The "Old Gray Hag On Spring Street", Women's Up for Chris Essel in CD 2 Council Race
"Old habits Memo to Journalist Russ Stanton and Jim Newton at the "Old Gray Hag On Spring Street",
This blogger wants to be the first to offer kudos on your continuing efforts in reinventing the former "fishwrap of record" into West LA's largest daily paper.
For the fine citizens in West LA, they can be proud to have the "trifecta of jounalistic mediums" in the form of the "West LA Observed Blog", "West Los Angeles Magazine" and now the "Old Graying Westside Hag On Spring Street Newspaper", based in mind and spirit within their westside community.
But as much as one can appreciate news, commentary, and posts from a West LAish perspective, it would benefit the likes of you both Journalist Stanton and Newton to venture away from the Westside and escape the catacombs of your Downtown Spring Street News Bureau, to grasps perspectives from other communities besides West LA.
Case in point is your endorsement of West LA's own Chris Essel for the CD 2 Council Seat vacated by now City Controller Wendy Greuel. No one can blame you for wanting to back a fellow cocktail party attendee in her pursuit of political power. I'm sure the likes of Billionaire David Geffen and your friends within the West LA Cultural Elites Community are looking forward to having one of their own sitting within the horse shoe downtown.
But to the voters in CD-2 on the north side of the Santa Monica Mountains away from Sunset/Doheny, the ones that will actually vote. They will have a "simplistic" response to your hometown endorsement, NO WAY!!.
Journalist Stanton and Newton, you should of taken the time to view these numbers courtesy of the City Ethics Commission. Essel has raised $247,241.00 from your West LA neighbors and friends downtown. But Chris is proving to be an "high-maintenance campaigner" by spending $259,248 with matching funds of $85,068 coming from the city taxpayers. I guess in hindsight this shows that Essel would fit in well with the other 14 big spenders on the City Council.
But regardless of Essel's ties to the supposed City Hall insiders and Westside elites, her grasps of the community perspective and values are shallow at best. Dodging candidate forums and letting the likes of John Shallman over choreograph her message, is leading many to look beyond the the glossy mailers and seeking the out the candidate that speaks and thinks in their local perspective tongue and mindset respectively.
That said, Journalist Stanton and Newton you should take a few steps away from your West LAish leanings and venture into communities the next time and listen to the thoughts of the local populance before penning opinions. This may save you from ridicule and slow down the process of lining the kitty box with your latest myopic opinion from the westside of the 405.
After all, there is joy in the "simplistic act of voting for someone" who shares and lives your local perspective.
Your thoughts...............
Labels: cd2 special election, Chris Essel, LA Times
Posted by Red Spot in CD 14 @ 9/13/2009 10:16:00 AM
51 Comments:
The L.A. Times endorsement is outrageous.
CD 2 voters won't give Chris Essel even 20% of the vote. They know her game.
What kind of deal did Shallman make with the Times and Riordan for this one?
Well said.
Looks like Sheftel and Galatzan in December.
As I said on another blog, "Epic Fail".
When Joe Mailander said yesterday that "Shallman's muddled lackeys at the Times" would endorse Essel, was he assuming, or did he know?
When even so-called crazy rock stars know your newspaper sucks, then your newspaper must REALLY suck. ( @mmilian is an LA Times writer on Twitter )
The Times sucks. That is all.
xoxo
What would you all have said about the Times if they hadn't endorsed Essel?
The paper is what is regardless of who it endorses.
The LA Times wonders why its circulation is shrinking. It endorsed someone who doesn't even remember their new address. This is stupid the West Side Liberals that influence the LA Times are ruining the newspaper. It has become a newspaper for them not for the rest of the City. The LA Times needs to get some columnists who don't always prefer labor and raising taxes. They don't have a single columnist who thinks that raising taxes is a bad idea. They are always for the poor and the unions, yet they have fired more people in the last ten years than you can count. They have contracted out services to make more money and try to stay in business. Well how about not insulting the middle of the road to conservative readers of the paper. I know of many people who refuse to read the LA Times because of its bias. I was hoping that the new owner would balance the newspaper more.
