Morning Briefs and Outtakes for the Day after Mayor Villaraigosa's "Screw The Taxpayers Rant"
"Is the City Council still scared of the stare ??"Is this the "look" that the former Tony Villar, now Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was "born to raise hell" with ?? Maybe one should ask Matt Szabo, considering that the Mayor lampooned his "civic begging" website as "ridiculous" yesterday.
More ridiculous was the Mayor's behavior yesterday as he commented on the controversy over the cost to the city, stemming from the non-permitted event at the Staples Center, known to the world as the Michael Jackson Memorial.
Two weeks into his second term as the Mayor of the nation's second largest city, Mayor Villaraigosa had a "Tony Villar moment" in the course of his arrogant, dismissive remarks, that damned the majority of Angelinos, but send an message to the "exclusive, paying few", that their buddy in City Hall, still had their back side.
Lets recap what AEG paid to become one of those "exclusive, paying few".
From the archives of Mayor Villaraigosa's "Troll For Dough A-Thon".
* $19,000 from executives and employees of Anschutz Entertainment Group. AEG received up to $270 million in financial help from the city to build LA Live, a complex in downtown Los Angeles that is slated to include a 54-story hotel.
*The fundraiser at L.A. Live was (corrected to current tense) co-hosted by Tim Leiweke, president and CEO of Anschutz Entertainment Group, according to an invitation filed with the city’s Ethics Commission. Three years ago, Villaraigosa supported AEG’s plan for building L.A. with roughly $270 million in city subsidies (ie. corporate welfareism that former Councilman Joel Wachs fought against for the AEG's Staples Center and won).
*Since Villaraigosa took office, AEG has given $485,000 in contributions to various mayoral initiatives, from a telephone tax measure on February’s ballot to Villaraigosa’s ill-fated effort to gain control of the Los Angeles Unified School District.
And one wonders why AEG gets a free ride on the backs of the taxpayers ??
But if Mayor Villaraigosa thinks that his visual and verbal theatrics still can instill fear in politicians and the average citizen, then the Mayor better read the comments at the LA Times.
......and this time you have a City Attorney who knows all too well the "ways" of Tony Villar/ Mayor Villaraigosa.
Other News:
** Los Angeles Times has profile on the Pueblo Del Rio Housing Project in South LA. One wonders if it cost $2500,00 to install a toilet in these projects.
** City Attorney Carmen Trutanich criticizes last week's Planning Commission's vote on new billboards around the Los Angeles Convention Center/ LA Live Complex. Criticism of actions at City Hall is an good barometer of a focus City Attorney.
** Breaking News from LAUSD, a teacher can be terminated despite the efforts of UTLA.
** Governor "Kennedy Republican" vs. State Employees Unions coming to an visual and verbal medium near you. Here's hoping that Arnold dosen't go "Girlie Man" against a fed up majority.
** "Chu and Chu" on your choice for Congress in the San Gabriel Valley today.
** Welcome to the "City of Van Nuys ??" the "Crusin capital of the Valley".
As the City Council wades into the emotionally charged battle over renaming a portion of Van Nuys, the issue has gotten so hot that some activists want Van Nuys to form its own city rather than continue to be nibbled away by neighboring communities.
Your thoughts.............................
Labels: AEG, Jackson Memorial, mayor antonio villaraigosa
Posted by Red Spot in CD 14 @ 7/13/2009 09:02:00 PM
44 Comments:
Did you hear Villawhoever's remark on the news today that L.A. is a world class city and should pay for Michael Jackson's funeral, so he had chastised his staff for setting up a website for donations.
Where the hell is he stealing the money from? This "world Class City" is broke! Or, is that all a lie too? He is a disgrace. Does he have any idea of how to prioritize and economize in order to get us out of this financial mess?
Who voted for him? Not Me!!!
AEG and the mayor have been in bed together for a long time. Today's actions are all about "quid pro quo" i.e. "pay for play." AEGs free ride of the Jackson Memorail is nothing but a shady suggestive tactic to get more money out of AEG for the mayor's career. Where is the city charter on this? What about ethics? I hope City Attonrey Trutanich puts this whole deal under the microscope.
This mayor sold $$$ his soul to special interest groups a long time ago.
AEG is represented by none other than George Mihlsten of Latham & Watkins. Pay-to-play slime with a nice tie.
Antonio likes the fawning attention Latham gives him while he is wined and dined.
End the AEG subsidies.
End the Mayor's career.
