THE SHADY REPORT for The City of Los Angeles (05/10/07)
Alright, y'all...so much shadiness happening in the City of Los Angeles under Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, I'm afraid I might show up to City Hall, one day soon for public comment, and find the doors to City Hall padlocked by George W. Bush!?!?
Here are some things Inspector Zuma Dogg is looking into that may, or may not be part of what's being looked into: (AKA: ZD's Bat Computer is working round the clock on -- and seems to be some things on the radar:
* Several lawsuits against the City over civil right's violation, across multiple departments. DWP (employee suing for unauthorized phone survelance), LAUSD (teacher suing for overtime), Ruby De Vera (suing LA and Ed Reyes over political expression violation/termination -- outside counsel hired), Female LAPD officer (sex discrimination/hostile work envronment). I understand there is some connection to all of these for a possible upcoming "collective" (or class action lawsuit, but I don't know if that's possible...I hear it IS from some, isn't from others.)
PLUS, ZD announces Geragos and Geragos suing LAPD in Federal Court of failure to process exculpatory DNA evidence that set the Plaintiff free, after being locked upi for two months.)
* "Dirt" Burnell housing development in Mt. Washington: Complaint HAS been filed with Building and Saftey alleging developer, Michael Zenon (Xenon)submitted substantial mistatement of facts with intention to mislead City into issuing permits.
(Are three CMs tied into this?)
ALSO: XENON was denied a condo conversion in CM Rosdendahl's district over all the stuff ZD has been talking about (vacancy rates, Ellis Act, notification issues). So he is appealing to Council first week in June for permission. Rosendahl claims to be "tenant friendly". Let's see if he and council can stand up to Zenon. ZD says, "Hell Naw". CM will cave and apartments will be converted and Rosendahl will never hear the end of it.
* SW Museum/Griffith Park expansion/Autry Non-Profit: (See ZD/Mayor Sam story)
* Wyvenwood Apartments: Is Mike Fink's Fifteen company (who owns the apartments) planning a demolition to make way for a condo? Huizar claims to be unaware of it...But ZD says he is VERY aware of it. Better demolish all those "historic" buildings and chop down all those dozens of old oak trees to make way.
* ED REYES'S LA River Project: CRA boondoggle to turn LA River project into the "Condorodo River". Just an excuse to build high density housing around no infrastructre. WAAAAAAAY more to come on this.
* Prop K (State Park Bond Money): Waaaaaaaaay too many loopholes to allow non-profits to bamboozle the fund and not build the parks.
* HONORABLE MENTION: Froniter Building Supply, tract maps, bulky item collection fee/tax, Amiga, non-profits paying huge salaries and blinged out rides to the boardmembers we all have heard of, CRA ($14 Boyle Heights bond),
For more info call me at 310-928-7544 and I will be glad to follow up. Otherwise, check the Mayor Sam blog for all of these current stories, with way more to come.
email: zumadogg@gmail.com
Here are some things Inspector Zuma Dogg is looking into that may, or may not be part of what's being looked into: (AKA: ZD's Bat Computer is working round the clock on -- and seems to be some things on the radar:
* Several lawsuits against the City over civil right's violation, across multiple departments. DWP (employee suing for unauthorized phone survelance), LAUSD (teacher suing for overtime), Ruby De Vera (suing LA and Ed Reyes over political expression violation/termination -- outside counsel hired), Female LAPD officer (sex discrimination/hostile work envronment). I understand there is some connection to all of these for a possible upcoming "collective" (or class action lawsuit, but I don't know if that's possible...I hear it IS from some, isn't from others.)
PLUS, ZD announces Geragos and Geragos suing LAPD in Federal Court of failure to process exculpatory DNA evidence that set the Plaintiff free, after being locked upi for two months.)
* "Dirt" Burnell housing development in Mt. Washington: Complaint HAS been filed with Building and Saftey alleging developer, Michael Zenon (Xenon)submitted substantial mistatement of facts with intention to mislead City into issuing permits.
(Are three CMs tied into this?)
ALSO: XENON was denied a condo conversion in CM Rosdendahl's district over all the stuff ZD has been talking about (vacancy rates, Ellis Act, notification issues). So he is appealing to Council first week in June for permission. Rosendahl claims to be "tenant friendly". Let's see if he and council can stand up to Zenon. ZD says, "Hell Naw". CM will cave and apartments will be converted and Rosendahl will never hear the end of it.
* SW Museum/Griffith Park expansion/Autry Non-Profit: (See ZD/Mayor Sam story)
* Wyvenwood Apartments: Is Mike Fink's Fifteen company (who owns the apartments) planning a demolition to make way for a condo? Huizar claims to be unaware of it...But ZD says he is VERY aware of it. Better demolish all those "historic" buildings and chop down all those dozens of old oak trees to make way.
