Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Tuesday

The Saturday News Cycle Pipe Dream of a possible former Failure Mayor Antonio Villar for Senate Campaign gives way to a California Attorney General Kamala Harris Tuesday Announcement of the same.

The former Girlfriend of ex California Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, green lights 2016 Senate Campaign.

** Blogger's Note: Please pardon this Cold-Flu-induced Flashback to Marlon Brando's "On The Waterfront Role", but with California Attorney General Kamala Harris announcing her bid to replace Senator Barbara Boxer in 2016, Brando's famous "I Could Of Been A Contender", is "Ahhh So App" in describing the current state of political being for a certain "Antonio Ramon Villar". While being given props for using the Saturday Media News Window to exhale his late Political Pipe Dream of running for some sort of Public Office, the buzz from his latest narcissist tote of self-delusion, was blunted with today's declaration via the California Progressive Rising Star. The reality for Tony on the local Democratic micro-level (and Hillary Clinton on the National Macro-level), is that the "True Progressive Wing" of the party, is going to make a strong power play (with Elizabeth Warren "NOT" leading the way) for the soul of DNC. Thus, the likes of Tony and his "Strategist MEAT" can only ponder where the once "Latino Tony Blair" went wrong---Scott Johnson in CD 14. 

Campaign Checkmate Tony!!

Hey MEAT, about that strategy of Tony grabbing on to Hillary's bottom-heavy, pants suit coattails, to get elected Senator in 2016?

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14



Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Monday

I recently read an essay by John Taylor Gatto (no relation to Mike Gatto or Daulton Gatto I presume; that they share a surname must be purely coincidental) on what a ridiculous notion our warehouse model of public education is.  We see more games as played by the LAUSD and the teachers' unions as Westchester's local high school is going from the traditional model to that of being a magnet school, more like a university beckoning those how have means to get to what is perceived as a beacon in an educational swamp.  Westchester need not worry! This may be an opportunity to drive their children towards charter schools, private schools and home schooling - new models of education that don't lump the masses into a pre-fab sludge of forcing children to fit into cookie cutters and disrespect the vastly different learning style of each kid.  There, I said it.

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Mid-Afternoon Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Scene for Tuesday

Care to guess who is "Papi Villar" and IBEW"s Brian D'Arcy's "little buddy" on the City Council today?

Let me guess, "Papi" would of been mad and he needs IBEW's cash?

Quick summery, the City Council voted 10-1 to put on the March 2011 ballot whether the City council should have more oversight and power to remove the top DWP executive with a two-thirds vote. Bravo!!

But who was the lone no vote? None other than CD 14's own DWP, IBEW and Papi Villar's Little Huizzy. From the LA Times.

Councilman Tony Cardenas said the proposal would help create “checks and balances” at the DWP between the mayor and the council. Councilwoman Jan Perry, who also backed the measure, said it would help council members get more timely information from the utility, regardless of who is running it.

Two weeks ago, the council deadlocked 7 to 7 on the plan, with neither side prevailing. At the time, some council members said they feared Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa would veto the ballot measure.

When the matter was reconsidered Tuesday, the proposal sailed onto the ballot by a 10 to 1 vote, with only Councilman Jose Huizar opposed.

Once again, we in CD 14 can stand proud as Papi Villar says "Muy bien, Mijo Huizzy".
** EVENING UPDATE: Mayor Villar vetoes council action.
** DWP related news:
DWP board president says he plans to resign
DWP's green strategy could come with rate increases, the agency says
DWP quietly scales back Villaraigosa's ambitious renewable energy goal

OTHER AFTERNOON NEWS:

** Out-going California Attorney General and Arizona vacationer Jerry Brown's media stunt in the City of Bell is doing more harm than good. this after a judge denied his attempt to have a court-appointed monitor take over the day to day affairs of the dysfunctional enclave.

