Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council to hold presentation on Huizar/ Reyes Hillside Ordinance

This is the new home of the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council.

Thanks to the antics of past LHNC President David Galaviz and current Vice-President Vera Padilla, the LHNC was force to find a new meeting location.

Meetings take place on the first and third Thursdays of the month in the meeting room located in the basement on the right side of the Lincoln Heights Library, pictured above.

This Thusday, October 2, 2008, the LHNC will have a presentation on the hillside ICO, a plan by Councilman Ed Reyes and Jose Huizar to place new restrictions on developing hillside lots in Northeast LA.

At a recent meeting of the LA 32 Neighborhood Council in El Sereno, hundreds turned out, mostly to state their opposition.

One can see LHNC needing more than basement space on Thursday..............

Assorted Unionize Ass Clowns for the months of August and September

Memo to SEIU International Leader Andy Stern, can we get sponsorship for our prestigious award??

After all for the last couple of months the exploits of your union leadership and the resulting exploitation of members dues, have rekindle the investigated journalistic creed at the "OLD GRAY HAG ON SPRING STREET" and up our hits here at Mayor Sam.

But most important for a city in need of democratic reforms, your leaders follies may help release organize labor's "strangle hold" on City Hall and County Government.

"Brother Andy", your principle that "bigger is better", that being in your restructuring of SEIU locals into "super locals" has brought you these returns locally.

*Tyrone Freeman of SEIU 6434 diverted dues money to non-profits run by family members.

**Arnelle Grajeda, Leader of "Super Local 721" is placed on admin. leave due to questions about money given to "sancho".

***Julie Butcher, former General Manager of SEIU 347 and now in charge of LA and Orange County Cities under 721, renews attempt to take over EAA membership, which could have national implications in the area of inter-union relations.

But there is one person not pictured here who's political aspirations in the short term could be the first to suffer in this growing scandal. Wonder who Mark???

Maverick Predictions!

Sometimes it's just better to let the candidate do the talking!

If You Liked Jimmy Carter, You'll Love Barack Obama Part II

Remember gas lines? Hostages? Misery? Inflation? The era of limits? America as a laughing stock? Those were the days of James Earl "Jimmah" Carter, the 39th President of the United States who got his ass kicked all the way back to Georgia by Ronald Reagan.

You can lay the creation of Al-Qaeda squarely at the feet of Jimmah who allowed the Russians to invade Afghanistan where Osama bin Laden became a brand.  His mishandling of the situation in Iran led to the Islamic republic that is now threatening Israel with nukes.

If you would like to see the second term of Jimmah finally take place, then vote for Barack Obama who is more Carter than Carter.  Folks, Barack is no Bill Clinton, a moderate Democrat who did a succesful job of managing the economy and keeping the country out of trouble internationally.  Barack is a left wing, socialist nut job of the Carter order.

Riddle Me This One Batman: Stuart Smalley for Senator?

The same people who think it's some kind of joke that John McCain selected Sarah Palin as his running mate apparently have no issue electing Al Franken US Senator from Minnesota.

They won't need someone on Saturday Night Live to play Al. He was on that show for like 20 years!

Councilman Jose Huizar to attend City of Commerce Rally against proposed Vernon Power Plant

This community update on a future "COUNCILMAN LAST SEEN AS JOSE HUIZAR" event.

Candlelight Vigil Against the Vernon Power Plant

Tuesday, September 30, 20087:00 pm- 8:30pm

Rosewood Park

5600 Harbor St. City of Commerce, CA

Join Councilmember Huizar and the Resurrection Neighborhood Watch Group as they partner with the City of Commerce, City of Huntington Park, various environmental groups, and concerned residents in the fight against the Vernon Power Plant. This Candlelight Vigil will be held to exemplify the solidarity among Eastside residents as together they say NO to more pollution in the Eastside.

Some have stated that the "COUNCILMAN LAST SEEN AS JOSE HUIZAR" is simply "piggy backing" off the hard work of the likes of Resurrection Church and civic leaders in the City of Commerce, to show some "greenish commitment" ( that is not related to his pursuit of contributions).

But for City of Commerce Mayor Tina Baca Del Rio and Councilman Robert Fierro, their stand against the proposed power plant has bought them a recall election that is on the Commerce Ballot in November.

Ass Clown Award for the months of August and September**

Due to personal and professional obligations, one has not been able to post with regularity here at Mayor Sam. But with the end of the month looming today, it is that time to announced and solicited nominations for the prestigious "Ass Clown Award".

Nominees include the following assorted asses;

1. SEIU's Tyrone Freeman
2. SEIU's Arnelle Grajeda
3. SEIU International
4. SEIU "suck up" State Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas
5. California State Government
6. Gov. "Kennedy Republican"
7. DWP
8. The "Roseanne Barr" of posters, "Don Quixote"
9. Mayor Antonio Roman Villar, ahh, raigosa
10. Barack "H" Obama
11. and the "COUNCILMAN LAST SEEN INVESTIGATING HIS CONSTITUENTS AS JOSE HUIZAR"

Your comments (and grammatical corrections) appreciated as always.

Haikula Responds, and Tells It Like It Is

Haikula thanks everyone for submitting questions in response to the "Ask Haikula Anything" entry posted yesterday. Like this photo, it may be a sad dose of reality, but Haikula responds to your questions tells it like it is.

Q. Is your "friend" really your lover?

A. Lover? What is this, 1972? I love my bloggin’ compadre, but I presently type on another’s keyboard.

~~~~~

Q. Where’s Mirthala?

A. I’m not sure, but she probably has a good grip on things. But seriously, as best as Haikula can tell, she is an on-air talent at 690AM in Los Angeles. They don’t mention what the talent is. You can read her bio at http://www.wradio690.com/staff.asp?id=558477. You can translate it into Engrish at http://translate.google.com

Ironically, Mirthala's station bio has the phrase “collateral damage” in it.

~~~~~

Q. Why did Jeannie’s sister (on "I Dream of Jeannie") wear blue?

A. She was the hot one.

~~~~~

Q. Did Tony Villar fly to Cuba and then try to cover it up?

A. If he did, it was on the city’s dime, the city’s time, and the LAPD in tow.

~~~~~

Q. What did Tony Villar do with those 80 fake Neighborhood Watches?

A. Nothing since the press conference.

~~~~~

Q. Will EAA prevail against SEIU 721's decertificcation effort?

A. Wishful, but doubtful. Maybe some "house cleaning" stipulation.

