How To Win in CD2
Instead of bombarding the voters' mailboxes with 5-7 mailers a day attacking your opponent, get off your butt and actually work for your potential constituents.
The following letter was sent on Thursday to Greg Bartz at the DWP by Paul Krekorian :
Subject: Station Fire impacts on Sunland Tujunga community
Dear Mr. Bartz:
Happy Thanksgiving! I'm writing this on the holiday, and I realize you won't receive it until Monday, but I hope the holiday weekend was an enjoyable one for you and your family.
As you may know, I am one of the two candidates for Council in the Second District. The next Councilmember will not be sworn in until sometime after the December 8 election results are certified. Unfortunately, the District is facing very urgent needs right now that cannot wait until the new member can take charge; and, there are significant concerns about which the new member will need to hit the ground running from Day One.
Among the most urgent of these issues is the aftermath of the Station Fire and its impacts on the Sunland-Tujunga community. I know that there have been some steps taken in preparation for the inevitable debris flow problems that will come with the first rain. I've been keeping up to date on the progress of preparations by a number of departments, but I'd like to know what steps DWP has taken in preparation for the mudslides and debris problems. I assume there will be a risk of power outages and possibly water supply issues resulting from significant slides, large-scale debris movement and flooding resulting from storm drain failure. I would appreciate your letting me know what assessment DWP has made of these or other potential risks, and what preparations the Department is making in anticipation of them.
Also, the area has been facing significant, unusual and unfair rate impacts resulting from the fire. Throughout the days that this horrendous fire raged adjacent to their neighborhoods, homeowners in the area struggled to save their homes from embers by watering down their roofs and landscape. In the period after the fire, many were impacted by the mess resulting from the firefighting operations, also requiring vast amounts of additional personal water use. And even today, residents of the entire area are still dealing with ash and unusual dust from the fire area, resulting in still more water usage.
I have not yet heard of any process by which DWP addresses residents' extraordinary water usage during, and resulting from, natural disasters like this. I would be interested in hearing from you at your earliest convenience about this issue. I believe strongly that residents who have already suffered so much impact from the fire itself should not now also have to suffer the impacts of exorbitant water bills, including even moving into higher rate tiers.
I look forward to hearing from you on these two issues, and I look forward to working closely with you to serve the interests of the people of Sunland-Tujunga as the community continues to recover from this terrible disaster. Thank you in advance for your anticipated assistance.
Very truly yours,
Paul Krekorian
Candidate for City Council, Second District
The following letter was sent on Thursday to Greg Bartz at the DWP by Paul Krekorian :
Subject: Station Fire impacts on Sunland Tujunga community
Dear Mr. Bartz:
Happy Thanksgiving! I'm writing this on the holiday, and I realize you won't receive it until Monday, but I hope the holiday weekend was an enjoyable one for you and your family.
As you may know, I am one of the two candidates for Council in the Second District. The next Councilmember will not be sworn in until sometime after the December 8 election results are certified. Unfortunately, the District is facing very urgent needs right now that cannot wait until the new member can take charge; and, there are significant concerns about which the new member will need to hit the ground running from Day One.
Among the most urgent of these issues is the aftermath of the Station Fire and its impacts on the Sunland-Tujunga community. I know that there have been some steps taken in preparation for the inevitable debris flow problems that will come with the first rain. I've been keeping up to date on the progress of preparations by a number of departments, but I'd like to know what steps DWP has taken in preparation for the mudslides and debris problems. I assume there will be a risk of power outages and possibly water supply issues resulting from significant slides, large-scale debris movement and flooding resulting from storm drain failure. I would appreciate your letting me know what assessment DWP has made of these or other potential risks, and what preparations the Department is making in anticipation of them.
Also, the area has been facing significant, unusual and unfair rate impacts resulting from the fire. Throughout the days that this horrendous fire raged adjacent to their neighborhoods, homeowners in the area struggled to save their homes from embers by watering down their roofs and landscape. In the period after the fire, many were impacted by the mess resulting from the firefighting operations, also requiring vast amounts of additional personal water use. And even today, residents of the entire area are still dealing with ash and unusual dust from the fire area, resulting in still more water usage.
I have not yet heard of any process by which DWP addresses residents' extraordinary water usage during, and resulting from, natural disasters like this. I would be interested in hearing from you at your earliest convenience about this issue. I believe strongly that residents who have already suffered so much impact from the fire itself should not now also have to suffer the impacts of exorbitant water bills, including even moving into higher rate tiers.
I look forward to hearing from you on these two issues, and I look forward to working closely with you to serve the interests of the people of Sunland-Tujunga as the community continues to recover from this terrible disaster. Thank you in advance for your anticipated assistance.
