New CNN-Times Poll; Brown Dominates Whitman 52%-43% of Likely Voters

"The one state in the new poll where third party candidates are playing no role is California, where Democrats Barbara Boxer and Jerry Brown have cemented leads over their GOP opponents. Boxer pulled away from Republican challenger Carly Fiorina, a former Hewlett-Packard CEO, in her bid for a fourth Senate term. Boxer leads Fiorina 52% to 43% among likely voters. That's a significant improvement from earlier this month when a CNN-TIME-Opinion Research poll found Boxer just edging past Fiorina amongst likely voters 48% to 44%. Likewise in the gubernatorial race, Brown leads former eBay CEO Meg Whitman 52% to 43% among likely voters, a reversal of fortunes for Brown who earlier this month was losing to Whitman 46% to 48% in a poll conducted Sept. 2-7. Brown and Boxer both benefit from moderates breaking for them: 59% for Boxer to Fiorina's 32% and 59% for Brown to Whitman's 36%. " TIME

Whitman/Brown Post Debate Round-up

Okay my friends, it's pretty obvious that Meg came across at last night's gubernatorial debate more as a greeter for Wal-Mart than as someone who has a solution (much less a grasp) for what ails California, but that's just my take.

Notables;

"I apologize to everyone in California, and no one is more embarrassed by it than me." -Meg Whitman (on why she failed to vote for years).

"There's no question: Brown won. Whitman may have been reassuring to her base in the cow counties, but they would vote for her anyway. But it was a good lesson in the contrast between government and corporations: this is the kind of person who runs a corporation, and if you really believe that corporations and their billionaire execs are more trustworthy than government, you're driving too close".- Joseph Mailander

"Jerry Brown just won the first debate." -Eric Garcetti

"I've been in the kitchen, I've taken the heat." -Jerry Brown

" I don't support a path to legalization." -Meg Whitman (on immigration)

"The fact that Jerry Brown is trying to distance himself from the labor unions is amazing to me, because Jerry Brown and the labor unions have been joined at the hip for the last 40 years." -Meg Whitman

"I will not give millionaires and billionaires a $5 billion tax break, those with the biggest belts should tuck them in first." -Jerry Brown

"Jerry Brown won. No doubt. Smarts. Humor. Reality. Reminds us (who were there) why we voted for him the first time. Explains to those who weren't why California was once the envy of the nation. Jerry still has the values and optimism that made us great then and will again. The greatest things about this election is that making Jerry Brown the once and future Governor of California could well make our state the once and future envy of the nation!" -Cameron Sanders


SF Chronicle splains it.
GPW splains it even better.

LA Times has more. As does Politico, Neon Tommy.

Your civil and insightful response is most welcome.

Jerry Jokes, Whitman Wins

Why are pundits and Joe B. denying a Whitman win last night?

Jerry told some jokes!

Last night Jerry told us not to worry about him ditching the governorship to run for President again because he’s too old! And even though he spent 8 years as governor closing bars in Sacramento, Jerry’s too old and too married for that now – so voters shouldn’t worry.

Want to know why Meg’s points sounded familiar? Because Meg launched her jobs plan months ago and she’s stuck to it.

That’s called consistency, and that’s what it takes to create jobs, cut the budget and red tape, and reform education in California.

Debates are political performance art, and all Jerry Brown proved is thirty years later he’s still playing voters like a pro.

No Hotsheet Today

Go ahead and debate the snoozefest I mean Whitman-Brown Debate. (video)

Tweets about Jerry
Tweets about Meg

Brown vs Whitman Debate Tonight

The momentary equalizer in today's world of mega-million politics is that no amount of money, spin, or campaign commercials, can protect you once the cameras start rolling in a live debate. You're on your own. Naked as a jaybird. The down side is that the debate is only for an hour, it will be watched by a relative few, yet the mind numbing campaign commercials will continue 24/7.


The first debate between gubernatorial candidates Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown will be held this evening from 6-7pm on the campus of UC Davis. You can view the debate online by following the links at the UC Davis official site.

UPDATE: Feel free to add your post debate analysis.

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Tuesday

The LA Weekly reports that some LA City Council members are reporting they're getting death threats over the passage of a City boycott of Arizona over their anti-immigration law.  This is despite the fact the Clowncil has passed several exceptions to the boycott. Even Mike Trujillo is getting into the act taking up his new tactic of calling opponents racist.

Mulholland Terrace pens an essay on eighteen months (and lots of prologue) of Carmen, of whom he says he is hoping against hope his mentor Steve Cooley will be chosen California Attorney General by the voters thus opening up the DA spot for Carmen.