~~~~~

Q. Is Obama qualified to be President?

A. Given the limits of the question, the answer is no. He is highly qualified to raise taxes and expand entitlement programs. Pipe down, Licorice Stick: he is also qualified to protect Roe v. Wade. (How quickly you changed your opinion of Haikula! Trust your Haikula!)

Neither Obama nor Palin are "qualified" to be President. McCain, Biden, Romney, Clinton, and quite a few of the others, are. But McCain made a wise move for his campaign in choosing Sarah. Obama would be a slam-dunk winner if he chose Clinton.

~~~~~

Q. Higby, the answer to your second question depends on Haikula's answer to the question at 9:55. . . Is Haikula's female friend actually Haikula's partner in the Eric Garcetti sense of the word?

A. The question is moot, as Haikula has not identified her 'blogging compadre's gender.

~~~~~

Q. Is it true what they say about Blimmy Jackman?

A. Most people know Jimmy Blackman (I mean Blimmy Jackman) to be an a**hole. Oh, why bother parsing words? We all know he's an asshole.

~~~~~

Q. Why is Oprah a rasist pig?

A. I think we know how the homeschooling went.

But to get to your question, it is still acceptable for a person to be racist in the U.S. provided that the person isn't Caucasian. We all know this is true, but few are allowed to say so. And I write this as a person of color.

~~~~~

Q. My question is who's the angry guy who loses it everytime Sarah Palin is mentioned on this blog?

A. It is definitely not Valley Doll.

~~~~~

Q. Michael Higby said... Okay Haiku if I can't have you, how about a laptop?

A. Yvonne Elliman! Long time, no sing!

~~~~~

Q. Mayor Sam Higby hates straight people! You are an anti-heteroic and gender preference-ist.

A. Could you please phrase that in the form of a question?

~~~~~

Q. How should I vote on all those state propositions? I don't want to read all that and sort through the arguments and facts. I'm in a lazy mood.

A. I will tell you right before the election so you'll have to just trust your Haikula.

~~~~~

Q. Do you get paid to write for this blog?

A. My greatest compensation is the joy I get when I see the hits go up. It means you're either having fun with us, or getting angry at us.

~~~~~

Q. How come Liberals always threaten to leave the country if their guy loses? And how come they never follow through?

A. If you mean the Hollwood Liberals, it is because they know that as long as there isn't a Liberal in the White House, there is plenty of work available and the taxes are comparatively low.

If you mean the every day type of Liberal, it is because there is plenty of work available and the taxes are comparatively low.

~~~~~

Q. When is ICE coming to Los Angeles?

A. If the LAPD welcomes ICE the same way that it welcomes the DEA for marijuana clinic raids, it should be any minute now. Several hundred illegals and fugitives were picked up by ICE in Los Angeles last weekend.

~~~~~

Q. Good afternoon Miss Haiku (kisses hand and gives Haiku LA a dazzling smile):I have a question for you: Who is the person(s) who received a discipline memo for cooperating with the LA Weekly author and who signed said memo? (Winks) In other words, how many sots does it take to wield an axe, savvy?

A. Haikula speaks English, Portuguese, some Japanese and some Finnish. But I do not understand Swizzlestick or Pirate. Got that, Coffee Cakes?

