Ethics Panel May Give Thumbs Down to Smith
CityWatch is reporting that the LA Ethics Commission may give a big poo-poo to Sleeping Greig Smith's move to throw Neighborhood Councils under the bus and require the volunteer board members to publicly disclose their personal finances.
"On Tuesday, they will consider … and sources say, likely approve … a recommendation from Ethic's Policy and Legislation Director Heather Holt, to reject Councilman Smith's amending motion requiring neighborhood councils board members who want to participate in creating city council files … to also file financial disclosure Form 700s."
Stay tuned. And wake up Greig!
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
"On Tuesday, they will consider … and sources say, likely approve … a recommendation from Ethic's Policy and Legislation Director Heather Holt, to reject Councilman Smith's amending motion requiring neighborhood councils board members who want to participate in creating city council files … to also file financial disclosure Form 700s."
Stay tuned. And wake up Greig!
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
Posted by Mayor Sam @ 2/08/2008 10:58:00 AM
29 Comments:
Mayor Sam, I will wager a Chelada and a box of Girl Scout cookies that Smith's motion does not get thrown out by the City Council -- regardless of what the ethics folks say. NC Boards may be volunteer, but they are still publicly elected on the taxpayers' dime. Why allow transparency of the process to disappear?
Actually Jack check out the article by Katharine Russ in the North Valley Reporter on this one. Good stuff in there. Looks like Wendy and Janice are going to fight it. And anyway the difference is that no matter how you slice it, at the end of the day the NCs are still advisory only. Unlike the Clowncil or Commissioners they have no decision making authority. Therefore, the Council's move could very well be in violation of state law. More importantly, it will seek to dissuade many citizen volunteers from participating in this process.
true and very true on the NC. If some Councilmembers weren't such political dickheads, they could use the NC's to their advantage. Even Flaming Bill Rosendahl knows how to use this to his advantage.
MS at 12:45
Why would citizen volunteers who have nothing to hide (no pre-existing back room deals with or against developers, etc.) be "dissuaded . . . from participating in this process"?
It's in the best interest of NC board members who DO want to be considered the unconflicted voice of their community to agree to play by the same set of rules. As long as they don't, the Greig Smith's of the world can play the "I just don't know if I can trust you" game, indefinitely.
It will help avoid the kind of emvarrassing debacles that took place in the Glassell Park NC that this blog highlighted several times. Where an unreported shill for developers (one-name "Bradley," a self-identified and paid "expediter" for developers) refused to recuse himself or acknowledge his connections with a land use application when it was in an "advisory" stage before the NC and the Planning Commission.
The only board members who would shy away from this would be the ones who do have hidden agendas and who are cutting deals on the side to "advise" (apply pressure) to City Council on matters that they or their connections stand to benefit from.
It's just paperwork. But it makes it clear who's team everyone is playing for -- the constituents, or some special or personal interest.
On the other hand, the "shills" WILL be dissuaded.
And that's a good thing!
If anything, it will be better for NC s to have boards disclose whether or not they own property in the areas that they are making land use recommendations over.
Also, it's voluntary, and only applies to their ability to make Council Files.
All the other people in the NC should know whether or not their board members are just in it for their own monetary interests, or whether they are honestly representing the interests of the community members.
Smith was getting more transparencyy into the system. Something that most everyone agrees is a good thing.
So now all of a sudden transparency is bad because Smith is applying it to Neighborhood Councils?
Probably if it had been anyone but Smith suggesting it, this wouldn't be seen as some kind of an attack on the NCs - but didn't people like Hahn, Zine, and Rosendahl vote for it, too?
Smith, Reyes, Huizar, (and mayor Villaraigosa), plus a couple other councilmembers are openly hostile to or just plain ignore the advice of their local NCs regardless.
Look to your own recent posting on the "Southwest Committee" on the Eastside. There, the two neighborhood councils that surround the museum sided with the "keep the whole museum here" coalition of 50 community organizations that was opposing the Autry museum.
But the electeds didn't like the advice of the chartered and elected councils and so they created their own fake "council" fronted by a few sellouts led by the Elliot Scudelari character that would "advise" them to do what they were already planning to do, and appease the Autry.
