In Thick Of Bribery Scheme, Mark Ridley-Thomas Gave This Richly Ironic Advice

By Daniel Guss

@TheGussReport on Twitter - An amusing part of watching wonky and tedious government meetings is when agitating gadflies such as Zuma Dogg, Wayne Spindler and the late John Walsh make, and sometimes sing, obnoxious public comments that get under the skin of tightly wrapped politicians.

For example, there's the nugget from 2018 that we're going to revisit today, when then-LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who was convicted last week on seven federal corruption counts, interrupted Spindler's button-pushing for, what he described as, a "point of personal privilege."

If only Ridley-Thomas had followed his own advice.

If only all politicians did.

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"Say It Ain't So, Rick Caruso"

By Daniel Guss

@TheGussReport - On Monday, the Los Angeles Times reported that billionaire Rick Caruso changed his party affiliation from none to Democrat in anticipation of his joining the race to become the next Mayor of Los Angeles. 

(Rick Caruso - LA Times)

That squanders an exclusive advantage: positioning himself as the second coming of Richard Riordan, a Republican and self-made problem-solver who governed without owing anything to anyone.

Suddenly and cynically listing himself as a Democrat makes Caruso more like the other candidates, who are either known and homogenous or just unknown.

Back in his day as Mayor from 1993-2001, Riordan was a successful alcalde de Los Angeles because he ran and governed as a problem-solving capitalist. That didn't stop him from winning, governing successfully and winning a second term. In contrast to LA’s career politicians, Riordan was also the first mayor to leave office due to term limits.

Do you know who made local term limits a thing?

Richard Riordan.

Why is Caruso not following that same path to the Mayor’s job?

To continue reading, please visit my Substack (and subscribe...its free!) 

Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Wednesday

Its Official!! Congresswoman Janice "Babs" Hahn is running for Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, seeking to follow in her legendary Father's footsteps.

We wonder what uber-Hahn booster Noel Weiss, thinks of "Daughter of Kenny's" next political endeavor? 

Could the political entity known for its "Five Kingmakers" become majority "Queen" in 2016?

That is a strong possibility as Congresswoman Janice Hahn announced this A.M. that she will forgo reelection to her Congressional Seat to hopefully replace termed-out Supervisor Don Knabe on the five member Board.

The Liberal Congresswoman and former CD 15 City Councilwoman will have a obvious name recognition advantage but her distinctly, left of center record may cause some consternation in the moderate-leaning district.
AFTERNOON UPDATE: Hahn endorses State Senator Isadore Hall for her Congressional Seat. Republican Mike Gin, former Mayor of Redondo Beach joins the list to replace Knabe on the Board of Supervisors.

** The sun rose on the Hollywood Hills this morning to reveal another man-made deluge of water via a 1920s-installed cast iron pipe, which submerged a pair of cars and renewed, again the debate over the need to overhaul a failing water system infrastructure.

** Staying on the DWP topic, DWP Watchdog Jack Humphreville opines whether it was a good think that IBEW/DWP Strongman Brian "D'Arcy Rizzo" stop cooperating with an agreed-upon Audit on the Joint Safety and Job Training Non Profits considering ........., This will allow Ratepayers to ask even more questions about the terms of the settlement agreement and why it does not extend back to 2000 when the Joint Safety Institute received its initial funding of $1.2 million.  And why the unusual terms which prohibit the Controller and CAO from making and preserving copies of appropriate documents?

** Meanwhile, Village to Village Blogger Paul Hatfield muses on the predictability of the breakdown in the agreed upon Audit and cites possible actions that can be taken lieu of a City Council acting decisively in requesting accountability ......, whoops, pardon the blogging day dream.

** Memo to City, County, State and Federal Officials seeking a resolution to the labor turmoil at the Port of LA and Long Beach. Please explain how a small union with members making up to $42 per hour, with FREE Medical Insurance, is going to garner popular support for its latest grievances? Plus, lets not forget looming south of us is a widen Panama Canal, opening soon.

