Another Implosion of Leadership at "The Old Gray Collectivist Hag on Spring Street (aka. LA Times)"

In yet another Implosion of Leadership at the bloggin-bestowed, "Old Gray Collectivist Hag on Spring Street (aka. LA Times)", Publisher/Editor Davan Maharaj and three other top editors have been purged in the latest Corporate Makeover, that forlornly endeavors to raise the supposed journalistic standing of a current "Fishwrap of Disinformation". 

Another self-produced, Leadership Implosion on Spring Street.

** Blogger's Notes: Paraphrasing from "The Old Collectivist Hag on Spring Street's (aka. LA Times) latest myopic, editorial rant targeting President Donald Trump, Enough is, TRULY Enough ........, regarding the, NOW past egomaniac (and alleged Bill Clinton-like behavior) reign of its purged "Publisher/Editor Davan Maharaj. 

Its a Mayor Sam Bloggin Tradition that when the "Old Gray Collectivist Hag", becomes THE NEWS, we defer to the cyber-attribution of the "Westside White Guy (or Pulitzer for short)", in providing the INSIDE on the latest, Newsroom or Corporate-originating PUTSCH of its top leadership. 

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Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Thursday

With no apologies to "The Old Gray Collectivist Hag on Spring Street" (aka LA Times), CD 8 City Councilman Bernard Parks emerges again from some supposed "wilderness banishment" to keyboard another refreshing, salient missive on the current state of affairs at 200 Spring Street ........, and beyond

Contrary to the summery of misallocated story budgeting at the LA Times, Councilman Parks is all smiles.

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The "Westside White Guy" on the "Forlorn Recall" of Mayor Parkervillar

"Was Roderick thinking of some future vacation ideas?"

The "Westside White Guy" has this brief on the morning's South Lawn of City Hall proceedings.

Also: Repeat former candidates Walter Moore, David Hernandez and others launched a recall drive against the mayor. They have 120 days to gather signatures.

Can you guess who was left out of the "WWG's" little diddy on the "Forlorn Recall"? Here is some multiple choice options.

A. John Walsh

B. Jose Aguilar

C. James Hahn

D. Michael Higby

E. Phil's buddy Joe B.

F. ** PHIL JENNERDUH

G. Kevin James

H. Ron Kaye

I. Parque Esqueleto

** BTW. one must check out the link before the West LA "Uberblogger" catches his mistake.

In closing, you can also use this as your "State of the City Budget" (complete text) open thread.

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14

Correcting Kevin Roderick aka "Westside White Guy" on CD 2 Debate ** Updated Information regarding "Sexist, Vulgar" Comments by Chris Essel Supporter

First, a bloggin disclaimer: This post is undertaken with no financial compensation or editorial oversight from CD 2 Candidate Paul Krekorian's campaign consultant Eric Hacopian.

It seems that the "Observing West LA and his Westside Times" blogger Kevin Roderick has some "breaking news" about a previously unknown "debate" between CD 2 Candidates Paul Krekorian and Chris Essel.

From his "morning buzz" for today.

"With one day to go In the CD 2 runoff, the talk is all of the massive campaign spending, especially by labor — notably the DWP union and the Police Protective League — on behalf of Chris Essel. She and Paul Krekorian debate this morning on KPCC's "Airtalk." LAT, KPCC News, DN, News-Press, CityWatch"

It seems that when one is rooted in all things west of the Arclight Theater, some times facts can get muddle as they make their way seaward into West LA, or from the nearby West LA Times.

Fact is that as I type this (at 10:30 AM), Krekorian is being interview by Larry Mantle (recorded earlier) with Chris Essel soon to follow. All one had to do in ascertaining this, was to call the respective campaigns.

Observation here is this, to continue debating Essel at this point is fruitless. Krekorian as the perceived front runner, must stay on message and by giving Essel a forum, he opens himself to attacks of dubious validity. Kinda like this blogger getting paid for typing these words, right Shallman?

** This is priceless!! Chris Essel is playing the sexist and anti-Semitic card as she talks to Mantle. She also called out Mayor Sam (not in name of course) for our supposed bias toward Krekorian and she insinuates that Phil Jennerjahn was kicked off this blog for his pro-Essel leanings. But, Mantle hit her hard with the response from an prominent Rabbi, that called on her to apologize for her anti-Semitic claims. I find it interesting that Essel remains silent about the sexist, vulgar attack (caution, this link contains graphic language) against Tamar Galatzan by one of her "supporters". (** Link here for related story at Paul Hatfield's "Village to Village" blog)

"Hi, I am Frank (Sheftel) of North Hollywood". Talk about "telephone rescue".

