Morning Brief on the CD 14 Election Scene for Hump Day

As CD 14 City Clowncilman Jose "The Tonto Huevon" Huizar reaps the windfall of being Lamar Advertising's Point Man via 100 Free Re-election Billboards, "Team Tonto Huevon's" efforts to deflect criticism by hiding behind its Green Endorsements, are a cause to revisit how he obtain them originally.    

When not accepting congratulations (and free advertising) for being the Billboard Blight Poster Child, Clowncilman Huizar runs behind his ........., 

......., his League of Conservation Voters and Sierra Club Endorsements.

** Blogger's Note: This blogger has a past ........., tale of attempted political manipulation and coercion on behalf of a certain, embattled City Clowncil Central Committee Member. On a winter evening in December of 2006, a group of Sierra Club Central Group Political Committee Members met with the trio highlighted below to discuss an endorsement of a then rising political figure in Los Angeles Politics. Then Sierra Club Angeles Group Political Committee Chairperson Susana Reyes, her friend Coalition for Clean Air Board Member Martin Schlateger and then CD-14 Chief of Staff Joe Avila, arraigned the meeting at the defunct El Sereno Antigua Coffee Shop with the Central Group Political Committee Members, to express strongly the virtues (more like, you have to) of endorsing Jose Huizar for his First Term as City Clowncilman. The intimate aura of this session of attempted strong-arm political manipulation was interrupted when another candidate Alvin Parra "chanced upon" the gathering and caused an end to the proceedings. Long story, short, the Central Group Committee conducted a fair process that gave Huizar the endorsement he would of received anyway. The blunt reality is that Huizar being a Democrat was more important than his Green Record. Seven years later, the true Green Record of Huizar is one that merits further examining (considering the Times coverage of Huizar's Billboards), but those who help him achieved his current "Green-status" have definitely move on to "greener todays" (at taxpayers cost) ** Morning Update: a source stated that the Sierra Club would not open its Endorsement to reconsideration---Scott Johnson in CD 14.   

Sierra Club National Board of Director ......., and current DWP Human Resources Director Susana Reyes (at microphone). 

 Former Coalition for Clean Air Member ........., and now Clowncilman Huizar's Planning Director Martin Schlageter.

Former Clowncilman Huizar Chief of Staff ......, and now Staff Assistant to the DWP General Manager Joe Avila.

The Environmental Hypocrisy of Mayor Villar, Councilman Huizar and the "Blue/Green" Sierra Club

The "Green/Blue Hypocrites" of the Los Angeles Political Machine.

 Current Sierra Club National Board of Directors Member Susana Reyes, speaking as the club's Los Angeles County Political Director in 2005, as the "green/blue environmental organization", announced its endorsement of then mayoral candidate Antonio Villaraigosa. When Reyes is not giving her endorsement bless to enabling "green/blue politicos, she is the Director of Human Resources for the DWP.   

Susana Reyes's former Sierra Club LA County Political Committee co-member and Coalition for Clean Air member Martin Schlageter, who is now on CD 14 City Councilman Jose Huizar's staff as a "Policy Director.

What a surprise for this former Sierra Club republican conservationist member, to see his former LA County Politicall Committee co-member Susana Reyes asking questions of the candidates, at the environmental-theme mayoral debate, this last Saturday.

It seems like yesterday (when it was 2007) that Reyes, Schlageter, then Councilman Huizar Chief of Staff Joe Avila, along with two other members of the Sierra Club Central Group Political Committee, meet at the defunct El Sereno "Antigua Coffee Shop" (** link here and scroll down to "Capt Jack Sparrow's comment on the get together).. 

Reyes, Schlageter and Avila called the meeting to discuss the "green virtues" of CD 14 City Councilman Jose Huizar, who was running for his first full term against former staffer Alvin Parra (who made a sneaky appearance at the meeting). The end result was that Councilman Huizar received the endorsement of the Central Group and the Angeles Chapter of John Muir's organisation.

Some five years later, Reyes and Schlageter have parlayed their green background into greener fiscal opportunities, but the environmental cost of their "blue enabling ways", have and will cause serious adverse consequences on a sensitive ecological gem, Henry T. Hazard Park and Wetlands.

.Hazard Park Illegal Storm Drain Blowout.