** This type of legal trigger-pulling needs to go automatic. From Patrick Range McDonald at the LA Weekly.

For the first time in California, and possibly in the United States, parents are poised take over a chronically failing public school through a new state law called the Parent Trigger. The action will likely send shock waves through education circles across the country.

The historic event will take place in Compton this morning when parent leaders drop off a petition at Compton Unified School District headquarters and utilize the trigger to assume control of McKinley Elementary School. Given behind-the-scenes access, L.A. Weekly will run an in-depth feature story later today on its web site.

** Kamala will most likely declare these drugs as being toxic. California now has enough drugs to conduct 175 executions.

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Wednesday

Happy Hanukkah from all of us at Mayor Sam!

Meanwhile, 800,000 out of work US citizens lost their unemployment benefits as of yesterday at midnight. Thank you GOP! Now get back to work you corporate lap-dogs and protect those tax cuts for millionaires!

The Party of No has also made it clear that it intends to demonstrate a new spirit of compromise by obstructing virtually every Democrat backed bill that comes before them. That's how it's done boys!

Say it ain't so Rudy!

New and refreshing blogger about town, The City Maven,  released a story yesterday that is rapidly making the rounds exposing CD14 challenger Rudy Martinez's shocking past life as a corporate shill for Big Tobacco.
According to the story, Rudy Martinez once operated as a board member for an astro-turf pro-smoking lobbying group backed by Phillip-Morris back in the mid 1990's. Anytime you can put astro-turf, pro-smoking, Phillip Morris, and Rudy Martinez in the same sentence, you know this is a candidate that may have some challenges. Word on the street is that more baggage is soon to be coughed up regarding "Mr. Flip My Lungs".

California's next Attorney General, Kamala Harris, announced her victory today, and her potential on the California political landscape is already attracting attention. Speaking of Kamala, have you had the chance to see this precious photo?

The darling at the squeaky clean Street-Hassle blog has an interesting story up about "serial ghetto gentrifier" Bill Rosendahl.

Almost everyone, including the military, are ready to repeal DADT. C'mon Teabaggers and John McCain, it's almost frigging 2011 for crying out loud.

And finally, as hard as it may be to believe, Joe Scarborough, may be the last Republican left with his brain still intact.

Mid-Day Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Scene for Monday

"Big Montiel is watching you in public housing".

Great bloated Monday and start to Rivalry Week in Ciudad de Los Angeles, as the City Council adjourns its high-salary proceedings for the annual junket to the "League of Municipal Fiefdoms Conference". Wonder if former City of Bell Administrator "Ratzo Rizzo" will host a workshop on municipal self-enrichment?

One person who is enriching himself courtesy of the taxpayers is Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA for short) $400,000+ Executive Director Rudy Montiel, who is quickly becoming the LA Times latest "poster bureaucrat" for public salary scrutiny.

Montiel, with his willing allies in City Hall, has attempted to franchise out HACLA's various housing projects and reap the financial windfalls of this endeavor. Thus, you get Montiel's current salary. But it is Montiel's actions against those who dare protest his efforts that is making Montiel the latest "paranoid bureaucrat". This in light of his actions that may cost the City of Los Angeles money in lawsuits by HACLA tenants, who faced wrongful-eviction for protesting Montiel's proposals.

BTW, we hear that someone in HACLA's upper management may have bail out the "connected non-profit Legacy LA", with a new home in the Ramona Gardens Projects. A source speculated that Legacy LA Executive Director Lou Calanche went to someone in HACLA and all of a sudden, a portable trailer was installed.

It should be noted that when Legacy LA was constituted, they had as an "advisor for redevelopment" Dalila Sotelo, who once was a Vice-President for the connected affordable-housing builder McCormick, Barron and Salazar. Sotelo now earns her public paycheck as an employee of CRA.

Can you follow the flow of money and public property, to the "connected-few" here?

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Sorry Carmen

Breaking...

San Jose Mercury News:

"SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Republican Steve Cooley conceded the California attorney general's race to Democrat Kamala Harris on Wednesday, giving Democrats a sweep of all statewide offices and ushering in the first woman and first minority elected to the post."

