Trutanich, Park, rising stars of L.A. Politics - Governators Props go down in flames
Yesterdays defeat of Jack Weiss was a good thing for the City of Los Angeles. Nuch Trutanich showed that people can make the choice between a good candidate and a bad one, no matter how much money gets thrown into negative TV ads. Most human beings have an instinctive "dishonesty detector" and their alarms were going off full blast when listening to Jack Weiss. Congrats to Nuch. I met him on the campaign trail earlier this year while I was running for Mayor. I came away from our meetings very impressed with his integrity and candor. Like I said in a previous blog, he's a man's man, and I trust him with the keys to the City Attorneys Office. I am quite certain he will do an excellent job as City Attorney.
While I was very happy about his victory, one big thing really bothered me about it.
Every time I look at Nuch Trutanich, I keep thinking... "This guy is the next Mayor of Los Angeles."
As a probable candidate in 2013, I was already unhappy about having to face off against probable opponents Eric Garcetti, Laura Chick, and maybe even Wendy Gruel. If Nuch Trutanich spends four years doing a great job in City Hall, then decides he wants a promotion, it will be a very distressing moment for me.
Hopefully, he will be happy running for an overwhelming landslide re-election in 2013.
Another huge star from last night is Tina Park, a former New Yorker who is blazing a quick path to the top here in L.A. I first met Tina about six months ago at a meeting of the San Fernando Valley Republican Club. She really impressed me with her intelligence, drive, enthusiasm, and preparation. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Tina because she was one of the first of the other candidates I met and the first of them to sign my petition to allow me to run for Mayor. If I ever amount to anything big in politics, she will have a place in history...as she held the camera to record my very first campaign speech that night. (As a side note, I got stomped by Walter Moore that night as he had brought about half the crowd with him.)
Tina Park is now a rising star in L.A. politics, and I predict that within a few years we might be calling her City Council Member Park, if she can find the right match-up in a future election.
David Vahedi is still in limbo after last night. Final results have him losing the CD 5 race to Paul Koretz, but there are always issues in a race this close. He is losing by about 300 votes, but there are usually a few thousand late mailers and questionably valid ballots to be counted. It is not over for him, but he has to be prepared if things don't go his way. I really like David a lot, and he would have been a far, far better option than career politician Koretz, who I consider to be a hack...who just runs for office after office, non-stop.
My advice to David Vahedi...keep your head up. If it doesn't happen, spend the next four years shaking hands and getting to know every voter in CD 5. After four years of socialism and tax hikes from Washington to Sacramento to Los Angeles, voters should be fed up with it. They should be ready to throw all incumbents out of office in 2013.
My condolences to Rabbi Shifren, who lost to Curren Price in State Senate District 26. Price is just another hack politician who moves from district to district every time he gets term-limited out of some position. He will be a total waste of time in Sacramento, and just vote along with all Socialist policies the liberals can put forward. He won't change anything. He won't have any effect whatsoever. There is really no point in him being there. He could stay home and cast his votes over the internet, actually.
Great joy in seeing the Propositions from the Governator go down in flames. No big tax raises, Arnie...time to fire people and slash worthless government programs. Prop 1F was the only success, and even that was just a voters backhand to politicians. I didn't agree with it because it ties politicians performance to pay raises, which in some odd circumstances might cause them to do something even more vengeful and destructive than usual. As with most government and ballot propositions, I felt it was unnecessary.
Don't like the performance of your politicians..?
VOTE THEM OUT!
Posted by Phil Jennerjahn @ 5/20/2009 12:19:00 PM
33 Comments:
Why didn't this happen to local electeds?
....Reporting from Burbank and Sacramento -- A state panel this morning slashed the salaries of elected state officials by 18% -- a day after voters rejected a plan by the governor and Legislature to address the budget crisis.
Citing pay cuts and layoffs being imposed on rank-and-file state workers, the California Citizens Compensation Commission approved the reduction for the governor, legislators and other state officials elected next year.
City Councilmembers have a bad habit of naming things after themselves before they leave office.
What should Jack Weiss have named after him?
Phil: Don't worry. Nuch isproably not itnersted in being the Mayor of an unmanageable city. He is more likely to run for District Attorney when political mentor Steve Cooley decides to move on.