Call it consensus by concoction. Agree with me, or I'll replace you with my own blue-ribbon panel of lackeys.
Just because of a few bad apples it doesn't mean you have to screw everyone else.
Smith is not doing this because he all of a sudden believes in transparency - he's doing it to retaliate against the NCs in his district who've given him shit.
Again, because the Councils have no power even if there is a conflict its meaningless. Someone using the Council to advance their position has no advantage over the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club or other avenues that have traditionally given people some access to the inside.
More importantly, in this age of identity theft and privacy being critical, the vary notion of asking for this information will scare off average folks, whether they have something to hide or not.
Its a bad, bad move.
Don't ever run for a neighborhood council, Mayor Sam. Cuz, boy, you JUST don't get it!
Ethics laws are always about "a few bad apples" you just can't tell which ones are "bad" until the safeguards are in play.
Until then, you have to discount them all. I'm an "average guy" NC board member. Bring on the paperwork. In fact, send me two packets, and post them high.
It's the only thing that will ever shut up the critics.
And as for THIS:
"Someone using the Council to advance their position has no advantage over the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club or other avenues that have traditionally given people some access to the inside.
You not only don't GET it, MS, you apparently never GOT it in the first place!
If NCs, who've jumped through all the hoops to be certified, hold Brown Act meetings, take ethics training, hold city run elections open to everyone who cares to take part, have "no advantage" compared to those other members-only, self proclaimed, pay-your-way-in with dues or insider invitations, groups then this whole argument is moot.
Close up all the NCs, send them home, and go back to the way it always was before with the elitist homeowners clubs spitting at the CoCs and the developers picking and choosing whichever group is friendliest to them to claim is the "voice" of the community they got feedback from.
NCs were created precisely to be different from the rest so that Council couldn't say "you speak for no one but yourself" and just claim partisanship as the reason for ignoring the advice.
What the hell's one more hoop, if it gets us one step closer to what NCs were created for - we've come this far, don't turn back down now because someone might figure out you've been cheating on your federal taxes.
I think the electeds are fearful of the power of NC's. You look back at last year and many of them did more in the council member's districts as volunteers then the electeds who are the highest paid actually did themselves.
I'm with Mayor Sam on this one. Until the NC's are given binding authority on decisions that affect their communities, then they should be exempt from this form.
Whoever the clown is that wants NCs to have to "jump through hoops" doesn't get it.
Most folks are not government groupies. Most of anyone who would volunteer their valuable time to serve have no interest in getting a plum government job because they can't get a real one.
They join because they care about their neighborhood. If you make it harder for them to join, well they just won't and it will be kooks and wannabes filling up the NCs (not that there aren't already a serious percentage of the NC boards that fall under that, but you know what I mean).
Indeed, NCs have no more power than the Chamber or an HOA or any other group. In fact, in my community, you could say our NC has less power than some other groups. Therefore there is nothing to be scared of and the financial disclosure is wholly inappropriate.
In the end, this is just a move by some Clowncil people to fuck with the Councils because they don't like the idea of them.
"Look to your own recent posting on the "Southwest Committee" on the Eastside. There, the two neighborhood councils that surround the museum sided with the "keep the whole museum here" coalition of 50 community organizations that was opposing the Autry museum.
"But the electeds didn't like the advice of the chartered and elected councils and so they created their own fake "council" fronted by a few sellouts led by the Elliot Scudelari character that would "advise" them to do what they were already planning to do, and appease the Autry.'
SO....GO SEE WHAT THEY ARE DOING...
Posted by: "asncalert" asncalert@yahoo.com asncalert
Thu Feb 7, 2008 9:57 pm (PST)
Members, neighbors, and friends are invited to a special
open house at the Autry National Center. Autry "Inside Out"
is your chance to get a preview of the new and exciting
architectural designs for the Autry National Center in
Griffith Park.
See the building model.
Look at architectural and gallery plans.
Discuss the vision with Autry staff.
Meet Design Architect Brenda Levin.
Enjoy a gallery tour.
