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Friday, May 23, 2008

And now a few moments with Greg Nelson

One of our readers posted this gem:

Sorry Higby, but now what he's the main writer for Citywatch, Greg Nelson has become the "Andy Rooney" commentator on all things City Hall, a doddering, out-of-touch, deposed king among gadflies.

He's using his extra time now to recycle all the inane memos he sent upstairs while working for two mayors, and which all got promptly ash-canned because they were . . . well, inane.

- "Didja ever notice that 'Public Works' can be a noun and a complete sentence?"

- "Why is it that the notices from the city's EARLY Notification System, always come out in the LATE afternoon?"

- "BONC would be much better suited to do what DONE does, and have DONE do what BONC does now. I don't know why, it just looked pretty when I diagrammed it in crayon on my placemat at Denny's this morning."

- Neighorhood councils were created to teach stakeholders how to blow bubbles without getting soap on their shirts. Look it up; it's in the revised city charter."

- "They have neighborhood councils in Butte, Montana, you know, and their board members get to park their cars on sidewalks without getting tickets. We should try that."



Ignore him. Not like in "ignore him and he'll go away" - because he has nowhere to go, but you'll be less frustrated if you do.

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21 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Looks/sounds like maybe Parque posting anonymously, or more anonymously anyway. Shouldn't there also be something in that about why paper clips are shaped the way they are?

Maybe I'm thinking of Huell Houser.

May 23, 2008 2:16 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Pinch your nose and read it out loud.

That actually makes it more authentic sounding. Add a little whiney sound every now and then, too.

May 23, 2008 2:18 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

"Didja ever wonder why a guy like Greg Nelson would be appointed a general manager in the first place"

I do.

Don't forget one of the most visible parts of his DONE legacy, namely the always entertaining one-name-only "Bradley" of the Greater Glassell Neighborhood Council. Nelson made Bradley what he is today.

He was Nelson's A#1 poster b--(um, er), poster MAN -- don't want to get that criticism -- for a long time. DONE even built a whole CH-35 TV program around Bradley.

Just Bradley. Not about that neighborhood council, which had dozens of long-time volunteers, but just Bradley walking around town being followed by a city camera crew explaining all the great things his neighborhood council was doing - most of which never happened.

Nelson used him on panel discussions, "best practices" listings, you name it. He was the icon of early NC progress.

May 23, 2008 2:43 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Sounds like a disgruntled ex-employee wrote that about Greg Nelson. But now that I think about it, that's what Nelson is himself.

May 23, 2008 3:31 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Bradley and Greg Nelson will be appearing as Angel and Tom Collins in the next production of RENT at The Pantages.

May 23, 2008 3:50 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Yeah, well now that Nelson is gone DONE has Charlie Mims as their posterboy.

Yeah a whole lot better than Bradley.

May 23, 2008 4:41 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Greg taught Bradley well, wonder how many will show up on this holiday weekend?



GPNC Public Safety Forum Saturday May 24, 2008 from 9am – 1pm



Good Morning:



Provided is the Community Engagement and Leadership Forum (CELF) Agenda for your reference and/or distribution. We appreciate your efforts to distribute the flyers and/or agenda for this important event. Also, the GPNC General Community Stakeholder's (GCS) Meetings are held the 3rd Tuesday of every month and all meetings are held at the Glassell Park Community/Senior Center from 7pm – 9pm. Shown are the dates for the GCS Meetings for the remainder of the year



June 17, 2008 • July 15, 2008 • August 19, 2008 • September 16, 2008 • October 21, 2008 • November 18, 2008 • December 16, 2008



You may also view the documentation via our website at WWW.GlassellParkNC.Com. And thanks again for your participation and support of this event. Have a great day.



Bradley,

Glassell Park Neighb. Council

Community Policing Advisory Board Member



AGENDA (English)

Saturday May 24, 2008 from 9am – 1pm



THE GPNC PRESENTS:

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP FORUM



A. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS: (9:00am – 10am)

1. Introduction of your official Community Rep’s

2. Richard Mora, Occidental Instructor and Phd..in Sociology and Social

Policy speaks about the Youth Culture & Violence and Urban Poverty



B. BREAK-OUT SESSION (10:00am – 12:00pm)

(2 Sessions Available)



1. MEXICAN AMERICAN LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND (MALDEF)

“Parents' Rights and Responsibilities” This Session informs parents of basic legal rights and responsibilities in relation to their children's education and provides information about programs such as Special Education and Migrant Programs. Also, a discussion on the process to resolve school-related problems effectively.



2. DR. ANA NOGALES, PhD. CASA DE LA FAMILIA

“Violence in Our Community: Eliminating Stigma” Join Dr. Ana Nogales, well known host of the Channel 22 Show “Agui Entre Nos” (“Just Between Us”) to discuss fear, shock, and tools to help children and family through violence.



C. MAIN ASSEMBLY (12:15pm – until)

(Community Engagement Survey, Q & A, and Final Wrap-up)

May 23, 2008 5:04 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Here's the show that Bradley was on in May 2004.

Scroll to the last item on the page. Show is 30 minutes.

May 23, 2008 5:34 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Whoops! The link:

http://www.lacityneighborhoods.com/page2.cfm?doc=ncafe

May 23, 2008 5:34 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

There's actually a useful article in CityWatch this week, rebutting one that claims ExpoLine is guilty of "environmental racism," among other things, because it has some crossings at grade/ street level -- which is the norm elsewhere on lines in L A AND in other cities.