Phil Jennerjahn was able to use some of this trademark phrases such as "Dangerous enemies of freedom" at last Saturday's Clean Sweep Candidates forum despite the lack of air conditioning.

Mayor Villaraigosa has appointed a former longshoreman, David Arian, to the Board of Harbor Commissioners.  More importantly Arian was once President of the longshoreman's union.

Law and Order is coming to Los Angeles but apparently a legendary LA landmark house wasn't LA enough for the producers. So they photoshopped the house to make it more "authentic."

If you want to have your cake and eat it too blogging.la recommends the Salt Peanut Chocolate Cake at the Nickel Diner.

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Monday

Because you asked for it, the Hotsheet now publishes two hours earlier every day, at midnight.

Austin Beutner, Felipe Fuentes and the Mayor are trying to pull a big scam on you and you need to act now.  AB 2531 is another one of those "LA only" bills that would allow the City's Community Redevelopment Agency to spend money outside its boundaries.  So far example funds from the Pacoima Redevelopment Project could be spent for mega-development in Sunland-Tujunga, Shadow Hills and Lakeview Terrace.  The only hope that this shady bill doesn't become law is if Governor Schwarzenegger vetoes the bill. For more, go to Ron Kaye's blog.

The City of LA wants to offer tax credits to businesses that create new jobs.  That's a good start but why not just totally junk LA's business tax nightmare and watch a renaissance happen?

Read more »

Brown and Boxer Pull Ahead in New Poll

Meg Whitman's ongoing effort to buy the governorship of California finds her $119 million out of pocket and 5 points down in the latest poll by LA Times/USC. The Times/USC poll has Brown at 49% over Whitman at 44%.

Meanwhile, Carly Fiorina finds herself even further behind at 43% to Sen. Boxer's 51% according to this poll.

The first debate between the two gubernatorial candidates will be held Tuesday night at UC Davis. More details here.

LA Politics and Donuts for a Saturday

The Clean Sweep campaign gets its first candidates' forum off the ground this afternoon.  Among the candidates confirmed are not only Phil Jennerjahn and Stephen Box in CD4 (worth the price of admission alone) but the only incumbent with the cahones to show up, Bernard Parks, and his Betty Pleasant appointed opponent, Foreskin Hogan Family or something like that, a previous campaign ethics violator.  Despite that nearly most of the candidates who are showing up are koo-koo for cocoa puffs Clean Sweep did make a very good move in snagging local reporters Michael Linder and John Schwada as moderators.

A funny thing happened on Mitch Englander's way to get anointed as the next Clowncilman from CD12. Ali Wolter reports that popular community activist Kelly Lord has filed to run.  Now Lord will have to convince us he's going to raise money, build an organization and not just run a vanity campaign but it appears that voters tired of the status quo and the special interests may have an alternative in Lord.

Jose Huizar wants the City to run all elections almost entirely by mail. Tell me how that isn't an invitation to fraud.

Any of you carpetbaggers who want to move to a new district to run for City Clowncil next year better move there and get completely moved in by October 9th.  Otherwise Steve Cooley will come and slap a felony charge on you.

Phil Jennerjahn spends the night with Meg Whitman.

Last year I got an invite to the blogger prom. This year no one from Mayor Sam did though I'm certain we have a larger readership than most of the blogs invited. However when I recently referred to "The Midnight Swin" as a place where "hedonistic, narcissistic, brain dead young people engage in self-aggrandizing stupid events." I think the blogger who wrote about that event blackballed me.  She runs the Blogger Prom.  Kind of a head cheerleader for the nearly thirtysomething set.

Food for Thought

Food for Thought regarding the people that harvest your food. From a comedian, no less.
What is interesting about this clip (besides his words) is that Steven had been in character as the campy right wing tv show host until he was asked this question.

Good Lord!!!! Kelly Lord Declares in CD-12, Goes Up Against Lobbyist Good Old Boy Mitch Englander and Puts City Hall on Notice.

After months of rumor-milling and pressure from local community groups, independent small businessman and neighborhood activist Kelly Lord has officially filed to run in CD-12 against City Hall-anointed, special interest darling Mitch Englander.

Kelly Lord has deep roots in the community and promises to be the citizen-councilman this district and others need so desperately.

Englander (pictured left and yes, nephew-protege of that other lobbyist Englander) has spent the last twelve months wining and dining his way through City Hall’s phone directory and has amassed a list of endorsements that reads like a postmortem of the crises currently plaguing LA.

Don’t be distracted by an otherwise redundant field of candidates. Lord and Englander are the main attractions here and given Englander’s track record, mud-slinging is sure to start soon. Hopefully CD-12 voters will take a cue from CD-2 and not allow themselves to be bought by glossy mailers and phony endorsements from the usual suspects.

