Desperate Essel Thugs Don't Want Anyone to Vote Today

Taking a cue from ACORN as well as Klan thugs in the South who try to repress various segments of the vote, apparently Essel campaign staffers are up to monkey business across CD2.

The first report, as noted by the EsselWatch blog is that political operative Aaron Green was allegedly spotted stalking voters in Sunland-Tujunga:

As much of the Valley and Foothill communities went to the polls Tuesday morning to vote for change, Christine Essel’s developer lobbyist friends knew they needed to swing into action. By 10:30 a.m., reports began to trickle in that Aaron Green, the Director of Political and Community Relations for The Afriat Consulting Group, Inc., in Tujunga to monitor the voting. Green was watching voters at the Discount Tire Center on Foothill Boulevard in Tujunga – right down the street from what is now a huge empty lot after residents waged a five-year battle to block Home Depot.

Green you may remember is the one who pulled the bonehead move of sending out an email hitting up developers for Esselcash confirming Paul Krekorian would not do developers' bidding.

Next it got a little hairy at a voting location at Burbank and Hazeltine in the newly re-christened Sherman Oaks. At my old polling place at the Fraternal Order of Eagles lodge (actually I think they call them Aviaries) a known Essel operative was reportedly standing right outside the door of the log cabin like structure handing out Essel flyer, a clear violation of election law. City Clerk officials had to be called in and our sources tell us a chaotic scene occurred when the Essel thug refused to leave.

If you see or hear of voter intimidation or other nonsense, please call us at 818-308-4745.

Painters Local DC 36 Political Director Robert Smith refutes ACORN Claim in CD 2 Special Election

Last Sunday, we notice this interesting comment.

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

At the time we reported that this was only speculation, others had commented that "street walkers" for the Chris Essel campaign, in red shirts, were going door to door, in search of votes. Whether they were ACORN members, that was not definitively confirm.

But what was "fact check" was this financial contribution in support of Chris Essel, via the Ethics Commission Website .

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 11/18/09GOTV Activities to include phone banks and ** door-to-door mobilization TELSC-1 $58,078.00

So the question is this, who is being paid to go "door to door" by the Painters Union? Could it be United Farm Workers? Communist Party Members? Socialist Worker Party? But not ACORN right?

Then on Wednesday, we get this response from one "Robert Smith" of Painters DC 36.

Anonymous said...

Red Spot the PAINTERS UNIONS IE program has not started to walk yet phone calls only We will be walking GOTV 150 200 members no ACORN FOLK will be involved please get the facts right Robert Smith Painters DC 36

November 27, 2009 5:45 PM

Who is Robert Smith? we found this, which may highlight why they are invested with Mayor Villaraigosa's "vessel of choice" in the CD 2 Special Election.

District Council 36 is part of a coalition which includes Building & Construction Trade Unions, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, the UCLA Labor Center, the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, and faith-based community groups with an endorsement from 120 ministers,who have been working for more than two years to create an historic policy in the City of Los Angeles. Under the landmark Construction Careers and Project Stabilization Policy projects, whether public or private, receiving subsidies, tax credits or direct monies from the Community Redevelopment Agency/ LA will be required to comply with the new Project Labor Agreement. Among the components of the PLA is a requirement that developers and contractors hire workers through union-run hiring halls.

Robert Smith, Political Director of DC 36 (one can see picture of Smith shaking hands with an "certain Mayor"), said the two-year process brought labor, business, and community groups together.“The benefits of this policy will be tremendous for all parties involved, especially for the youth in our communities who will have an opportunity for training and a career they can be proud of.”

Then there is the amount of money involve with this deal.

The Project Labor Agreement will cover $15 billion of upcoming work through the Community Redevelopment Agency/LA, with similar agreements expected shortly with the Los Angeles Board of Public Works and the Los Angeles Harbor Commission.

As we noted last week, one can Google "International Union of Painters and Allied Trades and ACORN" and find numerous examples of collaborations between the two organizations.

So why would Robert Smith post his comment on a thread where there is no mention of ACORN? Maybe because its true and this fact would reinforce the past links of ACORN and Mayor Villaraigosa?

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

BTW, if anyone can verify ACORN members working for Chris Essel, please send a e-mail to redspotincd14@yahoo.com.

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........................

Conservative Media Mogul Andrew Breitbart to Guest Host on KFI 640 AM from 7-10 PM Sunday Night

Biggovernment.com creator Andrew Breitbart

LA Times Media Columnist Jim Rainey of "Raineygate" fame.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and his ACORN "Rent a Mob" supporters.

