Daily News "Used By" and "Turns the Table On" H. David Nahai
With apologies to former Daily News Editor Ron Kaye, we must in the public interest post these excerpts on how a Pompous, Arrogant, Thin-Skinned, Aloof, Poor Excuse of a Public Servant, that being Department of Water and Power General Manager and "Co-Chief" (with IBEW's "Boss D'Arcy"), H. David Nahai, brought shame to the once proud, but now "MOLDY GREEN SHEET.From today's Daily News Editorial "Confessions and manipulations of a water-waster".
Auditors of the spacious spread owned by H. David Nahai on Beverly
Hills-adjacent Deep Canyon Drive found that the general manager of the Los
Angeles Department of Water and Power is one of those very water-wasters that
the city is, under his own leadership, cracking down on.
Hills-adjacent Deep Canyon Drive found that the general manager of the Los
Angeles Department of Water and Power is one of those very water-wasters that
the city is, under his own leadership, cracking down on.
In fact, Nahai's lawn is so overwatered by sprinklers that it's sitting
in a foot of subsurface moisture.
in a foot of subsurface moisture.
It was embarrassing for Nahai, to be sure. And it reinforced the belief
by many that Los Angeles' leaders regularly engage in hypocrisy. Here was the
man scolding Angelenos for using too much water caught in the wasteful act
himself.
by many that Los Angeles' leaders regularly engage in hypocrisy. Here was the
man scolding Angelenos for using too much water caught in the wasteful act
himself.
But shouldn't Nahai be forgiven for generously opening his home and his
water usage to the public - a commitment to model good conservationist behavior?
Certainly, if that were the whole story.
water usage to the public - a commitment to model good conservationist behavior?
Certainly, if that were the whole story.
Now getting to the "Heart of a User".
The story behind that story, in fact, shows more political calculation than chagrin. Nahai's offer to the Daily News was nothing more than a clever pre-emptive strike against another reporter he considered a bother. For weeks Nahai had resisted requests from independent journalist, blogger and all-around muckraker Alan Mittelstaedt to turn over his water bills. It was a reasonable request. The man who was resurrecting the water police and portraying himself as a conservationist ought to be willing to be an example.
Nahai was annoyed by the request and the persistence of this journalist, and knew he would have to give up his wasting ways sooner or later. So he used a tactic common to clever public figures: He took his story elsewhere. Hah. Take that nosy Nelson!
Politicians, celebrities and other powerful people have been playing games like this ever since there was a press to play with. It's unfortunate, and the public likely has little idea of the manipulation that goes on behind the scenes every day just to get public officials to grudgingly provide important information.
What's more, this story illustrates not only that Nahai is a crafty political figure, but that he - as so many others in the city's leadership - only did the right thing when forced. Would disgraced San Diego Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham have stopped taking bribes from defense contractors had not he been exposed by the San Diego Union-Tribune and the FBI? Not likely.
H. David Nahai is a lawbreaker (for violating the Public Records Act) and frontman for the likes of Mayor Villaraigosa, Ari Swiller and Keith Brackpool who will reap $$$$ of the back of ratepayers for their pet projects and companies (Cadiz Inc., Renewable Resources).
Props and happy return to the LA Weekly for Alan Mittelstaedt and thanks for the fortitude to show what a fraud H. David Nahai is to the Conservation Community,....including the Sierra Club.
Comments from the "WESTSIDE WHITE PUFF PIECE GUY" The person who at this time regrets writing this example of "PUFF JOURNALISM" .
Labels: Alan Mittelstaedt, daily news, H. David Nahai, mayor antonio villaraigosa
Posted by Red Spot in CD 14 @ 6/26/2008 10:37:00 AM
23 Comments:
Weird
Now I know what the H. stands for: hosed.
xoxo
What do you use to "turn on" a guys who runs Water and Power. Does it require a special handle to the fixture?
Is there a "H. David Wrench" like there's an Allen Wrench?
Or is HE actually the 'tool' in this case?
The Sierra Club here in LA is a fraud, especially when the head of HR is a known political hack who routinely sells out endorsements and owes her position to "friends". The two of them (both personally and orgainzationally) deserve each other.
....from one who speaks the truth.
The website for the LA Chapter of the Sierra Club doesn't even include a HR position. They only list a half dozen employees.
DWP not sierra club.
You really can't bang too much on local reporters like this. They're just not up to the challenge.
They seldom get to cover the same city entity twice, so they have no serious background to ask intelligent questions (tomorrow the same person will be talking to the CEO of Kaiser Healthcare and the next day, the L.A. Philharmonic conductor.
They're usually the 3rd stringers from east coast ivy league schools who couldn't get on staff at the Wash. Times or NY Post and headed west.
Then, about the time they actually figure out how to spell "L.A." they'll finally get a better gig in Delaware, closer to family, and skip town overnight.
The Daily News' owner, especially, gutted the professional ranks there when he took over, slashing salaries and hiring cheap new kids for half the price.
Meanwhile, execs like Nahai are briefed by flaks from top schools and agencies - because they can afford them - who've been preparing the "messaging" for weeks and know exactly how to fool the junior cadet reporters.
It's a huge mismatch. Pros versus amateurs.
Like the Patriots vs. some Pop Warner team.
