Walter Moore for City Council!
In the recent special election in CD 2, the eight underfunded grassroots candidates got their collective rear-ends handed to them by the special interest money that flowed freely into the campaigns of Paul Krekorian and Christine Essel. The money worked wonders at spreading their message -- while the candidates who didn't have that type of money didn't even come vaguely close to winning. These results were extremely unpalatable to Neighborhood Council members and local activists, who had warned many voters of the pain of an Essel-Krekorian showdown in December. Even though the other candidates had also warned about this, they didn't effectively get their message out. What many of them had feared eventually became a reality. Essel and Krekorian will chase voters one more time in December. The other eight candidates will watch from the sidelines in despair, thinking about what could have been. This was an election that was clearly up for grabs.
88% of the voters in CD 2 didn't bother to go vote. A mere 5000 votes would have given any one of them first place in the primary and a spot in the runoff. I am quite sure that many of them are regretting their decision not to go door-to-door and seek votes in person. (50 people a day times 100 days equals 5000, right?)
Now...you're probably asking yourself -- what does this have to do with Walter Moore? The answer is that many of the Los Angeles City Council seats are going to be up for grabs in 2011. That might seem like a long time to you, but it really isn't. The City election is on March 8th, 2011. That is only 526 days from now. That might seem like a lot, but it really isn't. About a year and a half. Time for a candidate to start to get to know as many voters as possible in that district. It is time for the activists in this City to start deciding who they can get to replace some of the horrible Council Members in the even numbered Council Districts - all of whom are up for election in 2011. Even the newcomer, whoever it will be..(Essel or Krekorian)...will have to defend their seat.
Voters will finally have a chance to be rid of Council Members like Tom LeBonge, Tony Cardenas, Bernard Parks, Herb Wesson, Greig Smith, and Jose Huizar.
Voters also had this opportunity in March of 2009, but several candidates, including some horrible Council Members -- like Richard Alarcon and Jan Perry -- didn't even have an opponent in the election! Activists need to make sure that this trend comes to an abrupt end. We are clearly seeing now how the bankrupting of the City and the looting of its tax dollars happens when the wrong people are in power. How on earth were the voters in Council District 7 and 9 ever supposed to expect change - when change was not available on the ballot?
Walter Moore ran for Mayor in March. He didn't win, but he spent over $300K on his election efforts and managed to come in second place and draw about 72,000 votes citywide. This earned Moore some political capital. People know who he is and many people voted for him. In fact, in Council District 12, Walter Moore got 40% of the vote. I think that in 2011, it wouldn't be difficult to get 51% of the voters to support him.
I have already communicated with Walter about this. He says he is not interested and he is out of politics. OK. He says that now...but I notice he couldn't help getting involved in the CD 2 election and endorsing Mary Benson. Walter told me he wants to change the City and can only do that as Mayor. I disagree.
Council Member Herb Wesson likes to talk about "the power of eight" .... getting eight Council Members to agree to vote for something to make sure it passes. There is great power in that. Activists need to find eight good people in which they can place their trust for the future of this City.
Is Walter Moore a perfect candidate? Of course not. He is flawed like everyone else. But he is well known for his anti-Villaraigosa message and many people have been willing to vote for him in the past. When we were both running for Mayor in March we took a few jabs at each other...but I regarded this as political campaigning and bear no grudges against Walter. I respect his skills as an attorney and agree with many (but not all) of his political policies.
But Walter doesn't live in CD 12, you say? Who cares? The City has shown that it not only doesn't care about carpetbagging...it actually encourages it! Neither Krekorian nor Essel live in CD2 now, nor did they live there before the election, yet one of them will be the next Council Member for that district. To be honest -- even though I criticize them for it -- I don't think the issue is a big deal. So what if someone has to drive an extra mile or two over a non-existent imaginary line? It is all quite silly, really. I don't have a problem with anyone running for any office that they live within 10 miles of.
Walter Moore needs to start looking for a cheap, phony apartment in CD 12. Mitch Englander isn't much of a candidate. Moore is staring a golden opportunity in the face. Let's hope he changes his mind.
Posted by Phil Jennerjahn @ 9/28/2009 12:51:00 PM
34 Comments:
Phil - this is a birthday present funny for me right?
Walter Moore endorsing Mary Benson had little, if any affect. Political capital? Maybe among the wackos that patrol the Arizona border.
Walter said he wanted to save the City. Let's see how serious he is about that.
Walter wants to save Walter. When have you ever seen this guy at any public meeting except to promote himself? Just ask the Shaws.
Phil:
So now you're OK with carpetbagging? Does your position change with whoever the candidate is? That's not very intellectually honest. Can you now explain when you support carpetbagging and when you don't?
Phil,
Don't you know Walter would never run for council because he is too big for that and would never want to have to deal with people in the way council has to. Plus, he knows he couldn't handle it. It's all work, not glory. He likes it the other way around.