ACORN's role in helping elect "Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa".

Conservative media mogul Andrew Breitbart, creator of "breitbart.com", "bighollywood.com" and "biggovernment.com", will guest host on KFI 640 AM, tonight from 7-10 PM. This time slot is usually the domain of erudite, conservative host John Batchelor.

Breitbart's "biggovernment.com" expose on the dubious doings of ACORN, as documented by aspiring video-journalists Hannah Giles and James O'Keefe, hit locally last week with videos of ACORN LA's operations.

ACORN LA release this statement, regarding the LA videos, through their favorite PR organ known locally to most as the Los Angeles Times, aka, "Old Gray Westside Hag on Spring Street".

But from the "Old Gray Westside Hag on Spring Street", there is still no statement about the "journalistic malpractice" that was Media Columnist Jim Rainey's "outcome-based, agenda journalism" hit piece on Breitbart's ACORN expose, thus "Raineygate" continues.

Breitbart, for his part, has drawn the ire of the "holy grail" of liberal "outcome-based, agenda journalism" in the form of the Columbia Journalism Review. This is for his comments directed at United States Attorney General Eric Holder.

Not only are there more tapes, it’s not just ACORN. And this message is to Attorney General Holder: I want you to know that we have more tapes, it’s not just ACORN, and we’re going to hold out until the next election cycle, or else if you want to do a clean investigation, we will give you the rest of what we have, we will comply with you, we will give you the documentation we have from countless ACORN whistleblowers who want to come forward but are fearful of this organization and the retribution that they fear that this is a dangerous organization. So if you get into an investigation, we will give you the tapes; if you don’t give us the tapes, we will revisit these tapes come election time.

This blogger has no doubt that Breitbart will cover the above topics during his three-hour stint on KFI, this evening. But hopefully Breitbart will dedicate some time to discussing ACORN's local connections to LA's various politicos.

For example, one can find so much to dwell on in this one paragraph, from former LA Times City Hall Beat Writer and Ethics Commissioner Bill Boyarsky, as posted at LA Observed.

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.

We can explore ACORN's relationship with SEIU to begin. How about now County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas links to SEIU figures such as the disgrace former head of SEIU 6434 General Manager Tyrone Freeman? What about the connections of former SEIU 660 officials Arnelle Grajeda and Alejandro Stephens to the late Miguel Contreras's dubious V.I.P. non-profit? Then we can discuss Boyarsky's support for ACORN and how it would affect his '"objective comments" regarding the ethical lapses of Columnist Jim Rainey.

Further, maybe Breitbart could take some calls from local activists who are well-versed in Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's links to ACORN and their role in getting him elected to CD 14 in 2003 and in 2005, to Mayor. Patterico's Patrick Frey would be an logical person to have on-air to discuss the numerous past episodes of "outcome-based, agenda journalism" at the "Old Gray Westside Hag on Spring Street" and how they penned "hit pieces" as noted by the Boulevard Sentinel in 2003, during their former incarnation as the "LA Antonia Times". Their goal was to merge newsroom and editorial resources, into the objective of furthering the "political agenda" of Antonio Villaraigosa.

In closing, hope you tune in tonight, then look forward to the spin tomorrow from the likes of LA Observed and the LA Times, the old guard of the liberal "outcome-based, agenda journalism".

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 on Strict Interpretion of Laws, Budgets, Building Codes and Other News

" District Attorney Steve Cooley and City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, are not going to Pot"

Its 8:15 AM and Medical Marijuana is all over the radio air waves.

Just finish listening to KFI's Newsman Eric Leonard, debrief Talk Show Host Bill Handel on the latest, regarding the Los Angeles City Council struggles to find closure, in regards to its self-created, Medical Marijuana controversy.

Last night, a prominent city activist call me to state that a massive turnout was expected to descend on City Hall this morning, in support of Potheads, errrr, assorted Medical Marijuana users and sellers. (image of drug cartel members near the horseshoe an interesting thought).

But while the latest saga in this "tired expose of governmental laziness" plays out with pronouncements, chants, threats, mixed in with puffs of herbal medicine. The two men pictured above will go about their daily business in executing their law enforcement duties. That fact should send shivers into the political establishment and their special interest cronies.

I for one, find it refreshing that both city and county government in Los Angeles, have a duo in District Attorney Steve Cooley and City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, who can forge ahead in cooperation, to for once, strictly interpret the law.

