Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Wednesday

"One down."

Recalling his abuelito and hoping for sunny days ahead Mayor Villaraigosa laid out massive jobs and budget cuts for the City in his annual State of the City address.  The event was indeed somber; the Mayor only drawing applause when he made reference to historically low crime rates in the City.  Villaraigosa also lambasted critics as "clucking pundits" who were proven wrong by voters who approved the controversial phone tax, Measure S. However Clucker-in-Chief Mulholland Terrace recalls a 2008 op-ed piece he authored for the Los Angeles Times clearly outlining the fraud that Measure S was and how the voters were duped by the grandson of Pedro Acosta.

What was promised to be a big kick-off to Phil Jennerjahn's attempt to recall Mayor Villaraigosa turned out to be a big thud.  Phil reported earlier Tuesday evening to have completed one petition which if the version we have access to online is correct, the two page document only has space for five signatures. Among the latest questions about this effort - which could distract from other efforts to bring about reform in Los Angeles - are 1) if this is not about anyone's ego why is Walter Moore being touted as the first signer of the petition and 2) If Phil's strategy for victory includes pulling in disgruntled City workers why does he post commentary that "public employees are killing this country?"

When you're a carpetbagger running for a statewide seat in a state you didn't grow up in what do you? Bring in your former boss who happens to be a former President of the United States.  Andrei Cherny, formerly of AD40 here in the Valley is running for State Treasurer of Arizona is hosting a big campaign event featuring President Bill Clinton, for whom Cherny was once a wonderkind speechwriter for.  And to prove he's a man of the people, if you can't afford the $840 to meet the former philanderer-in-chief in person all you po' folks can ante up $25 for the chance to win a raffle to get into the party.  An insider recently told me that Cherny has little chance to win the race for Treasurer, an insignificant position in Arizona state government, but he's setting himself up for a Congressional race in 2012.

Now that he has succeeded in getting the final phase of the controversial Playa Vista development approved, CEO Steve Soboroff is stepping down.  The LA Times reports that the move appears to be voluntary and quotes the former Riordan administration insider as wanting to move on to his next big challenge.

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Friday

Well maybe they didn't mean it.  The LA Weekly reports that the Los Angeles City Council is "dangling" the idea of a DWP rate increase in order to get a hold of $73 million in DWP surplus funds the City desperately needs.  In the meantime the Moody's bond rating service - AKA "jerks" according to Councilman Richard Alarcon - has once again downgraded the city's credit score and maintains a bleak outlook for LA's financial future.

Now we know who wears the pants in the Jerry Brown household and at the California Chamber of Commerce - Mrs. Jerry Brown AKA Anne Gust who made her fortune working for a company that encourages young women to become further anorexic to fit into smaller clothes at higher prices.  The Chamber had aired commercials reminding voters of Brown's record of opposing Proposition 13 among other things and Gust had a Brown cow.  Calls were made to some of the members of the Chamber and pressure applied leading to the ad being quickly dropped.

City Attorney Carmen Trutanich has secured a court injunction to fight drugs and gang violence in Skid Row. Now this is the kind of thing we expect our City Attorney to do instead of fighting pot shops and silly billboards.

Phil Jennerjahn contacted us to show us a mock-up of the donation envelope for his recall campaign.  You may remember Phil's strategy for getting the mountain of signatures required for the recall, as he explained to Kevin James on this radio show, is to get a critical mass of potheads to campaign for the measure, so many that members of the SEIU will join Phil's parade.  And now that Antonio Villaraigosa's latest missteps in the whole DWP mess may have given Phil a little possible mojo, here comes Captain Ego AKA Walter Moore to tie his Red Ryder wagon to Phil's star just like he did with the Shaw family.  Watch out Phil that Walter - who made fun of your mercilessly during the Mayoral campaign - doesn't throw you under the bus as he did with the Shaws.

Now here are some folks doing the right thing to effect leadership change in Los Angeles.  Rather than goofy recalls which are good talkradio fodder the folks at Griffith Park Wayist are actually seeking individuals to groom and support to run against Councilman Tom LaBonge who apparently has pissed off folks from North Hollywood to Los Feliz.

The parent company of the OLD GRAY HAG ON SPRING STREET may be close to coming out of bankruptcy.  The New York Times reports that Tribune Media is near a deal with creditors.

The country is changing.  A good old-fashioned American Sears auto center is being replaced by a European style public mass transit station.

What happens when you're a political wunderkind who can't even beat Lloyd Levine in a primary? You move to another state and run for office there while tapping into old connections to get the endorsement of a former Vice President.  That's what Andrei Cherney, former Clinton speechwriter and abortive Bob Hertzberg protege is up to these days.