I Told You So
Final report from the City Clerk.
The bottom line is the people won over the special interests and they won big.
Now back to our regularly scheduled program.
Labels: paul krekorian
Posted by Michael Higby @ 12/09/2009 02:00:00 AM
97 Comments:
I have an idea!
Why don't you stop hiring contributors to this blog who are ultimately going to challenge you to the point where you'll need to have a big blow up with them and ultimately fire them?
You have handled this CD2 election with 95% overkill on the subject because you're involved in a pissing match with idiots, and that was to the detriment of the blog.
Your biggest pissing match was with Phil, who doesn't have a pot to piss in in the way of readership. Yet you made it a pain in the ass to check in here a few times a day, only to find out that you were acting childishly about it, week after week after week.
Now let's get back to the other inane subject that NOONE cares about: cd14.
I don't want to see the names Shallman, Hacopian, or Essel for at least a year. You banned Nostrildamus's name, so you can ban theirs.
Nice Win paul but the special intrest won over the GREAT Warm Christine Essel
Good message to future candidates, their handlers, and their supporters. Garbage in, garbage out. Take note Greuel, Shallman, Antonio.
Congratulations Paul.
Now go in and show us it was all worth it.
5:29, you people always pin it on Wendy and Antonio who never endorsed her but go out of your way to mention Trutanich who DID and Chris herself made a point of saying so and that she'd support Trutanich on his interpretation of issues. His first major endorsement helped a LOT
Don't cry for the queen of SB1818. Rumor has it a deal was cut weeks ago for soft landing in Planning. Goldberg out.
Shut off the lights then, and go home.
Judging from the overkill coverage for MONTHS of this election, this blog has nothing left to report from here on out, now that this little short-term election is over.
OH, that is until NEXT month, when you decide you also hate Krekorian, and he's a turncoat and a traitor to everything he said he'd represent.
Just like every other local politician you've championed here.
Antonio will take care his little girl when he is back from the European junket. Another plum appointment. After all we have to keep it in the family.
"Nice Win paul but the special intrest won over the GREAT Warm Christine Essel" ~ As articulate, well-spelled and grammerically correct as we've come to expect from the Essel hate machine.
Above-mentioned "special interest" in this case means The People.
Boy, don't you just hate that special interest group?
They don't pony up thousands of dollars per plate at fundraising dinners. They don't have the wherewithall to grease palms. They wouldn't know how to orchestrate an under-the-table payment if you drew them a map and provided a compass. They actually frown on such biz-as-usual, no doubt on some sort of innane "ethical" grounds. Talk about losers!
Yet this special interest group thinks their interests should be represented just because they are... well, The People. You know -- property owners and taxpayers, the ones who pay for it all.
Such nerve!
Inspite of all the years poor Dale Thrush and Pat Davenport invested in trying to teach these yokel nobodies how the game is played, the locals still don't get it. Instead, they seem to believe in some weird old concept called "democracy"...
Yeah Baby!!!!!!!
I'm typing this with a huge grin on my face. I went to bed smiling. I woke up smiling. Checked the city clerk page to make sure it was not all just a giddy dream. Nope - it really happened.
What a great day.
Congratulations, CD2!
Tujunga Cowgirl
Here's a freebie, Higby.
Two key lessons to be learned, if you can see the forest for the trees:
1) The grassroots Valley Democratic Machine can dominate micro-turnout special elections. Ca$h and trash aren't the trump suit. AVs -- and the detail work it takes to deliver them -- are better banked by committed activists than canvass hos.
2) Shallman is toast. Carpet-bombing like he did was absolutely amateurish. He suppressed his own turnout.
This will leave shit-stains on Shallman for a long, long time. Every consultant in the biz will be dredging up this cautionary tale for years: "Remember the way Shallman shat on Chris Essel?"
Ethics and boundaries matter, even for spittle-licking hacks.
Frankly, there is no way Antonio is going to appoint the SB 1818 queen in the Planning Department. He doesn't have the balls. He is getting the message from voters loud and clear: you messed up and we are going to punish every candidate you endorse. Please...could we have a decent candidate for the other City Council offices? We need to identify those candidate NOW and begin the process of lining up community activist AND financial support for their run at City Council. As Kekorkian shows: you don't need an obscene amount of money to win but you need a couple of hundred thousand to win. We don't need ego-based community grass roots candidates -- we need grass roots candidates who are prepared to make a serious run at attacking the status quo of City Hall.
Shallman blew a whopping $109/vote to come in a very distant second.
You continually confuse the candidate with the consultant. Essel lost, not Shallman. Essel was a an inexperienced and ineffective candidate. I live in the district, am a 100% likely voter, and never once saw her at my doorstep, or even in my neighborhood. Krekorian, on the other hand, was going to homeowners' association meetings and attending hearings on behalf of my neighbors! He was simply the better horse, and even the best jockey in the world can't whip an inferior animal to victory -- at least not 100% of the time. But if you think Shallman's still not the best in consultant in L.A., well, just ask Jack Weiss how his political career is going right now.
