Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Monday

Senator Barbara Boxer has sought to hit hard in defining a negative image for her opponent Carly Fiorina.  However those who attend her rallies and hear Fiorina speak in person find a different person than what Boxer, one who is warm and has ideas for California.  The GOP challenger will have to overcome Boxer's commercials; however I predict a stunning repudiation of Boxer buoyed by Meg Whitman's multi-million dollar ground war will lead Fiorina to a three point victory over Boxer.  So long Babs.

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Morning Briefs and Outtakes on the High-Maintenance Candidate for City Council and other News

"The Million Dollar (in Special Interest money) Candidate for City Council"

"Are Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's ACORN friends, street walking for Chris Essel?"

Who said that CD 2 City Council Candidate Chris Essel was out-sourcing "entertainment jobs"?

Consider this comment posted on the Andrew Breitbart post yesterday.

Anonymous said...

ACORN is working for Chris Essel in CD2. They are apparently being paid by the Painters Union according to one of their walkers.

November 22, 2009 8:32 PM

Now, while this comment is only speculation, it would not surprise me if this were to be verified, considering this from the Ethics Commission.

International Union of Painters and Allied Trades Washington, DC 20006 (Independent Expenditure) Support Christine Essel City Council Member - District 02 Chris Essel for City Council 2009 - General (1321633)[Election: 12/08/09] 11/19/09 11/18/09
GOTV Activities to include phone banks and ** door-to-door mobilization TELSC-1 $58,078.00

Door to door mobilization? Hmmm, it seems that the fine citizens in CD 2 are going to be treated to the possible spectacle of IBEW stooges and ACORN junkies, walking the streets together in search of "ballots" (** these two groups working together in search of absentee ballots is scary) for Chris Essel. This should provide entertaining blog posts in abundance, leading up to, and possibly after election day.

As for Chris Essel, her campaign when you add up Contributions ($475,150.13), Public Matching Funds ($166,760.00) and Independent Expenditures ($556,106.58), the tote tallies a whopping $1,031,256.71 in Special Interest cash, not counting matching funds. That fact alone should remind CD 2 voters of the potential future costs in maintenance and diligent attention to the whims and policy needs of her contributors, if Chris Essel is elected to the City Council.

The thought of Special Interest groups like IBEW, AEG, Ari Swiller and possibly ACORN, working together to buy Chris Essel a seat within the Horseshoe at City Hall, has prompted this blogger to announce his endorsement of Paul Krekorian for City Council.

I have been straight forward in my misgivings about Krekorian's policy decisions as an Assemblyman. My first choice for CD 2 was Mary Benson, who's grasps of policy issues, was unmatched by any of the home-grown candidates in the primary. That said, Krekorian's outreach and the fact that he has the vast majority of grass-roots activists in CD 2, supporting his campaign, says enough about who would best represent the unique concerns of this council district. Plus, Krekorian is in a sense, on probation until 2011, in "backing his talk, with the walk" at City Hall.

** BTW, one can Google "International Union of Painters and Allied Trades and ACORN" and find numerous examples of collaborations between the two organizations.

** Link here to read Ron Kaye's take on "Lettergate".

Afternoon thought on CD 2 Runoff:

Chelsea Cody at ourla.com reports that today is the last day to register to vote in the CD 2 Runoff. One might want to note the additional number of register voters that a well-finance "door to door mobilization" might produce for the candidate of choice, especially if ACORN was involved. In addition, link here to read Sunland-Tujunga Nina Royal's reasoning for supporting Paul Krekorian.

OTHER NEWS:

This should be a busy news day at 200 Spring Street, as the City Council attempts to break their tired act of vacillating on policy issues.

** The City Council's Public Safety Committee take up the issue of the cost of the non-permitted AEG/ Michael Jackson Memorial. One can bet that AEG's "Boss Lieweke" will have "eyes and ears" nearby.

** The City Council reconvenes its multi-year dialog on Pot, courtesy of the inaction of one, Councilman Ed "density" Reyes. CD 14 Councilman Jose Huizar has been the rational thinker in proposing solutions to this mess. One consideration in today's discussion, is the support of Attorney General Jerry Brown......., for the legal stance taken by District Attorney Steve Cooley and City Attorney Carmen Trutanich.