Many will agree, that our current City Council's ability to obey establish, enforcement of, and creation of law, is something that is center around the wishes of the Special Interests. A permit for your large memorial? Not if you are AEG. Trash fees for hiring new police officers? No comprende. DWP fees for infrastructure upkeep? Sorry but those went to offset the negative balance of the general fund. Enforcement of immigration laws to protect our general population? We call that Special Order 40. "Government by loop holes", sadly that best describes our current Mayor and City Council.

Simply, while I can find areas of understanding on both sides of the Medical Marijuana issue, it would be good to watch for once, the City Council get slap with an judicial ruling (along the lines of the recent billboard rulings), that whack some legal reality into the highly paid numbskulls who sit around the horseshoe.

For those who are bound to "puff and paste" your comments regarding my opening missive, consider this from the LA Weekly's story "LA Medical Pot Shops Peddle To LAUSD Pupils".

The first sign that kids were being affected by the medical-pot explosion — and even directly targeted — arose at Grant High School in Van Nuys. It was the end of summer 2006 and time, apparently, to get back to the San Fernando Valley’s version of the three R’s: reading, writing and rolling joints.

On August 10 of that year, Van Nuys police found that a nearby marijuana dispensary, Pacific Support Services, had left fliers on cars in the Grant High School student parking lot. The fliers were emblazoned with the iconic, three-leaf marijuana bud, and underneath was a friendly message:

“It is still legal to own, grow and smoke marijuana as long as you do it properly. Qualification is simple and our experienced physicians are more than happy to help you,” it informed students, who probably had no idea California law gives seriously ill patients the right to smoke pot if they merely obtain a doctor’s verbal recommendation.

The flier language was directly aimed at those who might be tempted to spend their burgers-and-fries money: “$15 off with this flier. ... If you do not qualify for a recommendation your visit is free.”

2006, and our City Council struggles with simple task of following the law? Its time for some puffs of legal sanity to be blown in the face of those sitting around the "horseshoe of ineptness" on Spring Street.

** City Council delays vote on Pot Shops to until next week at the earliest.

OTHER NEWS:

** Continuing on the topic of ineptness, the current bunch in Sacramento has $21,000,000,000 to cut or replace in its 2010/2011 budget. With Governor "Kennedy Republican" leaving office in 2010 (** and not planning to run for any other) , here is hoping that no one responsible for this mess, attempts to bring their political baggage southward, in pursuit of greener political pastures.

** Ron Kaye has an great read on the latest "brain cramp of policy" from the City Council that attempts to legalize "Clown Houses" (a KFI's John and Ken term). Must be some third-world inspire take on density growth, but now Chato has a home in the garage.

** Did any of you in the "progressive community" locally, get this robocall? Via Andrew Breitbart's biggovernment.com?

Hello. This is ACORN. We’re calling to let you know that ACORN has continued to fight hard against foreclosures, for affordable healthcare, and now, to beat back the extremist attacks against our members, an organization you have seen on the news this week. Los Angeles ACORN successfully turned away the two right-wing activists who secretly videotaped a handful of ACORN employees and stopped their attempts to discredit the good will of ACORN here in Los Angeles. Thank you for your continued support. Always remember that the people united will never be defeated. Should you have any questions or would like to find out how you can be more involved, please call the L.A. office at 213 747 4211 extension 215. Thank you and have a good evening.

See this reported in the Los Angeles Times? Were waiting...........

** The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is out with its report card on the actions of 120 lawmakers in Sacramento and their voting record on taxes. Thus, in the spirit of openness, we post the grades of some local state lawmakers.

Bob Blumenfield/D-Van Nuys/F
Felipe Fuentes/D-Arleta/F
Paul Krekorian/D-Burbank/F
Mike Feue/rD-West Hollywood/F
Anthony Portantino/D-Pasadena/F
Steve Knight/R-Palmdale/A
Cameron Smyth/R-Santa Clarita/A
Audra Strickland/R-Westlake Village/A

Is someone on this list running for a new office?

** BREAKING NEWS!! Link here to see "Boss D'Arcy's" IBEW hit piece on Paul Krekorian....and they whacked him good.

Local 18 Water and Power Defense League (IBEW) Los Angeles, CA 90004 (Independent Expenditure) Oppose Paul Krekorian City Council Member - District 02 Krekorian for City Council 2009 - General (1321819) [Election: 12/08/09] 11/17/09 11/16/09 Printing, production, postage, and research MAIL-10 $14,525.00

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

Andrew Breitbart's "Big Government" ACORN Videos, "Live from Los Angeles"

"Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's progressive friends exposed"

Ethics and ACORN may meet the definition of a Oxymoron.

