Mayor Sam's Hot Sheet for Wednesday
Attorney General Jerry Brown is catching heat from Sacramento Republicans for suing San Bernardino County for violating environmental laws. Republican leader Dick Ackerman is insisting that Republican support for a budget deal must include a proviso that reins Brown in. What's also troublesome for Jerry - who is considered a front-runner for the 2010 Democratic Gubernatorial nomination - is that during his term as Mayor of Oakland he regularly sought to relax environmental rules to support construction of major real estate developments in his city.More after the jump!
The Board of Public Works has approved a plan that could bring some traffic relief to commuters who traverse Sepulveda Boulevard in the Sepulveda pass. Among the changes is converting the southbound center lane between Wilshire and Mulholland into a northbound reversible lane for the evening commute. In addition, the plan calls for improvements to turn lanes and adding bike lanes.
There's nothing more bread and butter in local politics than fixing potholes. Politicians from Kenny Hahn to Mayor Villaraigosa (who attacked fixing potholes as penance for cheating on his wife) go all out to fix potholes and make sure the public knows they are. In the meantime city crews work under less than pleasant conditions to plug up those road cavities that add to our vehicular maintenance costs. Indeed their work is quite prolific - in 2005 crews repaired an average of 1400 potholes a day.
In my view its bad enough to be a Democrat; its even worse to be a John Edwards supporters. With most cool Democrats lining up behind Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama picking Edwards is liking taking your best friend's ugly sister to the Prom. Edwards - a well known ambulance chasing attorney best known for his well coiffed hair - is about as empty suit as you can get. Luckily for the Democrats he has no chance to win the nomination. Still a number of local Valley Democrats are apparently lining up behind the North Carolina Senator and failed Vice Presidential candidate.
Labels: Mayor Sam's Hotsheet
Posted by Mayor Sam @ 8/01/2007 12:55:00 AM
35 Comments:
"regularly sought to relax environmental rules"
That's malarkey, Mayor Sam.
There's a big difference between turning parking lots into mixed-use condos and converting wild land into suburbs.
Brown's arguments against CERTAIN APPLICATIONS of Ronald Reagan's CEQA in downtown Oakland did not amount to an assault on environmental values.
Indeed, Brown's critique was squarely aimed at anti-development activists in his town who sought to abuse CEQA's provisions to derail REDEVELOPMENT in a very urban scene.
To suggest that Jerry Brown somehow has gone from being anti-environment to pro-environment is completely false and absurd.
It's the usual Republican bull**** line, and it is doomed to failure.
So, let's apply some critical thinking to the talking points instead of parroting a line...regardless of who is drafting them.
Amen.
"Indeed their work is quite prolific - in 2005 crews repaired an average of 1400 potholes a day."
-- In city-terms, wouldn't that mean that there were 2800 crews a day working on the problem?
The Republican flacks complaining about CEQA and global warming are the same ones who ran Poochigian's campaing into the ground. They did not get it then and they don't get it now.
Blocking infill development with CEQA is wrong. Using CEQA to fight global warming is the right thing to do. The existing state laws that are atteempting to control greenhouse gasses are under legal attack both in California and in Washington. In point of fact, they don't go into effect until 20012. The attorney general is rightfully demanding that oil companies and local governments comply with CEQA by indentifying their green gasses and adopting mitigations that are feasible. The Republican senators have come out against all laws tha would curtail greenhouse gasses. Which Democrats will now join this retrograde effort to undermine California's leadership in the fight to reduce dangerous climate disruption?
The existing state laws that are atteempting to control greenhouse gasses are under legal attack both in California and in Washington. In point of fact, they don't go into effect until 20012.
We have nothing to worry about if these laws don't come into effect for 18,005 years.
In 20012 we'll still have groups of people inventing climate emergencies to advance ideological agendas. That is, if another ice age doesn't wipe us out first.
These folks who don't believe climate change is real are the same crowd that said smoking is healthy and evolution is just a hypothysis.
Can't talk to nuts but it doesn't take a scholar to know inhaling toxic fumes isn't healthy and emitting thousand of metric tons of polutants into the atmosphere isn't to bright either.
Unfortunately, it is an inconvenient truth... inconvenient to their wallets.
Mayor Sam there should be a thread for the great David Z does it again with a story on Antonio and his Partnership money. Its a play to pay and corruption at its worst. Only David has the guts to write these stories and they get e-mailed all over the city.
......To help his candidates, Villaraigosa turned to an array of companies seeking to do business at City Hall, including real estate developers, media companies and potential tenants at Los Angeles International Airport.
Partnership for Better Schools received $25,000 from Entravision Communications Corp., a Santa Monica-based Spanish-language media firm that, according to its lobbying forms, is seeking new "advertising opportunities" with the city.
