this cliffhanger episode of L.A. City Council as seen on TV 35.

And congratulations to Senator Alex Padilla who served his last day as L.A. City Councilmember. Please try and catch the replay of this moving and uplifting community tribute to a truly blessed individual who has done so much for his community. (ZD has some big shoes to fill!)

[Thanks to Matt Dowd for contributing to this story.]

SAY WHAT??? - Audit faults NC's for NOT spending money

In a puzzling move, City Controller Laura Chick released her audit of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment and faulted Neighborhood Councils for NOT spending money allocated to them.

I had to read that 3 times to see if I got that right. If NC's don't spent their $50,000 of loot by the 3rd year, it gets returned to the cities General Fund so why on earth has the city been turning up the heat on Neighborhood Councils to just blow their money ??? Well, so they can criticize Neighborhood Councils for what they're blowing the money on of course.

Neighborhood Councils get peanuts and have to save their loot for several years just to have enough to plant a few trees but here comes the city actually complaining that the money isn't being spent fast enough.

That is how you know things are seriously screwed up in City Hall. When fiscal responsibility is not only not practiced, but actually scorned by the very office who is supposed to demand nothing less, the City Controller.

Your thoughts?

Wednesday Open Thread: Deal Or No Deal?

Dog food guy was at City Council Tuesday, trying again to play the race card for $2.7 million.

Visualize a cardboard sign, "Will cry for millions." His attempt at a tear-jerker was pretty pathetic. Call a "wambulance." Pardon me for saying so, but if the worst thing that ever happened to you is that you ate some dog food and people made fun of you, give thanks to the God of your choice, for your life has been easier than the life just about everyone whose name doesn't begin with "Queen," "King" or "Prince." Cry me a freakin' river, dog food guy!

The City Council did approve a settlement with a guy who, after trying to evade the police, received a shiatsu massage -- with flashlights. That deep-tissue experience grossed him $450,000 -- probably $300K after legal fees.

So maybe the City Council should make dog-food guy a counter-offer: you accept $450,000, and three talk-radio hosts get to pummel you with flashlights for three minutes.

In other news, Snoop Dogg was impounded again last night, right after leaving the Leno show; drugs, firearms, and a hidden compartment in his car.

Blog away, but eloquently this time. And let's see some limericks in there. America is lagging behind other countries in the production of limericks.

By the way, you twenty-somethings didn't really think "Deal or No Deal" was a new idea, did you? There's nothing new under the sun, or the moon, either.

CARTOON DU JOUR: Take THAT, Axis of Evil!

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Where's The Fire?

I'm back! As of last night I am finally wired here at the new Mayor's Mansion and will be getting back in the thick of things.

I would have something valuable for you folks these evening, but just as I was sitting down at the computer, all of the bells went off our building. Two engines and a hook and ladder showed up as my neighbors and I gathered on the street.

Turns out...it was a false alarm. That's good cause I had laundry to do.

I want to thank Zuma Dogg, Walter Moore, Councilman John, Jennifer Solis and Joe Mailander for keeping things going while I was un-wired.

Looking forward to jumping back in the pool with you.

Hoody Hooooooooo! John & Ken Mention "Zuma Dogg & Mayor Sam" and Read My Story On-Air



West-siiiiiiiiiiied! What a triumphant day in the investigative journalism career of Zuma Dogg as John & Ken on KFI-AM 640 mentioned Big ZD and his Mayor Sam post regarding the audio tape of the closed door "claims committee" session where Rocky's Deputy City Attorney notified those shady fraud, waste and abusers (aka: L.A. City Council) about the prank photos they claimed they didn't know about. Then went on to read the entire story. (http://mayorsam.blogspot.com/2006/11/what-is-city-council-afraid-ofthe.html)

(And thanks Herb Wesson for mentioning on City TV 35 that Council DID know about the photos. No need to wave attorney client privilge, I guess.)

I TOLD ALL OF Y'ALL AT CITY HALL YOU CANNOT SQUELCH THE SQUEEKY WHEELS OF ZUMA DOGG NO MATTER HOW MANY ROGUE COPS YOU SEND AFTER ME TO ROUGH ME UP WITH A LITTLE POLICE BRUTALITY/EXCESSIVE FORCE! Thanks John & Ken on behalf of Zuma Dogg and Mayor Sam's blog.

[Now, please help ZD get to City Hall tomorrow for a little victory lap around Council chambers and hit me up with a paypal credit card donation: www.ZumaDogg.com]

UPDATE: THANKS TO JOHN & KEN FOR A SECOND MENTION OF ZD & MAYOR SAM IN THE 5PM HOUR!

Attention City Council: It's Noel Weiss' "9 & 20 Solution!"

I WISH I WROTE THIS, BUT I'M NO NOEL WEISS. Way to go, bro! Hopefully, we'll see this as an agenda item soon.

MOTION
(The “9 & 20 Solution”)
On August 18, 1987, when the City Council raised the tenant relocation benefits to $2,000 (non-seniors and non-disabled) and $5,000 (seniors and disabled), the average rent in Los Angeles was approximately $300. The Los Angeles Times reported on November 1, 2006, that the average rent now approximates $1,700. Even though the average rent in rent controlled buildings is less, there is little doubt that renters, including middle class renters, face enormous financial obstacles when the owners of the apartments in which they reside decide to terminate their tenancies in order to either demolish the building or convert it to condominiums.

Current law provides that renters in such a circumstance be paid $3,450 (non-seniors and non-disabled) and $8,550 (seniors and disabled). This is clearly insufficient based on any reasonable standard. The purpose of the relocation fee is to smooth out the rough edges and enable a reasonable transition from the payment of rent controlled rates to market rates.

In the case of seniors, who are on fixed incomes, the disabled whose income earning capabilities are also less, and families with children, who face ongoing and ever increasing financial burdens, the current mandated payments will only cover, on average, a security deposit plus 6 months rent, assuming $1000 for moving costs. In the case of non-seniors and non-disabled, the amount barely covers first month's rent, last month's rent, and moving costs.

The economic obstacles facing the renters of this City is exacerbated by the fact that the vacancy rates in the various parts of the City are 2%-3%. According to MPF Yieldstar, the gross occupancy rate for the second quarter of 2006, Citywide was 97.3%.

With such a low supply of apartments, counter-posed against a large demand, fueled furtherby an epidemic of no-fault evictions under the Ellis Act, it is likely that the rental rates will continue to increase.

It is therefore appropriate to raise the base amount of relocation assistance to be paid to tenants immediately in order to relieve the stress they confront. A comparable amount to the 1987 levels, given today's market rates, is $9,000 for non-seniors and non-disabled; and $20,000 for seniors, disabled, and families with children. (The “9 & 20 Solution”);

I THEREFORE MOVE that the City Attorney be directed to draft an Ordinance amending Los Angeles Municipal Code Sections 47.06 and 47.07 to provide for a tenant relocation fee of $9,000 to non-seniors and non-disabled, and $20,000 to seniors, disabled, and families with children and to report back with the new Ordinance within ten days;

I FURTHER MOVE that given the economic exigencies of the situation and how adversely impacted tenants are by their current circumstance, that this Ordinance be considered on an expedited basis and passed as an urgency measure.

