Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Tuesday

 Building Inspector Raoul Germain taking cash for building permits.

If you are still naive enough to think that corrupt building inspectors like Raoul Germain were just rouge entities in the City of Los Angeles Building and Safety Department, consider this quote from his attorney upon Germain's sentencing yesterday.

Raoul Germain, 60, of Altadena was “very remorseful” about his deeds but also did not cooperate with federal investigators trying to determine the extent of corruption within the Department of Building and Safety, said his lawyer, Steven Cron. Asked why Germain did not help with the FBI probe, Cron responded: “What do you think happens to someone who cooperates?

“There is certainly the possibility of danger to oneself or one’s family,” the lawyer added.

Onward and upwards, this scandal continues...............
** FBI statement here.

Airiel protest over City Hall

This qualifies as one of the unique forms of protests over a Mayor Antonio Villar policy issue during his reign as Third Floor office holder. As the LA Times reports, Saber, a longtime graffiti artist in Los Angeles, is up in an airplane skywriting. He's sharing his creations on Twitter along the way. His messages include “End Mural Moratorium” and “Art Is Not A Crime,”  But as memory dictates, there was a certain public mural in East Hollywood that some were not too pleased with.
** LA Weekly Editor Jill Stewart's take on Saber's protest.

Your thoughts..............
Scott Johnson in CD 14