Updated at 2:00 PM via "Village to Village" blog: On KPCC’s “AIRTALK” this morning, CD2 Candidate, Christine Essel was taken to task by the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the Associate Dean of the world’s leading Jewish human rights organization, demanded an apology from Essel.

As previously reported, last week the Essel campaign sent out a campaign flyer utilizing images of the Holocaust, and accusing her opponent, Paul Krekorian of sexism and anti-semitism. The images includes the word “Intolerance” over a picture of City Hall covered in barbed wire, as well as what many are referring to as “skinhead imagery.”

Rabbi Cooper said, “The flyer was disgusting and inappropriate.” He strongly added, “She should apologize.” Essel responded on air response to the Rabbi, “There are different views on that subject from different sides of the Jewish community.”

Village To Village has contacted the Essel campaign for further comment. We have been informed they have “not received a statement from any Rabbi”, so they have “nothing to respond to at this time.”

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

Friday Evening Wrap Up and Thoughts on Journalistic Malpractice and other News

Los Angeles Times Media Columnist James Rainey

"Old Gray Westside Hag on Spring Street"

"ACORN with local political supporters"

This happens when you replace "fact-driven reporting" with "outcome-based, agenda journalism", but then agenda journalism is "par for the course" at the "Old Gray Westside Hag on Spring Street" these days.

It started with this "agenda missive" on Andrew Breitbart's biggovernment.com video expose of ACORN, via the keyboard of Los Angeles Times Media Columnist James Rainey, as noted by veteran LA Times observer "Patterico" at Patterico's Pontifications.

The following passage below was cause to take notice, in the eyes of Patterico, whether Rainey was stating fact or "had likely been suckered and would end up with egg on his face".

[V]isits to other ACORN offices have gone almost entirely unmentioned. Lavelle Stewart, a fair-housing coordinator in the group’s Los Angeles office, told me this week that she tried to get the “prostitute,” who claimed she had been beaten by her pimp, to go to a women’s center.

“The fact she was not taking the help I offered her made me think something was not right,” Stewart said. “It raised a red flag.”

Then yesterday, Andrew Breitbart's biggoverment.com "dropped this load of crow into Rainey's lap for his consumption", in form of the latest ACORN video, featuring none other than..........., Levelle Steward. Thus, Patterico's keen instints on all things LA Times, expose the "Old Gray Westside Hag on Spring Street's" insular agenda for all to deconstruct.

But while Rainey mulls whether to add some BBQ to his crow, where is the outrage on this breach of journalistic ethics? Where are the former Times scribes "Westside White Guy", LA Observed blogger Kevin Roderick and "Westside White Guy 2", LA Observed contributor Bill Boyarski, in calling for an in-house investigation?

One should note that Rainey, was the lead newsroom agitator in outing former Opinion Editor Andres Martinez's relationship with ex. girlfriend Kelly Mullens. This initiating what became known as "Grazergate". as reported on "Deadline Hollywood".

I understand it was the Times' own media reporter, Jim Rainey, who just recently got wind of the editor-flack romance and first raised the red flag about it internally this week. My sources say Rainey began asking people who worked for Martinez about his personal life before approaching the editor directly. Martinez became livid and hurriedly called a staff meeting. But because of the LA Times' troubled relationship with its parent Tribune Co., Rainey is accustomed to threading the ethical needle on difficult stories involving his newspaper. (Though I've taken issue here and here with his coverage, or lack of it, of some related stories.) It's no secret there has been tension and resentment between the LA Times newsroom and the paper's editorial/opinion pages.

"WWG" and "WWG2" went into "cyber overdrive" in reporting this egregious assault on the "sacred style book of journalistic ethics". Boyarsky had this missive which he called for "an investigation of the tainted Times" and guess which reporter he wanted to lead the in-house "quest for journalistic justice"?

A beefed up team of top reporters should join media reporter Jim Rainey in examining past Current sections and editorials to see whether they have been influenced by publicist Allen Mayer and his associate, Kelly Mullens, who has been dating Martinez.

But in hindsight, maybe Roderick and Boyarski, both ex. LA Times scribes, were part of the "inside, outside cabal" of current and ex. Times reporters, who's efforts to purge Martinez, were driven by an ideological urge to blend news with opinion, as Martinez opined.