PRESENTED BY: __________________________ ____________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

[ZD PUBLIC NOTICE: Want ZD's copy of "Cultural Warrior" autographed by Bill O'Reilly, himself ("ZD, Best Wishes, Bill O'Reilly"). It's now on ebay. I'll autograph it to the winning bidder, too (depending on if you think it raises or lowers the value).
The ebay link is at www.ZumaDogg.com. Thanks Bill!]

Tuesday Open Thread: LAX $11 Billion Boondoggle Lives

So NOW the reason we need to spend billions on your favorite unions and contractors is . . .uh, collisions! Yeah, collisions!

Specifically, we need to move some runways on the north side of the airport farther apart. That's our reason, and we really mean it -- not like when we needed to spend the money to increase capacity, or when we instead needed a separate check-facility due to terrorists. This time we geniuinely, seriously need to spend the money, or planes will continue to collide in fireballs the way they . . . well, they haven't actually collided, but it could happen. So let us spend the damn billions already.

Story: http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_4731613

Oh, and by the way: 423 people murdered in L.A. so far this year. (http://www.lapdonline.org/assets/pdf/cityprof.pdf) But really, the priority for saving lives is to spend those billions moving a runway. Why waste public funds on a low-probability bet like actually having more police in neighborhoods, when you can instead pour a mess of concrete and condemn a few more homes?

You know how to blog, don't you? You just put your fingers together -- with the keyboard -- and type.

TODAY'S CARTOON: ATOMIC DOG PARK.

Beyond Belmont

One thing that ceaselessly baffles me in this town is why there is no intense hue-and-cry over the LAUSD's utterly reckless building campaign. Even though it has been determined that the District's schools are declining in enrollment (here's some ugly html that speaks to that---the better pdf is also available here), and not for one but for many reasons, the push for building more expensive schools on more sites continues.

In this morning's DN, Councilman Smith, whom I realize many of you don't like, is trying to head off another iffy school project in Granada Hills---a community which doesn't have a single hospital within five miles.

I'd love to be able to apprehend and analyze the decisions to build these things at a glance, how the votes went, what the trends in the District were when the School Board in its wisdom decided to greenlight each particular project. And sorely needed are budget and site review of the various projects, review beyond what the fishwraps are capable of.

Nearly everyone I've ever spoken to in conjunction with building an LAUSD school only reports what a big boondoggle the project has been. And could they be building anything uglier than the new school at the old administrative building site? That school will embarrass the skyline from Sunset.

We have many great blogs in LA, but I'm not aware of any that track the ongoings of the LAUSD from the common-sense citizen's perspective. Some of you who dream of being another Zuma Dogg should get stupid busy with that---it would quickly become a vital reference tool for our City.

Monday, November 27, 2006

Dear Dumb Asses,

The readers and posters of this blog CAN'T actually be this stupid, so again, here's a little 411 on ZD and his association with Matt Dowd and Michael Hunt.

I don't have the luxury of controlling what Matt Dowd and Michael Hunt say and how they behave inside Council chambers. They are two strong personalities in their own right, with their own issues they choose to discuss and I have ZERO (0) input as to what they say, and how they behave. (Matt's my homie, a creative guy, world-class guitarist, but we roll into City Hall separately and he and Michael have their own agenda (items).

So again, judge me on what I say on TV 35, Talk radio and Mayor Sam's blog. When I was arressted two weeks ago, all the cops were saying was, "You have to admit, YOU GUYS did this, and YOU GUYS did that..." NAW fool...don't say, "you guys" unless you wanna be full of sh*t. I'm ONE guy, not YOU guys. AND, check my behavior since the "code of conduct" went into effect this fall. Anyone complaining about my screaming and yelling and whatnot is simply trying to rehash old, outdated news.

(Now maybe you are doing this on purpose to try and smear ZD, but incase you are actually trying to be accurate, now you know.)

Hey City Council...Start Enforcing The 1981 Law You Continue To Ignore For Your Own Special (Condo-Conversion) Interests...Now, Please

You've heard ZD post and speak relentlessly on the topics of affordable housing requirements and tenant relocation rights pertaining to the Mayoral/Council-imposed condo-construction boom that is destroying the socio-economic and cultural fabric of the (soon to be) once great City of Los Angeles. It was one of the first issues I brought to the table on Mayor Sam (Sept. 6, 2006) thanks to the information provided to me by fellow watchdogg, and leader of this issue, Noel Weiss.

So much so, now even Steve Hymon has picked up on the issue in L.A. Times, months after the fact. But since all you get from City Council is a bunch of foot- dragging, diversionary cover-up tactics and "bottom-of-the-pile filing" on anything that takes money out of CC's coffers (and Wendy Greuel is the biggest culprit on this topic, which is why I have such disdain for her) I'M STILL F*CKING WAITING!!!

Council is making an attempt to look like they want to do something about this housing crisis, that is displacing lower-income and middle-income residents into the streets, due to lack of affordable housing in the City BECAUSE of all the luxury condos there seems to be such a demand for. Except there ISN'T such a demand for it, only a demand for the Mayor and City Council to have real estate developers contribute to their re-election campaigns. So the vacancy laws are ignored, and the steamrollers continue to roll.

SO HERE'S THE BOMBSHELL: Did you know that you may not do a condo-conversion unless there is more than a 5% vacancy rate in the area? It's true! THE LAW HAS BEEN IN EFFECT SINCE 1981!!!

However, Mayor Antonio Villarigrosa and YOUR Los Angeles City Council has this little game going where they pretend the law doesn't exist and they ignore this law. (Less than 5% means displaced tenants can't reasonably find anywhere else to live.)

AND GUESS WHAT Y'ALL...2.8% is the highest vacancy rate in the City (which is less than 5%), so there shouldn't be any condo conversions going on at all, y'all.

But too late now, all the money has been made, just in time for Council to start "looking into" enforcing this 1981 law (as March election season is approaching), but I'm sure Wendy Greuel will continue to do everything in her power to keep this little "vacancy" issue tied-up with debate and discussion until she is termed-out. (Herb Wesson, can you do something more about this? Because Zine, who was looking into it, passed the ball to Greuel and that's like having Foghorn Leghorn watch the chicken coop.)

(See http://mayorsam.blogspot.com/2006/10/lets-do-something-about-these-pesky.html)

So, ZD says WE ARE going to get the affordable housing I've been screaming about on TV 35, Mayor Sam and KABC radio. It's called brand-new luxury condos that there is no demand for so prices will be forced to be slashed by the owners. Talk about vacancy rate...

[HELP ZD MAKE IT TO CITY HALL ON TUES. Donate at www.ZumaDogg.com. Otherwise, CC gets a pass and ZD gets the day off.]

What Is City Council Afraid Of...The Truth? Let's Hear The Tape!

The shadiest bunch of unethical, wasters and abusers (aka Los Angeles City Council) claims Rocky's office DID NOT provide them with all the information Mr. Deputy City Attorney claimed WAS provided to them (regarding "Mr. $2.7 Million Dollar Dogg Food Man").

Well, let's make this plain and simple so we can move on to more pressing issues: Since the closed door session is audio taped, waive the attorney-client privilege and let's hear the damn tape and put an end to all this speculation.