But in Los Angeles, they have provided the appropiate "rent a mob" for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's photo ops for affordable housing and education reform. Some have made good money providing "chair sitters" for the mayor's AB 1381 battles in the Mayor's first term.

Now, all these connections to the progressive special interests cash and the politicians they back, may dry up after Andrew Breitbart's "Big Government Blog" latest video expose on ACORN's LA operations, and no, they did not get kicked out of the office, via the video featuring ACORN LA's Felix D. Harriss.

But "OLD GRAY WESTSIDE HAG ON SPRING STREET" scribe James Rainey, may have some explaining to do. This courtesy of veteran LA Times observer "Patterico" at Patterico's Pontifications.

Oh yes, and I should also mention this. O’Keefe says in the video above: “Felix Harris was the only ACORN employee in our nationwide investigation who would not assist us [in] obtain[ing] a house for our illegal activities.”

The only one? But didn’t James Rainey of the L.A. Times tell us that an ACORN employee in Los Angeles named Lavelle Stewart talked to Giles and O’Keefe?

Why, yes! Yes, he did. And Rainey implied that ACORN employee Stewart refused to help Giles and O’Keefe. Which certainly seems inconsistent with O’Keefe’s unambiguous declaration today.

Just trying to connect the dots . . .

Well, I guess we’ll have to wait for the next shoe to drop. I have this feeling it’s going to drop right on James Rainey’s head.

This from the same "Old Gray Westside Hag on Spring Street" who failed to correct the fact that Occidental College Professor Peter Dreier, who penned a Op-ed on ACORN for the Times, was a consultant to ACORN.

Makes you go hmmmm.....

Here are the links to Big Government's ACORN LA videos.

Part One, "The LA Story"

Part Two, "We knew we were gonna put Obama in"

Part Three "ACORN Employee of the Year, Felix D. Harris"

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

** From the "Old Gray Westside Hag on Spring Street" this evening.

But tonight, biggovernment.com offered praise for a worker at an ACORN facility in Los Angeles, saying he (Felix Harris) refused to bite when they came to the Wilshire Boulevard office with their faux business. And, yes, they have it all on tape.
Said O'Keefe: "Although he did not kick us out, he was the only employee in our nationwide ACORN child prostitution investigation who would not assist us."

** From James Rainey on September 23, 2009.

And visits 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."

Maybe the "Westside White Guy" can straighten out these contrary statements of facts??

** We found this link to ACORN LA's Felix Harris from 2005.

"There is a lot of misinformation about home buying in the community and many people feel vulnerable to being taken advantage of," said Felix Harris, Programs Director, ACORN Housing, "Today there are many more homeownership opportunities and flexibility in home buying than ever before. It is our job to better inform people, for example, to let them know that a 20 percent down payment is no longer an industry standard."

Is that the smoke from the barrel of ACORN's role, with Freddie Mac, in the collapse of the housing market, that I smell??

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Tuesday

Moved to Tuesday.  Sometime this morning we'll know who Mayor Villaraigosa has chosen as the Chief of the LAPD.  The Christian Science Monitor has a good read on the challenges facing the next man to helm LA's finest.

If you live in CD5, 11 or 12 and wonder why your Clowncilman isn't spending time on the pressing problem of your community, here is one reason. Members Paul Koretz (we don't have a nickname for him yet), Bill Rosen-DUH and Sleeping Greig Smith are working feverishly to outlaw declawing cats in Los Angeles.  This is despite the fact that veternarians say the law is unnecessary and unworkable and that an overworked Department of Animal Services is begging to not be given one more unfunded mandate they don't have the police powers to enforce anyway.  Your Council at work.

The 818Blog takes the news that CD2 candidate Paul Krekorian has been endorsed by former rivals Tamar Galatzan and Mary Benson as a sign that the Valley Assemblyman is "picking up steam" in the race.  On the other hand, the blog notes, Chris Essel has the endorsement of most of the City Council and the LA Times.

Remember Laura Chick? She's been working as California's Inspector General with a mandate from Arnold to root out fraud, waste and abuse just like she did here in LA.  Tuesday Inspector Chick will hold a press conference to drop the dime on shady non-profit about to receive some Obama stimulus dollars.  According to Chick's office a report prepared by a department of the State of California has found the agency to be "problematic and high risk." Hmmm...does that organization's name start with an A (and no, not the Auto Club)?