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Tuesday

Due to official concerns over potential protests over new extremely invasive TSA policies Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa subjected himself to the new porno scanners at LAX saying "Let me be clear: My job is to make the airport as safe as possible for all of those passengers.'' We're not sure whose job is to make LA safe for female journalists.

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Mid-Day Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Scene for Monday

"Scan me Mayor Antonio Villar"

The "Mayoral Narcissist" of the Third Floor on 200 Spring Street, knows no boundaries when it comes to garnering attention for himself.

Now in his latest exercise in self-promotion which should qualify for top-ten status of past third floor media stunts, Mayor Antonio Villar will "expose himself" to the TSA scanners at LAX. While seeking to rally support for TSA's security policies, Mayor Villar will share with the TSA, what a select-few, intimately know about the former Tony Villar of City Terrace.

Just think that the "anatomical stats" only the likes of ex. wife Corina, Mirthala, Lu, mothers of his older daughters, ex. wife of Assembly campaign manager, and other past sanchas could relate to, will become government knowledge. Who will be the first to file a Public Records Act requesting to "expose" Villar's intimate details, one can only guest. But more likely Mayor Villar's designated driver Michael Trujillo, will spin these details as being a plus for Los Angeles.

BTW, can scanners see "Born to Raise Hell" tattoos? ** You can view Mayor Villar's encounter with the scanners, by linking here.

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Mid-Day Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Scene for Tuesday: DA Steve Cooley being investigated by Callifornia FPPC

"Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley addressing the media"

Is San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris Campaign Consultant Ace Smith "going the Parke Skelton route", when it come to filing frivolous complaints with the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), against their respective challengers for state office?

Witness when Parke Skelton's previous client Assemblyman Mike Gatto's supporters filed a FPPC complaint against challenger Sunder Ramani, the mere appearance of financial malfeasance, was enough to garner attention from willing allies within the newsprint community and in the bloggersphere. This regardless of the truth behind the accusation of the complaint.

Now Ace Smith is borrowing the FPPC tactic from his consulting soul mate Parke as the San Francisco Chronicle's Megan Lagosi reports,

As the vote counting in the attorney general race continues -- as well as bickering among the campaigns -- we have some real news to report: The state's campaign finance watchdog confirmed today that it has launched an investigation into Steve Cooley's gift-taking in recent years -- a practice detailed in The Chronicle.Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/nov05election/detail?entry_id=77108#ixzz15TjUkmnL

Tactic looks familiar here?

Meanwhile, back here in Los Angeles County, both sides are "calling out the goons", in the LA Weekly's words, to observe the vote counting at the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder's Office in Norwalk.

As of 12:30PM, the California Secretary of State Office shows Harris leading by 30,997 votes.

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Mid-Day Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Scene for Monday

Kamala Harris and Steve Cooley

Shades of Florida 2000 at the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Office?

If you listen to the charges and counter-charges from the respective spokespersons for San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris and Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley, as the vote count trickles on in the California Attorney General Election. Then the California version of Bush v. Gore may not be far off.

You can click on to the link above for the blow by blow spin but at the time of this post, the Daily News is reporting that Kamala Harris holds a 14,089 vote lead over Steve Cooley. More drama to come.

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This just in from Eric Garcetti via Twitter!

Eric Garcetti
Harris passes Cooley with late Friday numbers (including new infusion from Los Angeles). She now leads in the AG race by 5,576 votes.

Kamala Harris For The Win!

Kamala and my son Hunter (whom all candidates seek to have their picture taken with).

Finally!  Well, it at least looks that way. Now I just have to find the video of Cooley's Dewey moment when he announces his victory last night.

