Neighborhood Council Funding Priorities
The Mid Town North Hollywood Council voted down spending money to send mailers about it's elections to all stakeholders in order to spend $6000 on library books.
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Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
Posted by Mayor Sam @ 5/14/2008 09:42:00 PM
25 Comments:
It they and other NC's would update their websites on a regular basis, they could probably buy lots of library books.
This Council sounds as idiotic as mine.
Higby, they don't want to spread the word about elections because they want to stack the deck.
The people who run for boards and volunteer their time - many times the number of hours you see them seated at board tables - get to decide how the money is spent. They get to set the priorities, and if no one else takes on the job, there ARE no other priorities. Period.
That's the way the cookie crumbles. What part don't you understand?
Run, or organize and vote them out, or shut the f--- up. Just because you show up from time to time and have another idea, don't mean squat, which is as it should be.
If City Council set it's priorities by what the public commenters there wanted, millions would go every year towards tinfoil hats to protect us all from radiation from alien UFOs, and "no-kill" shelters overrun with sick animals.
Prove to (anyone), that this ISN'T what the people of that council want money to be spent for. Maybe they'd be fed up with spending $500-$1,000 for each new voter attracted to the next NC election, and think that adding hundreds of new books to a (library?) that's already facing AV's budget cuts is more fiscally responsible.
You can't prove otherwise (so, see previous part of message about what to shut).
Uh, 11:06 I AM on the Council.
The motion to not do the outreach for the elections failed 7 - 8.
We're working to bring good folks on; the dysfunctional scene scares off many of them. But we keep trying.
However it's amazing to me that they do not want to do outreach to their constituents.
Sure it's expensive but democracy ain't cheap!
The law requires the NC to communicate regularly with its stakeholders. That's something that's in addition to elections.
DONE used to provide money for election outreach, but with the City Council's and Mayor's help, eliminated that. The city is also supposed to provide books for its libraries, but has set that as a lower priority than giving the city employee unions what they ask for to "maintain labor peace."
Because DONE and the city reduced election outreach money, it only serves to help ensure that the insiders on the NC boards get re-elected because nobody will know about the election or how to run.
And then some bozos on the City Council will complain that the election turnouts are too small. Well, duh!
Someone should file a RICO violation against DONE and The City of Los Angeles regarding the Neighborhood Council system.
Not to mention that outreach is the number one priority of neighborhood councils with library books not even being on the radar. Unnecessary. Outrageous. Your neighborhood council seriously needs training.
NC's were formed so that the activists who were fighting neighborhood battles and issues would not have to spend their own money so they could become somewhat able to compete with the lobbyists. Money for gas, parking, classes, outreach to their neighbors and other neighborhood councils, planning and land use classes and conferences, administration costs such as secretaries, keeping files, minute takers, phone answering services, computers or whatever it takes for you to operate efficiently and effectively and be the best liaison you can be between the City of LA and your stakeholders.
Not schools, not cops, not silly non-profits selling whatever services, not for your City Councilmembers' pet projects.. none of this. Of course if you have money left over and wish to purchase a few books or even better - send a grade of kids on a field trip by providing them with a bus. That is one of the things LAUSD doesn't have money for and can only improve your community. Do some community clean-ups, send newsletters on a monthly basis. There are so many ways to spend your money rather than giving it away to police, fire and schools. That's just crazy.
We need an education class for NC boards that explains WHY we are here, why we were formed and a little history of NC's for all those board members who have no idea.
Oooh this is my pet peeve.
They should have taken the money and given it to gang intervention. Then they can have the gang members prevent people from voting in the NC elections if they aren't on the mayor's team.
OH, I forgot...they already ARE...MY BAD!
Library books are a good investment in the past. Kids can go on the internet and read about these things called library books, that they had before the internet.
What do you need outreach for? The mayor has his "Million Trees L.A." data base that he does outreach for all of his privately funded initiatives and elections that he backs. Don't worry Mayor Sam, the mayor will use the Million Trees L.A. database to make sure people make it out to vote...HIS people.
I think Zuma could have used those tin foil hats, too late now. Give them to those regular commenters, see if it helps.
Heard you at city council Zuma saying that the Mayor has people who are either running or on NC boards. Do you know of any? There are elections coming up for a couple of NC's and people need to beware
I know of two NCs that you should be aware of (besides ALL of them).
Boyle Heights: Jose Aguilar 4 Prez
Lincoln Heights: Hugo Pacheco 4 Prez
I know there are a lot of fine people running throughout the city, but in these two elections...ZD knows these two candidates -- and can tell you they are the People's choice...not the Antonio plants.