Sources say KRLA 870’s Kevin James will talk about Lord’s filing in depth tonight on his show at midnight.

Even Prop 22 Could Prove a Nonstarter in this No-Confidence Climate

Proposition 22 should have been the biggest no-brainer on the November ballot.

Fiscal restraint and local control are bipartisan basics, and Prop 22 capitalizes on both by prohibiting borrowing from cities to close the State budget gap.

Prop 22’s financial summaries leave even less room for opposition: The measure represents just 0.5% of California’s $200 billion budget, and these local funds are slated to support obligations like local law enforcement and education.

In a normal year, voters would be giddy at the opportunity to slap the State’s bloated hand away from the cookie jars of local government.

Then, enter Bell. And Vernon. And event ticket scandals. And misappropriation or nonappropriation of stimulus funds. Before you know it, local governance looks less and less like the solution.

With Villaraigosa and Rizzo’s blatant corruption and gross misconduct still dominating headlines, will voters rally behind a measure predicated on the ability of our local electeds to get the job done?

Maybe, when the alternative is as bad as ours.

In the wake of local scandals, state officials are fumbling the ball in their attempts to capitalize on voters’ crisis of confidence.

Leading the blind is myopic Assemblyman Alberto Torrico (D-Newark), who devised a bill to address voters’ concerns with out-of-control public salaries ahead of the November election.

Sounds great, but Torrico refuses to apply his proposed rule changes across the board. He and his supporters prefer to exempt state office-holders and limit the new restrictions instead to local officials, who have no say in the bill’s passing.

With corruption and confusion rampant at all levels of government, Prop 22 will have a harder time passing than many expect.

Just goes to show that in politics there’s no such thing as a sure thing.

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Friday

Which way to the Mexican buffet?


Rut-Roh! Fresh from getting a pass from the Justice Department for his pink panties treatment of prisoners, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio may have gone all Rizzo on us and misspent $80 million dollars of taxpayer money pegged for jail operations on lavish trips abroad, hotel upgrades, and huge restaurant tabs!
Where's that partisan outrage?

-Meg Whitman has stopped spending money long enough to follow tightwad Jerry Brown's lead in finally announcing her opposition to Proposition 23, the Big Oil/Koch Bros backed bill that would put the brakes on AB32. She's against Prop 23....sort of....as long as she can suspend implementation of AB32 until all the bad guys can find a legal loophole to get around it.

Speaking of the Tea Party Puppetmasters, Senatorial candidate Carly Fiorina finds herself in a cozy relationship with the Koch siblings after they sponsored a fundraiser for her in Washington yesterday to help raise funds from the many special interest lobbyists that are looking for a friendly doormat should she win in November.

LA County Supes are stepping up and doing what the state should have done some time ago. Foam containers for food and drinks are being banned at "most county facilities, including restaurants, catering trucks, hospitals, golf courses and concessions" After a trial period, an expansion of the ban will be considered. Plastic Bags next, we hope?

Happy 90th Birthday wishes to Mickey Rooney!

Your turn.

No Armenians Welcome at this Apartment Complex?

Update: Peter informs us: "The landlord called me at 10:20 tonight and said the sign is down and she had nothing to do with it. I believe her. She was nice and genuinely upset."

Sheriff Joe Gets Thumbs Up from Eric Holder's Justice Department

Sheriff Joe would like to sell
underwear in Sunland-Tujunga

From the Wall Street Journal:

A federal audit gave favorable grades to Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio for his treatment of inmates, amid a Justice Department probe into possible discrimination by the Arizona lawman against Hispanic inmates.

This should be good for clickety-clicks.

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Thursday

-On 10/10/10, inspired by a 30 year old tradition originating from Bogota, Colombia, CicLAvia gets to do what only a presidential motorcade has done in the past; clear 7 1/2 miles of LA streets of cars for 5 hours.
Instead of secret service agents riding on the side of black suv's, the streets will be open only to pedestrians, skaters, and bicyclists.
CD4 candidate and transportation advocate Stephen Box couldn't be happier!

-In case you didn't know, Californians want to legalize marijuana, and not just for the recent tsunami of stressed out suffering teens that flood our local "collectives" up here in Sunland-Tujunga.

-Are Canadians wimpy? Of course they are.
The Canadian Dept of Foreign Affairs has issued a travel warning for citizens thinking of traveling to Mexico. Maybe the Canadian gov't is just covering their ass, but Mexico is as safe as just about anywhere else that's outside of Bel-Air. Just don't be buying drugs or trying to muscle your way in on somebody's human smuggling operation. My good friend, Abby Diamond, just returned from a very relaxing trip to northern Baja's Guadalupe Canyon, and an adventurous 61 year old guy from El Cajon is about to embark on a 1500 mile walking trek of Baja with his burro Don-Kay and 2 dogs.

