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Saturday, October 13, 2007

Villaraigosa's "Informal Advisor" Richard Alatorre Featured In Today's LA Times

QUESTION: Is Richard Alatorre (see story below) now lobbying for a certain well known Charter School operator/principal/school facility owner regarding Debs Park in Boyle Heights? In 2005, Marcos Aguilar wanted to open a school on Debs Park land. Maybe this is a different Charter School operator that Alatorre may be lobbying for. But since he isn't a registered lobbyist, you can't really call it lobbying -- or can you?

RELATED STORIES
ZD on LAANE/(Profitable) Non-Profit Affordable Housing
Is Former CM Alatorre Consulting Villar on New "Personal Income Tax"

from latimes.com:

Alatorre's back as unofficial lobbyist [Did he ever leave? I thought he is Villariagosa's "brain" (consultant)/"affordable housing"/"non-profit" think-tank all along?]

The former councilman, who left under an ethical cloud, has returned as an unregistered advocate for companies seeking city business.

By David Zahniser and Ted Rohrlich, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
October 13, 2007

Six years after he left the public stage -- his reputation in tatters after admitting that he took cash from people trying to influence him -- he has returned as an advocate for companies seeking city business.

He (Alatorre) is an informal advisor to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. [See...that's just what I thought. Thanks!]

On behalf of various businesses and unions, he has called upon at least five City Council members and mayoral appointees at the Department of Water and Power, the Department of Recreation and Parks, the Planning Department, the Housing Department, the Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles World Airports and the Community Redevelopment Agency, according to interviews and records.

But unlike dozens of other political professionals who do such work, Alatorre is not registered as a lobbyist under the city's open government law. Registered lobbyists must reveal whom they work for and how much they are paid, or they risk jail or fines.

Yet, in many ways, Alatorre has been in plain sight, showing up at public meetings and walking the corridors at City Hall. Five council members -- Richard Alarcon, Jose Huizar, Bernard C. Parks, Jan Perry and Herb Wesson -- say Alatorre has spoken with them over the last 18 months on behalf of at least one of the following: (see full article/link below)

Association President Daniel Cobos said his union paid Alatorre $7,500 per quarter for about a year and a half to lobby the City Council and state government. "Because of his lobbying we did get the support of the City Council," Cobos said.

The Ethics Commission law in effect then defined a lobbyist as anyone who was paid more than $4,000 per quarter to communicate with an official on behalf of a client. The union's payments alone might have required Alatorre to register with the city.

[Then, esscuse me? Why isn't he registered as a lobbyist? Does Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's office care to comment?]

At some point in the last year, Alatorre also met with Ron Deaton, the DWP's current general manager, on behalf of NTI Group, a company selling a communications system, according to a DWP spokesperson.

Villaraigosa-appointed board members of the Community Redevelopment Agency, meanwhile, say Alatorre lobbied at least one of them in August on behalf of Amerland Group, a developer of affordable housing. The board subsequently voted to give Amerland access to $8 million in public grants and loans.

Federal authorities suspected Alatorre of extorting cash from the owner of a low-income apartment complex in Boyle Heights. The businessman, Samuel Mevorach, told the FBI he feared that if he did not pay up, Alatorre might have him cited for building code violations.

full article...much, much more.

zumadogg@gmail.com
NC blog

Labels:

42 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said:

What's the big surprise, Alatorre never left the government scene, even after his daughter was taken away from him when he failed a court ordered drug test.

Alatorre's sister "worked" for Villar when he was a councilman and she works for him now. This is the sister that took the rap for one of Alatorre's many ehtical fines. There is an air of shadiness hovering over the Villar administration

Pacheco took Alatorre out with the truth and then Villar took Pacheco out with lies and inuendos. Fabian is cut from the same cloth.

Alatorre, Villar, Nunez, Cedillo, Hernandez, Alarcon, Molina - the Latino political establishment has long been hijacked by an ultra liberal core of easily bought dumb shit whores. Funny that the Latino community by nature is rather conservative. This is democracy in action in our barrios.

