Morning Briefs on the Changing Los Angeles Political Machine for Monday

 New City Council President Herb Wesson?

... and his staff enforcer Andrew Westall?

Welcome to a short but action packed Thanksgiving week of backroom politics at 200 Spring Street as City Hall observers await the start of the "City Council President Herb Wesson Era" Los Angeles Times City Hall beat Writer David Zahniser graced the Saturday paper with a profile of the quiet former Assembly Speaker. But despite support from Mayoral Candidate and current Council President Eric Garcetti, it will be up to Wesson staffer/enforcer Andrew Westall, who "must sell a Wesson Presidency" to the thirteen other council members (via deals on redrawn council districts?). It is these supposed backroom tactics that have drawn the ire of Councilwoman Jan Perry and Councilman Bernard Parks, who have been critical of Westall's selection as the Executive Director of the city's Redistricting Commission. Further, as Rick Orlov points out in today's "Tipoff Column", Wesson has a personal issue call "smoking" that will face a day of reckoning come Wednesday, but don't be surprise that most of the smoke that originates from the selection of the new Council  Presdient, is rooted in Westall's backroom dealings.

OTHER NEWS:

** We wish City Maven's Alice Walton a speedy recovery from the hand injury that didn't precluded her from handling her usual "morning cup of decaffeinated political coffee",.and she was able to post Mayor Antonio Villar's statement on the continuing landslide saga in San Pedro.

** CD 1 City Councilman Ed Reyes is expected to be named "City Council President Pro Tem" this week. In honor of this latest "title designation", Councilman Reyes found opportunity again to steal from the 99% and give to the "One Percent of the Lincoln Heights Community", by supporting the hostile takeover of the grass-roots based Lincoln Heights Christmas Parade and granting parade rights to the Steve Kasten/Vera Padilla led Lincoln Heights Chamber/BID/Neighborhood Council.

** For the first time in recent memory, CD 14 will not be hosting a Turkey Giveaway or Huizar Winter Wonderland this 2011 Holiday Season. Recently CD 14 cancelled its Creepy Coliss Halloween Program in El Sereno but spent $40,000 on the Eagle Rock Music/Smoke Out Festival.. Yet for a council district that receives anywhere from $600,000+ a year in CLARTS funds, these worth while programs should be more paramount than transferring $1,240,000 Million dollars to its "salary account" ($200,000 was transfer to salaries right after the CD 14 Council election).

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14.