~~~~~

Q. Haikula, can I have a laptop, too? I'm not fussy; I'll take either kind.

A. Is there more than one kind?

~~~~~

Q. Who the hell is Eddie Wonker?

A. Willie Wonka's brother.

~~~~~

Q. Here's one for Haikula- why would a woman want to be called "partner" by her man?

A. I think we all know the answer to that question.

~~~~~

Q. Can Walter Moore beat Tony Villar?

A. It depends on how dumb the people are.

Of course Walter can win. No one, if anyone, is going to throw their hat in the ring until early December. The longer this holds true, the better Walter's odds are. With Villaraigosa pledging up to a billion dollars more in affordable housing, but falling short on details, the more people are going to realize that he has been a fraud in the past four years, who intends to tax and bond us to death in the next four.

What is most evident about Villar's socialistic tendencies is his ridiculous plans to have the poor, middle class, and affluent classes living among each other. Social engineering is not going to accomplish anything, other than giving Walter another opportunity to expose Villaraigosa.

Others on City Council should not waste their time, energy and money running their vanity campaigns for Mayor this time. Not a one of them has a record worth running on. And if you think Villaraigosa has a tough time speaking at his own press conferences, try imagining how he'd fare in debates against Walter.

Watch Villaraigosa try to blame all of the ills he has created, or failed to improve, in the past four years, on Wall Street. He is trying to do it already. Villaraigosa mismanaged the City of LA into a major fiscal crisis, and is now blaming his own failures on Wall Street. What a hypocrite! We will see if the Mayor continues to try and play on the theme of "Change" when it comes to the greed, giveaways and gridlock embedded in his administration.

Since the financial crisis is a federal matter, will City Council President Eric Garcetti tell Mayor Villaraigosa that he needs to stick to subjects that are within the city's jurisdiction? Or do such rules apply only to the citizenry?

Ice Cube and The Jamiel Shaw Story!

Whatever happened to Straight Talk? "Why Me?", is the most recent video from Ice Cube, featuring Musiq Soulchild.

Ice Cube remembers my son, Jamiel Shaw II, aka "Jas", and many other Innocent Victims of gun violence! Still no Politician will take a stand and support Jamiel's Law.

Check out the video and listen to the CD.

http://www.jamielslaw.com/

Democrats and Poverty

What do the top ten cities with the highest poverty rate all have in common?

Democratic leadership.

1. Detroit, MI (1st on the poverty rate list) hasn't elected a Republican mayor since 1961;

2. Buffalo, NY (2nd) hasn't elected one since 1954;

3. Cincinnati, OH (3rd)...since 1984;

4. Cleveland, OH (4th)...since 1989;

5. Miami, FL (5th) has never had a Republican mayor;

6. St. Louis, MO (6th)....since 1949;

7. El Paso, TX (7th) has never had a Republican mayor;

8. Milwaukee, WI (8th)...since 1908;

9. Philadelphia, PA (9th)...since 1952;

10, Newark, NJ (10th)...since 1907.

It is the disadvantaged who habitually elect Democrats --- yet are still disadvantaged.

Ask Haikula Anything

It's a new week, and time for something new: Ask Haikula Anything (A-HA).

I will summon up the wisdom of Endora, Jeannie and Carol Brady to answer the world's tough questions, from the election, Mayor Swindle-raigosa, or the Dodgers' chances of getting past the first round of the playoffs. Or anything else that is within my purview.

But for the Love of Licorice, please ask something new and refreshing, rather than "Do you trust O'bama (sic) the Muslim" or "Do you agree that Palin is a hick."

So post a question, and remember to "Trust Your Haikula."

(I will gather the questions and respond - to the interesting ones - in a new post.)

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Monday

Monday Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will unveil a $5 billion "affordable" housing plan intended to build homes for the homeless and low income.  However no one other than the Mayor himself seems to be excited over the massive boondoggle whose details are sketchy at best.  And even the Mayor says that he's not sure where all the money will come from. 

He's part Zuma Dogg, part Walter Moore and even a little bit of 1970s era Jerry Brown thrown in - and he's running for Mayor.  Marijuana activist and enthusiast Craig X Rubin will announce his campaign, joining Mayor Villaraigosa and Moore in the 2009 campaign.  In addition to creating a church around pot use Rubin served as a technical advisor on the Showtime original series Weeds and claims to have sold a bong to actor Brad Pitt.

Governor Schwarzenegger is not very popular these days with conservative Republicans and California's prison guards' union - in fact the union is spearheading a recall of the Governor.  That being said, former Governor Pete Wilson spoke to state Republicans over the weekend at their fall convention urging them to get behind Schwarzenegger as well the redistricting measure, Proposition 11, on the November ballot.

One blogger has an intriguing idea about what to do with the Wall Street bailout funds, particularly the $85 million slated to rescue insurer AIG - give it to the taxpayers.  The writer calculates that could be a windfall of $400,000 for every man and woman over 18 years of age.  The idea being rather than giving it back to the investors those funds could stimulate the economy like no tomorrow in the hands of the people.  Sounds good to me.

And finally the latest conspiracy theory raging these days is that President Bush will declare a state of national emergency over the current economic mess, declare martial law and indefinitely postpone Novemember's elections. Whoever is passing this idea around must have been smoking some of Craig X Rubin's weed.

Tina Fey Nails It!

No matter what your opinion is of Sarah Palin, you have to give it up for Tina Fey's amazing portrayal of her on SNL.

If You Liked Jimmy Carter, You'll Love Barack Obama

Just like Neville Chamberlain and Jimmy Carter before him, when it comes to dealing with rogue, evil nations such as those committed to destroying America and our friends such as Israel, Barack Obama is an appeaser of the worst type.

Chamberlain, as Prime Minister of England, sought a policy of appeasing Adolph Hitler, hoping to avoid war.  The British learned the hard way that you don't appease dictators when Hitler launced rockets into London.

Jimmy Carter sought a policy of detente with the Soviet Union and Islamic facists in the Middle East which only led to Americans being held hostage in Iran 444 days and saw a dangerous nuclear buildup by the Soviet Union which was only later shattered by the policies of the tough as nails Reagan Administration who refused to deal with terrorists and caused an arms spending race with the Soviets that eventually crashed their empire.

Barack Obama has said he will meet with the leaders of terrorist states - just as Carter himself has done recently meeting with those dedicated to wiping Israel off the map - without preconditions, a longstanding bulwark of American foreign policy.  When our troops are finally winning the war in Iraq, Obama wants to pull them out.  And when Russian aggression is back on the upswing, he blames the victims, the nation of Georgia which was unprovoked attacked by Russia.

Obama's supporters can make their cute jokes about Sarah Palin seeing Russia from her house (which she never said) but Obama scares the bejesus out of me.  Jimmy Carter not only nearly brought us to the brink in terms of our national security but led the nation into a crappy economy and plunged the nation into misery, for which he even developed an index.

With our national security and economy in serious jeopardy at present, we can't do Jimmy Carter II.  What turned it around in 1980 was a cold warrior who believed in America.  We have another one in John McCain.

Charlie Daniels agreed back then and he still agrees today.

Happy Birthday, Michael "Mayor Sam" Higby!

Michael celebrated his birthday at U-Wink in the Highland-Hollywood (or is it Hollywood-Highland?) Center surrounded by friends and family! The food was delicious, pictures of Michael from birth to present were projected on several large screens, along with pictures of MS Bloggers, and a great time was had by all! We also solved the mystery as to where Sarah Palin has been hiding (cute couple, don't you think?)!