October 13, 2007 12:01 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

It is a shame that things like this exist. Yes, there are a few of the Latino group that defy rules for personal interest. What should we do about it? We need to elect public serving officials. We need to prosecute those that don't follow the law, the rules set forth. We need consequences. We need an ethics department that don't have a commission appointed by the mayor but by nomination and added to a ballot. I believe some of them have good intentention but money thrown at them is too easy of an opportunity. So, let's reform. Let's change policy. We need someone like Mr. Stern and the other watchdogs to not only talk about the corruption but help to reform it.

This is ridiculous and it won't change until the people are informed in a bigger capacity of the wrong doings that are going on.

October 13, 2007 12:26 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

This group of electeds does NOT want reform; they like the system the way it is, so they can talk "good government" but then go about doing the opposite. Still no appointment by Garcetti to fill the fifth seat on the Ethics Commission (the one previously held by his dad), but Garcetti did put Jack Weiss on the Rules Cmte.... The very same Jack Weiss who hates the Ethics Commission and would just as soon see it eliminated and/or weaken any authority the commission might have.

That ain't good government. That ain't reform. That is "let's keep on doing business as usual..."

October 13, 2007 12:37 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

What "Charter School" is Alatorre schilling for ? What parkland are they looking at ?? I bet the answer is "Academic".

October 13, 2007 12:38 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Gangsta in a suit.

October 13, 2007 12:50 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

just as i would delete anyone "fake posting" under my name...i gotta delete any comments claiming to be antonio villarigosa, richard alatorre, or anyone else that isn't really them. even though they are clever and hilarious.

October 13, 2007 1:12 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

So, go investigate the "Ethics" Commission, now, there's an oxymoron if I ever heard one.

Why doesn't Lee Ann Pelham charge Alatorre?

October 13, 2007 2:47 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

2:47

I will do you one better. When will Bill Boyarsky write about this on WWG's site ?

October 13, 2007 2:54 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Everybody gets to sue the city except me. First the city is sued because Rampart cops planted evidence such as guns. Now the same cops are suing the city, f**king Unbelievable

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/crime/la-me-rampart13oct13,1,3111461.story?

Council rejects Rampart settlement, lawyer says

A lawyer for the city says the council has rejected a $17-million settlement with four police officers who say they were wrongly accused.

The Los Angeles City Council emerged from a closed session Friday without agreeing to settle several court cases brought by officers who say they were wrongly accused in the 1998 Rampart Division scandal.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and six council members have openly opposed paying a $16.85-million settlement to the officers, even though the city's lawyer believes taxpayers could be compelled to pay up to $40 million if the city loses at trial. A jury has awarded $15 million to three officers, but that judgment is being appealed

October 13, 2007 4:13 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

I think Garcetti should appoint MIke Roos to the Ethics Commission.

October 13, 2007 4:53 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Mike Roos !!!!!! Are you kidding. Mike Roos was third in command for Willie Brown, right behind Richard Alatorre. These three had a running cocaine and prostitute tab going while "serving" in the assembly. I'm surprised any of these three didn't die of AIDS, like Marco Firebaugh. BTW, the last whore party Marco attended was co-hosted by Fabian Nunez - right after the election night Democratic Parties at the huge suite Fabian had booked.

October 13, 2007 7:08 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

12:01

You know your stuff all so shamful.The orginal post by Z dog is also correct--

October 13, 2007 8:10 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Was Marco Firebaugh a married man?

October 13, 2007 8:54 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Make no mistake about. Uli is not Jack Hoff. But Trujillo is.

October 14, 2007 12:33 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Listen carefully for the key:

Is this the real wife-
Is this just galaxy-
Caught in a slide dice-
No escape from tomorrowity-
Open your eyes
Look up to the LAUSD-
Im just a poor boy,i got no sympathy-
Because Im easy come,easy go,
A little high,little low,
Anyway the wind blows,doesnt really matter to me,
To me

Mama,just banged a gal,
Put my thing inside her hole,
Pulled my trigger,now shes a bowl,
Mama,life had just begun,
But now Ive gone and thrown it all away-
Mama ooo,
Didnt mean to make you cry-
If I'm on TV this time tomorrow-
Carry on,carry on,as if something's really happening

