Home Depot BUSTED!
The Daily News published a very interesting story today on the lengths this corporation is willing to go to in order to get their store opened in Sunland-Tujunga. With a budget of over $24,000 just to pack the Council Chambers with paid supporters for the July 31st session, $17,000 of which is devoted to "recruitment", how can they still deny that they are not paying these unsuspecting orange shirted "supporters" money to fill a room on their behalf? Deny they may, but we will soon post evidence to the contrary.
As interesting as their "astro-turf" effort may be, the real story in the Memo that the Daily News acquired, is Rick Taylor's(Dakota Communications)statement that they will "work Commissioner Fortson ...to testify on Home Depot's behalf... and to engage the Mayor".
Since when is a Planning Commissioner available to testify on behalf of a corporation that she just ruled in favor of? The Planning Commission is a quasi-judicial board and should not be lobbied to speak on behalf of the corporation whose case they have just considered in a Public Hearing.
Commissioner Fortson is the same commissioner that immediately after voting to declare the proposed Home Depot "not a Project", said to the City attorney, " I am not convinced that this is not a Project".
Oh Boy! This is down and dirty pool, completely unethical and probably illegal.
The Commissioners are appointed by the Mayor, and in this case, at least one of the Commissioners, appears to be working for Home Depot as well.
The Memo in question was leaked by an unknown source probably from Dakota Communications, Latham & Watkins, or Home Depot. At least someone is trying to get the truth out!
To read the Memo, go to this link:
http://no2homedepot.com/NEWSFLASH.html
To hear my interview on John & Ken today, go to this link:
http://no2homedepot.com/files/JK0727076P.mp3
Posted by Unknown @ 7/26/2007 09:46:00 PM
85 Comments:
Un-effen believable!
Mayor Sam enough. Get rid of this single issue blogger or make him write about other crap. This is not fair.
Mayor Sam,
Please get rid of 10:48.
He whines too much, and
doesn't understand that single issue focus is greatly lacking in this blog!
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa met with the CEO of Home Depot on Tuesday July 17, 2007 in the morning for about 45 minutesin the Mayor's office. Locating more Home Depot stores in the LA city limits was the focus of the discussion. Mayor wants more Home Deopt stores in LA so that LA gets more of the much needed sales tax dollors. Home Depot CEO asked for help with the Mayor appointed North Valley APC Commissioner in the Foothill Blvd Home Depot vote.
Mayor V said he'll see what he can do.
High ranking mayorial deputies called two or three members of the North Valley APC including the commissioner who embrassed herself on THursday night when she tried to explain her vote before she was shut up by the city attorney who was at the APC meeting of Thursday night.
Two days after Home Depot CEO met with the Mayor, Mayor's appointees in the APC voted for Home Depot.
It does not get any simler than that.
Thanks for playing Joe B.
Your scams with Jim Alger nonwithstanding Mayor Tony and Wendy are bringing Home Depot to Sunland-Tujunga.
Boy they fooled you!
11:06,
We are following up on the info you have provided. Thank-you.
Give it up Joe.
It's over.
When are you and Zuma going to get a job?
Joe when are you going to go out with a girl?
Do you even like girls?
Not that there's anything wrong with being gay.
This Home Depot obsession is unhealthy.
And I don't even shop there!
Joe where do you live? I hear you don't live in ST?
Joe you are on the payroll of Do-It Center right? In fact you are a longtime executive with them right? Your job is to travel the country fighting Home Depot?
BARRETT, JOE
Corporate Communications Manger
Do-It Center
Centerville, Texas
You are just sad Joe.
Joe what info?
Do you really think you can go against Villaraigosa?
SAD SAD SAD
you are SAD
JOE!
Where do you live?
Tell the people
SAD
You live in Texas right Joe?
Who rents that Sunland-Tujunga house?
Do-It right?
Where do you really work ASSHOLE?
JOE!
DO the right thing!
Tell the people.
I know!
RIGHT.
DO IT!
SCAM!
SAD!
TEXAS!
We know!
HI JOE!
JOE JOE JOE!
JOE JOE JOE!
RIGHTEOUS!