There is a wonderful and funny cartoon about Villaraigosa and the labor unions at LA Observed.
Hopefully Mayor Sam isn't so petty as to not let me post this link. That is the way a professional blog should be run.
Anyways if this link actually makes it on to the blog here, here it is
http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2009/05/la_sketchbook_union_idol.php#email
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The Weiss recall toook a bit longer, but it just won.
Glad Weiss is gone and to bad that David lost. You are correct about Curren the rubber stamp, those people that move from one district to another just to keep a job means that they could not get hired for a real job. Are you listening Paul Krekorian? If some of these yo-yo's can't make it in Sacramento why would we want them on the LA Clowncil. Laura Chick's comments in the fishwrap a few weeks ago were right on. No leadership and disapointment with our current crop including lead socialist from CD 13. The pay and bennies for our council need to be cut. For some reason I would think that the highest paid city council in the nation would be able to translate into leadership with backbone.
Jack Weiss starting to come around.
The following posted today on Patt Morrison's 89.3 KPPC blog:
http://www.publicradio.org/columns/kpcc/pattmorrisonblog/2009/05/patt-morrison-for-wednesday-ma-5.html#comments
Jack Weiss: May 20, 2009 2:31 PM
I very much admire Chief Bratton's candor and integrity when he expresses his belief (and bravely acts upon his belief) concerning his constitutional right(s) to ignore the Christopher Commission.
I have carefully studied the City's Charter. My review has led to the conclusion that, if a City resident is unhappy with the Chief's performance, the resident, at a time chosen by that resident and during business hours, may vigorously and repeatedly insert a police baton into the Chief's rectum--for a period not exceeding twenty minutes.
Edwin Chemerinsky, thank you so very much.
Here's an interesting factoid from last night's election: 49,000 fewer voters showed up than in March, and Weiss got 48,000 fewer votes than Villaraigosa did.
This tells me Measure B served its real purpose: get union voters to show up for the election in March and, while there, vote for Villaraigosa.
For details of my analysis and the numbers, visit my blog, http://WalterMooreSays.com
As Mr. Jennerjahn himself can tell you, I hypothesized back at one of our Mayoral forums -- the one at the church -- that this was, in fact, Measure B's purpose. After all, it's not as though the Charter requires voter approval before City Hall or the DWP can install solar cells...
I can't wait for Mayor Villaraigosa and Chief Bratton to endorse worthless Jose Huizar for CD 14 in two years.
As Trutanich demonstrated, to win against a well-financed and entrenched status quo politician, you need to start early, meet lots of people, line up who will do the fundraising for you early, and then fight hard.
That said, who is organizing for a coordinated campaign to replace Huizar?
Yeah Walter, if it wasn't for Measure B you would be mayor right now. We hear you. Give it up.
Geez Jennerjahn, I would have to study REAL hard, and lose a lot of sleep to be as plain old DUMB about local politics as you are -- having run for office and everything, and I'm just Joe Sixpack civilian.
Do you really have some sense that late absentees and rogue ballots will change the outcome in CD5?
Weren't you also one of the yahoos that after the mayor's race thought that 80 percent of the remaining uncounted could go to the challengers and STILL force Villaraigosa into runoff.
Yeah, I'd have to lose a LOT of sleep and get a lobotomy and then it would still be hard to become that dumb and gullible.
There hasn't been a race reversed for uncounted ballots in this city since the microchip was invented. Nothing is ever that far off in the modern age.
And make sure you don't trade your car for some "magic" beans either.
What a bunch of two face idiots posting here. You post shit about the council people but there are only a handful in the city I know of who actually aren't afraid to stand in front of those jerks and tell them off. The rest of you jump on the bandwagon and when you see council members kiss their asses. The Chief bashing is hilarious! Finally we have a man who doesn't give a shit what any ones thinks and does as he pleases. He's entitled to have his own damn opinion whether we like it or not which most of the time when it comes to politics we don't. I hate his choices but damn, give the guy credit for having the guts to do it. Sounds like all of you want is a kiss ass, whimp, gutless asshole to do as you and the morons on council say. The council members who were upset should have their asses kicked for whinning. You do that shit in a low income community and you would be shot. Trutanich looks sleazy and lilke a mafiaoso but glad he won
Board of Stupidvisor Don "Obewon" Knabe told me he is NOT retiring and IS going to run for a third term. Sorry Janice. But now maybe you won't feel you have to hit the buzzer and speak on every item because you are really doing nothing but campaigning for Board of Stupidvisors.
