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Monday, October 29, 2012

Mid Day 2012 Election Briefs for Monday

The above video expose by CNN's Anderson Cooper is not likely to help Assemblywoman Butler as election day approaches and during last week's Santa Monica Daily Press "Squirm Night" festivities, challenger Richard Bloom asked her again to state her opinion on SB 1530 (link to see video). As the 50th AD contest enters its last week, Butler has spend $1.5 Million dollars on her campaign, but a non-vote in Sacramento may trump those expenditures.

Video from 43rd Assembly District Debate between Infant Assemblyman Mike Gatto and Glendale School Board Member Greg Krikorian
Judging from the crowd reactions during the only debate between Infant Assemblyman Mike Gatto and Glendale School Board Member Greg Krikorian, the current officeholder is in big trouble. In addition, what was up with Little Mikey and the League of Women Democratic Establishment Voters obvious collusion on debate questions? "Little Mikey" cannot even play fair in a simple debate, judging by the numerous cheat sheets he recited from during the hour-long forum.

CD 14 City Councilman Jose Huizar and newly-elected Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council President Michael Nogueira, to host a neighborhood coffee with 51st AD Candidate Jimmy "PAC Laundryman" Gomez.

This get together has major potential as a teachable political moment, when it comes to monetary uses by like-minded members of the same political machine. The "PAC Laundryman" can offer up advise how to wash nurse's due moneys into contributions to self while the Princeton Graduate can filibuster on his years-long white-washing on disclosures of CLARTS Fund expenditures.
Neighborhood Coffee with Councilman Jose HuizarOctober 29, 20126:00 pm - 7:00 pmJoin Jimmy Gomez and Councilman Jose Huizar for a neighborhood coffee at the home of Michael & Eugenie Nogueira.Come meet Jimmy, find out why he is running for State Assembly and ask him questions about issues that are important to you.To RSVP please call Aaron at 213.375.8010 or email rsvp@jimmygomezforassembly.com

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

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Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The One and Only 43rd AD Debate between Gatto and Kirkorian tomorrow night in Glendale


The only 43rd Assembly District Debate before Election Day.
 Poor Infant Assemblyman Little Mikey Gatto does not like debating opponents.
 Little Mikey may need a stiff drink after Election Day.

Republican Challenger Glendale School Board Member Greg Kirkorian.

** Blogger's note: This blog's admiration for the Silver Lake stay-at-home Infant Assemblyman Mike Gatto, has been well chronicled at various newspapers, other blogs, in legal documents and of course, here. Thus, you can rest assure that this blog will be on hand tomorrow evening in Glendale when the Infant Assemblyman makes his only debate appearance with Republican challenger Glendale School Board Member Greg Kirkorian. Kirkorian in the June Primary garnered 45% of the vote with a campaign budget of less than $10,000. Since then, major money and endorsements have flowed into the campaign. The newly-drawn 43rd District, which leans more to the center, makes this race a possible Republican pick up come November---Scott Johnson.

As a public service to 43rd AD voters, we link to the excellent five-part series of posts by Garen Yegparian on Asbarez.com, regarding the true "Grimy Gatto", enjoy!!

2012 Election: Grimy Gatto, an except ...........

The residents of California’s 43rd State Assembly district are children of misfortune now because of who represents them, Mike Gatto.Grimy Gatto is a member of the Democratic Party, so, by and large, the Republicans in the district are bound to be dissatisfied with him. Unfortunately, the Democrats in the district also have cause to be dissatisfied with him. As to the Armenian community, the largest to be found in any of California’s 80 assembly districts, the reasons for dissatisfaction are legion.
2012 Election: Grimy Gatto II, an excerpt .............

Now let’s move on to an example of how Gatto has been busy taking advantage of (and in the process exacerbating) divisions in the Armenian community. You’ll remember that back when Mike first ran for Assembly, it was a four-way race- Sunder Ramani, Mike Gatto, Chahe Keuroghlian, and Nayiri Nahabedian. Many of us remain convinced that Chahe participated in that election strictly to divide the Armenian community’s vote and CAUSE Nayiri to lose. This allowed Mike to win. It was the only way he could win. So he had an interest in dividing the Armenian vote. In this scenario, the Hnchags in our community, through their Armenian Council of America PAC enthusiastically supported Mike BY SUPPORTING CHAHE. Of course, they had to get a payoff, their thirty pieces of silver. This came in the form of “behested payments” *(see below for explanation) secured by Mike Gatto for two Hunchag affiliated organizations, Armenian Education Benevolent Fund and Nor Serount Cultural Association, from the AXA Settlement Claim Fund (yes, the same fund that is now mired in recriminations between the two factions of lawyers on that case). You can see for yourself at http://www.fppc.ca.gov/cosponsor/2011-Assembly.xls. The way to tell this is a “thirty pieces of silver” situation is that these organizations, while totally legitimate, are not much of a presence in the 43rd Assembly district that Mike Gatto supposedly represents. If he really wanted to support the Armenian community in his jurisdiction, there are many other organizations that do much more to serve this community, which he could have helped to fund.