Los Angeles "Poverty Pimps" rally to ACORN's Defence

" ACORN and assorted Poverty Pimps ties to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa"

These people pimp poverty.

The names are familiar to those who follow the doings of the connected non-profits in Los Angeles and their relationships to the politicos on Spring Street. Thus it should surprise no one that they would band together in supporting ACORN as the LA Times reports.

A coalition of two dozen community organizers, labor leaders and clergy rallied in Watts on Thursday in support of ACORN, the embattled community organizing group.

Note the names as the story continues.

"It’s a witch hunt after a segment of the progressive populations," Paul Zimmerman, director of the California Assn. of Non-Profit Housing, said in a telephone interview after the news conference. "I have McCarthy-era deja vu."

The Rev. Richard Estrada, an associate pastor at our Our Lady Queen of the Angels/La Placita church, said the attacks on ACORN have made other community organizers fear that “one day they may come after us.”

"We feel there’s something larger going on," he said. "Progressive organizations that are being effective and are working to enable the working poor, the immigrant communities and the gay and lesbian communities are being targeted."

Estrada, an immigrant rights advocate, said he thought ACORN, the Assn. of Community Organizations of Reform Now, had allayed concerns that the problems went beyond individuals and affected the entire organization. "We understand that the employees [who were videotaped] were fired and that there was an audit and an attempt to fix the problems," he said.

Other community leaders who attended the Watts event included Father Greg Boyle, the director of Homeboy Industries, Betty Day, the director of the Watts Gang Task Force, and Maria Elena Durazo, of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. They were joined by members of the Los Angeles office of ACORN.

Since the time of late President Lyndon Baines Johnson unveiling of his "Great Society Program" in the 1960's, trillions of dollars have been spent in the on-going effort to redistribute wealth, errr, eradicate poverty in the United States, and the results?

In Los Angeles, it has been an decades long evolution of connected non-profits that are "progressive" in regards to promoting governmental dependency, while sustaining themselves by becoming political tools in the communities they serve.

The likes of ACORN when not providing "services" to their targeted communities, become "rent a mobs" and "rent a precinct walkers" when election time rolls around. They are rewarded with government contracts and oversight on their work becomes nil. Then when enquiring minds question the veracity of their work, they cry racism and resort to class warfare, in deflecting criticism.

But the ultimate scare for these non-profits are not the make believe charges of witch hunts from conservatives, but something called an audit, which should become more common place in Los Angeles.

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

More of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's links to ACORN, in ACORN's own words

Sonya Renee, ACORN parent leader, is shown speaking on the Capitol steps after the August 14, 2006 hearing. Mayor Villaraigosa is to her left.(from the ACORN's Website). BTW, is that State Senator and candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction, Gloria Romero on the right side??

The nation-wide scandal involving the community organizing group ACORN, continues to grow, this time in San Diego. In Washington D.C., the House of Representatives voted to defund ACORN 345-75. This comes on the heel of the same action in the Senate. In California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has called upon Attorney Gereral Jerry Brown to investigate ACORN activities in the state.

Yesterday, we praise the LA Times aka. "Old Gray Westside Hag On Spring Street" for their editorial imploring ACORN to "clean house". We also called upon the Times to devote an large "story budget" to reporter David Zahniser under the auspices of investigating the current ACORN/ Mayor Villaraigosa relationship, something he did when employed by the LA Weekly. Later, we posted more details of the ACORN/ Villaraigosa connection that goes back to his days as a 2001 candidate for Mayor.

Now as the ACORN scandal grows, it is time for the likes of District Attorney Steve Cooley, the County Grand Jury, City Attorney Carmen Trutanich and City Controller Wendy Greuel, to audit and investigate ACORN's various collaborations in city and county government. Taxpayers have the right to know the extent of the relationship between City Hall, County Hall of Administration and ACORN. We provide this from ACORN's main website to show ACORN's perspective on their relationship with Mayor Villaraigosa.

August 23, 2006.

More than 180 Los Angeles ACORN members boarded buses and vans to drive to Sacramento for the Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on AB 1381, on Sunday, Aug.13. If passed, the bill will restructure the Los Angeles Unified School District, give the LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa more power and autonomize three low-performing clusters of schools, among other changes.

The trip to Sacramento turned out to be quite the heated battle between those in favor of restructuring and change vs. those defending the school district’s current structure.

