LA Times's David Zahniser: "L.A. Councilman office accused of blackballing appointment"

We noted yesterday in our post regarding the controversy at the Historic Downtown BID over Councilman Huizar's strong arm tactics in blackballing Roberto Saldana as a candidate for the Executive Director position, that more news would be forthcoming. This morning the LA Time's David Zahniser has this report ..... and a certain councilman is not looking good. Excerpts with pictures and video below.

  Attorney Roberto Saldana.

"I think there's no question that Roberto would have made the ideal candidate in a vacuum, where we weren't being pressured by Huizar's office," board member Josh Gray-Emmer told the audience. "Huizar's office blackballed Roberto, plain and simple. And we decided that we wanted to move forward."

CD 14 City Councilman Jose Huizar

Not long after they made their decision, however, Councilman Jose Huizar got involved, board members and business leaders said. What followed, critics assert, was an unusually public and petty use of City Hall power to punish an adversary's ally.

Video of Downtown Developer Tom Gilmore calling out the Historic Downtown BID for selling their soul to Councilman Huizar.

Wednesday's vote also infuriated prominent downtown developer and former board member Tom Gilmore, who said afterward that he would pull five buildings out of the business improvement district and join another, adjacent organization. Gilmore accused board members of dropping Saldaña to avoid angering an elected official with influence over beer and wine permits and other decisions that could affect their bottom lines. "This happened for one reason and one reason only: fear," he told the board.

Historic Downtown BID President Boris Mayzels.

Previously, The group's board of directors voted unanimously to make Saldaña, 34, its executive director. Its chairman, Boris Mayzels, described Saldaña as "by far the most qualified" for the job.  Later, Boris Mayzels, who chairs the board, said he received a call from Huizar warning that hiring Saldaña would create a hurdle for the business group's relationship with the council office.

Bringin Back Broadway Executive Director Jeesica Wethington-McLean.

Wethington McLean complained that Saldaña criticized Huizar during the election campaign. She read aloud from an LA Weekly article in which Saldaña accused the councilman of doing "nothing" to improve Broadway, according to a recording of the board's meeting.

"We would ... hope that your candidate would be able to develop and maintain strong relationships with the council office," she told the panel. "You can read into that whatever you like."

Delijani Square

Board member Michael Delijani, whose family owns historic theaters on Broadway, said Gilmore's comments were insulting and called his allegations of outside political influence a "hallucination." 

06/22/10

Michael Delijani   (Real Estate, Delson Investment Co.) Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Jose Huizar  Council Member - District 14 1325226 - HUIZAR FOR COUNCIL 2011

A - Monetary Contribution Received  (IND - Individual)  [Period: 01/01/10 to 06/30/10]

$500.00

Another member businessman, Fred Afari, said he felt no pressure. But he also argued that good relations with the council office were paramount to the business organization.

06/09/10

Fred Afari   (Real Estate Investor, Oaktree Equities Inc.) Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Jose Huizar  Council Member - District 14 1325226 - HUIZAR FOR COUNCIL 2011

A - Monetary Contribution Received  (IND - Individual)  [Period: 01/01/10 to 06/30/10]

$500.00

........just another normal day in the Fiefdom of CD 14.

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14