Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Thursday

You make fun - yet I'm the one attempting to do some good. Or do you really want a neighborhood where people piss on your stoop every night? Bohemia, Bohemia's a fallacy in your head. This is Calcutta, Bohemia is dead. (with apologies to Jonathan Larson and props to Ron Kaye)

Democrats across the land, including Joe B, were pleased when the Obama Administration filed suit against the State of Arizona over their controversial immigration reform law, SB1070. However that's not exactly the case for Blue Staters within the Grand Canyon territory as nearly the entire Arizona Democratic Congressional delegation and the current Attorney General and Democratic nominee for Governor Terry Goddard expressed reservations about the DOJ suit. The Arizona Dems are fearful of a backlash within the state, where immigration is a hot issue, if it appears that Obama is meddling. At the same time these Dems should be concerned that Latino voters may see them as vendidos and either stay home or support other candidates. No doubt a tough place for them to be in and Obama could have probably helped them more by first making some stand on the border before calling out the lawyers and offering up red meat to the liberal base (as might be said about the Republicans who promoted SB1070 as well).

The DWP drama continued at City Hall Wednesday when interim General Manager Austin Beutner failed to show up to a joint Council committee meeting reviewing Controller Wendy Greuel's recent audit of the utility. The no-show by Beutner or anyone else of significance from the DWP incensed Members Paul Koretz and Greig Smith who both found the snub to be unprecedented. In other DWP news Councilman Tom LaBonge has cancelled the DWP's annual Holiday Light Show in Griffith Park due to water main construction.

No surprise here. A Rand Corporation study finds that the cost of pot could drop significantly if a ballot measure legalizing the crop passes in November. Among the low prices the move could encourage "pot tourism" in California as well as have an impact on smuggling from Mexico. In the meantime a group of African American leaders are calling on California NAACP President Alice Huffman to resign her post due to her support of the legal grass proposition.

If you're passing by LA Trade Tech College Friday morning and think that Al Queda has hit don't worry. It's actually a simulated homeland security exercise coordinated by the LA Sheriff's Department. The exercise will involve a Blue Line train and about 35 actors in a fake terrorist attack staged to test local responders. We send our props to the Sheriff's office!