But there are some who oppose it near a minority high school, claiming it's "racism." These are radical "progressives" who take up any number of ill-advised issues to waste money and drum up unnecessary anger and feelings of racial tension. This group even gave a presentation at the end of my HOA Annual Meetings, and I saw the kinds of "angry white people" they are.

CityWatch commenter today is right: we need this Expo Line to continue to Santa Monica, and if it stays on schedule and gets the funding to finish it, it won't be ready until 2015 at the eariest.

Between the Cheviott Hills grayhair perennial NIMBY's who killed the subway 20 years ago and forced the Expo Line to shoot south to Culver City to avoid them on what's the most congested commuter route, while their neighbor HOA got some out of touch bluehair judge to block the Pico-Olympic trial (driving up costs to boot, while the southerly line is less effective), and now this radical group wanting to add hundreds of millions for aerial overpasses or underground tunnels, we taxpayers are held hostage to all sorts of fringe elements, left and right, that crop up in CD5. Enough, we want solutions NOW, without wasting hundreds of millions more on unneeded alterations and studies.

May 23, 2008 6:35 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Cheviot Hills people didn't have anything to do with killing the subway going west on Wilshire back in the '80s, but mid-Wilshire-area people sure did.

May 24, 2008 7:11 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Sounds like a bunch of sissy, immature, jealous, loser men on posting. Gee, sounds like you all have major momma issues and aren't getting the love. Greg has more passion for communities and people who actually got involved. When he was with DONE community members would come out in the hundreds. That's not the case anymore. Bradley is one of the most active community members in this city. Say what you want idiots, but he actually DOES things in his community to help residents like organizing forums, public safety agendas, huge events giving information to residents on quality of life issues. He's done it for years. WHAT HAVE YOU MORONS LITTLE BOYS WHO CRITICIZE DONE FOR YOUR COMMUNITY EXCEPT ACT LIKE CRYBABIES. People hate weak ass men like the ones posting here. Go find your balls and start acting like "real men."

May 24, 2008 8:01 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Maybe someone can explain or put up an article of what DONE and BONC actually are suppose to do and what the differences are.

It looks like neither one does anything but have an job where they do not have to do any work.

Am I wrong? I spoke to Mr. Kim about our rep from DONE has not attended any meetings in 2 years and if I didn't do my job I would be fired. DONE rep has still not attended any meetings and that was 6 months ago.

May 24, 2008 8:50 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Regarding what DONE and BONC do, I could point you toward the City Charter and the Plan which are on the DONE website, but that's too much detail perhaps.

DONE's job is to ensure that every part of the city is covered by an NC that is as independent as possible from City Hall, and that they are given the support that they need, such as offices, staff, communication equipment and skills, training, etc. DONE is also a clearinghouse of information for the NCs. They assist the NC's in putting on the citywide Congress of Neighborhoods twice a year if the NC's want to have them. They also monitor the spending of the $50,000 to ensure that the city's rules are followed.

BONC is the advisory group to DONE, they certify and decertify each NC, but only if asked to do so by DONE. They establish policies over their areas of responsibilities, which isn't very broad.

May 24, 2008 10:24 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

I want to remind everyone that there would not be Neighborhood Councils if it were not for Greg Nelson, who lead and assisted former Council District 2 Representative , Joel Wachs, into campaigning for it's implmentation. This whole system is novice for our City of Los Angeles government representatives, who previously did want our input, nor share any information with us that affect, our communities. They did not want to share "their" City Hall information, period.

We are going through growing pains but change is happening. Our system is not perfect, however, it takes the iniative of everyone, including you and I, to make it so. Instead of just blogging away your criticisms, how about rolling up your shirt sleeves and giving your Neighborhood Council a helping hand?

Together, we can make a difference!

May 24, 2008 1:22 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Yowza! Greg is now posting as Captain Jack AND Hedda Hopper?

May 24, 2008 2:08 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

2:08 Go to your room! I'm a female activist in my community and you .....?

May 24, 2008 3:08 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

I used to think Greg Nelson was smart. Now I think he has morphed into a Leonard Shapiro/John Walsh combo. In other words...a nut case with an extensive vocabulary.

May 24, 2008 7:13 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Bradley wasn't Greg Nelson's only poster man. Jason Lyon was another (in Silverlake) - except that the Slverlake Neighborhood Council finally got tired of his disregard for rules and proper procedure and booted his crazy ass out of there.

Lyon was found guilty of a grievance brought on by a fellow Boardmember (Dakin) for illegal actions during one election and then was DISQUALIFIED for cheating when he ran for re-election.

The real damage done by crazy gadflys like Bradley and Lyon is that they drove away so many good communty activists - and then GM Geg Nelson did nothing to rein them in, dismissing them as "growing pains". Unfortunately, these growing pains severely stuntd the birth and development of the NC process. The Silverlake NC remains a dysfunctional mess (see the whole reservoir mess and the SLNC's refusal to weigh in on the most important communty issue in ages).

May 25, 2008 4:23 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Do you really want to give any person at DONE the power to reign in NC leaders? If they are able to do it for the right reasons, they can do it for the wrong reasons.

May 25, 2008 11:04 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

I think people should be fair when it comes to Bradley. He tries to have Health & Safety fairs and other community events.

But those that do not like him spoil his efforts and make sure no one attends. In a way this is sad.

But maybe Bradley does deserve this because he makes too many mistakes. I hate to say that but its true. I believe most mistakes are done because he doesn't know any better. That doesn't make making mistakes any better. But he just doesn't learn from those mistakes.

May 26, 2008 10:15 AM  

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