Take an outdoor walking tour of architectural and landscape plans.
We hope you'll join us on this special day and share in
our excitement about the future.
Sunday, February 10
Museum hours 10am - 5pm
Open House Activities 12 noon - 4pm
Admission is free
";Dig-It!" Family Style 2/10
Posted by: "asncalert" asncalert@yahoo.com asncalert
Thu Feb 7, 2008 9:57 pm (PST)
"Dig-It!" Family Style
Southwest Museum of the American Indian
Second Sunday of the month
Who lived here before us? What did they leave behind? And what does
your garbage say about you? Discover the answers to these questions
during a special hour and a half "archaeological" dig at the Southwest
Museum of the American Indian.
Sunday, February 10, 2008, 1-2:30 pm
Location: Mt. Washington
7a.
";L.A. Loves Portantino" Fundraiser, 2/17
Posted by: "patgriffit" patgriffit@yahoo.com patgriffit
Thu Feb 7, 2008 9:58 pm (PST)
Posted by: "Eliot Sekuler" eliotjain@yahoo. com
Councilmember Jose Huizar joins members of the NELA
community in sponsoring a post-Valentine' s Day
get-together on Sunday, February 17, 1PM-3PM, honoring
one of our favorite neighbors, Anthony Portantino,
and supporting his re-election as California state
Assemblymember for Assembly District 44.
Italian food, beer, wine and music will be served.
Suggested minimum donation is $60 per person.
Location for the event is 1109 Oneonta Drive in Mount
Washington.
Sponsors of the event are: Hon. Jose Huizar, Patricia
Alarcon, Paul Ahrens, Jeff Boxer, Scott Burleigh, Doug
Dawson, Sandra Figueroa, John Gallogly, Mary
Garripoli, Pat Griffith, Carol Jacques, Sharon Kyle,
Dick Price, Connie Rohman, Keith Rohman, Bill Rumble,
Tony Scudellari, Eliot Sekuler, Jain Sekuler, Hank
Shaeffer, Dalila Sotelo, Amy Yeager.
Telephone is 323-344-9955. RSVP: eliotjain@yahoo. com
Eliot Sekuler
What this little rag-tag band of self-selecteds is "doing" is ignoring the stated wishes of most everyone else who's paying attention.
Screw democracy, right? Let's have a PARTY (and everyone will be happy that they got screwed by the government).
It's called "bread and circuses," homie. Don't make it right.
Mayor Sam, the electeds been f-ing with the neighborhood councils because they don't like them since day #1.
That's wrong.
But refusing to play by the same rules that they have to, in order to introduce what may, eventually become legislation, just gives them LICENSE to keep doing it.
Then you make them RIGHT to ignore you.
Your circular logic is assinine.
NCs shouldn't have to be more transparent because they don't have the power they could have. So you have no right to require them to be more transparent in order to get it.
Huh?
The kids in my high school logic class could see through that.
Greater power necesitates greater responsibility and comes with a requirement to be more transparent.
What's making it "harder" for people to join NCs is convincing them that it's worthwhile - that it means anything - that they can get anything more done through NCs than by just calling 3-1-1 on their own.
Stay out of the NC realm, Mayor Sam. You've got it confused with some other animal. We won't get any closer to having real influence with people like you rooting us on to a duck and cover mentality.
Go, Mayor Sam. What if Las Lomas' developers could get their friends or associates on the local NC? Without having to divulge who they really work for or any financial benefit, they could help Alarcon try to influence the City Council in favor. That's just one example.
Others use an NC Board position as a stepping stone to running for Councilman, and claim they're "community leaders." There is one case I know of where several NC Board members went around the district publicly opposing the CM and promising people all sorts of things they had no right to or legal jurisdiction over, to try to stir up their opposition. Some of these people are craftier and more devious than you could imagine in some nicey-nice, naive area.
"There is one case I know of where several NC Board members went around the district publicly opposing the CM "
If members of the board think the CM is not supporting the wants of the community the board should oppose the CM. Thats why the NC was created; to give input to the CM about the needs and wants of the community.