After all, if Rocky's deputy DID NOT bring all the facts to light, why WOULDN'T CC want the tape to be heard, therefore exonerating Council and putting it back on Rocky & Associates? HERE'S WHY BE-YACH (Excerpts from Mayor Sam readers' comments):

"Rocky's rep has asked to waive privilege because clowncil is blaming his office for not seeing all the evidence. The truth is those idiot clowncil members saw the photos and still voted to settle."

"The fact that the City Attorney is asking for the City Council to do just that is probably a pretty good indication that Rocky thinks that some Councilmembers aren't telling the truth."

"This wouldn't be the first time that a councilmember or two has done one thing behind closed doors and said the opposite to the taxpayers after the meeting. They hope that the tapes never surface. And legally the other members who know the truth can't say anything."

"What you need in this case for one among them to be willing to tell the truth about what was said by the City Attorney and incur the wrath of the others."

THANKS TO ALL THE MAYOR SAM READERS WHO PROVIDED WAY MORE INSIDE INFO THAN I COULD HAVE. www.ZumaDogg.com

Rainy Monday Open Thread

You know when we mention rain in the subject line here, it's a slow news day. At least it's only raining water, as opposed to, say, iron and ice, or cats and dogs.

Perhaps YOU know of something worth mentioning? If so, blog away. Otherwise, get back to work. But first, check out your cartoon du jour at my personal blog.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Black Friday in Sunland-Tujunga



In a blatant slap to the face of the Sunland-Tujunga community, Home Depot, on Friday, erected a chain link fence around the site of their proposed store.
A contractor's representative, supervising the fence building, told a local that they intend to start remodeling the former K-Mart on Monday(Nov 27).
What makes Home Depot's sudden actions such a slap in the face is that the community is currently in the middle of an Appeal questioning the very issuance of those building permits. The community is also still waiting for Home Depot to hand over their latest plans for review of what exactly they intend to do with the building (a very reasonable request, by the way).

Additionally, there remain many unresolved issues, not the least of which is what Home Depot plans to do with the old Penske Auto Repair Center that is part of the former K-Mart building.

For Home Depot to use this area as their intended Pro-Desk and customer pick-up, they would need to apply for a "change of use" permit, something that the company has fought to avoid due to the ensuing environmental assessment that would be required.
Instead, Home Depot claims that the Auto Repair use will remain the same, even though
auto repair is a service that Home Depot does not provide!
Does the term "Piecemeal" come to mind?
You can read more about the "change of use" issue HERE


At a recent Sunland-Tujunga NC meeting regarding the proposed project, Home Depot was only able to produce 7 supporters (total attendance was 360 people, a pretty impressive turn-out by NC standards). The Home Depot representatives could only watch and listen as one after another, locals and non locals stood and spoke out against the proposed store.

Instead of listening to the message from the community, or waiting for the Appeal process to play out, Home Depot has elected to erect a fence and staff the property with security guards.





FYI:

Besides my posts here at Mayor Sam and at the No2HomeDepot.com website, Home Depot has been subject to even more local criticism for their major sponsorship of Prop R(they kicked in $25,000), their close ties to the Mayor ( HD lawyers accompanied him on his trip to Asia), and a continuing investigation by NBC over consumer rip-off allegations (http://www.nbc4.tv/homedepotinvestigation/index.html).

Labels:

Sunday Forum

What do you call a landlord who tries to TRIPLE your rent? You call him "Mr. Mayor."

Airlines are balking at the proposal, by Mayor Von Munchausen's LAWA appointees, that they play three times the rent they currently pay.

It reminds me of the Eddie Murphy skit on prison poetry, "Kill My Landlord, Kill My Landlord."

For the story, click here.

For the cartoon, click here.

Now blog away, but remember to wait 45 minutes after eating before doing so.

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Is There AUDIO TAPE of Rocky Informing City Council of Pierce's Hazing Photos?

ZD WORLD EXCLUSIVE: While discussing with a media insider how City Council is trying to keep me out of City Hall and how Rouge Cop Officer Landry came after me (including a little "bonus" police brutality/excessive force), the insider took the opportunity to provide me with some (as of yet) unreported inside information. (So thanks to City Council and Officer Landry for helping me discover this information.)

HERE IT IS: I'm told that although Los Angeles City Council has publicly stated that (in Daily News' words), "Some council members immediately pointed fingers at Delgadillo's office for failing to share the evidence of Pierce's hazing with them before they endorsed the payout. Had they known of Pierce's pranks, many council members said, they wouldn't have agreed to the $2.7 million payout", ZD HAS BEEN TOLD THERE IS AUDIO TAPE OF THE COMMITTEE MEETING WHERE ROCKY INFORMS COUNCIL OF THE HAZING PHOTOS IN WHICH PIERCE TAPED DOWN AND SHAVED A FELLOW FIREFIGHTER!!!

EXCUSE ME: Did you say there is AUDIO of Rocky informing Council of the prank, even though they are hiding behind the rational that they were NOT informed by Rocky? ZD was told, "YES!"

Perhaps this quote from Daily News will provide some insight: "And in a rare request, Chief Deputy City Attorney Richard Llewellyn Jr. asked the City Council to waive attorney-client privilege so his office could set the record straight and speak publicly about what information the council was provided on Pierce's hazing history."

So maybe "setting the record straight" means showing a little iTunes podcast of the Claims Board committee meeting where Rocky is breaking down the REAL 411 for the shady Councilmembers whose only ethical standard isn't "ethics" itself, but "is it legal?" (Referring to Garcetti's "saving grace" over the shady Prop. R verbiage. Aka: A judge said, although "confusing and deceiving, it's not illegal.)

We can only hope the audio surfaces a lot faster than the Steve Irwin video, if it does indeed exist, and I'm told it does. But, of course "Mr. Ethics" himself, Eric Garcetti, will be doing everything in his power to prevent the truth from coming out, as usual. Because as long as it ain't illegal, he's gonna try to get away with it.

I hope I don't suffer further police brutality at the hands of (soon to never be seen inside City Council chambers after the holidays) Rouge Cop Officer Landry for this story.

www.ZumaDogg.com for all YouTube videos and previous Mayor Sam posts. (And try and hit me up with a credit card/paypal donation so I can show up at City Hall Tuesday to blast the HELL out this story. Otherwise, Council may get a pass.)

UPDATE: ALL COMMITTEE MEETINGS ARE AUDIO TAPED FOR PUBLIC RECORD. (See comment 5 on this story.)

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Saturday Sound-Off

Mayor V's name appears on an editorial in the L.A. Times today, urging special treatment for the entertainment industry because of the jobs it generates here. To encourage the creation of more entertainment industry work here, he favors special tax treatment for that industry.

Guess what, Mayor V? Other industries also respond to tax cuts and tax hikes. How about you try promoting L.A. as a friendly place for ALL kinds of businesses to open by, say, repealing the City's income tax on businesses? The other 90+ cities in this county manage to get by without such a tax. Why can't we?

For the cartoon depiction of Mayor Von Munchausen's position, visit my new website.

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Friday Open Thread

What's your pleasure? Let me rephrase: you pick the issues today.

And, for a bonus cartoon, visit my new and improved comics page.

Thanksgiving Open Thread

Happy Thanksgiving!

