Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Wednesday

Villaraigosa political operative Ace Smith (who I was once accused of being by the way) is taking over the campaign to gain passage of the half percent Westside transit tax scam favored by the Mayor. We'll say it over and over again, you can't build enough trains to solve the problems in LA let alone the Westside and this is a massive pork laden boondoggle. As most of the County is opposed to this measure they'll pay for and won't benefit from, Smith will have his work cut out for him. And he's further sunk should Governor Schwarzenegger place his one own one percent sales tax on the ballot.

Workers at Los Angeles' animal shelters packed Tuesday's City Council meeting to demand the firing of Department of Animal Services General Manager Ed Boks. Among other issues, the employees said the City's shelters are overcrowded and that animals do not receive proper food or medical attention. City Councilman Dennis Zine said he would schedule a hearing on the issue in his Personnel Committee. In the meantime, there is one example of how the private sector could do a far better job of running animal shelters than the City.

Los Angeles-based publisher Rich Perelman is leading the battle Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks' plan to criminalize smoking in Los Angeles. Perelman says "If Councilman Parks has his way, (LAPD) officers will be able to cite you, or even arrest you, for using a legal product: tobacco." Perelman has created a website dedicated for his effort, www.WeAreNotCriminals.com.

It took being embarrassed when he went on a junket to Israel, but Mayor Villaraigosa has finally done something about illegal dumping in South Los Angeles. A new task force will identify areas for clean-up, but first they had to get a $500,000 grant from the state to do what they should have been doing all along.

Local Republicans are invited to step up and make the difference for the McCain-Palin campaign. The LA County GOP is sponsoring "Super Sarah Saturday" at a location near you.

A Free Market Approach to Animal Control

The City of LA spends millions of dollars on it's ineffective and often corrupt Animal Control Department. Yet, it has been unable to deliver on promises of a no-kill shelter.

As an example of how a private, non-profit, non-government funded effort can succeed, check out this video of "The Cat House on the Kings." It exists solely on donations, adopts out many of the thousands of cats who have passed through the facility, but those that don't, are never euthanized. The shelter is clean, beautiful and the cats roam free.

For more information, go to http://www.cathouseonthekings.com/.

Chick Finds Animal Services “Ill-Prepared”

This week, Controller Laura Chick issued another brutally sharp audit on the shelter’s failure to prepare the city for the upcoming mandatory spay & neuter law. Just two months ago, she issued a severe assessment of the shelter’s fiscal problems.

Mr. Ed Boks is the shelter General Manager who wrote a long reply challenging Chick's conclusions on the city blog.

He also says that the new $16 million shelter in Councilman Richard Alarcon's district is loaded with animals, but not open to the public. There are also supposed to be free spay & neuter clinics at the shelters, but they still haven't opened years after Prop F funds were given to the city.

This link goes to an article by former City Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski, who wrote, "The Animal Services portion of the bond, $154.1 million, will be used to replace three existing animal shelters, build two new shelters, and expand and renovate three others, provide more kennel space to reduce pet overcrowding in shelters, create more spay and neuter clinics to help reduce overpopulation on the streets, and increase adoption opportunities."

This was written all the way back in 2000.

Mr. Boks blames the problems on staff & budgetary cuts, but if those cuts haven't yet been made, and he has been given hundreds of millions of dollars, how can he blame these problems on the cuts?

A blogging dog rescuer named Ed Musika has some interesting views on related matters.

Citizen's Alert: Mayor Villaraigosa Pardon These Kittens!

A reader writes the following:

How about promoting something really important, like the 40 kittens that are going to be killed at 8pm tonight at the East Valley Shelter. Subject: EMERGENCY - 40 Kittens at East Valley- DEAD by 8pm!! EAST VALLEY SHELTER HAS 40 PLUS KITTENS WHO WILL DIE IF NO FOSTERS ARE FOUND. These kittens have till this evening at 8pm or they will have to be put down. If you can help contact Valerie immediately 213 305 9006 or 818 756 9323/24

If you can help give them a call. In the meantime I humbly request Mayor V to issue a temporary stay for the kitties until homes can be found next week.

And PS to the animal wackos: We have comment moderation now so don't even try your usual. You'll be wasting your time.

You, abandoned

That’s correct. Last week, DWP; this week, Animal Services. KNBC reports, boxes containing thousands of names, addresses, driver license numbers, dates of birth, checking account information, and Social Security numbers were abandoned at two shuttered city animal shelters, one in West L.A. and another in Van Nuys—a facility that closed nine months ago.

Ed Boks, the head of animal service, refused to talk to KNBC. But in an e-mail he said that when the city was moving to a shelter "our complete focus rested on the animals." And, as a result, paper records were not properly disposed. He promised it would "not happen again."

KNBC, video, MSNBC

Late Night Snack

I know what you're thinking. But Zuma was nowhere near Studio City last night.

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If you want to know how the former fishwrap of record became just that, consider this story, covering the coverage of the adopting of a golden retriever.

Compare that to the Daily News's hard-hitting editorial yesterday on the impact of "no-kill" shelters.

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Vapor HS: Tuesday night is decision night in South and East Los Angeles at a few badly-performing high schools, including Roosevelt and Jordan. Will they vote for no existing plan at all or vote the status quo? It's complete theater of the absurd: the Mayor has been stumping at schools with problems to vote for a plan that doesn't yet exist, promising nothing more than more money.