CD2 voters should prove once and for all the Times is an irrelevant fish wrap headed to extinction. They should vote anybody but Essel. I wonder when Newton last visited the Valley. In fact, does he know where it is?
Or, the LA Times just ignored your extremely divisive attempts to divide the city and recognized that Essel is a smart woman who will be good for the city as a whole, no matter where she's from.
She, and the other candidates, in case you haven't realized, are running for LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL. Not Sunland City Council. Not Tujunga City Council. Not Studio City Neighborhood Council. Los Angeles. What is good for LA now is someone who is capable.
Speaking of journalistic integrity, I noticed another poster put something insightful on a previous post. It quite frankly questions the integrity of this blog. It's worth repeating here, since this is a post on journalistic ethics.
"We were starting to like this blog. A lot. Sure, there was the occasional tirade by a secondary poster, an occasional false rumor, and an occasional ad hominem attack. But for the most part, this blog added an important voice to the Los Angeles political dialogue, and we actually starting to think of the guys who wrote here as journalists.
Not any more. Michael Higby's (a.k.a. Mayor Sam's) ridiculous endorsement of Paul Krekorian, we believe, has revealed that we can never take this blog seriously again.
Why? Krekorian so clearly stands for everything Higby is against. Krekorian's biggest accomplishments in Sacramento were saying:
"Yes Fabian" (Nunez)
and
"Yes Karen" (Bass)
Your faithful Mayor Sam readers, the bread and butter of this blog, know how often the same Mr. Higby skewered Fabian and Bass and their policies here.
I mean, Krekorian is a nice guy, but so what? What has he done for the state, such that he merits jumping to city council?
The answer is: he has done everything that Higby and many thinking people hate. Spend incessantly, never question or show leadership, and show no understanding of finances or fiscal accountability.
His "walking 3000 doors" program was just a cynical attempt to collect data on people, introduce his staff who want to run for office, and register more people who he thinks will vote for him.
So, since Krekorian is against everything Higby stands for, you have to ask, "why did this blog endorse Krekorian?"
Then you look at the data. Higby and this blog endorsed Nick Pacheco(!) when Eric Hacopian ran that campaign, and then switched sides to trash Nick Pacheco once Hacopian was fired.
Higby and this blog endorsed Emanuel Pleitez, a stooge used by Parke Skelton and Antonio Villaraigosa to prevent their enemy Gil Cedillo from getting to Congress. Who ran Pleitez's campaign? You guessed it. Eric Hacopian.
There is clearly a pattern here, and it is disturbing.
So it is becoming clear that Hacopian, known for dirty tactics, has exerted some undue influence on Michael Higby. We suspect that he has paid him off.
From our standpoint, Michael Higby and this blog have no more journalistic integrity.
It must suck, Michael, to build this wonderful institution and then sell it out cheap.
To think for a moment there, we actually believed in you."
Krekorian and Duvall lobbyist Barsuglia:
http://www.redcounty.com/duvall-scandal-fallout-its-a-small-world-after-all?taxonomy=37
Don't worry Red Spot, the LA Slimes is losing subscriptions every day. Watch for them to go under real soon. No mention of the gang banger Mayor attending this memorial at Dodger Stadium. Asshole was nowhere to be found during fires.
Two veteran firefighters who died trying to save the lives of dozens trapped in the largest wildfire in Los Angeles County history were remembered as heroes Saturday in a memorial service at a sun-dappled Dodger Stadium attended by Vice President Joe Biden and others.
Right on Red Spot, They not know of what they speak!! In other words, they show their ignorance.
Members of CD2 are not ignorant like them!
Being a "liberal" has absolutely nothing to do with this endorsement. Essel's the only one who openly supported SB1818 while the others opposed it or say they would if it came up to a vote. Also Joe Mailander is right that the editorial board has some weird loyalty to John Shallman even though he represents candidates at opposite poles of the political spectrum. They're the ones who can be bought and are empty slates for him and the Times to mold into their own creatures.
Tamar is endorsed by her colleagues on the School Board yet the Times says she doesn't play well with others just to find an excuse to discredit her. Having a mind of your own is bad, voting with the majority even when they're wrong is their idea of good?
Did you really say Women's Up?? I don't think you get what Woman Up means.
