The fur flies in CD 12
If anyone thought that the action this election cycle was going to be in CD14, they may have only been half right.The Northridge West Neighborhood Council election isn't until April 21st and already the shots are being fired not just at the Council President Jim Alger and Vice President Sherry Ramstead but against the entire board.
The charges are being leveled by former NWNC Boardmember Dennis DeYoung, who resigned after a failed attempt to oust Alger as President in May 2006. Now, in his first campaign piece DeYoung sends out a desperate plea for challengers to Alger and announces his intentions to run once again for the council. He then launches into an attack on Alger, Council Vice President Sherry Ramstead and the entire Neighborhood Council for "spending money without the appropriate documentation", and claims the Neighborhood Council is currently trying to "give away its' annual $50,000 allocation from the City Council to (LAPD) Devonshire PALS - a project not even located within the boundaries of the district and already fully funded by a $1 million grant secured by Councilmember Greig Smith."
Must be a pretty cheap youth center to be built, equipped and staffed for $1 Million in an area where the average cost of a home is nearly $750,000.00. Apparently the Devonshire PALS don't agree with DeYoungs' assessment that they don't need anymore funding as their capital campaign continues. In fact, the idea to approach Neighborhood Councils to assist in funding Devonshire PALS came from Mitch Englander, Chief of Staff for City Councilman Grieg Smith who also serves on the Devonshire PALS board.
Alger, who also serves as a Senator to the LANCC has responded. "It is stunning to me that a man who claims to support the community would oppose funding a youth center that while physically located just beyond the current boundaries of the council, would serve our community, keep our children safe, out of gangs and off the streets. The Northridge West Neighborhood Council has held many public meetings on this issue and has made no final decision as to what funding it will provide. Mr. De Young has never once attended a single NC meeting since his resignation. In fact, the only time he appears is when he is running for office only to resign when he doesn't get his way."
DeYoung obviously hopes the local community will have a short memory when he claims that "the community has suffered ever since (Alger was elected in 2005)."
Alger certainly has his detractors and his supporters who spin in both directions but he and his NC are best known for taking on Wal Mart and preventing them from building a store across from the Northridge Mall. Before that he spearheaded the successfully campaign to stop an 18% water rate hike. Additionally, the Neighborhood Council has co-sponsored several "Community Clean-ups" as well as a massive Emergency Preparedness event.
The entire attack on Alger may end up being academic. For his part, Alger has not even committed to running for re-election. "Between the Neighborhood Council, the Senate, work and a new baby my schedule has really packed up. I need to consider all of this before I commit to the responsibility of another two year term."
Considering DeYoung says he wants the voters to give him another shot at the seat he quit after just 2 meetings, having someone take into consideration all aspects of the job sure is refreshing. Too bad other politicians didn't do that.
To the good folks up there in Northridge, we here at the Sister City say keep up the good work. When people attack you, it usually means you're doing something right.
Labels: mitchell englander
Posted by Councilman John @ 1/27/2007 03:12:00 PM
33 Comments:
I googled Dennis DeYoung and unless he is a singer (which I doubt) he has done NOTHING at all.
Who the hell quits a job after 2 days and then tries to get it back again a year later?
CJ
I got that email and posted it here earlier, guess you turned it into a story.
DeYoung wants to run a "Quitter Slate" of candidates who threw a temper tantrum and turned their backs on the communty when they couldn't oust Jim.
* Beverely Adler - RESIGNED
* Dennis DeYoung - RESIGNED
* Judy Nutter - RESIGNED
* Linda Smith-Frost - RESIGNED
Now we already know what these fools will do. If Jim and his team win (assuming they run) they will just quit again. Why on earth would I vote for them?
Oh, my FAVORITE part of the DeYoung email --"You can forward this email to anyone without the last name of Alger or Ramstead whom you trust."
WHAT A FUCKING IGNORAMOUS!
Hey Dennis, with 17 votes dont preach about outreach. Oh, and at least sign your name to your posts.
The NWNC sends out 4,000 mailers each month that is 48,000 a year... some at boardmembers expense. They dial over 1500 stakeholders who have asked to be notified of meetings.
DO NOT begin to tell me we don't outreach. I just don't campaign for other people, but we certainly do outreach.