We did it to Measure B and Jack Weiss. We can do it again.
"but send an message"
WHERE DID YOU GO TO SCHOOL, RED SPOT?
At a meeting last night a person said we should all support John & Ken KFI's effort against this bullshit. We should tell them to help us organize a Tea party tax revolt and protest right in front of AEG. We should hold signs telling people NOT to eat at all those new restaurants they have and don't buy any merchandise from their stores on site. PROTEST PROTEST PROTEST
Wendy needs to investigate more of our tax dollars being wasted on a gang banger company Homeboy. The asshole Mayor can solicit and get money for gang bangers but not for cops. he is an Idiot. Everyone is slamming him hard today. RECALL
.....Carr said, the city plans to spend $200,000 buying T-shirts and polo shirts from Homeboy's silk-screening business for the Summer Nights Lights programs in municipal parks. On July 27, Villaraigosa has a private meeting scheduled with Boyle, after which, Carr says, the mayor will start working the phones trying to drum up major donors to help Homeboy through until fall.
11:31 p.m.
Who voted for him? Not Me!!!
Um, the owner of this blog and pretty much all his buddies here at the time ENDORSED him for mayor 4+ years ago. (That's who).
Was Jimmy Hahn REALLY worse than this?
Was he really so "corrupt" that we needed to put L.A. through Villar's "reign of error" or did the neophytes pretending to be "dead" mayors and police chiefs here just swallow Parque and Ace's BS spin hook line and stinker?
I think we all know the answer to that.
The people who voted for Villaraigosa are the same ones who'll believe it ONLY cost us $1.4 million -- and not twice that much. It's some crooked bookkeeping invented once the blowback from citizens started. All of a sudden they discovered that "ah, we would have been paying for that that day, anyway -- don't count that as part of the memorial costs."
As crazy as it seems, Antonio is right. No one should have to pay security expenses associated with the cost of a funeral.
Frankly if some of his critics have their way, the day will come when everyone will start paying fees for things like the costs associated with a funeral procession on it's way to the cemetary.
The city is supposed to do certain things and one of them is to provide secuirity in situations like this. It doesn't matter if it's Michael Jackson or Joe Schmoo, no one should have to worry about the price they might have to pay because people want to pay their last respects.
If we were talking about something extra the city did it might be different, but for funeral services, No.
Retarded Superstar is Tom LeBong.
The thing that makes this dicey is that the memorial will make money for private parties like Jacksons, AEG and maybe others. Did news media profit from extra ratings, etc.? So it's not just a private funeral. No one's questioning Farrah Fawcett's which was the same day, in fact her funeral was totally forgotten, bad time to finally die.
However treating AEG like criminals when they're acting like ANY other business and have provided a lot of tax revenue to the city is idiotic and the kind of shoot-from-your-mouth without thinking we always see from Dennis Zine and sadly, Trutanich first time out. (He also wrote a letter to the Planning Commission which is worded to make himself sound like "me lion, hear me roar" but is very disrespectful and treats recipients like criminals who are guilty by implication. Tacky.)
It's so idiotic to call them criminals because they donate to campaigns, an idea picked up here and elsewhere from that talkshow moron. Why shouldn't big companies contribute, as long as it's declared? If they don't who will? Those are the realities of campaigns, all campaigns. It's just a question of whether it's AEG or some other company or the NRA and a company trying to evade prosecution for environmental crime, etc. Vilifying all companies is against the entire Republican platform and alleged approach to business, it's adding to making L A look anti-business.
Of course the talk screamers like Jon and Ken take it a step further and now want to dump tea in front of AEG and boycott them. AEG gave money for the Lakers parade when asked nicely but apparently don't respond to threats and verbal abuse and I don't blame them. Dumb dumb dumb.
In this case the city meaning Acting mayor Jan Perry and Second in command Zine should have asked for money to defray the excessive costs in advance. But they didn't and this behavior now is outrageous. The mayor is right that the city has no basis now to go back and "demand" money or treat AEG like criminals as Zine is doing. To kick off her own race for Mayor god forbid, Orlov speculates.
Plus I have to see the Mayor's point that if we start charging for funerals, where do you draw the line? Should we then ask the Fawcett estate for money too, or only where there's a profit and where do you draw the line?
There can't even be a rational discussion about this now with the way talkradio and Zine etc. have turned the "dialogue" into a kangaroo court. With the City Attorney in that camp, sadly.
838, you insult me, my comrade.