For what are you truly thankful? I, for one, am thankful that this year's TV coverage of the mayor washing someone's feet was shorter than last year. That SO creeps me out. Does he do that before, or after, handing out the turkey legs?

Want to know what the Clowncil's thankful for? Here's what I think it looks like: Moore's daily comics.

Remember how dangerous it is out there. No, not because of the drunk drivers. It's the food, stupid. Stay svelte. After all, this IS L.A., so all that matters is your looks. "Seconds" is okay; "fourths," not so much. There will be plenty of leftovers tomorrow.

As far as news goes, the Daily News reports tension between Rocky and the Clowncil for the whole "blame the lawyer" thing. Meanwhile, the Clowncil has approved a $350,000 settlement with another firefighter, one who alleged age discrimination. No word yet whether he shaved any scrota. URL: http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_4708917

Now blog away, turkeys.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Clowncil Ignores "Equal Protection" Clause, Targets Handful Of Businesses For Higher Wages

The Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution declares that no state shall "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

The City Clowncil will be hearing and reading more about that clause, because today, apparently in honor of Thanksgiving, the Clowncil enacted a real turkey.

Rather than adopting an ordinance imposing an above-minimum wage on all businesses, or on all hotels, the Clowncil adopted an ordinance that singles out one group of businesses, in one part of town, for more onerous regulation than all the other businesses everywhere else. Specifically, the Clowncil adopted an above-minimum wage requirement for hotels near the airport.

Expect at least one lawsuit to be filed Monday. The Mayor isn't going to veto this one, my babies, because the primary beneficiaries of this illegal ordinance are the illegal aliens who work in those hotels.

You think I'm kidding? Nope. Remember the protests? Remember how the police and the protesters agreed in advance who would be arrested? That was so no illegals would be arrested -- not that it would have made a dime's worth of difference in light of our old friend Special Order 40.

Anyway, a lawsuit will be filed, and the plaintiff hotels will prevail. The Clowncil will then face a decision: back away from the uber-wage, or instead make our entire City even more hostile to business than it is already. I'm guessing the latter....

Cardenas latest CM to receive ethics fine.. And they worry about NC's?

Tony Cardenas has good reason not to be fond of Neighborhood Councils. He has 6 people running for his City Council seat, at least 3 of them are Neighborhood Council members. While the spotlight was placed on a whopping grand total of 18 complaints filed against Neighborhood Council members, Cardenas has managed to rack up 2 in the last 3 months. The Councilman has been fined a total of $11,750.00 for excessive contributions to both his campaign account and his officeholder account.

Bernard Parks, another City councilman not so much of a fan of Neighborhood Councils was fined $4,000.00 by the City Ethics Commission for not following campaign laws.

Our favorite Ass-Clown Jack Weiss, the imbecile who started this ongoing war with Neighborhood Councils over "ethics", has been fined thousands of dollars as recently as 11 months ago for violating multiple laws including failure to report expenditures from his office holder account.

Let us not forget the big daddy of ethics violations, Martin Ludlow who had to enter a plea bargain just to avoid prison. Ludlow was forced out of City Council and was fined $105.000 by the City Ethics Commission.

I could go on but you get the point. In fact nearly 80% of the current City Council has been nailed for violating various ethics laws.

The Neighborhood Council System would have to have over 900 members with verified and upheld complaints against them to even approach the level of our City Clowncil.

In Lisa Sarno's report, that was requested by the aforementioned Ass-Clown Jack Weiss, she talks about the "alarming" escalation of incidents (and of course asks for more power). She forgets that 15-18 does not an alarming increase make, and the NC system grew in that time. In fact the "incidents" are on the decline.

Also, as a poster reminded us, the person with the most complaints in the entire Neighborhood Council System is Sarno herself. Since, according to her logic complaints indicate actual guilt and justify immediate action, by her own statements she should be fired immediately.

UPDATE** by request of a blogger, here is the report.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Wednesday Open Thread

First of all, do you even pronounce Wednesday correctly? Or do you transpose the "d" and the "n" to make it easier to say, the way people transpose the "r" and the "v" in "Favre?" Yeah, me, too. (Note the strategic obstruction of the "r" and "v" in the poster to help gloss over this sleight-of-tongue.)

Second, Alarcon is officially running -- or has at least filed the papers to raise money. His nickname, so you know, is "Rocky," because of the ads portraying him as a boxer. Don't mix him up with the other Rocky's.

Third, be sure to check the cartoon du jour at my personal blog every single jour, as Mr. Favhre would say. Today's cartoon is about the fire fighter's lawsuit. (It's WalterMoore.blogspot.com.) The L.A. Times likewise has a story, but nary a cartoon, re the same subject, explaining how the broadcast media disclosed the facts adverse to the fire figher's case that the Times had not deigned to publish. (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-fire22nov22,0,7017023,full.story?coll=la-home-headlines)

Fourth, remember the story, "The Emperor's New Clothes?" Well, what they never tell you is what the emperor did to the little boy right after the latter pointed out the former's nudity. It was analogous to what happened on Monday to the reporter who dared on Sunday to point out the Mayor's Munchausen syndrome -- no, not the medical syndrome, the literary one. A very detailed article appeared, not about the Mayor's life, not attacking the article on the merits, but instead attacking the reporter himself. That's what we call, in the trade, an ad hominem attack. If you can't prove the mayor tells the truth, then instead attack whoever points it out. If you can't show the emperor is wearing clothes, likewise, then simply hang the little boy who points out as much.

Now blog away, but blog responsibly. Let's be careful out there to avoid dangling any participles, splitting those infinitives, and ending any sentences with a preposition. Remember: actual children may stumble into this discussion, not just adults behaving like children.

The war against civilian volunteers - Sarno MUST go!

As we reported last week, Lisa Sarno Interim General Manager of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment has been busy putting together a list of alleged bad acts committed by Neighborhood Council Members. She then showed up, without notification to anyone, to a committee meeting and launched an attack against the very system she is supposed to be helping.

Forget the fact that no Neighborhood Councilmember has ever been found to have committed any ethical violations whatsoever, Sarno is hell bent on using anecdotal evidence from years past to smear the entire system.

It is akin to calling the entire City Council, past, present and future, corrupt because a few of them were nailed for money laundering.

What Sarno is attempting to do is 2 things:

1) Inflict as much damage in a system that threatens the status quo in this city and ensure its failure
2) Obtain as much policing power for DONE as possible.

"The purpose of DONE is to ASSIST Neighborhood Councils, not control them," said LANCC Senator and Vice Chair Jim Alger, "while I did not support it previously I must now join the chorus in calling for the Mayor to fire her immediately. She is doing too much damage too fast, the system can not afford to have her there any longer."

The Sister City agrees. We have been reporting for some time that, with the encouragement of a few Councilmembers, Sarno was up to no good. Just 48 hours before her ambush, Sarno stood before a packed room of Neighborhood Council Boardmembers and didn't say one word about this report that was supposedly to "help" Neighborhood Councils.

"Sarno never said a word about the release of her pending shocker while addressing a room full of Neighborhood Council leaders at Saturday's Citywide Alliance of Neighborhood Councils." Said former DONE GM Greg Nelson, "If the purpose of this effort, as stated in the report, is to help Neighborhood Councils, you would think at the least a heads-up was in order."