Bye bye Dale Thrush you f*ckin weasel. We here up in the sticks had you pegged years ago.
And Pat.... you are a paid employee of CD2. Don't you think you were over the top with your OVERT campaigning for Essel? Guess you wanted a graceful way out of the job you've held for one hundred years. Have fun with your Grandchildren!
I like your lead photo. May I steal it?
;-)
Even pathetic SLAP-HAPPY Doug McIntyre said in his column today that this race inspired an endless stream of idiotic Web postings.
I thought he was one of the "new" people to come in and help reform. I guess he didn't recognize the importance of this race to the other districts, much like the poster who wanted us to shut up about CD 2 so they could talk about CD 14.
This blog sounds like cyberbullying middle school kids on Facebook! Ooooh he said "shat" heee hee Why don't you use this blog for something positive for this city and actually discuss the issues, rather than putting people down for being political activists and trying to make a difference. No wonder no one votes! I would be embarrassed to have my teenagers read this bloq - its hard to believe grown men/women say these nasty things. Look at what is happening to our public schools - does anyone care about our future? Or do you just care about who your CD rep is so you can get your trees trimmed?
These are two funny posts from yesterday. Someone has some words to eat today. Not to mention all of the people that Councilmember Essel is going to crush! All that hate. I guess that's why she lost. Too much hatred...
When John Shallman gets done with Hacopian, HE WILL NEVER WORK IN THS TOWN AGAIN.
You heard it here first.
He wont even be able to buy data for his candidates.
Goodbye Asshole
December 08, 2009 3:03 PM
Anonymous said...
People who will never be forgiven by Team Essel.
Higby
Judy Price
Brad Sherman
Krekorian
Lisa Sarkin
Paul Koretz
Tim McKosker
Joe B
All of these people are done for, good luck getting your calls returned from Essel's council office.
December 08, 2009 3:06 PM
Liars, cheats, thieves, manipulators of the truth, always get caught, sooner or later. Keep that in mind Shallman, you are now radioactive and any candidate who is considering using you, he/she needs his/her head examined. Because "birds of a feather".
9:00am. The thug D`Arcy will take care of these parasites with salaries of 50% higher than they collect now, courtesy of the ratepayers.
8:53 is the Shallman Hate Team Back already, throwing his candidate under the bus as being "inexperienced and ineffective," denying that Shallman and his dirt campaign had anything to do with it. Unbelievable. Well, no it's not, it's totally Shallman.
Essel was a Shallman creation, pure and simple. The person who said this is really about Antonio, that voters will punish any candidate endorsed by him, is true but only partly so. After all he never came out for her, but Wendy and Trutanich did, along with their second bananas, and TANKED. Shallman and Trutanich together were the kiss of death for Essel.
9:07 doesn't even know what a council member does. Tree trimming? Pshaw. You just didn't know that the 15 people around the horseshoe are more powerful than the mayor? That whatEVER the council member wants for their districts, they get? That's the way it really works.
Now I will agree with you on the shat talk. That was just stupid. I'm against all name calling personally but this blog is filled with name callers.
Guess what? Those middle school kids grow up to be adults. If they acted like that in middle school, chances are good they'll act like that when they're 30. Sad but true.
I am still laughing over this one. And the People still won! They beat Clint Eastwood, Bob Dylan, Ghandi, Jesus Christ and most importantly - Essel!
Anonymous said...
When it comes to politics in L.A., John Shallman is Clint Eastwood, Bob Dylan, and Gandhi rolled into one
December 08, 2009 10:50 AM
9:07am - Sorry we got worked up over injustice and dirty politics. We shoould have kept our mouth shut, eh? You probably think that Lincoln should have kept his mouth shut about slavery.
Dullness is NOT a virtue.
Oh No! Cranky Cry-loser is awake & taking it out on Shallman!
+++++++++++++++++++++++
When you look at that arrogant, pompous MEGA-LOSER, John Shallman, don't you just want to smack those dopey glasses right off his face?
HEY JOHN SHALLMAN: You inferior-loser. I could have lost the election for Essel for HALF the money! Maybe the Holocaust fliers didn't help.
HEY JOHN SHALMAN: You inferior-loser. I could have lost the election for Essel for HALF the money!
JOHN SHALMAN: You are a low-grade, despicable, RECORD MONEY SPENDING,LOSER! HEY SHALMAN, Holocaust doesn't fly on fliers, prick!
While its true that Villaraigosa did not explicitly endorse either candidate, it was clear which candidate his union hack friends wanted to win: Essel. Antonio is now such ballot box poison, no candidate wants to be photographed or endorsed by Antonio. It will be interesting to see if Jose Huizar asks Antonio to endorse him in his re-election run for CD 14.
9:21 - I guess you have a better councilmember than we do - mine does nothing! We would be lucky to get our trees trimmed. That was a joke! But - do tell... what DO they do?
The word from the Shallman camp is that Essel was not willing to implement John's original vision of the campaign.
She repeatedly Shallman's ideas of doing an early vote by mail program and of putting more money into field.
