Afternoon Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Monday

As we start the last full week of campaigning before the May 21 Election Day. we introduce the new official, errrr, unofficial video/ song of the Wendy "The Call Greuel of Choice of PPL, Mayor Antonio Villar, UFLAC, SEIU, Slick Willie Clinton, VICA, Richard Riordan, DWP, IBEW and Boss D'Arcy Campaign.  ** Afternoon Update: Apparently, even the "Call Greuel of Choice" gets in touch with her inner limits of promises on rare moments, as witness by her demurring on a possble $15 per hour minimum wage. 

Blondie's "Call Me".

Should the taxpayers of Los Angeles have to bear the future cost of paying for the political favors of the Special Interest's "Call Greuel of Choice". 

Great Monday to all as we finally start the last full campaign work week leading up to Runoff Tuesday on May 21, 2013. With no further delay this is what the City Maven missed in her decaffeinated cup of morning coffee.

** KABC 790 AM Talk Radio Host and Daily News Columnist Doug McIntyre has made public his personal choice for Mayor and it should come as now surprise that its happens to be the "wife" of his longtime agent Dean Schramm. While most people (including myself) can understand McIntyre's support of a longtime family friend, the esteem accountant/ blogger Paul Hatfield questions whether McIntyre has crossed a "red line" of objectivity, in regards to his coverage of the mayoral campaign. An excerpt below.

KABC 790″s morning show host Doug McIntyre is one of my favorites. For the record, I also enjoy KPCC’s Larry Mantle. These two gentlemen are not afraid to ask challenging questions of their guests and do not hesitate to follow-up when the answers miss the point.Therefore, it is very disappointing when a guest appears to receive special treatment.Such is the case whenever McIntyre interviews City Controller and mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel.Could it have anything to do with his business relationship with Greuel’s husband, or with Greuel herself? 

Please also make it a point to read the comments of Noel Weiss and Jack Humphreville at the end.

** The Pat Brown Institute at Cal State LA has released respective polls on the City Attorney and City Controller races. From the LA Times.

In polling conducted April 29 through May 7 by the Edmund G. "Pat" Brown Institute of Public Affairs at Cal State L.A., Feuer, a former member of the state Assembly and City Council, led City Atty. Carmen Trutanich, who is seeking reelection in next week's balloting -- 35% to 24%, with 41% of voters still undecided. Attorney and government efficiency commissioner Ron Galperin trailed Zine, meanwhile, by 15 percentage points -- 33% to 18%, with 49% of voters yet to make up their minds, the poll showed.

** To help the average Los Angeles low information voter make an informed choice to replace failed Mayor Antonio Villar, LA Weekly's Gene Maddaus provides the following supposed five differences between Eric Garcetti and Wendy "The Call Greuel of Choice". An excerpt below.

5. Risk Appetite

This may be the most fundamental difference between a Garcetti and a Greuel mayoralty. Garcetti has recently taken to quoting his friend, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who said in a commencement speech last year that "It is better to have your ship sunk at sea than have it rot in the harbor." And indeed, Garcetti has had his share of shipwrecks. He lured an electric car company to L.A. with a $1 million relocation package, only to have it go bankrupt. As council president, he approved the "modernization" of billboards, unaware of the storm of protest that would follow. And have you seen those awful condos at Sunset and Alvarado? Of course, he can point to successes too, or he wouldn't have won his district by 34 points in the primary. Greuel, on the other hand, is more risk averse. As a result, her sins are ones of omission. Her disappearing act during the city's budget crisis is a prime example. As controller, she could have had as large a role as she wanted in shaping the public debate about budget cuts. Instead, she avoided the subject as much as possible. 

More election-related coverage later.

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