Save Funding for City Parks!

It could happen here!

The following is from Kristin Sabo, parks activist and caretaker for Amir's Garden at Griffith Park. No one in Los Angeles has more insight into how the City's Department of Recreation and Parks operates. Below, she details how the City is "double dipping," taking funds from the parks' budget in an effort to "charge" the department for "services" from the City. These chargebacks do nothing more than help the City hide it's budget deficit due to wasteful spending and take dollars - as mandated by the City Charter - from recreation for children, families and all residents of LA. 

Read more - and then take action...

"Crippling "Chargebacks" covering other departments' budgets by taking funds from Rec and Parks) are killing our S-T parks and Hansen Dam. The Mayor's budget for 2013-14 is even worse, if that is possible.

Please read this document for an explanation of the "chargebacks" and the Recreation and Parks services we've lost so far. It's disgusting.

The $56 million in Chargebacks to Rec and Parks in FY 2013-14 being perpetrated on this City's children and parks users by the Mayor, CAO and the City Council is completely unconscionable.

The budget hearing for Rec and Parks is Wednesday May 1st. Please submit your comments to the Budget and Finance Committee ASAP.

Budget & Finance Committee Hearing
Wednesday, May 1, 1pm
John Ferraro Council Chamber - Room 340
200 North Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

If you can't attend that day, please contact the members of the Budget & Finance Committee and let know that you demand an end to Chargebacks and adequate funding for our parks.

Email Councilmember Paul Krekorian, or call him at (213) 473-7002
Email Councilmember Mitch Englander, or call him at (213) 473-7012
Email Councilmember Bill Rosendahl, or call him at (213) 473-7011
Email Councilmember Paul Koretz, or call him at (213) 473-7005
Email Councilmember Tom LaBonge, or call him at (213) 485-3337"

Classic MayorSam: Mayor Loses His Democratic Mojo

In honor of Mayor Villaraigosa's role as the Chairman of this week's Democratic National Convention, we're going to post a few of our past Antonio stories from the Mayor Sam Archives. This gem from August 21st, 2008 details how the Mayor was virtually ignored by the Obama campaign during the 2008 Convention. My, what a difference four years have made.

  It's not a good week for Mayor Villaraigosa when it comes to being a Democratic party superstar.

First off the Mayor was passed over for a speaking spot at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.  Next Barack Obama didn't pick the Mayor for his Latino- but Bill Clinton was chosen.  Finally Villaraigosa's home state Democratic rival Gavin Newsom will be hosting a big deal.

Speculation is rampant that the Obama campaign wants to distance themselves from the Mayor due to his high-profile extamarital affair with former TV newswoman Mirthala Salinas.

Not to worry, I think Antonio's sharing a room with Bill Rosendahl and Jack Weiss at the Days Inn and will be on a panel discussion on "travel tips" Sunday before the Convention starts.

A Zuma Dogg Roast of CD 11 City Councilman Bill Rosendahl

This is what happen when you attempt to restrict the citizens right to their First Amendment discourse.

2013 Mayoral Candidate David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsburg is in fine form at the expense of First Amendment denier CD 11 City Councilman Bill Rosendahl.

This latest from Zuma will become a City Clowncil parody classic.

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14

Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Monday

Would CD 11 City Councilman dare restrict the public comment rights of "Gadflys"?

Si Se Puede!

Si Se Puede!

Even this blogger finds the historic chant catchy as we shut down City Hall today to celebrate the life of the late Cesar Chavez. Follow along as we together ponder bloggin topics on this day dedicated to "no grapes" and "no Illegals" as articulated by the labor organizer in his day of activism.

** CD 1 City Councilman Ed Reyes, CD 13 City Councilman Eric Garcetti and their comrades on the labor left thought last Friday would be a Si Se Puede day in stopping non-union Wal Mart from building a food only store near Chinatown. But Wal Mart pulled all the needed permits from the Building and Safety Department (with "In the shadows" approval of Mayor Antonio Villar?) before Councilman Reyes and Garcetti could get a vote on an interim control ordnance to halt Wal Mart.

** CD 11 Bill Rosendahl is looking for support of his Si Se Puede Moment to limit the free speech of Gadflys at City Hall. First question for Billie is what defines being  labeled a Gadfly? If that defines hundreds of protesters who camp out, urinate, crap on and destroy city property in the name of the 99%, then you have something. But if the likes of Zuma Dogg, Matt Dowd, Dr. Williams, John Walsh, and Wayne in Encino are the motivation for your blatant infringement of First Amendment rights, then expect a Si Se Puede moment from activists, in litigating the City of Los Angeles. 

More later in the day.

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

Scott Johnson in CD14   

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Tuesday

We reported last week on how, due to budget cuts, LA County beaches' restrooms are getting cleaned and are quite filthy.  Radio talk show hosts John and Ken led a harangue against County Stupidvisor Zev Yaroslavsky which led to Zev yelling at fellow Stupidvisor Don Knabe. Maybe Zev should just get a mop - or he can call Mayor Villaraigosa.

