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Friday, January 07, 2011

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Friday

I'm not sure if Ron Kaye and the folks at the LA Weekly are surprised by this, but apparently Mayor Villaraigosa knew about plans by AEG to propose that the city-owned West Hall of the Convention Center be torn down for an NFL football stadium, months or perhaps years before it went public.  This, of course, was unknown to everyone else while other plans were being made for Convention Center business and an NFL stadium elsewhere.

Despite the fact that he wrote letters on his behalf, Antonio Villaraigosa won't say whether or not he agrees with Arnold Schwarzenegger's decision to reduce the murder sentence of Esteban Nunez, son of former State Assembly Speaker and Schwarzenegger/Villaraigosa BFF, Fabian Nunez.  We do remember that the Mayor did speak of the young convict as "...a good boy.

The first candidate's forum for CD12 took place Wednesday night at the Chatsworth Neighborhood Council.  All six candidates on the ballot were in attendance where the topics covered equestrianism and developers. Oh and apparently current CD12 flack Mitchell Englander not mentioning his day job.


Question: Does the fact that well heeled LA activist Jack Humphreville was seen at the newly made-over CD4 candidate Stephen Box Thursday evening indicate perhaps some money muscle behind the bicycle advocate's run against controversial Councilman and banana bread eater Tom LaBonge? Humphreville, owner of a minor media empire was sought by others to run for the spot himself but opted not to.  Box is looking even more like a Councilman than LeBong himself these days.  If he chose to, Humphreville could raise significant money for Box.

Phil Jennerjahn details how the Jose Huizar push-poll works; making it look like Huizar is even more popular than Jesus, Himself.

CD4 candidate Tomas O'Grady joined a group of folks protesting City plans to turn over the art center at Barnsdall Park to a connected non-profit.  Current patrons are concerned that such plans could jeopardize public access to the facilities.

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53 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said:

"Anyone but Englander" should be the battle cry!

January 07, 2011 1:05 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

I wonder why he listed himself Police Officer first, which is a volunteer reserve position, rather than than his professional position working for Councilmember Greig Smith, hmmm.

January 07, 2011 1:20 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Mitchell Englander has on the ballot that he is a police officer. Nowhere does he mention that he is a chief of staff to Greig Smith.

January 07, 2011 3:01 AM  

Anonymous trojan2002 said:

In the past, I've been blasted on MS for saying Englander will be the next Clowncil member.
But now even Michael seems resigned to accept this.
CD12 is a test, not CD14. Sorry red spot.
Why is CD12 a test?
Because Englander has been running for the seat for almost 8 years. He moved into the district only a few years ago, he is more loyal to developers (AEG) and unions thanks to his family connections.
He's a fake Republican. I think he registered himself as a Republican once he got the job running Keith Richman's campaigns and continued to be a Republican when Smith gave him the job. His uncle, the infamous Harvey Englander, is one of the founders of the LA Young Dems group and Mitch has been seen at YD events.
Though he has shown in my experiences with him a lot of care, thoughtfulness and commitment to valley issues, I know he's a full of it.
The guy is a phony.

The sad part is he will win because no one with a real shot stepped up to take him on.

He has tactically played this campaign well so far. He's been on the down low, avoiding as many public appearances as he could until now.

Someone needs to bring the heat, and keep his ass accountable.

And newsflash to CD12 supporters of him... Mayor Englander is what he wants not Councilman Englander. Just like Zine putting the interest of downtown ahead of his district... expect the same.

January 07, 2011 6:07 AM  

Blogger Michael Higby said:

Mayor Englander? along with City Attorney Gatto? Time to leave the City at that point. The weenies will have taken over. We could even bring back Lloyd Levine and some of the other party boys.

January 07, 2011 8:13 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Mayor Sam, are you still a Zine fan? What do you think about his getting a Costco for Woodland Hills?

What's the matter with that? Your buddy Joe B is against jobs and sales tax POURING into a neighborhood. Do you feel the same way?

A recession-proof place like Costco can keep a community alive in hard times. The Costco on Tampa is ANCIENT. It's one of the oldest Costcos in the U.S.

So what's the matter with that? You obviously love groceries. I'd have thought that this is a no brainer for you.

January 07, 2011 8:24 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Once again, Michael Higby proves that he just "mails it in," without doing any real analysis.

January 07, 2011 8:25 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Yeah, it's about as unsavory as shark fin soup. You really need to re-evaluate what goes on behind the scenes.

January 07, 2011 8:25 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

I thought mentions of Phil Jennerjahn were banned on this blog since he doesn't take comments on his own blog. I thought Higby didn't want Phil using MS as his personal toilet.

January 07, 2011 8:27 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

I don't know Mitch Englander, nor am I familiar with any substantive issues of the area.