2012 Election: Grimy Gatto III, an excerpt ...............

Things seem to get done and written that benefit Mike Gatto politically. I’ve noticed, however, that he’s really good at keeping himself at some remove from those. His fingerprints are not to be found at the scene.The easiest example is a blog, whose name I won’t give so not to publicize a website that is replete with libelous statements. This blog is totally anonymous. No one knows who owns and publishes it. Most of the material published supports Mike Gatto or attacks those opposed to him. There is some other material, but only enough to make it seem like a legitimate publication, rather than the Gatto mouthpiece it really is


2012 Election: Grimy Gatto IV, and excerpt ................


Let’s start with an example of Mike’s public pronouncements being not quite consistent with one another as he pursues undeserved credibility. Regardless of what your position is on the I-710 extension, you’ll see how Gatto trips up over his own insecurity.In March of 2010, when asked his position on the 710 issue, Mike told the Glendale Sunroom Desk that he was still researching the matter of the 710 tunnel proposalYet in a letter-to-the-editor Gatto wrote regarding an article that he said misrepresented his position on the 710 question , he claimed “I have been, and continue to be, opposed to the extension of the Long Beach (710) Freeway in any form.” Really? That wasn’t his position a short time before, as proven by the first article I cited.


2012 Election: Grimy Gatto V, an excerpt ..............

But Gatto’s duplicity and unpleasant tactics don’t end there. Shortly before Greg Krikorian, Gatto’s opponent in the race for the 43rd Assembly seat, filed his papers to run for the position, he started getting phone calls. At the time, Greg’s parents were going through some health issues, and Greg was busy helping them. Yet Gatto was “persistent,” even telling Greg’s wife Christine it was “an old friend calling” when he phoned Greg’s home fairly late at night. When they spoke, Greg was left with the impression that he was being threatened. 

..... its time to return mature, responsible leadership to the 43rd AD.
Glendale Candidate Forum - Mike Gatto and Greg KrikorianThe GHCC and the Glendale/Burbank League of Women Voters are partnering to sponsor the Glendale Candidate Forum.The forum will take place on Thursday night, October 25th at 8:00PM in Council Chambers at Glendale City Hall.The forum will host the candidates for CA 43rd Assembly District - Mike Gatto and Greg Krikorian.
WhenThu Oct 25 8pm – 9pm Pacific Time
WhereIn Council Chambers at Glendale City Hall (map)

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Friday, October 19, 2012

A Morning Tutorial on a certain "Grimy Infant Assemblyman Gatto"

Beware of alleged late-night phone calls from a certain Infant Assemblyman.
 Why would an Infant Assemblyman call his reelection challenger at home in the late evening? 
"Paging Greg Kirkorian! You have another phone call from a persistent old friend".