Too late,my I had to come,
Sitting shiva on my dime-
School board's aching all the time,
Listen everybody-Ive got to go-
Gotta leave you all behind run from the truth-
Mama ooo- (any way the wind blows)
I dont want to die,
I sometimes wish Id never been born at all-

I see a little silhouetto of a mayor,
Scaramouche,scaramouche will you do the fandango-
Thunderbolt and lightning-very very frightening me-
Trujillo,Trujillo,
Trujillo Trujillo
Trujillo did it-magnifico-
But Im just a poor boy and now she loves me-
Hes just a poor boy from a poor family-
Spare him his life from this monstrosity-
Easy come easy go-,will you let me go-
The Valley! no-,we will not let you go-let him go-
The Valley! we will not let you go-let him go
The Valley! we will not let you go-let me go
Will not let you go-let me go
Will not let you go let me go
No,no,no,no,no,no,no-
Mama mia,mama mia,mama mia let me go-
Eli Broad has a devil put aside for me,for me,for me-

So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye-
So you think you can love me and leave me to die-
Oh baby-cant do this to me baby-
Just gotta get out-just gotta get right outta here-

Nothing really matters,
Anyone can see,
Nothing really matters-,nothing really matters to me,

Any way the wind blows....

October 14, 2007 12:42 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

The article says that Alatorre lobbied for Home Depot in Sunland-Tujunga! Lot of frigging good that did!

October 14, 2007 1:44 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

BRADLEY EBE
BRADLEY EBE
BRADLEY EBE
BRADLEY EBE
BRADLEY EBE

October 14, 2007 1:59 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

zuma dogg never took a shower

October 14, 2007 1:59 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Trying to push a third-grader onto a PhD Physics class to "explain" things to them is just pathetic.
[ALRIGHT LOSER...ARE YOU READY TO DEBATE ME IN PUBLIC? IF SO, WHERE AND WHEN... OTHERWISE KEEP BEING AN ANONYMOUS LAP DOG, PUSSY. I WILL HUMILIATE YOU IN ANY PUBLIC DEBATE. BECAUSE YOU ARE A COWARD AND A LAPDOG.

October 14, 2007 2:01 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

personally, if jack hoff is who i think he is...i would pick him, red spot, steven foster aas my top three advisors. if i love all three of you so much (assuming jack h is who i think he is) -- i wonder why you guys are at odds.

October 14, 2007 2:01 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Good morning Zuma lad (tips hat):

I don't think that the Gherkin Boy, if you will, is that person. I think he is THAT person, savvy?

October 14, 2007 2:03 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

some loser lapdog lover keeps posting the same sh*t about how great that doofus douchebag kevin roderdick is because he noticed the mayor wasn't wearing a wedding ring, because those are the things that are important to him.

October 14, 2007 2:03 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Jack Hoff said:. I can understand why Zuma would be waiting for that shoe to drop. My own dogs love rolling on smelly things. August 06, 2007 1:09 PM ...

October 14, 2007 2:04 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Jack Hoff said:. 12:07, According to LAPD stats, we have averaged 286.8 gang-related homicides annually for the last five years

October 14, 2007 2:05 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

You guys fail to mention that Mayor Villaraigosa is definitely getting his money's worth out of Michael Trujillo.

October 14, 2007 2:06 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Mike Trujillo - I hear you threatened one of our councilmembers who opposed AB 1381

October 14, 2007 2:06 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Didn't ADV spank Lil Trujillo for playing anonymous on blogs?

October 14, 2007 2:07 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen (bows low and removes hat with flourish):

Have you ever noticed that the mooring lines of ships in the harbor have discs on them. It’s to keep the rats from crawling up the lines and into the ship, savvy? There appears to be an absence of discs in City Hall, as the rats are all about the place.

Oh, and I see that the NC leader who rules by mandate is about to be outed on this board too. Bugger the mandated leader. No more rum for them!

October 14, 2007 2:10 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

There are really only 8 people in the city who want to "slam" Uli that bad.

4 of them have already applied for his job, and have obvious motives;

1 used to have his job and has obvious motives;

3 would slam anybody in that position -- just because.

