Coucilman Huizar responds to Historic Downtown BID's "Black Balling Claims" via the Downtown News

Blogger notes:One day after the Historic Downtown BID exposed Councilman Jose Huizar for being the thin-skin, insecure, vindictive and petulant politico that many in CD 14 have come to dread, the Princeton grad responds to Downtown News reporter Ryan Vaillancourt, in its online incarnation of the weekly paper (** we provide excerpts, pictures and commentary below). The dust up with the BID is the latest in a series of acts of retributions against perceived political enemies that have touched all areas of Councilman Huizar's Fiefdom. Whether its Colombo's Steakhouse in Eagle Rock, the Boyle Heights and LA 32 Neighborhood Councils and an elderly nominee to HACLA, Councilman Huizar has shown that he doesn't know how to win or is mad about some pending issues. Regardless, the abusive acts of the "Huizar Way", are paving the way for a political slap back---Scott Johnson 

     

Tom Gilmore calling out the Historic Downtown BID.

"I think that you have to be really careful that when someone in the council office implies to you that somehow permits are going to be harder to get, that liquor licenses are gong to be harder to get, you no longer have autonomy, nor do you have control over your own future," said Gilmore.

Huizar called Gilmore's notion "ridiculous." (ie. so true)

"What Tom Gilmore is alleging is absurd," Huizar said. "My office has never in any way implied someone's project will be held up [if they vote for] Roberto.... I wouldn't do that and I did not direct my staff to do it." (I remember o certain council office who secretly investigated a Park Advisory Board)

Huizar, whose office is hosting a Nov. 9 forum at the Orpheum Theater entitled "The Future of Your Downtown," said that he intends to reach out to the BID to clarify his office's position: He would have worked with whomever they selected. (.... and I have a updated CLARTS Fund report to share with you)

Huizar acknowledged that his office would have been "cautious" about working with an individual who didn't fully buy in to Bringing Back Broadway, but "even if they had selected him," Huizar said, "it would have been OK, water under the bridge."( But what if the river of friendship and trust, has run dry like these former two friends pictured below?

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

LA Times's David Zahniser: "L.A. Councilman office accused of blackballing appointment"

We noted yesterday in our post regarding the controversy at the Historic Downtown BID over Councilman Huizar's strong arm tactics in blackballing Roberto Saldana as a candidate for the Executive Director position, that more news would be forthcoming. This morning the LA Time's David Zahniser has this report ..... and a certain councilman is not looking good. Excerpts with pictures and video below.

  Attorney Roberto Saldana.

"I think there's no question that Roberto would have made the ideal candidate in a vacuum, where we weren't being pressured by Huizar's office," board member Josh Gray-Emmer told the audience. "Huizar's office blackballed Roberto, plain and simple. And we decided that we wanted to move forward."

CD 14 City Councilman Jose Huizar

Not long after they made their decision, however, Councilman Jose Huizar got involved, board members and business leaders said. What followed, critics assert, was an unusually public and petty use of City Hall power to punish an adversary's ally.

Video of Downtown Developer Tom Gilmore calling out the Historic Downtown BID for selling their soul to Councilman Huizar.

Wednesday's vote also infuriated prominent downtown developer and former board member Tom Gilmore, who said afterward that he would pull five buildings out of the business improvement district and join another, adjacent organization. Gilmore accused board members of dropping Saldaña to avoid angering an elected official with influence over beer and wine permits and other decisions that could affect their bottom lines. "This happened for one reason and one reason only: fear," he told the board.

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Downtown Historic BID: "Councilman Huizar's Office Black Ball Roberto Saldana"

Former counsel to Broadway Property Owner Joseph Hellen Roberto Saldana found out today that comments like these below get you "black ball" in Councilman Huizar's CD 14 Fiefdom. Especially if you are seeking a Executive Director position to the Historic Downtown BID. 