Public Access TV Comes to an End

How do you shut down free speech and generate more City tax revenue at the same time? By passing a law signed by forced out politicians Fabian "Fellow Mirthala Banger" Nunez and Lloyd "Daddy couldn't buy me a Senate seat" Levine.

Among other things, AB2987 authored by Levine and Nunez will essentially allow cable operators to shut down public access television channels and instead pay a significant fee to the City.  Then, theoretically, it would be up to the City to allow time for public access programming on it's community affairs Channel 36, if it wanted.

On Wednesday, the Clowncil approved a mostly meangingless measure by Members Tony Cardenas and Jan Perry instructing the City's Information Technology Agency to review what impact this law will have and what options there are.  However, the City's resident expert on cable television, Councilman Bill Rosendahl, himself a former cable television executive and on-air personality, lamented the Nunez-Levine act will mean the death of public access. In the clip below, both Rosendahl and Council Member Dennis Zine make passioned pleas of support for public access followed by Tom LeBong who makes some sort of non-sequitir reference to the old 1950s cop drama, Highway Patrol starring Broderick Crawford.



We remember that City Councilman Bernard Parks ordered the public affairs program Full Disclosure from it's airwaves. Who at City Hall will decide which program air and which don't?

On the other hand, with YouTube, blogs and other forms of technology is public access even necessary? I am certain more people read this blog than watch most of the shows on Channel 25 here in the East Valley (truthfully most of them are awful). That's a question that should be considered over time however it's ultimately a decision that should be up to the cable operators as private businesses and not have to be shaken down by politicians who will only waste the money.

Where in the World is Sarah Palin?

The traditional job of vice presidential candidates is to act as a media "pit bull", unleashed upon the press to defend and expand on the presidential candidate's message.

In the hours following a presidential debate, no better opportunity presents itself for the potential VP to hit the circuit and show their stuff, which Joe Biden did in numerous outlets.

But where was Sarah Palin?

With the exception of her showing up at a bar in Philly, I've not been able to find one instance of her appearing anywhere in the media (please correct me if I have missed something)!

Has she been muzzled after her disastrous interviews with Katie Couric?

Is it moose skinning season in Alaska?

Speaking of missing candidates, here is more of Letterman's comedic musings on McCain's failure to appear on his show:

But can this screwball hit a screwball?

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND. LUV YUH!
Haikula

LOS ANGELES — A man faces criminal charges for allegedly stealing a uniform from Dodger Stadium and posing as one of the team's players.

Ronald Higgins pleaded not guilty to several charges Friday, including burglary and trespassing.

The 47-year-old Higgins was arrested Wednesday morning after a security guard found him walking on the field in a Dodgers uniform and holding a glove with two balls. Higgins allegedly identified himself as a Dodgers player, but the guard recognized him from an earlier incident and called police.

Prosecutors say Higgins' clothes were later found in the bat boys' locker room. It was not immediately clear where he got the uniform.

If convicted, Higgins could spend nearly four years in state prison.

Attempts to locate an attorney for Higgins were not successful Friday night.

The First Debate! Who Won?

Because I just know you are chomping at the bit.....

Can you say it in 25 words or less?

How did people like George Bush, Antonio Villaraigosa and Jack Weiss get into office, despite being horrible or lackluster in their previous jobs/elected terms?

That's a 25-word question.

Can you come up with a 25-word answer?

Walter Moore Reaches Important Milestone

Here's some city related news.

Candidate for Los Angeles Mayor Walter Moore announced Thursday he reached a critical threshold in his campaign to unseat Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in that he has raised $150,000 for his campaign.  This now qualifies Moore for City matching funds as well as gets him into the debates.

If Villaraigosa accepts City matching funds, he will be required to debate Moore.  If he opts not to take the funds and debate Moore, the Mayor will lose up to $1 million in campaign funds.

Moore reaching this level now makes it harder for the mainstream media to ignore his candidacy in campaign coverage. 

Whatever you think of Moore or Villaraigosa, additional competition is healthy for our Democracy and voters will have at least two choices.

Mayor Villaraigosa Fibs about Layoffs Again?

It was just a few months ago that Mayor Villaraigosa told us more than 700 Los Angeles city jobs would be eliminated, only to have none of it come true. Then, the millions of dollars of fee waivers continued.

Now, Mayor Villaraigosa is saying that the already-projected hundreds of millions of dollars in budgetary shortfall is due....to the stock market.

Sorry, dude. No one is buying it this time.

From KFWB:

Villaraigosa Warns of LA Cash CrunchThe mayor of LA is predicting the economic mess from Wall Street will have a big impact on the city's budget. KFWB's John Brooks reports Antonio Villaraigosa says there may be more layoffs and service cuts. KFWB Big Story - http://kfwb.com

Banks Crashing Almost As Much As LA's Trains ; Tax Scam On Ballot

Someone remarked about the current state of the banking industry in US, that it's a "train wreck;" here in Los Angeles they've become a more than frequent occurrence from the "death machines" more commonly known as Metrolink and MTA trains.

For some time, in an effort to physically stimulate the transit nerds among us – but more importantly create new job opportunities for LA’s politically connected but otherwise useless public works contracting industry – the Mayor has pushed for a significant sales tax increase to build the ever so important “subway to the sea” to mollify Music Center bound Westside cranks but ship the bill to folks in Palmdale, West Covina, Agoura and East LA.

Now, as more trains run into each other, buses, cars and people, Measure R goes to the ballot with the same lack of foresight and non-corruption as a number of other shady tax increases on the ballot. The Governor has signed off on the enabling legislation.

In the meantime, the County’s Metropolitan Transportation Agency, hungry for new cash, has created a marketing campaign designed to pass the measure despite that the fact it is illegal for a public agency to spend taxpayer funds on political activities. However given how corrupt the system is, how inept our law enforcement bureaucracy has become and the fact that with the economy in a shambles anything local is way under the radar, don’t expect any repercussions for his shady move by the MTA’s bosses.

The only hope now is that a majority of the voters are smart enough to realize that LA’s killing machine doesn’t need any more cash nor is it a smart move to raise their taxes in the middle of an economic crisis.

The Debate is On!

See you there at 6pm.

Payments to our spouses are "Nothing Improper" - SEIU

If you are a member of the Service Employees International Union, SEIU, ask your union bosses why, if there's "nothing improper" by paying their friends & spouses tens of millions of dollars in side business transactions, why does it take a newspaper for those payments to see the light of day?

It is in today's L.A. Times.

WaMu out! Will J'MorgMu offer free checking?

JPMorgan Chase to purchase Washington Mutual bank for $1.9 billion.

What should they call the new bank? Suggestions? I like the sound of J'MorgMu or Mu Goo Gai Bank.

WaMu was seized by the federal government, and some or most of its assets were sold to JPMorgan Chase. Chase recently was given the new ability to accept deposits and, therefore, become a traditional bank.

It is the largest U.S. bank to ever go-under.

Your deposits are safe; they're federally insured. But if you own WaMu shares, they're virtually worthless.