Very truly yours,
Paul Krekorian
Candidate for City Council, Second District
Labels: paul krekorian
Posted by Unknown @ 11/27/2009 08:26:00 PM
56 Comments:
Obviously PK cares!
CD2, now it is up to You!
Don't let Essel the Insider take over our district. She could care less about your welfare. Get out the vote! Paul K on Dec 8th!!!!!!
Someone go wake up Shallman, he needs to activate the spinners.
Oh whoopee Paul can write a letter. Shouldn't this be his job as an Assemblymember. Don't be fooled people by the slick speeches and the empty promises. We've seen ho well he's managed our state. We don't neeed him in LA. Isn't there a seat in burbank he can run for? Oh there was, he lost that one.
He's a Budget Busting, Freedom Hating Socialist!!! Can't you understand People?? Listen to me!!!!
You are excited about what a politician says during an election. Poor Paul, he had to type the letter during the holiday, which of course was the first thing he mentioned. Go watch Sesame Street, kids.
Spinners Activated.
Homerun letter, Paul! Does this now mean I'll get 10 to 15 mailers a day from Essel?
Krikorian is pathetic. Pretending as though he cares about "the people." if he cared so much he wouldn't be trying to put "the people" in the position of having to waste money to allegedly fill his seat.
Start the recall now. Never too early.
Stay On Target! Engage!
Is everyone who isn't voting for Paul a Shalman spinner?
I really hope Krekorian wins because I worry about Joe. B. if he loses.
Excellent! Attack the messenger,ignore the message!
Chris will win because she was promised to win (insert axis of evil laugh).
Why didn't he write to the GM and president of the commission?
Like him or hate him its a smart move.
Why didn't Essel do the same?
And where the hell is Wendy?
What is the point of bashing Krekorian when he does something right?
I would never vote for him, but thumbs up to him for at least taking action on this issue.
Essel is too busy attending fundraisers outside of CD2 to worry about the constituents.
Hacopian must be stopped.
10:59 is right. Why didn't he write to the commission prez. or the GM?
If he's so concerned about the impact of rates on homeowners, why did he vote for bills that watered down prop 13, made it easier for legislators to increase our taxes by a mere 55% vote and the like?
No doubt those who stayed home during the fire with their water hoses had higher bills. I doubt any homeowners that lost their homes to the fire are out there planting a new garden. What about the size of their lots and their tiered billing discrimination? What about the cost of water to their horses?
Don't get me wrong, I'm just as disillusioned by Essel. I just think the Paul has pulled one over on all of you hook,line and sinker. If Essel wrote this, she'd be blasted.
The only reason I'd vote for Paul is because my hope is the Assemblymember who replaces him will do less damage. Depending on his performance locally, we can, hoepfully, replace him in two years.
BTW, a simple phone call would have answered his question. During the fire, I was told of one lake where water was taken and the homeowners were billed for that. When they complained, DWP agreed to reduce their bill for the water taken. I do think DWP is crooked and I am very concerned what they expect in return from Essel.
All in all we're screwed no matter who wins.
Speaking of Essel, I heard she listed herself as a Councilmember in her police report. Is that true? Does someone have a copy of the report, or can someone direct me to where it's posted?
.
Cheap political crap.
Politics 101.
This oopens him up for a lot of criticism.
Paul is a professional office seeker and a taxer and spender.
We don't need a leapfrogging politico.
Vite Essel for a citizen councilmember, not a professional tac and spender and phony activist like Paul.
What a load of crap.
Armenians are coming out in force to beat that khoz Essel. You can count on it. She can try to get all of the white republicans in S-T, but we're moving half of Glendale into the district for Dec 8th.
At least PK did something without saying he was going to and then not follow through. Essel made a committment to the Sunland=Tujunga Land Use Committee regarding an issue and they never hear back from her!
As for Prop 13, anyone who messes with it are dead in the water and spells the end of their political career!
It does suck how all Democrats whether in the Assembly or in our city council, want to reduce to a bare majority the ability to raise taxes. They claim THAT's what's wrong with us, why the state can't pass a budget. They can't raise our taxes as easily as they'd like. They are also wrong about wanting to kill prop 13 for the same reason. HOWEVER much money they have they'll spend it like they have in past years when there was lots of money coming in, before all the middle class left.
But locally the Riordans and Broads have been getting rich off of us like with Broad selling LAUSD the land downtown for Broad Performing Arts Center, big boondoggle as mentioned here but he made a profit.
Remember the adage that partisan politicians become more apolotical and pragmatic on the local level. USUALLY, excepting Cooley-Nooch-Zine and often, Antonovich and Knabe. BUT when it comes to some others, the most-business friendly are Democrats while it's the Nooch faction giving LA a black eye with the business community over shaking down AEG contrary to their contract. And Republicans tend to be even MORE parochial when it comes to taking home pork - like in how the gas taxes ($2 Bil of which are stolen from LA) end up disproportionately in cowpoke towns like Stockton.