** LA Times David Zahniser drops another bomb on "Pensiongate 09".

The former top executive of one of Los Angeles' public employee pension systems rented an apartment from a company that at the same time was securing millions of dollars in public funds from his agency.

Robert Aguallo, who served as general manager of the City Employees' Retirement System until last year, was a tenant in a CIM Group apartment building in 2007, when his agency's board voted to invest $15 million in CIM's Fund III.

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

Morning Briefs and Outtakes on the Local Political Scene

"Splitsville for Dodgers Owner's Frank and Jamie McCourt"

As the waning pre-dawn darkness gives ways to a "Dodger Blue Sky Day" in Los Angeles, Dodger fans and local observers are speculating on the future of the Dodgers franchise, in the wake of the news that team owner Frank McCourt and his wife Jamie have separated, from the LA Times.

Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and his wife Jamie, the team's chief executive, have separated, raising questions about the potential effect of their rift on the ownership of the franchise as the Dodgers prepare to start the National League Championship Series against the Philadelphia Phillies today at Dodger Stadium.

The McCourts, who have dual homes in West LA and Malibu, have not been seen together in public in recent weeks which cause speculation on the status of their marriage. During the recent playoff series with the St. Louis Cardinals, the McCourts sat in separate rows in their normal location on the field level of Dodger Stadium.

The separations of the McCourts also will have an affect on the proposed entertainment and retail complex that was to be built in the parking area beyond the outfield of the stadium. It was the McCourt's vision to revamp their Dodger Stadium property into a year-round entertainment, retail, and sports destination.

Frank McCourt, in seeking support for his plans at Dodger Stadium, has build relationships with local politicians such as County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, State Assemblyman Kevin De Leon and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is an frequent guest in McCourt's stadium box. The relationship between Frank McCourt and Mayor Villaraigosa has grown to the point where McCourt was an invitee to water speculator and "pal of Villar". Keith Brackpool's Birthday party for Mayor Villaraigosa. Some would say that too much contact with Mayor Villaraigosa can be harmful for your marriage, who knows??

But for Jamie McCourt, if her separation from husband Frank leads to divorce, we have someone in mind for her who may have shown supposed "feelings" in the past. But that is only speculation.

** Fox Sports Ken Rosenthal reports that divorce is the final recourse and it may get nasty.

OTHER NEWS:

** File this story under the continuing "War on Domestic Terrorists". LA Weekly's Christine Pelizek has a must read on the human price of our continuing battles against street gangs. "The Assassination of Deputy Abel Escalante" details the role of the Mexican Mafia and their Avenues Gang allies in the cold-blooded murder of Los Angeles Sheriff Deputy Abel Escalante.

** "Pensiongate 09" makes its return to the pages of the "Old Gray Westside Hag on Spring Street". The Times reports that CalPERS is investigating $50 millions dollars in fees paid to Arvco Financial Ventures, headed by Alfred Villalobos. Villalobos was an Deputy Mayor for five months in 1993, during the reign of Mayor Richard Riordan.

** LA Weekly's Patrick Range McDonald reports on the efforts of LA City Councilman's Koretz, Smith and Parks, in "slicing and carving" budgetary pieces from the LAPD and the verbal retorts from out-going LAPD Chief Bill Bratton.

** Another day and a DWP water main gives away again. This time on Sunset Blvd.

** Attention Dodgers fans, because of today's game start time, it is recommended that you arrive 2.5 hours early if you have tickets. Plus, is "gridlock" coming to local sports events courtesy of Los Angeles budget woes??

** And we leave you with this. What City Council "Chief of Staff" would place calls to constituents on Saturdays and accuse them of being bloggers??

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

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Thursday

Explosive new charges at Zuma Times.  Zuma Dogg reports that tipsters are telling him that President Obama is fuming that Mayor Villaraigosa and the City Council took Obama stimulus money for "shovel ready" projects and funneled it to the City's general fund to plug up the budget gap.  Obama apparently has cut off the supply of spendalus money to LA because of this.  Even worse for the Mayor, Zuma's source says pensiongate indictments are coming down soon.