David Hernandez Woke Up and Saw His Shadow; Four More Years of Alarcon and LeBong

Despite a violation of California's constitution that bans a ballot proposition covering more than one subject, an Appeals Court ruled against a coalition of citizens led by activist David Hernandez in affirming Measure R, the shady term limits law.

The court ruled:

"Appellants point to nowhere in the California Constitution, or elsewhere in state law, expressly imposing a single subject restriction on ballot measures sponsored by the governing body of a charter city such as Los Angeles. The Constitution must be interpreted by the language in which it is written, since "'courts are no more at liberty to add provisions to what is therein declared in definite language than they are to disregard any of its express provisions.'" (Delaney v. Superior Court (1990)50 Cal.3d 785, 799.) We conclude the single subject rule does not apply to a city council sponsored ballot measure such as Measure R."

Ooops! Bill Clinton Praises John McCain

From CNN:

Bill Clinton has long pointed out he has enjoyed a good relationship with John McCain, but for a moment the former president almost sounded like a surrogate for the Republican presidential nominee Thursday morning.

Appearing on ABC's Good Morning America, Clinton said McCain's move to suspend his campaign and request a delay in the first presidential debate was a move done in "good faith," rather than as a stunt to halt falling poll numbers as several Democrats have alleged.

"I presume he did that in good faith since I know he wanted — I remember he asked for more debates to go all around the country and so I don't think we ought to overly parse that," Clinton said, sounding a familiar McCain Campaign talking point.

A few hours later Clinton lavished praise on McCain as he introduced him at the Clinton Global Initiative forum, saying Republican presidential nominee had taken the lead in his party when it comes to climate change.

"When most people in his party were thinking that global warming was overstated and maybe even a myth — he decided to look into it," he said.

The former president also described the two trips that McCain took with his wife Hillary Clinton, “the junior senator from New York," to look into the issue.

But Clinton has also been effusive in his praise for Obama in recent days, telling CBS earlier this week the Illinois senator is better-suited than McCain to bring the country out of the economic crisis.

Clinton's praise of McCain also came days after he told CNN's Larry King Live he was looking forward to campaigning on behalf of Barack Obama, but was not planning on "dumping" on McCain.

Mayor Sam Suspends Blogging (Temporarily)

"Blogger Status -Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Blogger will be unavailable Thursday (9/25) at 4:00PM PDT for about 10 minutes for maintenance."

Can't they do this at 3 in the morning?

New Gallup Poll: McCain & Obama tied at 46%

Click here for this fresh Gallup poll. Don't be a FOO' and try to spin it; it's a reflection of what IS.

While I have your attention, if you want to start cleaning up city council, let's start with defeating Jack Weiss in his run for city attorney and instead vote for Carmen Trutantich.

Let's also clean up the mess that Weiss created in his District by voting for Paul Koretz for his city council seat.

Trust your Haikula. It's my world, and you're welcome to live in it. If I wasn't right, Mr. Higby wouldn't be paying me the big bucks.

Obama Denied Teleprompter at Debate

The Commission on Presidential Debates won't allow Barack Obama to use a teleprompter at Friday's first of three debates. That's too bad for the Democratic candidate as he as often struggled through debates whether it was with Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden during the primary or with himself at Saddleback Church.

"Yes, Obama can turn a phrase better and do more with a Teleprompter than any other modern era politician. But does his special skill set here actually mean anything, or is it instead the political equivalent of a dog walking on its hind legs--unusual and riveting, but not especially significant?"
Dean Barnett
The Weekly Standard

By the way, despite John McCain's suggestion that the debates be postponed until Congressional leaders get an agreement on the bail-out before we all wind up on the corner selling apples, short of a total break down, the debate will go forward with both both McCain and Obama. During McCain's meeting at the White House today, the Bushies, the Congressional Dummycrats and Repugs will come to Jesus mighty quick and agree on a good plan. Obama will look like a deer in the headlights, surrounded by annoying Democrats like Pelosi and Reid who won't be able to help him. Advantage: Johnnie Mac.

And finally for the ludicrous suggestion that neither McCain nor Palin want to debate here are two points for you. First, it was McCain not Obama who proposed a weekly series of multiple debates that Obama shot down. Secondly, don't worry about Sarah Palin debating Joe Biden. She should have no trouble going against a guy who asks people in wheelchairs to stand up like he's a faith healer, thinks that President Roosevelt went on television in 1929 and that Barack's commercials are terrible.

I'll Get Back To You On That, Katie!

Often times, the people that post comments on this blog lead us to stories that greatly expand on our original posts. My thanks to "getting back to you" for sending me to this video of a befuddled and nervous "One Heartbeat Away" Sarah Palin, being interviewed by Katie Couric.

"Someone's Putting Something in His Metamucil!"

McCain canceled his appearance on the Letterman Show today, just before it began taping. Here is Letterman's hilarious take on the turn of events.

"A leader must know what he's talking about." (- Joe Biden)

Before you read this article, keep in mind that in talking about the economy, Joe Biden not only didn't know who was President when the stock market crashed, he apparently didn't know that television didn't exist at the time. How could the President, whoever Biden thinks it was, have gone on television? What is Joe Biden talking about?

Haikula.

Biden Slips, Suggests FDR Was President When Market Crashed

WASHINGTON — Vice presidential candidate Joe Biden says today’s leaders should take a lesson from the history books and follow fellow Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt’s response to a financial crisis.

“When the stock market crashed, Franklin D. Roosevelt got on the television and didn’t just talk about the, you know, the princes of greed. He said, ‘Look, here’s what happened,”‘ Barack Obama’s running mate recently told the “CBS Evening News."

Except, Republican Herbert Hoover was in office when the stock market crashed in October 1929. There also was no television at the time; TV wasn’t introduced to the public until a decade later, at the 1939 World’s Fair.

FDR was elected three years later when voters denied Hoover a second term. The Democratic challenger appealed to the “forgotten man” by promising a “new deal” to solve the Depression era.

Democrats usually like to remind the public that a Republican was president during the 1929 stock market crash. During the 2004 presidential election, John Kerry’s campaign repeatedly cited Hoover as the last president until George W. Bush to oversee a loss of jobs during his time in office.

Biden was commenting on the stock market crash when he said leaders should explain the current economic crisis and how to solve it to the public.

“Part of what being a leader does is to instill confidence, is to demonstrate what he or she knows what they are talking about and to communicating to people … this is how we can fix this,” Biden said.

Biden’s spokesman, David Wade, countered: “I’m proud to say that we Democrats aren’t experts at Herbert Hoover depression economics like John McCain and his pals. From Franklin Roosevelt to Bill Clinton, we just get elected to clean up the economic mess these Republicans leave behind.”

Reid to McCain: Don't Come Back to Capitol!

ABC NEWS September 24 2008, 5:14 PM

A Democrat tells ABC News that, in a phone call late this afternoon, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that it would NOT be helpful for him to come back to Washington, D.C., to work on the Wall Street bailout bill.