Mayor Villaraigosa walked in to a packed room of chanting ACORN members at their hotel and talked with them about the plan for the day and the next couple of weeks. At the Capitol, members did more than 20 lobby visits, several with legislators, on why as parents they supported major change within the school district.

Several of those legislator visits were filmed by TV crews, and members were interviewed in the hallways outside the Capitol. Meanwhile, down on the Capitol steps, a group of ACORN members clashed with a group supporting the school district. Before holding their own press conference, the group that opposed ACORN yelled that the ACORN members weren't "real parents.”

There was a chanting contest as their press conference began. On ACORN’s side, "Who are we? ACORN! What do we want? School reform!" and on the district's side, "Who are we? Yellow shirts! What do we want? Parents not politics!"

In the hearing, supporters of the bill dominated the room.

ACORN members filled up many seats, wearing blue shirts emblazoned with "I Support Reform" and "Powered by Parents” and red ACORN visors and stickers. The hearing was a series of drawn out debates happening in Los Angeles and Sacramento concerning whether the Mayor's bill is the right direction to go. Many of those speaking in opposition currently hold prestigious leadership positions in the district.

ACORN parent member Sonya Renee said, “I'm going to speak using my own words. I got involved in this because I was tired of watching TV and seeing people claiming to represent me as a parent in their opposition to this bill. Those people don't speak for all parents. I for one believe the district needs to change, and I support school reform."

This hearing added the support of some smaller cities within the school district and others within the district. Later that week, the bill passed out of committee on a 9-2 vote.

ACORN is planning to meet with Mayor Villaraigosa soon to discuss how the group will be involved in the implementation of the new District governance structure.

More information later.

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

More on Mayor Villaraigosa's connection with ACORN

"So we can blame ACORN for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa ??"

Link here to this post at the "Hot Air Blog" for more background on ACORN's ties to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

With an eye on the governors office in 2010, Villaraigosa has wisely decided to circle the wagons and participate in ACORN’s attempts to deflect attention from voter fraud indictments and the growing grassroots efforts to stop Federal funding. The problem with ACORN can be found in the last sentence of the above slide, “and one who knows who he has to thank!” Local politicians start off as school board and city council members; then they become mayor and so on. If a politician is constantly beholden to a group like ACORN, who has a habit of “calling in favors” one has to wonder if they are public servants or ACORN servants.

....., and from the Liberty Hill Foundation in Santa Monica.

September 04, 2009
How ACORN Shaped Last Week's School Board Resolution: Setting Clear Standards for Non-Traditional Schools
Last week, the L.A. Unified School District voted to open as many as 250 schools to private operators. Liberty Hill grantee partners were involved in amending the resolution to ensure that non-traditional schools were held to clear standards.
ACORN was a leading force in the amended resolution. Below find ACORN's behind-the-scenes brief detailing why ACORN got involved, the role they played, and how their organizing affected the outcome.

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

Morning Briefs and Outtakes for September 16, 2009

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and his ACORN "Rent a Mob"

Memo to Journalist Russ Stanton and Jim Newton at the "Old Gray Westside Hag On Spring Street".

The shock and unexpected kudos on your editorial "From ACORN, a mighty controversy grows". My finger tips are feeling a "tingling sensation" as I type these "spoll-checked words of praise", in response to your latest opinion missive regarding the growing ACORN controversy.

Now with the ACORN controversy reaching closer to your West LA center of journalistic thinking, after yesterday Andrew Breitbart"s "Big Government Blog" expose on the ACORN office in San Bernardino. I have a couple of simple requests for you both.

First, take a walk through the "mystical wall" that separates the Editorial and News Departments in your Downtown Spring Street News Bureau and give your intrepid news/ investigated reporter David Zahniser a big time "story budget" to disclose the links between ACORN and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

In his former incarnation as a reporter for the "Weekly of Record", Zahniser had this story about ACORN being the "paid rent a mob" during Mayor Villaraigosa's attempt to take over LAUSD with his unconstitutional AB 1381 scheme, some excerpts.

Six months after his summer in Sacramento, Villaraigosa turned in the financial reports for his Committee for Government Excellence and Accountability — the campaign that spent $1.1 million to win passage of the bill and defend it in court now that a judge has labeled it unconstitutional. Those reports show that nearly $73,000 of the money went to the nationwide organizing group ACORN and its employees, payments identified as campaign consulting services, travel and “meetings and appearances.”