Phil Jennerjahn, Carlos Alvarez, Zuma Dogg, Joe B and Mayor Sam all support the taco trucks. And so do the county courts.  A Superior Court judge overturned a ticket issued to a taco truck owner for violating a City law that limited the amount of time a taco truck can park in a specific location.  Story at LAist and SaveOurTacoTrucks.org.

CurbedLA reports that residents around Dodger Stadium tired of game fans parking in front of their homes have taken to putting up their own no parking signs.  Now that it has been blogged about I am sure the City will take action against these folks.

Popular San Fernando Valley schoolteacher Mary Ann Farber will be retiring after 18 years in the classroom at Beckford Elementary.  Story at Beckford Parents Blog.

The dumbasses at LADOT are at it again.  In cities like New York, San Francisco, San Diego, etc. pedicabs are all the rage.  But LA has this odd paranoid control freak mentality and they've been illegal for years.  So when rules were written by the Department that would effectively regulate the cabs out of business the folks on the Transportation Commission had the sense enough to tell staff they were on crack and to redo the whole thing. Among LADOT's lame-ass rules not mirrored even in nanny state San Francisco were that the cab operators could not wear Hawaiian shirts and that passengers must wear helmets. Read the rest at Streetsblog.

The illegal Jack Weiss fundraiser that keeps on giving......

That, in terms of political headaches and possible violation of ethics laws as Los Angeles Times Scribe David Zahniser reports in today's latest story on "Pensiongate 09".

A pension board appointee of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa may have violated city law by accepting a campaign donation from a Los Angeles businessman whose client sought a $10-million investment from the board.

Kelly Candaele, who served until three weeks ago on the board of the Los Angeles City Employees' Retirement System, received $1,000 on Dec. 2 from Dan Weinstein, managing director of Wetherly Capital Group. That firm pitches investments to city and state pension boards.

Lets follow along and highlight the "insiders" and key "players" in "Pensiongate 09".

Candaele voted to invest in a Wetherly client twice last year. Months later, he took a contribution from Weinstein for his campaign for reelection to the Los Angeles Community College District board.

Stephen Kaufman (did this guy let someone's "cousin" sleep on his couch to establish residency for a certain Assembly race ??), Candaele's attorney, described Candaele as an ethical public servant who was unaware he had voted on a Wetherly client before taking the contribution.

"He makes it a point to familiarize himself with the laws governing his conduct as a public official," Kaufman said.

Highlighting the players in "Pensiongate 09", continues....

Villaraigosa ask Candaele to resign from the city's seven-member pension board three weeks ago, after The Times inquired about a fundraiser that Candaele held for Councilman Jack Weiss' campaign for city attorney. Under city law, commissioners are barred from hosting campaign fundraisers for city candidates.

Candaele co-hosted the Weiss event with Weinstein and Richard Ziman, an advisor to Wetherly Capital at the time. In recent weeks, Ziman ended his affiliation with Wetherly, a company spokesman said.

As a community college board member, Candaele held his own reelection fundraiser on Dec. 2, receiving $1,000 from Weinstein and $1,500 from Ziman. The event featured such hosts as Villaraigosa, State Sen. Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles) and Councilwoman Wendy Greuel.

Weinstein's firm has been a subject of interest over the last two months for New York Atty. Gen. Andrew Cuomo, who has been investigating allegations of kickbacks in the New York pension fund.

On Tuesday, former Wetherly employee Julio Ramirez Jr., a San Marino resident, pleaded guilty to securities fraud and agreed to cooperate with Cuomo.

And what did Candaele do for "supplemential income" ??

Weinstein also confirmed that he serves on the board of a nonprofit group, More Than Shelter, (what another Legacy LA ??) which has paid Candaele to create tribute videos about honorees for its annual awards dinner.

Weinstein said Candaele, who works in video production, did the job at his own cost and did not make any money from the banquets, the most recent of which was held Thursday.In addition to his educational duties, Candaele has worked for the Democratic Party's State Central Committee.