Irregardless of this letter, Paul deserves the CD 2 seat. Since I can't vote for him, I'm phone banking and door knocking.
"Speaking of Essel, I heard she listed herself as a Councilmember in her police report."
Okay, I found it on the RonKaye blog. What's written in the occupation section is unclear after the word "City." I can't tell if she wrote "commissioner," "Council candidate" or Council member."
It kind of looks like a "t" at the end, which might indicate "candidate." I didn't know that was an occupation.
http://ronkayela.com/essel-police%20report.pdf
12:08 AM: read Essel's police report at
http://ronkayela.com/essel-police%20report.pdf
or try http://tinyurl.com/yj8kng5
Oh yeah PK cares.....more like everytime he runs he does a formula of a letter....blah blah blah....insert pressing issue here....blah blah....i care......for the people......blah blah.....he has had what, 3 opportunities to run in the past 3 years........just saying........silver tongued politician who had a stack of formula letters in his sacramento office. If he is such a great politician and has done so much in sacramento, he should continue doing it, right?
4 - P's
Pure Pathetic Posturing & Pandering
12:51
Essel plant trying to stir up shit.
There is an internal poll by HC&A that has Essel down by 13 points.
HC&A are the consultants for IBEW.
It was conducted right before Thanksgiving.
SSTWKEA
Smart
Shit
That
Will
Kick
Essel's
Ass
12:38
The word about that poll was all over City Hall on Wednesday. AV's political team was briefed about the poll Wednesday night by Don Attore.
Why write to a low-level and overpaid flunky like Bartz who doesn't do anything for the NCs? Write to the DWP Commissioners!
If someone knocks on your door and claims to be a Chris Essel supporter and says, "Here, sign this form to vote by mail, send it in and it will cast your vote for Essel."
Of course, it doesn't cast a vote but merely requests and absentee ballot. And the hope is that the person will feel that the vote has been cast and doesn't have to mail in the absentee ballot. It's too late now, anyway.
So if Essel isn't sending out those people, then who is?
If anyone knocks on your door and claims they are helping you cast your vote in the election, get their name and call the city clerk office on Monday.
No one has seen Essel in S-T for weeks!
This is what is so disgusting about this race in that Chris has supporters who say dumb things. Here is a Facebook post form Pat Davenport, CD 2 Field Deputy:
"...Chirstine (sic) Essel for Councilmember in District 2. A strong woman, a hard worker and eager to learn. She has a history of sticking to things over the long haul that appeals to me."
OK, what does strong woman mean? "Eager to learn?" We do not need eager to learn in CD2. We need someone who has worked with CD2 issues before and who is learned in local matters.
OK, it is good to say that Chris stuck with Paramount for 31 years. But please don't use the eager to learn stuff to persuade me to vote for Chris. We are not that stupid.
Can someone post when is the last CD 2 debate. I heard one is on Monday. Details pls so we can go
The details of the last debate are at http://cd2election.blogspot.com
Chris Essel blew it on this one! Or should I say, Shallman blew it?
"OK, what does strong woman mean? "Eager to learn?" We do not need eager to learn in CD2. We need someone who has worked with CD2 issues before and who is learned in local matters."
Could someone tell me what Krekorian has done for CD2? I'm really still undecided, but worried that "learned" in LA politics is a scary thought.
So far, "learned" seems to equate to how to schmooze the right crowd at the right time for the vote. Given he was not endorsed by the untrustworthy locals makes his catering to us a given. He had no choice. But, is he really sincere? Once in office, he may vote the same way he did at the State level. Could someone please point me in a direction that shows some good votes and actions he took while in State office?
That letter is an example of pulling the wool over the voters' eyes. He wrote to a low level employee and didn't address the real issues facing the home owning rate payers.
I looked up his voting record and he voted against what's important for homeowners. So, please, would someone tell me what he has done for this district? I just can't find anything. I am happy to stand corrected if someone can point me in the right direction.
I definitely have concerns about Essel too, but I'm just trying to understand what's so great about Krekorian. Is it just that he isn't endorsed by certain locals?
Is that all it takes?
7:16
I don't know about voting records. But as some one who lives in North Hollywood, I can tell you that Krekorian's staff is very responsive on any issue I have ever contacted his office about.
Wendy's staff could care less, and our previous Assemblyman Dario Frommer did not even know we exist.
And I am a Republican.
Thanks for the reply 8:04 PM.
I'm with you on appreciating a responsive staff. My experience with Council staff has been that some are responsive, some are not and some are downright arrogant. Of the sympathetic ones, they would even empathize with the plight du jour-as though they were as angry or concerned as I was. The problem, however, was nothing came of those conversations, short of a sympathetic ear at the moment. It never translated to a vote or motion (the ultimate proof of constituent sympathy).