Shallman couldn't make a deal with either the Times or Riordan.
I'll eat those words if he gets an endorsement for Mitch Englander though. Oh wait, I think Englander got the Times to endorse Smith when he ran that campaign so maybe the LA Times just suck? I'll have to go google that race and see who they endorsed.
My thoughts Red Spot?
Surprise that residents at Doheny and Sunset can vote in CD 2.
4:29PM, you are a pontificating, West Side,liberal garbage,that you and your cohorts are leading this City into disaster. Have been to ALL forums so far, and if you call Essel smart, it`s an indication how stupid you are. But,as they say, birds of a feather.
1:21PM. When Newton leaves the Times, he will be working for Riordan in one of his philanthropic ventures , "waving to the little people".This is btw an exact quote of Riordan, as reported in Los Angeles Magazine.
Tamar got slammed extra-hard by Shallman's lackeys at the Times because Trutanich and Cooley put the screws on them to hit her hard for endorsing Weiss, as did Paul, who got slammed pretty hard, too.
They operate like mafia thugs and now between them, have the city attorney's office AND the DA's office to misuse to bully people. Even the same identical top deputies because Cooley insisted on their getting city jobs, so they can manage Trutanich and report to him, do his spying and fulfill their personal agendas of vendettas and revenge.
I'm no faithful follower of any radio show host, but as someone who had paid close attention to the Controller issue because he knows Wendy and endorsed Trutanich like all conservatives did, he's got some valid points to make.
Heard him this Thursday the 10th, near the end of the 9 a.m. hour.
He said that besides lying to Chick to get her and his endorsement (and the Daily News', they have their own editorial on this), the fact that he's sitting on 600+ attorneys -- and wants to add 50-60 more despite the budget crisis) -- but insists that Wendy and all city staff or volunteer commission members etc. have no right to hire outside lawyers because HE's their lawyer even when HE's suing them, like here, means he is outright abusing his authority.
"This can't be right," Doug said, "He's saying, disagree with me, and I'll sue you and ruin you." Right, that IS what he's saying and who he is.
Add to that fact that he is determined to use his lackeys on Council like Zine, Perry, LaBonge and whoever he can get, to push through the money for the 200+ secret police he demands all with cars and everything the real LAPD has plus the right to "police the police," and you've got one SCARY MF on your hands. -- A snake oil salesman who thumps the bible and cries crocodile tears about how he's David slaying Goliath to trick the naive old people and innocents. Cry me a river, Nooch.
I said it a long time ago : Essel is the 'preferred' candidate. she's the "one" that the Mayor and the puppet masters want.
the only real hope is to get Zuma into a run-off against her.
then she'll crumble under the scrutiny.
nobody else has the ability to scrutinize like the dogg.
its only 14 months till the next election...take the chance...send a BIG message
Right; those ignorant fools would vote for ZD or some other kook rather than a legitimate businesswoman?
Or maybe they'd prefer a pol like krakorian who is showing us how good he is in Sacramento...
Give it up guys, it is Essel and Galatzan in the runoffs.
7:19 = Red Spot talking to himself. Again.
Tonight you Blog Boys have done me proud!!
I was worried I was going to have to call you out for not jumping on this inane and insulting endorsement.
The LA TIMES insulted every person who lives in CD2 with this blatantly bought endorsement. The description in the first two paragraphs of what is needed in a candidate describes any of the other 9 candidates – anyone other than Chris Essel.
Can you believe they even tried to convince us she is a “grassroots candidate”?!?!?!
(I believe that as much as I believe Sheftel only was a patient at the pot place.)
It is so obvious Villarigosa and his machine bought this endorsement.
I guess it is another sign the TIMES and City Hall cares nothing for this community.
Now you boys aren’t going to let them get away with this are you?
You are going to push everyone you know to make sure it is ANYONE BUT ESSEL, right?
You guys are going to dig and show what an incompetent puppet she is, right?
You guys are going to make sure the real info gets out there, right?
I am counting on you!!
Come on Higby, Jennerjahn and friends….prove your strength on this one!!!
I am not Red Spot talking to myself. He asked at the end of his stories - your thoughts?
