Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Wednesday
EXTRA! HOME DEPOT PULLS OUT OF SUNLAND-TUJUNGA! THE PEOPLE WIN!Read the post from Joe B. and stay tuned throughout the day as he may have more updates.
A number of City Council Members stepped up during Tuesday's session on the issue of parking meters. As we've reported here a number of communities are up in arms over both increases to parking rates as well as extension of parking meter times to midnight in some cases as well as charging on Sundays. CMs Tom LaBonge, Ed Reyes, Bill Rosendahl and Dennis Zine were passionate advocates for their communities and the impact these changes have made on residents and business. Unfortuanately, Transportation Committee member Wendy Greuel was less than sympathetic and more wedded to "the process." Hopefully LaBonge, Reyes, Rosendahl and Zine will continue to hold DOT's feet to the fire and make them accountable not only for the onerous policies but for the abysmal outreach DOT did to Council Offices, Neigborhood Councils and Chambers of Commerce on the issue. Rare admission from the City's CAO during the debate: since parking meter and sales taxes rates were increased, revenues to the City have decreased. Really? We could have told you that would happen!
Though some members of the City Council are suggesting freezing increased hiring by the Los Angeles Police Department - particularly in light of the current budget crisis and dropping crime rates - Mayor Villaraigosa is committed to moving forward with hiring serveral hundred more officers as promised. "I have said that I will not be deterred in this effort and I think a majority of the City Council will agree with me," the Mayor told Rick Orlov.
As a follow up to his protest filed against the Northridge West Neighborhood Council over alleged violations of the Brown Act and other regulations, community activist Jim Alger Tuesday filed a public records request with the NWNC seeking a series of documents including over a year's worth of agendas, records of all expenditures, documentation of Board Members' attendance at ethics training sessions and copies of all email between board members on Alger's grievance. Still no response to the Sister City from our request of the NWNC to tell their side of the story (sorry guys if you think anonymous insults of Alger or myself are a response, not quite the way it works).
Labels: bill rosendahl, dennis zine, ed reyes, jim alger, lapd, mayor antonio villaraigosa, northridge west neighborhood council, parking meters, tom la bonge, wendy greuel
Posted by Michael Higby @ 1/07/2009 03:00:00 AM
26 Comments:
Excuse me, but Bill R and The LeBong were passionate advocates FOR the rate increases and time extensions.
What hypocrisy.
Jim looks like he is on his way to burying those corrupt wannabes in Northridge. Boy does it suck to be them. From what I can see, Northridge has no defense.
One website for Northridge West: $5,000.00.
A set of drapes for Northridge West: $6,000.00
Donations by Northridge west to organizations outside their boundaries:$35,000.00
The look on their faces as Alger resurrects from the dead and knocks these fools who talk shit about him constantly down a few pegs: priceless.
How much do websites cost?
I took a quick look at the funding reports for Northridge West, which can be found at:
http://www.done.lacity.org/onlinefunding/ncfunding.aspx
1. It didn't seem that the expenditure was for a website, but for computers.
2. Couldn't find anything about no drapes. That might have been something recent.
3. The NC did stop Jim's dangerous practice of using the card to make ATM withdrawals. It's better to request checks or use the card for purchases so there is a paper trail.
4. Wonder why Jim spent $103 at Enterprise Rent-a-Car.
5. Money given to community organizations does not appear to be donations, but rather for some specific program or equipment. That's a practice that is both permitted and used by all NC's. The city is working on an ordinance that would permit donations to organizations for their general use, as City Councilmembers are permitted to do.
Purchases, such as the ones Jim is complaining about, must be approved by DONE and the City Controller.
Now that Mayor Sam Prediction #10 came true I predict this will be the next one:
The US Department of Transportation will place Metrolink into receivership and take over day to day operations following a major investigation that shows serious mismanagement and corruption at the agency.
Speaking of Dennis Zine, he's endorsing Mayor Villarigosa?! Just heard this yesterday.
What a loser!!
I want more juicy details about Eric Garcetti's weekend partnership ceremony.
I'm sure zuma will be upset zine's not endorsing him, seeing as he's one of his best friends (only friend?) on Council and all, uses zuma to leak stuff about other members. But somehow even zine doesn't seem to think that his future will be cemented by an alliance with the penniless zuma. Well maybe not penniless, since he's getting money for his "candidacy" and gas and food to get downtown to promote himself.
If Zuma gets elected Mayor I am sure Zine will pat him on the back and say "I was the first CM to always support you."
...and Zine will be the first to understand and support that we need a new Mayor! Good for Zine!
The great news is that we didn't have to listen to Zuma Stench crow about it at city council today.