But the issue is the same with the morons in cd14 who can't find anyone better than jose or rudy.

YOU GET THE REPRESENTATION THAT YOU VOTE (OR DON'T VOTE) FOR. STUPID IS FOUND IN ALL COUNCIL DISTRICTS.


Imagine: "NOONE" in LaBong's district is running against him. You're telling me that there's "NOONE" better in that District than MORON, ASSHOLE, OBNOXIOUS, CHILDISH, GOOFBALL, DICKHEAD TOM LABONG?

The idiots in LaBong's district couldn't find any one better than Steven Box?

Box is so out of it that he had to be told a thousand times to drop the STUPID hat, the stupid facial hair, and all that goes with it.

That's the best they could find. And Walter Moore was right about it. You have to come across as a person with enough common sense to dress properly for the job.

And that's the best they could come up with to challenge the man-child Tom LaBong.

They get the reprsentation they vote for. Again, I do not know CD12 and I do not know Englander. But it's the best option out of a bad bunch.

Higby didn't even NAME any of the challengers! That's how bad they're doing. They can't even get name recognition on a small time blog.

January 07, 2011 8:33 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Mayor Sam, isn't there a moratorium on Jennerjahn mentions? Does that rule just apply to us?

January 07, 2011 8:36 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

I couldn't say it better myself.

This is as disturbing as the John Wheeler story, but I think we're still waiting to hear how that turns out. Meanwhile, Obama is in Landover Maryland today, and he's getting a very chilly reception.

January 07, 2011 8:40 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Rick was just 13 when his father opened the company, fyi.

January 07, 2011 8:42 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Yeah, and we'll find out when it coems down to the vote. Big laughs down the road.

January 07, 2011 8:42 AM  

Blogger Cliff Pileggi said:

Yeah, Phil Jennerjohns RULES!

I'm a big fan of he!

January 07, 2011 8:44 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

What kind of JACKASS posts wall-sized photos of himself? No, I'm not talking about Englander. I'm talking about Zuma Dogg. I love it when he meltdown about all of the celebrities he claims to know but doesn't.

January 07, 2011 8:45 AM  

Anonymous Manfred Ulmann said:

Very well stated.

January 07, 2011 8:45 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

I think Mitch Englander has that woman as a "beard." There is something about him that "just doesn't add up," wink, wink, if ya know what I mean. I get the same vibe from Jennerjahn. I like Phil, and think his rants are funny. But something doesn't quite add up about either of these guys.

January 07, 2011 8:47 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

jason fuhrman will be working with him.

January 07, 2011 8:49 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Yeah, but he helped prevent matters from sinking further. That's the definition of a stellar operative.

Heather H. can verify this if you'd talk with her. I'm sure she'd be glad to speak with you.

January 07, 2011 8:50 AM  

Anonymous Retired LAUSD said:

It's a policy that he fought for for nearly two years! It'll make a real difference for the fiscal outlook. They should take advantage of the tax break. That's worth applauding. That's good.

January 07, 2011 8:52 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

It's a powerful new initiative that will bring growth if there are investments people are willing to make in order to grow their businesses and the economy. The overall climb in the rate is good news. But Heather is the authority on this. Try seeing what she says first. She's credible.

January 07, 2011 8:53 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

I think it's an honor to even be considered. But that's just me. I'm sure others would agree with me.

Higby, you must know that things just don't meet the eye with him.

January 07, 2011 8:55 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Heather, indeed. Talk about an unsung hero!

January 07, 2011 8:56 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

believe me, if she ran, which I hope she does, I'd vote for her in a heartbeat.

January 07, 2011 8:56 AM  

Blogger Cliff Pileggi said:

To retired l.a.u.s.d.,

It sounds like you've researched it more than most of us, so please keep us updated on it. PS, love your comments on red spot's ridiculousness.

January 07, 2011 8:58 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Higby you are so fucking gullible! Why don't you give credit to Heather? She's behind a whole lot of great things going on behind the scenes. Mysogynist?

January 07, 2011 9:00 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

I would LOOOOOOVE a new costco in my district!

January 07, 2011 9:01 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

I'm a fan of heather's too and would love to see her run for a council district seat.

I hope it doesn't compromise her integrity. Things like this always seem to do just that.

January 07, 2011 9:03 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

If anyone can be a budget hawk like this, they'd sure as shit have my vote.

What matters is experience in a senior policy role, which is what she is de facto.

January 07, 2011 9:04 AM  

Anonymous Danny Boyle said:

I don't think being a corporate lobbyist for AT&T helps.

January 07, 2011 9:05 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Man, it's 9am and there aren't any cd14 updates! There's usually two by now!