I expressed my thoughts. Why did he put the residents of Sunset/Doheny into the boundaries of CD 2 in that story? I think he's wrong.
I hate people who say so and so = what/whoever. Your always wrong.
9:32, if Villar had such clout with the Times they'd have endorsed Weiss instead of saying the same stuff about him that they are about Tamar so your theory falls apart. Unless you're saying they're trying to make it up to him, sorry for what they did? But Tamar is no carpetbagging Republican defender of criminals like Trutanich - the spin they had to find excuses to endorse him makes your head hurt. And Paul is arguably the most liberal of the "big three" so another theory about "westside liberals" down.
It's the Shallman-Riordan-Newton connection, with the other editorial board conservative Greene who hails from the Weekly and Republican-owned Met News. Essel would be good for Riordan's building plans, which in turn may deliver union jobs, including for IBEW who conducted her poll. AND there's the fact Cooley, Zine, Trutanich, the Republicans bent Newton's ear for revenge on Tamar and Paul.
Right on Valley Doll!
From one Valley girl to another - the LA Times sucks. I despise that newspaper and I'm a hardcore Democrat. Yet I wouldn't pay a penny to read the Times. Yes, I read the Republican Daily News.
Normally I don't agree with either of their endorsements though. That's how I know my candidate is always right. They won't say the right robotic thing to get endorsed.
Miss you. Haven't seen you in forever.
Dear Higby,
Dammit! I am paying you to slander Chris Essel and you can't even get enough mud on her to prevent an LA Times endorsement over my buddy Paul, who has a LAW DEGREE FROM BERKELEY FOR GOD'S SAKE.
You're fired. No cheesecake for you.
In disappointment,
Eric Hacopian
Now I've read Red Spot's post again and I see that he was asking the Times journalists to step AWAY from Sunset/Doheny and take a look at the valley. I get it now. My bad.
Sorry Red Spot.
10:02 - I think you should read what I wrote more closely. Bottom line is call Essel out. Are you going to let this puppet win this?
Focus on what is important. Having good representation for CD2.
Wendy Greul sold us out when she was still in office.
Are you going to let this happen again by letting a puppet like Essel in?
Whom ever of the other 9 you support, push them!!!
This woman is incompetent. Have you been to any of the forums?
Use your soap box for the right reasons - to protect your fellow citzens. That woman doesn't care about CD2 or this City.
She is in this for her - and the Mayor. It is that simple!
Anon @ 9:32
We HAVE been doing the job!!
Mayor Sam readers know more than ignorant followers of the L.A. Times
To review...
Who gave their readers the following facts about Christine "Valley Girl" Essel...??
Takes almost all her money from people who don't live in CD 2. (Mayor Sam storyline)
"Valley Girl" Essel, claims to live in the Valley, yet her husband, and her dog, live in the Sunset/Doheny Estates. (Mayor Sam storyline)
Can't name a public school in CD 2.
(Mayor Sam exclusive)
Couldn't remember her Valley address while signing Frank Sheftels nominating petition.
(Mayor Sam exclusive)
"Valley Girl" Essel gets caught using non-citizens and former employees to portray Valley voters and supporters in her media campaign.
(Mayor Sam exclusive)
Gives suspicious endorsement to Essel, disregarding crucial facts. (LA Times!)
Sorry guys, we can only give you the facts.
If CD 2 voters elect Essel (or Krekorian)...then so be it.
Jennerjahn - I get that you have been "doing" the job, but clearly you need to hit it harder. All those things you listed - great - except where are they getting covered - besides the blogs?
You need to push the main stream media to cover this stuff!
I know you called into to Kevin James, but you came off as a loon.
Want to make a difference in this race, make the papers report these facts. The average voter in a special election does not read blogs. Get yourself heard.
If you are doing the job, make sure your efforts don't go to waste!!
Push harder!!
Jennerjahn - All great points.
Why aren't the papers picking your exclusives up?
Warriors, come out and play!!!
A few notes.
Red Spot's commentary are his own words only.
Sunset/Doheny is Essel's true resident.
One may want to link to Krekorian's own record of deficit spending in his pursuit of a new job.