Here we go again with the personal attacks. I've noticed the people who post negatives are usually the ones who haven't done anything in their own neighborhoods, don't volunteer for anything yet have the nerve to whine and complain. Many of us know Jim well and know how much time and energy he has put in on issues that not only affect the valley but issues for the entire city speaking out for US. Jim and other NC reps spent countless hours on the weekends attending meetings, organizing and thanks to them a lot has been done to help US. Thanks to their leadership we aren't paying the rate hike the DWP wanted to bill us for. It took many hours of organizing to do that. Their LANCC meetings are incredible. I wanted to let Jim know he has our support over the hill.
Alger fights with Shaw.
Alger fights with Smith.
Alger fights with Englander.
Alger fights with DONE.
Alger fights with Sarno.
Alger fights with other community volunteers (DeYoung, Adler, Nutter, and Frost).
Are you seeing a pattern yet? Alger is like a loose cannon. Sometimes he hits the right target but most of the time he is aimed at the wrong targets.
Go DeYoung!
7:32=Antonio backs DeYoung=DeYoung will win!
Alger can do all the good work he wants. You can not win once Antonio jumps in . I can see that he has. Sorry. Game over. Jim, I'm glad you have not decided whether you want to run or not. I would say don't waste your time at this point. I can see the machine has decided to get involved here. So why fight fate. Why waste your money and time when the game is now over. It stinks on ice but is the case.
The City Council is useless as is the Neighborhood Council. Homeowners were able to successfully put up signs on our street for No Overnight Parking... on a street that is half homes and half apartments. It's impossible to find parking after 6:00 pm and some females in the apartment buildings have been assaulted.
Our City Councilman, Greg Smith was useless. At least Alger was helping us try to come up with a solution... but the rest of the Neighborhood Council sided with the homeowners.... and basically was able to get the issue tabled for good... why blog on such worthless POSs?
Alger seems like a decent guy... the other Council Members came off as a bunch of people who didn't care that there was a huge parking problem on the block... these people really don't care about us. I'd rather have someone that is upset about something rather than a bunch of do-nothings who care about their own careers represet me. Sure Alger cared about his career... but whenever I turn on Channel 35 and see them discussing the Neighborhood Councils, I remember what a joke it was when we needed it.
LA City is a bunch of turds... so homeowners... if you want "No Parking" signs put up on your street, all you have to do is petition the city and you can stop people from parking on the street.
ANONAMOUS (DEYOUNG) SAID:
Alger fights with Shaw.
Ummm, no... he ran against her and then supported her run for Assembly.
Alger fights with Smith.
Over a Wal Mart, scored a victory for the community and has repeatedly said he supports Smith overall.
Alger fights with Englander.
Ummm, no... why the hell woud he fight with mini-mitch?
Alger fights with DONE.
Ummm, no... Alger in his capacity as Vice Chair of the LANCC is fighting to defend the NC's against attack... WHICH IS HIS JOB!
Alger fights with Sarno.
Same as above.
Alger fights with other community volunteers (DeYoung, Adler, Nutter, and Frost).
How can he fight with people he hasn't spoken to since they turned their backs on the community and quit like a bunch of 3 year olds?
Are you seeing a pattern yet?
Yes. You are full of shit.
DeYoung is nothing more than a wannabe. He has all these ideas but needs to be in chatge. When he was in charge he had no idea how to run a meeting. Made the very motion to remove him from office and then quit when his own motion passed.
The guy is a fucking bafoon who doesn't attend ANY NC meetings but throws stones at the NC's to try and make himself look better. If he had any leadership qualities he would have worked WITH Alger and the elected board that chose to stay and do their job, and not pout when he couldn't get his way.
He abandoned the people who voted for him once, (all 17 of them) he'll do it again. I know Alger isn't running but ANYBODY BUT DEYOUNG!
I would support the Ramsteads any day. They pay for half of the mailers the NC sends out... that is dedication.
Leaders find solutions
Losers see problems
Excuse me. 10:21PM, please don't drag me into this. Notice the lack of ZD picture. That means un-official, y'all...loser.
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I would like to thank Janice Hahn for the latest Tax proposal. This one is a gang intervention tax. Again property owners will be taxed and for us folks in the valley most of the money will go to fund programs over the hill.
Alger has strong connection to the Hahn political machine. Alger was once appointed to a City Commission by Mayor Hahn, Janice's brother. They have also been allies this stopping any effort by DONE and Sarno from bring order to this circus we call Neighborhood Councils.
He also, while a candidate for the 38th Assembly District, called for an increase in trash fees.