** Blogger's note: If anyone needed an example on the true persona/character of Infant Assemblyman Mike Gatto, then take the time to read Garen Yegparian's excellent missive entitle "The Grimy Gatto V". This is the fifth in a series of articles on the Infant Assemblyman by Yegparian that have been posted on Asbarez.com. We post here "Grimy Gatto V" in its entirely for your reading pleasure---Scott Johnson
This time, in exposing some of Assemblymember Mike Gatto’s reprehensible actions, I am indebted to a blog called “Mayor Sam” The folks writing this website have been doing excellent work documenting his errant behaviors ever since he was first a candidate. You might enjoy reading some of the reporting they have done.
From Mayor Sam we learn of Mike’s insensitivity to the mentally handicapped. It seems a few years ago, Mike, like many others, was trying to make money by registering domain names on the internet which he thought might be desired by someone in the future. No harm in that. But among the names he grabbed were RightTarded.com and LeftTarded.com. This is clearly a political word play on “retarded” combined with the left and right ends of the political spectrum. This is just one more example of why many Democrats have trouble stomaching Gatto.
Mayor Sam also exposes Gatto as someone who abuses the public trust. How else would you describe what follows? In 2002, Mike was working, according to Federal Election Commission records, on Congressman Brad Sherman’s reelection campaign. Of course, high-season for this kind of work is after Labor Day, September-October-November. Yet somehow, on October 9, Mike Gatto managed to claim 227 hours’ worth of work when he billed the City Of Los Angeles, based on a six-month “personal services contract.” The contract was signed on September 19. It was only officially approved on October 2. Pretty impressive, isn’t it, how in just 19 days (about three weeks), Gatto was able to work 227 hours (about four-and-a-half work-weeks), all while simultaneously campaigning for the Congressman he was working for? Is this the kind of person we should have in the state legislature in these tight financial times?
But Gatto’s duplicity and unpleasant tactics don’t end there. Shortly before Greg Krikorian, Gatto’s opponent in the race for the 43rd Assembly seat, filed his papers to run for the position, he started getting phone calls. At the time, Greg’s parents were going through some health issues, and Greg was busy helping them. Yet Gatto was “persistent,” even telling Greg’s wife Christine it was “an old friend calling” when he phoned Greg’s home fairly late at night. When they spoke, Greg was left with the impression that he was being threatened.
And speaking of Christine, it turns out she had some financial problems which the Glendale News Press decided to report on, making it seem, inaccurately, that Greg was involved, too. Aren’t you curious as to how this newspaper, short-staffed as it is, came up with this story? Does anyone doubt it was Gatto’s minions that planted the seed of that hit piece with the paper?
Of course, all of this might be considered normal campaign antics. But because it involved people other than the candidates, their actions and comments, it bears some scrutiny. I might have even thought nothing of this, but for Mike’s reaction to something I’d written during his first campaign, in 2010, for this Assembly seat.
During that campaign, Mike’s first child was born. As a campaign mailer, he sent a picture of himself, his wife (still in a hospital bed), and their newborn. I had observed that this was tacky and exploitative. Mike was incensed that, as he saw it, I had involved his family in the campaign. Yet he has no problem doing exactly that to someone else. Just another example of his double standards…
You have probably already received your absentee ballot. Make sure to vote, and vote soon, and most importantly, vote for Greg Krikorian so we can be freed of the embarrassment of having Mike Gatto representing the 43rd Assembly district. 

We support returning mature leadership to the 43rd AD with a Kirkorian Victory.

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

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Tuesday, September 18, 2012

The Infant Assemblyman Mike Gatto dodging debates in the 43rd AD

Why doesn't the "Infant Assemblyman Mike Gatto", want to debate challenger Greg Kirkorian in the 43rd Assembly District Contest?.  
The thought of debating his challenger Glen Kirkorian causes "a Lil Mikey episode".
Memo to the Infant Assemblyman Mike Gatto, as you attempt to move beyond Infant Assemblyman status and into the world of seasoned politico, its paramount that you master the spin craft of standing up for your special interest friends, whoops, political ideals.
That said, many of your constituents are wondering when you are going to debate your challenger Greg Kirkorian as Election Day looms some mere weeks away. Care to answer to your constituents Mikey?
In your recent past, you had no issue debating other candidates for the political office that you are seeking re-election to. Some would opine that your past debates, especially in the democratic primary some years back, were aided by an alleged "political tag-team partner named "Chale", but I digress.
Your campaign minders may state that Kirkorian does not have a chance against a well-funded (via out of district special interests money) candidate. Thus, why debate a supposed sure loser?
But the facts run contrary to that notion, considering that the Kirkorian Campaign garnered 45% of the vote in the June election, while spending less than $10,000. A recent fundraiser with former California Governor George Duekmegian, alone raised $90,000+ for the Kirkorian Campaign. Then with the redrawn boundaries of the 43rd Assembly District, voter demographics ensure that this district's future political contests will always be in play for both parties.
In stating these facts, it should come as no surprise to seasoned political observers that the "Infant Assemblyman" would seek to dodge debating Kirkorian. This "Infant Assemblyman" has accumulated a large amount of political baggage as he attempts to move beyond the terrible second year of his political life. Whether it was his non-vote on the California Dream Act or his outlandish claims of financial distress after California Controller John Chiang cut the salaries of his fellow legislators last summer, then it becomes clear why the Infant Assemblyman is acting obstinate on the debate issue.
But this strategy of dodging a debate with a legitimate challenger may backfire for the Infant Assemblyman. Many within the 43rd AD, including a large amount of Democrats, would not give a second thought to booting Assemblyman Gatto out of office. Add that to the fact that 45% of the voters have already stated their negative opinion of the Infant Assemblyman without knowing the excellent, extensive background of challenger Greg Kirkorian, does not bid well for the Infant Assemblyman's political future.
Your thoughts ...............
Scott Johnson in CD 14
           