Red Spot
Phil are you ready to endorse a candidate for the CD2 slot? Come on....who do you like?
Sheftel and Galatzan.
LOL
I'm so sure.
Hate to disappoint, but the endorsement of the Times was obvious.
If you read any of their editorials over the past few months you would know that they would never endorse anyone coming out of Sacramento. So that means Paul had no chance.
A school board member who has served for barely 2 years overseeing arguably the worst school district in the nation without a single accomplishment. NO, I don't think so.
Who else? Seriously. Essel was the obvious choice. The other candidates are basically nice, but they didn't stand a chance.
The "grass roots" candidates need to raise money to get their message out. If they truly had a groundswell of support or a level of technological sophistication befitting someone who should represent this district, then they would raise big dollars from a vast number of small contributors.
Where is all of this support. No one has raised any money--a few thousand dollars at best. It's great to have ideas but people have to support you first with financing. If a thousand people gave you $50 dollars plus matching funds, you have $100,000 to spend and would clearly be considered serious.
No one has done that. They run around claiming conspiracies instead of rolling up their sleeves and walking door to door taking their message to voters and asking for help. If you can't organize simple fundraisers, web dollars or convince people that your experience and message are so profound and compelling, how do you really expect to be taken seriously as a candidate by the Times or anyone for that matter.
I would like to support a "grass roots", non status quo candidate. But I also want to support a candidate who knows how to run an office and deliver services to our district. Like it or not, that's going to require some ability to persuade--whether it's the Mayor, Council colleagues or bureaucrats. No one can get anything done in City Hall without that ability.
It all starts with being able to persuade your friends, neighbors, business associates, strangers to sign up and write a check. That's our democracy, like it or not.
The Times endorsement may seem crazy to us. But, in actuality, it makes perfect sense because not a single grass roots candidate did enough on their campaigns to stand out as a serious challenger. And there was no chance the two elected officials were going to get it--not in these times. (no pun intended)
So, when does the Daily News endorse?
Who will it be?
2:21a - Spoken like a true Status Quo I give Up, I like to spout but not get off my ass establishment campaign worker. I am guessing you work for someone like Essel or Krekorian, yet you know someone like Galatzan, Sanchez, Zuma Dogg, or McCue actually care more and would do more for the City. They care. You are clearly just frustrated in your job. For where the 7 are coming from, they have done extremely well. If you are tired of the status quo, get up; step away from the computer and do something....and by the way they do go door to door. They have been in my neighborhood.
Anon @ 2:21
Stop defending the Times decision. They are full of it and you know it!
Essel gets the endorsement just because she's a millionaire? That's a bunch of bull. As I have pointed out, there are some serious flaws in her campaign that money probably cannot fix.
Mary Benson is a name that comes to mind. Almost everyone I talk to seems to have respect and admiration for her...even her opponents in this election! The people I have talked to in her community have let me know she is literally LOVED for the efforts she has given for her councils and organizations.
Pete Sanchez is another person who seems widely respected and admired by almost everyone in Valley Village for all the work he has done for that community. He will get a ton of votes in that neighborhood.
So, you are saying all these other candidates don't deserve to win because they have a hard time raising money in the worst recession in 25 years? OK, fine.
But if the voters in CD 2 elect Essel, they will get exactly what they deserve.
Essel gave them all the middle finger by refusing to be interviewed on KRLA. EVERY other candidate did that interview. She didn't.
Why not? Because it was something her money couldn't control.
Anon @ 12:20
I'll wait until after the primary to give an endorsement. I'm in the uncomfortable position of having several people I consider friends and allies as candidates in this contest.
I'll be clear who I DON"T want to win.
1- Krekorian. Because he a budget-destroying Socialist. He feels that government has the right to continually expand with the unlimited expenses being passed on to taxpayers. That video I posted of him here on Mayor Sam made me nauseous. A dangerous person to have in your government.
2- Essel. Because of multiple issues discussed here at Mayor Sam. I just view her as insincere and inauthentic. Her whole campaign seems like a hobby for a bored multi-millionaire.
A Krekorian-Essel runoff would be my absolute worst nightmare...because then I would have to endorse ESSEL!