People who will never be forgiven by Team Krekorian.
Phil
Dale "Horsie Laugh" Gibson
Bart Paul
Fritzi Bronner
Margerie Beeson
Royan Herman
Nostradamus
Dale Thrush
Patricia Davenport
All of these people are done for, good luck getting your calls returned from Krekorian's council office.
Well....actually, they will be served if they're in the district but not forgiven.
What someone should do, for the good of the district and politics in general, is to go back and make a list of all the promises that Phil made, publish it, and hold him accountable for fulfilling them.
You cant blame the Essel loss on Shallman.
Working against all odds against an experienced politician. Shallman took a women that no one had heard of 6 months ago and got her her up to 44 percent of the vote.
John is still the top consultant in Los Angeles.
As soon as Krekorian bans hamburgers in CD-2 I'm gonna laugh my ass off at you fools.
Essel was a an inexperienced and ineffective candidate.
Bullshit. Inexperienced, like Carmen the Clown Trutanich?
She should have won in a romp with all that "inexperience" as an outsider, but she couldn't quite stand for anything at all. She was audibly neither pro nor anti development, neither more nor less medical 420, neither for 1818 or the recent contrary court orders. She couldn't say anything about anything at all because she was only there to represent Old Riordan, who is now dead at last because his LA has been bulldozed and paved over.
So all she had to talk about were Shallman's race-baiting leads: she had to play some weird Jewish card and attend anti-Armenian fundraisers. She deserved not only to lose but to be investigated by the police for attempt to provoke a civil disturbance--the usual dirty Shallman fearmongering that doesn't work anymore as identity politics have all but evaporated in the cosmopolitan cities that elected Obama.
It should be obvious to everyone now that Thomas won for Trutanich and Shallman's name is mud at Broad and Riordan's California Club. They'll have to find a savvier gopher, and as neither like to talk to people who are smarter than they are, and they're both pushing 80 and sick, it's going to be all downhill for those two ultrarich mandarins now.
Will Chris Essel be sending out a press release condemning John Shallman?
Today Nostradamus is running around saying he warned Essel about Shallman!! Nice cover your ass attempt you cry-loser!
GPW - by all means - feel free to use the photo.
No such luck on banning hamburgers in CD2. Paul told me he is against the nanny state - especially Phil Jennerjahn's efforts to push 35% less sugar Kool-Aid on people.
Paul also has a bit of a problem. He worked so hard to get elected he has become somewhat underweight. He's going to have to join Jan Perry for a few hamburgers to get back to his fighting weight before he is sworn in.
10:34, you forgot
Frank Sheftel
David Hernandez
Augusto Bisani (although we've already forgotten all about him)
Tom LaBonge
and Walter Moore who told everyone not to vote.
The mariju-weenies are deluging City Council again, blubbering and rain-dancing and praying for God to smite anyone who suggests limits (literally!) . . . and all this blog can do is keep rehashing a mini-election that most people INSIDE of CD2 obviously didn't care about (only 19K votes out of a 270K residents).
Sheesh!
Hey Dale and Pat, if you haven't already done it, take a trip up Orcas in LVT and drown your troubles over wine with Bart Paul, Fritz Bronner and Margie Beeson.
They've been your go-to team for years, double-crossing their community, shafting neighbors left and right, spreading lies and intimidating people on your behalf.
Don't abandon them now. Loyalty like that deserves more than a handshake. At least bring them a box of Gallo.
Mike, you and I have always shared the same goal – shining the light on what is wrong in this city.
I hope Jennerjahn gets over it. I understand why you had to remove him. It had nothing to do with his views. He did not supply the depth of coverage in my opinion. Your readers were acutely aware of that. I think they respect opposing views expressed in a sensible and complete manner.
You and I have some serious work to do. This election was the preliminary bout in the struggle for power in City Hall. Look forward to collaborating with Ron and you. God knows we cannot expect the mainstream media to cover local politics sufficiently.
Mike, you and I have always shared the same goal - shining the light on what is wrong in this city.
I hope Jennerjahn gets over it. I understand why you had to remove him. It had nothing to do with his views. He did not supply the depth of coverage in my opinion. Your readers were acutely aware of that. I think they respect opposing views expressed in a sensible and complete manner.
You and I have some serious work to do. This election was the preliminary bout in the struggle for power in City Hall. Look forward to collaborating with Ron and you. God knows we cannot expect the mainstream media to cover local politics sufficiently.
phinnoho@aol.com
Paul Hatfield
1
Winners and Losers of the CD2 race
Winners
Paul Krekorian
His Political experience helped him overcome the weakness of his campaign team.
John Shallman
Over performed while working with a weak candidate
NC Leaders
Came through big time to save a floundering Krekorian campaign.
Losers
The Mayor
He would lost no matter who won this race.
Brian D'Arcy
Hurt Essel more than helped her.
Wendy Gruel
Not active enough until way too late to really help the Essel campaign.
The word in City Hall is that Krekorian gave a less than magnanimous speech last night.
Hey Paul, the race is over, move on.
Election night is no time to attack your former opponents.