* ED REYES'S LA River Project: CRA boondoggle to turn LA River project into the "Condorodo River". Just an excuse to build high density housing around no infrastructre. WAAAAAAAY more to come on this.
* Prop K (State Park Bond Money): Waaaaaaaaay too many loopholes to allow non-profits to bamboozle the fund and not build the parks.
* HONORABLE MENTION: Froniter Building Supply, tract maps, bulky item collection fee/tax, Amiga, non-profits paying huge salaries and blinged out rides to the boardmembers we all have heard of, CRA ($14 Boyle Heights bond),
For more info call me at 310-928-7544 and I will be glad to follow up. Otherwise, check the Mayor Sam blog for all of these current stories, with way more to come.
email: zumadogg@gmail.com
Posted by Zuma Dogg @ 5/10/2007 01:28:00 PM
13 Comments:
That's Sleazy Huizy easy answer to everything. "I don't know about it" Zuma you should find out who the developers are going to be at Wyvenwood. Bet its the ones who donated to Huizar's campaign. Where are all those 5,000 residents going to go with no affordable housing in LA?
"I was sleeping and didn't hear about it"
Hey Dip Shit, with all due respect to your investigative reporting, did you happend to notice these stories in the LA Times and Daily News?
Audit faults the DWP, contractor on Owens project
The utility is accused of lax oversight of the firm it hired, which is accused of grossly overcharging for dust cleanup.
By Duke Helfand
Times Staff Writer
May 9, 2007
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and a contractor it hired to reduce dust on a dry lake bed in Owens Valley both have mismanaged the project's finances, resulting in as much as $4.5 million in unnecessary costs, according to a confidential audit obtained Tuesday.
The report, ordered by the DWP Board of Commissioners, found that the utility did not seek competitive bids for some of the work and failed to exercise adequate control over two contracts with the engineering firm CH2M Hill.
At the same time, the audit accused the company of excessively marking up costs, charging for unauthorized work and double billing expenses in some instances.
DWP commissioners seized on the report as evidence of CH2M Hill's trying to pump up profits at the expense of the city.
The Daily News reports Lydia Kennard's company was involved.
People are going to jail for less than this.
First of all, y'all...don't say, "with all due respect to your investigative reporting, did you happen to notice these stories in the LA Times and Daily News?", as if it's "my bad". I HAVE been busy on my own investigations, so when i saw it in daily news, i planned on commenting on it, but OF COURSE this recent shiznit blowing up faster than i can post takes precident.
Regarding, 2:36pm aksing to "find out" who the developers are at Wyvenwood", I think I read it is fifteen group, out of Florida. They have an office in LA, too.
AND BY THE WAY, DIPSHIT, I COVERED DWP BILLING CUSTOMERS WHO DIDN'T EVEN HAVE RUNNING WATER IN THEIR AREA, THIS PAST WINTER. Everyone knows they are shady, that hit is like an oldie but goodie. I'm swimming upstream, y'all.
We did know of DWP and two or three other things that are currently going on in the City. The Bat Computer released the Arguilo info on Apr 16. Zuma found about more of it today. If you have any information you would like to offer,the Bay Computer will process it. Unfortunately the Bat Computer does not have the systems available at Jeffer Mangels Butler & Marmaro LLP. We have worked,(to be released later),on other illegial activities of our Council members. Oh well, so many CDM's and so little time.
Hey Zumaraigoza.
With a city the size of LA - that doesn't seem to be alot of lawsuits. Aside from the fact that we live in a litigious society and people use lawsuits to resolve a great number of issues, cities get sued all the time. You know, people see dollar signs when they think that they can sue a city or government agency. Not to say that these people have legitimate issues that they need to go to court over. I'm just saying that you might be putting too much of a sensationalistic spin on things.
Thats all.
Alright Zumraldo Riveradogg!
The litigation has not been filed for some of this stuff yet. Remember we are talking about Federal charges; not the local stuff. Sometimes the District Attorney and the Attorney General are known to move slowly. Everything comes to those who wait.
fed up,
bro, you are totally right. some of these people walk in a place, just waiting to sue...some of these attorney's...we'll we all know what's up in this litigious, overly sensitive, woosed out society. There are toooooooons of cases ZD sees, as he is researching for the one case I am looking for. And three times now, I have reported back, what no other media outlet has.
Ruby De Vera: Common, Federal free speech/political expression case where they have to hire outside counsel and zd has been told to look into expense reports with outside counsels name, for wining and dining purposes. HELLZ TO THE YEAH! (Especially since it was a story covered by Mayor Sam and Joseph Mailander, when it happened; and everyone in the community knew about it.
2) Geragos and Gerogos filing one case, with a second to follow, over Plaintiffs locked up for two and eight months -- while exculpatory DNA evidence went unchecked (in the two months case filed in federal court -- he was first, Mr. Eight Month will follow).