The "plan"---nothing more than a pledge to shake down donors to the Mayor's not-for-profit school management org for more money---sounds more like promoting extortion than promoting excellence. Yet even that may be enough compared to staying the current path with the District in the eyes of some voters. Some cash-strapped Union stewards are supporting the Mayor.

Hopefully one of the many feeder nations to LAUSD will fly in observers to this insane and easy-to-game election.

Friday morning outtakes from the "RED SPOT INSTITUTE"

Wet morning to all from the "RED SPOT INSTITUTE". Storm whimper out but streets are still slick. Think safety as you make your way to "SPRING STREET". Topics to ponder.

CHIEF SHILL SPINSTER" FOR THE EXCLUSIVE "SOUTHWEST SOCIETY":

Former Mayor Sam award winner, Universal P.R. flack, Mt. Washington resident, Eliot Sekular(picture above), spins the latest in the contentious Southwest Museum saga.

This blatant attempt to remove the contents of a CD 14 icon and give them over to "BIG AUTRY" has split the Northeast communities into pro and anti Autry factions.

But one needs to probe what "PERKS" members of the "POLITICAL INSIDERS EXCLUSIVE, SOUTHWEST SOCIETY" are receiving for their duplicitous role in the "GIVEAWAY ON MARMION WAY"

**Response from the "Friends of the Southwest Museum"** on the Arroyo Seco Journal web page. Scholl down below "High School story". Thanks to Zuma and Dan Wright for the heads up.

Also, on NELA list yesterday, the Coalition announced that the community's response to the betrayal of the Mayor and Huizar was to raise $21,000 in one night last week. These funds will be used to legally enforce against Autry. Raising so much money in one night, I think, speaks to how pissed people are at the Mayor and Huizar.

DEATHS UP AT ANIMAL SHELTERS:

Daily News reports that deaths from illness and other causes are on the upswing at City of Los Angeles Animal Shelters. I will let the "FRIENDS" of Animal Services GM Ed Boks provide the commentary on this story.

Q and A WITH CLOWNCILMAN LABONGE:

City Beat has interview with City Councilman Tom LaBonge. Labonge shills for his future job as "CITY HISTORIAN"

PORT EXPANSION PLANS "LIME GREEN"?

City leaders reveal their plans for port expansion. Port area residents and environmentalist say plans are not "GREEN" enough.

Your thoughts and contributions appreciated, example below.

Anonymous said...
Villaraigosa always says everyone should support LA businesses and help the economy. Then why was he in Beverly Hills two weeks ago getting a haircut and his hair dyed? The cost was $400.00. Will someone please tell him he can go to the local barber shop and they can do a much better job for $8.95.
December 07, 2007 6:54 AM

Talk about forgetting your roots in C.T.

Mandatory Spaying And Neutering Is Good Public Policy

By Walter Moore, Candidate for Mayor of Los Angeles, MooreIsBetter.com.

Remember how you cried at the end of "Old Yeller?" And you got misty in "Turner and Hooch." Don't deny it. It just means you're human.

Every single year, cities in California kill 500,000 dogs and cats. Five hundred thousand dogs and cats that could be someone's best friend. I want you to imagine a pile of 500,000 dead dogs and cats the next time someone tells you that mandatory spaying and neutering is a bad idea.

Unless you have a small stone where your heart should be, that is a disturbing statistic. It is heart-breaking to put one perfectly adoptable animal to death. It is unspeakable and shameful to kill 500,000 per year.

Mandatory spaying and neutering can reduce that number to nearly zero. By preventing the birth of unwanted pets, we can avoid having to kill those pets -- those innocent victims of the negligence, carelessness, laziness or stupidity of the people who failed to prevent their birth and failed to find homes for them.

You say this is "socialism," or "nanny state?" Tough. Unless you're going to find homes for all those dogs and cats, you haven't made the case for this routine, inhumane, shameful killing of pets.

The American Kennel Club has "threatened" to hold one of its big shows in another state if we pass this law. Is that supposed to matter to us more than preventing these deaths? Is that how crass they think we are? Hey, fellahs, take your poodle contest to Pocatello if you want. I, for one, would rather be on the side of saving lives.

Breeders likewise have "threatened" to take their business elsewhere. Fine. It's not like letting dogs mate in your back yard is exactly the cornerstone of our economy, you know. And the money we spend rounding up, caging, killing and disposing of animals -- not to mention the cruelty involved -- just isn't worth whatever jobs or tax revenues you generate. The pet supply stores can still sell dog food and cat toys to those of us who prefer shelter mutts and alley cats to inbred, disease-prone backyard breeder "purebreds."

Mandatory spaying and neutering of pets is good public policy. If and when we ever stop killing pets en masse in this state, we can revisit the issue later. In the meantime, to stop the killing, you need to stop the unwanted births. Dogs and cats won't wear condoms, and irresponsible owners won't "fix" their pets voluntarily, so we need to use the power of the government to do the humane thing -- and save tax dollars while we're at it.

My platform has always included mandatory (and free) spaying and neutering for dogs and cats in the City of Los Angeles. (You can see my platform at MooreIsBetter.com.) If we can do it state-wide now, however, so much the better.

Now go adopt a dog or cat at the shelter, would you? Do it for Yeller.