No, stupid. The Board did not speak for "the public," they speak for themselves and their own desires for power and ego fulfillment. There is no requirement that NC Board members have to be elected by the general "public" of the area," they're just the ones who show up with an agenda -- self-select -- and have the time and some kind of vendetta to assuage.
Less than 1% of the people in my large NC area would know even what the NC name is, exactly, let alone where and when they meet, or who the Board members are. They're the same mostly old people on the HOA Boards, which comprise the NC Board and carry over their same agendas.
The point is, dum-dum, these clowns don't represent the "public," yet claim they do. The point is, dum- dum, that the way NC's are set up now, they're perfect for anonymous little dictators to claim power and try to set themselves up against the CM, who IS broadly elected.
IF NC's did rep the hood, that would be another, and a good, thing. That's what happens when people get together with a cause, and everyone who signs on does so knowingly and willingly, and elects or chooses a de facto leader in the open. THEN that group can say it's speaking for that particular group.
In the case I'm talking about, the slimy little wood-be dictators were elected by no one, spoke for no one and spread lies under the guise of being the voice of "the people."
In fact, like many NC's, they make sure that anyone who isn't part of their "clique" isn't elected and is made to feel very unwelcome.
The current NC system often is a downright dangerous scam. Like Diana Middleton said in her letter of resignation -- she's being so vilified by the little dictator/ editor of CityWatch for telling it as she saw it; he's written two back-to-back hit pieces on her.
The rats are running scared so they're nasty about anyone who knows and speaks the truth.
Mayor Sam and your band of idiots - THE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS GET $50,000 A YEAR TAXPAYER MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY ABUSE IT RAMPANTLY!!!!!!!!!!!
HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY NOT WANT SOME CHECKS ON THEM????????????
Another solution, don't give them any money! Let them ask the city to approve and pay for any expenditures they may have.
What? Jim Alger bought a robot phone dialer for his own campaign with money from the Neighborhood Council's money???? As in...YOUR TAX MONEY?????
You people are so transparent and you don't even know it.
Jim Alger represents a clear example of why there is a need for transparency in Neighborhood Councils.
Thank you for your support Mayor Sam! You "get it" .
My, my, it sounds to me that all that ranting and raving is being done by developers who can't fast track their projects without first going before the affected areas NC in order to apply for their permits! Or, it could be VICA or Central City Business who seem to be opposed to any independent decision made by Neighborhood Councils on their own behalf that don't fit their Plans. They are used to telling us what to do and lobbying to get their way.
Or, you're a deputy working in a Councilmember's office who is afraid for his/her job because you think you might become insignificant.
Has anyone noticed that the workload of the field deputy offices is much lower now that NC staff is handling most of the calls for information and complaints that were formerly fielded by the deputies?
What is the problem with the naysayers on this blog? Are you terrified of NC's and think the Form 700 is the answer that will make us go away. Do you really believe it will chase off community members from volunteering. I think the form is a terrible waste of time and money and will require a monitor to oversee them. A Council File Request Number most be radified by no less than 3 NC's. Our NC alone has 21 board members and most in our region are the same . Do you really believe a minimum of 64 people together will have a "personal agenda" just to submit a request?
Do you negative people realize that NC's can only ask for a Council File Number to request a motion on a subject and then follow it up. They cannot vote to finalize it. The 15 member City Council will send it on to their committee and then back to them for a recommendation, which they will proceed to look up one side, down the other and in and out before voting on a decision. If that doesn't happen within 2 years, the file dies on the floor.
If you don't like what's is happening in your Neighborhood Council, it's simple: If they are doing something illegal, file a grievance, vote them out of office or make sure they have a lot of bad publicity regarding their incompetance. That always works to run them out Better yet, you take the time to participate, run for office, or work on a committee and make it better.
People who haven't done anything to try to help make their NC's effective, ought quit bellyacking and dissing the people who are.
