Mid-Day Briefs for Lunch Time Contemplation

"Why is Chief Bratton really quiting ??"

That is the premise of LA Weekly's Editor Jill Stewart article "Bye-Bye Bill Bratton".and her musings on Bratton's reason for his sudden resignation are center on five points of speculation.

As gleaned from activists, officials, political strategists and analysts, the Top 5 reasons for the chief’s departure were shaping up like this:

. Bratton would have been the leading candidate for mayor if Antonio Villaraigosa became governor in 2010 and abandoned his mayoral job two-and-a-half years years early. Seven weeks after Villaraigosa announced he would not run for governor, Bratton announced he was bailing out as chief.

. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s budget could implode, thanks to a poorly researched, widely pilloried L.A. City Council plan to buy out city workers to help meet a $530 million deficit. If the early-retirement idea backfires, as some experts predict, Bratton would be pressed to absorb severe cuts. The upbeat LAPD growth era would be over.

. Bratton’s new boss will be his friend Michael Cherkasky, who was the monitor for Judge Gary Feess’ oversight of a federal consent decree that for eight years controlled many aspects of the LAPD. On July 17, Feess lifted the consent decree. Despite Bratton’s claim that he cut his CEO deal with Cherkasky only after Feess’ ruling, it’s possible Bratton has been plotting his revolving-door-to-riches getaway for months.

. Bratton drew criticism for meddling in election politics, publicly backing Jack Weiss for city attorney. Weiss lost. Now the victor, City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, is investigating how $1.4 million in city overtime was approved for the Michael Jackson memorial. The probe may mire Bratton in unpleasant accusations by an elected official — the same man the hired-hand chief opposed for office.

. Bratton may be facing rocky personal times. The oft-betrothed Bratton and his fourth wife, lawyer and Court TV commentator Rikki Klieman, have spent much of their lives in Boston or New York. The couple placed their home in Los Feliz up for sale in July for $1.875 million, setting off speculation — all of it denied — that they were leaving. Now they are.

As you can see, speculation is always good for the consumption of column inches and increasing readership. Then the former "Mr. Jane Fonda" is calling for an investigation into the relationship between Bratton and Michael Cherkasky. He joins LA Times Columnist Tim Rutten and "fellow traveler", who also devoted coulmn inches in scribing his thoughts about the "smell level" of Bratton's ties to Cherkasky.

Other News:

** For those who were outrage over the Tennie Pierce Settlement, consider these numbers on the latest legal payouts from the Los Angeles Fire Department. The Los Angeles City Council voted today to pay $8.1 million to two firefighters who won jury awards after they filed discrimination and retaliation lawsuits against the Los Angeles Fire Department.

** LA Weekly's Steve Mikulan muses on the NUMEROUS responses about his comment regarding the"Obama Socialist Poster", "All that's missing is a noose." Memo to Steve, you said it, now you have to deal with it. And this blogger thinks that the poster was right on. Where is the racism in that ??

** Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced this morning the nomination of former U.S. Attorney Debra Yang to the Los Angeles Police Commission. Yang would replace former Commission President Anthony Pacheco, who resign to fully pursue his legal career.

** Law enforcement official announced morning raids on a South L.A. street gang that were front and center in the unrest after the Lakers won the Championship. These same gangbangers will soon be donning those "Silver and Black Jerseys" as football season approaches.

** Continuing on the subject of unruly sports fans. We can get a quick gauge on our crime stats this evening from 7:00 PM till 11:00 PM, as Raider Football returns to the visual airways via KTLA Channel 5. And how do you scare a Raider Fan ?? "Third Strike!!"

Your thoughts.......................