SUNLAND TUJUNGA
NOT YOUR HOME
DO IT!
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa met with the CEO of Home Depot on Tuesday July 17, 2007
JOE JOE JOE
DO IT DO IT DO IT
TEXAS
HE LIVES THERE
DID YOU PEOPLE KNOW THAT
BULLFROG!
Joe B. said...
11:06,
We are following up on the info you have provided. Thank-you.
July 26, 2007 1
CRAP! CRAP!
OH SHIT!
WATCH OUT TONY!
HERE COMES BULLFROG JOE!
EAT SOME TATER SALAD!
NO SALSA ALLOWED!
BULLFROG JOE
FLOYD THE BARBER
WE LOVE TONIE VEELAR
BURMA SHAVE
HEY I HATE HOME DEPOT AND TONY VEELLAR AND JOE B
WHAT DOES THAT MAKE ME?
the average man would smile on such good fortune because the girl is such a good cook and has the face of an angel.
JOE DO YOU LIKE GIRLS?
omG the folks on this commentary are sniffing too much baking soda. Joe B is not the issue. Alger is not the issue. Home Depot bulldowing through the laws of the City of Los Angeles and placing an industrial retailer in a residential area is the issue. And remind Richard Greene, RE guy for HD, that littering our community with his BMW car trash, entitles him to a citation next time he is in town. There is a much better use for this 11-acre parcel and HD is just flexing (pitiful) muscle when they think that Fortson and Villar are vehicles to their plan. Get a larger container of baking soda, folks!
FUCK YOU JOE
are you saying joe sniffs shit?
the issue is honey that mayor tony sold you out!!! and wendy is next
i know
i worked for both of them!
Yowza! How come so many damn comments!
bless your heart!
Mayor Sam do you know who Joe is?
Mayor Sam do you know who Floyd the Barber is?
I HATE JOE
Oh brother. It's the crap-a-minute poster again. Please don't get behind the wheel of a moving vehicle, you must be drunk.
Glad to see Home Depot getting their $24,000.00 worth out of Dakota Communications.
It is still a project.
Here is an interesting question for the blog... if a serious discussion is capable of being had...
Knowing that under existing law if Home Depot (or anyone else for that matter) would have simply done an EIR and mitigated traffic etc the project couldn't be stopped by any amount of community opposition, why didn't they just do that from the get-go? (Assuming the impacts can be mitigated... which might just answer my question)
It can't be cost. These fools have been sitting on this project for 3 years... they could have been done and over by now for a fraction of what they have spent and will likely lose.
Corporate arrogance? Disassociation? I don't get it.
Of all people, Jim Alger has a problem with Home Depot following the law.
This from a guy who just got bounced out of his position on his Neighborhood Council for, amoung other reasons, his situational approach to the applications of laws, rules, and regulations.
Huh? Is Jim Alger a real person's name? Which NC?
Home Depot didn't do another EIR because it wasn't required, per the City Attorney's office and the Planning Commission -- and existing legislation.
Wendy Gruel is trying to argue that they violated some changes to the internal structure, against advice of the above city agencies. As she warned them, "you do one smallest thing against the EIR, and I'll be watching."
She's putting her colleagues in a VERY awkward position; if they support her on this, every project will/can be placed before the full City Council, even if it meets current legislation.
The way to change these things, is to propose and pass NEW legislation as is being done all the time these days, as with anti-mansionization, enforcing no rush-hr construction, reducing the amount of time/years an EIR is "good," etc. etc.
But this is NOT the way, Wendy. You are being accused of being too developer-friendly, so you want to make a stand here, but it's against your OWN Council's ordinances, as of NOW.
it's obvious that most of the posters on this blog are complete mental midgets that have no credible opinions to submit on this subject. Joe B. does indeed live in the community and if you had a clue or attended any community meetings you would certainly be aware of that. If you can't submit any other comments besides obscenities and inanities you better submit your garbage on another blog. You make crystal clear the fascist mentality and tactics of the Home Depot supporters that just think they can crush the community. You are great representatives for Home Depot because you demonstrate exactly what we are saying about their unethical behavior. Between your obscene scribblings here and the articles in the Daily News and KNBC you have tipped us off as to how this ugly corporation operates.
