This is the city: Los Angeles, California. I work here. I'm an ex-mayor. Los Angeles is a magnet for people from all over the world. Some of them run for public office. Inevitably some of them stray from the golden rule and rule for those that have the gold. That's when I go to work. My name is Yorty. I'm a dead pol.
Does 99% Of LA Have Any Rights Remaining? (Asking For 4 Million Friends)
By Daniel Guss
@TheGussReport - Hello, happy new year and welcome back.
I found myself unexpectedly redirecting traffic in the middle of Ventura Boulevard last week after slamming my brakes to avoid driving over a deeply disturbed young man whose life had become so unraveled that he was rolling on the pavement and speaking incoherently in the middle of the bustling intersection.
Beyond risking his own safety, being so low to the ground, he also risked the safety of everyone else in the area, such as another driver who did not see him when quickly changing lanes to avoid the jam he had caused...once again.
I write "once again" because the man's situation became clearer when the first LAPD patrol car and LAFD ambulance rolled up.
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Ted Lieu Votes to Kill Jobs; Bill Fails Cal Senate
California politicians continue to kill jobs left and right; this time we dodged a bullet.
A bill that would tie corporate tax rates to executive compensation was rejected by the state Senate on Wednesday. SB 1372 would have replaced current tax rates for publicly traded corporations with a rate based on the ratio between its highest earning employee and its median workers’ salary.
Senator Ted Lieu, currently a candidate in next Tuesday's election to replace the retiring Representative Henry Waxman in Congress, voted for this nonsense Even liberal Democrat Stuart Waldman, President of the Valley Industry and Commerce Association, who opposed the bill, had the good sense that this was goofy legislation writ large. “I’m not sure in what world this would have increased worker pay,” said Waldman. “It’s ridiculous to think that further complicating our corporate tax system would do anything but encourage business to leave the state.”
Lieu is Mayor Garcetti's pick for the seat; especially since his primary opponent is La Wendy. The Mayor has frequently called for tax reform for business. Let's hope he doesn't support this type of social engineering for the City.
Day Street "Affordable Housing" in Tujunga Construction cost of individual units higher than that of single family homes "CEO" of non-profit makes more than a City Council member
This just came over the wire. The answer is no, no, no. We don't need any more affordable housing schemes which is a way that the "homeless-industrial" complex generates corporate welfare for developers, contributions for politicians and high paying six-figure jobs for non-profit "CEOs."
Y'all need to oppose this bill. What we need for affordable housing is to 1) stop the massive run-up of building more and more multi-family residential developments in communities that don't have the infrastructure for such, which lowers the inventory of single family homes and thus raises the cost of home ownership and 2) let the free market handle this, innovative developers and housing providers will address the need and we won't prop up "too big to fail" developers who can only turn a profit via government funding and intervention in the marketplace.
VICA used to be an organization for business, now it's a lobbying shill for politicians and those who make money by being cozy with politicians. I don't think they would know the free market if it jumped up and bit them.
CALIFORNIA HOMES AND JOBS ACT RELIEVES BUILDING INDUSTRY, HOUSING SHORTAGE
SHERMAN OAKS, Calif.— The Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA) supports the California Homes and Jobs Act of 2013, which tackles two issues important to the San Fernando Valley: a lagging construction industry and an affordable housing shortage.
The legislation enacts a $75 fee on real estate documents to generate roughly $500 million a year for a California Homes and Jobs Trust Fund, which will fund construction and administer affordable housing programs statewide.
VICA’s Board of Directors voted to support the act, with the recommendation that the bill cap the number of documents that can incur a fee per transaction. The board agreed that a $75 fee is a worthy investment for much-needed housing and jobs but the policy becomes onerous when an individual is smacked with hundreds of dollars in fees in one single transaction.
Affordable housing programs have been funded primarily through Propositions 46 in 2002 and 1C in 2006, but both funds have been exhausted. We need to replenish these funds in order to stir economic growth and find homes for the hundreds of thousands of struggling families on the affordable housing waiting lists in the City of Los Angeles and L.A. County.
“A strong economy relies on a healthy construction sector,” said VICA Chair, David Adelman. “It makes sense to fund already-successful housing programs, while stimulating the building industry.”
Downtown Chamber et al Backs Sales Tax Increase; VICA Says No
Last line of defense against Herb Wesson? VICA's Stuart Waldman
Well, duh.
VICA, though it has it's moments, is one of the last of the true business advocacy organizations out there.
Those "business" organizations that are supporting the sales tax increase pushed by Council President Herb Wesson (doesn't he represent a low income district?), giving the City one of the highest sales tax rates in the country, are part of the downtown cabal that have joined in a symbiotic and blood sucking relationship along with developers, out of town banks & corporations with a presence in Downtown LA, "community" organizations, unions, politicians and the "affordable housing" lobby to make sure each of them get their own crack at any combination of the following:
Money.
The ability to bed attractive lobbyists, staffers, commission members, whomever has something in exchange.
Invitations to great cocktail parties, sporting events, awards shows, etc.
