Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Wednesday

Councilman Paul Krekorian passed Tuesday a series of changes as to how the City's system of neighborhood councils do business, but the legislation was characterized by some as more so "improvements" than reform.  In the meantime, Department of Neighborhood Empowerment General Manager BongHwan Kim is reportedly floating a proposal where the panels must garner voter participation equal to one percent of their population. Blogger Joseph Mailander supports the move, while Village to Village's Paul Hatfield finds huge fault. In my view, the one percent solution is a good idea.  Neighborhood councils, with a few exceptions, are noted for profligate spending on "projects" and put little if any resources or efforts towards outreach. I noted to Mailander my own experience where while serving on the MidTown North Hollywood Neighborhood Council the board opted to cancel a budget for election advertising and bought uniforms for local high school cheerleaders. I think it's appropriate to expect the panels to achieve some level of viability if they're going to have access to tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars.



Mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel has declared that her fundraising prowess names her top of the pack but CityWatch says not so fast. The municipal affairs blog reviews much of Greuel's career and finds not a lot of there there.

Mayor Villaraigosa went to Sacramento to rail against Proposition 13.  Might as well, Jerry Brown is back in the Governor's Mansion and I hear that pet rocks are coming back, too.