Maybe it is time to dump "Tax and Spend Alger".
fur flies . . . among narcissistic pussies.
get back to the real business of the people and stop stumping for your own political pre-campaigns and pissing down each others legs.
no wonder nobody gives a shit what your NC does.
no wonder Prop R passed by a landslide, except for the 1 in 4 that will vote against anything on the ballot.
no wonder the NCs that fussed about it look like impotent morons, and have to try suing to reverse democratic voting.
no wonder at all.
Yeah 226,000 people VOTED NO FOR PROP R moron. That's a lot of people clowncil should be taking notice of. Here's the words of our midget mayor.
...Again, as you've heard me say again and again and again, my focus right now, as I said to the candidates, is moving forward an agenda that addresses the challenges we face here in Los Angeles."
Antonio's next focus will be TO END THE WAR IN IRAQ.
Walter please change this thread.
Villaraigosa should practice what he preaches.
....In the Democrats' Saturday radio address, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa called on Bush to work with Democrats and "turn talk into action."
First of all, 8:23 this "moron" has the right numbers . . . 255,000 voted against prop R, not your number.
Now substract the mindless
"I'm against everything city government proposes, regardless" cadre that votes against ANYTHING put forward by L.A. City government - as exhibited by the 144,000 votes AGAINST the administrative Prop M on the same ballot, that NO ONE in government opposed and there were no campaigns against, and you get the real number of "No on Prop R" voters, barely over 100,000, or WAY less than 20 percent.
That 1 in 5 "against everything" would vote against universal healthcare, if some private group offered to give it out free of charge at no cost to the taxpayer.
If you want a City Council and mayor who "listens" (always gives in) to an agitated, confused 15-20 percent who believed the lies about term limits bringing "better" government and the city being required to run BALLOT propositions by a handful of self-selected NC leaders, then you deserve to be run over by the real majority.
The movements have already begun, elections are starting up again. One by one, the NCs who have spent all their time contesting city government, and focusing on "citywide" issues over local ones are beginning to fall, like the little tin soldiers they are.
2007 is payback for gross mismanagment, focussing on preambles to personal political careers, and conflicts of interest at the local level. Most city council members are running unopposed because they're POPULAR at home, NC leaders are simply unknown - and it's their own damn fault.
(But you have to love Alger's "we sent thousands of mailers" excuse).
"Soldier, you've missed the target every time!"
"I known sargent, but I've shot twice as many bullets as everyone else on the firing line. Don't that count for something?"
"Between the Neighborhood Council, the Senate, work and a new baby my schedule has really packed up."
What job? What do you do for work Mr. Alger? How do you pay the rent?
Why do you give a FUCK how Alger pays his rent? Oh wait, you really don't. You just like masturbating to the thought of attacking him.
I find myself agreeing, partly with 9:01 am.
There is a percentage of people in the city who would vote against ANYTHING and even though I personally didn't support Prop R I certainly wouldn't give the Neighborhood Councils much credit in the votes against it. Most NC's opposed it but didn't ACTIVELY oppose it so in that regard 9:01 am is correct.
Now to the issue at hand. DeYoung wants to be IN CHARGE and if he can't be the captain of the team he walks off the field. That is simply bad form. I have been actively looking for someone to take my place on the council for a few months now so this entire attack on me and the council is kind of nuts. Of course had Mr. DeYoung actually ATTENDED a NC meeting he would know that.
It is a fair criticism of me to say that I have concentrated on "Citywide" issues. I also don't deny it for the policy the city creates, forms the very rules all NC's must follow. However, our council has 12 members. Craig Michayluk handles local land use concerns, Sam DeFrisco handles the finances of the council, Judith Frazin opines on local beautification such as weed abatement and repainting curbs, Nancy Brimm handles local education issues and the Ramsteads have been deeply involved in attempting to settle a dispute over a Nursery on DWP property so to imply the council does only citywide things is just flat out wrong. I am the rep to the congress and as such, Citywide issues are part of my job on this council but even I delve into the local as I did on Citronia street when I attempted to settle the dispute over city parking restrictions.
Mr.DeYoung doesn't get that. He would like NC's to be a pothole patrol calling 3-1-1 for everything and not truly empowering our community. That is a fair perception for him to have, I just disagree with him.
Whether I am on those council or not his personal attacks on me will be responded to in a different forum. It is old hand politics. He knows it is easier for people to be against someone than it is to be FOR something. If DeYoung had any decent ideas he could have attended any NC meeting and let his voice be heard. Obviously he didn't care enough. Now he is advocating a position that would have the NC not provide funding to the LAPD Devonshire PALS... ironically 2 people on his "slate" are heavily involved in Devonshire Division and know they need money, but DeYoung who puts his personal anger over the safety of the community says that they are actually fully funded. Basically calling everyone who says they aren't a liar. DeYoung would rather the Neighborhood Council pick weeds and not keep our kids safe. I think we can do both.