The committee also took $50,000 from Panda Restaurant Group, which hopes to obtain restaurant concessions at LAX. And it received $100,000 from New York City-based Fig Central LLC, which is seeking permission from Villaraigosa's appointees on the Planning Commission to build an 860-unit condominium complex across the street from Staples Center.
The Planning Commission will meet Aug. 9 to discuss the project, which consists of two towers and calls for a 222-room hotel. Fig Central wrote the mayor two checks: one on March 5 and a second on May 14 — one day before Galatzan's runoff election against incumbent Jon Lauritzen and Vladovic's runoff against retired administrator Neal Kleiner.
Another campaign contributor doing business with City Hall was Thomas Unterman, who gave Villaraigosa's school board committee $35,000 between January and April. Unterman heads Rustic Canyon Partners, which went last year before the city's pension board — four of whose seven members were appointed by Villaraigosa.
The pension board voted in January 2006 to commit $5 million to a partnership of Rustic Canyon and Fontis Partners, a private-equity venture fund focusing on businesses in Latino and emerging ethnic markets.
PAY TO PLAY - Didn't Parke Skelton coin this term?
How much money did Antonio's consultants make off these deals? Going all the way back to the anti-secession campaigns, Antonio connected pollitical consultants have raked in millions. Add to this the bond measures they push and it is no wonder Parke Skleton can buy his own private street - a street that used to be public.
Antonio is a cash cow and the political consultants around him are making a killing. Is it any wonder there is no moral oversight on this guy?
6:56
david Z is the best.
david z is the brightest.
david z has the guts.
Look he wrote a story about contributions that amounted to less than 4% of the total amount raised to reform our schools.
And each of these folks donated because they want employees that speak english and can run a cash register, but with the old lausd it was impossible to hire these folks.
The fact that you live with so much doubt in your heart is the only reason people like david z exist.
To play off of it.
"And each of these folks donated because they want employees that speak english and can run a cash register..."
At their new establishment at LAX, at their new 800+ condo develoment, at their new multi-million dollar taxpayer funded media campaign.....
Get off of it - it is PAY TO PLAY through and through. Everyone knows it - especially those people from Miami. Like Richard Alatorre and Mike Hernandez - once the word gets out that you are a SELLOUT - people know what to do to make a deal!
These people would not have donated if Antonio didn't promise to scratch their backs when they wanted something from the city. And low and behold they all got what they wanted out of the city. Antonio is a crook and thanks to David Z who always does great investigations the people find out. Ok, where is Parke, Ace and the other morons who will now personally try and attack David for doing his job.
Maybe I'm missing something, but why would a duly-elected, independent body like the LAUSD School Board abandon a plan to ask the court to force Mayor Villaraigosa to reimburse the school district for up to $300,000 in attorney's fees over his illegal and unsuccessful legislative attempt at a takeover?
This is "LAUSD reform"?
Oh, that's right...the "kids" don't need the money....
Antonio lost all allegiance from progressive young Chicanos when he aligned himself with Alatorre. It was just proof that Antonio would be more of the same politics that has plagued the eastside for the past 35 years. Funny thing is Antonio always told these younger Chicanos that he was totally against Alatorre, even parading around Ron Martinez, Gloria Molina's husband who had made a career of taking on the eastside "old boys" network.
Just take a look at all the convictions, corruption, and straight out deception fostered by Alatorre and his gang. At first they shunned Antonio because of his pro-Molina affiliation, but like any sellout, Antonio still longed for thier acceptance. Well now he's got it, and everything that comes along with it. Antonio's career will end in an avalanche of illicit activity - just like Alatorre's.
10:08
Because that is Parke Skelton's commission!
9:12am. The mayor is systematically screwing the City of Los Angeles. He is raising money
off basically City business for his own political benefit. Why Cooley is not looking into this, I don't know. Nothing in the hahn administration was as bad as this.
I agree with Monica garcia - although for an entirely different reason. If the school board insists on getting any reimbursement, the Mayor will simply go to big business and give something of the City's away in return for a financial contribution. I agree with the earlier blog that the DA should be looking into this.
Good Bloggin Lunch Hour,
Mayor "POLLOVILLAR" must be sad that his favorite P.R. writer at the "OLD GREY HAG ON SPRING STREET", Duke Helfand, aka, "LITTLE DOOKIE", has now been replace by the "Z-MAN". BTW, nice spin attempt by "9:12 AM".
Funny many thought David Z wouldn't have the balls to write the same way he did at Weekly. Guess what? I think his writing is better this time round. Of course you'll have the Antonio groupies trying to tear his stuff apart but bottom line is his stories are e-mailed from NY to Florida and UK this morning. Good stuff David keep up the great work.
David Z can write all the great stories he wants but if nobody (apart from Mayor Sam bloggers) cares, or nobody of any substance runs against the mayor, or nobody of substance independent of the Mayor runs for schoolboard seats or council district seats, or if Steve Cooley turns a blind eye to possible criminal acts by politicians, - what does it matter?