Sales tax, one of the most regressive forms of taxation, disproportionately impacting the poor and devastates small business. This particular increase would hit hard on communities like Sunland-Tujunga, North Hollywood, Venice, etc. that all border on cities with lower tax rates and where consumers can easily travel a few blocks to save some cash.
If this was 2011, one could almost hear Mayor Antonio Villar proclaiming himself "the snowplow king".
Great chillin Saturday morning to all where we take advantage of this rare day of historic snowfall levels to highlight the "dubious political snow jobs" that merit exposure. But morphing into "weather geek mode" momentary, we should point out that the picture above was taken between January 9-11, 1949 which was officially the last measurable snowfall in Downtown Los Angeles. If this were to happen today, one wonders how Mayor Antonio Villar would take political advantage of this rare occurrence
Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council Executive Board Members Jose Aguilar and Margo Amador speak out against HACLA Commissioner Maria Del Angel.
Los Angeles elected officials would love to lure major manufacturing plants to the region, especially anything that has the "green" tag attached to it but it's business climate is so hostile to business the big factories may take a look but are going elsewhere. The latest hit is Coda Motors, an upstart electric car company that is picking the East Bay town of Benicia in Northern California for it's assembly facility. The Bay Area has succesfully attracted the technology industry to center there, particularly in very business friendly Santa Clara County while LA only attracts taco trucks.
How did Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, this time Jack is being a dick do that?
He opens up his rant with an unkind reference to Waldman's weight.
Now perhaps as a calorically challenged American myself I'm a bit sensitive to such charges even if I have dropped 60 pounds since the end of June. But it really makes Jack lose all credibility - and when it comes to the DWP Jack has a lot - to let his anger at Waldman's position let him take a cheap shot.
I've known Stuart for nearly 20 years since our days at Valley College and working on the Clinton campaign (yes sadly I was once a Democrat but I got over it). He was skinny then. But age, marriage, whatever brings more weight and its not an easy struggle.
On the surface the Ratepayer Advocate sounds like a nice idea. But nice ideas are not necessarily good ones. The devil is in the details. The DWP is so messed up it may take more than the Ratepayer Advocate to fix things.
Jack has a right to disagree with VICA; I've done more than that myself calling it a useless organization and getting a nasty email from my old friend Stuart. But I don't think I called Stuart fat.
Reasonable people can disagree and perhaps if they are willing, we would love to have Jack and Stuart reasonably disagree on this topic at this blog.
Jack, however if he wants to be a politician, must not let his anger get the best of him and call names.
Tamar Galatzan has just picked up a couple of big endorsements, the first from the LA Chamber of Commerce, and the second from LA City Councilmember Tom LaBonge. VICA (The Valley Industry and Commerce Association) will be hosting a forum on Friday morning for a few select candidates at the Sportsman Lodge. Why they didn't invite all of the candidates for CD2 only serves to expose where VICA's limited mentality lies. By the way, it will cost you $20 bucks to attend the forum, unless you are a member of VICA's hilariously ego driven named "Circle Of Influence" (anything to make members feel important, eh, VICA?).
Morning Briefs and Outtakes on the Memorial for the "King of Pop N Chaos in Downtown ??", and some other News
Let July 7, 2009 go down in history as the day Los Angeles and the World sang a collected "BEAT IT" to Michael Jackson as thousands descend on Downtown Los Angeles for the Memorial to the "King of Pop".
City officials are pleading with the general public to stay away from the area around the Staples Center unless they have tickets to be there, but a "Beat of History" is sure to draw thousands to be a part of an historical farewell to a conflicted pop icon.
Some in the local political community are singing a "BAD TUNE" when it comes to the millions that it will cost the City of Los Angeles to maintain the peace from the Jackson Family Compound in Encino, with a stop at Forest Lawn in the Hollywood Hills, to the Staples Center downtown.
People in Downtown Los Angeles are speculating that 500,000+ may head their way and if you are looking for a place to stay?? Good Luck!! All hotels are full.
*Morning update on the "March of the Elephants" with comments from an early rising Councilwoman.
Acting mayor and city councilwoman Jan Perry sat in her car with a smile on her face as she watched the elephants trek along Washington Avenue in the wee hours of the morning. She woke up at 3 a.m. to catch a rare glimpse of the animals.
"I wanted to come down and see how this worked because I've never seen it before," she said. "I'm impressed at how quiet they are."
Here is hoping that todays festivities will not desolve into a disruptive circus and be an positive celebration of the Entertainer, Michael Jackson.
* KFI is reporting that Michael's remains will be transported to Staples Center from Forest Lawn for the Memorial.
Los Angeles School Board Member Tamar Galatzan announced Tuesday evening that she is a candidate for the City Council District Two Seat vacated by City Controller Wendy Greuel.
"Tamar Galatzan announced at Valley Glen NC tonight that she is running for CD2. Her husband, as you may remember, is Brendon Huffman, former head of the Valley Industry and Commerce Association".