** THIS IS ANOTHER FUENTES/MARTINEZ/CARDENAS/PADILLA/BOCANEGRA MACHINE CHARACTER ASSASSINATION MISSIVE WARNING!!

Northeast San Fernando Valley Democrat Machine Bloggin Tool Rosemary Jenkins, has keyboard another "Wanton Missive of Distortion" (WMD) against a perceived enemy of the NESFV Democratic Machine. This time, with the CD 6 City Council Elections less than two weeks away, "The Bloggin Tool" goes caustic and personal on the latest Grass Roots Challenger to the supposed Ruling Class, Cindy Montanez.

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14 



Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Thursday

With no apologies to "The Old Gray Collectivist Hag on Spring Street" (aka LA Times), CD 8 City Councilman Bernard Parks emerges again from some supposed "wilderness banishment" to keyboard another refreshing, salient missive on the current state of affairs at 200 Spring Street ........, and beyond

Contrary to the summery of misallocated story budgeting at the LA Times, Councilman Parks is all smiles.

Read more »

Say No to Credential-Lacking and Scandal-Prone Terri McDonald for Interim Sheriff

A retire State of California Parole Officer Caroline Aguirre, states the multiple reasons why Terri McDonald deserves not to be appointed the Interim Sheriff, replacing a retiring Lee Baca. 

Sheriff Lee Baca's under qualified choice to replace him as Interim Sheriff, Terri McDonald.

 

** Blogger's Note: On Tuesday, the LA County Board of Supervisors will meet and decide whether to follow the recommendation of scandal-laden, retiring Sheriff Lee Baca, by naming Baca underling Terri McDonald as Interim Sheriff. McDonald herself, has "baggage" from her recent times with California Department of Corrections and was recently disclosed in a LA Times expose (or an accidental Act of Journalism), to be not qualify for the appointment. But behind the scenes speculation, is that a McDonald appointment would be seen favorably by California Governor Jerry Brown, who valued McDonald's help in pushing the AB 109 Prison Realignment Debacle during her time in the Department of Corrections. Thus, the LA County Board of Supervisors, despite McDonald's lack of credentials ( ** and scandals of her own as noted by Caroline Aguirre), may anoint McDonald as the county's top cop in return for additional state-funding via Governor Brown---Scott Johnson

 

Who is the real Terri McDonald ? When she departed from her employment with the California Department of Corrections she like so many others decided to go into double dipping and obtain new employment now with an appointment by Sheriff Lee Baca as a new Assistant Sheriff to be in charge of Los Angeles County' Jail facilities. McDonald like Margareta Perez ( one of the new Assistant Chiefs with the Los Angeles County Probation Department ) left the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation  and the Division of Adult Parole Operations in complete shambles.

McDonald covered up investigations of misconduct by both Prison Administrators and Parole Administrators.  Contributed to the elimination of both vocational and rehabilitative programs within the California Prison System.derailed the Division of Adult Parole Operations .

She also played a role in the coverup of the current investigation where more than 100 females inmates claimed that they were swayed to sign off on documentation for sterilization. The signed off sterilization forms were not sent up to a special medical committee in Sacramento for approval. A major violation of Corrections policy. A law suit has been filed. Responsible to a degree for the continued lack of oversight to monitor the Federal Courts mandates surrounding the California Prison system. Failure to provide updated truthful documentation for the Federal Courts.

Failure to find solutions for the massive California State Prison overcrowding without causing damage to the overall health and welfare to the residents of the state of California.  Coverup and or the  destruction of documentation surrounding  the true data and numbers of parolees failures as a result  AB 109. Mandated that hundreds of parolees be discharged early from continued parole supervision as to save the state money. Many of those individuals have been rearrested for new very violent criminal offenses  to include  murders, rape and other violent assaults .

