Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Wednesday

The Wisconsin Republican Party tried to play dirty by running 6 fake candidates in the Dem state primary as "Democrats". All 6 fake candidates had their asses handed to them by the voters yesterday. The general election that will decide if 6 Republican state senators will be recalled and replaced will be held in August. Dems need 3 seats to take back control of the Wisconsin Senate. Governor Scott Walker (R), who led the union busting charge in the state is expected to face a recall as soon as he becomes eligible next year.

Speaking of having your ass handed to you, right wing extremist Craig Huey never had a chance, real or imagined. Even after spending over $800,000 of his own money, Huey was soundly defeated by the LA City Councilwoman in yesterday's special election. Janice Hahn now will represent CA36, replacing Jane Harmon who resigned from office earlier this year.
UPDATE: Hahn's victory is the 200th consecutive House race in which Republicans have failed to pick up a seat in California. 

Joseph Mailander-Pre Smear Merchant

And just speaking of an ass; Pity poor Joseph Mailander!  For weeks, he's been on an obsessive and fruitless quest to expose some sort of "organized conspiracy" in Sunland-Tujunga! He's harassed (some say stalked) local residents with phone calls and endless e-mails (even after many have firmly asked him to stop). He's rounded up a ridiculous group of highly questionable sources (including 2 convicted felons, and a squatter) that he has touted as "community leaders". And just yesterday he posts on his blog a letter from a local character named Terre Ashmore, who claims she was harassed and assaulted by attendees at a recent neighborhood council executive board meeting. The problem with Ms. Ashmore's story? Attendees at the meeting are stunned, and say that what she claims happened, never happened, not even close.  Keep up that ace reporting Joseph Mailander, you are making Glenn Beck so proud. Ciao!

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Wednesday

 Please don't make Victoria Tarazi Bjorknert chain herself to a bulldozer.

A contentious battle is coming to a head in Malibu where local surfers, environmentalists, and residents are fighting to stop the California Dept of Parks & Recreation from draining, dredging and re-sculpting the beloved Malibu Lagoon. Complicating the matter is that Heal the Bay, to the dismay of many, actually supports the project. Parks & Recs claims the dredging and redesign is needed to improve water circulation and reduce stagnation, but opponents argue that the work is radical, unnecessary, and will only serve to wipe out bird habitats that have only recently reestablished after a previous dredging and redesign that took place in 1983. In a LA Weekly story last Oct, Wetlands Defense Fund spokesperson Marcia Hanscom said of Heal the Bay's support, ""I'm sure they understand clean water. They understand plastic [bag] bans. They don't understand coastal wetland ecosystems, wetland ecology."
The activists working to save the Malibu Lagoon have put forth an alternative plan to rejuvenate the area that they say is less intrusive and would protect the existing wildlife. The bulldozers are currently scheduled to butcher the lagoon in June, just as the area is filled with new hatchlings. This means certain death for the birds, and the complete devastation of a unique and rare SoCal wetlands ecosystem.
As they try to raise awareness and legal funds, Save The Malibu Lagoon will hold a rally this Saturday, April 30th from noon until 4pm at the Malibu Lagoon parking lot, PCH at Cross Creek. Expect to see a who's who of surfers in attendance including my dear friend Victoria at this event.

Councilman Krekorian's office has several openings for interns interested in learning the intricacies of City Government. "Positions are open to those in the communications field for qualified candidates wishing to gain a greater understanding about L.A. politics while working in the fast-paced and exciting world of City Hall." reads the announcement. What the announcement doesn't say is that successful candidates will be working with the highly regarded and alley-obsessed CD2 communications director, Jeremy Oberstein.

As goes Wisconsin, so goes the Nation?-The signature gathering effort to recall the Wisconsin senators who supported the Scott Walker/Koch Bros union busting bill has now qualified 9 senators (6 Republicans and 3 Democrats) for a recall election.
 Meanwhile, the Republican effort to recall the Senate Democrats that fled the state in order to halt the passing of the bill is not doing so well;
On a level of failure that can only be described as "Jennerjahnian" in epicness, the deadline for submitting signatures for 2 Democrats targeted for recall passed today without a single signature being submitted.  How bad is it for Republicans in Wisconsin? They're now trading "Shots for Signatures".

If you think the LA air is dirty today... you whiny kids should have been here in 1948!
Nevertheless, and still disturbing as ever, LA once again has received the distinction of having the worst air in the nation.  Congratulations, we got a big F in all categories.

Liberals rejoice!  He's back, and he has an important announcement!!

Gov. Walker Goes to Washington

Kucinich nails it. Special guest appearance and roadblocks by Darrell Issa.

More Wisconsin news; Palin draws only 6500 to rally in Madison, most of them protesters against Walker.

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Thursday

American Processed Cheesehead

Gov. Scott Walker's Worst Nightmare- Progressive candidate Joanne Koppenburg has declared victory in the Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice race over incumbent Justice David Prosser, a Republican and former state assembly leader. Prosser, not surprisingly, is not conceding and a recount will most certainly take place. Opposition to Gov. Scott Walker's anti-union budget bill has energized the state and Koppenburg, who had little chance of beating the incumbent a few weeks ago, now finds herself propelled into the winner's circle. Wisconsin Democrats are promising that this is only the beginning, as recall efforts for Senators who supported Walker's bill are well underway. If Koppenburg survives the recount and probable court challenges, Wisconsin's Supreme Court will shift from a 4-3 conservative majority to a 4-3 liberal majority.

UPDATE; 48 hours after the polls closed and 36 hours after all the votes had been unofficially turned in, a county clerk "found" another 13,000 votes stored on her computer. 7,000 of these votes went to David Prosser.  I've got a feeling this story isn't over yet.

Mayor Villaraigosa has signed into law an ordinance restricting the size of hillside homes. For years, community activists have worked to stop the developers of these oversize "big box" mansions from cutting into LA's hillsides and constructing these oversize structures.
Trivia moment; The source of these L.A. anti-McMansion laws and new hillside building restrictions originate in the community of Sunland-Tujunga, where, a few years ago, an amazing woman named Roberta Actor-Thomas worked with then Councilwoman Wendy Greuel to craft the original language and definitions that have led to today's desperately needed citywide ordinances.

LACityWorkers.com is very, very upset with Council President Eric Garcetti, going so far as to file a California Public Records Act Request seeking all emails between the councilman and a bunch of other people they appear to be very, very upset with. If anyone can explain what this is all about, please let us know!

City Maven posts a recent interview she conducted with Councilman Krekorian that looks at his current CD2 goals and his future prospects. Relax, Eric, you're in the clear for now!

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Wednesday

The Gerald Desmond Bridge aka  "China's Loading Ramp to America"

Help Wanted! As many as 7000 jobs will be opening up in Los Angeles and Long Beach in 2011 and 2012 as work begins on 2 major infrastructure projects; the replacement of the Gerald Desmond Bridge and modernization of Middle Harbor. The Gerald Desmond Bridge is the cracked and crumbling connection between Long Beach and Terminal Island . The bridge was built in 1960 and was never designed to withstand the volume of trucks transporting goods shipped from China to the Los Angeles of the 21st Century.

They're out of scale, out of place, and they are soon to be "out of here". "McMansions" are headed for a slow death as the City Council unanimously passes new guidelines and restrictions on these monuments to bad taste.

 Speaking of out of scale and in bad taste;

Yep, they approved it. 

The LA Council District border wars are about to begin!  "Neighborhood Councils should be fighting to protect their stakeholders" says Michael Cohen at Citywatch. Yea, and what's up with everyone wanting to be in CD2?


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