Did AV miss the outrage at the public having to pick up the cost of this circus an unpermitted event? Wendy is correct to challenge the $50k for food bought out of town when Subway could do it for 1/3 the price. Hello is anyone awake at city hall? Could it be that the clowncil members are all on the payroll of AEG? Ok then I find out that the Jackson motorcade asked to "borrow" not rent the cars they all trouped in on the highway. So they got those for free also then a free parade and now the body is lost. AV and the rest of the council just don't get it. Loosing Laura Chick common sense went right out the door. Why is Garcetti supporting this thing anyway? How many of you know that the city will be facing a deficit next year of $1.3 billion for the city pensions? Banana republic here we come, ye ha.
I wonder what the AEG payed for and controlled candidate in the 2nd district Chris Essel has to say about this.
To 9:04's point about the media. It is my understanding that AEG charged the networks some pretty big bucks for platforms outside Staples to anchor their shows from. So the "news" media did have some costs in putting on their shows. Yes, of course, they profited from the higher ratings. I wonder how the revenue from platforms play into the $1 million loss AEG claims it took on the memorial celebration?
9:41
Her position would be how high do they want her to jump.
Chris is currently working out of their offices.
I just called Semi-Shady Rest Cemetery for the Nearly Destitute in Reseeeeda, where I have a time-share plot and told them that when I finally do kick the bucket - any day now - to send the bill for all expenses to the City of L.A.
I've lived here longer than MJ ever did; seems only fair.
My "motor"-cade will be both simpler and more compelling. It will consist of 7 homeless guys with stolen shopping carts, decorated with daisies pulled out of the planters of local strip malls. They'll stop ceremonially, many times along the way, to collect bottles and cans.
I'd like to ask that in the "green" spirit of this (no fossil fuels being expended), that LAPD use only horse patrols to maintain security. If costs need to be trimmed somewhat, and there's no hay to feed the horses, police bike patrols will do - just so long as they don't ship in $50 "box" lunches from some fancy restaurant in another city.
Hey Spot:
Your man Huizar is having a great day with his constituents' public comments in Clowncil today. Birds being killed at his fireworks show, liquor licenses in Boyle Heights. Yeah, he's having a red letter day.
So is the Mayor with people responding to his refusal to try to recoup $ for MJ's memorial.
And here comes Soledad Garcia....
The mayor must have had too much “joo-joo juice” while he was in Africa. If he thinks the voters are going to accept any of this as fair to the city, he better think again (with the right head.)
The Jackson Memorial was put on by AEG, not the Jacksons. AEG is an entertainment company and the memorial was intended to be filmed in a setting with good acoustics, lighting and camera angles. If this was about the fans then why was the event not held at the Coliseum? AEG did not do this simply out of the kindness of their heart.
Some may say this was a special circumstance and that there is a special fund for unexpected events like these. By "events" I mean demonstrations and riots. This was neither a funeral nor any of the above. (There was no open casket) This was an event planned for AEG to make money on and get publicity for.
My ticket to the event had a zero dollar amount on it. Someone is going to tell me this was a "free lunch?" Yeah, sure.
9:04 Positively an Antonio pr person trying to spin. Bottom line is when you have the majority of Angelenos pissed about this there's something to what they're saying. Didn't the gang banger Mayor say before the elections that LA was broke? Antonio and his AEG croonies are insulting the tax payers of LA. They are going to make millions and are greedy enough to use the "buzz words" to get sympathy. Its not working. The blogs are going crazy and Antonio and the rest of the idiots on clowncil are showing the people all over the nation what a bunch of ignorant, bafoons we have running the city. Can you imagine the great news coverage and pr all over the nation if AEG or Jackson showed some decency and had a press conf. saying we will pay LA.
8:08am, Are you drowning in the Kool-Aid? You said-
As crazy as it seems, Antonio is right. No one should have to pay security expenses associated with the cost of a funeral.
Frankly if some of his critics have their way, the day will come when everyone will start paying fees for things like the costs associated with a funeral procession on it's way to the cemetary.
The security expenses? A funeral is a private matter. Check with any mortuary and see what's involved. Motorcycle escorts are expenses included in the services and the longer the procession, the more motorcycle escorts are required at additional expense.
Jackson had LAPD DRIVING the vehicles among other things, and the procession from FOREST LAWN in Hollywood Hills to the Staples Center was NOT for the funersl. The event was a "memorial" event that was for the fans, but really for the promoters to make some money- as with selling t.v. platforms to rake in around $500,000.00 total just to put up cameras outside Staples Center.