I was noticing nobody wrote much about yesterdays council decision to 245 the ST Home Depot issue, except the guy who wrote "While you have been talking about how great you are, he (Jim Alger) just led the community of Sunland Tujunnga to the 1st ever City Council assertion of jurisdictionn of a North Valley Planning Commission decision ever."
Not sure it was the first, but it sure is news. Dakota communications and Rick Taylor advising on one side, Jim Alger advising on the other and Sunland Tujunga kicked the crap out of Home Depot. Now I know some of you love to bash Jim every chance you get, but he really came through for us and I felt the need to say so.
Thanks Jim!
Oh pleeeeeeeeeeezzzz don't say ANYTHING nice about Alger... that might detract attention from ZD and get him started on one of his paranoid rants again and I'd rather have my testicles remover with a butter knife than go through more of his fits.
3:35pm,
You're so smart! And everyone really, really thinks so. That's what you are known for...being smart!
I thought Wendy did that, 2.59?
Rick Taylor's memo being leaked didn't hurt Alger's cause, did it?
I wonder if Rick will be writing any more memos this year...
Guys, to be fair it isn't "my" cause. I merely support, and have been working with, the No 2 Home Depot campaign for nearly 3 years.
Believe me, that memo was only the latest in a series of bombshells that all have exposed the shenanigans of Home Depot. I just made sure each and every City Councilmember had their very own copy on Tuesday to put the sea of orange shirts in its proper context. :0)
Home Depot should seriously fire their PR firm. their actions have done nothing more than galvanize the community against Home Depot... I could have gotten them the same results and wouldn't have charged them 25 grand to do it. $1,800.00 for a bus??? Jesus you guys got ripped!
Now this goes to PLUM committee and this is where the rubber meets the road. No amount of spin, or threats of legal action, will salvage this one.
Home Depot has 2 choices, prove it isn't a project or submit to environmental review. If these geniuses simply did an EIR in the first place, they would have been open already.
Good evening ladies and gentlemen (removes hat and bows low with a flourish):
Sots, where is Don Jose? Strolling the Via Dolorosa in Israel? (Raises eyebrow) I've heard of coming to Jesus when times get rough, but actually going to Israel is another thing entirely, savvy? And what is our man doing over there? Not sure, really, but there are plenty of reasons to stay here. But let's talk about something else, shall we?
There is an interesting little Mirthala tidbit with ties to the Catorce Quarter and Don Jose. It seems that someone who is on a CD14 neighborhood council recently resigned from the board of a group concerned with saving a certain museum in said CD. That same someone is also a Vice President at Universal and apparently resigned his position on the Board (while still sitting on an NC) so that he could assist Villabarbosa with the negotiations surrounding Universal's quest to develop as well as the cause of a certain broadcaster, savvy?
When questioned about this, Don Jose ignores the question and takes himself off to Israel. Do you suppose that this trip abroad is personally financed? Or is this a trade mission on behalf of the City? (Smiles) Gives a whole new meaning to "kosher" in politics, savvy?
Zuma, lad, the other night we were talking about balls, if you will, and you posed the question about baseball. I have an answer for you. Now mind you, I only play cricket, but I hear that a fastball is about to be thrown along with a curveball. How good are you at catching things in your cap? (Looks up at sky) Oh bugger, it looks like there's a ball headed this way. Let's hope its not a black ball, savvy?
Jim, I'm not trying to be cynical, I am honestly interested in what the S-T Community is trying to accomplish.
The KNBC extended piece the other night didn't seem to help erase the racism charge, nor did it make much sense that Target would move into a community that couldn't support a KMart. One thing it did make clear is that nobody likes people peeing on their front lawns. Wholeheartedly agree with that one....
But, Home Depot has plenty of funding to do an EIR if that's the extra hoop the council wants -- and if the EIR comes out okay, Home Depot goes in, right? (btw, I'm an enviro, I'm all for EIRs)
What are the other mitigating factors that the S-T Community is looking for and is that community willing to sit at the table to negotiate?
Alger is right. HD (are you guys listening?) needs to fire Dakota and hire Zuma Dogg.
8:32 you are correct.
One problem with todays news is in an effort to produce "fair" reporting they give credence to crackpot views. Home Depot didn't pull the race card until a few months ago. They buss in hundreds of EXCLUSIVELY Latinos from Sun Valley so they can create an image of racism. Doesn't fly when the No Home Depot campaign has Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, Armenians, Asians and who knows what else speaking up against the project.
The community is betting on one thing, that Home Depot CAN'T mitigate the impacts. That this is why they have been fighting so hard. (In Thousand Oaks they are leveling a KMart, doing an EIR and going in, SAME MGR Mark Greene is handling that) why is this site different?