        

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Saturday, September 15, 2012

Bloggin Political PSA Saturday

Support Greg Kirkorian for the 43rd Assembly District

Saturday Mayoral News Update
** Will Developer Rick Caruso be the "sixth mayoral candidate" by next the time of this debate?

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

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Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Help bring Mature Leadership back to the 43rd Assembly District

 As evident above, the "Infant Assemblyman Mike Lil Mikey Gatto" does not approve of this message.
With no apologies to the Gatto Truthers, we call upon the voters of the 43rd Assembly District to replace the tyrannical "Infant Assemblyman Mike Gatto", with longtime Glendale School Board Member Greg Kirkorian. Knowing first hand how Mike Gatto treats those that dare oppose his edits, this blogger will endeavor to call upon all within the 43rd AD, to vote for mature representation in Sacramento come November.  

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Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for the Dawn of Political Summer 2012

Saturday morning dawn from Anza-Borrejo State Park
Great Tuesday morning dawn on the start of Political Summer 2012 with a week remaining to Election Day on June 6.  
Infant Assemblyman Mike Gatto bemoaning latest comments directed at him.
** We noted last week the posting of edited videos of 43rd Assembly District Candidate Greg Kirkorian speaking at this year's Armenian Genocide Commemoration Ceremony that painted Kirkorian as some sort of rabid Armenian Nationalist. Now as the email posted below denotes, a certain "Infant Assemblyman" was himself working the assemble masses for political gain.
Little Mikey is goin around cryin and makin hay of Greg's comments. But what about what he was actually doing at this very same event?
Do you know that this shameless sleazeball was actually trolling around asking the Armenian Community leaders -who were assembled to mourn the lives of their lost- for their endorsements? Honest, my friend Nayiri told me. She was there and saw it all. Politicking at a Genocide Commemoration Ceremony? That's a new low, even for you Mikey. 
If anyone has any doubts, go ahead and ask Ara Najarian, who I am told, was there to stand in solidarity with his fellow Genocide commemorators but wound up being cornered, interrupted and harangued by Little Mikey who was bent on hijacking the event, for his own self-serving and selfish purposes, by chewing Ara's ear off about offering him an endorsement, which I am told Ara wisely declined. Where's Peter M. when you need him?
Look folks, don't get it twisted, Greg's words may have been suspect but Gatto's deplorable deeds are undeniable. This sleazeball showed up to a Genocide Event for pure political purposes. But sadly for him, we are not as dumb and blind as he thinks or wishes us to be. 
October's coming Little Mikey. Are you ready for your surprise? I hear you've been a really bad boy so don't expect a new pony or anything and if you think October's bad, wait till November when the election results come in. It's gonna be right back to Mommy's basement for you young man.

....... or his other home in the canyons south of the Hollywood Sign.
Other News
** We are treated to a double scoop of musings on the bubbling and competent Wendy "The Valley Greuel for Mayor" Campaign on this Tuesday. First, Jim Newton gives us the insider perspective on the competent candidate to replace the lacking Mayor Antonio Villar. Downtown News Editor and Scribe of Wit Jon Regardie breaks news by informing the ignorant masses that the bubbling, positive Valley Greuel was a high school cheerleader during her time at Kennedy High School. Thus, the City of Angels could transition from being fronted by a City Terrace Payaso to a Valley Greuel Cheerleader. Divine intervention please! 
** Rick Orlov's takes note of Republican's attempts to garner election attention by highlighting the feuding Democrats in the 30th Congressional District and 39th Assembly District contests. We should note that former Mayor Sam blogger Michael "MEAT" Zimmerman-Trujillo is seeking campaign consulting redemption by hopefully leading CD 2/7 City Councilman Richard AlarCON to victory over Raul Boconegra in the newly drawn 39th AD.
** Academia Semillas del Pueblo Illegal Drop Off/ Pick Up Zone in El Sereno **
Lastly, which controversial Charter School would create their own "drop off/pick up zone" on busy Huntington Drive in El Sereno? A few weeks back, this blogger witness LAPD observing this illegal obstruction and a couple of near traffic accidents. But then it has become apparent that Academia Semillas del Pueblo operates under different standards (with with no objections from elected officials).  
Your thoughts ..............
Scott Johnson in CD 14      