By the way, the 50 thousand dollars you are speaking of doesn't go as far as you think after office expense and printing expense for outreach is paid. It also takes a full vote to pay for such things as License Plate Readers for Police Cruisers, Suviellance Cameras for high crime areas, helping with expenses for programs that help at risk needy children, or seniors, etc., etc., Someone out there is intimating that NC's are theives. We have been supporting the needs of our neighborhoods which are not covered in the City Budget because there is no money. At least it is a small opportunity for each Neighborhood Council to fund projects pertaining to their own individual neighborhood's requirements and also to engage community members in our government and give them a voice in the city.
I could go on and on about the volunteers in my community, but, I have a feeling that it will only fall on deaf ears because it seems to me that the naysayers minds appear to be already made up.
12:38: You've given yourself away, and can only be one of 3 NC's in the city. (By the way, I'm not previous poster(s) so your assuming there is only one person who has seen behind the facade of NC's like yours is false.)
And as the unfairly maligned Diana Middleton shows, with her years of working with people like you, shows, it's not ignorance of how you work, but awareness of what a power-hungry and manipulative bunch ingratiate themselves onto the INCESTUOUS Boards, that makes people aware what an insidious bunch of egomaniacs you people are.
You want the power to go against the CM and act like fiefcoms that dispense largesse to local schools, libraries and parks -- but WHERE did you get the money? By shaking down a big developer for millions of dollars. Going against city policy and giving investorys the (correct) impression that parts of this city are controlled by NC's and HOA's who are satisfied with nothing less than shaking down the developers for millions, mounting campaigns based on smears and lies against their CM, AND at the same time want to do it all with no need to be elected by the people, or to give any financial accountability.
Some of the lies spread by these self-appointed "community leaders" (not) and the level of deep ignorance about city government, are mindboggling. But since most members of the public don't follow local politics, and can't tell an official-looking communication from an NC from their CM, you can fool a lot of the people a lot of the time.
Read the Los Angeles Business Journal editorials if you want an objective, business-centered view on groups like yours -- lots of commentaries about this, about how you people have driven away investment prospects even as we're in a financial emergency. You'd rather we keep raising taxes to make up for it?
There IS a useful role for NC's which groups like yours are DEFEATING, in fact, by fighting the CM instead of working with his/her office and the city. Using your lack of official status, combined with city money and legitimacy, to spread lies, even smears and vicious character attacks, has hurt the neighborhoods you purport to want to serve. Some of you are a perpetually angry, nasty and just plain never-satisfied bunch who lie to try to support your views -- and you end up marginalizing what might have been legitimate concerns.
You can spread all the lies, smears and shakedown efforts you want as HOA's (and you sure HAVE) -- then further attack the city reps in feigned outrage for "attacking fine upstanding members of the community" when they point out your lies -- but when an NC gets city money and authority over local variances, and other things that affect people's lives BY LAW AND NOT BY INDIVIDUAL CHOICE you must have accountability and transparency.
Hedda w/ "Do you really believe a minimum of 64 people together will have a 'personal agenda' just to submit a request?"
Well stated, Hedda. That's the best argument I've heard against my own position.
Jack, it can happen and I seen it with my own eyes. When one person is so fanatical about something, and has been active in HOAs for a long time, and there are a certain core of anti- development types who know each other for ages, then goes to the other Boards and pleads her or his case (especially if she/he has the help of a couple of friends -- absolutely this person can influence the others to go along, "what the hell, why not."
They effectively get a couple/few other Boards to sign on to their agenda and in one case I saw, they created and wrote a platform that they got a bunch of NC's and HOA's to sign, since it was vague enough and asked the city for a certain type of help. THEN they took that and went to a couple of other NC's and HOA's claiming they were now "unanimously representing" all those Boards... The objective is "slightly twisted around" in the final claim, to more exactly serve their specific intent.
Believe me, I've been awed by how energetically devious some of these retired old militants can be. ALL without having to reveal who they are exactly or take responsibility.
9:09, no argument there. I was an NC president and I've dealt with the fanatics. They're a big pain in the ass who throw their weight around by simply being unreasonable.
HOAs have it big over NCs. No Brown Act, no agenda required, no posting required, they decide who can and can't be a member.
In the instance of my district, an HOA can also be a very small group of people with a major axe to grind.