Mr. Moore may be correct.
Measure B may have been a payoff to union members to get them out to vote in his re-election campaign. But, Measure B failed.
Antonio Villaraigosa got 55% of the vote against 9 men who were nowhere near as famous as he was. My opinion is that voters were in a mood to punish him, but just didn't know the other candidates well enough to trust them with the keys to City Hall. Turnout was extremely low...showing that few voters cared enough to support Villaraigosa in his re-election campaign. Take away the votes of City employees and others who depend on Antonio for a paycheck, and his support was really paper thin. Too bad we couldn't capitalize on that situation.
Although Mr. Moore and I traded a few verbal jabs during the campaign, I have no personal animosity towards him. I have always respected his intelligence and his diligence in keeping an eye on the City and how it spends taxpayer money.
I think if he could have spent an extra 2 million dollars, he might be Mayor right now.
My advice for Mr. Moore....
1) Come back to Mayor Sam and return to being a respected City critic and taxpaying voter advocate here.
2) Sell your house, and move to CD 3...a district where you were popular in the election.
3) Run for CD 3 when Dennis Zine is termed out in 2013.
Just my opinion...
Zooma Dog can run against Huizar in 2011. He has some big fans among the unwashed contrarians in Northeast L.A. They're still pining for a return to the days when a white guy with lousy ethics ran CD14 like Al Capone.
Get Art Snyder's endorsement, and you're a shoe-in ZD. And the bloated one's endorsement costs a few thousand $$ less than it used to, so it could happen.
Thank you, Phil, but I'm done running for office. The people have spoken, and they said, "Thanks but no thanks." Or words to that effect. Okay, usually they communicated through sign language, through the use of one finger.
And I do want to sell my house, but not to move to another part of the same City.
Nor do I want a career in politics. I just wanted to fix the City, and the only way to do that, in my opinion, is to be Mayor. One vote out of 15 isn't going to cut it.
So I'll probably keep venting at my own blog for a while, but that's about it. I think it's a good sign that Trutanich was elected -- a great sign -- but this City's in deep trouble and the overwhelming majority of its residents aren't even paying attention.
Update in the 5th. Both candidates have retained attorneys. Koretz won the VBM 53/47 reported early.
Vahedi won the poll vote 52.0/48
Estimated 6000 uncounted ballots. Big question is whether they resemble poll or early VBMS. County says June 15th for final answer.
Complicating is the fact county sent VBMs to the 5th without the race on it. More than 15 ballots collected today with mistake could be 100's of them.
Worst-case scenarios also call for the release from state prisons of up to 19,000 illegal immigrants, who would face deportation, and the transfer of up to 23,000 other prisoners to county jails.
Hellooo people..this is what's coming down and all you have time to do is post crap. LA is going to be in a huge crisis and its known there are Al Queda cells living right here knowing we are vulnerable. Why do you think NY, LAPD, Sheriff and all law enforcement agencies have been training for attacks all weekend?
Where's Walter? I wish he would post the budget stuff on here he campaigned on. Like the Mayor's work force up 12% from Hahn's days. Like the trash fee hike. Why is the Bureau of Santitation getting $136 million from it? Where is all that tax money going? Why isn't Greuel questioning the gang programs getting our tax dollars that aren't even in the city. She should start with CD14.
5th Dist. Update. Koretz and Vahedi have both lawyered up.
Koretz won early VBM 52.95/47.05
Vahedi won Poll 51.5/48.5
6000 expected provisionals to be decided by june 15.
Complicating, over 20 VBM ballots found not to have cd5 on it.100 more out there
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I think I am going to start a drinking game every time this guy says "socialism"...
I'd be hammered by morning and no better off...
I DID vote for Walter
I WOULD do it again
The city would be better off, and Phil would be crying twice as much as he already is.
Zuma Dogg:
I think Knabe has been on the Supes a lot longer.
Wasn't he elected in 1996, with re-elections in 2000, 2004, 2008?
Correct me if I'm wrong.