Phil, each day you do something provocative to further the fact that you're a moron.
Obviously there is no love lost between you and Walter. But why thrust him into a discussion that he doesn't want to be a part of?
Instead, thrust yourself into the 2011 races and see if you get more than a few dozen votes. But don't bring someone into it just because you think it's humorous or even viable. Leave the private citizens alone.
Anon@ 11:28
I never said I supported it or didn't support it. I simply pointed it out. I wasn't the one getting bent out of shape about it. It was voters and other candidates that were upset about it. I have always understood that carpetbagging happens quite often in politics...and it usually does not affect the outcome of an election...this CD 2 election being a perfect example. The two candidates who DON'T live there were the big winners.
Stuart Miller at the Adat Ari El forum actually revealed his research on Essel and her address in CD 5. He checked the public records to prove that she had not sold her house (in CD 5) to anyone else.
The resignation of LAUSD Construction Program Head, Guy Mehula, is a sign that the scummy hands of Antonio Villaraigosa are reaching out to corrupt the relatively scandal-free school construction program at LAUSD. The words of Cortines saying that voters entrusted LAUSD bond funds to the LAUSD Board and administration is one of the MOST CHILLING statements I have heard this year. See LA Times website for the news.
Don Quixote will be donating to Walter Moore's camapign, it will propel Walter Morre to the 1/2 million dollar mark.
Phil - two things...
Cut out this revisionist history of Tamar Galatzan as one of the grassroots candidates. She spent nearly $100K provided to her by the unions and developers. No need to take the fact she ran a horrible GOTV effort and make her a grassroots candidate. Please.
Next we have a great candidate for CD12 in the person of Armineh Chelebian. If you're afraid of socialists, Armineh has lived it first hand and can easily fight them.
I had this idea in 2005, before he lost two straight elections, which is the political kiss of death locally. Walter doesn't really want to win, he just wants to make a mess.
Phil, if you need to get angry responses to an inane post, you should post something about Jack Weiss. Anything. It doesn't even need to bear a passing relationship to a plausible story. The very mention of the name "Jack Weiss" will get your post a huge response.
Here's a couple of suggestions for you;
"Zuma Dogg endorses Jack Weiss for CD2 in 2011"
Or,
"Zuma Dogg does not endorse Jack Weiss for CD2 in 2011"
Go on, give it a try. Nobody cares about the fact that Trutanich won a ruling in Federal Court yesterday over Billboards.
The even-numbered Council Districts will have elections in 2011. The monied candidates will be favored again for the same reasons. Look for incumbents to be among the monied group.
Challengers will need to have a different strategy to accomplish a win.
Walter Moore still turns off too many people to win, regardless of whether he is accurate in facts, observations or predictions. Besides, he won't get into it again just on the basis of costs v. income- not worth it to him.
Look for more tag-team, best-friends to play musical chairs with Council seats for termed-out CMs. Watch the same in-crowd vie for any open offices, as usual, that come up, with the same manipulation of circumstances (i.e., the Villaraigosa-effect: persuading some NOT to run, then appointments fall into their laps- or shifts of money, like for Kevin DeLeon, courtesy of Fabian Nunez, to shift the outcome.)
Redistricting, pay cuts, part-time legislators are all ideas that may clear out career politicians who work for themselves and make fact-finding overseas junkets a part of their annual itinerary, one part of their many abuses at city and higher levels of government office.
in cd-14
Phil --
I appreciate the thought, I really do.
But I ran twice, and lost twice, and that's nature's way of saying, "Maybe you should try something else, Sparky."
Someone else, however, could and should run for City Council. We need good people to step up to the plate and run, and we need taxpayers and homeowners to support them with financial contributions.
Thanks again, though. It's very sporting of you.
Write in Walter Moore in the CD2 runoff. Lets see how many people are willing to do that.
It would be a good start toward 2011.
Armineh Chelebian
This name will not and cannot win. You don't even look any further. It does not matter at all about what kind of person this is, or how qualified. un-electable name.
What we need is a special task force, perhaps one of those 531s, that is cross-district and has the mission of empowering community activists to obtain political power.
So then Phil, how do you feel about carpetbagging across the board? Or does it vary depending upon who the candidate is? Is it OK for those you like and wrong for those you don't?
Walter spoke Let it go.
Higby is being a revisionist in regards to Tamar Galatzan.
Tamar raised a total of $81,000.
Of that, $25,000 was a loan to herself.$31,000 was matching funds.
That adds up to 56k. The rest of the money came from citizens, very few
developers, and no money from a union. Union members, not a Union.
Walter moore is the head of all the crackpots in LA. Like it or not, you want to play politics in LA, you have to bow before the man. And do not cite Richard Riordan - the guy had more money than anyone and everyone owed dick a favor.
The only thing walter moore is owed is and eybebrow pluck.