This blog has chronicled for sometime the controversy around the Autry National Center's takeover of the Southwest Musuem.  Now it appears the matter could lose a significant grant for the Autry.

Read more »

Afternoon Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Scene for Thursday

"CIty Councilman Bill Rosendahl will bare chest for medical procedure".

Great afternoon to all as we bring you up to speed on all thing political outside of CD 14, in the City of Los Angeles.

We wish a speedy recovery to Venice Beach City Councilman Bill Rosendahl who will go under the knife to repair an abnormal heart rhythm. Rosendahl who's heart is of a liberal variety., ( also should note that he had the heart to help former Mayor Sam Blogger Dave "Zuma Dogg" Saltzberg) looks forward to returning to his normal duties within the Horseshoe on Spring Street, within days.

** As Mayor Sam reported, the former CD 12 City Council Candidate Brad Smith, is back to being current CD 12 City Council Candidate Brad Smith. Smith, who's sudden departure from the CD 12 campaign proceedings was cause for rampant speculation and consternation from LA County Democratic Activists, (who's county endorsement was seen as going to waste) has resolved his "personal and economic issues".

** Lets give CD 4 City Council Candidate Stephen Box credit for "this novel exercise of candidate meet and greeting". Candidate Box dispenses with the bike and tries on the hiking boots for a Sunday's stroll through the brush. ** A Bloggin Disclaimer: Beware of 'six-figure salary city employee" who tosses footballs and high school gridiron tales on the trails of Griffith Park.

** Is CD 4 City Council Candidate Tomas O'Grady and his minions of the Los Felix Forward Coalition, gaming financial disclosures to present supposed larger community support?

** For those who are ignorant on CRA/LA's leading role in decaying ethical government in the City of Los Angeles, take some time to delve into Ron Kaye's numerous recent postings on Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's orchestrated dealings via CRA/LA's "vessel of choice" Chris Essel.

** LAPD Chief Charlie Beck is at the receiving end of criticism for yesterday's MASSIVE response to the shooting of a LAUSD school police officer near El Camino High School.

** The Community Alliance for Open Space (CAFOS) is moving forward with its lawsuit to overturn CD 2/7 City Councilman Richard "Zorro Marxist" Alarcon's debacle to place an unionize truck driving school, within open space designated land at the former Lopez Canyon Landfill. It might be worth noting that a "Certain PLUM Committee Member" has some contributions issues that the likes of the Sierra Club might want to know, or not for sake of embarrasment.

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Wednesday

Happy Hanukkah from all of us at Mayor Sam!

Meanwhile, 800,000 out of work US citizens lost their unemployment benefits as of yesterday at midnight. Thank you GOP! Now get back to work you corporate lap-dogs and protect those tax cuts for millionaires!

The Party of No has also made it clear that it intends to demonstrate a new spirit of compromise by obstructing virtually every Democrat backed bill that comes before them. That's how it's done boys!

Say it ain't so Rudy!

New and refreshing blogger about town, The City Maven,  released a story yesterday that is rapidly making the rounds exposing CD14 challenger Rudy Martinez's shocking past life as a corporate shill for Big Tobacco.
According to the story, Rudy Martinez once operated as a board member for an astro-turf pro-smoking lobbying group backed by Phillip-Morris back in the mid 1990's. Anytime you can put astro-turf, pro-smoking, Phillip Morris, and Rudy Martinez in the same sentence, you know this is a candidate that may have some challenges. Word on the street is that more baggage is soon to be coughed up regarding "Mr. Flip My Lungs".

California's next Attorney General, Kamala Harris, announced her victory today, and her potential on the California political landscape is already attracting attention. Speaking of Kamala, have you had the chance to see this precious photo?

The darling at the squeaky clean Street-Hassle blog has an interesting story up about "serial ghetto gentrifier" Bill Rosendahl.

Almost everyone, including the military, are ready to repeal DADT. C'mon Teabaggers and John McCain, it's almost frigging 2011 for crying out loud.

And finally, as hard as it may be to believe, Joe Scarborough, may be the last Republican left with his brain still intact.

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Tuesday

Looking good baby, looking real good!

Yet another one of Los Angeles' children loses their life.  It seems to be a growing problem whether it is at the hands of the police or gangs or both. Of course our bigger concerns in Los Angeles are billboards or pot or Costco.  Red Spot authors a touching and personal observation of the death of 15 year old Miguel Machuca.  Mothers across the city are weeping, we have failed them as we all opine on about a bunch of useless crap.



Read more »

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Thursday

Councilman Bill Rosendahl is awfully upset about all the traffic on the Westside caused by President Obama when he came to LA to raise some money for local Dems.  Rosendahl wants a report saying that Obama created a lot of frustration with his visit and he wants answers now!