As another storm system approaches this evening, Hazard Park once again face an adverse illegal discharge of untreated storm runoff on its impacted green space, in the background, untreated runoff from this decades long broken storm drain, will impact the sensitive Hazard Park Wetlands. Maybe Schlageter can ask his new boss why he transferred $750,000 set aside to repair this storm drain breach, to a project at Garvanza Park?

Read more »

Bloggin Happy Hour Musings on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Monday

Another Happy Hour Drink via Tony

Great Happy Hour Musings on the LA Political Machine for Monday. Join us as we tip the glass and enlighten you on these political items that may find their way into someone's decaff morning coffee in the A.M. ; ) --- Scott Johnson.

Former Sierra Club Conservation Coordinator and Coalition for Clean Air Campaign Director, now Senior Policy Advisor for CD 14 City Councilman Jose Huizar Martin Schlageter.

For those who wonder what is the value of a Los Angeles County Sierra Club Endorsement (for democrats only of course), maybe would should rephrase the question this way. What is the value to me for being part of the Los Angeles County Sierra Club Endorsement Committee (** some background on one CD 14 endorsement via "Jack Sparrow") and supporting (with LA County Political Committee Co-Chair Susana Reyes) most of Mayor Antonio Villar's "Green Initiatives" (Unionize Green Trucks at LA Ports, Measure B)?

For Eagle Rock resident and reliable "green ally" Martin Schlageter, this means that you can cash in on years of endorsing Blue/Greeen Labor Democrats and get appointed to a high paid staff position with CD 14 City Councilman Jose Huizar.

As the City Council continues its summer sabbatical, Councilman Huizar is quietly gaining, losing and moving staff as the latest revisions to its staff directory notes. For example ......

** Former Chief of Staff Ana Cubas is now merely an Advisor.

** Paul Habib is the Interim Chief of Staff. 

** Cecilia Alatorre has moved from the El Sereno to Eagle Rock office
** Sara Hernandez is the Downtown Director.

** Tanner Blackman is the new Planning Director.

** Some long hair guy name Kai is no longer a Huizar staffer

** Two Julios, Julio Esperias and Julio "Perfect Loyalty Score" Torres join the El Sereno Office.

** ....... and Francine Godoy is still the Deputy Chief of Staff.

The revolving door in CD 14 continues ......

OTHER NEWS BRIEFS:

** Great read today via Downtown News Editor and Scribe of Wit Jon Regardie as he sits down with out going Downtown and CD 9 Councilwoman Jan Perry. The focus of their Q and A chat centered on her now past tenure as the Downtown rep for areas such as Little Tokyo Skid Row and South Park. BTW, that battle over signage in South Park with Councilman Jose Huizar has quietly played out. More on Perry via LA Times Columnist Jim Newton who finds many positives on "Jan the Mayoral Candidate".

** Public Health Notice for residents of the 46th Assembly District, you can rest assure knowing that any future cases of Brian Johnson Myopia will go the way of Small Pox as he concedes that ED Voice could only buy him third place in his first bid for public office.

Daily News Journalist Tony Castro was the first to deconstruct the political mythology of Mayor Antonio Villar and chronicled the legal problems of the former City Councilman turned convicted LA County Labor Federation Leader Martin Ludlow.

With the days falling away as July 1, 2013 gets ever closer, Journalist Tony Castro returns with another missive on Mayor Antonio Villar that chronicles the political survival of a former City Terrace kid name Tony ...... and a sampling.

It reminded me of the first time I saw Antonio. It was 1978 on the UCLA campus, and he was a speaker at a Chicano protest rally at the university. His look was appropriate for the time: Long, wavy hair and mustache that made him look a lot like Geraldo Rivera.“Who’s he?” I remember a striking blonde student asking.“That’s Tony Villar,” someone told her. She smiled and kept looking at him. She didn’t care about Chicano rights, the movement or the cause. She was focused on the messenger.And that’s been Villaraigosa — he added his ex-wife’s name to his when they married — his entire public life. He’s been a messenger and when the message hasn’t registered, he’s been smart enough to change it, the way populists have long done it, regardless of whether it’s the personal biographical narrative or a position on policy.This is the politics Antonio has always understood and practiced — and which few like to talk about. We like to envelop our politics in professional discourse about policy, polls, opinion and it’s-the-economy-stupid-BS. But the politics of charisma that has always defined Villaraigosa and that now so heavily sways America is more visceral. It’s about feel and touch. It’s about how a candidate looks and talks, dresses and walks.

The message and name will change again come July 1, 2013.

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14