McCain this afternoon suspended his campaign and said he would skip the first presidential debate in order to return to Capitol Hill to work on the log-jammed Bush administration legislation, which, as of Wednesday afternoon, was in peril.

McCain had phoned Reid to ask about the prospects of him, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and others to sit down and work together on hammering out a bipartisan proposal.

"Sorry," Reid said to him, a Democrat close to Reid says.

Reid then read McCain the statement he had just put out: "This is a critical time for our country," says the Reid statement. "While I appreciate that both candidates have signaled their willingness to help, Congress and the administration have a process in place to reach a solution to this unprecedented financial crisis. I understand that the candidates are putting together a joint statement at Sen. Obama’s suggestion. But it would not be helpful at this time to have them come back during these negotiations and risk injecting presidential politics into this process or distract important talks about the future of our nation’s economy. If that changes, we will call upon them. We need leadership; not a campaign photo op. If there were ever a time for both candidates to hold a debate before the American people about this serious challenge, it is now.”

A source close to Reid said McCain didn't have much to say after that. Reid, the source says, thinks McCain's maneuver is a gimmick born from bad poll numbers and the fact that "debate prep must not be going very well."

- jpt

Obama Leads McCain 52-43%!

A new Washington Post-ABC News Poll released just after midnight shows Sen. Obama taking a commanding 9 point lead over Sen. McCain. The latest LA Times-Bloomberg poll is scheduled to be released around 2pm today.

This Just in! McCain pulls out of Friday's debate due to "economic crisis"(?).

Metrolink Strikes & Kills Pedestrian in L.A.

Click here.

Where's Mayor Tony's fireman's jacket? They are sure to have TV cameras there.

Say What?

Today, the Los Angeles Times has an article about the Mayor and City Council criticizing the Wall Street bail out plan. (quotes from the article are in bold, below)

This is all well and good, but time and again, the City Council admonishes public speakers that they are to talk about subjects that "are under the jurisdiction of the Council," and frequently cut the microphones of the speaker when they determine that the person is "off-topic."

So why then is the Mayor and City Council taking a position on the Wall Street bail out plan? It is a Federal plan, and has nothing to do with Los Angeles City Hall, other than, perhaps, some bad city investments.

Like the rest of us, you have to suck it up when times are bad. That's why incompetence running the City of Los Angeles during a good economy is intolerable.

"'No way do I want to give the secretary of the Treasury unbridled power,' said Councilman Bill Rosendahl."

Why is anyone from the Council making a public statement on a Federal issue, if it doesn't fall under the L.A. City Council's jurisdiction? And isn't it the L.A. City Council that mismanaged us into a $500,000,000 debt?

That's like, well, I don't know what it's like. But it sure as hell is hypocritical.

The article goes on to say that a lot of the City's nervousness comes from City officials having "voiced anxiety about their ability to borrow money to pay for upcoming initiatives."

A major reason that the City is unable to get better lending terms is because of its teetering credit and debt problems. If the Mayor and City Council did a better job of running the city when the economy was healthy, it wouldn't be in such a jam during tough times like these.

Unfortunately, the Times' Mr. Zahniser overlooked that point in his article.

A while back, I predicted even larger DWP rate hikes. In the article, Councilmember Tony Cardenas confirms that that's where we're heading. "If this continues in the way it has over the last few weeks, then it's inevitable that the department's going to have to look at our water and power rates," he said.

If we re-elect people who continue to sink the City of Los Angeles, and we expect a different outcome in their next term, we are by definition, insane.

Holy Guacamole! It's News of the Obvious! (a/k/a Not Quite the Wednesday Hotsheet)

1. Mayor Villaraigosa pulls out! Hopefully the writer confirmed this with Mirthala Salinas. San Jose Mercury News.

2. Mayor Villaraigosa can also issue a press release without saying a damn thing. KFI-AM640

3. Joe Biden has a loud mouth. Washington Post

4. Comedian Dane Cook is unfunny, but his eviction is! He lost his Los Angeles eviction appeal yesterday after his landlord booted him from for not cleaning up his dog’s poop. S. F. Chronicle

5. Clay Aiken and Lindsay Lohan each confirm they are gay, although Police Chief Bill Bratton made that abundantly clear a few weeks ago. Chicago Sun-Times. People Magazine

6. The FBI thinks that there may be some fraud in the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, Lehman and AIG meltdowns. Gee, do ya think??? Wall Street Journal

7. The California economy is going to go down much further before it gets better. But I think Reuters' editor means "worst" rather than "worse" to come. Reuters

8. Zuma Dogg is coming out of his shell, y’all.
(Click on the video screen in the middle, but turn the volume down if you're in your office!) Zuma Times.com

Obama-bin-Biden Lose Earmarks Issue

For some time the Democrats have tried to slam Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin for the "Bridge to Nowhere" and more recently, the "Road to Nowhere" but yet again Palin Derangement Syndrome backfires on the Obama campaign.

Though as a candidate for Governor, Palin supported the town of Ketchikan, Alaska's desire to build a bridge between itself and it's island based airport, upon entering office she reversed her position on the bridge.  Despite that, construction contracts for the road to the bridge had already been signed (during the previous administration) and Palin was forced to allow construction n the road to continue.

However when the Senate voted on the Bridge, both Barack Obama and Joe Biden voted for the Bridge even when efforts were made to diver the funds from Alaska to Louisiana to replace a bridge damaged during Hurricane Katrina.

At the same time, while Biden has criticized  Palin, according to report by CNN's Drew Griffin, this year alone Biden has requested $342 in earmarks including his own bridge to nowhere in Delaware, parks, museums and the kind of stuff Sarah Palin has been criticized for building.  In 36 years Biden has never released his earmarks list but under pressure from Republicans his office has finally done so.

Why I'm Voting Democrat

Stolen from an anonymous friend...

I'm voting Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would.

I'm voting Democrat because freedom of speech is fine as long as nobody is offended by it.

I'm voting Democrat because when we pull out of Iraq I trust that the bad guys will stop what they're doing because they now think we're good people.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe that people who can't tell us if it will rain on Friday CAN tell us that the polar ice caps will melt away in ten years if I don't start driving a Prius.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe that business should not be allowed to make profits for themselves. They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as THEY see fit.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe three or four pointy headed elitist liberals need to rewrite the Constitution every few days to suit some fringe kooks who would NEVER get their agendas past the voters.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe that when the terrorists don't have to hide from us over there, when they come over here I don't want to have any guns in the house to fight them off with.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe oil companies' profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn't.

Makes ya wonder why anyone would EVER vote Republican, now doesn't it?

Not with Metrolink; Not charged; Not drunk; and Not driving.

It must be slow at Los Angeles Times today.

It should explain why it is reporting that a no-longer member of the Metrolink Board, was not charged with public intoxication, drunk driving nor any other infraction. The Times' Steve Hymon reports that he confirmed the arrest of a man who isn't being charged with anything. Way to go!