Zuma Stench was a no show today. Just like the No Show mayor that he criticizes all the time.
10:01 am said: Jim looks like he is on his way to burying those corrupt wannabes in Northridge. Boy does it suck to be them. From what I can see, Northridge has no defense.
One website for Northridge West: $5,000.00.
A set of drapes for Northridge West: $6,000.00
I'm not on the Neighborhood Council, but have attended a meeting or two. I do know, however, that the Council did not buy "a set of drapes" for $6,000, nor was $5,000 spent on a website. That money was spent on computers given to Beckford Elementary for our Media Center in our library. Our current computer lab is using 10 year old computers donated from CSUN, which they received as donations from someplace else years before that. They still use flopppy disks, people. The new computers in the library the NC paid for are accessible to students after school for help with research and homework. Any child in the community (student at Beckford or not) is welcome to use our library after school as well as the media center and its computers.
If you look at the February minutes you'll see this entry:
Comment re: Beckford Street stage curtain. Though NWNC has approved $6,000 for the curtain, it turns out NWNC is not eligible to purchase the curtain due to liability. S. DeFrisco suggested we use the money to provide other necessities for the school.
The school had requested help with financing a portion of replacing the original auditorium drapes (which are over 35 years old and crumbling before our very eyes) and as our auditorium has become quite the hub of the community, we felt it would only add to the excitement for the children of performing on stage with a real stage curtain they could actually peek behind. They aren't allowed to touch the curtains, for fear they'll rip even more than they are ripped now. Additionally, there are often free events for the community held in the auditorium (there was a free Movie Night screening of "Kung Fu Panda" held a couple of months ago), as well as our NC meetings, CERT Training is held there, it is an election voting site, productions are put on by students and afterschool enrichment classes and so on. The NC acquiesced to the school's request but discovered it was not allowed to participate in the purchase of said theatrical drapes (and remember, this isn't just "drapes" like you'd put up in your living room, we're talking two layered heavy-duty fabric drapes on two specially set up theatrical pulltracks ... you can't get this stuff at Wal-Mart).
Instead they offered to help with another need the school had.
I know no one (or noone) on the NWNC, but from the bank statements and minutes, I don't see anything scandalously out of line, as a lot of these expenditures are going to community police and schools, as well as community outreach (the November Halloween Costume Trade-In held at the Northridge Little League fields is but one example).
That's corrupt? Just askin'.
11:21 Please know what you are talking about before you open your big mouth. I never used the Credit Card once. Not one time. Ever. I wasn't a signer on the card and never had access to it. Ever.
The Enterprise Rent-a-car was for a 15 passenger van to take constituents to a planning / zoning meeting in Van Nuys thanks for asking.
Also to those complaining about drapes for 6K - that never happened. The current board tried but it was stopped and they purchased computers instead according to their June 10th meeting minutes.
I like the $500 bucks on the senior dance, or $3,000 bucks on a weight room. $3,000(attempt) for fireworks. $400.00 on banners that could be purchased for half of that. The reason I am so amused by this is that this was the same bunch that criticized me in the paper for spending $1,000 on emergency radio equipment for use in the event our community was hit by a natural disaster. They called it wasteful spending.
The website is proving to be curious because according to the October 07 minutes Dennis DeYoung steered this contract to a web designer that is a Chamber member and designs the site for Boardmember Adelstein's newspaper. What is so curious is that Adelstein was in the process of getting more bids but DeYoung cut off the bidding process and sent the contract to this individual. It appears Adelstein, understanding the conflict of interest with the Chamber, may have abstained in that vote.
This contract so far is earning 200.00 a month for site "maintenence" with around $2,000 so far spent.
All of these expenditures totaling thousands of dollars to the North Valley Community News, to which Mr. Adelstein is both a Boardmember on NWNC AND editor/publisher and/or owner. This is an insane conflict of interest.
All of this is a sideshow to the open meeting law requirement but it is beginning to raise serious questions about steering public funds to friends and/or boardmembers. I hasten to add that NWNC has not defended themselves yet and these questions may have legitimate answers but the questions need to be asked.
2:39 Oh yes, with an attendance level of 5 people you have NO connection to NWNC at all. We believe you.
Unfortunately your comment proves a point, the NWNC TRIED to buy drapes for $6,000.00 but someone stopped them. Computers are a good expenditure no two ways about it, much better than drapes. What do you think the community would say if/when they find out that computers/books was the LAST choice and not the first?
When one looks at these expenditures and sees all this money going to the North Valley Community News, whose owner apparently is a board member with NWNC, that is a HUGE no-no and the definition of corruption. I don't understand this whole webite woop-de-do but from what I get it looks like the long and short of it is that if you join the North Valley Chamber of Commerce, you have a better chance of getting city contracts with the Neighborhood Council because their members are on the board of NWNC.
