Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Monday

Hundreds of thousands of fans are expected to line the streets in Downtown LA Monday morning for the parade celebrating the Lakers win last week of the NBA Championships.  Considering controversy in the past over public funding of such events the Lakers organization has stated they will cover all costs of the parade. In a related story Staples Center operators AEG have finally agreed, in partnership with the Jackson Family, to pay for the City's expenses for last year's Michael Jackson public memorial.  Which is good because even though the King of Pop's post death income has provide sufficient funds to pay off most of his debt, that which remains includes past due DWP bills at the family compound in Encino.

Fox11 reports that the City Ethics Commission is formally investigating Mayor Villaraigosa's acceptance of tens of thousands of dollars of tickets to sporting and entertainment events in Los Angeles, of which he did not disclose.  The Ethics Commission is mum on the investigation but the LA Weekly notes that former candidate Walter Moore filed a formal complaint with the Commission while at the same time the Mayor asked the Commission for an opinion on the validity of his claims that we did not need disclose the tickets because he was acting in an "official" capacity at the events.

The word in Arizona is that the City of Los Angeles looks pretty silly with it's boycott of the Grand Canyon State over it's popular immigration reform law, particularly when the LAPD won't send officers to homeland security training in Tuscon to "respect" the boycott.  When the grandstanding agenda driven William Bratton finally left the seat many thought the LAPD would now be back to business under the control of an LAPD career man like Chief Charlie Beck.  Sadly following this turn of events Beck is quickly being seen as a lap dog for politically correct politicians by the public, press and LAPD troops.

Speaking of Arizona local activist David Hernandez has decided to start an LA based blog supporting Arizona housed on the Arizona Republic's website. In his first blog post Hernandez tells his Arizona readers "We stand with Arizona and against our elected officials."

And finally in case you missed it over the weekend we had a post featuring politicians dressing up to pander to special interest groups and then showed you even more examples just for fun.

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Friday

 

While the battle between Carmen Trutanich, Jan Perry and AEG over the expense of the City for the memorial service for Michael Jackson continues one Los Angeles resident has stepped up in a unique way.  Jose F. Vallejo has filed a $3.3 million lawsuit against the Jackson estate claiming as a taxpayer he has standing to make the case.  Should Vallejo be successful any judgment awarded by the Court would go to the City general fund.

 

SLAP happy plan checking NIMBYs in Los Angeles go apoplectic over billboard advertising but the City of West Hollywood is considering a plan that might put a little cha-ching into the City coffers.  The owner of a building on Beverly Boulevard is offering WeHo $20K a month for the next twenty years, as well as some free public improvements, to hang supergraphics on two sides of the property. 

Here's yet another boondoggle the City is considering - putting a park over the 101 Freeway through Hollywood.  Just to speak to the cost is one thing, the safety is a bigger issue.  If the park goes Nimitz Freeway in the next big earthquake or little kids get cancer from diesel fumes who is going to pay?

Here's yet another rumor from an extremely reliable source.  Southern California ICE spokesflack Virginia Kice allegedly employed an illegal immigrant for years but fired her upon getting the ICE job. Shades of the Clinton cabinet!

Jay Leno may be coming back to late night, perhaps even to the Tonight Show.  With Leno's 10 pm show performing poorly in ratings, as well as the Conan O'Brien Tonight Show, NBC TV affiliates are screaming bloody murder.  Daily Variety reports NBC has confirmed that Leno has been offered either a half hour show at 11:35 daily or to just take the Tonight Show back. 

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Thursday

The LA City Council has yet again put off a vote on medical marijuana dispensaries.  At issue is the debate over the limit on where the collectives could be located.  A restriction limiting medical pot shops within 1000 feet of residential areas could effectively put them out of reach of many patients citywide.  Staff has to go back to the drawing board to see what impact the registration may have.

The first benefit of the election of Paul Krekorian over Chris Essel to the City Council may have already been realized: the Council Wednesday delayed a vote on controversial DWP raises.  Mindful of the message sent by voters, and the crushing blow to the IBEW in the bitter defeat of their candidate Essel, Council members are likely looking to tread lightly.

