Oh no...Huizar's Planning Deputy, who is NC Boardmember, Is Also on "912 Review Commission" (Forgot to tell me THAT, Joe before you hung up on me.)
***** UPDATE *****
PUBLIC COMMENT:
MAYOR SAM BLOGGER WEIGHS IN ON HUIZAR STAFFER CONFLICT WITH GOOD TAKE!
ZUMA DOGG DISCUSSES NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND DELIVERS "RENTER" AND "DENSITY" ALERT ON KTALK 1150 AM (Mark "Mr. K" Germain)
AND REMEMBER --
THE GREAT KEVIN JAMES, Mr. K's former air-mate at KABC is BAAAAACK on-the-air at 9pm on 870 KRLA. TUNE IN TONIGHT, I'm gonna try and call in. Couldn't get through last night, gonna try tonight to talk about this, and catch up with Kevin on all the "fraud, waste and abuse" the past seven weeks, since he has been off-the-air.
AND KEVIN -- Check this out: Today during my public comment I mentioned, "City Council, I would like to inform you that KEVIN JAMES is back on the air on 870 KRLA, and he talks about the mayor and city council a lot, so you should tune in.
Meanwhile, Garcetti was smiling, nodding his head up and down in acknowledgement, as if he knew and was happy about it to. So, I'll try and remember to say hello to Eric on-the-air and re-cap the story for Kevin.
Meanwhile, looks like CM Jose Huizar's Chief of Staff Joe Avila wasn't too happy about Zuma Dogg disclosing that Huizar's Eagle Rock Planning Deputy also sits on the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council BOARD -- BUT THIS JUST IN...
ALSO
SITS
ON THE 912 NC REVIEW COMMISSION. JOSE! You make it hard for a pueblo to adore you...you see -- Big ZD, from the 213, has also heard THAT HIGH LEVEL CITY HALL INSIDERS ALONG WITH LEADERS OF THE COMMUNITY EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER THIS CONFILCT OF INTEREST -- AND TOLD YOU IF YOU HIRED JESSICA MCLEAN AS YOUR PLANNING DEPUTY -- SHE SHOULD STEP DOWN FROM THE NC REVIEW COMMISSION.
But why would Huizar have her do that? After all, the whole point is to have the system stacked in the houses favor. So Joe A, is that why you were so defensive when I called you today? You see people, someone told ZD that Jessica stepped down from the NC Govt Relations Committee when she went to work for Weezy. (That's cool, right?) So, I wanted to go out of my way to verify to see if this were true, because it would have reflected more positively on the situation, in my opinion.
But Joe wasn't interested in clarifying that, because he was very defensive of the fact that there was nothing illegal about it, so what is my problem with it? And that she recuses herself on issues there is a conflict of interest over.
Then I said, "Yeah, why do we have to go to these measures?" (You lose out on leadership when you do that. Just get someone who doesn't have a conflict of interest because they are not a paid City Council staffer.)
Cause here is another problem, this time as Eagle Rock NC Boardmember:
As Huizar's Planning Deputy, she has priviliged "inside" information, that is not released to the public. As NC Boardmember, she can use the information against the City, if against a City project. Or more likely, help be good PR for the City's position on a project, based on that inside info. And other NC memebers are going to be looking to her for her inside info, and that creates conflict of interest.
City Hall can defend it, and say it's legal all they want. Were talking the "perception" of impropriety. It's gonna:
* piss off the community
* create constant suspicion of all councilmembers
* undermine the credibility of the NC system
* disenfranchise the pueblos
* create outrage
PARTIAL RE-CAP OF ZD'S CONVERSATION WITH HUIZAR CHIEF AVILA:
ZD called Huizar's office, because I heard that McLean may have stepped down from NC, when she was hired by Huizar. And if so, that would seem a lot more ethical, and I think it would look a lot better. And I told him that was why I was calling.
He immediatley went into, "It's legal. What's your problem with it", mode.
I started to explain NC was created as a way for the public to provide input...
He cuts me off and says he knows what NC was created for but, "Why is this on your radar?"
I explained my concern as to the confilct of interest. His response was, "I know, I know, but why is this on your radar now?"
He defended the point as to how it was perfectly o.k., and she recuses herself over conflicts of interest and he couldn't figure out my concern, and kept asking me why it was on my radar.