I think the desire to blend opinion with news is the far bigger breach, but I’m guessing the Henry Weinsteins and Tim Ruttens of the world will continue to conjure up the magical words “Staples Center” to wail against any innovation at the paper, and confusing the hundreds of thousands of readers of the LAT who don’t read LA Observed – sorry, Kevin -­ into believing that Grazergate somehow implied an improper blending of the newspaper’s business side and editorial judgment, which it patently did not.

So maybe this is why there are no "Raineygate" posts, with in-house gossip, currently at LA Observed? Who would Boyarsky find among the shrinking ranks of "objective reporters" to investigate this latest breach of journalistic ethics? Or maybe in the eyes of ex.Times scribes like Roderick and Boyarsky, their cohort in "outcome based, agenda journalism" was simply following the dictates of what passes for journalism at the "Old Gray Westside Hag on Spring Street".

In closing, Boyarsky, who also served a stint on the City of Los Angeles Ethics Commission, may have a good reason for remaining silent in regards to "Raineygate". Maybe it has to do with his own past comments on ACORN. Then there was this "appearance" at a "Project ACORN" event.

The Project Acorn event was at the headquarters of Local 721 of the Service Employees Union. It hadn�t started so I walked around the Virgil Avenue neighborhood, a few miles west of downtown. It�s a neighborhood of apartments, probably affordable for working families (if they double up) but they will be out of range if building ever resumes. At the union hall, I ran into Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas, and interviewed him on the closed Martin Luther King Jr. hospital for a story I plan to do for LA Observed on his race with Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks. Then I introduced both Mama Hill and a short video about her and about how she faced foreclosure.

Thus, don't hold your breathe, in waiting for the latest on "Raineygate" from LA Observed but we did find this piece of "outcome-based, agenda blogging" from the "WWG".

* Andrew Breitbart doesn't want to talk about his business deal to carry Reuters news and links. Soundbitten
* The L.A. Times corrects some of an Op-Ed regarding the liberal group ACORN, but not all. Patterico

OTHER NEWS:

** Is the private sector version of IBEW's "Boss D'Arcy", getting close to snaping?

The head of L.A. Live challenged City Attorney Carmen Trutanich on Thursday to either file criminal charges over the Michael Jackson memorial service or apologize for hinting the company may have broken the law.

"Prove it or drop it," AEG President Tim Leiweke said during an interview. "We can't resolve this until he declares we have done nothing wrong or apologizes — I'll take either.

** Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa picks a former top official of the Chicago Housing Authority, Douglas Guthrie to become the new general manager of the city’s Housing Department. One want to bet that Guthrie has some past business with ACORN in Chicago?

** This appointment to the LACERS pension board came and went.

The newest appointee to a Los Angeles pension board has withdrawn her nomination after a city councilman voiced concern about her refusal to name her legal clients, city officials said today.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa had named attorney Angela Reddock to the Fire and Police Pensions system, an agency whose board members have come under scrutiny in recent months regarding the potential for conflicts of interest.

Although council members were scheduled to vote to confirm Reddock today, Councilman Bernard C. Parks raised questions after reading correspondence between Reddock and the city Ethics Commission, which is charged with identifying potential conflicts of interest for new city commissioners. Reddock told the commission in an e-mail that she did not plan to name any client that had paid her more than $10,000, citing attorney-client privilege.

** This is for "Parque Esqueleto".

Former CD 14 City Councilman Nick Pacheco, has been named "temporarily City Administrator" in the City of Montebello.

Many in the audience gasped as long-time Montebello City Administrator Richard Torres announced the $15,000-a-month salary of his temporary replacement, Nick Pacheco. The city council action to appoint Pacheco was among several made in a closed session meeting on Monday.

Enjoy "CD 14 East" before the latest shake up in Montebello.

Your thoughts.......

Morning Briefs and Outtakes for a "Huevos with Huizzy" Friday in Boyle Heights

"Not that question!!"

As a public service to the "invited, connected pansies" in Boyle Heights, here are some tough questions to ask the "funding source", as you get a break from your government funded non-profits and make your way to feed on some taypayer funded huevos, with Councilman Jose Huizar.