-Jerry Brown began his campaign for governor just a few short weeks ago and already has gained significantly in the polls over billionaire Meg Whitman, who has been campaigning for almost a year to the tune of $120 million and at least that many annoying radio spots.

-E-Bay founder Pierre Omidyar, says he will NOT endorse Meg due to her support of Prop 8 and her selection of former governor and Prop 187 proponent Pete Wilson as her campaign manager.

And finally, Oh boy am I glad my name isn't Robert Rizzo, who's only barely good news for the day was that a judge reduced his bail from $3.2 million to $2 million. That should help!

Your turn.

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Wednesday

Fans in the Foothills are looking forward to a second act for Paul Krekorian in next year's election.  Except Lakeview Terrace activist Kristin Sabo who isn't yet convinced that Krekorian will fight creep from the CRA into the North Valley locale.

The bacon truck is the next big thing.  Not sure what Hamburger Jan Perry thinks of them rolling through South Central.  She's more concerned with imposing a nanny state on South Central LA where hamburgers are more dangerous than bullets.

Everyone is aghast at public pensions these days.  Meg Whitman has a great idea as she wants to put these pensions on the ballot for the people to chop up.  As opposed to Jerry Brown who want to put pensions on the state credit card.

Phil Jennerjahn has some fuzzy math on Tom LeBong's pension.  Still his overall premise that this guy shouldn't retire in luxury on the public dime is correct.

Adam Carolla: Legalize Drugs and Villaraigosa Fails

California League of Conservation Voters Endorses Jerry Brown

Breaking- DA Sweeps Bell- 8 City Officials In Custody

A face made to be a mug shot
Robert Rizzo-former Bell City Manager

LA County District Attorney Steve Cooley has initiated a raid this morning and arrested 8 Bell city officials on charges related to a salary scandal that emerged earlier this year.

From the LA Times;
[Updated at 10 a.m.: Former Bell City Manager Robert Rizzo, whose high salary sparked the outrage that led to the investigations of the city, was among those arrested in the sweep. No details have been released, but a source not authorized to speak publicly about the case said that Rizzo; former Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia; Mayor Oscar Hernandez; Councilmembers Luis Artiga, Teresa Jacobo and George Mirabal; and former Councilmembers George Cole and Victor Bello were among those arrested.]

Why Whitman Wins Big in November

It’s simple: More volunteer boots on the ground.

Last week’s headlines missed the point. Instead of focusing on the amount of cash Whitman has injected into her campaign, let’s look at more telltale topics like how Meg measures up in traditional voter confidence indicators.

Facts are facts, and these ones are black and white.

Whitman’s grassroots support exceeds that of Jerry Brown in quantifiable benchmark categories like community fundraising and volunteering.

Volunteers are a campaign’s bread and butter, and Meg’s got more than Jerry. Whitman reported 20,000 volunteers donated their time to her cause through the primary. Brown has yet to disclose his number of unpaid workers, suggesting his recruitment efforts have seen less success.

Whitman also maintains a comfortable fundraising edge over Jerry Brown, declaring $1.5 million to Brown’s $1.1 million raised in the first ten days of September. Donating to Whitman is like bringing sand to the beach, as KRLA’s Kevin James pointed out last week, but this hasn’t stopped voters who prefer Whitman to Brown from adding their own checkbooks to her famously well-funded war chest.

Since beginning her bid in 2009, Whitman has earned a considerable grassroots advantage over Brown that goes beyond her own cash.

At the end of the day, money doesn’t buy poll results – which Whitman leads by up to 7 points. And judging by the remarkable grassroots campaign she’s engineered, Meg Whitman knows her cash won’t buy her votes in November.

So let’s set finances aside. In six weeks, Whitman will pull out a comfortable win over Brown because her supporters are sacrificing and engaged in the fight.

That should give Meg more confidence than money can buy.