Should a non-story be news?

Sizzling Tuesday Hotsheet

Mayor Sam gave Haikula a $5 raise and the keys to the morning Hotsheet. It’s my world. It’s a good world. Come join me.

On this day in 1952, Richard M. Nixon delivered his “Checkers” speech. It reads a lot like modern day Los Angeles City Council.

Speaking of dogs with the same middle initial, Edward M. Boks, the curious $181,000 per year general manager of Los Angeles Animal Services, had to turn-tail and go away empty-handed after showing up at the Van Nuys shelter and demanding a meeting with shelter employees just 48 hours after City Council warned him about retaliation for their demanding his termination. The matter was referred to union officials and certain City Hall suites. But when a general manager isn't able to get a meeting with Department employees, it's over. Look for the City Council's Personnel Committee to come up with a termination recommendation for Mr. Boks and his assistant gm, Linda Barth, who has seen more than her fair share of legal & ethics trouble in other departments. (More information on that as it comes in)

Speaking of retaliation lawsuits, the LAPD ain’t got nothing on the LAFD and Tennie Pierce. A former cop was just awarded millions in this recent verdict. Maybe the Department of Water & Power rates will go up again in order to pay the award and legal fees.

Fortunately, the DWP is still on the L.A. Daily News' editorial radar. It has a knockout editorial on the never-ending fat at DWP. “A very real dark comedy being played out in Los Angeles City Hall, where elected officials are more interested in fleecing residents for more money than adapting their own spending to reflect the true state of the local and national economy.”

No matter where you stand on the presidential candidates, you will enjoy reading Republican commentator Andrea Tantaros' provocative article about how celebrities can best help Barack Obama: shutting up.

Renowned writer Dominick Dunne fell ill yesterday at O.J. Simpson’s criminal trial in Las Vegas. He says he is fine. However, that brings to mind the infamous Celebrity Death Pool.

KNBC channel 4 pre-empted "The Conan O'Brien Show" last night because of a scene in which they were smashing items together. News anchor Colleen Williams came on TV and said that they were interrupting the show's reference due to LA's recent Metrolink/Union Pacific accident. Come on, really?

If you are still having difficulty figuring out who to vote for, consider this:

Finally, a thought for the day: If pro and con are opposites, wouldn't the opposite of progress be Congress?

Happy %*$%! Birthday

Tommy Lasorda was born on this date in 1927, making him 81 years old.

During his brief career as a pitcher, Tommy was a pathetic 0-4 with a 6.48 Earned Run Average, and just 37 strikeouts. He had much greater success as the Dodgers' manager, with a 1,599-1,439 record and two World Series titles.

Here is yet another classic Lasorda rant.

(Keep the volume low if you're in a workplace!)

Truth or Not?

Does everyone deserve a home mortgage?

In Los Angeles in particular, there is a sense that everyone deserves a home mortgage when the fact is that some people simply do not have the income or savings needed to pay for it.

If someone was "suckered" into taking a home loan, or home equity loan, that they purely did not understand, is it the responsibility of everyone else to cover the bad debt? Cumulatively, these bad loans hurt the economy. But whose bad loan is it?

Do you believe in allowing market forces to sink Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs? Or do you believe in bigger government, and an intervention?

See if you can write a response that doesn't include the words Obama, McCain, Democrats or Republicans

Hotsheet for the Autumn Equinox

“If this governor makes us go to the mat, are we ready to go to the mat and to kick his ass?”

I must hand it to Governor Schwarzenegger. He held out for a better budget and got one that adds teeth to the creation of a rainy day fund. The latest, and presumably final, incarnation of the FY'08–09 budget passed without debate on Friday, and is expected to be signed by Schwarzenegger early this week. Perhaps now that the governor is willing again to flex his muscles, he’ll take another stab at battling the union bosses and deliver on two of his original promises: a spending cap, and redistricting.

Speaking of which, prison guards union boss Mike Jimenez (pictured above) led a raucous rally last week, denouncing Schwarzenegger and promising to make good on his recall threat. Schwarzenegger’s crime?

After more than two years without a contract…

Earning annual salaries of “up to $73,000 plus overtime that routinely vaults them into six figures,”

…the guards have watched helplessly as the governor has taken away treasured work rules they had won. Last year, Schwarzenegger rescinded their rights to call in sick without question and to veto many operational decisions inside prisons, which he has characterized as piggish and abusive.

I tuned in to an interview with Assemblyman Mike Villines on Friday, during which, he quoted former Governor Jerry Brown as admitting that his worst mistake as governor was instituting collective bargaining for government workers.

By jumping on the Proposition 8 bandwagon, California Republican leaders seem hell bent on solidifying the party’s minority status. No one is more eager to capitalize on this — and, in the process, strengthen his resume to compete with Gavin Newsom — than Mayor Villaraigosa, who participated in the opening of Los Angeles’ No on Prop 8 headquarters last Saturday. An item in the New York Times analyzes a conundrum facing supporters of both Barack Obama and marriage equality this November: what to do about those “traditionally conservative” black and Latino voters who will likely turn out in record numbers for Obama, only to vote for the constitutional marriage ban?

The Obama/Proposition 8 situation appeals to those opposed to same-sex marriage, who are banking on a high turnout by blacks and conservative Latinos. There’s no question African-American and Latino voters are among our strongest supporters,” said Frank Schubert, the co-campaign manager for Yes on 8, the leading group behind the measure. “And to the extent that they are motivated to get to the polls, whether by this issue or by Barack Obama, it helps us.”

Don’t look now, but summer ends today. It’s gonna be a long, interesting autumn.

Palin Crowd of 60,000 outdraws final game in Yankee Stadium

Palin Draws Crowd of 60,000 in Florida
by FOXNews.com
Sunday, September 21, 2008

THE VILLAGES, Fla. — Sarah Palin played it safe Sunday on her first trip as John McCain’s running mate to the battleground state of Florida, drawing a massive crowd of 60,000 people.

She went to perhaps the easiest place in Florida to get a large Republican turnout, stuck mostly to the themes she’s hit since the Republican convention and took no questions from reporters or the crowd.

But she was welcomed like a star, with tens of thousands cramming into a plaza and nearby streets in this enormous retirement community about an hour north of Orlando. Some waited more than five hours in 92-degree heat to see her speak for 23 minutes.

Palin arrived in Florida on Friday and had no public events Saturday, though she told the crowd her daughters Piper and Willow got to go to Disney World.

After some jokes about the difference between golfing in Florida and Alaska, her remarks hit most of the same points she’s made since McCain chose her as the first woman to run as a Republican vice presidential nominee. She did, however, update the stump speech to reflect last week’s turmoil in the financial markets.

“We need serious reform on Wall Street. We need better regulation. It’s like Senator McCain said just yesterday — we don’t need a dozen federal agencies doing the job badly, we need the best agencies doing the job right,” she said.

She said McCain had warned about the problems affecting financial institutions, and attacked Democrat Barack Obama on the issue.

“This week when the economic crisis threatened the livelihood of millions of Americans, John McCain took a clear stand and he offered his own recovery plan. Our opponent refused to even take a stand on the position,” Palin said.