Already the first of many wrongful death law suits have been filed surrounding AB 109. A High Risk Sex offender raped , and then beat his grandmother to Death. More recently prior to her departure from her employment with Corrections she played a role in having a parole supervisor  served with adverse actions because she dared to come forward and tell the news media that she was ordered and instructed by both Corrections and Parole Administrators ( Perez ) not to submit parole violation reports on  those parolees classified as High Risk Sex offenders who removed their GPS tracking devises. California State Senator Ted Lieu in response to the news media reports wrote SB 57 , which states that any paroled sex offender who tampers or removes their GPS device must receive a parole violation and a revocation time of 180 days.

CNN did an excellent TV special on this topic and the failures of AB 109.  McDonald was a key player in pushing forth AB 109. One should ask if she received her appointment as a result of her connections to Jerry Brown. We have already seen here in our county the horrible outcome of AB 109. Four people shot in the head and killed by a gang member who was placed under AB 109 in Northridge. A young child kidnapped and raped by yet another individual under AB 109 and again in Northridge. A young female in Hollywood killed by a male under AB 109 because she refused to give him a dollar. A young mother in Long Beach killed by a hard core gang member under AB 109, a Sixteen year civilian employee of the LA.Co. Sheriff's Department killed after being caught in the crossfire  of a gang shooting in Pasadena and a young father working two jobs to support his family killed by yet another hard core gang member in Highland Park.

The California Department of Corrections is currently facing hundreds of civil law suits and yet today in the Sacramento Bee, there is mention of yet another law suit which has just been filed. A Federal Judge has demanded an immediate investigation surrounding an inmates death  and also told the Department of Corrections  "Not to Destroy or lose any written Documentation " 

Now I ask you  , how many of these current  pending law suits against the California of Corrections  have Terri McDonald' name on them ? McDonald should never have been hired on by Lee Baca.  But how many members of our County Board of Supervisors already knew about McDonald'  questionable past ?  One should ask McDonald why she consented to and failed to object to the multiple promotions of Maria Franco  aka Queen of the Sex Offender Shuffle ( David Goldstein TV Special ), Protest marches by community residents in 2008 , a large Community meetings in Alhambra also in 2008 aired on TV # 5.

 

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14

The "Boss D'Arcy Rizzo Political Call Greuel of Choice" declines run for Board of Supervisors

The growing Joint DWP/ IBEW Safety Training Academy Non-Profit Scandal may have ben a contributing factor (among many) for the decision by former City of Los Angeles City Controller and Mayoral Candidate Wendy Greuel, not to run for LA County Board of Supervisor.

The "Boss D'Arcy Rizzo Political Call Greuel" waves off possible Board of Supervisor Campaign.

The politically obvious came to fruition this afternoon with former LA City Controller and Mayoral Candidate Wendy "The Boss D'Arcy Rizzo Political Call Greuel", announcing that she will not seek the open LA County Board of Supervisor Seat being vacated by a termed-out Zev Yaroslavsky.

With declared candidates, former State Senator Sheila Kuehl already surging in fundraising, Santa Monica's Bobby Shriver poise to use Kennedy Family money and resources, Greuel would faced a major uphill battle. And then, there is the issue of political timing that would impede a successful campaign.

Simply, now is not the time for the former City Controller to be seeking any type of political office, whether its the local Neighborhood Council or a Board of Supervisor's Campaign, considering her links to controversial IBEW/ DWP Strongman Brian "Boss D'Arcy Rizzo".

Greuel, still mired in debt from her John Shallman-consulted run for mayor, faces a long political rehabilitation progress that will not move forward, as long as the scandalous dealings of her former political bag man, are part of the daily news cycle.

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14

Mid-Day Briefs on the Los Angeles Machine for Tuesday

They're back from summer recess!

Welcome back!

Your City Clowncil Central Committee is back in session today and the chamber has gone to "POT", that is the discussion on the future of Medical Pot Dispensaries in the City of Los Angeles. Currently, City Clowncil Strongman Herb "Mini Amin" Wesson is allowing 20 minutes of public comments for each side of the proposed ban. Then the Clowncil will sequester themselves in Close Session to review legal information. Expect this to last most of the day.