"I was familiar with enough of the incidents to know that many of them occurred years ago, and have long since been resolved. But the report doesn'’t give us that information. Disturbingly, the report paints Neighborhood Councils as lawless, unethical, uncivilized, and dangerous people."

Now inevitablyly some dum dums will post information about election turn out, and various other "evidence" to prove that the system idysfunctionalal. If they really weren't threatened by the system, they wouldn't be trying so hard to undermine it.

In the meantime, Mr Mayor you did the right thing with your veto yesterday now do the right thing and FIRE Lisa Sarno.

See Greg Nelsons full response at CityWatch here.

Attacking the Messenger? WWG At It Again

The old dead, Republican mayor dropping in for a moment with a thought on the latest ramblings of our favorite Westside white guy writing in Joe Mailander's favorite (not) local blog-o-fishwrap.

In Sunday's Daily News, new writer Tony Castro pens the story of the creation of the man once known as Tony Villar, now Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Our favorite chablis drinking limousine liberal - who stops for a moment his fantasies of running the Los Angeles Times - decides to (LA) observe not what is correct or not correct in Castro's story, but essentially dredges up every aspect of Castro's past, including the claim that the writer allegedly once worked as a female impersonator. Is that necessary? What happened to liberal tolerance, diversity, etc.?

K-Rod posits that Castro is yet another tool of the eastside anti-Villar cut and paste crew. But if anyone looks more like a tool, in this case, it may be the WWG himself.

How does it feel to used Kev?

Tuesday Open Thread: L.A. Political Cartoons. . .

. . . are now available for your review and comments at my personal blog. Enjoy the adventures of young Mayor Von Munchausen, the City Clowncil, and other assorted bone-headed aspects of public policy in L.A.

Consider this your open thread for Tuesday, and by all means suggest subjects for future cartoons.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Mayor’s Statement on Hazing in the Workplace

By Jennifer Solis

I just finished transcribing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s press conference, which DN columnist Rick Orlov was kind enough record for me. Thanks, Rick -- I owe you one.

“Hazing is reckless, reprehensible and juvenile. Any conduct that demeans, or makes people feel unwelcome in the workplace will not be tolerated – period. City employees need to remember that public service is an honor -- it is a privilege – and I know that the overwhelming number of employees feel that way.

“They work hard. They come to their jobs every day with a full respect for the opportunity that they’ve been given. Above all, they know that the taxpayers have an unqualified right to expect that their civil servants will conduct themselves at all times as complete professionals.

“Today, I’ve issued an executive directive declaring a zero tolerance policy against hazing in all city departments. It’s time to end this practice once and for all. It’s time to break the cycle, where necessary. It’s time to change the culture.

“We’re one city workforce, serving one community. Behavior that divides us has no place in the City of Los Angeles. This executive directive … will provide for the immediate investigation and discipline in any alleged case of hazing. It requires all city departments to report back on past hazing incidents and to recommend tougher guidelines for handling incidents in the future.

“I’m pleased to say that the Fire Commission will soon be considering a set of improved disciplinary guidelines following a series of audits by Controller Laura Chick. These tougher disciplinary guidelines will strengthen accountability standards in 144 different categories of misconduct. Employees engaging in hazing or horseplay will be subject to disciplinary action, including suspension and possible termination.”

The Mayor then went on to comment specifically on the Tennie Pierce case:

“Like every Angelino, I am deeply troubled by the allegations raised here. We cannot tolerate discrimination in any form. However, new information has come to light since the city attorney’s recommended settlement of the case. I believe that this information merits a re-examination of the matter.
Given the magnitude of the recommended settlement, taxpayers have the right to demand reconsideration with the full benefit of all the facts. . .

“We have a fundamental fiduciary responsibility to insure the wise use of tax dollars. Accordingly, I am returning this item with my veto with the request that the city get back to work on the case. My veto of this action will permit a reconsideration of settlement in light of all the evidence surrounding the claims in the lawsuit.

“I want to stress however, that the alleged behavior underlying this case must be eliminated in our city workforce. As this case illustrates, hazing creates a serious risk of legal liability for the city, and it undermines the professionalism that we expect in the workplace. That’s why we are going to take a hard line and adopt a zero tolerance policy with respect to hazing”

Jennifer’s random thoughts while listening to the Mayor’s speech:

Does anyone have any confidence in City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo’s ability to investigate these cases and analyze ALL the facts? How many of these cases are handled by private law firms which have no stake in the outcome, in terms of taxpayer liability?

For example, were there in-depth interviews with enough of the witnesses at the fire house that night who would have established the context of this and other pranks? Or did the city attorney investigators simply conduct enough questions to go through the motions, and gather enough words on sheets of paper to earn their fees?

One good result of this controversy could come if the city council, or some taxpayer watchdog group, takes a close look into how the investigation of these cases is handled, and what can be done to improve the way the city treasury can be protected from such claims. Certainly, the outrageous amounts given out in these lawsuits must be capped, commensurate to actual damage, such as exists in medical malpractice claims in California. Hurt feelings should be worth no more than a dollar.

Why should the city taxpayers be liable for the misbehavior of city employees, who act outside of approved policy and common sense? It’s the deep pockets of the municipality which motivates most of these lawsuits in the first place.

When journalists asked the city attorney last week what he considered to be the rationale for the Pierce settlement, Delgadillo refused to comment because of what he termed “attorney-client privilege.” Who are his clients in this matter? Certainly not city council members –they didn’t elect the city attorney – WE DID!!!

We are also the people who actually are being sued – the citizens of Los Angeles. It was partially his refusal to come clean, and divulge the reasons for his recommendation that fanned the flames of protest by his constituents.

The solution to enforcing a prohibition on hazing will be to fine, suspend or fire employees who are found participating in, or condoning, this kind of workplace behavior.

The fireman who brought the claim was a long-time perpetrator of these kinds of pranks. He hazed and humiliated others, and finally became a victim of a similar joke. He doesn’t deserve a penny of taxpayer money.

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Mayor Says “NO” to $2.7-million Dog Food Settlement



By Jennifer Solis

In an amazing response to Los Angeles taxpayer complaints, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has vetoed the rubber stamp payout to the former fire fighter who ate a couple of spoons of dog food two years ago.

The Mayor Sam Sister City Blog was the first to editorialize against the $2.7-million settlement with Tennie Pierce ten days ago, and since then, a ground swell of protest has forced the city to reconsider the city attorney’s lack of courage to fight the claim.

It will take ten city council votes (two-thirds of the 15 members) to override the mayor’s veto. On November 8th, the council members heard a short presentation on the claim in executive session, and voted 11-1 to approve the payout – Councilman Dennis Zine dissenting. Later, Councilman Bill Rosendahl joined Zine in a move for reconsideration which failed 6-6.

Last week, more than a dozen photographs of fireman Pierce participating in even more egregious pranks at the Westchester station surfaced on the Internet. These photos had been in the possession of the city attorney’s office for several months, but were not included in an assistant’s informative to city council members prior to the first council vote.

At a press conference this afternoon, Mayor Villaraigosa stated that all such hazing within the fire department, and other city departments, must cease immediately. He said that, in view of the new information (the photographs) the city attorney must take a closer look at the claim. Pierce’s lawyer had originally asked for about $5-million, and the threat of a “downtown” jury sustaining this claim was a factor in the settlement.