Benito Speaks

"The Republicans are so funny, when the economy is good you say let’s all celebrate “Cinco de Mayo, my brothers” but when the economy is down “it’s all your fault, you damn immigrant”. When most Americans (with Latin America roots) go to the polls this November we will remember that the GOP has gone on a nationwide rant in proposing and passing several anti-immigration legislation (that our US Courts continue to strike down) and have continue to blame the immigrant for the flat economy or worse. We will remember who stands with us and who stands against us, so trying to stop it now is somewhat funny, but go ahead, you will not change our minds. Plus the more radical of the GOP are now attacking our Constitution and our Bill of Rights, in a misguided attempt to garner some much needed votes, they really are fools, and leading the GOP towards obscurity because they are no longer a party of ideas, just of empty suits. Your hate made you do it, in November; you will reap what you have sown. I wonder what Abraham Lincoln would say about todays GOP, he unlike the current GOP was a man of ideas". -Benito

New Blogger Joins Mayor Sam

In an effort to add more voices and upgrade our content here at Mayor Sam we're actively seeking intelligent and thoughtful writers who in many cases may be new to blogging.

With this in mind it's my pleasure to introduce our latest "blogging burro" Alexandra Wolter.  Alexandra, or Ali for short, is an amazing young woman with an extensive political resume and direct access to many of Los Angeles' political figures, media personnel and thought leaders.

I announced Ali's joining the blog on LA Talk Radio's Live LA Saturday Night this past weekend where Ali sat in with Frank Sheftel and myself.  You can listen to the show by clicking here.

Alexandra Wolter graduated from Colgate University and is currently completing a Masters in Public Policy with an American Politics emphasis at Pepperdine University. As the lead researcher for a book on the national political landscape (set for 2011 release), Alexandra brings a measured perspective to the news of the day.

Alexandra developed an appreciation for research and writing while living and working in New York; Washington, DC; and London. There she specialized in public and civil sector relations.

Locally, Alexandra works with Thomas Partners Strategies to elect common sense candidates to public offices across the Southland. She also secures speakers for a variety of organizations around Los Angeles. With a campaign background in media and messaging and a passion for political strategy rooted in coalition-building, Alexandra is a fresh voice actively engaged in changing the face of Los Angeles politics. She is presently based in West LA. 

Ali will have her first post published her at Mayor Sam on Tuesday.  We hope you enjoy her reporting and analysis.

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Monday

Dream with me!

Bloomberg profiles Villaraigosa hatchet man Austin Beutner who says that LA needs to "grow up and focus on things that matter." In the piece former Mayor Dick Riordan says Beutner could be a possible candidate for Mayor in 2013.  That probably won't sit well with Riordan's buddies at the Clean Sweep campaign. Oh, Eli Broad agrees too.

Jane the Joker on Clownman's jihad against pot shops: "We're trying to be proactive."

A bunch of NIMBYS and Dangerous Enemies of Freedom (and prosperity) in Stupido City have been fighting to block NBC from moving thousands of high paying entertainment jobs from Burbank to the City of Los Angeles at the Universal City Metro Station.  Their economic terrorism has resulted in a delay to the NBC project however the Conan O'Brien debacle is at least providing an opportunity for NBC to make a partial move. The studio created for the red headed comedian's version of the NBC at Universal Studios institution is being retrofitted for the KNBC local news operation to move over along with some of their tabloid entertainment news shows.  NBC has sold their historic Burbank facilities to developers and will eventually have to move out.

Betty Pleasant is finding picking friends based on their enmity to Bernard Parks isn't working out for her.

Emergency Preparedness Month kicked off last week.  The LA Fire Department Blog has good tips on being prepared for good sanitation and being safely and comfortably dressed in a disaster.

Betty Does it Again

"Mayor Sam can kiss my Black a@#!"

Betty Pleasant sure doesn't have much luck when she picks her friends.  She got behind the candidacy of city contracted non-profit operator Forescee Hogan-Rowles who may mount a challenge next year to Councilman Bernard Parks. Rowles however has had trouble with the City's Ethics Commission.

Then she called anti-Expo Line activist Damien Goodman her "baby brother in kick-butt activism."  Kick butt was right as Goodman was allegedly arrested in May of this year in a domestic violence incident invlolving his live in girlfirend.

Usually Betty likes anyone who opposes City Councilman Bernard Parks with whom she has an unnatural obsession with.  Betty didn't like it when we exposed her buddies and her answer was to tell us that she "owns" the Black community.  As lame a statement that is at least it's a bit classier than when Ms UN-Pleasant told Phil Jennerjahn I could "kiss her Black ass."

Well Betty has done it again.  She shoots off her mouth and it just backfires every time. If she just didn't irrationally hate Bernard Parks so much.

On September 15th Betty was rambling on as usual in her Soulvine "column" in the Los Angeles Wave.  Betty was excited to hear that State Senator Roderick Wright is thinking of running for Parks' Council seat in 2011. (Not sure if Betty has forsaken Hogan-Rowles)

On September 16th however Wright, a good friend to the poker industry, was arraigned in Superior Court on eight felony charges following an extensive District Attorney's office investigation.