CORINA !
I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE BEATINGS YOU ENDURED FROM THE WIFE BEATER THE MIDGIT MAYOR !
PLEASE WRITE THE BOOK!
Why didn't Home Depot secure an EIR to start? Part of the argument is that they are saying they didn't need one. The community says that it does not meet the community specific plan(which had been approved by the city)and they they do need one. Which rules apply?
Many folks figure that Home Depot did not go for an EIR not only because of the cost, but because 1)They knew they could not meet the terms set by the community plan once one was done and 2)They were not anticipating a big fight from local residents, which have been the main reason behind the 2-3 year delay of the project.
I live in the area. There are lots of reasons why it would be bad, and I'm sure there are some fair arguments on the other side. I know that legally many of those reasons don't hold any weight except the ones which show that H-D was trying to circumvent the community plan. That is the crux of the issue, but that won't keep H-D from pulling out all the stops. They talk about outreach - what the goal is to divide the community and to change public opinion on the project since the bulk of the opinion is not for but against this project.
How sad that the city of LA needs more tax dollars and that is why they support more Home Depots. What is happening to all of the tax dollars that the city is receiving from all the thousands of homes that were sold over that last few years at over inflated prices. The property taxes that they are receiving should be astounding. Once again it is a problem of the crooked people taking all the money and using it towards their special interests and lining their own pockets.
What a lot of people don't realize about Sunland Tujunga we are community with money. When looking for a home we could have easily bought a home in Burbank, but why? Too many people! We don't choose to live in an overcrowed city environment, but something that feels more like a country town. We don't need a Home Deopt, we need restaraunts, general merchandise stores (not more 99 cent stores) and places for families like a movie theater. We of Sunland Tujunga have been given a bad wrap all of these years because of the bikers that one roamed our streets. How many other places in LA can you go and have a National Forest for a backyard?
Once the fraudulent and illegal methods used to obtain the documents Joe B will be singing a new tune.
Check out the picture on the n2homedepot website of the person they claim is behind calling the group racists, they made him have devil eyes. Kewl.
Yeah, s/t needs a target. So did glendale... until no one showed up.
Sunland Tujunga a community with money? Look at the run down stores /businesses and tell us why high quality stores haven't flooded the marketplace to get their greedy hands on your money.
Such a wealthy community the majority of the businesses are car repair. Hell, even the Rudy's tires chain has two stores 2 blocks apart.
Obviously spoken by someone who has never been to S/T. Glendale has lots of "good" general merchandise shopping -we don't.
Just a hodge podge of unrelated little shops.
BUT - We do have six hardware and building supply companies. We don't need a seventh!
Rumor has it that co-founder Abby Diamond is pulling away from the no2hd organization over the way Joe Barrett has expressed racial views at private meetings.
The city of Los Angeles ignores Tujunga to a great extent. They want my tax dollars and I pay for street sweeping which gets done once every two months if I am lucky. They are scheduled to do it once a month. Anyhow...I've alreay dealt with Public Works on that issue.
Back on the topic of Home Depot, the city is ignoring Sunland-Tujunga. They are choosing to look the other way at times and not declare the Home Depot's renovation of K-Mart as the PROJECT which it is. Apparently it can even confuse individuals on the NVAPC within a matter of 5 minutes.
If I get a permit to build a 5 foot wall and turn around and make it a 5 foot retaining wall it is a totally different project. Home Depot serving contractors should understand this as their customers certainly do and I am sure they preach it at their "home remodeling workshops" that they offer the community on weekends. Getting a permit to do one thing and changeing it to something else is a NoNo and subject to reprimand.
Im amazed at the idiots that post on this site. Most of them, no doubt, work for Home Depot. Of course you dont care about the shithole that company will make our town. You probably live in Sylmar or Pacoima who have already bit the 'industrialized' bullet. Spend some time and go back to school and learn to spell and speak more than four letter words. Or read a history book and stand up and actually make your life mean something instead of being a breathing, walking, useless garbage disposal. Garbage in, garbage out. Countries were won and lost on how much people cared about their homes and families and how much they were willing to fight for them. You of course wouldnt know that. You sit on your ass, looking for a handout, and making accusations of others and have never spent ten minutes working for the betterment of anything, including yourself. You have the integrity of sticky piece of gum that i keep trying to scrape off the bottom of my shoe. You attach yourself to others and suck out their life's blood without adding ONE valuable contribution to yourself, your family or your town. Your a leech.