A popular drive-time radio show, John & Ken, appealed to its listeners to send dog food to the city council members who voted for the payout. Current and retired members of the fire department also bombarded the media with protests.

Bloggers' Immunity Upheld

"Internet users and providers cannot be held liable for posting libelous material written by someone else, the California Supreme Court ruled unanimously today." So reports the L.A. Times.

Now before you people out there think that means YOU have immunity to commit defamation, think again. It means that we, the Mayor Sam operators, as users and providers, are not liable for your defamation.

You remain liable for libel you commit. And we would be liable for ours, if we ever engaged in libel.

Here's the operative language from the federal statute in issue, as explained by the Court:

In the Communications Decency Act of 1996, Congress declared: “No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.” (47 U.S.C. § 230(c)(1).) “No cause of action may be brought and no liability may be imposed under any State or local law that is inconsistent with this section.” (§ 230(e)(3).)

So be nice, or at least be accurate.

Here's the article: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-ex-internet112006,0,2867393.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Here's the case, namely, Barrett v. Rosenthal: http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/S122953.PDF.

Nucklehead Nunez Defeated by ZD & Eastside Producers Association Over Public Access

Fabian "Nucklehead" Nunez suffers defeat over his plan to kill public access cable and "The Zuma Dogg Show" gets a year reprieve, along with all other public access producers at Time Warner franchises throughtout the City.

When your policies are so shady, of course you would want to kill as much public input as possible. (Look how City Council is trying to squelch ZD's voice by sending out rouge LAPD cops to rough him up and cause physical contusions during a bogus, un-warranted arrest.)

But since ZD and the Eastside Producers Association don't show up at Nunez's Assembly meetings to call him out, but choose the public access cable TV as the forum, he has to kill it so no one can blow the whistle on him when he runs for Mayor of L.A. (when Mayor Antonio runs for Governor or U.S. President).

So ZD & Association hit up Councilmember Tony Cardenas' I.T. (Information and Technology) Committee meetings, recently, to express concern over pulling the plug on the public. Cardenas agreed with ZD and voted today to give the Nucklehead's ploy a one year reprieve, because if it's Nunez legislation, it most likely has lots of problems and bad intent, and it does.

The I.T. Committee needs a one year transition period to re-examine the many flaws of this Nunez legislation. (Item 3709433).

So it's at least one more year of "Big ZD TV" on Time Warner cable, and it's gonna be a whole lot of fun come election season in March! And now, lets celebrate with a little "Best of The Zuma Dogg Show" as will continue to be seen on Time Warner cable in L.A. & Ventura County.



Between this, the Mayor's $2.7 Million Dogg Food Veto and Fox pulling O.J.'s "fictional novel" and interview, it's time to pull out the Tom LeBong politician voice to say: "Today, is TRULY a great day for the City of Los Aneles."

[Hit up ZD with a paypal donation for some food and gas money and my legal defense fund. www.zumadogg.com]

MAYOR VILLARAIGOSA DOES SOMETHING RIGHT!

He vetoed that dumb $2.7 million settlement!

On behalf of all taxpayers, I thank and commend him. It was the right thing to do, and he deserves credit for it.

And, in a similar vein of correcting mistakes, Rupert Murdoch pulled the plug on the O.J. show and book. This is a good day for common sense.

Breaking News: Prop R fight back on - David Hernandez to the rescue


David Hernandez posted some breaking news on another thread that I felt deserved its own headline. Excerpts are contained here and the first comment to this post shall contain Davids' entire post.

Breaking News-Prop R Legal Battle

I have just been contacted by an attorney from one of the top Law Firms, if not the top law firm in Los Angeles. I have been offered his help in seeing this matter brought to a positive conclusion.

Proposition R

“Councilmember Term Limits of Three Terms;
City Lobbying, Campaign Finance and Ethics Laws”

My attorney Candice E. Jackson is preparing the documents to be field. As the Bell firm has already filed their withdrawal we shall move forward quickly and will not wait until the Appellate court date on the 28th.

Our argument will be the same as was successful in removing it from the ballot by judge O’Brien but our “Relief” will be to set aside the vote and up hold the unconstitutional ruling.

I have just been contacted by an attorney from one of the top Law Firms, if not the top law firm in Los Angeles. I have been offered his help in seeing this matter brought to a positive conclusion.

So here we are. The fate of Prop R is our hands and we have the a clear mandate in which direction we must go.

My attorney estimates one hundred hours of legal work to see this through the lower courts. Which represents fifteen thousand dollars in fees and expenses. Our first expense was coping the records and the next will be the filing fee.

So here is your opportunity to help with the funding. Please make your check payable to David Hernandez and rush it the PO Box 3245, North Hollywood, California 91609. Please write “Prop R Legal Fund” on the check.

Or you can make it payable directly to Candice E. Jackson Attorney at Law and write “Prop R Legal Fund”. It too can be mailed C/O David Hernandez PO Box 3245 North Hollywood, CA 91609.

Remember this is not tax deductible but is appreciated.

You can follow all the events at my web site www.termedout.com and post your comments on the blog at the site.

Thank You to the crew at Mayor Sam's Sister City, you continue to be a source of strength and support.

Sincerely,
David Hernandez


My check is on the way David.

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Sister City experiment in civility - No moderation

We have decided to end message moderation at Mayor Sam.

Let us see if the Animal wignuts can keep their paws off their keyboards long enough to allow this blog to return to what it should be, a free flow of ideas and legitimate debate.

Please try to play nice kids.

On a side note, feel free to read todays Column by Rick Orlov in the Daily News where he reports on Richard Alarcon's move to the City Council. Just remember that we here at the Sister City broke this story last week.

Blog away dum dums.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Monday Open Thread: Mayor Von Münchhausen

"Magical realism" is a literary term. It comes to mind in view of Tony Castro's amazing report, in the Daily News on Sunday, of how our mayor's recollection of his life is, well, in movie terms, you could call it "Big Fish 2." If you haven't already read the article, please do, because it'll scare the heebie-jeebies out of you. Here's that URL: www.dailynews.com/news/ci_4686542 .

And by all means, blog away. Blog in anticipation of Thanksgiving. Blog eloquently, so that Mayor Sam will be proud when he returns triumphantly from his diplomatic mission to Korea, where he successfully negotiated over $3 billion in contracts to benefit L.A. businesses, before teleporting back with his secret penthouse lair in the downtown area. Mayor Sam was able to handle the mission because his mother spoke nine languages, and used to read Chaucer to him when he was young.

Decision 2007 - A rundown of the candidates


It is official, the time to file as a candidate for your favorite 2007 City Council race has ended (except for CD 7).

The individuals who have stepped up to be your representatives are:

City Council District 2 - Wendy Greuel, unopposed incumbent.
Total reportedly raised: $82,000.00


City Council District 4 - Tom Labonge, unopposed incumbent.
Total reportedly raised: $0.00


City Council District 6 - Tony Cardenas, opposed incumbent.
Total reportedly raised: $187,000.00


Opponents:
James Cordero
Candito Marez
Lisa Palmer
Eric Rothenay

Total reportedly raised by all opponents in CD 6: $0.00


City Council District 7* - Open seat

Candidates:
Filepe Fuentes. Total reportedly raised: $0.00
*Filing deadline is in December. Anticipated candidates include Cindy Montanez and Richard Alarcon.

