Threading Saturday
"No Home Depot" protesters made it to the Daily News, as did angry airlines filing a federal action for an LAX rent hike. (How would you like YOUR rent to double or triple, despite a written lease?)Interesting fact about the "No Home Depot" administrative appeal:
"Some Home Depot proponents argued that the room full of community activists was actually a front for Do it Center, a competing hardware chain represented by the same Westlake Village law firm as the residents. There is a Do it Center on Foothill Boulevard in Tujunga.
"Attorney Mark Sellers, who represents the opponents, said he is representing Do it Center with the permit appeal, and that residents approached him separately on the same issue. He said both sides are sharing the costs for his services."
Does that mean the protesters are phonies, shills for a corporate competitor? No. It means "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." (What kind of a name is "Do It Center?" Do it?)
Prediction: Home Depot will win, and not because they have more expensive lawyers. (I've beaten that firm at trial, by the way; the trick is to have the facts and law on your side.)
As for the airlines, namely, United, Continental and American, they say they will have to pass the higher rent costs onto their passengers. From personal and recent experience, let me tell you this: if you have a choice, avoid American Airlines regardless of price. I'll spare you the detailed version of the stories about the stinky baby, the four-person check-in, the mold on the ceiling tiles, the failure to notice the names on my wife's ticket and passport didn't match, the plastic bags covering the urinals (why hire a plumber to repair them, after all?), and, of course, the lost luggage (of at least 30 people on one flight).
Anyhow, the airlines' lawsuit against their landlord, the City, reminds me of a beautiful poem by Tyrone Greene, entitled "Images:"
Dark and lonely on a summer night
Kill my landlord, kill my landlord
The watchdog barkin', do he bite?
Kill my landlord, kill my landlord
I slip in the window
I break his neck
Then his house I start to wreck.
Got no reason, what the heck.
Kill my landlord, kill my landlord.
"C"-"I"-"L"-"L" my landlord.
Tyrone Greene, you may remember, was an Eddie Murphy character on Saturday Night Live.
Are you still reading this? Okay, one more story: the City Council is trying to grow a fig leaf to avoid having voters review its assinine "living wage for workers, but only at several hotels near the airport" ordinance. Valley Vote has passed a resolution that succinctly expresses the correct policy position: “Valley VOTE opposes any effort by the City of Los Angeles to regulate the wages paid by any private business.” I would add to that: we should oppose any effort by the City of Los Angeles to regulate PRICES, period.
But wait! The story gets even MORE insane! City Clowncil Member Janice Hahn has a brilliant plan to generate more revenues for those hotels, so they can pay the higher wages she wants them to pay: "In her remarks to the forum Friday, Hahn proposed building a mini-convention center in that area, which she said could bring in smaller conventions and add $26 million a year to the city treasury from increased tourism." Terrific! The City is struggling to make the existing convention center break even, so what could be better than throwing more tax dollars into a SECOND convention cnter, for alll those frosted mini-conventions?
Someone PLEASE tell me what is in the bottled water they're drinking at City Hall? Is someone leaving mercury lying around there, too? These Clowncil Members are mad as hatters, who, legend has it, were driven mad by the vaporized mercury used to cure the felt in hats.
You're STILL there? Okay one more news snack: Hillary's officially running for president.
Okay, that's enough from me. I've got to work on a case and learn more French.
Adieu, mes petits.
Story on Depot: http://www.dailynews.com/ci_5050412
Story on airlines: http://www.dailynews.com/ci_5050413
Story on price controls aka "living wage:" http://www.dailynews.com/ci_5050415
Story on mini-convention center: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-hahn20jan20,1,2412077.story?coll=la-headlines-california
Story on Hillary: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-012007clinton,0,5163826.story?coll=la-home-headlines
Posted by Walter Moore @ 1/20/2007 09:17:00 AM
10 Comments:
Janice Hahn wants a mini-convention center now that her so-called "living wage" ordinance is dying. And just a few days ago, in a knee jerk reaction to the gang trash that is plaguing her district, she announced she wants a tax increase to fund more "gang prevention" programs -- despite the history of fraud and waste in these programs. This woman is just full of *great* ideas.
GOOD BLOGGIN MORNING,
"HOMER ALVIN, CHILD ADVOCATE" is hitting the homes of CD 14 with the follow up to the Arroyo Seco Journal article on HUIZZY HUIZAR's lack of diligence in the Richard Lugo Affair. I guess by reading the mail piece that was send to Mom's, Alvin's heroic intervention made all the difference in getting Lugo off the street......next.
"HUGO MARTIN, WRITE IN CANDIDATE"
Now I will have four dunces to choose from to serve CD 14. I guess Marcos and Minnie will have a special blessing to jump start this joke of a campaign.
