Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Tuesday

This evening Governor Schwarzenegger becomes a Democrat. Well not really but he might as well be as he proposes the most socialistic health care program this side of Hilary-care. The Governor's plan will hurt business as well as depress wages and drive up the cost of health care for all. The Governor took the easy way out by proposing a big government plan when governors in other states have had success with more market driven approaches. For years many liberals have praised Canadian style single payer programs - yet the facts bear out the Canadian system has been a failure. When Republicans propose big government health schemes that offer benefits to those who have entered the country illegally what's the point of voting for them any longer?

On her KPCC radio show Tuesday afternoon, Patt Morrison will discuss Arnold-care with a number of experts as well as review the State of the State Address with Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Weintraub.

How does the City of LA handle its ever growing garbage problem (a portion of which for sure will come from the additional illegal aliens who will be drawn in by the Governor's health care giveaway)? Ship it to Lancaster.

LAX wants to deed more of its real estate to low cost carriers like Southwest which is itching for more gates. How do they do it? Buy off bonds the higher priced airlines sold to improve their terminals and take over the leases.

A great example of googie architecture in Downey - Johnnie's Broiler - was nearly torn down - allegedly without permits or proper procedures - before preservationists made it on site to stop the rest of the demolition. Now this old dead, Republican mayor generally believes private property owners have the right to do what they wish with their property. In this case it appears it was the current tenants (a used card dealership) who were behind the demolition without the apparent permission of the owner. Even if the owner wanted to build something else, it would be my hope he would recognize the value of integrating existing portions of the landmark building into a new development strictly from a marketing perspective. Hopefully that can happen. On a sidenote though, the otherwise well meaning presevationists manged to work in Home Depot as an accomplice in this horrific act.

We reported yesterday on County Supervisor Zev Yarovslasky's inability to get around the Westside due to it's horrific traffic. Of course a major issue is that apparently the only folks wealthy enough to attend performances at the Music Center downtown live on the Westside and the traffic is keeping them home. So what would Zev like to do? Lets make Pico and Olympic boulevards one way! I am sure the business owners on those streets will love that.

Full Disclosure has an interesting video blog covering the "ticking time bomb" of unfunded government pensions in California. An impressive panel of experts debate the issue including former State Assemblyman Keith Richman.

Mayor Villaraigosas has proposed an interesting program that would offer significant cash bonuses to those who join the LAPD officer ranks as well as major payouts to officers from other agencies who move over to the LAPD. This could be one way to staff the large number of unfilled LAPD positions.

LA Voice has a piece that suggests that LAPD Chief William Bratton could be fudging crime stats that show Los Angeles has had a significant reduction in crime over the last five years. Looks like our friend Clark Baker of the Ex-Liberal In Hollywood blog and the KRLA radio program Coptalk agrees.

And finally some of the anti-big box people in Long Beach may get their just desserts. A law passed by the Long Beach City Clowncil effectively prohibited Wal-Mart from selling groceries. However nearly 40,000 voters have signed petitions forcing a referendum on the issue. In June of 2008, voters will decide if the city should allow them to purchase groceries at Wal-Mart should they choose. Perhaps the anti-business loons (by the way they're also telling people what kind of houses they can live in out there) in Sunland-Tujunga and elsewhere should agree to a public vote on Home Depot. Then we will know for sure if its true 95% of the "Sunland-Tujugans" rate Home Depot next to Saddam Hussein and the Devil himself. June 2008 is a longtime to wait to see what the people will decide but no matter. Wal-Mart never had any plans to sell groceries in Long Beach anyway.