Question: When Paul's staff was responsive, was there ever a positive outcome or action that resulted from your call(s)? If so, time willing, would you provide an example or two? His voting record is dismal. Perhaps he's done some positive things at a local level that I'm unaware of.
Please note, this is not a nudge towards Chris. I'd be asking the same if she had a voting record to dissect.
I'm just skeptical of promises and sympathetic proclamations that do not translate to votes or motions. I realize we don't have much to choose from on this round.
Thanks so much-7:16 PM
8:45 one small example:
In 2008, a house in Valley Glen was rented out to sex offenders. The offenders were first timers and could not legally be removed under law or by the police. Halloween was approaching.
Wendy's office said that they could do nothing but Paul (as our Assemblyman) came up with an idea. On Halloween night, Paul sent 5 of his staff out to stand in front of the house to make sure no children got near the house.
He did this again this past Halloween.
I know this is not much but while Wendy's office had no imagination in 2008, Paul stepped in with an out-of-the-box idea. Trust me, the neighbors are happy and the occupants know they are being watched.
7:16 and 8:45 you obviously just moved into the area to not know what Paul has done. To name just a few things. He was successful in lobbying against releasing prisoners early: Sheriff Lee Baca endorses Paul and says "Recently Paul Krekorian took the lead in working with law enforcement leaders to craft a prison reform bill that will make us safer. While others in the Capitol pushed for early realease plans, Paul Krekorian stood firm with law enforcement."
In CD2 within his assembly district, last October 2008 (before he was a candidate) he successfully got sex offenders removed from a neighborhood in Valley Glen.
Paul is bringing jobs back to California. He was the author of the first incentive in California history to fight runaway production and keep film and television jobs here at home. (on the other hand, as an executive/lobbyist for Paramount, Chris Essel advised other states on how to get film production in their states).
Paul has taken positions on issues within the various communities in CD2 long before he was a candidate and he and his staff actively participate in community events, issues, etc. and frequent local meetings. Chris Essel attended nothing before becoming a candidate and then only to campaign.
Paul is not a downtown insider. Chris Essel is. She has over $600,000. in Independent Expenditures from unions, lobbyists, developers, etc. All the Mayor's cronies. Paul has zero. Although Paul has the support of some unions, he is not beholding to them for any major financial contribution. On the other hand, Essel's contributors include IBEW - Water and power Defense League - (over $143,000); Int. Union of Painters ($93,078); SW Regional Council Support of Carpenters ($32,516); etc.
The picture is clear, the downtown boys and traitor Wendy (just say no to Wendy for Mayor!!), want to keep business as usual, and continue to reward the unions, major developers who have helped elect them.
This election can't be bought. Don't let the puppet Essel become another rupperstamp for the Mayor.
We must take our city back, one council seat at a time. Electing Paul Krekorian is a start.
8:45
Thanks for your insightful questions.
Krekorian's office helped me with DMV issues and tree trimming issue that Wendy's office was not responsive with.
Again nothing earth shattering, but I needed the help and they helped me when others ignored my requests.
On a human level they cared about my problems and I appreciated that.
Hope this helps.
Essel must be defeated! Spread the word and get out the voters!
Thanks so much for the examples of how Paul and his staff helped.
That's what I was seeking.
It's nice to know they didn't just give you lip service; they actually stepped up to the plate and helped.
That truly helps.
Sincerely,
7:16 & 8:45
This blog is losing it's audience. 11?
Let's see; you had a DMV problem and wanted a City Councilmember to help.
The DMV is a STATE organization; of course you should go to your Assemblyman or Senator.
What is your I.Q.? Sounds like room temperature to me.
Rick Orlov and John Shallman are Facebook friends. Way to stay objective, Rick!
Shallman spends so much time steering his candidate away from objective media that Rick should know better.
8:47
I never said I went to Wendy with DMV problem.
If you want to know why you and your candidate are going to lose is because of the petty comments and attitudes of people like you.
Tell me what is good about your candidate and I will listen, misrepresent what I am saying and I wont listen.
Essel and her people lie, in fact that is all they do.
I have it on good sources what Essel is promising her supporters. Unfortunately since Nuch has endorsed her they'll have to bring in the Feds to investigate.
Shallman DOES spin Orlov who in turn spins the news at Daily News, like a top.
Shallman also has controlled his flunkies at the Slimes for the last couple of years, including their clearly fictitious spins in Editorial to justify endorsements. ALSO key writers in the news dept. - though there has been a bit more balance very, very recently because te bias became SO biased and blatant. But just a BIT more balance.
Wendy's staff was so incompetent that they finally gave up and outsourced constituent calls to Krekorian's staff.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home