Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Monday

An "Old Gray Collectivist Hag on Spring Street" deconstruction on the Wendy "The Villar Greuel" 12,000 Police Scheme.

 The Villar Greuel's attempt to emulate Mayor Antonio Villar on LAPD staffing, gets a stinging indictment.

In private life and politics, John Shallman "numbers" have been a source of many questions.

Great Monday morning to all (unless you have bloggin stomach issues).

But what is a little stomach issue when compare to having your “Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Campaign”, become a fact-challenged pinata for the discerning scribes at the Old Gray Collectivist Hag on Spring Street” (aka Los Angeles Times)?

With no apologies to the lovely ladies at the “Valley Daily Moldy Green Sheet” and the “Valley Business Establishment Enablers” at V.I.C.A., the Old Gray Hag has regain a journalistic step of factually-based reporting, that has not been seen in a Los Angeles Mayoral Election in some time.

The “Private Citizen/ The Villar Greuel Political Consultant” John Shallman has predictably steered his “Villar Greuel” candidate from a resource-rich contender (at least before Shallman’s bills come due) into a looming political bust (think Chris Essel, Torie Osborn, Pat McOsker in recent times).

Today’s trifecta of stories ( by Jim Newton and regarding Jan Perry mailers attacking the Villar Greuel) in the Old Gray Hag, along with the especially the damning deconstruction of her 12,000 police officer proposal, is not a way to start a campaign week. Further, it is evident that the selling of the Wendy Greuel Brand to local media has been an outright failure (except for a certain Valley Daily Moldy Green Sheet). Whether this trend plays out at the polling place on Election Day, is a work of Shallman in progress.

** So much for the Mayor Antonio Villar’s new “radical middle political incarnation“, when the old progressive mechista still reigns in your sellout political soul, as evident by the City Terrace native support of the half-cent sales tax proposal.

**  Most interesting read is Sacramento Bee longtime state capital beat writer Dan Walters missive on the background behind the Assembly Speaker John Perez for Labor Secretary speculation. To think that LA County Labor Federation Leader Maria Elena Durazo has that much national clout, is well, most interesting to say the least.

** Our friend Downtown News Editor and Scribe of Wit Jon Regardie's latest “Regardie Report”, regales us on the latest campaign actions of the downtowncentric candidates as we excerpt below. Enjoy!

The Inside-Outside Game: Ana Cubas is making strides in the Ninth District council race, and the $126,000 she had raised by Jan. 19 puts her behind only LAPD Deputy Chief Terry Hara in the money tote board. She’s positioning herself as an immigrant success story (she’s a native of El Salvador), and in a Dec. 27 email to supporters wrote, “When I first started my campaign, I was told I couldn’t do it. I was too young, I was Latina and, despite my longstanding employment in public service, I was not considered an ‘insider.’” There are only about 9,000 things wrong with that claim, but the most egregious is the “insider” line. Before running, Cubas spent three years as chief of staff to Councilman José Huizar. She also did time as chief legislative analyst for then Council President Alex Padilla. How do you get more inside City Hall than that? Please, the line would make Pinocchio gag.

Your thoughts ……………
Scott Johnson in CD 14

The "Battle of the Heavyweights" for the 53rd Assembly District

Will a Jose Aguilar Upset in the 53rd AD "Tilt the Scale of  Power" in Sacramento?

** Blogger's Note: What makes America's experiment in citizen democracy inspiring, is when someone takes on the odds (and political machine), to affect positive, political change. An example of that has gone under the political radar screen (surprising, considering the mass of candidates involved) in the 53rd Assembly District, where California Assembly Speaker John Perez is facing a challenge from noted community activist Jose Aguilar. Some will stop here and laugh at this supposed vanity exercise by longtime Mayor Sam friend Aguilar, but when considering the damage inflicted on the "State of Greece on the Pacific", by the "rotund despot" of the Assembly and his willing Labor/Left enablers, then now is the time to balance out the "mass of waste", with an equal size mass of change. Thus, this blogger (and friend) endorses Jose Aguilar to affect a "mass of change" in Sacramento---Scott Johnson.     

Jose Aguilar is endorsed by the Howard Jarvis Tax Payer Association

The Rotund Despot Assembly Speaker John Perez in full rage against those who challenge his decrees.

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14

City of Vernon's $5 Million "gift" to Senator De Leon's connected-non-profit Legacy LA

Blogger notes: The Eastern Group Publications along with City of Vernon officials confirm that State Senator Kevin De Leon extracted a "steep tribute" for his support of maintaining the City of Vernon's "Incorporation status". Thus, beating back Assembly Speaker John Perez's AB 46 which would have dissolved the small business-friendly fiefdom. We had noted here earlier the speculation behind the cost for Senator De Leon support of Vernon Cityhood---Scott Johnson.   

City of Vernon's $10 Million "Reparation Payments" to State Senator Kevin De Leon's pet projects is part of the price for remaining an "Incorporated City".

Somewhere near a bottle of wine, former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez must be toasting his San Diego friend State Senator Kevin De Leon who pulled a "Collective SPACE" on the City of Vernon as the cost for his non-support of Assembly Speaker John Perez AB 46 efforts to vanish the tiny fiefdom.

"Collective SPACE" was the small Pico-Union connected non-profit once run by current Mayor Villar staffer Rafa Gonzalez, that was recipient of hundreds of thousands of Special Interest dollars. Money that could not be donated to Nunez's campaign accounts went to pay for events such as "Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez's Toy Drive," "Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez's Soccerfest 2006," "Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez's Inaugural Legislative Youth Conference" and airplane flights for 50 children from Nunez's district for "Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez's Sacramento Student Summit," according to state documents. 

Some years later, Senator De Leon is replicating Nunez's "Collective SPACE" dubious dealings for his favorite connected non-profit Legacy LA, as part of the price in retaining his support against Speaker Perez AB 46.


The EGP reported that The city council late last week unanimously approved the reform package that includes increasing accountability and transparency, doubling the size of the city's electorate, and reparation payments to surrounding communities that have "born the brunt" of "Vernon's shortsightedness." They agreed to give $5 million each to the Hazard Park Youth Armory in Boyle Heights and to renovate Salt Lake Park in the city of Huntington Park. Another $50 million will be spent over the next ten years on services for the surrounding community as part of a "good neighbors program." (** $60 Million Dollar Shakedown by Senator De Leon?)

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