Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Monday

During the city budget process, Mayor Villaraigosa threatened that over 700 city workers would be laid off.  In an amazing shell game, all of those employees have been transferred to other posts with the exception of four remaining city workers who are facing possible termination.  The next time politicians like Villaraigosa tell you we have to raise taxes and fees to balance the budget remember tricks like this.



If you've been jonesing for a fix from the Dean of LA Bloggers, Joseph Mailander, since his Street Hassle blog went dark back on June 24th, there is some to be had.  Joe's been posting on his arts and culture blog, Mainbrace, the last couple of days (and indeed Don Quixote was quickly there to start posting comments) and he has a great response to our piece on Bill Boyarsky's whine about his time on the Ethics Commission.





Rick Orlov says that the entry of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom into the gubernatorial race adds some glam compared to the last Democratic candidate, Phil Angelides (though his daughters certainly added some spice, maybe Newsom would like to date one of them.).



Dennis Zine and others are accusing School Board Member Tamar Galatzan of breaking a promise to build a community center at a new LAUSD campus in Canoga Park and the City is now suing the LAUSD.  As part of the plan to build a mixed use housing project and school, Galatzan and her predecessor, the late Jon Lauritzen, promised the LAUSD would pay for half of the cost of constructing the community center with the City and the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency picking up the rest.  Now Galatzan is saying that the District did not promise to pay for the center and will not.  Zine says the City is left holding the bag, shifting the funds from other priorities.



Speaking of our favorite former motorcycle cop turned Councilman, Dennis Zine seems to be more concerned about celebrities being stalked by paparazzi than illegal construction in his neighborhood. At the same time - following violence between locals and press photographers that even wound up impacting Zuma Dogg - Malibu officials seeking to protect the landed gentry in their town have consulted former Monica Lewinsky prosecutor Ken Starr on legal ways to block the tabloid press.  How about putting this energy to work fighting gangs?



The SoapBox LA blog reports that the bicycle activist group Critical Mass staged another one of their mass bike rides, this time in Hollywood.  Police overwhelmed by so many bicyclists decided to make a stand by citing the most egregious of the offending cyclists.  SoapBoxLA is calling upon Council President Eric Garcetti and City Council Transportation Committee Chair Wendy Greuel to take action against the police response.



The long awaited desire for cityhood in East LA got a boost when yet another drive for independence started up on the Fourth of July.



And finally a 42 year old toilet trained chimp who lives with a married pair of animal trainers has gone missing.  Moe the Chimp escaped his cage about two weeks ago and is believed to be hiding in the San Bernardino Forest.  His owners are urging anyone who comes in contact with him to avoid him as he has a history of biting humans.