Betty sure knows how to pick 'em.  Maybe she should spend some time at the track.

Caption this.................

"PANCHO HUIZAR!!"

Your thoughts..............

Scott Johnson in CD 14

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Friday

City Controller Wendy Greuel has come out with a report that says that with $111,000,000 in Obama Stimulus Funds the City of Los Angeles was only able to create 55 new shovel ready jobs. That comes to about $2 million per job. Cynthia Ruiz, President of Los Angeles Board of Public Works responded by saying "We're hoping to have some changes in the next six months." And you all wonder why people are pissed.

There's more...

Read more »

A Day with Jerry Brown

Here is the first video to come out of my day as Jerry Brown's videographer. The segment I shot was Jerry attending the Mexican Independence Day Parade & Festival in East LA. I'm told that there are more clips coming;

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Thursday

Los Angeles's public libraries serve tens of thousands of school children every day yet they are under attack from the City's Mayor.  Patrick Range McDonald, writing in the LA Weekly, reports that the City has decimated the libraries through draconian budget and service cuts.  While the economy has hampered public budgets all over the country, of major cities, only LA's elected leaders have not fought to save the venerable institutions.  McDonald notes that Mayor Villaraigosa, like Mayor Bloomberg of New York, chose to cut to the bone in the library's budget.  Unlike New York however LA's City Council rolled over and allowed the Mayor to strike a blow against literacy.

There's more...

Read more »

The Billionaire Democracy

She's done it!

Meg Whitman has spent more of her own money on her campaign than any candidate for political office in US history! Her personal contribution to buy the governorship of California has reached a staggering $119 million and counting.

This is either one hell of a vanity project, and/or sadly, California may be about to be sold to the highest bidder.

WTF? Pink Pig Lands on LA Times

Update: Part of a Verizon commercial shoot.

New Commercials Not Working For Jerry

The RCP Average shows Meg Whitman continually adding to her numbers on a daily basis. Another uptick as of today as the poll of polls puts Whitman at five points above Governor Moonbeam outside the margin of error.

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Wednesday

No more free tickets to events for Mayor Villaraigosa and other elected officials if the LA Ethics Commission has it's way.  The panel has voted that if an elected official wants to stay at Laker game, the Oscars, Latin Grammys after conducting an official presentation or making a speech they must pay for their tickets. Dopey Commissioner Nedra Jenkins was the lone dissenting vote thinking the City looks good if Villaraigosa is schmoozing George Lopez or Paris Hilton at events.

There's more...

Read more »

Jerry Brown Releases 2 New Ads

Public Service Announcement: Jerry Brown is now campaigning. Actually he has been campaigning for some time, just nowhere near the $125 million dollar level that the non voting billionaire has. Trivia: Meg Whitman's campaign is the biggest spending non-presidential campaign in American history.

Meg Gets Clinton Bounce

Following Jerry Brown's latest fail (#34 in a series - collect them all) in which he went on a bizarre rant against Bill Clinton today's latest Real Clear Politics polls show a slight bounce for Meg and a bit of a drop for Jerry.

Even though the former President later offered a tepid endorsement of Jerry (one the LA Times wasn't surprised about) it appears to be too little too late on this issue.  Meg most likely will now pull the ad, the damage having been done and move on to the next salvo.  Leaving Brown little time to recover let alone prep for the coming missive.  Team Whitman has obviously shown they're framing the campaign discussion and so far doing so in their favor.

Does CD 1 Councilman Ed Reyes support youth voting for increase beer and wine sales in Lincoln Heights?

Will CD 1 Councilman Ed Reyes support Lincoln Heights residents, wading through more beer and wine sales?

Note the name of Action Slate Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council Youth Representative Daniel Lopez.

Straight forward question for CD 1 City Councilman Ed Reyes. Do you condone/ support under the age of 18 members of the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council, voting to oppose or support, increase beer and wine sales?

After all, you can't legally smoke, drink, be out on the streets after curfew, or fight and die for your country, until your eighteenth birthday. But in the fiefdom control by your cronies on the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council, they did just that.

At the September 2 meeting of the LHNC, as the Youtube videos below showcase, the two youth members of the LHNC were first, included in the roll call to establish quorum, then one of the two voted to opposed the motion the deny a beer and wine license to the 7-11 Franchise, located on Broadway and Eestlake.

For LHNC Youth Rep Daniel Lopez, who was part of the Action Slate faction that took control of the LHNC in the Spring of 2010, these must be heady times for the young man. Imagine being able to tell your classmate at Lincoln high School, that you were able to vote on increasing the choices for buying booze, for that Friday nights party on Flattop.