DeYoung will be held accountable for his false statements but as for his policy disagreements; someone who only managed to get 17 people out of 18,000 to vote for them need not be lecturing me about outreach.
Any individual who resigns after being elected because they didn't get their way is not fit for office, it is that simple. DeYoung has no understanding of the Neighborhood Council system whatsoever. His wealth of ignorance is utterly astounding whether it be on the voting record of the council or even what seats are available. Even his claim that we are trying to spend our entire funding allotment is utterly false.
Oh well, in politics truth is always the first casualty.
This sounds like it will be a bitter, prolonger battle in Alger's NC to determine who will speak for *the people . . .
(*that is, the sub-sub-1 percent that NC has attracted).
Tooth and nail to be king of the hill, of 79 people that vote there for NC board members.
Is it any wonder City Council doesn't take this seriously?
The presidency of the local elementary PTA is probably more important, in the long run.
Not sure what the fight will be if Alger doesn't run... sounds like DeYoung is trying to stake out some territory but that territory may be on qucksand. I mean seriously, who runs for a seat they left once already?
The sad part is that if Alger doesn't run, the good people of Northridge may be stuck with this oaf DeYoung but I understand Jim's point about being able to dedicate the time to it.
DeYoung is a half-assed CPA who is in bed with the Chamber of Commerce (even shares the office).
With the NC's victories for the residents it isn't hard to understand why the chamber would try and run a slate... even if it is a slate of losers.
This wouldn't be the first NC to have a hostile takeover by a chamber of commerce.
More BS from DeYoung
"These four individuals (Ramsteads/Alger)have voted identically on every single vote of the Council"
FALSE!
In fact their have been very lively discussions when they disagree, and NOTHING gets passed without 7 votes.
"Because of multiple resignations last year from the Council, there are 10 open seats."
FALSE!
First of all, Mr. DeYoung it was the entire slate you are now proposing run again that resigned, INCLUDING YOU!
Secondly, their are NOT 10 seats available.
"Apparently the January 9th meeting was abruptly cancelled at the last minute."
Yes Mr. DeYoung, a board member suffered a death in the family on what was already going to be a tough quorum call.
"About 1/2 of last years monthly meetings were cancelled because of lack of quorum and other reasons."
FALSE!
YOU caused the "lack of a quorum" when your slate resigned! In all 2 meetings out of 12 were missed... for a CPA you sure are lousy with math.
Of course DeYoung has missed EVERY meeting so what the hell would he know?
So DeYoung makes the motion to set aside his election, then resigns leaving Alger the only person left to be President... and complains about it???
WHAT AN IDIOT!
Now he actually thinks the people would elect him to a job he quit?
HE MUST THINK WE'RE STUPID!
Sam aren't you involved with the Junior Jaycees? One of my co-workers told me that Mitchell has started this group up to build a base to run for Smith's seat.
She said that some of his JCs were browbeating her to join and told her she had to go to some meeting in Santa Clarita. What is this all about?
Alger ducked the question about having a job in his responce. Does he or doesn't he have honest employment?
He can't be paying bills off Neighborhood Council salary.
Yes he has a job. No, it is none of your damn business how he pays his bills.
If you must know, Jim works for a labor union as a statewide organizer. Now considering the AD race, doesn't that beat all?
I just got my W2. I paid a lot of money in taxes. Finally, Alger and I will have something in common, we are both taxpayers.
the fact that you even care is sad
Jim H ... the election is over. How long do you want to keep this bs going for?
God are you guys some sore winners.
You were obsessed with my employment and supposed record then and apparently still are... Yes, it is true I am working for a labor union. The whats and wherefores are none of your concern.
Can you get over the bs and quit attacking other democrats? It does nothing to help the party and you need to figure out that I am not going anywhere. We are supposed to be on the same side.
The Hilfenhaus can't get over the fact that Jim ran against Lyn. They, like Bauman want "uncontested" elections. Perrhaps they should move to red China.
Fact is Lyn ran against Jim. He announced and filed long before her and she was still sying she was "considering her options" 3 months after Alger filed sh they really need to get over it at the Hilfen-House.
The bigger problem is that Lyn and Jim Hilfenhaus are in this for personal "power" and the hob-knobbing with power-brokers. Alger is in this game to actually get things done and the resent the hell out of him for it.
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