October 14, 2007 2:13 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Good morning Lady Carol:

Good to see you, mate! The very best to you! Shall you be having goose this Christmas? I hear that there are several gooses who late this afternoon got cooked by my lady judge.

Alas, I do not have harpoons as mine is not a whaling ship. My dealings with my lord Cousteau have been honorable. However, nothing stinks to high heaven quite like a beached whale, savvy?

As for lobbing coconuts at the Ivory Tower, I must decline. A waste of good coconut milk that might otherwise be used with rum is a cause I cannot support! Have you considered lobbing steer turds instead?

October 14, 2007 2:16 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Yelling hysterically that "we clean your toilets!" in front of 500,000 illegals downtown is a total turnoff to non-Latino voters

October 14, 2007 2:18 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

If indeed the Mayor was having an affair with someone at Channel 52 it would be Mirthala Salinas -- she only dates married men and loves polticians. It sure wouldn't be Azucena, that's for sure...she's a decent person.
January 31, 2007 2:38 AM

October 14, 2007 2:20 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Members of the Northridge West Neighborhood Council are telling us that City Councilman Greig Smith has agreed to support a new Wal-Mart store

October 14, 2007 2:22 AM  

Blogger Zuma Dogg said:

oh no...is it trujillo's turn? i kinda liked the guy. but it is october, so if it is time to smash him to bits like a hollow pumpkin, so be it!

October 14, 2007 7:04 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Its pathetic that we have so many Latino politicans in this city including the Mecha Boy Mayor and yet the Latino communities are in worst shape ever. None of these Latino politicans have done a damn thing for their own. They are corrupt, lying, sneaky assholes. All they care about is power. They all need to be outed and thanks David Z for fine reporting. Seems Antonio has lost his rock star acceptance at meetings.'

.....But the outline of the challenges facing the city's $6.8 billion budget drew sharp criticism from the more than 150 community leaders gathered at City Hall for the annual presentation.

Villaraigosa, who was received politely, said he has tried to respond to community leaders' concerns since becoming mayor

....We all know a budget is a statement of priorities," Greuel said. (DUMB ASS GREUESOME, FIGURE OUT HOW TO SPEND THE MONEY WE GIVE YOU MORON INSTEAD OF TRYING TO RAISE TAXES

October 14, 2007 7:15 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Jack Hoff said:. 12:07, According to LAPD stats, we have averaged 286.8 gang-related homicides annually for the last five years

October 14, 2007 2:05 AM

If you add the 82 independent cities in the Los Angeles County it is closer to 600 a year. Hoff's comments count LAPD only.

Figures dont lie...but liers can figure.

October 14, 2007 8:01 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

And fools can't spell "liar."

October 14, 2007 9:50 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Glad to see you are reading so closely. Since you know how to spell "liar" write it 100 times for the Mayor and each of the Counclimen in CD14, Cd1, CD13.

October 14, 2007 11:10 AM  

Blogger Zuma Dogg said:

sorry mike...woke up cranky. you know i love you. (and i shouldn't based on the crap you pull...but i can't help it).

October 14, 2007 11:35 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Thank you Zuma Dogg for exposing that Alatorre, Armbruster, Mike Roos, Granada Hills property story.

I know all about that one.

First the advisory agency said no, then City Planning staff said no, then the neighborhood council said no, North Valley Area Planning Commission said yes (naturally), neighbor appealed the decision to Citywide Planning and voila - the owner got permission to build his houses that go against the Community Plan and Politics beat the Neighbor.

One has to wonder what business Roos and Alatorre have in Granada Hills stomping all over their Community Plan....

More to come on this story too. I will see to that.

October 14, 2007 7:08 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Freddie Mercury, did you write that last song that was on here? I swear that is the best thing I've seen since ... well the last song someone wrote.

Makes me want to go back and find it and keep it.

First poster - the paper says Alatorre got to KEEP the girl. Who cares about the coke? At least he kept his arch enemy (the real dad) from getting his daughter. Who was really his niece. On his wife's side. What the hell is that about?

October 14, 2007 9:08 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

It's about love, idiot.

Alatorre loves the girl like his own daughter.

And, her biological father couldn't care less about her. It was all about hating on Ricardo.

October 15, 2007 5:48 AM  

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