He received nearly $20,000 over the last year from the committee for video production work, according to interviews and campaign records.

Your thoughts.......

KRLA's Kevin James confronts "Team Weiss/ Villar" and what about those "suits" with Ace ??

Kudos to KRLA's Kevin James for one of the best hour of local political talk radio in recent times.

The on-going dissertation in connecting the players that constitutes "Team Weiss/ Villar, is telling, and scary regarding the possible ramifications within the local political scene.

Some background.

Yesterday, Kevin James, Councilman Dennis Zine, former City Attorney candidate David Berger, and others, held a City Hall South Lawn press conference to demand an investigation on Jack Weiss'es campaign fundraising.

In attendance, is none other than "Team Weiss/ Villar's henchman Ace Smith. In the photo taken by Berger, one can see Ace standing in front of Kevin James as he addresses the assemble media and onlookers.

Later, Berger captures Smith and the "suits" engage in dialog with some of the media, which is reported in the Metropolitian News.

It is the identity of one of the "suits" that causes pause, one "Steven G. Madison".

Who is Steven G. Madison ?? This may enlighten you.....

George Torres, a feisty entrepreneur who built a multimillion-dollar grocery store chain by catering to some of Los Angeles' poorest communities, was convicted of racketeering, solicitation of murder, bribery and other crimes Monday by a federal court jury.

Torres, who faces potential life imprisonment as a result of the verdict, showed no emotion when it was read. Friends and family, however, burst into tears and embraced one another outside the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson.

The verdict represents a major victory for federal authorities who charged Torres last year with running a criminal enterprise, or so-called shadow organization, to ensure the success of his Numero Uno market chain.

Guess who was Torres's attorney ??

Steven G. Madison, Torres' lead attorney, said he planned to argue that, despite the verdict, the government had not met its burden of proof and that the prosecution was tainted by the alleged misconduct of a Los Angeles Police Department detective involved in the case. A hearing was set for June 1. Excerpted from the LA Times.

Perks your interest ?? Here are some of Madison's past, and possible current case loads, as highlighted by Kevin James.

*Represented several witnesses in a political corruption investigation of a sitting Los Angeles City Councilman.
*Represented a City Councilmember in a criminal environmental investigation arising out of waste water spill during an El Niño storm; government determined the Councilmember was only a witness, not a subject or target.

Now time for questions and thoughts.

Who is the "sitting" City Councilmember under investigation ?

What Councilmember was the "witness" of the waste water spill ?

Did Numero Uno's Goerge Torres really have the acumen to select Madison as his attorney, or was he "advise" by someone within his vast network of "political associates" ?

Was that appearance of Smith and Madison at the press conference, an attempted "act of intimidation" ?

....and in ending, what connection may this have to the following question, as excerpted from the LA Weekly story by Jeffery Anderson.

Still, the question remains, how many other public officials were influenced by Torres’ money?

How many other L.A.P.D. officers got close enough to Torres to arouse suspicion? The indictment states that an L.A. City Councilman appeared to be waiting in the wings to receive bag money from Torres, via Carmona and Luk.
Who could that have been? Is that person still in office?

Your thoughts.......

**** Link to the Los Angeles Times story regarding Villar's prestige being tested in the City Attorney.

WalterMooreSays.com, has some pertinent observations at his new website.

Judy Chu, what depths will you fall for Villar ??

Did someone forget that citizen bloggers have a nose for corruption ??

What is more amazing that someone who was part of the elitist, journalistic culture at the "OLD GRAY HAG ON SPRING STREET", would join the common folk in the "bloggin masses", and give up future "puff pieces" on an city official, is a telling sign on the level of corruption that is associated with "TEAM VILLAR".

State Board of Equalization Member Judy Chu, who is locked in an "bash fest" with State Senator Gil Cedillo and political upstart Emanuel Pleitez, for the San Gabriel Valley Congressional Seat, vacated by now Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, has now become part of the growing Pension Fund Scandal.

That is because she let "TEAM VILLAR" set the table for this fundraiser held at the wife's house of the "Wetherly Group" associate, Richard Ziman (which is his house also).