I dont know about where Joe lives or if he works for Do It Center. But he speaks for me and for what I believe in and busts his ass for it. And for most everyone else who lives in our area. And the ones who live here and are for Home Depot, its only because they have not been informed because, believe me, once educated they would switch tracks in a heart beat!
So 'anonymous' go crawl back in your Home Depot hole and leave the educated and informed people to do the job your too lazy to do.
11:08, take a bow! Well said!
We don't live in S-T; HD has turned our neighborhood into an illegal-filled slum who spit upon our families and our Country. Yet these same hate-filled crazies want to come here and take away jobs that Americans kids want for extra spending money, while loitering about and urinating in our front yards.
The real issue here is:
*Shouldn't communities have the right to make their own decisons on what the character of their neighborhoods should be
*Should closed door deals be made between our elected and appointed public officials with private enterprise that is contrary to expressed will of community without serious penalties.
*Should we hold our public official be held accountable for their behavior and demand they be censored or ask for their resignation.
Reminder: Every community is vulnerable in some way to the same situation that Sunland-Tujunga is going through with Home Depot. We need to take our power and go after our goverment, including the Mayor and all city personnell to do the will of the people. We need take back the ability of the Mayor to appoint commissioners without public input.
Commission appointments should be based on their knowledge and background and not a have any conflict of interest in their positions. We need to express out outrage and not put up this this anymore and take our community back from big business and developers. We shouldn't allow them to make to determine our communities futures!
Why the lack of "nice" stores in S-T and why the lack of a renewal on Foothill Blvd? Historically check it out! Sure we still have our share of auto body shops, but 40 yrs ago it was a place where my parents were able to buy everything they needed within town. There was no 210 freeway, and folks were self reliant. It was a rare treat to sometimes go to Pasadena or to the Valley for something. There were clothing stores, and diners and small general stores; a toy store, a couple hobby shops, a privately run swimming school,office supply store, music stores, 4 banks, a drive in and walk in movie theatres and more. The first McDonalds only came in the mid 70's. Once the 210 freeway was complete in 1977-78, and big shopping malls came, the business district died. Reviving it is hard due to the result of a vicious but understandable circle in which folks don't shop local because the stores there don't fit their wants/needs, and businesses won't come because people with disposable income don't shop in town. I shop the independent stores alot because I think they are important. I've never been to a WalMart but I admit to my share of Costco runs. I shop the local hardware a lot, but have written a share of checks to Home Depot (in the past) too. The reality is that businesses big and small want to mitigate the risks as much as possible - it is easier to start in a known business district than to risk your livelihood for what might exist in the future. Hats off to those small businesses in S-T who are making a go and those who may be pioneers in what they see the town could be. Let's hope the people remember that cause! The city of LA does not have our town's interest at heart, and never really has so it is up to S-T to demand better.
1:45 pm: Okay, Zev, we hear you. So that's your stump speech for Mayor?
That means you won't appoint any more commissioners on your own should you become Mayor? (Taking sole oversight of this power is not new, by the way; some CM's have been saying that. Too bad they can't work with the idiot CA Rocky, to get anything done.)
It's easy to come out blasting at everyone and jumping into the apparent vanguard of the discontent over how Planning Commission decisions are made, taking on Goldberg, Universal project, even Home Depot, downtown to the borders of Santa Monica -- everywhere.
But why do you want to leave that cushy job to enter the fray? Are you getting too old to have many chances left, and figure you want to enter the fray one last time? You can't be thinking of running for Governor or Senate, so...? Is this some sort of late-middle-age identity crisis?
As for Home Depot: it's a shady company all around. Remember the Joel Grover reports on how their remodeling people were told to give customers low-ball estimates, then either not deliver as promised or raise prices to finish the job.
