Did Councilman Huizar misled public on city funding for CASA 0101?

Councilman Jose Huizar at CASA 0101 Opening Night with owners Emmanuel Deleage and Josefina Lopez. Notice any CRA logos on the wall?

Like any good and well-paid media person, CD 14 Communications Director Rick Coca will monthly produce the electronic newsletter that highlights the doings of his boss Councilman Huizar. Thus, when a "connected mon-profit" is graced with an appearance by the Princeton Grad turned Politico (** especially when the connected non-profit's treasurer is also a Princeton Grad), we get this "Coca Puff"........

CASA 0101 recently opened its new state-of-the-art, 99-seat live theater on First Street in Boyle Heights. This beautiful new theater and creative workspace will allow Casa 0101 to serve and nurture the creative talents of even more area youth while also providing live theater to area residents in a professional setting.

The new theater rivals any other similar-sized theater in the City and is the culmination of a collective effort to support the arts in Boyle Heights and the Boyle Heights Arts District, an initiative that has received help from Councilmember Huizar as part of his plan to improve major corridors in his district.

Councilmember Huizar assisted CASA 0101 in securing City funds, as well as assistance navigating the City’s oftentimes cumbersome permitting process. 


** But does Coca provide us with any specifics on how much and what type of funding the Councilman secured for CASA 0101? More after the jump.

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Controller Greuel and Councilman Zine: Lets play "Look for the $10,000 CRA Logo"

The pandering political duo of City Councilman Dennis Zine and City Controller Wendy "Valley Greuel".

In the spirit of City Councilman Dennis Zine's Audit and Governmental Efficiency Committee proposal that would require all municipal workers to report fraud, waste and abuse within city government. We provide this opportunity to Zine and Greuel to lead by example and find the waste of CRA money in the photos below, as noted in Zuma Dogg's excellent post on CD 14's CASA 0101 CRA Outreach Contract. We provide the pertinent information for your task between the photos from the CASA 0101 CRA Contract..  

 Inclusion of CRALA logo on CASA 0101

website, social media pages (Facebook,

Myspace, Twitter) and on bi-monthly

E-blasts. (The latter has over 3100 addresses)

$10,000

We await your findings in the near future, or maybe this was another tired act in political pandering?

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14

** Updated Mayor Sam Exclusive: Did Councilman Huizar retaliate against Eagle Rock's Colombo's Steakhouse for supporting Rudy Martinez for City Council?

"

Councilman Jose Huizar has a "long list" (6,000 voters +) of those who are not loyal to him.

Colombo's in Eagle Rock.

**Afternoon Update: Colombo's received their permit yesterday but because of the lateness of the approval, their festival plans have been altered. Further, Rick Coca stated this to Tom Topping, Rick Coca (press deputy CD14) says that Vic had operated the beer garden without a permit for all the previous years, and CD14 thought there were plenty of opportunities for people to drink on music fest night without a "beer garden" 

Colombo's Intalian Steakhouse General Manager Vic Parrino is apparently the latest person (** as Kevin James noted) in CD 14 to experience first hand the vindictive side of CD 14 City Councilman Jose Huizar. Joining the ranks of the Historic Downtown BID, LA-32 Neighborhood Council, Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council "Former President" Jose Aguilar and surely others, Perino is finding out first hand that if you don't support the "Huizar Way", well, "business may suffer".

Boulevard Sentinel Newspaper Editor Tom Topping send this blogger the following message a couple of days ago which we reprint in full below.

Hi scott. Headline: Huizar withdraws support for business who supported his opponent in last election. ... I'm at ER chamber meeting. Vic parrino, manager of colombos restaurant in eagle rock, wanted a special ABC permit for serving alcohol during music festival. He got needed police support for his application but CD14 withheld support. Vic recorded a very negative robocall, soliciting people to demand huizars resignation for alleged criminal wrongdoing. 

Following up on Topping's message, it was confirm that Parrino had gone to the Eagle Rock Chamber Meeting and express his dismay that the Special ABC Permit that Colombo's had to sell alcohol at past Eagle Rock Music Festivals, was withdrawn after intervention by Councilman Huizar's Office. Further, it was true that Parrino recorded the Robo Call in question during the heat of the campaign. But what dismays those that were contacted on this controversy, is the fact that Councilman Huizar would still choose to use the power of his office to retaliate against a business of an opposition (Rudy Martinez) supporter, long after the end of the campaign.

More later ...............

** Bonus Coverage on the dubious ethics of the "Huizar Way" via a Zuma Dogg Exclusive on "CRA/Huizar/ CASA 0101 Outreach Contract".

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14  

Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Tuesday

 Councilman Jose Huizar's  former Downtown BID guy Russell Brown.

Broadway Property Owner Joseph Hellen's billboard support of former CD 14 City Council Candidate Rudy Martinez.

As CD 14 City Councilman Jose Huizar enters the first Fall of his second term in office, what is readily apparent to political observers, is the Princeton grad's inability to bring about consensus through freedom of choice, with the recent troubles on Broadway being latest manifestation of the "Huizar Way" of doing business. The "Huizar Way" is based upon the narcissus cravings of the Boyle Heights resident that predicates constituent loyalty to him before resolution of your given issue. 

Broadway property owner Joseph Hellen knows all too well the ramifications of not being subservient to the "Huizar Way", witness their clashing visions for Broadway. As local historian D.J. Waldie reports for KCET Socal Focus, the decision of the "little Downtown BID that could", to replace Huizar supporter Russell Brown as its E.D. has set up this latest challenge to the "Huizar Way" where the desires of "Big Huizzy" comes before the needs of his constituents.