Walter might make a run off in CD 12 if there are no other name opponents. Moore's problem is that he is anti-jew (see his work on the eruv) and is a neandertal.
Frankly, I think just about anyone except Moore would be bette than Englander.
I specifically exclude the itinerant fool who moves his van from place to lace and clais residency.
the fact is that Essel had more than $450,000 with matching funds and the IE. Krekorian didn't have any thing like that. He did not get the developers and downtown big wigs to write checks and he won't in the run-off. So if Essel can do it again she will out raise him by three to one and he won't have a chance.
CD 12 is a done deal. Armineh and Moore need not bother. Mitchell Englander has been running for more than six years and has all the ducks lined up and all the money. Everyone is beholding to him who has anything going on at City Hall or in CD 12. So, too late ya all.
" Walter doesn't really want to win, he just wants to make a mess."
Joe -- When you don't have anything even remotely intelligent to say, it's okay to say nothing. Why make such a stupid, groundless assertion? Just to say SOMETHING? Geez.
One time Walter Moore actually crapped in his pants! Yes he wants to make a mess. To be clear - HE DID!
Blogger Higgy is right.
Tamar was one of the three in the LA Times and Daily News.
She was one of the three at Fat Stuart Waldman's VIC-off.
She was one of the three at the Dangerous Catholic Tea Party of Judy Price.
She was one of the three just everywhere!
But she no make no mess putos!
i disagree with the comment that englander has been campaigning for 6 years since nobody has been paying attention to him. he can be beat. it's no armineh chelebian to be the one to do it though. no way in hell. even moore might be able to beat him because there are constituents all over the district that are salivating for a new candidate to oust englander. money be damned.
7 seats will be up for grabs in 2011. Moore needs to pick his spot and go for it.
Oh Phil, Phil, Phil...
It's a day old, but this post keeps getting funnier every single time I read it.
thx 4 teh lulz.
Your pal in the CD12,
V-Doll
This election is NOT a 2 year term. It is a 14 month term... I feel that them stakeholders of CD 2should get together and support ONE candiate in March of 2011 and it can happen. We the stakeholders of CD2 can take back our District.
Also Wendy's support of Cris Essel is really support only for Wendys run for Mayor. Wendy needs all the big money from the Westside that Cris can get her.
I ran for city council vs Rosendahl in 2009. I ran because Walter moore asked the crowd at his rally in the valley and elsewhere"Will some one please run for city council? "If and when Walter Moore was to win the Mayor race, I wanted to be on the city council to give him another YES vote on Jamiel's Law, and a NO vote on Spl order 40, sanctuary city policies that allowed a KNOWN illegal alien killer to shoot Cheryl Green. Jamiel Shaw Jr was also killed by a KNOWN illegal alien gangster for being black. I did not see Rosendahl at Cheryl Green's candlelight vigil, but I was there. I saw Mr LaBonge at a vigil for Jamiel Shaw, and I said to him, 4 inches from his face, "You can have your Spl order 40, but NOT FOR GANG members , killers etc" He said "I get it, I get it!" but we still have open borders amnesty in LA we still have sanctuary city for known killers, gangsters etc. we have 100,000 known gangsters in LA. The unknown ones are unknown. Every day someone dies at the hands of a KNOWN illegal alien killer or drunk driver who should not be here on our soil!!!
Rebuilding Trust in Our Government
One of Americas statesmen stated “government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” His presidency ushered in an era of disdain for government and a widespread cynicism that government could be effective in addressing our challenges.
Today, as we confront a crisis that has shaken confidence in our financial system and economy, we have an opportunity to restore public trust and confidence in the legitimate role of government. Indeed, to effectively tackle our economic challenges and to implement the reforms we need in our healthcare, education, energy, and environmental policies, our government will need to garner strong public support.
However, rebuilding public trust will not happen in the face of a pervasive perception that government is not transparent and accountable, cronyism is rampant, and public officials are more interested in helping themselves than in serving the public good.
Taking strong, swift, and decisive action to address abuses and begin to rebuild public trust should be the first priority for our city, state and federal government in the new legislative session.
Create a Task Force on Public Integrity with a mission to develop a comprehensive proposal for ethics and lobbying reform in our city and state. Which addresses reforms in three areas: (1) strengthening enforcement of ethics, campaign finance, and lobbying laws; (2) strengthening civil and criminal penalties for abuses; and (3) improving awareness and education for public officials.
Reinforce honesty, integrity and transparency by government officials as the core requirement to be and stay in office, any violations of these core tenets will cause the removal of the public official and the loss of "all benefits" retroactive.
While the many of our elected officials and government employees are honest, dedicated public servants, the actions of a few create a dark cloud over all.
Taking strong, swift, and decisive action to address these abuses and begin to rebuild public trust should be the first priority for our city, state and federal government in the new legislative session.
Compiled by: YJ Draiman
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