There was NO funeral at Staples. Pay attention to what is happening and stop adding to the spin. The procession was going AWAY from the cemetary to serve as a prop for the event that was another profit-making enterprise that promoters (AEG) exploited to the utmost and didn't look back from there.
You fall for the B.S. without paying attention to the function of what's going on.
The mayor is trying to distract from the truth, trying to get people to look away from the real problem, and help his buddies at AEG who put out bucks for him and now call him for the favor.
Do you think that Villaraigosa did not have any private conversations with the AEG honchos and get asked or told to call off the dogs?
You know it's the way it works.
Tony is so full of himself that he even turned on Matt Szabo who gets paid to coverup Tony's mistakes and "misspeaks" that Tony constantly creates.
More is there than meets the eye. The most Council members are trying to keep their heads down and avoid getting hit by flying rounds in the battle that the Mayor has fueled. Zine is about the only one not completely bought and paid for by the special interests.
Can you imaging where JACK WEISS would be on this matter if he were elected? I'd say totally silent, except for when it comes time to read scripts that Tony sends over to be read in support of the Mayor.
Trutanich has no such ties and you can bet there's a chance for the people here as we replace the puppets with functional officials.
Tony and a "world class city"? That phrase "World Class" got to be such a trite label that it fell out of use for years. Now Tony is using it and it's annoying significance- "we are bette than you"- is coming through again.
Tony went to Africa, took his babe, and forgot about L.A. and apparently did not keep in touch at all, blasting Szabo, who in turn blamed Jan Perry, for the "ridiculous" website idea for recovery of money.
Tony is a narcissist and his arrogance, lack of analytical skills and care for the public STILL are his worst faults, hurting the rest of us while putting bucks in the pockets of his buddies who supported his campaign wishes over the years.
Still corrupt, still a bad mayor.
And did he keep in touch with his 16-year old who he was supposed to spend more time with before "she's gone"?
Welcome back, Tony.
Good one, 8:38! But seriously. At what point does Red Spot's 2nd grade literacy kill this blog? And where the heck is Higby?
There's 11:10 a.m. again, with the "croonies" and "bafoons," typical fan base of the talk radio ranters/ Dennis Zine and sadly now Trutanich. The "informed electorate" we have to thank?
Doug was saying this morning that there's a very small group of people who listen to their talk radio shows and go out to vote like they're told while the majority pay no attention to local politics, can't even say who their councilmembers are, don't vote and don't know this "debate" is even going on. That's sad. If the vast majority weighed in you'd get a very different set of views.
LaBonge: "I want LA to be a fine city, not a FINE city."
12:17pm You obviously don't read the newspapers and see the thousands that show up for John & Ken tea parties. Keep dreamin like your Mayor. The city use to be world reknown but not since Antonio got in office and allowed all the illegals to ruin it. It looks like T.J. Trutanich should subpoena Antonio's blackberry records to see if in fact he was in the loop of this fiasco
Give Tony a break. He just got back from a nice vacation to Africa and he's cranky.
Can someone ask around and see who paid for the California Highway Patrol Officers that were used for traffic control for the MJ funeral?
There was a photo from the LA Times with a CHP officer escorting the procession.
If the LAPD wasn't the only public safety agency used, what standard did other agencies use?
I'm just saying...
Sned a message loudly to the Mayor and when he is in your area BOOOOOOO!!! HIM. The tax payers of this city should PROTEST right in front of AEG. Tell everyone you know NOT to go to any of their establishments.
I have friends who came to LA to visit and wanted to go there but after I told him about AEG we're not going. Tell the tourists its outrageously priced for food and merchandise and don't waste their time. With all the tax incentives and millions our tax dollars has already been waived when they built that damn center, if these fools can't see the damage in publicity alone they are gicing themselves deserve to get beat up in the media.
Mayor Villarlalayoff said: "The idea that we would charge the family for a funeral is nonsensical..." - Source: L.A. Times.
Is someone seriously trying to say that Michael Jackson did not have a Life Insurance policy?
whats up with blocking the zuma dogg is running announcements and comments? He made a big stink at City council today...
Are you guys trying to prop this guy up into believing he has a shot again...please say it ain't so...the CD2 coverage was just getting good on this blog!