Huffman, who's position with VICA now resides with Stuart Waldman will draw the ire of those in Sunland-Tujunga who remember Huffman shilling for Home Depot in their failed attempt to open a store in the S.T. (BTW Stuart, many of us involved with the Southwest Museum will not forget that you through VICA and the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, spoke on behalf of the Autry National Center at last week's Board of Referred Powers hearing)
And does this mean that Political Consultant Mike Trujillo will help Galatzan and attempt to end his losing streak of failed candidates and causes ??
So with the list of candidates growing larger in CD 2, the question is who will make it to the runoff after the prelims ??
The lobbyists who try to convince LA City Council members to vote in favor of their clients' projects and who direct millions of dollars to influence local elected officials are up in arms over an LA City Ethics Commission plan to require them to wear badges at official City meetings. Some lobbyists feel the rule should be extended to representatives of homeowner groups and community activists.
High-end retailer Neiman Marcus is coming the San Fernando Valley. The store will open a new branch at the Westfield Topanga Mall this week. Councilman Dennis Zine told the Daily News "We want to be better than Beverly Hills," in referring to his West Valley based district.
It's not a surprise that the Valley Industry and Commerce Association is opposing Proposition 98 though the measure has a very free market mission in preventing local government from taking private property to give to developers. VICA's leadership is rife with developers and other business interests who really are more in favor of a cozy relationship with government than the free market.
In terms of advancing the true business needs of the Valley, it's quite a useless organization. VICA has been around for nearly 60 years and during that time the Valley has degenerated from a vibrant, growing community to a near third world nation. Contrast it's fortunes with that of other nearby regions such as Santa Clarita or Orange County and you'll see how the lack of leadership and vision has really hurt the Valley.
Home Depot finally made their first formal presentation to the Sunland-Tujunga community on Monday, May 12. This occurred after four years of ignoring numerous requests to do so. Here are two clips from the meeting.
The first features Tomi Lyn Bowling, a DAC (Design Advisory Committee) member grilling the Home Depot reps. The second features Lloyd Hitt, a retired pharmacist, historian, activist, and local treasure, explaining geography, asthma, and reality to Home Depot.
You get bonus points if you can read the lips of Home Depot rep, VICA member, Francisco Uribe, at the very end of the second clip.
Breaking News! Settlement Reached! It was a tough and long meeting last night, but it looks like The No Home Depot Campaign has worked out an agreement with The Home Depot. Thanks to everyone involved and just know this isn't the best agreement in the world, but it was the best we could do!
What We Got:
-The Store can only open after the morning rush hour is complete (9:30 am) and all the kids are safely in school.
-The Store must close between 1:30 and 3:30 pm to accommodate all the kids leaving the nearby school.
- The Store will close at 6 pm to accommodate all of the seniors that live adjacent to the property at Monte Vista Mobile Estates.
- All forklifts must be electric powered, and the "beep-beep" sounds they make when backing must be replaced with sounds of birds chirping.
- Contractors are restricted to purchasing a maximum of 3 2x4's per visit or 2 bags of masonry. Only one visit per contractor is allowed each day.
-The tool department will be replaced with a socks and underwear department.
-The Garden Center will instead be a mini Target store.
-Diesel truck deliveries to the store will be restricted to one per day. All trucks waiting to make deliveries will be stationed in front of Rocky Delgadillo's home until it is their turn. Idling their engines while waiting is encouraged.
-The Home Depot will provide an on site attorney to process legal claims against the company in response to all the inevitable accidents that will occur. Latham & Watkins Attorney, Cindy Starrett has been suggested for this role, followed by former City Attorney Peter Guiterrez.
-The Home Depot will be required to erect a monument on the property in honor of "Bad City Planning".
- Additionally, Home Depot must construct an amusement ride in a local park. The ride will be called "The Backroom Dealer-Wheeler". No one that lives here can actually ride the ride, since Sunland-Tujunga is considered a "Special Interest Group", but employees of the City Attorney's office and Home Depot can use it as a meeting place when future deals need to be made.
-Brendan Huffman, CEO of VICA (Valley Industry and Commerce Association), a guy that has never seen a development he didn't like, will assume the role of Official Store Greeter. He must don an orange apron, and is only allowed time off when he must puff up before the City Council about how the City is going to collapse if we don't give developers even more say.
What They Got:
-On a rotating basis, residents of Sunland-Tujunga will be sent to Home Depot's corporate office in Atlanta for something called "Re-Education".
-Everyone will be required to turn in their "No Home Depot" T-shirts to the store manager and be issued an orange T-Shirt that says "Thank You Home Depot" on the front and "Resistance is Futile" on the back.
-All Sunland-Tujunga residents will be required to be paid "supporters" of Home Depot at other Hearings in other communities where Home Depot is trying to force their way in. Except you won't be paid (sorry, we fought hard on that one, but just couldn't make it happen). When you are needed you will be notified, and a bus will pick you up. Remember to wear those orange shirts and most importantly, No Communication With The Press!!
-I have been scheduled for something Home Depot calls "Recycling". Gosh, I haven't been on a bike for years!