11:45
Pretty good read.
Shallman reputation is not going to be damaged by this campaign.
He did the best he could with a weak hand.
What is truly sad in all of this is the amount of money spent for Essel. The Police Political League didnt' even tell their cops how much they gave Essel and they found out when it was reported in the papers and dumb asses sent it out on their newsletter $400,00 and the cops went crazy. All down the toliet for what? If they are stupid enough to endorse Huizar like they did last time, I say show them a lesson again that anyone who thinks they can be bought by the unions will get slammed.
Hey 2:40 AM
I live in CD14 and I CARE!!
And it seems like there are always issues here that reach into other council districts.
Spin-hole at 11:49
Loser.
The winner, by a landslide, was apathy. Eighty-four percent of the registered voters skipped this election. By contrast, 83% showed up for the November 2008 presidential election.
The "winner" received votes from 8.65% of the registered voters; the "loser" had a 6.65% share.
hey 11:45 (either Shallman or a Shallman Hack),
Take it easy, I'm getting dizzy from all that spin.
Reading your list of winners vs losers is like taking a trip into Alice's Looking Glass. Up is down, down is up (how else to explain listing Shallman as a winner?), and you have a real gift for insulting people with mean praise.
Nice try on the putting-distance-between-Essel-and-the-Mayor thing, but no one is fooled. And kissing the NC's butts was a nice touch. However, again, no one is fooled about which side YOU are on.
Where you are most wrong is about Wendy Greuel. Too little, too late...? That one made me snort coffee out my nose.
This election gave Wendy's abused, lied to, manipulated and betrayed constituents opportunity to lash back. And we did!
Woo-Hoo!!!!
Tujunga Cowgirl
11:49 Not sure whose word you are referring to but since you obviously weren't there but I was. Paul's speech was extremely gracious & there was no trashing of anyone-in fact he complimented all the candidates, including Essel. Paul has no interest in having division in the community.
stop being such a sore loser. Paul won & he gave a beautiful & stirring speech. It's a shame there were no major la tv ppl there to capture his graciousness.
Walter you're the last person to talk about vote counts.
You even went as far to suppress turnout making the stupid suggestion not to vote; making some ridiculous comparison to people not going to movies that people not voting is going to improve the choices.
What's going to improve things is the community coming together, as they did here, to elect a candidate. Paul may not be perfect but he showed he could listen to the community. If he maintains that, he will be re-elected. If not, he won't. His most passionate supporters will be the ones watching him the closest and he knows that.
Walter the time for your negative, self-aggrandizing, hateful politics has come and gone. Your 15 minutes was up long ago.
Perhaps you and the economist can get a reality show with Phil as your carnival barker.
Please go away Walter.
During his comments last night,
Paul intimiated that now it is time for everyone to come together for the common goal of fixing what is no longer working.
INHO, in order to do that, we must start now to address the issues that are before us such as: SB 1866, the Granny Flats ordinance and how it can affect our communities, the Medical Marijuana ordinace and how it will be implemented, the "Son of Measure B" project, Neighborhood Councils getting the "Right to Appeal" our local land use issues,getting Planning Commissioners elected rather than appointed, Saving Verdugo Hills and Studio City Golf Courses, SB 1818, ethics and city election reform, re-districting, and many more. Remember, Neighborhood Councils have their elections coming up after the first of the year.
Let's put this election, that has zapped so much energy from us all, behind us and move forward so we can get those and other issues squared away.
We have put future candidates on notice that they must to be honest and up front and tell those Special Interests big money organizations, as well as individuals who are trying to buy them, to go pound sand
We are "grass roots" L.A. Citizens who "can't be bought" and will fight back because we rock!
So, to all those who have continuously whined the chant "Hacopian must be stopped," suck it up and eat crow. Eric Hacopian is a down-right genius.
Hold your horses there Nina! ;)
I really think what has to be done first before we attack hyper-specific issues such as you mentioned is to take a 30,000 foot view at the PROCESS which leads to those things you talked about.
We also have to recognize that some of those issues have different meaning to some of us in the coalition so we have to work together to respect differences of opinions and recognize our main and immediate goal is to root out the fraud, waste and corruption in City Hall.
For example, I have a different view on the Studio City Golf Course than I do on Verdugo. I am opposed to developing Verdugo but support what they want to do with Studio City. Two totally different things.
I'm also for legalizing pot and don't have an issue with billboards in certain areas.
So its going to be a give and take. But the good thing is that we were able to unite on at least stopping the bad guys from having more power.
Michael, you know, you're right.
I don't know what I was thinking, telling people to stay home. How silly was that?
After all, Krekorian is absolutely fantastic. He is clearly dedicated to the public interest, and is not a career politician, backed by special interests, playing political musical chairs to ensure he need never try to survive in the private sector.
And once he's sworn in, he will turn this city around. There will be no waste in government; he will push DWP rates down; unemployment will plummet; and there won't be a bit of fraud or corruption at City Hall.
To quote Hillary Clinton, "The sky will open. The light will come down. Celestial choirs will be singing. . . ."