Like Celtics vs. Lakers.
In that case, what's new? The place is a political cesspool. And why would anybody think when you write Sierra Club, you actually mean the DWP? If you're a disgruntled former employee, maybe you got fired for being stupid. Then, again, that would be a DWP first.
Who here is creeped out by Nahai's photo, not to mention his elitist accent?
Between Nahai and his sidekick Snuffalupokus it's a wonder that anyone there speaks Englishy.
But seriously, look at Nahai's photo. And what the 'F' is up with that 'H' of a first name? Hussein, perhaps?
I am guessing his 'H' doesn't stand for Herman.
E. Pluribus Waterwaster!
Beth Barrett wrote the article. She has been reporting about DWP for years. Did she know about Mittelstaedt's pursuit of Nahai to get this information? One might think that the answer is yes, in that just about everyone else around town was aware of this. That is, except perhaps the new editor at the Daily News, who allowed the Barrett article to run in the first place?
12:38: The DN reporter was NOT a new kid on the block, but the Queen of Mean and perhaps the biggest demander of public records herself: Beth Barrett. She fell on her face, and now this editorial blames Nahai for what she should have known, as did Roderick and Jill Stewart/ Christine Pelisek at the Weekly, readers of L A Observed, most everyone not living under a rock.
Pelisek even did a story in the L A Weekly on Barrett on another topic: wondering why she did a huge suckup piece on Tennie Pierce, letting him vent and making him out to be the victim in the dog food lawsuit.
Alan Mittelstaedt behaved like a jerk to Nahai: showed up at his house to demand the bill from the wife and teenaged son. Creepy.
If he could do that, what's to prevent zuma dogg, or any blogger from doing the same? "The public's right to know" gives cover to a lot of creepy people harassing anyone in power, there have to be limits.
Alan admitted that Nahai had told him his office would provide the bill, until the harassment.
BUT having said that, we should have someone more informed about conservation, like windmill technology, solar -- starting with his own house to heat that pool and mausoleum, more efficient planting and irrigation.
This rant brought to you by "WWG"
12:02, It's an H David screw.
3:29
It's called cultivating sources. Give them a pass in the hopes they'll clue you in first next time.
But they usually don't because they know you're a lightweight (for the very same reason - you gave them a pass before).
OR, your editor golfs with the subject on Sat. mornings.
5:26: The way Barrett and editor Garcia (who I doubt plays golf on Saturdays) slam Nahai to cover up their own screw-up, I don't think they'll be getting a whole lot more scoops. (Alan Mittelstaedt won't be getting ANY.)
But I do agree Barrett was probably trying to soften up Tennie Pierce and his lawyer, who takes on/ encourages a lot of these suits against the city to make up for her rep as a nasty bitch who'll do anything for a story. Blew it. She's just a double-bitch -- whatever one thinks of the Water Pasha (who was really dumb not to have at least tried to put in place some new measures to announce along with his over-the-top wastefulness.)
Mittelstaedt tried to get the info, even going so far as to file a Public Records Act request. The response by Nahai and DWP staff was to jerk Alan around, to keep stalling him, etc...
Yeh, going to Nahai's house was probably not the best way to approach the issue, but, then, what Nahai did with Barrett and the DN is definitely not the way this sort of thing should have been handled....
That elitism you're so jealous of came in handy at this week's meeting where Alarcon lost his cool, started screaming like a maniac at him and Patsouris for not doing enough for his low-income residents, claiming that "once again, you're forcing the poor to subsidize the rich in this city!" Uh, huh, that's why the middle class is sick and tired and leaving in droves, replaced by these poor/ illegals, because they're getting back so much more of their tax dollars than they're paying out.
Alarcon really IS a Marxist.
But then, he also refuses to vote to re appoint Patsouris to the DWP Commission in Council -- you could see Patsouris' face shake in fury and maybe restrained tears, talking about his 30 years of public service. And really, that dude makes no money from this. Alarcon is a douchebag and utterly crazy,
THE ASS CLOWN OF THE MONTH, AND OF THE YEAR WITH HIS PARTNER IN MARXIST HOUSING REDISTRIBUTION, SPECIAL ED DENSITY REYES.
AND it's not like Alarcon gives a damn about the poor, other than taking what he can from the gringos on the westside, valley and hills.
He and his wife tried to secretly redistrict her property, along with hundreds of other poor souls living in CD2 Wendy's district, but caught by David Z.
And we know how he was behind the Felipe Fuentes/AB212, to help the only gringos he can stand: very rich, unethical developers who will kick back to him and his homies.
Yet he's out attacking a man who hasn't made money from his city work for 30 years, publicly chewing him out like a flunky and trying to ruin his reputation.
Would you cast the first stone before looking at your OWN energy consumption first? Lights and computers off each night? Lawns? Please!
We might find better ways of conserving if we changed our own homes and ways of living. Mr. Nahai was brave in offering his bills to set the example for the rest of us. Thank you! What would you do if a reporter knocked on your door unannounced tomorrow? Are you ready to go public? Self riteous prigs are the worst sort.
JOE FROM THE MEAN STREETS OF EAST LA!!! IS IN LOVE WITH VALLEY DOLL! ASK YOUR FELLOW BLOGGERS?? HOW TO FIND ME!
CHALE!!
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