** Other News:

** What happen on a Kern County ranch is now a scandal that will not go away at LAUSD. The lawsuit stemming from the private behavior of former Superintendent Ramon Cortines at his Kern County spread, was to have been settle but the district made public the identity of the plaintiff.

** Los Angeles County Board of Supervisor Mike Antonovich wants to become the "Republican Kenny Hahn", meaning he wants term limits relaxed on members of the Board of Supervisors.

More news later in the day.

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14     

"LA Weekly of Record's" LA County Redistricting 2.0 without Maps ** But photoshopping and pie graphs are OK

LA Weekly Gene Maddaus does a great public service with his piece on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisor's redistricting drama. Discarding the multiple maps that outline the various redistricting proposals, Maddaus steps back and simplifies the process by incorporating photoshopping and the reliable pie charts. The end result is a model that the average citizen and maybe half of LAUSD's twelve-grade government students could comprehend on the first read. ** Evening Update: LA Times is devoted major column inches to story on Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky's "risky gambit" regarding redistricting and its possible "mayoral ramifications" in the Latino Community---Scott Johnson. 

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas plan would of gone "bam-bam" on Supervisor Don Knabe's district to create a second Latino District.. 

Supervisor Gloria Molina's plan would of put some weight behind her "bam-bam" of Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky to create a second Latino District 

These multi-color pie charts show that three gabachos represent a county with nearly 50% of Latinos. But does that mean that Latinos will never vote for a Gabacho like Don Knabe or Zev Yaroslavsky, considering that whites (myself included) voted for Mayor Antonio Villar in 2005? (** call that a bloggin confessional)

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Friday

Which way to the Mexican buffet?


Rut-Roh! Fresh from getting a pass from the Justice Department for his pink panties treatment of prisoners, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio may have gone all Rizzo on us and misspent $80 million dollars of taxpayer money pegged for jail operations on lavish trips abroad, hotel upgrades, and huge restaurant tabs!
Where's that partisan outrage?

-Meg Whitman has stopped spending money long enough to follow tightwad Jerry Brown's lead in finally announcing her opposition to Proposition 23, the Big Oil/Koch Bros backed bill that would put the brakes on AB32. She's against Prop 23....sort of....as long as she can suspend implementation of AB32 until all the bad guys can find a legal loophole to get around it.

Speaking of the Tea Party Puppetmasters, Senatorial candidate Carly Fiorina finds herself in a cozy relationship with the Koch siblings after they sponsored a fundraiser for her in Washington yesterday to help raise funds from the many special interest lobbyists that are looking for a friendly doormat should she win in November.

LA County Supes are stepping up and doing what the state should have done some time ago. Foam containers for food and drinks are being banned at "most county facilities, including restaurants, catering trucks, hospitals, golf courses and concessions" After a trial period, an expansion of the ban will be considered. Plastic Bags next, we hope?

Happy 90th Birthday wishes to Mickey Rooney!

Your turn.

Lopez Canyon, Richard Alarcon, and the WTF Factor

I would venture to guess that overall, a relative few in Los Angeles have ever heard of a place called Lopez Canyon, but for many in the Foothill communities and the northern end of the Valley, Lopez Canyon is ground zero in a battle to preserve and protect Open Space designations.

A little background- back in 1996, the Lopez Canyon Landfill was closed after over 20 years of use and began to undergo a 30 year monitoring period as the land settled and the slow process of rejuvenation began. The land was designated to be Open Space and intended to be used for low impact recreational use (hiking,etc). The motion to close the facility and designate it Open Space was introduced by then Councilmember Alarcon (who was about to move up the political ladder to the state level). In early 2007, the now (again) LA City Councilmember Alarcon introduced an even more detailed plan for Lopez Canyon called the Lopez Canyon Restoration Project. This plan was meant to restore the area even further and once again called for the passive Open Space use of the grounds.

That should have been the end of the story, but this is Los Angeles, a city overflowing with bad ideas, piss poor planning decisions, and sudden appearances by what I call "the WTF factor".