Hedda's point, which is still well-taken and almost persuasive, is that reasonable NC people would make reasonable inquiries. It is reasonable to assume that three NCs in agreement would be an accomplishment, but the "given" continues to be that these boards are "voluntary" and many of the most reasonable people simply don't have the time to do major investigations in order to acquire background on a particular issue.
Jack, in my experience there are tight cliques who run these Boards and keep voting for each other, and as I said, make anyone who doesn't hew to their agendas and views feel unwelcome. It's not just me -- this has been publicly said by some of the Cheviott Hills HOA, for example, by professionals (e.g. a lawyer, and a prominent businessman) whose opinions should be considered the equal of any of their peers, except they actually favored the rail line going through their neighborhood contrary to the majority. Unless you really, really want it as much as the controlling members don't, life is too short to keep up the battle of shoving your way onto the Board.
Then if they're 2/3 you'll always lose anyway. People who are working or are younger and don't fit into the social majority, also feel odd men out. Plus it's the older homeowners who have most at stake.
Then Boards like these are the ones who send their members onto area- wide HOA's and the NC which reps their whole area. And a member of an HOA Board can go around saying and doing anything they want, then bring that back to their Board position on the NC "representing" an allegedly broad group of HOA's , then they take that to another NC...
Naturally the more affluent an area the more of these "fanatics" there are, since they've been competitive their whole lives. Except for some oddballs like the much-discussed Bradley in Glassell Park or places like Venice, most people are too busy working to do this and frankly would not have the smarts to come up with the devious ways to use an NC.
All this is too bad, since I'd like to be more active on my NC, and it bugs me when people blithely say, "if you want to influence your NC, put in the time..." IF only. I'm actually in fear of these people, insofar as it comes to things like deciding our Land Use issues, because the lady who heads my subarea is a mean battleaxe. And there's no appeal from these people if they deny a requested variance.
This is one thing people also don't realize: the power their Land Use Committees have over their unsuspecting neighbors. Someone in the mid-Wilshire NC area wrote in CityWatch about "the retired Nazis" who keep a sharp eye on every little variance, and he wasn't kidding. And we all know birds of a feather flock together....
1:03 Yup, just as I thought! You are either a CM, work for a CM or your a developer. Apparently things are not going your way. You are a bitter person and you thnk you know it all and have all the answers.
I think I'am right, it's developers and some CM's who would like NC's to dry up and go away. Up until now they have been able to lobby their way into anything they want behind closed doors and now they are losing their power.
I believe that there are now 89 NC's and the beauty of them all is no two are alike. We have molded ourselves to fit our community's needs. To group them all together, as the last gentleman did, is a big mistake. No different than if one CM appears to be incompetent doesn't mean all CM's are the same. One bad apple in a bushel doesn't mean they all are bad. There is no such thing as an infallible person. I have seen several communities, who were not satisfied with some of the persons they elected to office get busy, ....they recalled and/or voted them out.
NC's are a kin to the Boston Tea Party. They finally have representation and a say about what goes on in their own neighborhood. They are no longer allowing some officials sitting on their buns in some dept. in L.A. who hasn't got a clue where their neighborhood is to make life altering changes without their neighborhoods input or consent. What's worse is many of those officials had probably never stepped foot in the neighborhood they were signing off on. They based their decisions on stats that can be tweeked to give a false reading in order to serve whatever purpose was needed at the time. I saw it happen in my community several years ago and our NC called them on it.
I'm sorry you had such a bad experience with your NC. Perhaps you should visit some other NC's and see how wellm they function and maybe you won't spew so much venom!
Also, so what if a NC member wants to run for a public office. T. Gatzlan never held office and got herself elected to the LAUSD board. Rumor has it she's using that office as a stepping stone to run for CM of District 2.
Cindy Montanez moved south so she could also run for CM of D2. Are they the only ones that have a right to run? They both recently moved into the District for that purpose.
NC members are usually people that are already entrenched in their community when they volunteer! Why shouldn't they run if they desire? To think they shouldn't be allowed to do so is pretty narrow minded and selfish.