I asked if he knew if she stepped down, and he told me that he did not know if she had stepped down, or not (as Govt Relations/Boardmember).
So I dug a little deeper, to find out on my own, because I didn't want to be making the claim, if she had stepped down from the Govt Relations Committee. She did indeed step down from that, but is still an Eagle Rock NC Boardmember, and has not stepped down. AND THEN, DURING THIS FOLLOW-UP (BECAUSE JOE AVILA WASN'T WILLING TO TELL ME WHETHER SHE STEPPED DOWN, OR NOT, SO I HAD TO SPEND MORE TIME AND CELL PHONE MINUTES (MONEY) TO FIND OUT SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE MADE HUIZAR LOOK MORE ETHICAL:
I FIND OUT SHE SITS ON THE NC REVIEW COMMISSION, AND YOU WERE WARNED BY CITY HALL PEOPLE SHE NEEDED TO STEP DOWN BEFORE YOU HIRED HER AS PLANNING DEPUTY. HA!
(It's this defensive, mean-spirited, combative, in-flexible nature that is why everyone in your district is doing so much research and hollerin at they Boy, Zuma Dogg.
I felt so bad that it was another CD 14 mess, so I told him, "I'm sorry this fell in YOUR lap. You know people in CD 14 sit there and research this stuff all day, but I'll be looking into this, city wide in all districts. I'm sorry yours was the first one brought to my attention; and now I will be looking at all districts citywide, this is a citywide issue. It's not like I'm targeting you guys.
JOE AVILA: Well you targeted us today, Mr. Dogg, so have a nice day. (click)
AND...THIS JUST IN...ONE OF ZUMA DOGG'S CITY HALL INSIDERS SAYS THEY ARE "CONFIDENT" THIS IS HAPPENING IN OTHER COUNCIL DISTRICTS AS WELL!!! COUNCILMEMBERS: I WILL BE ASSIGNING MY BATCOMPUTER TO THE TASK OF MATCHING YOUR STAFFER'S NAMES TO NC LISTS. (So Avila, I hope you at least apprecitate that I spent my time and cell phone minutes trying to see if this is just a Huizar problem, or a Citywide problem. Again, sorry someone from CD 14 figured it out first...BUT BRO...ON THE REALEST...YOU ARE JUST WAAAAAAAAAAY TOO DEFENSIVE ON THIS. You should at least say, "Yeah, ZD...I can understand your concern. Unfortunatley, for better, or worse, it's legal to do this, so maybe you should see if there is a way to close the loophole.
OR, you could have even said, "It's legal, but yeah, it looks bad, so we are going to have her step down from the 912 NC Review Commission, in an abundance of caution and to avoid the apperance of shadiness, and all that other stuff I mentioned above.
Joe, you're smart as hell, and you know I admire you for your sharpness and legalese...but you're suffering from "Jack Weiss Syndrome". As Sgt. Hulk once said, "Lighten up, Francias." She sits on the review commission, but you accuse me of targeting your office.
Posted by Zuma Dogg @ 5/29/2007 07:17:00 PM
22 Comments:
And, your point is....?
C'mon, this is SOP for every office.
Give it up, Pollyanna, thre is nothing to see here. move along.
MEMO TO THE "ZUMA DOGG, ESQUIRE",
The "BREAKING NEWS" is the following, "HIS POLLONESS" is going to endorse Hillary Clinton for President. The "LA ANTONIA TIMES" has a "PRESS RELEASE, err, STORY" on their web site. You are the talking ad for the MAYOR SAM BLOG.
Hoody hooooooo!
Big ZD is on the airwaves!
Red Spot,
Yeah, is saw the press release about antonio endorsing Hillary, and was gonna post it, but said, "Who cares who he endorses?"
It's not really that newsworthy. I mean they ask Puff Daddy who he endorses for president, and hollywood actors...i don't care that ben affleck endorses obama, or that tony endorses hillary?
I care what tony is and isn't doing here in the city.
I know nunez loves walking around telling everyone how they better pander to his community "if they want to advance their agenda advanced in America.
I guess Antonio's endorsement is newsworthy to Hillary supporters in the sense that it gonna wound her, politically when the shiz hits the fizz.
So are Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton and Cindy Sheehan.
Although not as big, you are as silly.
Yep, Antnio's endorsement is meaningless.
Just as the new majority on the LAUSD, Kevin deLeon, Jose Huizar, etc.