The economy is putting the bite on financing for the shady Downtown Grand Avenue project AKA monument to Eli Broad.  Hamburger Jan Perry is fighting with the developer over altering the project while an LA County planner says the entire boondoggle should be scrapped.  Paul Novak, a deputy to County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, told the LA Business Journal "We need to rethink what goes on that land and how the county and city can maximize their returns."

Following the gala Michael Jackson funeral at the Staples Center newly elected City Attorney Carmen Trutanich told the City Council he had evidence of "criminal" wrongdoing related to the event. Yet five months later the City Attorney has not come forward with any charges or even the slightest detail as to what the hell we was talking about.  In the meantime Trutanich's lack of action is standing in the way of the City receiving a donation from funeral producers AEG. Makes sense, AEG doesn't want to cough up funds to cover the city's cost if it thinks its going to be prosecuted for something.  Trutanich's silence has even caused supporters such as Dennis Zine to call on the City Attorney to put up or shut up.  The Council has called Trutanich to come forward and splain himelf; it appears Nuch has told them to take a hike.

And finally an interesting report in the LatinoLA blog.  San Fernando Valley realtor Trish Bautista chronicles the evolution of how real property is sold to Latinos in Los Angeles. Thirty years ago, nearly impossible for Latino immigrants to realize the dream of home ownership, realtor George B. Izquierdo set out to connect Latinos to real estate services and founded Las Casas Realty based in Highland Park.  Since then Izquierdo has become a leader in providing home buying, mortgage and related services.  The secret behind his succcess? Izquierdo says "We can afford to be kind."

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Tuesday

Cleaning up the CD2 Snow Job

UPDATE: Griffith Park Wayist blog endorses Paul Krekorian for CD2. That pretty much means all of the major political bloggers in LA that have endorsed, have rejected Chris Essel.

And the Village to Village Blog comes about as close as one can without endorsing to endorse Krekorian.

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Big battle in City Hall over ever getting a reimbursement for the expenses the City incurred during Michael Jackson's gala funeral at the Staples Center. Council Members tend to concur with Hamburger Jan Perry that it will difficult to get payment from the owners of Staples and the producer of the funeral, AEG as long as City Attorney Carmen Trutanich continues to hold the threat of criminal prosecution over the matter. As AEG President Tim Liewickie has said its time for Trutanich to put up or shut up.

Oh. There's an election in CD2 today. If you happen to see any voter intimidation or election irregularaties call (213) 978-0444.

Former CD5 candidate Adeena Bleich has a good commentary on the CD2 election in the Daily News. Bleich is yet the latest leader to condemn Chris Essel's controversial mailer using holocaust imagery to attack Paul Krekorian. Bleich writes "I know what anti-Semitism and sexism look like first hand, and if one is going to attack another person as such they'd better have a very good reason, with real evidence and solid proof to back it up. Wanting to win a campaign is not a good enough reason."

For some reason the Los Angeles Times is continually posting their endorsement of Chris Essel. They have a lot of stake in her victory.

In all the nonsense going around town whether it's CD2, Trutanich or Villaraigosa off at the hooker I mean climate conference in Denmark there is one good thing we can always count on: The Los Angeles Fire Department and Brian Humphrey. An excellent tip from Brian at the LAFD blog for those of you who may be affected by this current storm: stay tuned to your radio for news and information, primarily KNX 1070 which features regular reports from the LAFD.

Morning Briefs and Outtakes on SEIU "Friend" Supervisor Ridley-Thomas, LAPD shakeup, Councilwoman Perry "Shakedown" (LOL!) of AEG and other News

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas with Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and County Labor Federation Head Maria Elena Durazo

County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas ex. "SEIU Brother" Tyrone Freeman

What does County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas have to hide, especially from Federal Investigators and the Los Angeles Times?

But first, a flashback moment.

Controversy surrounding a powerful Los Angeles labor leader threatened Thursday to alter the landscape beneath the county's hottest political race, which has been fueled by record amounts of union spending.

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors candidate Bernard C. Parks, who trailed in the June primary, challenged opponent Mark Ridley-Thomas to return more than $4.5 million raised on his behalf by a labor alliance that included beleaguered union leader Tyrone Freeman.

Parks, a Los Angeles city councilman, also noted that county officials have accused Freeman's local of raising more than $5 million in illegitimate union dues from low-wage home healthcare workers, a charge that union attorneys have flatly denied.