Nope, no need for ordinary citizens to band together and run for office as long as we're lucky enough to have people like Krekorian and Essel willing to protect our interests. After all, look at how much better California is thanks to the work Krekorian and his colleagues in state government. Way to go, buddy! Kudos!
I can hardly wait till they work the same magic here.
Bye bye.
11:49, Paul was gracious and has never been the one to threaten to blackball anyone who didn't support him - THAT was the Shallman/ Trutanich Team, whose idea of "you're either with us or against us" is straight out of Serbian ethnic warfare, the kind of attitude that made Yugoslavia the worst case of ethnic cleansing and holocaust in this century. Where the Bosnian Serbs still idolize Milosovic and Karadsic the monsters "for looking after their people." Trutanich and his clan are exactly like that and proud of it. Disgusting.
Add that to John Shallman's hateful personality and his motto: "I don't campaign to win, I campaign to destroy someone's life and career forever" no class even if they win - he and Trutanich not Paul are the ones you are talking about. Don't project your own teams evils onto him or anyone else.
Hey 1:52PM - Higby
You're smart.
Remember Walter - the "ordinary citizens" didn't make it happen.
They can, however, and will. But anyone who runs from yours or the economist's or Jennerjahn's playbook will lose, lose, lose everytime.
And I don't know how un-ordinary Paul is. His wife was working at Target as a pharmacist before their baby was born. Doesn't sound very bourgeoisie to me!
Damn, I though we'd seen the last of Walter Moore. Can't you crawl back into that hole you retreat from. The City was so much better off without your vile commentary.
I totally agree with MH on the issues that he mentioned. Corruption and "insider" play must be a priority. The same recipe is not good for all areas. Ultimately, the residents must be included in the decision-making.
As far as "Granny flats go. Some of us really do have granny and God luv em" - they may need a place to reside. I don't want them right in the house with myself and the family but they need to be cared for. A properly placed Granny flat is an ideal way to bring them closer to the family without praying for their immediate demise. The RFA ordinance passed was a sledge hammer approach that threw out the baby with the bath water.
WTF. Moore is talking about voter apathy? Hasn't he commented on a bunch of blogs that everyone should just stay home and ignore the CD2 race?
Then the day after the election, he posts about how no one voted in this election?
Moore once more talking out of both orifices. What a tool.
LATimes Now blog: "Council Delays Vote on DWP Rate Hike." Wonder why? Kicking the can down the road will only work so long.
Walter Moore really contributes nothing other than stupid crap like "don't vote" and we have to outlaw Pollo Loco because it's a sanctuary city KFC.
I appreciate what you are saying Michael. I just think we should take the focus off the election and work TOGETHER to mediate the issues that I previously mentioned.
In order to do that we have to have a respectful open diaglog regarding those issues and I believe everyones voice deserves to be heard. I don't believe there are any "cookie cutter" remedies or answers for anything.
We need to TALK about everything.
Blogs have been a great benefit.
3:31Pm, D`Arcy is poison, unfortunately for many, they already have drunk the poison. Hasta la vista baby!
Out of curiosity, does anyone know if Essel ever called Krekorian to say,"congratulations"?
Nope. Essel went into hiding after the absentees.
She also didn't condemn the sexist attack on Tamar Galatzan from the smellalicious blogger.
Phil Jennerjahn said...
Actually, Mary, my run for Mayor was a brilliant career move.
In the words of Arnold from Happy Days:
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Chris Essel has yet to call Paul and congratulate him. How telling is that?
Krekorian seems a good guy but at this point anyone could run against the City Hall candidate and win, especially if they have DWP/D'Arcy AND All About Me Antonio AND Greuel AND Trutanich the Clown on the OTHER side. So many people voted against her BECAUSE of any or all of these endorsements (and the PPL, though a lot of people are fooled into thinking they want more cops and really represent the rank & file). The flood of mailers and money wasted on them for a local race turned a lot of people OFF, as well as the way Hacopian called attention to the nastiness of Shallman instead of ignoring it and hoping voters would, too.
That may be a game-changer in L A, going forward.
Hilarious how Nostrildamus is going around "I told you so he's a crybaby looser" crazy on Shallman, while his spinners are dumping on Essel as a "weak candidate," too "inexperienced" - heck, the lack of experience is ALL she had going for her! The anti-incumbent, anti- City Hall vote.
Ha-ha to ruff ruff, and his homies he couldn't shut up enough about even yesterday, Truanich-Berger- Kevin James-Zine-Bill Rosendahl! And let's not forget Le Bonge!
This race was a huge denunciation of Wendy Greuel. This is the 2nd candidate that she couldn't help.
Weiss - #1
Essel - #2
Clearly her high profile endorsement means nothing and may even hurt the candidates. I think her Mayoral aspirations are in big trouble.
Essel called Krekorian last night but it was while he was giving his victory speech. They spoke today and she congratulated him.
I agree with the person who said that Wendy Greuel needs to recalibrate her political worth.
WEISS? ultimate zero
ESSEL? endorsed her based on WHAT?