Phil, glad to hear it. Chris welcomes your endorsement on September 23.
Often times, we just need to settle for the least of the evils.
Hell, I thought that same thought when we got Barry instead of Hillary.
I was wrong.
Phil, with all due respect,
if Mary Benson is loved then why is she only able to get 3 people to donate to her campaign? NOt a single donation under $100. Yes, it is a bad recession and people are out of work. But, if someone truly has deep roots and a large following, then why have they been unable to raise any money from small donors? It makes no sense. If they haven't tried then they don't know enough about grass roots organizing to deserve my vote. If they have tried and failed then they aren't competent enough to serve.
It's that simple.
It's easy to get people to sign a petition.
But, convince them passionately about a message that will change their life for the better and have them reach into their pockets during difficult times to join your cause---now that's leadership. Can't be a leader with no followers.
YOu can live in denial and believe that the 15000 people who vote in this election will somehow wake up that day and go out and vote in an election for someone they never heard of before. They will not have heard of any candidate who hasn't raised and spent money to tell them who they are and why they are running.
Or you can face the reality that this election won't even be close.
This was a wasted opportunity for someone real to rise up and take a stand. You might not like Obama, but he raised money using the internet from real people who wanted change. They didn't donate thousands of dollars. They gave $5, $10 whatever they could.
I don't want to support a candidate who can't figure that out. Because they will get eaten alive in City Hall and our district can't afford that.
2:21, LAME and so Shallman. Tamar has "no accomplishments" to you and Paul's record is all obvious, while do-nothing Essel "is the obvious choice."
No, the Times again picks the worst person for the job in terms of no experience or record, while the other two who have been out there making decisions that by their nature will never please everyone and shouldn't unless they're sheep, get dumped on. Tamar HAS opposed the majority and drawn attention to the folly of spending $40 million/year to get full healthcare for cafeteria workers who work as little as 3 hrs/ week, opposed blank checks for building bonds etc.: stands the public wanted her to take. Earning the ire and disapproval of the mayor. But the Times slams her for not "going along" with the majority. Krekorian has done more to keep film production in Calif. than film exec Essel. The only thing in Essel's favor vs. Nooch is she's not some slimeball, but since the Times preferred that slimeball, that's not a plus to the Times. They want a blank slate they can fabricate fantasy claims for.
Experience and being qualified for the job, not learning ON the job and royally screwing up like their Nooch, and being transparent tothe voters as a human who has taken big risks to do the right thing and not always pleased everyone, is a negative for the Slimes.
7:07: Wake up. The Daily News endorsed Tamar Galatzan and Sanchez last week. Go to their Editorials.
AT 12:14, that's 3 hrs/day not week. Even LAUSD wouldn't dare try to go that far. (Marlene Canter, the other most reasonable person on the Board, joined Tamar in opposing full healthcare benefits to workers earner 3/hrs DAY because the costs just weren't justified. NOT because they're "anti-worker" nonsense.)
I'm still waiting for the check from Eric Hacopian. Ha ha. Loser. Each of the endorsements (if you want to call them that) were going up against the status quo i.e. Huizar and Chu.
Anyway Krekorian is the only one who has the experience and team on hand to hit the ground running from day one. That's why most Neighborhood Council leaders are supporting him.
And he's not a socialist for crying out loud. The guy has had his own business including running one with his father. Can any of the other candidates say they have that experience, have experience already in being a legislator and don't come from the LA crowd.
Krekorian served on the Burbank School Board where they do things right and achieved some good things. In fact I'd like to import more politicians from Burbank to LA. We could do well to emulate them.
Geez!!
I'm still waiting for Hacopian to forward some of that public matching funds in form of "pay pal" love.
I'm sorry, Higby, but I call BS!
"Paul has the team to hit the ground running?"
Are you f'ing kidding me?
By your logic, this means we should only elect career pols with pre-existing staffs to other offices.
Besides, Paul's "team" consists of at least three people who are themselves attempting to run for higher office, two for the assembly, and one for school board. So his "team" will be a little busy if Paul wins; I doubt they'll be doing much pothole fixing in Sunland-Tujunga.
Go Sheftel! Go Essavi! Anyone but Paul!
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