"DAY WHATEVER, SUNLAND-TUJUNGA HELD HOSTAGE BY HOME DEPOT"
Where is Ted Koppel to issue daily Special Reports on the brohaha on Foothill. Just for entertainment value, we can have a daily engagment between JOE "THE NATION" B and MAYOR "FREE ENTERPRISE" SAM.
Actually we get that here on this blog.
"HILBILLARY IN 2008"
Walter,
as an barrister, I am asking you to draw up the paper work for the Class-Action Law Suit over the hearing lost that millions of American will suffer from the non-stop "BILHILLARY" sound -bite that we will be subjected to by the Main Stream "WE LOVE RODHAM's BIG BOTTOM" Media.
"PREDITIONS"
COLTS OVER PATS
SAINTS OVER BEARS
FREEDOM AND FREE ENTERPRISE
"RED SPOT OF REASON IN CD 14"
Seriously folks, I am trying to confirm a rumor about two of Huizar's former staffers (not Alvin) who have retained an attorney for litigation against the City. And for the record, I didn't hear this from anyone connected with Alvin's camp. I heard this one from within the City itself.
Red Spot,
The guys name is Henry Lugo.
And yoo may be right, it might not have been Alvin but one thing for sure - it wasn't Huizar. But somehow Lugo is off the street.
Alvin's mailer points out two glaring facts - Huizar is an incompetent councilman and an inept father. He'll lose plenty of votes over this - and it's still just January!
11:35
I believe one of these staffers is Ana Cubas. She is going nowhere in politics, her looks are fading and she is looking to cash in on a sexual harrassment case against Huizar. She has known Jose since Berkeley and after Padilla fired her, she went to work for Huizar at the school board. Her career is at a dead end and she is trying to cash out. The only thing moe loose onr her than her reputation is her mouth and she is blabbing quite a bit.
11:45,
If "HENRY LUGO" is indeed the correct person, then Alvin needs to make a correction to the voters who were send the campaign piece with a pitcure of "RICHARD LUGO".
"RED SPOT OF REASON IN CD 14"
P.S. fact checking is a detail that is not to be overlooked in making these types of allegations
Ana Cubas? I heard the same rumor and that it was two guys, one of them not being Alvin.
Walter:
Janice Hahn's Living Wage ordinance is alive and well. Walter, we're going to have an great debate on why this measure should be passed by the people. We are going to find out whether we as a City stand by our core principles of respect and compassion for people who work hard, who represent face of Los Angeles to people who visit our City, and who are endeavoring to meet their basic living expenses of food and rent but are being paid at near poverty wage levels.
Walter, is that right? Many of these hotel workers are single moms.
Apart from smoothing out the rough edges for the hotel service workers, paying them more is good for business. This is supported by academic research.
Is there a limit to government regulation? Of course. But Walter, let's get beyond the same worn out arguments that were used back in the last Century to justify the continuation of sweat shops or child labor. There is a level of basic social justice and equity our society should uphold. Paying a living wage just above that considered "poverty" by the Federal government is a reasonable place to start.
These hotels are more than capable of competiting on the basis of quality service and related efficiencies rather than doing so on the backs of these airport hotel workers.
As for building a mini-convention center, what's wrong with that idea? The City has an interest in getting more people to stay at these hotels. Their room rates are among the lowest in the City. It's a classic example of how the City helps business. Instead of being critical of Councilwoman Hahn, you should be supportive of what is a practical, positive, pro-active, progressive approach.
Just keep an open mind Walter.
What Janice Hahn is doing with her $50 Million gang prevention set aside fund is once again asking the people to think hard and long about the core question of how we allocate our resources (who gets what, and why?) and whether we are being true to our princples of providing for the health and welfare of our fellow citizens. (What are we doing, and why?).
That's a debate that needs to occur. Janice Hahn has faith in the people to make the right decision and in any event she wants the decision to be brought to them for consideration. For that, she should be applauded not condemned. This problem is not going away. We must develop the kind of political consensus needed to meaningfully confront it.
Do we ignore the problem? Do we just do supression? If there is fraud and waste, identify it. But in the absence of a meaningful, well-directed, effective financial commitment, we're just going to continue to pander to the people and dance around the edges of this gang problem.
I'm all for efficiency and effectiveness and so is Janice Hahn.
Since you are as well, I challenge you to put your extensive brain power behind the ways and means to accomplish the desired objective of abating this gang problem.
The No on Home Depot people do receive funds from Do It Center as well as the unions. There may be some staff positions involved for the some of the folks you hear protesting. The regular folks from the community that are part of the fight are truly against the home Depot but it has been said that the leaders are paid by Do It's representatives. Someone should do the research and be amazed at what you will find.
How we allocate "our" resources? Right! How "we" steal taxpayers' money, and insinuate "ourselves" into other people's businesses is what you mean to say.
I have posted a new item on how the city should reduce crime and traffic. Please take a look. The world is simpler than you realize, in my opinion.
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