The Obama campaign criticized McCain’s response to last week’s events on Wall Street.
“McCain’s first response to this crisis was to say that ‘the fundamentals of our economy are strong,’ then he admitted it was a crisis, and then he proposed a ‘commission,’ which is just Washington-speak for ‘I’ll get back to you later,”‘ said Obama campaign spokesman Mark Bubriski.


The visit drew a few contrasts between Palin and Obama running mate Joe Biden.
The largest was the crowd — an estimated 60,000 according to the fire chief. Some people had to wait in line about 90 minutes just to park their cars. Biden’s largest crowd during a visit earlier this month was about 2,000.


But Biden made four stops in his two days, and ventured into Republican strongholds like FortMyers and Sarasota. He took questions from the audience at each stop and did interviews with local media.


Still, Palin had star power. One teenage girl held up a sign that read, “When I grow up, I want to be Sarah Palin.” Another sign read, “This chick supports Sarah Palin.” Many said they didn’t even know who Palin was until last month.


“I knew absolutely nothing,” said Tyler Deeds, 19, who made the drive from Auburndale 90 miles away and waited more than 5 hours to see Palin. “I couldn’t even tell you who the governor of Alaska was.”

But Deeds, who plans to enter the Navy soon, said he “tends to cling to my guns and religion” and he quickly grew excited about Palin’s candidacy.

Joan Guay, 81, dabbed bottled water on her arms as she waited for Palin in the broiling heat. She said she previously supported Democrat Hillary Clinton.

“This country needs a woman up there,” Guay said. “I like her background, I like her family. It’s a family that does things together. And I like her work in the community.”

According to a Palin campaign aide, this Wednesday in separate meetings Palin will meet with Iraqi President Talabani, President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvelli; President of the Ukraine, Victor Yuschenko; Pakistani President Zardari, and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
She will also meet with rock star and humanitarian, Bono on Wednesday.

As previously reported, on Tuesday she will meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, and Dr. Kissinger in separate meetings.

The meetings will be in New York and coincide with the United Nations’ General Assembly which attracts leaders from all over the world.

Democrats vs. Republicans

The Answer To The Light Bulb Question

Sometimes a Mayor Sam reader gets a guest shot at blogging when their comment is just too good. RSS and blog aggregation fame is assured.

Earlier today I asked "How Many DWP Employees Does it Take to Pass Out a Light Bulb?" Manhattan Beach Mongrel (no relation to Zuma Dogg I presume) has the definitive answer:

It takes one if they're non-union.

If they're unionized, it takes a lot more. Here's the breakdown:

1 Teamster to transport the bulb to DWP.

1 AFSCME (American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees) to process the accompanying paperwork.

1 EAA (Engineers, Architects, and Accountants) to process the purchase order for the bulb from the manufacturer.

1 SEIU (Service Employees International Union) to clean the bulb.

1 AFSCME to print installation instructions (including warnings to not swallow the bulb, disposal instructions, and compliance instructions).

1 Teamster to drive the printed instructions to the warehouse.

1 SEIU to package the bulb, and include the installation instructions with the packaging.

1 SEIU to warehouse the bulb.

1 Teamster to operate a forklift inside the warehouse, both for storage and for transport to the loading dock.

1 Teamster to load the DWP vehicle with the bulb.

1 Teamster to drive the DWP vehicle to its destination.

1 EAA to install the bulb if the resident is a special-needs person.

1 EAA to process fuel expenses.

Total DWP Employees: 13

For the record, all DWP employees are paid a higher salary than City employees with the same job classification. According to the DWP, their employees are paid higher due to hazards not encountered by City employees.

"Beverly Hills Chihuahua"

A reader forwarded this from Los Angeles Animal Services.

"Los Angeles – Last night, Disney Studios hosted the premiere of Beverly Hills Chihuahua, the story of Chloe, a well-heeled Beverly Hills Chihuahua, who finds herself lost in Mexico and in need of assistance in order to get back home. The release of this movie has caused much concern in the humane community. Many animal lovers recall the fallout from the movie 101 Dalmatians. Many allege that that movie resulted in the over breeding of Dalmatians by backyard breeders and puppy mills, which then led to many shelters across the nation being overrun with unwanted Dalmatians.

LA Animal Services wants Chihuahua-lovers to know that, if Beverly Hills Chihuahua increases demand for the increasingly popular breed, LA’s Animal Care Centers are the perfect places to find and adopt a great Chihuahua. The movie itself is a testimonial to the quality of shelter Chihuahuas – at least two of the movie’s canine stars were adopted from public shelters in Southern California shortly before they were scheduled to be euthanized.

If you’re looking for a Chihuahua, LA’s shelters are THE place to go. Nearly 12% (2,550) of all dogs (21,660) taken in by LA Animal Services since January 1, 2008, are Chihuahuas. Chihuahuas are second only to pit bulls (4,541) as the most often impounded lost or homeless dog breed in Los Angeles. At 14% (1,642) of all dogs adopted (11,513) from LA Animal Care Centers since the beginning of the year, Chihuahuas are second to no other dog breed as LA’s most popular. Pit bulls follow at 12% (1,472).

Sadly, not all lost Chihuahua stories end as happily as Chloe’s. Chihuahuas are the third most euthanized dog breed in City shelters at 6%, following pit bulls at 45% and German Shepherds at 11%."

Villaraigosa's Beezle-bucks

It's ironic that the Devilish Mayor must go to San Antonio, Texas, to raise funds for his campaign to hold on to his job.

As the LA Weekly recently reported, Villaraigosa spends only 11% of his day working on official city business.

Today, it looks like it'll be even less than that. This is from the L.A. Times' blog.

Son of Obama Campaign Leader May Be Palin Hacker

We noted Wednesday that Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin's personal email was hacked and the contents displayed on the left-wing Gawker blog.

The story gets turned up a notch or too considering that a number of reports indicate that the son of a prominent Obama backer may be a person of interest in the Federal investigation of the hacking.

Democratic Tennessee State Represenative Mike Kernell of Memphis has confirmed that his 20 year old son David is "the one in question" but declined further comments.  A number of internet reports note that the elder Kernell is the leader of the Obama campaign in the Volunteer state. The head of the FBI's office in Memphis has confirmed they are involved in the investigation.

Blogger Michelle Malkin reports that a poster with the email address of rubico10@yahoo.co posted on a discussion board that he was the person behind the Palin hack (not an internet mischief making group as previously reported) and confirming the break-in.  A pro-Palin blog has found evidence from 2003 when David was 15 where he posted under that same email address.

Sounds like it good be a mess.  Stay tuned.

How Many DWP Employees Does it Take to Pass Out a Light Bulb?

The Daily News praises the DWP's CFL bulb giveaway however criticizes the fact the utility is spending over a million dollars to distribute the bulbs door to door suggesting in fact they could be distributed by volunteers or at community events. 

I'll take that one better.  The DWP should have instead made arrangements with about 3 - 4 chain stores in Los Angeles that sell the bulbs, who in exchange for free advertising would give the DWP the bulbs at a significant discount.  Then, the DWP would place a coupon for the bulbs in bills and consumers could redeem those coupons for bulbs at a local store, hence the DWP would only be charged for the bulbs picked up. 

Now not only will the DWP spend an enormous sum to distribute the bulbs, as well many will get lost, stolen, damaged or otherwise not used when DWP workers leave them on doorsteps.

I could have given them that idea for free.