Meanwhile the LAPD officer said they were going to run it, and that the process was underway, but the complaint I read said it was not processed till someone stepped in.
3) $1 million jury award to female LAPD officer.
EXCUSE ME...maybe it ISN'T important, because no one else in the City covers this stuff...but everyone loved Tennie Pierce and the Dog food. (So, I guess you can't do that anymore)
But this stuff is way worse, and a minimizing attitude, like yours, allows it to continue to happen.
This is not fiscally prudent! Some of these big million plus cases (and some of the most frivolous) could EASILY be avoided if the City of Los Angeles, starting with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, would committ to training and education various departments throughout the year. Because laws change, new ones are created, and new officers and other city workers are starting new, constantly. And you can't expect the old guy to teach the new guy. Or expect another staffer to run through some quick paper work and sign a form.
Zuma here's one for you Project Amiga. Boyle Heights has been given over $200,000 from the Gang Reduction Program (GRP) for a made up gang program. They never had a gang program until last year when Antonio was giving out money. They were big supporters of Antonio. They are in the county. They had no qualifications or experience with gangs. They don't even have gang staff, intervention, no programs. What they do is use LAPD officers to go teach classes at the middle schools then write all the shit down to say it was them. Everyone in Boyle Heights knows what a scam they are yet Huizar doesn't do a damn thing and he's given them tons of money. There's corruption alive and well with the gang programs.
Master, per your "Zuma Alert" request for Amerland Group. May come up under a alert request for JH, too. It's on the Bat Radar.
File Number
07-0906
Title
FRONTIER HOTEL
Initiated by
Perry Mover 2007 / Garcetti
Motion - The Amerland Group is the sponsor of a project to modernize the Frontier Hotel, a 12-story 243-unit hotel built in 1913. The address of the project is 112 West 5th Street and is located near the intersection of Main Street and 5th Street.
The project sits on 0.42 acres of land with the building's footprint running along the property line.
The purpose of this project is to convert the existing hotel into an affordable mixed-use development with street level retail space and loft style live-work units on the upper floors.
The residential component will include 243 studio and one-bedroom/one-bath units of varying size. Most of the units will be allocated for low-income individuals who earn 50% to 60% of the area's median income.
The project also includes a number of infrastructure upgrades and restoration projects. In order to make the aforementioned low-income units available, the California Statewide Communities Development Authority intends to issue Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds in the amount of $30 million.
Zuma where can find the developers list on the Wyvenwood Projects. I heard 11,000 people are going to have to be relocated but where? That place is a dump and the owners I'm sure has tons of code violations. Sleazy Huizy hasn't said a word to his constituents.
And he wont. I nobody mentions it or asks about it, it might go away. Just keep asking.
Some DWP employees have spoken to the City Council on numerous occasions about corruption and retaliation at DWP. Chick said she was going to protect whistleblowers. She hasn't. Nahai said he was going to look into over one hundred complaints of systemic mismanagement and retaliation. He hasn't. Add them to the long list of mayoral "do-nothing-blue-ribbon" committees.
Nahai had long standing DWP contractors conduct insider "independent" investigations and the results were going to be made public. Nahai was going to make DWP transparent. What happened? The results have not been made public and Nothing has happened! Oh, except for a little re-training. (Weren't they represented as highly qualified journey-persons rather than cronies.)
Nahai seems to have made an about-face. The results of mismanagement investigations are attorney-client privileged information. Why? Because it would hurt too many executives and managers or because it might disrupt the cozy flow of political support from unions and contractors?
Why hasn't the "investigators" like Chick and Delgadillo, who support the Mayor, found anything? Why haven't they conducted legitimate investigations into the conflicts of interest under their own noses?
It seems by the number of cases moving from Mayoral controlled Boards and moving to to Federal and State courts that citizens and City employees have recognized that Mayor appointed and controlled Boards are inherently too conflicted.
When you consider that William Bratton and Mayor Villaraigosa can't even seem to meet the terms and conditions of a Federally mandated consent decree after highly publicized and repeated civil rights violations, it becomes clear that allowing the Mayor direct control over the General Managers and compounding the problem with protection from the City Attorney office, and support of the Controller is much too one-sided.
Under these circumstances, Bratton, Nahai, Deaton, and the rest, can brush claims of mismanagement and corruption aside and continue the Mayor's present course.
Improvement will never happen under these present conditions. If employees can't blow the whistle without retaliation; If the City Attorney only sues vendors and doesn't hold managers accountable for their contracts or cronyism; If the City does not prosecute the highest levels of management for their failures to control their agents; Then the citizens (with the help of zumadog and the news) need to hold their Mayor accountable. I say the Mayor because the City Charter says, all these Managers and Board members serve at Mayor Villaraigosa's pleasure. And we must conclude, if they are doing these things, the Mayor must receive pleasure from it.
Add me to the growing list of citizens demanding reform. Keep up the good work!
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