City Council District 8 - Bernard Parks, opposed incumbent.
Total reportedly raised: $0.00


Opponents:
Marvin Evans
Kevin Melton
Ronald Rooney

Total reportedly raised by all opponents in CD 8: $0.00

City Council District 10- Herb Wesson, opposed incumbent.
Total reportedly raised: $8,500.00


Opponents:
Mike Manly
Robert Serrano

Total reportedly raised by all opponents in CD 10: $0.00

City Council District 12- Greig Smith, unopposed incumbent.
Total reportedly raised: $303,000.00


City Council District 14- Jose Huizar, opposed incumbent.
Total reportedly raised: $0.00

Opponents:
Randy Carillo
Juan Jimminez
William Morrison
Alvin Parra

Total reportedly raised by all opponents in CD 14: $0.00

Get the feeling Greig Smith was preparing for a war that never arrived? $303 grand??? For a City Council race??? In November???

The Mayor's Analyst: A Psychoanalysis of Villaraigosa's Confabulations

The Daily News got all up inside Villaraigosa's head, if I may use the vernacular.

If you're at all interested in L.A. politics, you must read this article: http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_4686542 .

There was a story -- how long ago was it? maybe eight years ago? -- about a federal judge in San Jose, Judge James Ware, who routinely lied about his childhood to make it more dramatic and colorful. Reading about Villaraigosa and his accounts of his childhood reminded me of Ware and Ware's revisionist history.

I almost feel sorry for the Mayor after reading the story, but not quite. You get to choose whether to tell the truth about your life. If you choose to lie about it for political gain, well, I guess you can't legitimately complain if a journalist calls you on it.

Saturday, November 18, 2006

LA Times "Pays Back" Councilmember Cardenas & L.A. City Council for Public Criticism


ZD is no fan of L.A. Times (they print some good stuff, but nothing truly revealing like you see in L.A. Daily News), however this is pretty good!

During Wednesday November 15, 2006 Council meeting, Councilmember Tony Cardenas criticized LA Times for comments they made regarding some things that didn't look to good for Cardenas and L.A. City Council's decision to fight for "negotiated" contract bids, instead of the more sensible "comepetitive" contract bid process regarding $500 million dollars worth of LAPD Parker Center construction.

So how is this photo of Venice Beach activist Michael "Shea Butter Man" Hunt political payback? Well, also during that meeting, Janice Hahn and City Council paved the way for LAX hotel workers to receive a "living wage" (more money at the private hotel industry's expense). After the vote, Janice ran out to the peanut gallery for an AWESOME photo oppurtunity, I must say, where she was surrounded by scores of the all hispanic workers who showed up that day for the vote.

As the photos were being snapped, I was thinking, "Damn, there's the front page victory shot. Janice had the most joyful smile as she was hugging and being hugged by the all hispanic crowd of workers." (What a great campaign shot!)

So what picture does the LA Times splash across the front page headlines?

MICHAEL "SHEA BUTTER MAN" HUNT Y'ALL!!! THE ONLY PERSON L.A. CITY COUNCIL HATES MORE THAN ZUMA DOGG, Y'ALL!!! Michael gives LA Times AND Janice Hahn a Venice Beach/Westside "Bigg Ups!" And Zuma Dogg is laughing so hard, he can barely squeeze out a "hoooooody hooooooooooo!"

p.s. Despite the L.A. Times caption proclaiming Mr. Hunt a "hotel worker", "The Butter Man" is not a hotel worker, just someone who stole City Council's thunder.

Possible Reason Why Rocky & City Council Rolled Over For $2.7 Million Settlement

Why would City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo withhold those incriminating photos showing Mr. $2.7 Million Dogg Food Man taping down and shaving a fellow fire fighter?

Perhaps Council would have made a different decision. BUT: Maybe they had reason to keep the whole thing under wraps, making it easier for Los Angeles City Council to decide to settle for $2.7 million, and choose NOT to re-open the case for a second look...ZD says, "Let's see how much money the law firm representing the plaintiff contributed to Rocky Delgadillio and Los Angeles City Councilmembers like Bernard Parks and others."

So to repeat, Zuma Dogg (who is extra cranky because of the pain in his hand, palm and wrist/contusion, suffered at the hands of LAPD police brutality) wants to know, "How much money has been contributed to each L.A. City Councilmember who chose to fast-track the settlement and choose not to take a second look, when they easily could have at least done that.

[Sure, now that this is the biggest public outrage in recent history, CC is talking about taking a second look now (with possible Mayoral veto), but their discretionary colors have been revealed.]

ZD
aka: Public Enemy #1 for using words (not brutality) to speak out against City Council fraud, waste and abuse; and that can cause you lifetime physical damage and a diminished quality of life.

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ZD on Mr. KABC Regarding $1.5 Billion Dollar March Infrastructure Bond

Just when we were done swatting down The Mayor's Proposition H (aka: Preparation H), the Mayor is asking for $1.5 Billion as a budgetary starting point for a March ballot measure to improve 4,000 miles of L.A. City roads. (Not really expand, or create new roads to ease traffic as much as repairing what we got.) So, ZD called Mr. KABC to see if there is ever a good occasion to give Mayor Antonio bond money? (Since we will be paying off the bond, long after Mayor Villagrossa is done serving his second term as U.S. President.)

ZUMA DOGG on Mr. KABC: Mayor's March Infrustructure Bond (Pt. 1)


ZUMA DOGG ON MR. KABC: Mayor's March Infrustructure (Pt. 2)

Mayor Sam Will Be Right Back After This...

Mayor Sam wants his constituents to know that he has been without internet access for the past week as he is moving his headquarters, and luckily for Los Angeles City Council, he will be without internet access for the next week, as well.

I'm sure when he returns, sometime soon, there will be a few issues/bombshells getting a little more unwanted attention (if you're a politician), upon his return.

[CALM BEFORE THE STORM, Y'ALL...Hurry up and get that internet connection up...The City Council is running amuck!]

L.A. Times Missed The Bus

Today -- November 18, 2006 -- the L.A. Times published an article by Michael Woo and Christian Peralta with a really good idea: instead of squandering scarce public funds to extend the subway along Wilshire, we could restrict lanes on Wilshire to busses only, so they could cover the same distance nearly as fast, at a fraction of the cost.

I like this idea, but it seems so . . . familiar.

Oh yes! I remember now! Some other guy proposed the same thing in an article in the Daily News back on February 28, 2006 -- nearly nine months ago. He proposed having dedicated bus lanes throughout the city, to provide truly mass and rapid transit at a fraction of the cost of subways, by taking advantage of the existing infrastructure, namely, our streets.

But hey, why cover a public policy proposal unless it comes from "your" people, right?

Saturday Open Thread

Remember Father Guido Sarducci's five-minute college degree?

Of course you don't. You were born, like, 10 minutes ago.

He was a comedian who would teach you, in five minutes, everything you would have remembered from your education if you had gotten a college degree 10 years earlier, which is to say, not very much.