12:20 AM - We regularly give our money for things like this including planting trees, cheerleader uniforms, Wendy Greuel's cameras. In addition to the library books last night we gave money to some non-profit (which by the way from my view looks like a fabulous organization with a very impressive leader) to hold a "kids fair." They came, kids in tow, and were moved up on the agenda "for the kids."
How the hell can you vote against such things when you have 15 rabid individuals screaming and yelling at you.
When I was speaking in favor of doing the election mailing to stakeholders before I could finish my words one other Council member (Gary Barratta) shouted out call the question apparently because he obviously opposed my comments.
With respect to the library issue, this is apparently not an isolated issue. I forget who it is, but it was mentioned that one of the self appointed "leaders" of NCs Citywide or Valleywide had urged all NCs to donate money to the libraries because the Mayor was going to cut the library budget. It was also noted that the NC budgets might get cut. One of our members stated that if we gave money to the library, maybe the Mayor won't cut our budget.
Oh and by the way shame on local community groups like the Rotary, Kiwanis, Jaycees, Chamber of Commerce, churches, etc. for not coming forward to donate money to the library as well as the multi-million dollar developers in the area.
Zuma:
Maybe you should ask people about the way Hugo Pacheco acted when the subject of building an AIDS memorial wall in Lincoln Park was being discussed by the brand new Lincoln Heights NC. He was out of control in his opposition to the project.
At several meetings, law enforcement needed to be there because of him, and at one meeting his antics caused the president to ask the police officer and Park Ranger to clear the room for the safety of others.
Did the library ask them to?
Some NCs require people who want money for things like this to find matches - so the taxpayer is sharing the burden with private sources of revenue.
That's just smart business.
Mayor Sam, it sounds like you don't have a lot of allies on the NC board.
Haven't made many allies? Haven't swapped favors with other board members.
That's politics and it's democracy. Start scratching others' backs and complaining less. Next time a few more people might listen to you.
The head chief librarian downtown told a bunch of the citywide library volunteers they should hit up their neighborhood councils for new books.
You can blame her. More and more department heads are telling their people "the NCs have money - hit them up first and try and save our budgets."
Last year some NC leaders were telling others to but stuff for the cops.
It's very self-defeating, simply borrowing from Peter, etc. Nothing new and unique is being done with city money, it's just flying out of different hands to meet the same basic needs.
10:01
Police called in? Yup, that sounds just like Zuma's kind of "leader."
Hoooo Ha!
Let's turn all NCs into Fight Clubs. Attendance would be better.
Lincoln Heights would be better served with anyone but Galaviz.
Pacheco is a church leader, but not a community leader - he and his cronies already destroyed the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council TWICE!! and thanks to his friends the Lincoln Heights Chamber was destroyed and is just getting up and running again. If he wins, cool, that council will be over in about 2 months.
Same with Boyle Heights - if Aguilar wins, council over.
Pacheco and Aguilar will give this blog enough laughs to last for years. They are good at throwing stones, because no one pays attention to them. The minute they actually have to work - game over.
I hope they win. That will be a fun time!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey Zuma please stop blogging and go to the Eastside and talk to folks so they can laugh at your face when you say Hugo Pacheco and Jose Aguilar.
11:12
Don't forget, 5-time loser Alvin "Doh" Parra was also Zuma's kind of community leader.
That was the same year HE almost got the El Sereno neighborhood council decertified and police had to be called in THERE, too.
Alvin staged a coup to recall the first elected president, and then still ended up not getting to take his place. (How sad is that).
I think you can set your compass by Zuma. If he says "A" - most definitely support "B".
The only reason he puts his ear to the ground is to muffle the many tiny voices in his head.
I would fight against the other board members, no matter how rabid they were. And I do...
Zuma, I don't think books are really outdated yet. All kids can't afford computers, nor can they take their computers with them when they go on a car trip, to the doctor or mom is in the supermarket. I'm not buying my elementary kids laptops.
I would love to go up against Gary Barratta on this. In fact, I think I might call him out on it.
He can take his smelly ass cigar and his dorky outfit with all those tin medals and patches (whatever that is about) and keep on going.
So THAT is your neighborhood council. Fight them Michael. You can do it.
Who is your project coordinator? I'll fight for you!
Wendy Greuel announced last night at the STNC Meeting that they will not be cutting the Library Budgets.
The Budget will be voted on next week.
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