But more disturbing than the fact that minors are exploited for adults personal gains, is the numerous Brown Act violations that can be seen in the series of videos. One can notice that supposed LHNC President Esther Rojas, is not actually presiding over the meeting. It is Vice-President Ben Wadsworth, who is running the show. This is the same group who also feels that Public comment should only be allow if "time permits".

For the record, this bunch will meet again this Thursday, September 16, 2010, 6PM, at the Lincoln Heights Library basement, to formally support the petition for the 7-11 beer and wine license. No word whether Councilman Reyes will attend to present Daniel Lopez with "certification of appreciation".

Your Thoughts..............

Scott Johnson in CD 14

You Tubes Videos.

Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council Meeting on 9/2/10, Part 1

Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council Meeting on 9/2/10, Part 2

Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council Meeting on 9/2/10, Part 3

Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council Meeting on 9/2/10, Part 4

Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council Meeting on 9/2/10, Part 5

Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council Meeting on 9/2/10, Part 6

Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council Meeting on 9/2/10, Part 7

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Tuesday

Los Angeles elected officials would love to lure major manufacturing plants to the region, especially anything that has the "green" tag attached to it but it's business climate is so hostile to business the big factories may take a look but are going elsewhere.  The latest hit is Coda Motors, an upstart electric car company that is picking the East Bay town of Benicia in Northern California for it's assembly facility.  The Bay Area has succesfully attracted the technology industry to center there, particularly in very business friendly Santa Clara County while LA only attracts taco trucks.

There's more...

Read more »

Jerry Brown Losing It

RCP: Whitman Surges; Boxer-Fiorina Now Neck and Neck

Latest reports from the neutral website Real Clear Politics show some not good news for the two Democrats at the top of the ticket.

RCP has listed for some time both the California Governor and Senate races as toss-ups and continue to do so. However recent polls show both the Republican ladies moving up in recent days.

At the end of August Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman were dead even at 43 and some change points in the RCP poll of polls. However, as of the end of last week Whitman has gained several points on Brown as apparently independents are starting to decide.  As of today, Whitman is up four points over Brown though Brown has been ahead most of the campaign.

Over on the Senate side the race between incumbent Barbara Boxer and businesswoman Carly Fiorina is a squeaker as the former Hewlett-Packard CEO is catching up.  Still a toss-up in RCP's view, even though Boxer has been ahead most of the summer, less than 3/10ths of one percent separate the two in the poll of polls even though individual polls put Fiorina slightly ahead.  Like Whitman, Fiorina has made up considerable ground so far this September.

Stay tuned!

Meg Whitman meets with Grass Roots Latino Activists in El Sereno

Republican Candidate for Governor Meg Whitman takes questions from the audience, at her "meet and greet" with Grass-Roots Latino Activists at CHARO in El Sereno.

Meg Whitman engages audience member, in discussing her stance on Immigration.

Meg Whitman poses with audience member Tim Ortiz.

While Democratic Candidate for Governor Jerry Brown was being paraded through the street of East Los Angeles (read Joe B's post below), Republican Candidate Meg Whitman venture into the confines of the "Cut and Paste Republic of CD 14", for a "meet and greet" with Latino Grass Roots Activists, in El Sereno.

Whitman after brief opening remarks, took questions from the audience and showcase her vast knowledge of the issues, ranging from immigration to education. The audience members, representing a mosaic of community groups, were impress with Whitman's grasps of the issues and generally incline to favor her in her quest to become governor.

In viewing the familiar faces in the crowd, one has to note that if Whitman can forge an alliance with these decades-long veterans of community activism, her chances in making inroads into the Latino Community, will improve immensely.

In meeting with these activists, Whitman knows that she must gain their support and harness the "political foot soldiers", that she needs to engage a disgruntled latino electorate, who have been victimize by their own politicos, in places such as Bell, South Gate, LAUSD and 200 South Spring Street.

Now with weeks turning into days before election day, Whitman needs to seal the deal and put these activists to work, if she is to cut into the advantage of the Latino Labor Left, in Los Angeles County.

Your thoughts..............

Scott Johnson in CD 14

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Monday

Which Los Angeles City Officials have agreed to a pay cut? We gave some details on Saturday but this report from ABC 7 goes into further detail.



There's more...

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Learn about Natural Gas Safety at Your Home

From our friends at the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Jerry Brown in East LA

Danny "Machete" Trejo in East LA today

I had the pleasure of being the videographer for the Brown Campaign today in East LA. The occasion was the Mexican Independence Day Parade and Festival, an annual event that draws thousands to Cesar Chavez Blvd. Jerry spoke at the event for less than a minute after which the crowd erupted in a standing ovation and with chants of his name. The celebration and chants continued along the entire packed parade route as the star of "Machete", Danny Trejo, stood on the second level of the double decker Brown bus leading the cheers. Meg may have an office in the area, but from what I saw and heard today, Jerry Brown undoubtedly owns the respect and admiration of the residents of East LA.