That is the very definition of corruption.
Didn't Jim try to bamboozle the Beckford PTA?
3:24 Of course I did, I am evil remember?
I bamboozled Beckford by donating my personal funds to them, the PTA of the school my youngest son attended. But heck, that's not all. I was supposed to be "in jail" over my Assembly run. I hated Unions and now I am in their pocket. I was a corrupt Council President/City Councilman impersonator cleverly disguised as a fake Senator. In fact, I demand everyone in my presence rise as I enter the room, address me as "Senator" when I arrive and shout "we're not worthy" when I leave.
I issue press releases for every move I make because I am that important but I am so petty as to live on a blog and post nice things about myself and mean things about others at all hours of the day and night.
I do this because I have the time since I have no job, but I am on the union payroll and have since lost my ability to think for myself.
In fact I am sure if you dig hard enough you may even find out my really big secret... It was I on the grassy knoll in Dallas.
Don't you guys ever get tired of all the bs?
I can't believe Councilman Zine supports the Mayor. If this is true, I HOPE Dennis Zine will lose his seat in District #3!!
Pretending he cares about the people of Los Angeles and then supports the current corrupt Mayor Villar. HE SHOULD BE SHAMED OUT OF TOWN!
JEFF BORNSTEIN FOR CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT #3!!
GO JEFF, YOU HAVE MY VOTE! WHEREVER YOU ARE!!!! WHOEVER YOU ARE!!!!
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Dennis Zine is guaranteed to lose his seat because he's about to be termed out.
What is Mr. Alger's day job?
The parking meter issue is total BS! It was Rosendahl that pushed to have the rates increased in the first place. The rest of them fell in line like a bunch of Lemmings....to now pretend that they are advocates for the businesses that are affected and the residents is disingenuous at best. There is no way the City will bring in the millions more in revenue from parking meters....what they will bring in is millions in revenue from parking tickets issued to the poor schmuks who don't realize they can't park for free after 6 pm or on Sundays...that's the real money the city is after.
In what will turn out to be a historical Mayor Sam moment, the NWNCC posts anonymously the very document that proves their corruption.
CLASSIC!
4:21 You can't believe Zine is supporting the guy who is going to win in a walk? He's a politician not a fool.
Speaking of fools, you guys in Northridge need to be smacked. Alger may be an idiot with a grudge, maybe he isn't but you fools gift wrapped this and handed it to him. Looks like he gave you enough rope and you just hung yourselves.
5:14 Why do you care?
It is curious to find the CMs so concerned NOW about the parking meter changes.
They were all into this move WITHOUT any real opinion sought from the constituents (as usual), having only Dollar Signs in their eyes.
It was only AFTER the December hoiday break, with all the realization of the changes hitting the public and causing complaints to the CMs' offices did they see a problem.
NOW they put the Asst. GM of the Transportation Dept. on the hot seat as if HE was responsible for the change. HE said his dept. only carries out policy, and THEY (the Council) make the policy decisions.
Very diplomatic, this fellow. Those weasely CMs would have been quite happy to have left all as-is, and the public gouged again- if no one complained. Their change of heart is all either simply PHONY, or a result of STUPID rubber-stamping (also, as usual) each others motions and not knowing what they are doing, or both.
And Tony's steadfast refusal to back off on LAPD officer hires is MORE a showing of his arrogance and disdain for people who disagree with his self-centered goals that hurt the wallets of contituents, many on limited and fixed incomes.
What a fine group in charge of L.A.
In CD-14, working for a one-term Tony outcome.
They are
Again, why isn't the media asking the Mayor if he cared so much for police officers why did he VOTE AGAINST having them back when Hahn wanted to hire 320 and had budgeted for them, Antonio again VOTED AGAINST a city 1/2 cent tax to hire more police etc. We could have had cops 4 years ago. Parks and Smith want to stop hiring more officers. Because Parks was such a dictator and low class chief 1,000 officers walked out the door. So he should shut the hell UP.
Another stupid move by clowncil that will cost us $$$$$
.....Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James C. Chalfant ruled Monday that the City Council had no authority to order Monterey Hills Investors LLC to perform a new environmental impact report on its proposed subdivision of single-family homes..Ignoring the advice of its lawyers, the council voted in 2007 to demand the additional review, effectively blocking the developer from moving dirt and building new roads in the area nicknamed Elephant Hill.
Monterey Hills Investors, which claimed in its lawsuit that the city's actions cost it more than $8 million, will now seek "substantial" damages, said attorney Ben Reznik.
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