In that same spirit, here's all you need to know about today's news: a teeenager was murdered in the Valley, by other teenagers; raccoons are on a rampage of violence in Venice against homeowners' pets; the County, flush with cash, is flushing away your money on 15% pay raises over the next three years and, therefore, all of eternity (can't wait to see the pension funds come due on that); and last, but not least, the FDA has given new meaning to "you MUST be gellin'," by approving the re-release of silicon gel breast implants, as opposed to those unnatural saline jobs.

Oh, and there's one more, the one that bugs me probably even more than paying a grifter $2.7 million. What is the most distinctively "L.A." tree? What tree, when you see it, induces calming tropical thoughts? That's right: the palm tree. So naturally, the City Council wants to get rid of them. Just when you think the City Clowncil could not possibly do anything more stupid, they come up with a novel way to reach a new low.

Per the L.A. Times: "Councilwoman Hahn said the city's move away from palm trees was spurred in part by a public works analysis of satellite imagery that suggests that only 17% of Los Angeles is covered by a tree canopy. The average U.S. has 28% shade coverage."

Well THAT certainly proves the palms are fault, doesn't it? I mean, the lack of trees couldn't possibly have anything to do with the ongoing replacement of houses, with yards, by giant apartment complexes with zero set-backs, could it? And comparing L.A. -- with its 3.9 million people crammed into 469 square miles -- to America's "average" city certainly makes sense.

Hey, Janice, instead of giving tax dollars to developers to build more and more, why not use that same money to buy land all around the City to create "pocket parks" full of trees so families can have somewhere nice to walk in their own neighborhoods?

Nyah. There's no campaign money in doing something for the public interest, is there?

Okay, people, time for you readers to go out there and earn some money. The City's millionaires are counting on you to generate the taxes they need to turn a profit on their next construction project.

But before you do, blog away.

Enemies list at D.O.N.E???

As many Neighborhood Council folks know, the current "Interim General Manager" of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment Lisa Sarno has come under increased heat for what is being described as her "adversarial" attitude toward Neighborhood Councils.

In fact, Sarno is rapidly becoming known in the City for two things; inserting the phrase "if you will" into virtually every sentence she says, and being a real pain in the backside to Neighborhood Council leaders. While the former is fun at first and eventually irritating to watch, it is the latter that has got her in ever-rising hot water within the ranks of the LANC system.

Currently, Sarno is rumored to be compiling a detailed list of virtually every allegation against any Neighborhood Council member, supposedly for our favorite ass-clown Jack Weiss. More than one NC member has told the Sister City that DONE is compiling an "enemies list" of activists who have dared to confront DONE.

So just what in the hell is going on over at the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment? And more importantly, how long is the mayor going to let this situation deteriorate?

Sarno is currently the subject of a no-confidence vote circulating across the city's NC system, has over 50% of all NC elections being delayed and has failed, for the first time in DONE's history, to hold the semi-annual "Congress of Neighborhoods" for NC members. Add to that her apparent animosity towards NC Boards and what appears to be her keen desire to put NC's "in there place" and you have a volatile mix.

Which brings up the alleged "enemies list". The list allegedly contains the names of well-known NC activists including Jason Lyon, Jim Alger, Brady Westwater, Dan Weisman, Ken Draper and more. Now from where I sit, these probably aren't a cast of characters I would want gunning for me if I were in Ms Sarno's position.

My bigger question is this: assuming this is true, What in the name of all that is holy is Lisa Sarno thinking? And what part of "Neighborhood Empowerment" are they missing at DONE?

Friday, November 17, 2006

Friday Thread Of Rage

Two items to prime the pump:

1. McIntyre vs. Weiss

Doug McIntyre, of KABC 790 (shown here in his famous radio portrayal of Hamlet), castigated Councilman Jack Weiss -- who, by the way, hopes to become the City Attorney -- for voting to give $2.7 million of your money for the grifter fire fighter. It was hilarious and therapeutic. (If you don't listen to Doug every single weekday morning, start.) Weiss seemed genuinely not to understand why Doug, and everyone else who pay attention, is so upset.

Weiss's befuddlement is understandable for two reasons:

First, you have to realize that Weiss is only in his second term. This is a very, very complicated job he has. It's not until you finish eight years in the office that you can really master complexities of public policy, like don't cave in to con artists, for example. That's why it's so important that Measure R passed. We need to leave these people in office for 12 years, so we can get the benefit of the high-quality work they'll do during the final four.

Second, $2.7 million is chicken feed compared to the amount of money that the City Council routinely squanders to reward special interest campaign contributors. "Heck," Weiss probably figures, "why would the public care about $2.7 million when we blow hundreds of millions of every year through the CRA?"

Speaking of which. . .

2. Welfare for the Rich Urgently Needed

The story on page 1 of the L.A. Times: downtown developers "need" even more tax breaks and "rebates" -- i.e., gifts of your money -- or else, they say, they will not make a sufficient profit on their projects! Oh no! We can't have that happening! Come on, taxpayers, let's pitch in to make sure these guys can continue to live the lifestyle to which they have become accustomed.

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Thursday, November 16, 2006

The No Home Depot Film Festival

Welcome to the No Home Depot Film Festival!
Tonight we have 2 riveting films that shed some light on the LADBS, LA City Planning, and, of course, Home Depot. You will get a rare glimpse into the secretive world of Neighborhood Councils, and the "Alice in Wonderland" logic of LADBS, not to mention the chance to see Council Member Greuel smack down Home Depot!
Grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy!

Our first film is "Abby Grills The LADBS" ( 6 minutes) ( mature content, parental discretion advised).



Our second feature is " Revoke The Permits, or Wendy Unleashes the Hounds" ( 30 seconds)( rated G).




Wasn't that fun?

Coming soon; " Scott Svonkin Plays the Race Card", aka "The Dakota Communications Tragedy", "How to Squeeze Lumber through a Tiny Door", and " Antonio & Bob, A Love Story"

Breaking News? Cindy Montanez first Prop R Casualty?

Prior to Prop R passing, those opposed to it said loudly that the measure "tricked" people into voting for two separate things (so-called ethics reform and a term limit extension for City Council) while wrapping the entire measure in an "ethical reform" package. They filed suit against the measure and we were expecting the appeals court ruling on that suit after the election,

It appears we were duped. Those that felt so strongly before the election that Prop R was "Not Proper" have changed their tune. "The voters have spoken" Jason Lyon wrote on his blog, "am I glad this is over."

We were counting on you Jason to have the same feelings about Prop R after the election as you did before, and not cut and run at the first sign of defeat.

The first casualty of Prop R may be Assemblywoman Cindy Montanez who is running for Alex Padilla's vacating seat in CD 7. Why does this affect Cindy? Because with the term limit extension formerly termed out and moved on Council Members may now run for office again.

Enter Richard Alarcon.

Alarcon, who won Cindy's vacated Assembly seat just over a week ago is rumored to be considering running for City Council. The nearly $180,000 a year salary may be too tempting for Alarcon to stay in the Assembly for 6 years. Besides, he would get to serve 6 years instead of 4 and get a free run at Mayor in the process.

If he doesn't mind throwing Cindy under the bus. Don't feel bad Cindy, there is a lot of that going around these days.

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