Bloggin Happy Hour Musings on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Tuesday

Another Happy Hour Drink via Tony Villar.

Great Happy Hour Musings on the LA Political Machine for Tuesday. Join us as we tip the glass and enlighten you on these political items that may find their way into someone's decaff morning coffee in the A.M. ; ) --- Scott Johnson.

Former HACLA Official sentenced to 51 months in Prison.

Former HACLA employee Victor Taracena is heading to the Federal Pokey, who will be next?

From the LA Times .............

A former construction official with the Los Angeles housing authority has been sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for conspiring with his two brothers to steal more than $500,000 from the city agency.Victor Taracena, 41, was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty earlier this year to conspiracy in steering $527,000 to four dummy companies created by his two brothers, Diego and Bennett Taracena.The latter two Burbank brothers, who pleaded guilty and were each sentenced to 21 months imprisonment in June, paid kickbacks of nearly $107,000 to Victor Taracena. At least $30,000 of that money was wired to a bank account in Guatemala and some was used to buy property there, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.Victor Taracena worked at the housing authority from 2003 to 2007, managing the construction program for public housing units for disabled residents. The money steered to his brothers was supposed to go toward the installation of ramps and railings for low-income wheelchair users, but no work was actually performed, federal officials said.Housing authority officials said Tuesday the economic recession appears to have made their program a more tempting target for fraudsters. Tips about potential fraud (in past RAC boards for example?) have increased over the last year or so, and the authority has increased its number of investigators, according to Annie Kim, housing authority spokeswoman.

but what about the Taraceno's past alleged dealings with politically connected firms as noted below?

About the same time, Taracena began awarding larger contracts not only to family companies but to the three politically connected firms on the Eastside, each of which received payments of just less than $100,000.Representatives of two of the firms -- the Estrada Courts Residents Management Corp. and Grande Vista Associates -- denied any knowledge of rigged competitions. "I'm just happy that I got a contract," said Gustavo Valdivia, head of Grande Vista.

....... and who did Gustavo work for?


** The Sanctuary City (or growing democratic voting rolls) insanity continues at 200 N. Spring Street as a City Clowncil Central Sub-Committee votes to support morphing library cards, into a legal ID document for illegal alien members of the city's illegal, underworld class

** We are perplex why the "LA Weekjly Weedleaf of Record" is absence in reporting  on the alleged "pot for votes" controversy in last Saturday's Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council elections. But pot heads can stand reassure that the "Weedleaf of Record" will report promptly on the latest DEA visit to a pot shop in Downtown LA or Eagle Rock.

** The LA Street blog has the details on the influx of new Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council members after Saturday's election proceedings. Among the incumbents who were not reelected was ...

Area 2 (bordered by Marengo, Soto, First, and Indiana Streets) was the closest race between two candidates for a single seat with Sierra Jenkins winning by 2 votes (25-23). Jenkins beat Jose Aguilar, the former BHNC board president when the council was nearly decertified in March 2011.

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

Outtakes from Saturday's Northeast LA Neighborhood Council Elections

** Blogger's Note: On the morning after yesterday's exercise in advisory democracy, we bring you photos and commentary from the various Northeast LA NC polling locations. But we would be remiss if we did not credit the hard work of Empower LA staff and NC activists such as Stephen Box, Glenn Bailey, Jay Handle among many, for yesterday's beyond expectations turnout. The combination of excellent candidate recruitment (with help from CD 14 staff), along with a multi-media voter outreach campaign, mixed with some timely neighborhood issues, equated to an excellent exercise in advisory democracy. Click on to NC name for unofficial results ---Scott Johnson.

Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council:

Four of the new fresh faces of the incoming Boyles Heights Neighborhood Council, that will augment returning board members, such as Mago Amador and the Del Pozo sisters as seen in the picture below. Current BHNC President Edward Padilla was the top vote recipient among the 300 votes cast yesterday. 

LA-32 Neighborhood Council:

It was nice to see CD 14 City Councilman staffer Zenay Loera (with back to camera) making the rounds yesterday in El Sereno as she makes small talk with LA-32 NC Candidate Edward Santillan. Zenay's boss was also spotted voting in at the El Sereno Senior Center , which is not far away from his past-publicized hillside property. Hecho En Mexico Eatery Co-owner Connie Castro was the top choice in a contested At-Large Bracket. Close to 200 people voted, almost double the election turn out of two years ago.

Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council:

How do you get 400+ community members to take time out of their busy Saturday, to partake in advisory democracy? It starts with neighbors helping each other in getting to the polling place at the Ramona Hall. Then you add some yummy inducements for voting. Of course it also helps to have a little community controversy, regarding a supposed power grab by some Hermonistas, to rile up the local progressives, which by the way, went down in defeat.

Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council:

By far the biggest turnout yesterday was in Eagle Rock where Councilman Huizar supporter and Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce President Michael Nogueira ( with Huizar staffer Zenay Loera.** Did we see her earlier in El Sereno talking to another "connected candidate"?), beat off a challenge by Medical Marijuana Advocate Nelson Grande II by 26 votes (309-283). The fact that 792 people voted (compare to 100 two years ago) speaks volumes about how a community is galvanized to engage in an advisory dialog on one issue, Medical Marijuana. 

Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council:

The Highland Park Patch reports that Monica Alcaraz was elected President out of the 328 votes cast.  But we had the privilege to meet this candidate Margarito Martinez, outside of Cocos on York Blvd. Mr. Martinez did not win election to the HHPNC, but he is our winner as the embodiment of the empowering qualities of American Democracy.

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14