January 07, 2011 9:09 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Rick was just 13 when his father opened the company, fyi

January 07, 2011 9:42 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

I like Phil, and think his rants are funny. But something doesn't quite add up about either of these guys.

January 07, 2011 9:43 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Yeah, but he helped prevent matters from sinking further. That's the definition of a stellar operative.

Heather H. can verify this if you'd talk with her. I'm sure she'd be glad to speak with you.

January 07, 2011 9:44 AM  

Blogger Cliff Pileggi said:

I KNOW HEATHER H. I GUARANTEE YOU THAT IF SHE WAS GONNA RUN, SHE WOULD HAVE MY VOTE AND LOTSA OTHER PEOPLES VOTES!

GO HEATHER!
GO PHIL!

January 07, 2011 9:44 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Fan of Heather H. here too!

January 07, 2011 9:46 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Jack H. wouldn't be that dumb to endorse Box. Mitch Englander is proving to be shady, corrupt and just a lying bastard. The media is reporting he never mentioned his employment as a Council staff but like the Failure of a Mayor using LAPD to get elected. THis is total crap and really is pissing off a lot of Valley cops. He's a damn VOLUNTEER not a "real cop" and WHY not? Did he fail the polygraph, physical etc. The fact that little Englander has all the city council endorsing is a huge red flag. He's already showing "guilt by association." He's lying or failing to tell people he's a city hall insider cause he knows there's a huge backlash against City Hall people otherwise why not tell the truth. Word is anyone but BOX. Why did BOX just become a citizen and he's pissed off a lot of people with his crap. All Box is a bike guy plain and simple and a good nerd on a computer. That's it.

January 07, 2011 9:55 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

So, let me see if I understand the level of deterioration here...

To follow up here on Walter Moore's "voodoo math" describing Huizar's last (66 to 30 percent) re-election as "squeeking by" Mayor Sam's links to Phil Jennerjahn's treatise on how HE knows better today than pollsters who actually spoke to hundreds of people in the district -- what the spread is between Huizar and Martinez (neither of while would probably ever return Phil's phone call).

That's it, right? Two of the BIGGEST loser candidates to run for office in L.A. in recent history are "handicapping" the re-election of a councilmember who's never lost a race? And who's won most by double digits?

You deserve what you get, Higby. You deserve what you get!

There isn't enough ridicule to reward you.

January 07, 2011 10:05 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Trojan2002:

So there's a problem with someone, despite being a Republican, attending events for friends/colleagues across the aisle?

Last I checked, potholes and sidewalks were non-partisan issues.

Also, have you never disagreed with anyone in your family on political issues?

January 07, 2011 10:24 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Englander's smile on that poster is "THE" cheesiest, phony smile I've ever seen. And you gotta wonder how much Clorox he used on his teeth. Again, fake like Villaraigosa.

It apparently was so much Clorox that it burned off his entire upper lip.

January 07, 2011 10:29 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

A recession-proof place like Costco can keep a community alive in hard times. The Costco on Tampa is ANCIENT. It's one of the oldest Costcos in the U.S.

January 07, 2011 10:30 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Why is CD12 a test?
Because Englander has been running for the seat for almost 8 years. He moved into the district only a few years ago.

January 07, 2011 10:31 AM  

Anonymous Retired LAUSD said:

Trojen 2002 is right. Englander will be the next Clowncil member but "NOONE" cares about wvalley north.

January 07, 2011 10:47 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Englander is not such a bad thing for the Council. There may be better candidates, but I haven't heard any of them running. There are certainly far worse people, nut-jobs and single-issue types, who make a lot of noise but do nothing, but at least Mitch has been in City Hall a long time, knows the ropes, and won't mess up on his first day. Mitch has a lot of support from folks in his CD as well as the whole of City Hall, and will get the valuable endorsements of Zine and Trutanich. He's a shoe in.

January 07, 2011 11:12 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Yeah right everyone thought Chris Essel was a shoe in to with her millions and guess what? SHE LOST. It going to hurt little man Mitch Englander because he's so tied up not only in City Hall but developers and he's the nephew of the corrupt lobbysist firm Harvey Englander. Why is Mitch not telling the truth to people as pointed out in Daily News today that he's working in city hall? That already goes to the heart of a slime ball with no character. Look at his website and the little man has tons of photos of himself in uniform. Looks like Napoleon Sydrome to me. The internet and emails already flying on anyone but him. The PEOPLE helped get Krekorian in and the PEOPLE can help keep Englander OUT especially now with the negatives coming out.

January 07, 2011 11:31 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

VALUABLE endorsements of Zine and Trutanich? You mean valuable to the other candidates. This isn't two years ago.