Lord knows that Richard did his best to stay out of site at this last-ditch effort to supply Chu with the cash to counter Cedillo and Pleitez.

But according to the "WWG's" sources, Richard was never too far away from Dapnna's "honey do's requests".

Which may now include Dapnna's request to "white-wash" Richard's connection to the Wetherly Group, maybe asking for too much, too late, at this stage.

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

Credit to LAObserved for the above image.

Wetherly Group's Weinstein engaging in "spining the connection" of Julio Ramirez

Memo to Wetherly Capital's Dan Weinstein.

Were you forced against your own volition to stage this illegal fundraiser for Jack Weiss ??

I bring this up because you seek to use that mentality in describing your relationship with former employee Julio Ramirez, who pleaded guilty to criminal securities fraud as part of a probe of alleged pay-to-play corruption at a New York state government pension fund.

These comments in today's LA Times story on the latest pertaining to this growing scandal, can be describe as spin at best, and cause some to wonder whether the likes of Ace Smith and Parke Skelton, are providing some "Spin Damage Control", (at a fine price).

Neither Ramirez nor his attorney responded to requests for comment. In a statement, Wetherly founder Dan Weinstein described Ramirez as a former part-time employee who had "dragged the firm into this controversy."

Weinstein also voiced dismay that his firm was mentioned by Cuomo, saying Wetherly has been cooperating with regulators for many months. The reference to Wetherly "as a party to these transactions has unfairly done grave damage to the reputation and integrity that Wetherly has legitimately earned over the course of many years," he said.

One would hope that the same spirit of cooperation will exhibited by you when the investigation into your role in the illegal fundraiser gets underway.

......and this call for an investigation.

COUNCILMAN ZINE DEMANDS INVESTIGATION INTO JACK WEISS’ RECENT ILLEGAL FUNDRAISING CONDUCT

Councilman Zine alongside many LA residents demand for an investigation into Jack Weiss’ illegal fundraising conduct.

Who:Dennis Zine, Los Angeles City Councilman
Kevin James, Radio Show Host and CD 5 Resident
David Berger, DDA, Former City Attorney Candidate, CD5 Resident
Many LA Residents

Where: City Hall – South Lawn (Steps) 200 West 1st Street, Los Angeles, California 90012

When: Wednesday May 13, 2009
2:00 pm

......and for Jack Weiss, these numbers, and their ties to the growing Pension Scandal, don't lie.

Wetherly Capital Los Angeles, CA 90025 Jack S. Weiss City Attorney 1296355 - JACK WEISS FOR LOS ANGELES CITY ATTORNEY A - Monetary Contribution Received (OTH - Other)[Period:01/01/08-06/30/08]$1,000.00[Election:03/03/09]
06/05/08

Anne Weinstein (Housewife) Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Jack S. Weiss City Attorney 1296355 - JACK WEISS FOR LOS ANGELES CITY ATTORNEY
A - Monetary Contribution Received (IND - Individual)
[Period:
01/01/08-06/30/08]
$1,000.00
[Election:
03/03/09]

04/06/09

Anne Weinstein (Housewife) Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Jack S. Weiss City Attorney 1316235 - JACK WEISS FOR LOS ANGELES CITY ATTORNEY 2009 GENERAL
A - Monetary Contribution Received (IND - Individual)
[Period:
04/05/09-05/02/09]
$500.00

06/27/07
Elliott Broidy (Investor, Broidy Capital Mgmt.) Los Angeles, CA 90067
Jack S. Weiss City Attorney 1296355 - JACK WEISS FOR LOS ANGELES CITY ATTORNEY
A - Monetary Contribution Received (IND - Individual)
[Period:
01/01/07-06/30/07]
$1,000.00
[Election:
04/07/09]
03/30/09

Elliott Broidy (Investor, Broidy Capital Mgmt.) Los Angeles, CA 90067
Jack S. Weiss City Attorney 1316235 - JACK WEISS FOR LOS ANGELES CITY ATTORNEY 2009 GENERAL
A - Monetary Contribution Received (IND - Individual)
[Period:
01/01/09-04/04/09]
$1,000

Your thoughts........