But planning and EIR issues must be addressed through boring facts and legalities. DID HD change the plans he EIR was based on, or not?
I moved to S-T over 15 years ago from Burbank. I love the fact that we don't have big box retailers. I support the local retailers. I would rather go back to crazy overcrowded Burbank to shop and then return back to the peace and quiet of S-T anyday. Anyhow, why would you want to give Tony V any more tax money to spend on his girlfriend than on the city that he is supposed to be in charge of.
My husband worked for Home Depot for a few months in between real jobs. The employees that work there are just as bad as their corporate office. Telling people that the saws, etc were not working so they didn't have to do anything. Also promising to pay someone an amount and when you go to sign your papers it is a totally different lower amount. They are crooks every one of them. If our mayor loves them so much, why doesn't he go work for them and leave our city alone!
Boy that memo sure makes it sound as though this Fortson commissioner is “in bed” with Dakota. This thing really smells to high heaven. It will interesting to see who shows up at the City Council meeting on Tuesday to vote on Wendy’s motion. Section 245 has an “escape” clause so Council members can run for cover on hot issues. See who doesn’t show up and vote. IMO, These are the ones that have been “worked”
Anonymous 2:12,
Thank you for suggesting that Zev wrote my column regarding making the public officials work for us. If he walks the talk he's got my support!
Let's stop the underhandedness by our businesses and city government!
Support Sunland-Tujunga who has taken the lead in fighting the billion dollar corporation. It will also impact the future of your community.
Let your councilmember know that you will not tolerate unethical behavorial by big business or government and they need to be held accountable for unethical actions and they go against the community's position
Anonymous July 27 1:45 said... "Shouldn't communities have the right to make their own decisons on what the character of their neighborhoods should be"
Damn straight. Keep those brown skinned people down in pacomia and san fernando where they belong.
^ ^ ^ ^
Never mind Pacoima and San Fernando. Send them further south... Mexico, or south of Mexico, where they really belong.
Those are some expensive trailers in ST!
If members of the Mayor's Office or other City staff spoke to 3 or more of the commissioners about this matter, it's a violation of the Brown Act. It may also be that due to the nature of the matter before the commission, that it would have illegal for any one of them to have a private conversation with any person. Ask the City Attorney. Someone needs to ask the commissioners who they each had private communications with regarding this vote.
Comments by HD supporters on this blog are obvious. They are clueless and they are trying to incite a war of words.
All Communities should have a right to approve their own community plan. When it is accepted and approved and becomes an ordnance, the city should follow it to the letter. It should not be subject to interpetation.
My messages can be understood by a 7th grader. Clearly, some people on this blog are not very well educated and try to hide that fact with their uninformed, obscene and insulting remarks, as opposed to having an intelligent debate and conversation. How proud you must be of yourselves and how foolish you look to everyone else.
Another murder in S/T today. Check out the current edition of the Foothills paper for the rundown of all the crimes in the area. Funny thing is, these crimes can't be found on the Foothill LAPD division crime website, it's how the city pretends crime is dropping while the white trash in S/T have to suffer.
--
And lets not talk about how the locals drive, worst drivers in the city. The S/T drivers are so bad there are accidents daily on foothill.
7:36 - "And lets not talk about how the locals drive, worst drivers in the city. The S/T drivers are so bad there are accidents daily on foothill."
How bad are the drivers? There is a website, car-nage.com, just for sunland tujunga drivers and their accidents. When you consider the sizze of the area and the number of accidents it's hard to argue the point the local residents care about the community.
Hey 2:12 pm
The point is Home Depot IS FIGHTING AGAINST DOING AN EIR. THEY HAVE NOT DONE ONE!
Could it be that they can't mitigate the problems they will cause at that location in Sunland-Tujunga?
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Confirmed! Mayor V met with CEO of HD two days before APC voted for HD.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Nice to see the anti-HD folks are now spoofing comments under my name. Deleted. In fact, perhaps its time to move this issue off the blog.
May Sam,
No one is spoofing you but the same drunk guy that keeps spoofing the no HD people. Get a grip.