That was then, this is today from LA Times Investigative Reporter Paul Pringle.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas has declined to release any records of communications between his office and a longtime associate who has been employed by corporations that do millions of dollars of business with the county and a rail project that Ridley-Thomas helps oversee.

Ridley-Thomas similarly rejected Times requests for any e-mails, memos and letters involving the companies that hired the associate, Cynthia McClain-Hill, earlier this year.

The Times has reported that federal authorities have questioned people about Ridley-Thomas' ties to McClain-Hill and her employment with a joint venture managed by Flatiron Construction, which is building the $862-million, taxpayer-funded Expo Line light rail train. McClain-Hill, a lawyer who owns a lobbyist firm and has contributed thousands of dollars to Ridley-Thomas' campaigns, also works for Unisys Corp., which provides computer services to the county. Under the California Public Records Act, The Times sought more than nine months of records, including copies of the supervisor's appointment calendar and telephone bills.

The Feds are looking at Supervisor Ridley-Thomas? Wonder why?

The federal queries grew out of a U.S. Labor Department and FBI investigation into alleged corruption within the Service Employees International Union, a key financial backer of Ridley-Thomas' election campaign last year, people familiar with the probe say.

Could it be that someone with former SEIU ties is "singing" to the Feds? Plus, it is no secret that Supervisor Ridley-Thomas has close ties to SEIU and their "associates" as noted by veteran practitioner of "outcome-based, agenda journalism", former LA Times scribe and current LA Observed contributer Bill Boyarsky.

The Project Acorn event was at the headquarters of Local 721 of the Service Employees Union. It hadn�t started so I walked around the Virgil Avenue neighborhood, a few miles west of downtown. It�s a neighborhood of apartments, probably affordable for working families (if they double up) but they will be out of range if building ever resumes. At the union hall, I ran into Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas, and interviewed him on the closed Martin Luther King Jr. hospital for a story I plan to do for LA Observed on his race with Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks. Then I introduced both Mama Hill and a short video about her and about how she faced foreclosure.

Too bad that Boyarsky was fixated on the outcome of his agenda missive, thus missing the chance to get to the bottom of now Supervisor Ridley-Thomas dubious ties to SEIU, but then this is from the noted denier of "Raineygate".

OTHER NEWS:

** Less than one week from being sworn in as former Chief Bill Bratton's "designated heir" in the role of City of Los Angeles "Top Cop", Chief Charlie Beck announces a shake up of his command staff.

From the Los Angeles Times.

Beck, who was confirmed as chief by the City Council last Tuesday, promoted Deputy Chief Michel Moore to become one of the LAPD's three assistant chiefs and assigned him to a newly created post in charge of Special Services, according to an announcement released Monday.

In his new post, Moore will oversee an array of specialized operations that, until now, have been run separately, including the agency's Counter-Terrorism and Criminal Intelligence Bureau, the elite Metropolitan Division and the Detective Bureau.

To make room for Moore, Assistant Chief Jim McDonnell, who for several years has been the second-highest-ranking person in the department, dropped one rank to deputy chief and will take on a new position as chief of detectives.

Link to the takes on Chief Beck's shakeup from Ron Kaye and the Daily News.

** With apologies to the Bob "Big Hug" Hertzberg, Governor Arnold "Kennedy Republican" Schwartzenegger has chosen fellow moderate/RINO republican State Senator Abel Maldonado, to replace now Congressman John Garamendi as Lt. Governor, Maldonado must be confirm by both the Assembly and State Senate.

** Hold your laughs please, Councilwoman Jan Perry said Monday she is talking to officials at Anschutz Entertainment Group about reimbursing at least some of the $3.2 million in taxpayer money spent on the "non- permitted" AEG/ Michael Jackson memorial. Now LOL!!

** Talk about stimulating your political appetite. The City Council will resume talks Tuesday on a proposed medical marijuana ordinance that would let dispensaries sell pot to qualified patients -- even though the city attorney and district attorney insist such transactions would be illegal.

The City Council will consider amending the fifth draft (in how many flippin years!?) of the proposed ordinance submitted by the city attorney. Among the three dozen amendments proposed to the measure are:

-- only 70 collectives would be allowed citywide, or one medical marijuana facility per 57,000 residents, each chosen via a blind random drawing; link here for the rest.

