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Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Provider of food for LA's Finest during Jackson Memorial at nearly $50,000 ??

"Jenson's Market in Wrightwood"
Jenson's Market, formerly known as Holiday Foods, has been an institution in Wrightwood for years.
One can remember multiple visits to the market after camping and hiking in the nearby area, ordering from its fine deli and sampling micro-brews from its well-stock fridges.
Now this quiant, local market is at the center of the latest chapter in the fiscal drama arising from the Jackson Memorial at AEG's Staples Center.
City Controller Wendy Greuel went into a "Laura Chick rant" when she saw that city officials had spent $48,826 for 3,500 lunches from Jenson's Market, which has other locations in the San Bernardino Mountains.
The Emergency Management Department spent $48,826 for 3,500 lunches from Jensen’s Finest Foods in Wrightwood in San Bernardino County for first responders during the memorial.
The controller didn’t know about the request until after it was approved, because expenditures under $100,000 can be expedited when the city is “operating in an emergency,” according to a letter she sent to the department’s head, James Featherstone.
Greuel told Featherstone she would have rejected the expenditure, particularly after her staff called a nearby Subway and was given an estimate of $17,491.25 for 3,500 boxed lunches. “That’s a potential savings to the taxpayers of more than $31,000,” Greuel wrote.
Lets also take into consideration the cost in travel and the lost in sale taxes to Los Angeles County since Jenson's is located in San Bernardino County.
But then I seem to remember that San Bernardino County has a lower sales tax.............
Your thoughts........

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24 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Looks like Red Spot knows how to listen to THE JOHN AND KEN SHOW!

July 08, 2009 4:17 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

What's wrong with that, 4:17? I listen to them all the time and can hardly wait til nighttime when I get 4 hours of Kevin James til 1 a.m.

Then I'm up at 5 a.m. for Doug McIntyre, 5 more hours of education, wow that's like 14 hours a day, and they're all the same and agree with Rush Limbaugh who knows EVERYTHING, no wonder I'm so smart and have such a diverse world view!

Thank God we went out to vote in DROVES because these shows were non-stop informercials for Trutnich during the campaign.

And THANK GOD they all especially Kevin James (with the help of our patron Saints Zine, David Berger, John Thomas Trutanich Campaign Manager and sometimes even Cooley) continue to trash Jack Weiss and vow to make sure he never gets a job in public service again, because they'll sic us on City Hall! We are the TRUTH AND THE WAY!

If it weren't for us those corrupt and stupid Democrats and Arnold Republicans might actually put a REAL environmentalist into office who's not in the old boy's Republican machine and that would be HORRIBLE. Thank you for sharing the TRUTH with those who don't get it first-hand like me, Red Spot!

July 08, 2009 5:11 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Why?

Was Kate Mantellini's in Bev. Hills too busy?

That's where Dizzoner took Steve Lopez back when he was running for Mayor the first time.

July 08, 2009 5:58 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

No one should be surprised over the indulgence of our tax dollars by city hall. Its finally coming out for all to see what a bunch of morons we have running the city. Keep it up...now with Trutanich and Greuel I hope they dig really deep and take a hard look inside the mayor's office and budget. They will be shocked to see what they find.

July 08, 2009 6:04 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

How big of an asshole being the Narcissistic fool is Antonio? Pretty damn big as soon as Bratton came out with his number of thet cost of Jackson memorial at $1 million, the idiot Mayor has his makeup hound Matt put out a press release. Mayor's office: Michael Jackson memorial cost L.A. $1.4 million

I'M SICK OF THIS ASSHOLE

July 08, 2009 7:42 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

This is just another example of people spending money that's not theirs. How dare they spend money in SB when there are businesses in our own city closing their doors every day from lack of patronge. I listened to the Jon and Ken Show today and it was laughable to hear city staff stumble and be so ignorant when answering questions that were not that hard to answer. They should fire themselves.

July 08, 2009 7:53 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

The police would have probably preferred a sandwich from Subway anyway. And when do we buy lunch for workers. They should have had to bring their own like the rest of us...

July 08, 2009 7:55 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Right. Feed the cops dog biscuits at 15cents a pop

July 08, 2009 8:23 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Sandwichgate 2009. This stinks. People who take advantage of a crisis to bilk victims are the worst.

July 08, 2009 9:46 PM  

Blogger Michael Higby said:

Wrightwood? Sounds fishy. Why couldn't they just go to King Taco, that was good enough for Hillary Clinton.

July 08, 2009 9:48 PM  

Blogger Red Spot in CD 14 said:

One must wonder if there is enough hire help avaliable in the off season.

Maybe they bussed in some kids from Phelan ??

July 08, 2009 10:11 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

I also wonder why they went so far when there are so many good places in L A that need business, but if you read the details of the article it clarifies the boxes were for two meals: two sandwiches, two drinks, plus granola bars and snacks.

But facts don't stop Kevin James and Jon and Ken rambling on and on about how the cops could have just eaten a 6" sub sandwich with a group discount. Maybe someone MIGHT have kicked some business to a friend's restaurant but it still sounds reasonable if you look at the specifics: and maybe they were better equipped to deliver 3400 food kits than the subway.

Even if you have a small party you have to order well in advance from almost everywhere, and this wasn't something with much advance notice. What's dumbest is the way all these talk show idiots and commenters go on and on saying it's all "corruption!" when they don't have the facts, why bother with facts. A Zine/ Trutanich lowest common-denominator soundbite sets them off and provides fodder for entire shows.