Martha Sanchez, ACORN-L.A.’s vice president, says she sees no conflict, since the group voted to support Villaraigosa’s plan before his committee gave them a $20,000 contract to organize parents in favor of it. “Do you think people really care about who gets the money?” she asks.

The payments raise two possibilities: On the one hand, the mayor’s expenditure makes ACORN look like just another special-interest group, with its spokesmen serving as paid lobbyists for Villaraigosa. Or maybe ACORN is simply a grass-roots organization greased by big doses of special-interest money — contributions given to the mayor by companies like Anschutz Entertainment Group, which received $270 million from the city to build its L.A. Live entertainment complex.

Either way, it looks like disclosure is not exactly ACORN’s strong suit. And some question whether ACORN — which stands for “the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now” — is a little bit more corporate than it looks.

After all, this was the type of hard-hitting journalism you were seeking when you hire Zahniser away from the "Weekly of Record" Jill Stewart's stable of reporters that was and still are reporting news, while your P.R. scribes regurgitate the latest spin from west of the 405 and leak newsroom gossip to the "Westside White Guy".

Zahniser did well for your attempts to expand your West LA reader base with his extensive report on Mayor Villaraigosa' s friend Ari Swiller land grab in Kern County. But its up to you to loosen the editing reins and let Zahniser roam the political corridors of City Hall in the theme of exposing the fraud and corruption that is the hallmark of Villaraigosa's Reign at Spring Street.

......, and my second request Journalist Stanton and Newton ?? Please have your H.R. Director set up some racial sensitivity training for one Tim "Kim Il" Rutten, better known as your "Dear Leader" of objectively bias journalism. He is flashbacking to his younger days in the early part of last century when your regional paper was the "fishwrap of record" in Los Angeles and his mis-guided missives would be accepted as gospal.

Rutten is going the Joseph McCarthy route in the search of racists who disagree with President Barack Obama. But then racism may be the last refuge of a bunch of discredit journalists/leftists who are forced to pen racial McCarthyisms when they lack substance. A sad irony indeed.

OTHER NEWS:

** County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas is back in the "journalistic cross-hairs" of Times Investigated Reporter Paul Pringle who exposed the Tyrone Freeman "Reign of Corruption" at SEIU 6434.

Federal authorities investigating alleged union corruption have been examining a labor coalition's backing of Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas' 2008 campaign and whether his supporters illegally used city property and a nonprofit group in his earlier runs for office, people familiar with the matter say.

In addition, investigators have questioned people about whether Ridley-Thomas played any improper role in the hiring of a longtime associate by a contractor building the Expo Line rail project, according tothe sources, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the inquiries.

** Another day and more busted water pipes, this time in Woodland Hills. The Times reports and Steve Lopez opines on the growing fustrations of city residents who are paying more for less.

** How can CD 2 Council Candidate Paul Krekorian spin this contribution from Autry National Center CEO John Gray??

09/03/09 John Gray (President & CEO, Autry National Center) Los Angeles, CA 90026 Paul Krekorian Council Member - District 2 1318897 - Krekorian For City Council 2009 A - Monetary Contribution Received (IND - Individual) [Period: 08/09/09-09/05/09] $500.00 [Election: 09/22/09]

BTW, does Krekorian have a ACORN/SEIU connection ??

** Thought to ponder for CD 2 "cut and pasters". Did anyone find it interesting that Mayor Villaraigosa's friend and Cadiz's Keith Brackpool associate Richard Katz was moderating Monday's nights candidate forum in Sherman Oaks, with tough questions. Yet he won't disclose what was discuss during his vacation with the Mayor and Keith Brackpool in Iceland ??

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

They Should Just Sequester Joe the Stumbler Until Election Day

Finally an interview with Biden that isn't softballs from the media. However, the most important thing (besides lies about Obama not paying ACORN for services, they did pay $800,000 to the organization).

At 1:02 in this video, the reporter says that Obama was an organizer for ACORN, which Biden not only doesn't rebut the reporter he ACTUALLY CONFIRMS THAT OBAMA DID ORGANIZE for ACORN in making a point that Obama didn't register voters with ACORN.

On the other hand Obama's website says that Obama never was an organizer for ACORN. So is Obama lying or did Joe go off the talking points again? It looks like Obama was lying.

Biden also lies about the impact of Obama's tax plan and efforts to redistribute the wealth of others.

So the problem comes out not that Obama was associated with Ayers, worked for ACORN, etc. but that he won't come clean about it.

GOP Voter Fraud Here in CA - Isn't It Ironic?

