Mayor Sam's Afternoon Hotsheet

One of the arguments for allowing illegal immigration is that those who sneak over the border for a better life do "the jobs Americans will not do." But a major problem that illegal aliens can not help with and in fact may make worse is the growing shortage of skilled labor in California. As baby boomers retire, there are fewer doctors, nurses, computer progammers, etc. while at the same time the rise in population caused by illegal immigration creates more demand for these services. Ernesto Cortes Jr., Southwest regional director of the Industrial Areas Foundation, told the Temple Daily Telegram, “Right now we’re headed toward becoming a Third World city."

We need more police officers! There's compelling reasons for police officers to join other departments than LAPD. So the City has offered $5000 signing bonuses to new officers and $10,000 bonuses to officers who transfer from other departments. Mercury Insurance kicked in $1 million to help with it. But now the Clowncil wants to end the program (and spend the money elsewhere I guess).

You might think I'm shilling for the billboard companies, but I have no issue with the signs, especially if they're electronic ones put up along the freeway or in entertainment districts like Hollywood, NoHo, Downtown, etc. They might be too ugly for the Anglo Westside but if folks downtown want them or in other areas, let them do it. We don't need suburban blue-hair cranks telling us what to do in other parts of the City.

Mayor Gavin Newsom's fiance sounds like a bright chick. Jennifer Siebel planned to change her voter registration from Republican to decline to state. However, she instead registered with the right wing American Independent Party. Maybe he should have stayed with the 19 year old.

Just like the City, British bankers are seeing their expense accounts sliced. Most notably cut is reimbursement for trips to strip clubs and brothels (note to American readers: those are generally more accepted in Europe than in the US.)

Stuart Waldman picks up an endorsement from a teacher's union.

We don't hear much about NIMBYs in Beverly Hills but of course they have them in spades. They're against a new hotel on the site of the Beverly Hilton; though probably you'd have to live there to afford it. Swimmin' pools, movie stars.