Get real, Elliott, it is your endorsement that means nothing; his means everything.
Do the math.
Kevin James is a "GODSEND". He is actually giving the "KENNEDY REPUBLICAN" props for his comments on our Gang Problem. BTW, "ZUMA Chick-en" where is the audit of the "LA Bridges Program ?.
BREAKING NEWS !!!!
Mayor Sam is on the radio with Kevin James. "MAYOR SAM NIGHT" on the Kevin James Show. Michael you are right on about Kevin being the next generation of George Putlum and Ray Breim. Expousing common sense on the issue of immigration.
Finally, good radio in town!
Red Spot when this blog starts making money we're going to need to buy a spell checker. :)
But yes, its good to have Kevin on just to present an alternative point of view to the liberal talking points in the Daily News, LA Times, local news, etc.
And indeed, I believe Kevin has been given an awesome responsibility of assuming the mantle of George Putnam and Ray Briem for this generation. And he will do it.
Given the near meltdown of KABC, its really only Kevin and John & Ken who are out there telling the truth.
It's pretty funny that Councilmember Huizar is willing to hire staff and then not force them to remove themselves from potential conflicts of interests in their community due to their new role. It's also pretty funny that in Jessica Wethington's bio on the Neighborhood Council Review Commission (http://www.ncrcla.org/default.asp?PID=9) doesn't mention that she works for him.
It's not about "oh, well it doesn't matter what we do, some people will never like us". It's about making sure that the public has confidence in those who were elected to represent them and their ability to let the community have a voice that represents the values and the principles of those who live within it without the fear of having it be directly influenced by the Powers At Be.
Jessica Wethington needs to resign both her roles - Member of the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council and Member of the Neighborhood Council Review Committee. If the Councilmember was going to clean out some of the staff that weren't cutting it, he should have also cleaned out some of his staffmember's extracurricular activities.
Talk about corruption Sleazy Huizy has no ethics whatsoever but then neither do any of the council members. All his staffers are pathetic lapdogs. They always looked stressed and boy does he have a huge turnover of employees. Jose surrounds himself with a bunch of gay guys who he can manhandle. They are weak like Joe Avila who is an idiot. They don't even know how to lie their way out of anything and make fools of themselves at community meetings making up excuses for Don Jose. And what up with the thick eyeglasses? Thanks Zuma for putting this out so everyone knows what a slimy snake Jose is.
McLean was on the ERNC and the 912 long before she worked for Huizar.
Why SHOULDN'T City Council hire active community-minded people? That's what civic engagement is all about.
As an attorney I encounter conflicts of interest all the time. Doesn't mean I'm corrupt. Conflicts are a fact of life and business.
Disclose and recuse, that's how to handle conflicts. I'm sure this lady does the same.
Your theory would mean anyone who sells real estate (if there is a homeowners seat)or works for a school (if there is an education seat) would have a conflict of interest and shouldn't serve on a neighborhood council.
Maybe they would face conflicts depending on the issue. The point is not the conflict, but how it is disclosed and handled.
If she is a planning deputy for Huizar, and doesn't do planning for the ERNC or the 912 who cares?
Good for anyone who wants to serve time on a neighborhood council and make their neighborhood better. The whole thing was too crazy for me.
There are plenty of other actual conspiracies going on in the city. Why not look for one?
A City Councilman hired a Neighborhood Council leader who cares about the community as a city council staffer.
ABOLISH NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS BEFORE THEY INFILTRATE AND UN-CORRUPT CITY HALL!
ZD, this is some of your most whack shit to date. Your problem is, you don't know how to distinguish a real controversy from a fake one. Or worse, you don't care. You need something to complain about or you feel irrelevant. Just cut it out.
The news that Huizar hired a community activist as his planning deputy should have been viewed as a HUGE victory for us "real people." Instead of another paper-pushing, excuse-making bureaucrat, we got someone with knowledge of the community AND a personal knowledge of what people really care about.
Your conflict of interest complaint is just plain dumb -- and misinformed. Not only is it perfectly legal, but it's common. And a good idea. I WANT people with connections and knowledge serving on my NC. Several Area Planning Commissioners serve or have served on their local NCs. A number of council deputies serve on NCs. The only caveat to all this is that the person has to recuse themselves from issues related to thier professional responsibilities (i.e. McLean shouldn't be voting on or debating land use issues at the NC, which I'm sure she is not).