Voter fraud accusations have been flying fast and loose by the McCain-Palin campaign. In the last debate, the Arizona senator accused ACORN, a community activist group that operates nationwide, of perpetrating "massive voter fraud." Although deemed as exaggerated by FactCheck and others, it is still part of their "Obama is a socialist-terrorist-will-raise-your-taxes" talking points.

Keith Olberman offered his thoughts this past Friday on larger voter fraud concerns from both POTUS camps.

Democrats still cry foul over the shenanigans in Florida in 2000 and irregularities in Ohio in 2004 so perhaps it is validating fears (and perhaps a touch ironic given the ACORN concerns) to read Evan Halper's LA Times story today on GOP voter fraud.

GOP voter registration fraud case leads to arrest

Mark Jacoby, who was arrested in Ontario and owns a firm hired by the California Republican Party, violated state registration laws, authorities say.

SACRAMENTO — The owner of a firm that the California Republican Party hired to register tens of thousands of voters this year was arrested in Ontario late last night on suspicion of voter registration fraud.

State and local investigators allege that Mark Jacoby fraudulently registered himself to vote at a childhood California address where he no longer lives so he would appear to meet the legal requirement that signature gatherers be eligible to vote in California.

Jacoby's arrest by state investigators and the Ontario Police Department comes after dozens of voters said they were duped into registering as Republicans by his firm, Young Political Majors, or YPM. The voters said YPM tricked them by saying they were signing a petition to toughen penalties against child molesters. The firm was paid $7 to $12 for every Californian it registered as a member of the GOP.

Several agencies had launched investigations into Jacoby's activities, including the Los Angeles County district attorney's office, which issued the warrant for his arrest earlier this month on felony charges of voter registration fraud and perjury.

Efforts to reach Jacoby were unsuccessful.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Wednesday

City Attorney candidate Carmen Trutanich has proven he'll be no shrinking violet in what will be a nasty campaign against fellow candidate Jack Weiss.  Of course as long as Weiss is involved, it will be nothing but nasty.  Weiss challenged Trutanich for contributions he received from pro-second amendment, gun rights groups and ordered his challenged to return the contributions.  To wit, Trutanich shot back "I tell you what, I'll return this money when Jack Weiss returns all the money he received from developers," Trutanich said. "I support reasonable gun laws. I think anyone who owns a gun illegally should go to jail. Anytime he wants to debate gun ownership I'll be happy to oblige."

Speaking of Jack Weiss at least the citizens of the 5th District can take some comfort in the fact that in a little less than a year, he will no longer be their City Councilman.  One of the leading contenders in what is turning out to already be be a competitive and contentious race to replace Weiss, former West Hollywood Mayor and carpetbagger Paul Koretz, has named as his campaign chief: none other than Sister City readers' favorite and Villaraigosa operative Park "Parque Esquelto" Skelton.  Could a Villaraigosa endorsement be coming soon for Koretz?

The Daily Breeze has come out in support of Bernard Parks' bid to replace Yvonne Burke on the County Board of Supervisors.  One of the key reasons for the paper's nod is their belief that "Parks would work to attract more market-rate housing and businesses other than fast food and auto-related enterprises."

Mayor Villaraigosa and Councilwoman Janice Hahn know better than to be the pitch people for their anti-gang property tax scam, Measure A,  on the November ballot.  They're turning to LAPD Chief William Bratton "the last public official with any credibility with voters." Think about that, it's really sad.  However count at least one no vote on Measure A if Bratton is the spokes-hole: celebrity diva Lindsay Lohan.

Truth to Power is an organization of former community organizers for the controversial political group, ACORN, that is calling for major reform within the organization.  Among ACORN's hypocrisy as stated by Truth to Power, "ACORN activists fight for Living Wages but management refuses to pay a Living Wage and forces organizers to work 54-80 hours a week." Doesn't surprise me.  Many of these professional non-profits (not all there are some very good ones), especially the ones that take government funds, are no more dedicated to the average person than General Motors.

In their biggest score since they closed a billboard deal with the City of Los Angeles, live entertainment firm AEG has scored the rights to produce and stage Britney Spears comeback tour.  No detals on when tickets go on sale but the pop diva is hoping for a worldwide tour, her first since 2004.

Don't forget our big Fourth Anniversary party Friday night at Casa Princesa in Highland Park.  By the way if you want to get me a present for four years of hard fought blogging you could bring me one of these.  Well, I can dream can't I?