July 08, 2009 10:28 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

I bet the cops would rather have had bathroom close by along with water. They had a real problem with lack of those items during the Lakers festivites with no water or access to a bathroom and many of them were out there on their feet for 11 hours.

July 08, 2009 11:45 PM  

Blogger Louis (Video Louis) Elovitz said:

yeah,
let's go to SUBWAY, Wendy.
free advertising
while criticizing
great polidicks!

Why Not Wendy Burgers
might as well, as my
Mother would say-
"GO LOOK INTO THE MIRROR!"

July 09, 2009 3:05 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Wendy needs to audit this department that is Antonio's and find out how many times in the past this dept. has used that business outside of city boundaries for other events. How wonder how much their budget is? There's more to this story like the owner probably has donated to Antonio campaign.

July 09, 2009 7:09 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Does anyone know how long it would take to make 3,500 sandwiches? When were they ordered? What was the delivery cost from SB to LA or did thet send the helicopter to pick it up?
We could have called the catering companies at the airport; they make 3,500 sandwiches a day....

July 09, 2009 7:44 AM  

Blogger mary whoopee said:

Why did we have to buy sandwiches for the cops AT ALL? Can't they put in a day's work without pigging out on the taxpayers' dime?Other people have to bring a sack lunch to work or order their own-- either way, they have to provide their own meal. So why was there a separate meal expenditure for the city to contend with at all?? And I've noticed A LOT of cops are overweight-- especially the black ones.

July 09, 2009 10:25 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

The lazy cops should have made themselves useful by making their own sandwiches themselves instead of get paid overtime to stand around and do nothing but waste taxpayer dollars...doesn't take much brains to make a sandwich anyway. Instead, they get paid to sit at Starbucks and chitchat while crimes are being committed on Skid Row and all over L.A.

July 09, 2009 10:42 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Criticizing the cops isn't the point. The hater here is misdirected in WHO decides what's going to happen. The cops were getting overtime because they were working overtime and I doubt that moat had a say in showing up.

The sandwich making by cops? Ridiculous all around. And lazy cops? There's only so much to do when there's no trouble at their assigned post. Maybe the people who deploy them should be criticized. If the cops are at Starbucks, could it be for their meal break or are they there for hours? If you have complaints, send them to the LAPD mgmt. or council members.

If you just want to vent and not get anything changed, you are one of many, as you can see, but distinguishable as a better post since the profanity and name-calling path wasn't taken. Thanks for that.

July 09, 2009 12:46 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

I would bet this place is owned by a retired LAPD or LAFD -- and it was a little kick back to one of their own.

Who owns this place? -

July 09, 2009 2:45 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

yeah right all cops are fat and lazy you haters. There are the only ones that did their job right compared to the mess the politicans have made of the city in the media all over the nation. The Mayor couldn't even get a simple PayPal going and even Zuma Dogg knows how to do that.

This is what those cops you talk about do when they don't get publicity or you're screwing around with petty shit.
...Officers Lowe and Ayala were on routine patrol in the area of Fickett and Malabar on Mother’s Day morning when they observed a notorious gang member walking eastbound on Malabar Street. These two outstanding officers utilized their keen observations skills and immediately reco gnized that this street hoodlum was packing heat. The officers attempted to detain the suspect but he fled on foot. Officers Lowe and Ayala requested backup and the chase was on. The officers quickly apprehended the suspect who was no match for these two veterans. Officer Lowe recovered a fully loader .40 cal Glock pistol from the suspect’s front pants pocket. Officers arrested the suspect for possession of a loaded firearm by a convicted felon and for probation violation. Thanks to these fearless and dedicated officers a dangerous KAM gangster and firearm was taken off the streets of Hollenbeck.

July 09, 2009 3:04 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Damn you folks sure do get of topic! it was about the food where it came from, what it cost. I demand the city get reimbrused A.S.A.P by AEG who has the copyrights to the memorial service by the producers of the clothing line that will appear soon in JC Pennys, and such stores. AGAIN THE TAX-PAYER GET FUCKED.

July 09, 2009 3:30 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Police officers should have to pay for their own lunches. I have to pay for my lunch.

Taxpayers should only foot the bill in an emergency. This was a pre-planned event and not an emergency. And, this event should not have been allowed unless someone else paid the bill for it and not taxpayers.

Dennis Zine will be a hero on this one and Tru.

July 10, 2009 8:06 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

government jobs usually allow compensation for a MEAL when working overtime. If I recall a Lunch is about $12 and a Dinner about $18 for State workers. I do not know what the pay rate is for LAPD. The Jenson meal came in just under $13/ meal. So what is the big deal !!!!

BTW, I live in Wrightwood. talking about the taxes generated from this sale, if you go 1 mile west of wrightwood you are in LA County. actually a portion of the town IS in LA Co as were some of the workers who prepared the meals live. going another mile you are at Mountain High ski area. this ski are generats LA county TONS of tax revinue during the winter months. All the people going to this ski area travel through Wrightwood making our life a traffic hell during these periods. Tell you what, LA County can have the taxes generated from a few sandwiches and give US the taxes from the ski area. We are the ones picking up their trash after the snow melts...

Y-Sam...

July 17, 2009 12:36 PM  

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