3;54/4:13:
Where do you get 6,000 ballots left in CD5? Out of the 50,000 left throughout the County, that means CD5 is responsible for over 10%? I don't think so.
Think more along the lines of 4000. Hekebolos over at Calitics (whom MS has used before for the Cedillo/Facebook hit piece) has a great breakdown of the #'s.
And the #'s are looking good for Koretz. Vahedi, it appears, would need to win over 55% of the remaining votes to win.
There is a wonderful and funny cartoon about Villaraigosa and the labor unions at LA Observed.
You're welcome to your opinion, but never has the city seen such a talentless cartoonist.
I'm tired of Zuma Dogg acting like HE is the reason why this accomplished attorney was elected.
Zuma must think his shits don't stink. They do, but not as bad as he stinks. Bro, take a shower already!
CALPERS FUNDS?
PENSIONGATE: Attend the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts FUND RAISER for Villaraiogsa's Pension Commissioner's Attorney!
http://ladailyblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/pensiongate-attend-bilingual-foundation.html
Phil--
Another run for Mayor in 2013?-- c'mon-- you're joking, right?
I honestly don't get your strategy at all. For the sake of discussion, I'm going to accept the idea that you sincerely want to affect change in LA politics, and that is your motive. With that said, let me quote Adrienne Balboa from Rocky 4:
"You can't win!!"
The best piece of advice you could take, is your own to Walter Moore, with a twist. Move to Northridge right away, and run for Greig Smith's council seat less than two years from now. Phil, why on Earth would you wait four more years so you can get defeated again?
Seriously... this is not a slight to you, but do you serioulsy believe you would have ANY realistic chance? The idea that you would pass over an opportunity to cut your political teeth by winning a council seat-- something that you DO have a realistic chance of doing-- is in my so-called opinion, incredibly poor judgement on your part.
And briefly regarding Walter Moore, who says, "I just wanted to fix the City, and the only way to do that, in my opinion, is to be Mayor. One vote out of 15 isn't going to cut it."
I voted for Walter, but I really didn't understand his strategy either. If Walter had run for City Council the first time he ran for Mayor- and won that seat- I think he would have won the Mayor's race this past November.
Ok, he didn't do that. If he had run for the CD5 seat this past November, he would be Councilman Moore today, and probably Mayor Moore in 2013.
Walter says one vote of 15 "doesn't cut it." Maybe not, but it's a place to start, and EVERY ONE of you who ran against Mayor V could have won a Council seat last November... and assuming you could get along somewhat, all of you could have made a difference from the Council chamber.
I don't necessarily question your motivations (Phil, Walter, Zuma, etc.)... I do however believe your strategy is (in Walter's case) a bit shortsighted and in your case, Phil... completely unrealistic.
With all due respect- if you want a career in politics, don't be lazy and don't be stupid... earn your stripes, and learn the ropes. Considering your experience level, the worst thing for the City of Los Angeles, AND for you personally, would be if you actually won the job of Mayor.
Vinnie -
I appreciate your advice about the Council seat..but I live in CD 5, and now that career hack politician Koretz is about to take that seat, the one more liberal vote of 15 on the council doesn't seem very worthwhile.
If you want to know my schedule for elections, I will tell you. I plan to run for the 33rd Congressional seat against Dianne Watson in Nov. 2010. Watson is awful...part of the "loony left" that routinely talks about arresting and imprisoning George W Bush. She is so far detached from reality that it is unbelievable.
Will I win? Probably not. The District is about 80% Democrat registration, which explains why an awful, awful figure like her can be re-elected repeatedly. A few times she didn't even have an opponent. Wonderful choice for the voters here..Watson...or Watson!
I will be coming at voters with a message of ideological purity that is 100% opposite of hers. If voters choose to reject Patriotism, love of country, freedom, free market Capitalism, limited government and lower taxes....then so be it! I am standing up for what is right about this country. If voters choose to stand behind a woman who will do absolutely nothing about illegal immigration, then they will pay the price for their choices. A bankrupt and destroyed California waits for them in the very near future.
You seem to be filled with pessimism...all this talk about "can't win". Sorry, but your opinions are irrelevant. History proves this.
Jesus of Nazareth started with 12 friends and asked them to spread his word around the globe.