Buh-bye Mayor Wendy! Now get your ass to work!
Phil has a HILARIOUS post about what he "accomplished" in his career, including spending $8,000 on the 88 votes he got, making him second only to CHRIS ESSEL in a wasteful losing campaign. He is particularly proud of now being "semi-known."
My reply was:
Semi known? Phil, you are semi-knkown?
For what? For coming in LAST place? For getting only 88 votes, when a homeless man got many times more?
For endorsing Chris Essel?
What is it that you're known for? For NOT completing your pledge to run the Recall Antonio effort? To NOT let us know how you're coming along on that?
What exactly have you accomplished in your professional life that you SUCCEEDED in? What have you done that went from start, to finish, in a SUCCESSFUL, WINNING way?
I am really curious to hear your response. And while you're at it, don't lose the chance to let us know how you're doing on that Recall Antonio thing. OR, you can grow up and admit that you completely underestimated what it took and that you're not man enough to simply say that you fucked up. The longer you delude yourself, the more damage you're doing to your "career" in politics.
And for what it's worth, any common crook can get on tv by holding up a liquor store. Heck, I've been on tv about 15 times. Does my appearance on price is right make me "semi known" too?
It's so fun to watch you try to position yourself with that childish cowboy hat. Fun watching, I have to admit. Yes, you really should be proud of being semi-known. Like that ancient Angelyne woman with the billboard.
Nooch is doing his best to KEEP Wendy ineffective as a leader by cutting her off at the knees as far as her being able to audit, by not paying Woocher to drop the suit and by not wanting to settle it at all - as it is he can claim that he's "letting her" audit Rocky's worker's comp books and fool his Kool-Aid drinkers and the shills at the Slimes that he's NOT REALLY the liar and heel Laura CHick says he is.
In fact he hates Rocky so is happy for an excuse to nail him if Wendy finds anything suspicious - while he has "his" own that is our City Attorney dept. paid auditors do an identical audit as her shadow because he doesn't trust her.
But by not being able to audit him or any elected official her job is so gutted it's almost meaningless, unless she keeps doing what Chick did and breathe down the neck of LAPD over nickel-and-dime things like spending $18,000/ year total on bottled water, Chick learned with fanfare.
Some other councilmembers are also happy for an excuse not to be audited so don't mind Nooch throwing Greuel under the bus and not letting her hire outside counsel even though his dept. is still suing her. (Though Judge Mooney told the stupid Council they have to reinstate her lawyer, not listen to Nuch who's nuts.)
Wendy of course is itching to audit something and find something "big" but Nooch has kept her ham-tied so far, so all she could do was complain about sandwiches.
She wants to audit the gang programs and she should, but she's not allowed to audit the Mayor's office or any council office without an "invitation" until Nooch drops his suit which he won't because it suits him not to.
As for Perry: although she's right to complain about how Nooch tried to arrest her and intimidate her "with my friend the DA" just for speaking her mind, she comes off as incompetent with the PayPal scheme to pay for the Jackson memorial and for not having thought out the details in advance.
Huizar, Wesson, the kitchen sink and Eric also all want to be Mayor and although Eric just kicked the can down the road far as the Budget Crisis goes, he took credit for "solving it" but it may blow up in his face well before 2013.
Wendy won in a laughably easy race compared to even this, let alone the nasty City Attorney race where they both had some $3 million plus Carmen got almost $1 Million from the PPL and took $500,000 in Matching Funds that Weiss didn't.
Her "big spender" opponent Nick Patsouris raised around $30,000, yet she panicked near the end and took an extra $250,000 from D'Arcy to be sure she beat him. Shallman made unfounded nasty usual cries of "corruption!" against Nick and flooded the airwaves that made the Pixie look all innocent.
And yet he finished 3rd to no-name Suzy Evans whose mailers had more impact. That is her laughable "big race" and claim to being a big player. She has had NO exposure in a big nasty race.
In a way I feel sorry for Essel: she was talked into this as something guaranteed, rented an apt. in the valley out of her own money and had to live there when she had a nice house already, put at least $10,000 into her own campaign to fuel Shallman's pit.
Some say this earned her name recognition she can use for a future run at something, but I'm not sure that her name is worth anything never having held office.
7:31 PM is THE nut case that trolls the blogs using any topic to write a diatribe about Trutanich. That's the definition of spam.
Can we start a thread about the weather just to see how (s)he'll weave Trutanich into it?
8:14 you're pathetic. It's obvious what he's doing to Wendy and why, he's a manipulative lying dummie who cynically uese and abuses people as too many to count have testified.
You people are trying to pin any failure on Wendy and Antonio, who didn't even endorse her, IBEW and PPL. everyone but Trutanick who took out ads for her and made calls to the heads of HOA's he knew and to fellow Republicans. Had Berger go on Kevin James for them and then added James to their ads all over the net. For a start. While she invoked his name whenever she could.