"In the years José Huizar has been in office, there have been no improvements along Broadway," Saldaña says. "He has done nothing. Just because he says he's 'bringing back Broadway' doesn't mean he's accomplishing it." "You could get hurt walking or lose a transmission in some of the potholes," Saldaña says. Large sections of sidewalk between Fifth and Sixth streets have been patched with 4-by-8-foot pieces of plywood so the mostly Latino shoppers don't fall 20 feet to a subterranean parking lot. Saldaña says Mideb was forced to do that because the city permitting process got gummed up, and Huizar has been no help.

As we reported yesterday, the Historic Downtown BID convene today to select a new Executive Director from among three finalist that did not include Saldana (to Huizar's blessing). The finalists were Richard Garcia, Tara Jones-Hamacher and Blair Beston. Beston was selected for the position after close session, some sharp exchanges among board members and comments from the audience. It was made clear by a board member during the meeting, that Saldana was not a finalist because Councilman Huizar's Office "Black Ball" him.

Below we have uploaded videos which include Developer Tom Gilmore, the candidate' presentations and the final selection announcement. Rest assure, that you will be reading more about this latest episode of another community organization, bowing to the "Huizar Way".

 Downtown Icon Brady Westwater talking to Developer Tom Gilmore.

Members of the Historic Downtown BID listening to a business presentation. Heavy decision making regarding new Executive Director (that has Councilman Huizar's blessing) pending.

Downtown developer Tom Gilmore calling out the BID for 'selling their soul to Councilman Huizar.

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Will the "Huizar Way" neuter the Historic Downtown Business Improvement District (BID)?

Adherence to the "Huizar Way" is paramount if one wants to taste the spoils of government (or get basic constituent services).

There are numerous ways of getting notice that you or your organization, are not operating within the parameters of the "Huizar Way" in CD 14. No turkey vouchers for your community group, Chief of Staff Ana Cubas shows up at your community group meeting to recite false information, withdrawal of commission nomination, eviction from office space, withdrawn ABC Special Permit support and the dreaded no "Huevos with Huizzy" are some that come to mind (and have happen). 

But one would think that the First Amendment right to freedom of expression and dissent would be protected, after all, elections are exercises in disagreements and debate of policy issues, that result most time in the betterment of the community. Yet in the current incarnation of CD 14, the mere act of speaking against the sitting office holder is grounds for retribution, as witness with the saga of Roberto Saldana, former Counsel to Broadway property owner Joseph Hellen.

Roberto Saldana via Gary Leonard. Link here for brief DN report on tomorrow's meeting. 

During the recently completed CD 14 campaign proceedings, Saldana made these comments about Councilman Jose Huizar to the LA Weekly regarding the councilman's work on Broadway.

"In the years José Huizar has been in office, there have been no improvements along Broadway," Saldaña says. "He has done nothing. Just because he says he's 'bringing back Broadway' doesn't mean he's accomplishing it.""You could get hurt walking or lose a transmission in some of the potholes," Saldaña says. Large sections of sidewalk between Fifth and Sixth streets have been patched with 4-by-8-foot pieces of plywood so the mostly Latino shoppers don't fall 20 feet to a subterranean parking lot. Saldaña says Mideb was forced to do that because the city permitting process got gummed up, and Huizar has been no help.

Read more »

Councilman Huizar's "Retribution Tour" continues in CD 14

Who on my "constituent disloyalty list" am I going to F... next? Photo by Gary Leonard in Downtown News

The right to disagree, question or dissent is a right in the United States of America but in the fiefdom of CD 14 City Councilman Jose Huizar, these supposed protective acts are cause for petty retribution and denouncement from the well-paid staff of a vindictive, thin-skinned politico.

Whether its the Historic Downtown Business Improvement District (BID), the LA-32 Neighborhood Council, Colombo's Steakhouse in Eagle Rock or an elderly nominee to Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, the act of disagreeing, questioning, opposing or merely appearing to dissent in supporting Councilman Huizar respectively, has had serious ramifications for all four entities and individuals.

As Downtown News Editor and :"Scribe of Wit" Jon Regardie reports in today's online edition, the Historic Downtown BID's act of removing Councilman Huizar's supporter Russell Brown as its Executive Director, has morphed into a bitter standoff because of the selection of noted Councilman Huizar critic Roberto Saldana to replace Brown (since rescinded under pressure from Huizar). But as the "Gilligan's Island like"  theatrics play out downtown, other examples of Councilman Huizar's political paybacks have come and gone throughout the rest of CD 14 and the political price is mounting for the Princeton Grad.