Questions:

1. Can we have a "moment of silence" for the birds who meet their demise at the Hollenbeck Park Fireworks Show ??

2. How many liquor licences have you supported since being elected councilman ??

3. What family member was associated with Oscar's Bar ??

4. How many residents will be displace in your haste to gentrify Boyle Heights ??

5. Does USC's David Galaviz get to take over Ramona Gardens ??

6. Will you support David Galaviz someday to replace you as councilman ??

7. Will you pledge to audit all government funded non-profits in CD-14 ??

8. What is the status of the CLART Fund ??

9. What is your favorite Boyle Heights non-profit and why ??

10. How long before you crack down on illegal street merchants ??

11. Have you ever disagree with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on any policy issue ??

12. Have you been to Florida lately to discuss Wyvernwood ??

13. How much money will you get from the Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council in the 2009/2010 fiscal year ??

14. Are any CD-14 constituents under investigation by your offices for disagreeing with you ??

15. Who are the new staffers??

16. Will you audit the work of non-profits like "Homeboy Industries", "SEA", and "Legacy LA" who were awarded gang contracts ??

17. ...........and where do we donate to your re-election to maintain our non-profit funding ??

(reserved for Raul Estrada, Ozzie Lopez, and Lou Calanche).

CD-14 Disclaimer: The risk of asking these questions included the following; exclusion from future "Huevos with Huizzy", loss of non-profit funding, no toys for your non-profit Christmas programs, deletion from e-mail updates by the newest staffer,.......and the worst, expulsion from "Huevos with Huizzy" by LAPD or General Services Police.

Other News:

** "Senator Antonio Villaraigosa" ?? That is the premise of the Downtown Garment and Citizen Editor Jerry Sullivan as he touts the Mayor as a possible replacement for Dianne Feinstein in 2012. Maybe that is why the Mayor travels the world on the Special Interest dime, to fine tune his foreign policy portfolio (remember the "Latino Tony Blair" ??).

** Eastsider LA has the latest on the lovable bunch known as the Echo Park Neighborhood Council with David Galaviz friend, Jose Sigala presiding. Considering how Sigala ran the Rudy Bermudez for State Senate campaign, it is not surprising that the Echo Park NC has become the latest dysfunctional poster boy on what ails the Neighborhood Council Program.

** Wonder how Mayor Sam diversity trainer/ poster "Archie Bunker" would respond if his favorite ex City Controller/ Councilwoman. Laura Chick, were to run for governor ?? Former Fabian Nunez spokesperson Steve Maviglio has her on his list of democrats he thinks could run for the state's top political office.

** KFI's Eric Leonard is reporting that AEG is making overtures to the LAPD, seeking to donate some camera platform proceeds to a LAPD charity that is use to buy equipment for police use. Still, mum is the word on the investigation by City attorney Carmen Trutanich into possible criminal misconduct regarding the non-permitted Jackson Memorial. More on this story from OurLA.org, and TMZ.

** KTLA Channel 5 reporter Eric Spillman is becoming the visual media version of fellow Tribune employee David Zahniser. Spillman post on his blog that he has filed a California Public Records Act request with the Mayor's Office, seeking information on the cost of the Mayor's travels. Then he is treated to these crypted responses from his questions about the Mayor's current vacation by Mayor Spokesperson Matt Szabo.

** The government watchdog group Judical Watch is suing the LAPD seeking to overturn Special Order 40. "There are two federal laws and a California state law that we think are being violated as a result of the sanctuary policy that obviously helps illegal aliens avoid detection," Judicial Watch's Tom Fitton says".

** Former Councilman Nick Pacheco Campaign Manager and Montebello City Councilman Robert Urteaga is awaiting the decision from the Montebello City Clerk, if the Recall Petition against him and Councilwoman Kathy Salazar garnered the require signatures.

** The surly blogger from Mar Vista Hill and supposed Pulitzer Winner known as the "Westside White Guy" Kevin Roderick, takes issues to a story in Ron Kaye's fledging "OurLA.org Website". Could it be that "Pulitzer" sees Kaye's endeavor as a fact-laden counter to his West LA centric view of civic life east of the 405 ??

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

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.

Outtakes from the Red Spot Institute for Friday

"E. Wastewater Pluribus" is watching you!!

in about 45 minutes your right to water the garden, wet down the concrete, wash the car, or turn your lawn into a wetlands, is denied you from 9:00 AM to 4:00PM.

One may wish to engage in an act of civil disobedience, but with a stroke of the pen by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, H. David Nahai's "Blue Shirts" will have the power to impose fines on any "protest by water".

One wonders if protest was on the minds of city employees who were caught on tape by the Los Angeles Times, with the water running??

And what is going on with DWP, Commission President Nick Patsaouras?? Ron Kaye has some insight.