About 8 months after Councilmember Alarcon called for the Lopez Canyon Restoration Project,"the WTF factor" made an appearance. In January of 2008, the Councilmember, out of nowhere, began to tout his new plan for the former Lopez Canyon Landfill; a big rig truck driving school.

A big rig truck driving school on top of a mountain.

In the middle of horse country.

Surrounded by winding roads.

On a site that had not yet recovered from being a landfill.

In an area designated Open Space.

And the land would be provided to the truck driving school by the city at little or no charge.


This of course did not go over well with with the feisty residents of the area and so to make a long story short, there will be a hearing this Thursday April 15th at 4:30 pm at the Marvin Braude Building in Van Nuys before the North Valley Area Planning Commission to decide if Richard's idea may be a bad one or not. Of course, the City Planning recommendation is to deny the appeal of the residents.

The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and just about everyone else disagrees. And now the Big Guns have arrived...
(click each image twice to view full size);




UPDATE; We have just received a report from a reliable source that Richard Alarcon will be busing in "supporters" of the school to Thursday's Hearing. Shades of Home Depot indeed!

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Wednesday

Former LA Department of Animal Services General Manager Ed Boks is up for a new job as the head of a Tacoma, Washington based animal welfare agency.  You may remember Boks was a key figure in a sexual harrassment lawsuit against the City that saw a $130,000 settlement.  Though cutting  a controversial swath during his time in LA, Boks has many supporters who view the settlement as frivolous and cheered his role in the City.

LAist thinks that the City's buses could be less crowded and more pleasurable if the MTA were to follow the lead of the City of Honolulu.  The island municipality recently passed a law that provides for a $500 fine and/or up to six months in jail if you ride the bus with bad body odor.

LA's Metro trains are taking a cue from the East Coast.  For the first time in the nearly 20 year history of the system the MTA has adopted turnstiles at stations posts Militant Angeleno.  No tokens but fancy shcmancy electronic debit cards get you in.

Latinopoliticsblog.com posits that NBC's hiring of Jenna Bush Hager, the daughter and granddaughter of former Presidents, has more to do with family and privilege than ability. Most likely but this is nothing new.  Media outlets have hired other political progeny ranging from Eleanor Mondale to Maria Shriver to Ron Reagan to Meghan McCain.

Forget Obama! Antonio Villaraigosa has his own health care plan!  In the meantime a blogger calls the Mayor an "asshole" and it wasn't me.  Blogger Josh Haden hits Villaraigosa on the recent move by LAUSD to turn a portion of schools over to private operators and accuses the Mayor of selling these schools to the highest bidder.

LA has "reformed" it's special event fee waiver program that has garnered much criticism.  However the reforms came under fire of Council Members Richard Alarcon and Paul Koretz who felt that - while big bucks events like the Oscars and Grammys will still get a City subsidy - many smaller community based events will be forced to be cancelled as fees go up.

Bong lickin' good. A medical marijuana shop has opened up in a former Kentucky Friend Chicken in Palms.

Video Louis has put up a countdown clock for the CD2 election over at the Downtown NoHo Blog.  Only 20 more days!

An ass has shown up to the County Board of Supervisors.  No it wasn't one of the five Supes.  Gidget a 29" inch high miniature donkey visited the board for an eloborate ceremony to kick off the LA County Fair.  And you thought Tom LeBong was funny!

State Assembly Reverses Gas Tax $ Heist from LA Co

Breaking News from mayoral spokeshole Matt Szabo:

"CA legislature just voted to REJECT the proposal to take more than $60m in gas tax from LA residents, consistent w myr's rec"

Villaraigosa to hold press conference today to take credit for the LA County Supervisors' lawsuit that scared State legislators enough to reverse themselves. CITY HALL. 4:15 PM.

LA City CD 2 candidate Paul Krekorian claims: "We killed the gas tax takeaway in the Assembly after the Senate had passed it, in large measure due to my leadership."

Overall, this is good news for Los Angeles City and County streets, and probably bad news for anyone who gets still paid to provide State social services, State education, and State parks.