Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Tuesday

Monday we reported Zach Behren's speculation that the ubiquitous anony-blogger LA City Nerd is none other than historic preservationist Ken Bernstein. In an interview with Martini Republic, Bernstein denies the accusation. Attention has once again turned to Behrens himself, a nice guy talented enough to pull it off. As far we know, the only people who know for sure are the City Nerd himself and Downtown Central City East blogger Don Garza who says he spotted the alleged individual live blogging away at the Saving LA Conference Sunday. Garza however has refused to finger the Nerd (hmmm, maybe a bad choice of words).

City Controller Laura Chick released an audit Monday that says that more than $7 million worth of false alarm fees dating back to 2003 remain uncollected by the Los Angeles Police Department. Chick has issued 51 recommendations, including the hiring a chief financial officer to oversee a reorganization of the Fiscal Operations Division.

Local grocery stores and the union that represents their workers have agreed to a three week extension of contract talks. More at Mayor Sam 2.

An unknown supporter of Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama has created an anti-Hillary Clinton commercial based on Apple Computer's classic "1984" spot introducing the Macintosh. Read about it at Sam Yorty's America.

The Jewish Journal reports on last week's Persian New Year celebration at City Hall. Besides an opportunity for Zuma Dogg to meet the Mayor and snack on some most excellent free food, it was yet another photo opportuntity for Antonio Villaraigosa. However, it was recently re-elected Councilman Tony Cardenas who shows up more often in the Journal's photo gallery than the other Tony. What happened?

Photo op coming up next Friday for Mayor V: Grand opening of the LA Fashion Market. On tap are photos with many top fashion designers, most excellent free food from Tiara Cafe, a performance by Lemon Sun and the presenting to Mayor V the "key to the Fashion District."

Walter Moore blogs that in his view industrial property owners downtown should be allowed to convert their properties to residential use and that the city should encourage "mixed-use" development in this properties. I'd take that a step farther. The incredible demand for housing in Los Angeles is making it more profitable for commercial property to be converted to residential. Ultimately people who live in these properties are going to need somewhere to work, preferably close to home to help us mitigate traffic. The City needs to pursue pro-business policies so that the jobs that come to our city are not just working at the new Starbucks or Banana Republic that goes up near those homes, but good decent corporate, research, high-tech and other well paying jobs that will further stimulate the local economy.

Is there anything more self-indulgent than a blogger bitching that a car dealership required her to leave a fingerprint in order to purchase a BMW? In the world of westside myopia that is Kevin Roderick - better known as the Westside White Guy - Lorna Brown's tale of woe apparerntly merits a significant amount of digital fishwrap.

And finally, speaking of digital fishwrap, does anyone else think that LA Voice has jumped the shark since Mack Reed left? I actually miss old Mack. The "Voice" still has its eclectic mix of varied and local bloggers tossing out nuggets of information here and there, but the solid writing with the twinkle in it's eye is gone, even if he was occasionally sucking up to the WWG. Remember you can actually still read Mack at Metroblogging. (Oh and by the way I am certainly anticipating the obligatory reader comments that Mayor Sam has jumped the shark a) when we were outed, b) when Antonio was elected Mayor or c) when Zuma Dogg joined the blog. My view is those were all very good thing for the blog).