As for the 912 Commission, she was there before she was hired by Huizar, so why step down? If her job was NC-specific, I could see a conflict, but as it is, she just brings more experience and knowledge to the table. Besides, several other commissioners work in other capacities for the city, or are married to city employees -- or, even more sketchy, have land use apps pending before. Do they all need to step down? (Maybe so... but thosee questions are much more interesting and complicated that Jessica McLean being a council deputy).
You do some good work, Zuma, but you too often run your mouth before considering whether you need to, or whether you have enough information. You should pick your battles more carefully.
A number of council deputies serve on NCs.
The people have a right to know who the hell these people are. If it weren't for Zuma many people wouldn't have known Sleazy Huizy is once again behaving slimy. No one knew DP or other council staffers were on NC's. I doubt if all CM's have their people on NC's just the more corrupt ones. Zuma can you do an investigation and I'll ask around to and find out how many of these PAID STAFFERS are pretending to be volunteers to get things done. This is as bad as Playa Vista NC that got blamed by media for putting dogs on ballots and had people vote for them.
Hey, ZD - here's one for you. Check out this amazing video on YouTube of the Glassell Park Neighborhood Council 5/15 meeting where the board intimidates a stakeholder:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev7lrO5aURk
Wdiscussion of stakeholder videotaping of the meeting took place, Bradley, GPNC Chair, states categorically that the stakeholder has no legal right to videotape and that he has confirmed this not once, but twice!!! with the city attorney's office. (Who in the city attorney's office told Bradley this absolute falsehood -twice yet! This misleading info is absolutely WRONG information. The stakeholder is told by the GPNC board that she MUST share a copy of the tape with the board (wrong!); that she MUST obtain a release from each board member before she can videotape (wrong!); and ultimately, Bradley tells the stakeholder to either stop taping or leave, and the stakeholder leaves. Now that's keepin' your stakeholders involved! Who needs outreach or inclusiveness, much less compliance with The Brown Act????
I dont believe that she made it clear to the NC that she is as involved in politics as she is. Another person beginning her political career in ER.
What does that mean "she didn't make it clear to the NC"? They know she got hired. It couldn't be much clearer. That's stupid.
10:04am,
And yet NOTHING has personally pissed me off so much in the past year. And I was just at the Boyle Hts NC meeting (no quorum, thank you) -- and when i told that to the room, they laughed their ass of when I said, "I called the 912 review commission to complain that a deputy was on the NC board, and i found out she was on the commission, too. So you can spin that legal sh*t all you want...
it's perception vs reality.
AND IT DOES PRESENT CONFILCT OF INTEREST OPPORTUNITIES, AND IF I CAN THINK OF THEM, THEN THEY ARE REAL.
So although you are minimizing this, and complimenting my other work, and telling me to pick and choose my battles -- only says to all the other readers that something is up, here. if it was nothing, why even comment.
So again, I know it is currently legal...EMPHASIS ON CURRENTLY...but this is a matter of policy and ethics. (If they had ethics, they would create a policy.)
And I'm not gonna get into a liberal debate over denying those poor, poor Councilstaffers their right to participate in NC, as stakeholders...it looks bad...and does not play well with the pueblos.
Jessica Wethington McClean, or Mc-UN-clean it should be, is as dirty as they come. Huizar likes her because she lies as much as he does. Previously she was the chair of the ERNC land use and planning commitee- even then she supported rich developers that supported Huizar- She is most charming when she is sticking to you.
BTW, when Antonio ran against Pacheco in 03, jessica spent early election night at Pachecos Party- then rushed down to antonios party once it was clear he was the winner- and then schmozed him like she was in his camp all along- and BTW was accompanied by Dalila Sotelo the whole time, who schmozed her way into president of the LA Fire Commission- zuma, you might want to check her out- no one has ever matched the description of "Corporate Psychopath" better than these two.
I stumbled on this post looking for something else so who knows if anyone will see this comment but here it is.
Hey 11:51 a lot of people pay respects to both candidates on an election night when they know them both of them, and that's fine.
People from Antonio's own campaign came by to pay respects to Nick because even though he lost that night he's still a decent guy, and that showed class.
It's good form to pay respect to someone who you respect - no matter which ballot box you checked earlier in the day.
If you knew more about how things actually work you wouldn't try to fabricate controversy or conspiracy. But then it looks like that's what thise whole post was about anyway.
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