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

Morning Briefs and Outtakes on the High-Maintenance Candidate for City Council and other News

"The Million Dollar (in Special Interest money) Candidate for City Council"

"Are Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's ACORN friends, street walking for Chris Essel?"

Who said that CD 2 City Council Candidate Chris Essel was out-sourcing "entertainment jobs"?

Consider this comment posted on the Andrew Breitbart post yesterday.

Anonymous said...

ACORN is working for Chris Essel in CD2. They are apparently being paid by the Painters Union according to one of their walkers.

November 22, 2009 8:32 PM

Now, while this comment is only speculation, it would not surprise me if this were to be verified, considering this from the Ethics Commission.

International Union of Painters and Allied Trades Washington, DC 20006 (Independent Expenditure) Support Christine Essel City Council Member - District 02 Chris Essel for City Council 2009 - General (1321633)[Election: 12/08/09] 11/19/09 11/18/09
GOTV Activities to include phone banks and ** door-to-door mobilization TELSC-1 $58,078.00

Door to door mobilization? Hmmm, it seems that the fine citizens in CD 2 are going to be treated to the possible spectacle of IBEW stooges and ACORN junkies, walking the streets together in search of "ballots" (** these two groups working together in search of absentee ballots is scary) for Chris Essel. This should provide entertaining blog posts in abundance, leading up to, and possibly after election day.

As for Chris Essel, her campaign when you add up Contributions ($475,150.13), Public Matching Funds ($166,760.00) and Independent Expenditures ($556,106.58), the tote tallies a whopping $1,031,256.71 in Special Interest cash, not counting matching funds. That fact alone should remind CD 2 voters of the potential future costs in maintenance and diligent attention to the whims and policy needs of her contributors, if Chris Essel is elected to the City Council.

The thought of Special Interest groups like IBEW, AEG, Ari Swiller and possibly ACORN, working together to buy Chris Essel a seat within the Horseshoe at City Hall, has prompted this blogger to announce his endorsement of Paul Krekorian for City Council.

I have been straight forward in my misgivings about Krekorian's policy decisions as an Assemblyman. My first choice for CD 2 was Mary Benson, who's grasps of policy issues, was unmatched by any of the home-grown candidates in the primary. That said, Krekorian's outreach and the fact that he has the vast majority of grass-roots activists in CD 2, supporting his campaign, says enough about who would best represent the unique concerns of this council district. Plus, Krekorian is in a sense, on probation until 2011, in "backing his talk, with the walk" at City Hall.

** BTW, one can Google "International Union of Painters and Allied Trades and ACORN" and find numerous examples of collaborations between the two organizations.

** Link here to read Ron Kaye's take on "Lettergate".

Afternoon thought on CD 2 Runoff:

Chelsea Cody at ourla.com reports that today is the last day to register to vote in the CD 2 Runoff. One might want to note the additional number of register voters that a well-finance "door to door mobilization" might produce for the candidate of choice, especially if ACORN was involved. In addition, link here to read Sunland-Tujunga Nina Royal's reasoning for supporting Paul Krekorian.

OTHER NEWS:

This should be a busy news day at 200 Spring Street, as the City Council attempts to break their tired act of vacillating on policy issues.

** The City Council's Public Safety Committee take up the issue of the cost of the non-permitted AEG/ Michael Jackson Memorial. One can bet that AEG's "Boss Lieweke" will have "eyes and ears" nearby.

** The City Council reconvenes its multi-year dialog on Pot, courtesy of the inaction of one, Councilman Ed "density" Reyes. CD 14 Councilman Jose Huizar has been the rational thinker in proposing solutions to this mess. One consideration in today's discussion, is the support of Attorney General Jerry Brown......., for the legal stance taken by District Attorney Steve Cooley and City Attorney Carmen Trutanich.

** LA Times David Zahniser drops another bomb on "Pensiongate 09".

The former top executive of one of Los Angeles' public employee pension systems rented an apartment from a company that at the same time was securing millions of dollars in public funds from his agency.

Robert Aguallo, who served as general manager of the City Employees' Retirement System until last year, was a tenant in a CIM Group apartment building in 2007, when his agency's board voted to invest $15 million in CIM's Fund III.

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