As for KMart. The community supported KMart... they went belly up NATIONWIDE and Home Depot acquired land leases from the Bankruptcy court. target has stated repeatedly they are willing to go in.
Jim -
If K-Mart in ST closed down because the company went belly up, why are they still open in northern North Hollywood, in an section far seedier than ST?
K-Mart did go bankrupt but they merged with Sears. If the Sunland-Tujunga market was a good one for them, they would not have shut down or they would have turned it into a Sears.
Your making many assumptions there Sam... Like Sears would even be interested in a small bedroom community etc.
Jim wasn't wrong there. KMart was actually a thriving profitable store in Sunland. That has already been widely reported in the papers.
Why is Times and Cooley going after Supervisor Burke? Saw an old picture of Antonio on ers news today posing in front of Eagle Rock. Did the carpetbagger and his family really live there when he was a councilman since the Mt. Washington house was never sold?
For the past 6-8 years the owner of a restaurant, operated in violation of the law. After numerous citations which the owner laughed at, tore up and trashed, the city finally took action and filed a criminal suit. The restaurant owner failed to appear and a bench warrant was issued. On the same day, the owner also failed to appear before the Public Works Commission which was agendized to hear his request for an outdoor dining permit. The Community, City Staff and the Council Office all testified against this repeat offender being granted an R-permit for outside tables. President Ruiz who has been in constant contact with the applicant knowingly motioned that whatever was decided that day would be predicated on the "proper" notification of the applicant.
Not surprisingly, an error by the Engineering Department mandated another hearing before the Public Works Commission. The hearing took place yesterday, Aug 1. Again, to the surprise of no one, President of The Board, Cynthia Ruiz, supported this lawbreaking restaurateur and used her position by pushing the Board to grant the restaurant owner his full request. A slap in the face of the community, her staff, law enforcement, and undermining the public trust placed in her, President Ruiz justified her actions stating jobs were at stake! (?)
The Commission yielded but wisely reduced President Ruiz' request and allowed only a few tables and chairs to be placed on the Public Right of Way in front of the illegal restaurant. Today, Thursday, Aug. 2, the restaurant's first day with an R- permit and the owner has already violated the permit by placing too many chairs outside a restaurant that should not be open in the first place.
At a Building and Safety Commission Hearing, one Commissioner called this restaurant, Third World. It appears President Ruiz believes Third World conditions in Los Angeles is acceptable.
It is transparent to the residents of the community that President Ruiz is part of the corruption that clouds our City Government. What President Ruiz did is equivalent of giving a child molester a seat at a playground and claiming it good community relations. Arrogant with power, Public Works Queen Ruiz, is blind to her own ambition and complicit to the City's corruption.
More and more residents are expressing their outrage at this administration. In a recent speech which was not covered by mainstream news, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky exposed the Planning Department and the Planning Commissioners for being suborned by developers. A video summary of Yaroslavsky’s is shown on this blog site.
These condescending imperious actions by questionably motivated and inexperienced Mayoral appointees, like Ruiz, should no longer be tolerated!
Zev speaking out about the power of developers is more than the pot calling the kettle black -- he's hoping to distract from HIS own deals by going on the offensive, and it seems to be working with political rubes like you. Maybe the media isn't jumping on it, because they can see it for what it is: the above, and an early stump speech for Mayor.
HE"S the reason we have no mass transit: one methane spill in his then-Council district, Fairfax area, 20 years ago, and he nixed any tunneling anywhere in his district, even though methane is only in Hollywood/Fairfax area.
AND got his buddies at federal level, like Waxman, to nix L. A. EVEN BEING ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL FUNDS, which is one reason it's been so hard to jumpstart the process and get our share: we've been out of the pipeline for decades, thanks to Zev.
Meanwhile, at the very same time, he approved Beverly Center and the Westside Pavilion, over community opposition -- the first of the city megamalls in mixed residential areas. While having nixed the mass transit that could have helped the congestion he was creating...which would have been way, way cheaper 20 years ago, and finished by now.
And he's turning Marina del Rey into a parking lot, selling off all the County open space he can...
He figures he's got the advantage because of having a dumpy wife he's stuck with -- but he's just sublimated his desires into power.
The Supervisors, him included, have ignored for years every national and federal agency's warning to fix MLK Hospital or close it, inertia being their modus operendi. Why not, when they have discretion over billions of dollars with no accountability
So why is he thinking about running for Mayor? Because he sees his last chance at fame, and never got over being defeated for Mayor last time he tried. Like Bitter Bernie, he just can't let go.
I am Horrified that the Moinain Group/ AEG has been able to contribute 100,000 dollars to the Partnership for Better schools so they get to build luxury condos in our city. Too bad that money will not off set all the problems that will be caused by the alcohol that project will be selling to all those USC students.
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