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Tuesday, May 22, 2012

43rd Assembly District Candidate Greg Kirkorian target of Anti-Armenian Smear

What happens when a candidate for office has his words edited into a racial smear?
Posted by "American Beauty".
Posted by G Armenian Pride".
The "Howard Dean or Louis Farrakhan" of the Armenian Community  Those are some of the comments that appear on the edited YouTube video which are clearly design to frame 43rd  Assembly District Candidate Greg Kirkorian as some close-minded, rabid Armenian Nationalist. The videos, along with a  Glendale News Press story (a repugnant piece of agenda journalism) on Kirkorian's supposed comments, has created a backlash in the Armenian Community and are causing some to speculate who is behind the twin video smears (if one really needed to guess).  
Will Infant Assemblyman Mike Gatto denounce these types of ethnic smears against his opponent?
Longtime Burbank and Sierra Club Activist Garen Yegperian (** himself no stranger to smear attacks from the Gatto Truther's "Burbank Blog"), penned theses comments on the videos.
Gatto’s minions (it seems to me he’s pretty good at having others do his dirty work for him) have already sunk into the mud. They have taken parts of one of Greg’s April 24th speeches, thrown up a Youtube page, and are trying to make him seem like an extremist so he loses support. That may sound really inappropriate, abusing Genocide related material, but it gets worse. There’s even a comment posted on Youtube questioning why Greg would mention his candidacy during such a speech. You’ll notice, whoever wrote that is trying to make Greg look bad to the Armenian community as well. What’s most telling is that the video’s posting date and the date that the various commenters’ Youtube accounts were opened are within a week of one another. There’s no doubt in my mind that this is NOT natural, normal, political discourse, but a pre-plotted hatchet job. The behavior is also familiar because of what I and others I know have experienced at Gatto’s hands.
Journalist Peter Musurlian, himself no stranger to the vindictive tactics of Infant Assemblyman Mike Gatto, produced this video that takes the Glendale News Press to task for their bit of agenda journalism and notes Yegparian's comments on the video controversy. Further, he covers the Kirkorian's Campaign Kick Off event at the Glendale Hilton. One should also note what former 43rd Assembly Candidate was seen in the audience. Hint, don't expect any secret handshakes in the near future.
Your thoughts ..............
Scott Johnson in CD 14  

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Monday, March 19, 2012

The Infant Assemblyman Mike Gatto bemoans Political Future

What a way to start another bloggin week here at Mayor Sam. Forget for the moment the LA Times expose on LAFD, Steve Lopez pondering what LAFD's response time would be if he fell off his bike again and whack his head, or campaign theatrics in the District Attorney race. We have a more pressing concern that involves the latest on Infant Assemblyman Mike Gatto and judging from the face above, he is not a happy infant politico.  
 We last saw our Infant Assemblyman Mike Gatto at the CD 15 City Councilman Joe Buscaino's victory party in San Pedro. We should note that at the same time Assemblyman Gatto was making his way into CD 15, the City of Glendale City Council was conducting a special meeting to discuss the future of redevelopment in the city and had requested the attendance of their assemblyman. But why pass on a great party when you will have plenty of time in your political future to deal with Glendale's issues? (** or you thought). 
 While the Infant Assemblyman pick partying over constituent concerns in Glendale or ponder ways to lock up more Raider fans dress in springtime Dodger Blue ( wonder if Burbank "political/security consultant" Kevin Harrop is a closet Raider fan?). Glendale School Board Member Greg Krikorian was filing papers to challenge the Infant Assemblyman in a newly redrawn moderate 43rd Assembly District. 
The fact that Krikorian waited to the last minute in filing papers for the 43rd AD, took away any chance for Gatto to replicate his tactic of finding someone in the Armenian Community like Chahe Keuroghelian (on left in picture above from a April 24, 2010 Meeting with Gatto), to enter the race and split the large Armenian vote. Thus, there will be no reason for the Infant Assemblyman to skip out of April 24 Observances in the Armenian Community in 2012,  unlike 2010..
Mucho more from the 43rd AD Campaign in the weeks ahead.
Scott Johnson in CD 14

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