This post is, of course, just an excuse so that I can once again embed the trailer for "Machete". In theaters now!

Jerry Brown's Plan for the Economy

Great piece in the National Review that shows how Jerry Brown's spin that he's some sort of fiscal conservative is just one big joke when you look at his record as Governor.  The point being while Jerry talked budget cuts and fiscal pragmatism he enlarged the size of government through additional boards and agencies and he is directly responsible for the growth in power of public employee unions which is the source of most of the issues government is having now.

We Will Never Forget

Saturday Hotsheet

With the City in a deep financial doo doo Los Angeles' elected leaders are being asked to share the pain but some of them are going kicking and screaming.  Ten of Los Angeles City Council members have agreed to some pay cut, five have not.  Newest member Paul Krekorian and President Eric Garcetti have agreed to a 10% pay cut. Krekorian's staff has also volunteered for pay and budget cuts and have given up all their City owned cars. The Mayor has agreed to a 16% cut while Controller Wendy Greuel is forgoing 7%.  However Councilman Bernard Parks and City Attorney Carmen Trutanich are among those refusing to cut their pay.

What is one reason to vote yes on the coming California ballot measure to legalize pot, according to CurbedLA? With legal pot in stores drug related violence in Mexico could lessen.

It was good for Hillary Clinton so why not for a neighborhood council? Silver Lake daVine reports that The Silver Lake Neighborhood Council will be open today for "listening." Whatever that means.

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The Promoinator Pushing Cali Wine in Hangzhou

What else would you do in this stage of your governorship?

-Speaking of Republican Governors and those that wanna-be; Gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman, in her ongoing quest ($104 million so far) to buy the governor's office, has come up with a few, uh, corporate ideas for California:

* Replacement of 40,000 state employees by outsourcing or privatizing state services to for-profit corporations.
* Major reduction or outright elimination of a wide range of business taxes.
* Cutting back funding for California's underfunded public education system, apparently by reducing "50 categorical grants, many of which which are duplicative and far to prescriptive, into simplified grants... "
* Her firm pledge to roll back California's historic clean energy and climate legislation, at least for a year, in her continued effort to help corporations at all costs.

-And lately, every time I hear "Governor, Outsourcing, and Corporations" in a story, my thoughts go immediately to Sunland-Tujunga's former hometown girl gone wrong, Jan Brewer, and her love affair with the corporate prison system. Hey, no SB1070 connection here, right? Just asking.

-It's September and what's with the butt cold nights? Why not do what Abby Diamond is doing this weekend and visit the amazing Guadalupe Oasis Hot Springs, located just an hour or so east of Tijuana. This isolated and primitive resort is one of northern Baja's best kept secrets. Don't try to drive in yourself unless you're sporting a 4x4. See their website for alternative means of access.

LA Back in the Day

Jack Humphreville's Cheap Shot

Jack Humphreville, an otherwise good guy who some folks would like to see run against Tom Le Bong, nearly loses all credibility in a screed against VICA and it's President Stuart Waldman for VICA's opposition to the idea of a Ratepayer Advocate for the DWP.

How did Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, this time Jack is being a dick do that?

He opens up his rant with an unkind reference to Waldman's weight.

Now perhaps as a calorically challenged American myself I'm a bit sensitive to such charges even if I have dropped 60 pounds since the end of June. But it really makes Jack lose all credibility - and when it comes to the DWP Jack has a lot - to let his anger at Waldman's position let him take a cheap shot.

I've known Stuart for nearly 20 years since our days at Valley College and working on the Clinton campaign (yes sadly I was once a Democrat but I got over it). He was skinny then. But age, marriage, whatever brings more weight and its not an easy struggle.

On the surface the Ratepayer Advocate sounds like a nice idea. But nice ideas are not necessarily good ones. The devil is in the details. The DWP is so messed up it may take more than the Ratepayer Advocate to fix things.

Jack has a right to disagree with VICA; I've done more than that myself calling it a useless organization and getting a nasty email from my old friend Stuart. But I don't think I called Stuart fat.

Reasonable people can disagree and perhaps if they are willing, we would love to have Jack and Stuart reasonably disagree on this topic at this blog.

Jack, however if he wants to be a politician, must not let his anger get the best of him and call names.

That's my job.

Have a nice weekend dum dums.