1144 higby recently stated on this blog that he could "make oodles more money" (uh yeah) than monitoring this blog.
while this blog is hardly a big money generator, based on various aspects of higby's personality, I sincerely doubt he's making a fortune while still living in north hollywood.
and if you were to see him in person, as i have on many an occasion, he's not exactly someone who looks sharp in a suit.
but if you want to know where he is, i do know that he frequently comments anonymously on the blog, and i SUSPECT that he is also FoxyLadyLA.
make a note of this post, as I'm sure he will delete it once he reads it. daddy can't handle criticism but he sure can dish it out and egg it on from others.
Zuma Dogg IS running and he is the morning line favorite. After all, he is the only one that doesn't live somewhere else.
In fact, he doesn't live anywhere except the back of his van.
So, his legal residence is wherever the van happens to run out of gas that day.
His record is spotless. He's never taken a bribe, never paid one, never contributed to any candidate.
Let's face it, he is "Chance, the Gardner", aka "Chauncey Gardiner". Advisor to Presidents, Mayors, Councilmen (and Councilwomen), Supervisors and stock market expert. Whoops, almost left out the LAUSD.
With that extensive experience, how can you not vote for this person?
3:15PM - You're a bone-head.
How funny John & Ken got documents from ethic website stating Antonio got campaign donations from 14 AEG executives. AND the trip to South Africa to some academy has Philip Anshultz as a major donor. We have the worst media in LA. Why aren't they also not reporting Jackson's entourage and his circle were Nation of Islam guys who rented the house in Holmby Hills for $100,000 per month. Where are all the pussy other council members? WHAT A BUNCH OF WEAK ASS ADULTS. Not one has come out to back up Zine. Everyone should not go to concerts, eat, shop or go near LA Live, Norkia, Sport zone etc.
8:08 AM Geez if I knew the City is supposed to pay for funerals I would have at least had the city pay for the motorcade from the church at the east end of the SFV to Mission Hills Cemetary at the other end. Someone should have told me!!! Darn, I paid for it myself!
The Boss Man (Michael Higby) is currently on a well deserved vacation and will be back in about a week. In the meantime, the rest of us burros will be here to assist you with all your dum-dum needs.
At least Eric Spillman isn't afraid to report the truth. Rick Orlov and David Zahniser are doing a lousy job not reporting what the radio talk shows are.
KTLA Webiste
Mayor Will Have to Report "Free" Vacation
12:30 PM July 13, 2009
Mayor Villaraigosa's spokesman Matt Szabo refuses to comment on the mayor's (and his girlfriend's) recent vacation, reportedly a 9-day trip to Africa. But IF it was paid for by an outside group, Villaraigosa will likely have to report it to the state Fair Political Practices Commission, according to rules furnished by the city's Ethics Commission.
The L.A. Times has reported that a Washington-based organization called the Academy of Achievement bankrolled the mayor's travel to South Africa last week. By the way, as I reported last week, this is a group that gets funding from Philip Anschutz, of AEG fame. Anschutz is listed as a patron on the organization's website.
By the way, this same group paid for a trip the mayor took last year, providing him with $4371.97 in travel-related expenses.
According to the mayor's most recent California Form 700 (required by the state of certain officeholders to report gifts that include travel), Villaraigosa received reimbursement for 7 trips last year from various groups, including Princeton University and the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles.
"The asshole Mayor can solicit and get money for gang bangers but not for cops."
Is there a difference anymore?
RECALL HIM!!!!!!!
Why should the people of Los Angeles take 4 more years of this???
with all due respect joe, Higby DID say what I said. he may very well be on a well deserved vacation. but he has definitely been an absentee on the blog for many months. he is entitled to move on. I was just answering the person's question from how I see it, and from higby's exact quote.
i would also add that his giving phil such ridiculous access to post such frequent nothingness is a sign that he needs to fill the blog with something each day, even if it is from a person who some of us believe is a genuine clown. a zuma dogg without a gimmick or personality.
thanks at least for letting me get my point out there.
7:18
You CAN'T recall Mayor Sam. It's not allowed.
Sorry
When I worked for the city, I NEVER got a fancy $50 sandwich from outside the city.
CORPORATE WELFARE, YES CORPORATE WELFARE, while we the tax payer, struggle to make our ends meet, we get stuck with a millionaires funeral, they said it was for the fans, BULLSHIT! It was for AEG's pockets, oh and TONY AKA Mexican Mafia Mayor VILLAR. I'm glad his ex wife took back her last name. NO ONE whats to be ASSOCIATED WITH A THIEF.
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