January 07, 2011 11:44 AM  

Anonymous trojan2002 said:

11:12... yeah... that's the point. mitch knows city hall inside and out! He's already an insider.
How have insiders worked out for us so far?
The dude has been in the gutter business that last 15 years.
Just because he knows the ropes (the tricks) doesn't make him a good candidate.
Is there a better candidate running? NO. And that has been my point.
The other 5 candidate are not in it to win it. They are just in it. None of them has a broad appeal.None of them have reached out to different parts of the district.
I know mitch will win.
I don't like it that he will win. I think the old timers of CD12 that are pushing him are what's wrong with not just the CD and the valley, but the city overall.
We have old stale folks who get attached to the same corrupt staffers and perpetuate the BS because they like the proximity of power. They are not thinking about what's good long term. They like the fact that they have Mitch's cell phone number.

Also Mitch is not Greig Smith.
Greig may have been a COS that became clowncil member. But at least he lived in the district over almost 30 years before he won. he had a small business and went into politics that way. Mitch is a career politics guy. And career politicians don't put the constituents first, they put special interest first.

Mitch may be for horses... until AEG comes along and says they want to build a mixed use project in chatsworth... then what!?

my point in all of this is that if the voters of LA weren't so disinterested (and sheep like) we would have a more democratic process of electing local officials. Unions and developers wouldn't be the anointing and final decision making politburo.

January 07, 2011 2:10 PM  

Anonymous g said:

THE CD-14 RACE POINTS OUT YOUR REAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHY WERE IN THIS FINANCIAL MESS. YOU DON'T LIKE MITCH ENGLANDER FOR GOOD REASON YET YOU GIVE IN TO THE POWERS IN PLACE AND THE MEDIA WHO SEAL YOUR FATE. "WHAT WIMPS"! THE ONLY REASON ANY CANDIDATE IS A SHOE-IN IS BECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE YOU LET A FEW CITY HALL LEADERS MAKE UP YOUR MIND AND THE SHEEP WHO FOLLOW YOU. ELECTION SHOULD WON BY NON- PARTISON PEOPLE AND THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE FREE TO MAKE THERE OWN CHOICES NOT BE INFLUENCED BY A FEW "STUPID CIVIC LEADERS" THAT SCREWED EVERYONE IN THE FIRST PLACE. I WENT TO THE DEBATE, WHERE WERE YOU?, I HEARD FROM THEIR OWN, IN SOME CASES LYING MOUTH'S. THAT'S THE WAY TO MAKE DECISIONS BY LISTENING TO THEM AND MAKING JUDGEMENTS NOT LET OTHERS TELL YOU WHAT TO DO OR THINK. I JUST DON'T GET THIS GIVE UP ATTITUDE SOME OF YOU HAVE. WHAT LOSERS! BUT NOT AT MY EXPENSE. THERE'S A DEABATE IN GRANADA HILLS JAN 31 GO TO IT.

January 07, 2011 5:19 PM  

Anonymous trojan2002 said:

5:19 are you comments geared towards me?
And you would know I didn't go to the forum how?
I don't believe I said who I would be voting for.
But you really think any of the other 5 candidates, who hired professional signature gathers, has a shot at Mitch?

A guy with questionable character, questionable affiliations and (in my opinion) a carpetbagger, is winning the seat.
Is that a give up mentality? Maybe. Or it's just me being a realist.

I'm sure Michael is looking forward to Clowncilman Englander more than Mitch is. His balls will be broken, right?

Has anyone realized that the valley has a 1/3 of the clown seats and 4 of the 5 have a history of questionable connections and actions? Zine, Smith- Englander, Koretz & Alarcon.
The new 4 stooges?!
Koretz= Curly
Zine= More
Alarcon= Shemp
Smith/Englander=Larry

January 07, 2011 9:14 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

It seems to me that the majority of the people in CD 12 are gearing up to back, endorse and vote for Brad Smith.

Now that there is a chosen one to run against Mitchell, there will be more people than you can imagine coming out of the woodwork to vote for Brad.

He's getting more and more endorsements and he has met with all of the Mitchell haters who wish to remain nameless but there are enough to knock Mitchell out of the race!

January 09, 2011 4:30 AM  

Anonymous trojan2002 said:

4:30am...
he has no major endorsements.
If anything, his website's endorsement page proves I am right: he is only "known" in granada hills because he was on the GHSNC. He has no broad support.
When he picks up a major endorsement I'll say he could pose as a challenge.
Sadly, Mitch will win around 70-80% of the vote in March and there will be no runoff.

January 09, 2011 8:54 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

DPSFV is a major endorsements. Now half of the Dems will have to endorse Brad or risk losing their endorsements. With a DPSFV endorsement, comes phone bankers and walkers who have been waiting for a Dem in CD 12 their entire lives.

Don't get too excited.

January 10, 2011 5:05 AM  

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