In El Sereno, the act of questioning the status of the Central Los Angeles Refuge Transfer Station (CLARTS) Fund and a couple of Land Use issues, were the cause of Councilman Huizar's expulsion of LA-32 NC from its office space in the El Sereno Constituent Center. North in Eagle Rock, Councilman Huizar's attempt to retaliate against Colombo's Steakhouse and its General Manager Vic Parrino, was all for naught as Colombo's was able to secure its Special ABC Permit to sell beer at this year's Eagle Rock Music Festival.

`But the most recent, and uncalled for act of political retribution Mayor Sam has learned, was the aborted nomination of Ramona Gardens resident Isabel Ayala to the HACLA's Board of Commissioners. We have learned that Councilman Huizar was the person behind the scenes who opposed Ayala's nomination, for the perceive notion that Ayala supported CD 14 City Council Candidate Rudy Martinez. The fact is Ayala was receptive of Martinez campaign overtures (Ayala and Rudy's Mom Juanita have known each other for years) but did not actively campaign for him. But the fact that Ayala was merely cordial to the Martinez Campaign was more than enough for Councilman Huizar, to hold against her when her HACLA nomination was pending. 

In conclusion, the actions against respected community members like Isabel Ayala and other recent acts of retribution, are going against what should be political common sense, that Huizar's paramount concern be the healing of divisions after a bitter campaign. But for some "not too hidden reasons", retaliation and adherence to the "Huizar Way" are priorities currently in CD 14. 

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14    

Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Monday

Downtown Developer Tom Gilmore.

The Historic Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) and other community groups in CD 14 would find it wise to take the advise of Downtown Developer Tom Gilmore, when faced with the pressure from the Office of City Councilman Jose Huizar, to cede your organizational control to the "Huizar Way". 

As the Downtown BID backtracked (due to Saldana's denouncement by Huizar staff member Jessica Whortington McLean) on its nomination of Roberto Saldana to replace the formerly-ousted Executive Director Russell Brown, Gilmore rose up and made the following comment in a meeting that was more a shouting match than a civil discourse on BID affairs as noted in the Downtown News. Developer and property owner Tom Gilmore, who is not a board member, said the council office's involvement amounts to an "inappropriate intervention." He urged the board not to let it influence their choice of a director.

"If all of the legal mumbo jumbo here to set this up for the next meeting is just duck and cover to create a new vote to undo what you did, you have lost your soul," Gilmore said. "The politics here are [expletive], I assure you.... No one will support a board that can't make a real decision. I certainly won't."........ and the reason the politics are "F...ed" in organizations like the BID, Neighborhood Councils, Park Advisory Boards, CBOs and even youth associations, is because you have an insecure, vindictive person in office who believes that adherence to the "Huizar Way" should be the paramount concern of his constituents.

Thus, if you call out your City Councilman as Saldana's did in a LA Weekly article during the contentious CD 14 Campaign, then the "Huizar Way" is to put pressure on your respective organization to silence you or remove you. Sounds so undemocratic buts that the norm in CD 14.

** Downtown News Editor and "Scribe of Wit" Jon Regardie sag ways from theater to anatomical body parts to provide proper analogies on the declared and undeclared candidates to replace Mayoral Antonio "pain in butt" Villar in 2013. 

** Advise to those college students camping out at City Hall, trying earn extra credit from your leftist indoctrinator/political science teacher, there is a "Corporate Welfare City-State called AEG LA LIVE" that has received hundreds of millions in tax credits thanks to your "fellow-traveling" (the world on our tax dollars) progressive mayor. Hmm. I hear only silence.

** Ron Kaye has the "inner thoughts" of an urban progressive Madeline Janis, who doubles as a corporate welfare case worker when executing her board member duties at CRA LA.


** Daily News Tipoff Columnist Rick Orlof has political doings via Governor Moonbeam II, CD 15 City Council Candidate Pat McOsker and City Controller Wendy "Valley Greuel".

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14