He's a ludicrous loser, no class, cheap street smarts that aren't fooling anyone anymore however much he hides from the media and blames them for sounding as stupid as he is, like Sarah Palin. We've got his one-way ticket back to Palookaville already, get used to it. This election just sealed it. You're all losers.
Even James is trying to wriggle out of it, saying he only said he'd vote for her "if asked," but his name was on their Google ad. The ruff-ruff who was so proud of "Me and Trutanich and Zine and kevin james and Bill Rosendahl say vote for Essel" is blaming Shallman and screaming for his head. What a bunch of weasels.
Wendy is toast, toasted by her buddy Shallman. Well, it was good till lasted, her Mayoral ambitions that is.
Wendy, Antonio, their whole crowd are toast. She had her whole team working for Essel. She appeared in mailers, robo-calls, press conferences. Obviously the voters of CD-2 were pissed off about her leaving her seat early to take a better job.
Just remember, politicians are like dirty diapers. They should be changed often and for the same reason.
Pat Davenport was seen looking at job listings on Craigslist today.
"Obviously the voters of CD-2 were pissed off about her leaving her seat early to take a better job."
Uh, actually...
Leaving her seat early was the nicest thing Wendy Greuel ever did for CD2.
From the bottom of all our hearts: THANK YOU, Evil Pixie!
Christmas came early in Sunland-Tujunga!
To make it an even happier New Year: think we can cajol upon Mary Benson to apply for openings in the field deputy staff officies?
Tujunga Cowgirl
Pat has been a great field deputy in my experience with her.
It has been rumored that some of my neighbors who voted for Essel did so to keep Pat and Dale. I'd like to keep Pat and Dale, but not at the expense of the health of my community, and the entire city.
The ends do not justify the means, ever.
That said, Paul K could definitely use Pat and Dale's expertise. :-)
"It has been rumored that some of my neighbors who voted for Essel did so to keep Pat and Dale."
First -- yeah, right. Pull the other one, it plays jinglebells. If they voted for Essel, they were voting for a whole stinking package, and if they now try to say otherwise, they are beyond stupid.
Second -- no one who has seen Dale and Pat operate would EVER deny that they can be very, very, VERY nice... to their FRIENDS. In fact, they can be far TOO nice.
And that's the problem. "Pay to Play" doesn't necessarily involve big bucks being passed behind closed doors in backroom deals. There are other ways to be "friends."
Dale and Pat played their CD2 jobs as opportunities to do favors for their "friends," and punish people (through lack of "access" and worse) who were not their "friends." Fairness or civic duty are strangers to them.
I have no doubt that those people who were "friends" of Dale and Pat would be very, very, VERY sorry to see them go -- and all the favors and favoritism that they enjoyed by being Dale and Pat and Wendy's "friend."
I was a "friend" of both Dale and Pat for quite some time, before I saw beneath the slick veneer (Dale) and folksy charm (Pat) to the ugly truth of what lies underneath.
I walked away from their favoratism and special "access" without a single regret or backward glance, to join in solidarity with the excellent folks who were fighting for right in Sunland-Tujunga.
Except for their "friends" to whom they showed the charming side, Dale and Pat lorded it with contempt over the rest of the community, spread lies, and attempted to intimidate people many times over the years over many issues, the Essel campaign being only the most recent. However, it bears the distinction of possibly being the most stupid chapter in Dale's career.
Right now, there's more than one email that Dale Thrush wishes he could take back, sent during the last desperate weeks when he threatened local leaders with "lack of access" if they backed Krekorian (assuming an Essel win). Yes, the idiot really put those threats in writing.
I hope recipients of those emails will show them to Krekorian's staff to illustrate the problem. Even better, take those emails to the city attorney, and make both Dale and Pat permanently unemployable by the city.
Sorry, Dale and Pat must go.
They've lied to, back-stabbed and abused too many people in CD2.
Wow. You're not bitter, 10:55, are you? Except YOU WON, so what the eff? And I won. I'm on your side, so try to chill if you are able to do so.
I was speaking with a very good source last night -- one you yourself probably respect face to face, and one who was very busy in the Krekorian campaign -- when I was told this about my specific neighbors. Gotta say I kinda believe the source, too, since I thought of the same thing when those yard signs went up.
Pat and Dale have a lot of experience. I actually like them for the most part. I'm probably not completely alone in that sentiment among those on the winning side.
Maybe you should think about moving forward as Paul is asking us all to do rather than wallowing in your anger about the past. But if you want to wallow more, have at it and the rest of us will see you when and if you do catch up to us.
Petra I don't know a lot about Dale but the few times he bothered to show up to my NC I was not impressed.
Pat I know even less about.
I think it best that PK start fresh. He has a great staff as it is.
And maybe he can add some folks like Mary Benson or Abby Diamond who would be a million times better than Dale.
One the Monday before signature sheets were due for the election, I heard that Mary was pulling out of the race. Called her and talked her out of it and got her on track with the guys who collect the sigs. Paid for a couple of them myself (which pissed Nostradamus off no end, but oh well.)
Mary should be more than a field deputy.