Hedda, I sure would like you to "dry up and go away."
Yes, you're the kind of person who gives others "such a bad experience."
Clearly you're one of those "retired Nazis" who have invested your self- worth and need for power in this.
Nice that you have such a capacity for listening. You must have heard this kind of complaint about you all the time. Who on earth would want to be around you and your kind on any kind of Board, even a ouiji or Monopoly board.
NC's are "a kin" to the Boston Tea Party, are they? You don't speak for "your" area; I'll bet less than .1% of the people know who you are or ever attended a meeting, and you may well be the kind above, sounds like you do indeed expend whatever energy it takes to shove your views on others, manipulate other NC's and HOA's to claim legitimacy, and close ranks with your peers to push out anyone who doesn't go along.
You only confirm why it's dangerous for NC's to have any power over their neighbors -- it was bad enough when your kind could just dictate what shade of beige someone could paint their house. There must be more transparency (as opposed to none), and NO independent authority whatsover.
No wonder you people hate the light of day so much -- and why Diane Middleton is coming in for so much bashing in CityWatch. She was a very dedicated person, and you guys demanding more power without any accountability are the ones spewing "venom" at people like her who point out how far, far many NC's actually are from the objectives they were intended to fulfill.
People like you and the battleaxes in my NC are not only deceptive but harmful to the actual neighborhood in some cases.
The only areas you people can serve actual public good, is in terms of working with officials, LAPD and LAFD to educate and foster public safety, and inform the community about things of general interest.
But you're not a governing entity -- beyond what Land Use is entitled to weigh in on -- and never, ever should be. Even with Land Use, though it CAN be a public benefit in terms of informing the public about upcoming projects, it often IS an intrusive, arbitrary no-no-no entity in personal variances AND in terms of giving L A a negative image to the business community.
(I checked out the LA Bus Journal for the suggested comments, and you should too -- you people THINK you operate in splendid isolation, but as a quasi-city body that is going against the efforts of the city to bring IN not BLOW OFF more business you are intentionally hurting the city as a whole.)
There ARE legitimate development issues I'd like my NC to weigh in on, like this "affordable housing" ordinance where the P C vision is to shove low-income, high-density projects into expensive areas without regard for what it does to local congestion or property values. (At the same time, we'd all like our teachers and cops and firefighters to be able to live closer if they so choose -- but that doesn't mean going crazy.)
But people as power-hungry as you sound, have much bigger agendas, to operate as separate governments without being elected or having the knowledge of how the city works. You then force the actual city government to clean up after you. There are at least a half dozen areas all over town that come to mind on this -- from South L A to the coast to the westside to east.
No, I don't work for the City -- in all truth, it's just that what I've seen of you guys who are the control-freaks on NC's and some HOAs, convinces me that not only do you not represent me nor could you, but if this issue became big enough for a referendum, we'd fight you. I'd rather be represented by Hugo Chavez and Mickey Mouse than you.
Geez, does your opinion hold such little weight that you have to resort to name calling in order to get attention? You are very unprofessional and discourteous. You are the very type of person you talk so nasty about. It would not be a pleasure to meet you. Do you know how to debate an issue without being so offensive to others?
Our community does not discourage business that meets our needs. In fact, we constantly encourage those businesses that do.
I haven't a clue who Diane Middleton is, so therefore she certainly can't speak for my NC because she has never attended our meetings and knows nothing about our community.. Neither have you, or you would not be making such negative asumptions and statements. To quote Gail Goldberg, "one size doesn't fit all" that includes NC's.
I must tell you, I'm tired of reading your rantings and responding to your "stuff". I don't think you have anything meaningful or of any significance to say... so I'm done... Bye!
February 09, 2008 3:03 PM ANONYMOUS SAID: "What? Jim Alger bought a robot phone dialer for his own campaign with money from the Neighborhood Council's money???? As in...YOUR TAX MONEY?????"
Of course this is... wait for it... FALSE.
Jim's campaign expenditures show that he personally purchased 4 auto-dialers out of campaign funds.
When you accuse someone of corruption, you should at last try an avenue that can be so easily dis proven.
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