** LA Weekly Editor Jill Stewart report that a three judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court has rule that "Blue/Green Coalition" scheme to force truck drivers to join the Teamsters as part of Mayor Antonio Villar's plan to bring clean trucks to the Port of Los Angeles, was struck down. Meanwhile Neon Tommy had reported sometime back how the Mayor's office was playing dirty with the supposed clean air facts. 

** We bring you the latest on CASA 0101's Josefina Lopez who describes "Being Stupid and Idealistic and Creative" with ...............** CRA money? ** Our editorial comment.

** Expect cooperation between the Los Angeles Sheriff Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation should become more strain, in light of the report that the FBI paid a deputy $1,500 to smuggle a cell phone to an informant in County Jail. Expect some damaging revelations to come from this sting.

** The Los Angeles Board of Supervisors held a close door meeting today with Governor Jerry Brown that had some "open government advocates" wondering aloud about possible Brown Act concerns.
** KCBS Investigated Reporter David Goldstein gave the television treatment to the LA Weekly story on the $1 Million dollar giveaway to the designer of Farmers Field Gensler, that should have gone to serve the poor on Skid Row according to activists. Funny to watch the obvious discomfort of Mayor Antonio Villar, as he defends this usage of federal dollars.   

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14        

Connected Non-Profit Theatrical Group CASA 0101 "Presents" with help of CRA LA?

 CASA 0101 has grown beyond this First Street store front location.

Would the "Valley Greuel" find anything questionable in Chris Essel's CRA $150,000 outreach contract with CASA 0101?

There is no doubt that the connected non-profit theatrical group CASA 0101 has rounded the curve to artistic sustainability at its new and larger Boyle Heights location. The journey has been arduous undertaking for CASA's only employees, founder Josefina Lopez and husband Emmanuel Deleage, who have put their home up as collateral for a loan to bring CASA's latest location on line as noted in a recent Eastern Group Publications story and they still face perilous financial days ahead.

But as today's Los Angeles Times article profiles CASA's latest artistic undertakings, questions remain about the no-bid $150,000 CRA outreach contract awarded to CASA in light of this paragraph in the Times story.

The project entailed more than three years, hundreds of thousands of dollars in makeover costs, and painstaking permit-gathering and endless wrangling over access to the scant local parking supply. The nonprofit theater center is supported in part by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and has received funding from the city's Community Redevelopment Agency and the California Arts Council along with substantial personal investment by López and Deleage. 

There is nothing factually wrong with any of the content above, but what the CRA contract funded was outreach by CASA employees on CRA projects, not theatrical productions as one could surmise from the Times story.

Reviewing the CRA contract provisions. CASA was to be funded for these "various outreach undertakings".

** $67,500 dollars for three employees at $30 per hour for 750 hours of "outreach" work. (Connected voter outreach, whoops theatrical pays under CRA)

** $5,000 dollars for booth at CASA Christmas Event. (Thats one nice and pricey Christmas present for CASA)

** $5,000 dollars for to fund table at CASA Fundraising Event.("Tables" getting expensive in the connected CBO community)

** $10,000 dollars for distribution of CRA material in the community. (in addition to salaries?)

** $15,000 dollars CASA performance programs with "full-page CRA logo and Mission Statement.(waste)

** $12,000 dollars for CASA color fliers with CRA logo. (waste)

** $7,500 dollars for half-page color and glossy ad in CASA's Annual Brochure.(EGP wishes they could charge that much for ads)

** $10,000 dollars for inclusion of CRA logo and Mission Statement on CASA's website. (Hmm. no sign of CRA on Home Page, nothing on Facebook)

** $20,000 dollars for miss. advertising throughout the term of contract for other events. (Maybe that is what pay for the CASA billboard blight on Mission and Cesar Chavez?)

All this adds up to one sweetheart deal for CASA with so much room for graft and a auditor's dream if only the aspiring Mayoral Candidate Wendy Greuel would put aside her political support for Councilman Jose Huizar and CRA Executive Director Chris Essel, to investigate.

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14       

Tony Butka: "Eastside Adelante PAC-Paying the High Price of Democracy?"

Maybe CD 14 City Councilman Jose Huizar didn't want the Adelante PAC snooping around his no-bid giveaway of $150,000 of CRA/LA money to the theater group, whoops, meant to say outreach specialists CASA 0101?

Blogger note: Former Cd 14 City Council Candidate and Glassell Park Neighborhood Council Member Tony Butka reports on the retaliation measures undertaken against the CRA?LA Adelante Project Advisory Committee, for their support of California Governor Jerry Brown's proposal to use CRA money to offset the state's budget deficit. In addition, Ron Kaye notes that Chris Essel's CRA/LA will reconvene tomorrow in the spirit of replicating their role in the charade to usurp the will of Governor Brown and activists city-wide.

Read Tony Butka's piece after the bloggin leap.

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Afternoon Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Scene for Monday

"Recipient of $150,000 CRA No-Bid Contract for Outreach. What do Councilman Huizar and the Treasurer of CASA 0101's Board of Directors have in common?

A quick bloggin tutorial for CD 14 City Councilman Jose Huizar regarding CRA/LA.

Tomorrow is looking to be a crowded day at City Hall as scores of city activists will flock to the pews in front of the Horseshoe. This to remind the city council of their civic duty to do the right thing on the future of CRA/LA.

As a public service to CRA challenged City Councilman Jose Huizar (at least in his Glassell Park Candidate Forum mind set) and readers, we provide links to pertinent posts on the evolution of the scheme to spirit away $1 billion dollars of state CRA tax money and create a City of Los Angeles Non-Profit slush fund.

For our councilman, Ron Kaye's reporting on CRA/LA "Special Meeting" that features links to the actual Action Items, mixed with YouTubes videos of the proceedings, would prep him well for tomorrow's meeting.

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