****Ron Kaye opines on the expective approval by the City Council on the Mayor's first six contracts for gang intervention work.

The recommended contractors are:
-- Community Build in the Baldwin Village area;
-- Childrens Hospital Los Angeles in Cypress Park;
-- Los Angeles Metropolitan Churches in the Florence-Graham area;
-- People Coordinated Services in the Newton area;
-- El Nido Family Centers in Pacoima; and
-- Violence Intervention Program in Ramona Gardens.

Community Build and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles were previously awarded contracts through L.A. Bridges, the anti-gang city initiative that will end at the end of the year. On July 1, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa assumed control of the city's anti-gang strategy.

****The Daily News Rick Orlov has the early scorecard on the City Attorney race between Councilman Jack Weiss, Attorney Carman Trutanich, and Deputy City Attorney Michael Amerian.

****Who is the real Kevin "Pulitzer" Roderick aka "Westside White Guy"?? ERS News had their thoughts which prompted this retort from the "Observing West LA Life and his Times" guy from the heights of Mar Vista Hill.

"A bit of the real Roderick"

"This March I grew tired of Longabardi's email harangues. I called him an asshole and wrote, "these whines shredded your cred a long time ago. from the errors and wildly off base claims you make in these screeds i'd be hard pressed to trust anything i see your name on." His reply directed a few insults my way and said, "Im still waiting for you to write about my work -- why don't put your money where you're big mouth is and use your personal opinion blog to so so. You don't cause just like the LA Times, if you do you risk being OUTED."

....and we have a "bloggin feud"!!

Great Friday to all!!!

FREEDOM AND FREE ENTERPRISE FOR ALL!!

Lunch Time Missives: Schwarzenegger and Brokaw, a "dialog", "Entrepreneur for Mayor?" and an example of "bloggin myopia"

Oh the Glory!!!.......to Tom Brokaw on yesterday's "Meet the Press".

Nothing these days brings more glee to this blogger than a "verbal take down" of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, aka the "KENNEDY REPUBLICAN".

So far gone are those heady days in 2003 after the Recall of Gov. Gray Davis, when a foreign concept called "fiscal restraint" was reintroduce into the Sacramento Capital vocabulary.

Now in 2008, it has come to this.

Brokaw: "When you ran for governor in 2003, you ran as a fiscal conservative who would change the system, who would bring business-like techniques," Brokaw said. "Now, you are facing a $15-billion deficit here in California. Unemployment is running at about 6.8%; you've got the worst housing crisis since the Great Depression. If you were the CEO of a public company, the board would probably say, 'It is time to go.' "

"Kennedy Republican": joked, "Are you always this positive?"

"Brokaw": "Before you came in, governor, you said the spending was out of control," he said. "Your rate of increase in spending is about the same as your predecessor, Gov. Gray Davis. It has grown at about, what, 34% since you took office."

"Kennedy Republican": "You've been around long enough to know that the numbers are misleading. We have paid off a lot of debt. . . . I am very proud that we paid off a lot of debt and that we got the economy going again."

"Brokaw": "It appears the people have some real questions about your leadership," Brokaw said. "Your approval rating has gone from what, 60% in December down to about 40% recently. It is tough to govern under those circumstances."

"Kennedy Republican": "Not at all. I'm having a great time."

.......and the rest of Californians???

****Profile of a "Politically Astute" Entrepreneur****

Nice profile on a L.A. based businessman in the "OLD GREY HAG ON SPRING STREET...for sale" business section.

Much has been made in the past about this person with the nickname of "Magic", but why regurgitate all this now unless you need to raise your profile for a "future foray into politics"?

****"Puff Roderick", what were you reading??****

It must be the rarified air on the heights of Mar Vista Hill that would cause the "WWG" to draw this conclusion from yesterday's Daily News story on Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Rick Orlov interviews the mayor on the start of his fourth year, talks to a few observers, and concludes "for the first two years, he seemed to do no wrong...These days the affair is over, the divorce is quietly moving ahead, and Villaraigosa, after nearly nine months of maintaining a relatively low profile, has steadily begun re-emerging into the public spotlight. And even if he no longer has the same rabid support that he enjoyed in 2005, he is once again energized with the prospect of what lies ahead, as he looks to his own re-election campaign." DN (plus Orlov column on fundraisers)

......and for a good laugh, link to "Orlov column" and regale in the details of City Attorney Rocky "Rocktard" Delgadiilo's thoughts about his "political future" (insert your favorite laugh track)