Adolph Hitler started with 7 friends and a crazy idea that they could somehow take over the German government.
Five years ago, if you told all your friends that a black man... who had buddied around with terrorists, attended a racist church .. repeatedly expressed a fondness for Islam...and openly expressed leanings towards a Communist ideology... would be elected President of The United States...people would have told you that you were insane.
Your assumptions about what can and cannot be achieved are controlled by your limiting beliefs.
I see things differently. History is never changed by those who choose do what is easy. History is changed by those who do what is difficult.
Phil--
Wow... I was completely wrong about you. I really thought you were just a bit naive and unrealistic-- behaviors that can be easily reversed. Instead, I think you may actually have some clinical mental defect.
I never claimed that my opinion was relevent to you... opinions are what they are, Phil-- including your own.
So let me get this straight... you're going to deliberatley embark on a campaign for the next two years of your life, which you admit before even beginning, that you have no chance of winning-- and in the process-- turning your back on a race (CD12) that you might have a decent chance of winning? Does that about sum it up?
To beat Watson, you're going to have to get about 101,000 more votes than you did in November, so you better get started now.
Let me quote you, if I may: "Your assumptions about what can and cannot be achieved are controlled by your limiting beliefs." My limiting beliefs-- really? Hmmm... I think I know what you're trying to say, but let me ask you, beleifs aside, where does reality begin and fantasy end for you? I ask becasue you seem to take some level of pride (maybe even joy) out of defeat... and by that I mean a lathering defeat.
You can pontificate all you want about how you have all the answers, are the best leader, blah, blah... but in the end, if you're entering races you yourself know you will lose badly-- well, I guess I just feel for any contributors to your campaign, becasue that will not be money well spent for them.
And finally... and this is the most disturbing part...
"Jesus of Nazareth started with 12 friends and asked them to spread his word around the globe.
Adolph Hitler started with 7 friends and a crazy idea that they could somehow take over the German government."
... are you comparing yourself to the Son of God, or to the greatest mass murderer in the history of the world?
I ask because those are two different campaigns altogether.
PS: I'm going to go ahead and forward the text of your response here to Diane Watson's office, just so they can have some tidbits of copy, should you actually make a run for the 33rd. I think the Jesus-Hitler line will one more than a few people will want you to explain, before they consider voting for you.
Phil... get help, man.
Vinnie,
I was BY FAR the best candidate for Mayor, but on election day, over 90% of the voters still didn't know who I was. I entered the election with less than 100 days left. I didn't have the necessary money to run a super professional - level campaign.
How well could I expect to do??
The 33rd thing is different. I have over one year to knock on doors and give speeches at churches and other civic events. People can understand a good candidate versus a career bureaucrat like Watson.
Watson is 75 years old. I'm 42.
I can go out and walk hundreds of blocks and knock on thousands of doors....talk to thousands of voters.
Even if I was unsuccessful in 2010, I could go out and do even more for 2012.
Phil--
Ideology aside, at 75, Watson has already forgotten more about the political process than you know at 42.
I gotta say, Phil-- you're definitely a legend in your own mind... consider what you wrote in response:
"I was BY FAR the best candidate for Mayor, but on election day, over 90% of the voters still didn't know who I was... How well could I expect to do??
So for those keeping score... Phil is BY FAR the best candidate for Mayor, even though no one knows him, he has no money, AND he entered the race at the last minute?
Yep-- sounds like a leader that knows what's going on to me.
Another quote:
"The 33rd thing is different. I have over one year to knock on doors and give speeches at churches and other civic events."
My gift to you-- a reality check you're obviously not getting from friends and family.
* Watson raised $235,000 for her 2008 campaign... her Republican opponent managed to raise about $7,000, which helped him get 14% of the vote.
* You "raised" $5,600 for your efforts in the Mayor race-- which got you 0.89% of the Mayoral vote. And just for kicks, all that money was actually listed as loans to yourself... so I don't know that that establishes much in the way of documented support.
Look... a Nostradamus for you here-- you're going to lose against Watson and everbody else you campaign against for essentially the same reason... you have no idea what you're doing.
It has nothing to do with ideology, Phil-- it's simply the political equivalent of the inability to perform... Incompetence.
You're presenting yourself like a child, Phil. It's embarrassing.
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