As for the Pat and Dale thing, they have a lot of native experience. It would be a shame to waste that, personalities and past issues aside. Using them as part of a transition team or as transitions consultants if nothing else makes sense.
Onward and upward.
Just received two more SEIU mailers for Krekorian, post election.
Anyone who continues to spin the tale that Paul is anything other than a Special Interest candidate is a fool.
I agree with Paul Hatfield’s observations re. Jennerjahn’s removal. Jennerjahn was shrill and shallow at the same time, someone whose verbal histrionics lowered the quality of this blog. This site is much better off without Jennerjahn’s self-aggrandizing clown act.
Here's an unbiased analysis of CD2 results:
Virtually every winner in a special election starts with higher name identification and/or has a natural base. That's true because of the tiny window of time voters have to get information before they vote.
Paul Krekorian had both name ID and a base. He represented a third of the district, and, according to his own polling, was over 25% ahead of Essel in the early Primary.
Most significantly, CD2 is home to the highest population of Armenians in Los Angeles.
Their strategy was simple: Mobilize their Armenian base by vilifying Essel. While Essel didn't help matters by attending a Turkish meet and greet, she certainly was not an Armenian genocide denier and took only $250 from Turks which she later returned.
Nonetheless, Paul's team saw an opening and smartly took it. Paul went on television, mail and newspaper ads with a very intense Anti-Essel campaign in the Armenian community to mobilize his base and raise money nationally.
It worked. Close to 30% of the vote in Tuesday's election was Armenian and Essel probably didn't get a single vote from this group.
So, no matter what Essel's campaign or the IE's did to help her, the race was essentially over. Essel probably won a clear victory among non-Armenians--perhaps as high as 60% which resulted in her 43.4%.
The Krekorian campaign took advantage of a perfect situation and did so with gusto. They should be complimented for their Armenian GOTV effort. A normal election cycle would likely have resulted in an Essel victory.
In spite of the obvious need to blame somebody, there are often campaigns where no on is to blame. Circumstances dictate the winner, not the campaigns.
Essel's campaign was very strong in the Primary. She came from nowhere to best a sitting elected official, Galatzan, who finished a dismal third place.
Let's be honest, Essel was not the ideal candidate for a low turnout, NIMBY focused electorate. A former President of the Central City Association, Villaraigosa appointee and resident of CD 5, she should have been knocked out in round 1.
Thanks to a good campaign and Greuel's support, Essel made it into the runoff.
Much has been made of the IE's for Essel. Her campaign was undermined, in fact, by the spending frenzy. Her own mail was overwhelmed by the tidalwave of mail coming from IBEW and the PPL. She couldn't communicate her message effectively and the voters, who can't distinguish which mailers were paid for by whom, were turned off by the indulgence and perceived her as the money bags insider.
So who is to blame? The system really. Special elections during the Christmas holiday will inevitably result in low turnout and a candidate winning with barely 10% of the total number of registered voters.
This is hardly a mandate. Paul is a good guy but it will be incredibly difficult for him to stay true to the principles he ran on. The lure of money and power is too strong. Time will tell.
In the meantime, lay off the vitriol on the various players--Phil, Higby, Essel, Paul, Wendy, Shallman, Hacopian, et al.
Let's wish Paul and Chris all the best. The same to all of the candidates who started in the Primary. It takes a lot of guts to run for office and absorb the slings and arrows from anonymous bloggers.
Here's hoping for a wonderful holiday season to all.
10:55 That's is what we are hoping when we elected Krekorian. We need
"Change", We want it, we welcome, we should get it!
Sorry, 5:12 - but what exactly what the message that poor overfunded Ms. Essel was somehow magically completely unable to communicate to the masses? Did she communicate it to you? You'd be the first if she did. Let's hear it!
Everyone is replacable even Pat and Dale. Especially Dale.
I have a soft spot for Pat. I truly believe she cares A LOT about us up here in the sticks. However, she went over the top with her out there campaigning for the loser. This is the chance you take when you stick your neck out. She is a woman of conviction.
I want a change. There are others up her in S/T who know the neighborhood and issues as well as Pat does. Pat was PRO Canyon Hills and PRO Angeles Golf Course. Again a woman of conviction.
I say we need a different perspective.
Abby Diamond is my pick for Sunland Tujunga... if she would even take the job!
I hear her name a lot as a good choice to replace Pat the Bully.
Hopefully, PK's team is getting the message.
10:55am - Yes. I have knowledge of those BULLYING e-mails and tactics employed by Dale Thrush who is Pat Davenport's brother-in-law..the husband of Pat's sister. Blood is thicker than water.
All those who have any doubts about the Dale and Pat show should read the 10:55am post.
Bye bye Pat and good riddance Dale you two faced sleaze ball.
This is a new era. Let's not ruin it by keeping the relics from Administration's past.
Petrified loves a good fight. Did you leave any names off your list? Hope not. It was important for you to clarify. Shovel any manure today? Yahoo!
"I Told You So?" A new councilmember is elected and your headline is, "I Told You So?" How about, "It's All About Me?" Congratulations, Paul Krekorian would have been nice, too.
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