Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Tuesday
Billboards are a big issue in the 5th District Council race and for the first time I've seen reported something I had suspected all along. Most regular people don't care about billboards according to surveys. That being said, the NIMBY core is fanatical about this issue, more so than crime or the economy it appears and they represent a good chunk of the current voting masses given LA's apathy. Politicians beware.
Speaking of billboards the LA Weekly takes a look at Walter Moore's legal career representing billboard companies. Nothing really new here if you've been reading Street Hassle or Ron Kaye but the Weekly does get Walter on record as denying that he is Satan. First comment on the Weekly post is from Moore's opponent Phil Jennerjahn who appears as a chihuahua nipping at Walter's heels.
Controversial, conservative, evangelical preacher Pastor Rick Warren seems to present an odd fascination for some liberal Democratic politicians. First President Obama chose Warren - much to the chagrin of liberals and some gays - to deliver the invocation at his inaguration last month. Next, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa chose the anti-gay and anti-choice cleric to headline Villaraigosa's "Prayer Breakfast" over the weekend (is this an appropriate event for an elected official to hold?). According to Politicker.com it was a contest to see how much Warren could avoid mentioning gay marriage and abortion and how often Villaraigosa could say he was much in favor of both.
Supporters of Measure B - the controversial solar energy plan on the March LA ballot - appear to have union members bamboozled. Though trades and other unions think the plan means more jobs for them, it doesn't. Well for the DWP IBEW members possibly, but that's about it.
The New York Post reports that the Empire State's Governor David Patterson has quietly raised the salaries of key staffers despite asking for cuts in state employees' pay due to budget cuts. Some raises amounted to as much as 46%. No word if Mayor Villaraigosa contacted Patterson to ask how he did it.
Labels: billboards, cd 5, david patterson, mayor antonio villaraigosa, measure b, Pastor Rick Warren, walter moore
Posted by Michael Higby @ 2/17/2009 03:00:00 AM
6 Comments:
Michael... I'm a Chihuahua?
I disagree.
Walter Moore's campaign is imploding for natural reasons. He's not a good candidate.
Compare our videos for Channel 35. I feel I am clearly better. I don't need to "hypnotize" anyone to get them to vote for me.
Also..somebody is spreading dirt about Walter working for Clear Channel Billboards and potentially moving to France.
I didn't know anything about these things, but I have had people at public forums whisper things to me about him and even hand me documents. I don't know who he made angry...(or maybe these people work for Villaraigosa!)... but someone is out to get him and it has nothing to do with me.
I'm just trying to pick off his former voters as this Clear Channel scandal erupts.
I will accept this twist-of-fate as good fortune for me. Manna from heaven...whatever you want to call it.
You have suspected all along that "most regular people" don't care about billboards, and you cite an L.A. Times article about a survey that proves it to you. One, the survey paid for by the Outdoor Advertising Association proves nothing other than the fact such surveys will always serve the interests of the groups that commissioned them. Two, just who are "regular people?" Are those concerned with having big, garish signs throwing light into their windows "irregular people?" Those who believe the city's public spaces should not be treated as a just a canvas for advertising? Those who believe that being a citizen of the city is not simply to be a consumer?
Since you're fond of throwing the overworked "NIMBY" around and implying that some tiny cabal of westside elitists is stirring the billboards issue, go down to south central and look at the way Clear Channel, CBS, Vista Media and others treat those neighborhoods. Rusted, graffiti-laden billboards with ragged, drooping ad copy on practically every major commercial street. And yes, the economy and crime are bigger problems in those neighborhoods, but if you subscribe to the broken windows theory you might find yourself seeing a connection between all these issues.
Finally, would you care to wager on the outcome of a city-wide initiative to ban all billboards without any of the myriad exceptions now in the law?
Dennis Hathaway
President, Coalition to Ban Billboard Blight
www.banbillboardblight.org
Phil - don't get your hopes up.
And your predictions of Walter's campaign imploding are a bit of an exaggeration.
Walter is facing what every candidate faces. Negative campaigning from opposite sides and disclosure of things that or may not be harmful.
I would recommend instead of chasing Walter around the blogs you focus on your qualifications for Mayor.
I know what Walter's are. I know what Zuma's are. I even know what David H's are. You on the other hand I only know that you are an entertainer, you walked precincts for McCain and you called Carlos Alvarez 'taco truck' but you say you have a Latin girlfriend so that excuses you.
I'm confused as to why you should be mayor Phil!
Dennis -
Still don't get the billboard obsession cause when it comes my community I say bring them on (especially the good digital ones that are entertaining).
However I agree that the owners of the billboards as well as the property owners who lease space should follow all usual building laws and keep their property in good condition.
I suppose if there was a ballot measure the billboard companies would blow you out of the water on spending. Results would depend on when the election is. A regular municipal election where the turnout is almost all blue-haired NIMBY cranks you may have a chance. But on a state or federal general election ballot especially if someone interesting is running up ticket and you get regular folks getting off their ass to vote you'd probably lose.
But keep having fun with those billboards! I'm certain they're the cause of all our troubles.
Yo quiro Taco Bell!
Dennis has done a good public service in beating the drums on the billboard issue and not backing off even when called elitist, oblivious to the needs of the poor (Perry angry that he opposed her sign district right on a freeway offered in exchange for ClearChannel kicking a few bucks for a park her way) etc.
But he's too much of a purist, going after anyone who's accepted even a few hundred bucks ever from a billboard company -- that fudges right and wrong so much, to put them in the same category as Rocky who got almost $500,000 in free ads from them and determined his winning race against Feuer, who would have been much better for LA.
In this case Walter is wrong not to disclose his work for billboards, and until this became a central issue, Walter was on the blogs defending billboard companies against citizens and the city. That IS important, but not taking a few hundred bucks for his longshot campaign.
Dennis has to realize he's one voice among many, not God, and his thinking he is and has a right to attack everyone who's taken a few bucks even if they've done a lot of work showing they're not influenced by those few hundred or a thousand bucks, has made him into an old pain in the butt and even a detriment to moving forward.
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