Remove the issue and you admit defeat, Mayor Sam. If you can't beat em, just censor them.
Not defeat, its just getting boring. Do we want to be a forum for astro turf? I don't think so.
Is Wendy going to vote for Home Depot? She might have to.
Mayor Sam deletes negative posts about him but not about Joe B. Selective enforcement?
Mayor Sam got his ass kicked by Joe B and now he wants to censor him.
What a loser!
75 posts on this thread alone and you call it boring?
How much is Home Depot paying you ?
If you delete blog, the hackers will just attack another one. The No2HD issue is really the seeds of a real grassroots effort of the public trying to take control of their communities back. HD is merely the surrogate for this epic battle. We live in this community and illogical as that may seem, we think we know what is best for it.
All persons that are tired of arbitrary control of their communities should be rallying to our cause.
The stakes are very high on this issue which is why I an a recent convert to the NO2HD cause. HD really isn't the issue in my case. I don't really have anything against them. They are just a very poor fit for our community on this particular site. I would scream just as loud if another car dealership tried to build on that site. Their just aren't very many 11 large sites in ST due to the geographic nature of the area.
Now everyone call, write or e-mail their Council representative and tell them to vote for Wendy's motion. Let's take back control. A revolution is required once in a while to let them know who they really work for.
"Los Angeles is a magnet for people from all over the world. Some of them run for public office. Inevitably some of them stray from the golden rule and rule for those that have the gold."
If I'm not mistaken, this IS the reason for this Blog. This is a real grassroots effort. Opportunities like this don't come by often. Call your Council member and tell them to support Wendy! on Tuesday's vote. An e-mail will do. The hard lifting is being done by NO2HD. Make em feel the heat.
It's certainly no surprise that Villaraigosa met with Home Depot two days before the June 19 hearing! After all, he had already reneged on his promise to the Sunland-Tujunga community that he would support their battle against Home Depot while he rode in their 4th of July parade two years ago.
He then proceeded to take the attorneys from Home Depot to China with him. Most likely to help them get business there as well. Oh, he also lets them sponsor his "Big Sundays" so that they can garner all that publicity and tax write offs as well. Did he offer that same deal to Lowes or any other like corporations?
You may recall, Villaraigosa also promised his 14th District that if they voted for him, over imcumbent Nick Pacheco, he would not run for Mayor because he loved his 14th District and he was going to make sure they got their fair share!He proceeded to throw his hat in the race shortly after being elected to his district. Obviously, the Mayor doesn't know how to keep his word!
Wake up L.A. Communities! Sunland-Tujunga is getting screwed and you may be next. Go to City Hall on Tuesday, July 31, to support the Section 245 motion. Make a statement that you support and demand community rights be upheld. Under the present circumstances, the future enforcement of your Community Specific Plans are at risk too.
Specific Plans are city ordinances and need to be treated as such. They should not be interpeted by they Mayor's appointed Commissioners who are not competant in their positions.
I think that it is really mean to bash someone who cares about our community.
Get a Life!
That is what they do best. Bash and lie. They attack Joe B for being gay (he isn't) Abby for things I won't even mention but are untrue, Alger for being "run off" the NC (he moved out of the district) all to avoid the real issue... They don't want to do an EIR.
Joe Barrett, Abbey Diamond and Jim Alger have been standing up for us for over 3 years now and all these jackasses can do is attack them perjavascript:void(0)
Publish Your Commentsonally.
Gee... wonder why that is?
Alger ran and lost than filed numerous protests after losing. All his appeals were rejected.
This is all a matter of public record.
Yes. Alger was determined to not be stakeholder in a decision that has since been publicly stated to be incorrect.
Bottom line is the only reason he isn't on the board is he moved. Had he not moved out of the district, he would still be there. So enough with all the attacks on him and anyone else who dares speak up for the community.
Oh, and Alger didn't lose... he won the A;L Dist 2 seat which was unopposed... in other words he COULDN'T lose.
Joe B served with Cease & Desist demand from Dakota Communications!
Read all about it at LAObserved.com
KNBC will have a special report on the HD vs. S-T battle tonight at 11:35 on Channel 4.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home