The Socialist Shape of Things To Come (Unless You People Wake Up And Smell the Horse Shit)

By David Berger, Exclusive to Mayor Sam

People often ask me why I left England. Oftentimes the question is posed after they've just come back from a trip to 'Old Blighty' and they've seen sights; Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, the Guards with their funny furry hats standing to attention outside Buckingham Palace, the Crown Jewels on display at The Tower of London, the Food Court at Harrods, the Hyde Park Memorial to dear departed Princess Diana, and Tower Bridge (you know, the bridge over the River Thames that opens to allow tall ships to pass and that some American millionaire thought he had bought).

Read more »

Polls Not Looking Good for Some Candidates

Gavin is bad ass!

This just in!

Republican political operatives closely aligned with Meg Whitman's campaign have begun to see what the slate of candidates looks like that will be going head to head with what many are calling the most diverse slate of Republican candidates in California Republican history.

Here are their internal results – with one race being particiuarly concerning to them.

Lieutenant Governor:

Gavin Newsom – 39%
Janice Hahn – 33%
Eric Korevaar – 11%
Undecided – 15%

The Republican Party is rooting for a Newsom win – and quite frankly so am I. (Recall we were the first blog in the state to report that Prince Newsom was dropping out) Gavin Newsom will be used as an anchor to tie down Attorney General Jerry Brown and the entire Democratic Party ticket. We need Gavin so I am urging all Mayor Sam readers to donate to his race so we can have a clean sweep in November 

www.gavinnewsom.com 

Even though Newsom released a poll that showed it 47%-26% my “right-thinking” political operative friends tell me that was before any mail had hit and the Hahn campaign has unloaded with several mail pieces while the first Newsom piece landed last night. Their internals have the Voted Already numbers a dead heat 34%-32%. Hat tip to the Hahn campaign for making it close.

Insurance Commissioner:
Dave Jones: 37%
Hector De La Torre: 29%
Undecided: 33%

Insurance Commissioner is pretty low-level job and whoever wins will be skewered by Assemblyman Mike Villines as part of the Sacramento problem of higher taxes and out-of-balance budgets.

Donate to Mike at: http://mikevillines.com

Attorney General:
I personally like District Attorney Steve Cooley and think he will be beat whoever the Democrats put up.

But this might be some not-so-great-news for the Harris campaign, who Republicans really want to see as the Dem nominee as well.

Attorney General

Chris Kelly: 16%
Kamala Harris: 15%
Rocky Delgadillo: 11%
Pedro Nava: 10%
Ted Lieu: 5%
Alberto Torrico: 4%
Undecided: 39%

I believe this is the first poll showing Chris Kelly with some sort of a lead or “traction” as the pros like to put it.

Again we want “anti-death penalty” Kamala Harris to go win this – so again I urge a donation to 

www.kamalaharris.com
Alright folks – remember this is the place for politics – Los Angeles or Statewide.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Monday

Word is just starting to trickle out that Santa Monica City Councilman, the Governor's brother-in-law and Kennedy Family scion Bobby Shriver is considerng a run for State Attorney General and he's already getting the usual treatment from Mayor Sam readers.  An opening in the race for the Democratic nomination for AG is contingent upon the likely entry of Jerry Brown into the Governor's race.  If that happens, Shriver may face off against Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo (his second try) and San Francisco DA Kamala Harris.

The City's Primary Election was nearly two weeks ago but two of the candidates for Mayor may not have got the message.  Walter Moore dukes it out with Phil Jennerjahn in the comments section of a Mayor Sam Hotsheet.

The LAPD will move to it's new headquarters, only it's third in 113 years, this November.  Steve Harvey recaps the history of the last two police HQs, Central Headquarters in use from 1896 to 1955 and Parker Center, best known from the Dragnet TV series, which has been the LAPD's home for the last 55 years.

It made for some beautiful photos but the LA Zoo has done one of the dumbest things I've seen - cover numerous animal exhibits in snow trucked in from local mountains.  Most of the animals who found their pens covered in the white stuff may have descended from snowy country but were born in captivity and live in LA so they're not used to it.  More and more it becomes clearer that zoos need to be re-thought and that it's cruel to hold these animals in captivity in environments that are a fraction of the size they need.