Despite a competing offer from Santa Monica County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky says that Eli Broad is absolutely going to build his controversial multi-million dollar museum in Downtown LA.  But hold the phone! Broad says that a post by Zev's web writer for arts and culture (did you know that County Supervisors have web writers for arts and culture? Do they do cooking shows too?) is wrong; no decision has been made yet.

A blogger in Woodland Hills is peeved that Dennis Zine has foisted a Costco on them.  He should have called Joe B.

Ugly Betty Pleasant gets even uglier.  Her latest? She "OWNS" the Black community.

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Thursday

Mulholland Terrace brings to our attention perhaps a poor employment decision made by Councilman Bill Rosendahl in the hiring of new spokes-hole Jon Fairbanks, an import from Canada.  As MT notes could Rosendahl not find a gay publicist in all of Los Angeles? More of concern is the audit trail of stories written by Fairbanks, a scribe out of Quebec, who blogs about "Anglophone bitches" and desiring to keep those women who like to party with gay men out of the bars.

Read more »

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Wednesday

Poor Matt Szabo! The Deputy Mayor and former Mayoral spokeshole has been doing the bidding of the Mayor for a very long time. In fact we've been told that Szabo doesn't break wind without first checking with the Mayor and then getting an all clear from Mike Trujillo.  But we digress.  We've been worried about Szabo's condition having worked for Villaraigosa for several years.  Now poor Matt got upbraided by Jan Perry in Clowncil Tuesday when he was all tongue tied over his presence at a DWP meeting.  More from Mulholland Terrace.

Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes is known for carrying the water for lobbyists and special interests in Sacramento having passed some 11 lobbyist written bills. He's also received tens of thousands of dollars in contributions from these interests.  Now the Daily News asks nicely "Please stop."  If anyone is actually working over there, maybe the Daily News might want to look at the independent expenditures some other Assembly members (including a recently elected one) have benefited from and watch what bills they pass.

If you thought Jan Perry giving Matt Szabo a "what for" in chambers Tuesday was fun, our very favorite spokes-hole, Jeremy Oberstein of Paul Krekorian's office tweeted Council Member Dennis Zine and former DWP GM David "The Green Cowboy" Freeman's dialogue from a comical tragedy known "Freeman and the Zine."

The comedy continues on Spring Street.  CMs Bill Rosendahl and Paul Koretz have introduced legislation allowing the number of cats one household may own to be increased from three to five cats.  Though I don't believe in such laws to begin with, who the hell needs five cats? I am glad however these esteemed legislators are on top of this pressing issue of such concern to all of Los Angeles.

We all know how the Mayor has managed to solve so many problems in Los Angeles that he has the bandwidth to add one more duty to his job description, that is the ability to perform weddings.  Currently California law only allows Mayors to perform weddings if temporarily deputized by the County Clerk.  A bill brought by San Francisco Assemblymember Fiona Ma would have given Villaraiogsa such power but alas it was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger.  His reasoning? The law only extended to charter city mayors and not all of California's mayors and gosh darn it we want any mayor in California to have the right to goof off right?

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Election Day

Mayor Villaraigosa took time to praise LAUSD School Board Member Yolie Flores Aguilar who is leaving office when her term is up to take a position with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  Whats more interesting is the set of comments from the readers of the Daily News' story.  Most particularly is one reader opines that the Gates' job is Aguilar's "payoff" for being a dutiful soldier for the Mayor.  Interesting.

Pot activists are saying that LA's move to close down most of the medical marijuana shops in the City will cause a significant loss of jobs and tax revenue across town.  They also claim the regulations adopted for the remaining shops are stricter than those on gun stores or adult entertainment venues.

CurbedLA notes that City Council President Eric Garcetti lists bringing Jimmy Kimmel to Hollywood, the return of the Oscars and housing for low income gay and lesbian seniors are among Tinseltown's biggest achievements. He also says he is currently not planning to consider running for Mayor in 2013.

The City of Ontario wants to be able to have the opportunity to buy the airport in their community from it's current owners, the City of Los Angeles.  Ontario leaders feel that LA's mis-management including excessive regulation and fees have led to the airport's recent loss of some airlines. Indeed LA/Ontario Airport was once a cash cow for LA World Airports but in recent times it's had to take drastic steps to keep the airport from bleeding LA's general fund.  At a time the Mayor is looking under the couch cushions for spare change to address the City's budget deficit it makes sense for Los Angeles to benefit from the sale of an asset it has no business managing.  However the fly in the ointment is Councilman Bill "Open Shirt" Rosendahl is opposed to it because he feels LA should rule the "megalopolis" that runs from San Diego to Santa Barbara.

And finally in case you missed them here are two Mayor Sam items from Monday for your election day reading: the Mayor Sam bloggers' picks for the state ballot measures and a report that the California Fair Political Practices Commission is investigating former 43rd Assembly District candidate Chahe Keuroghelian.

Prediction: Bicycle Czar Job Opening at LADOT

 Michelle Mowrey serving LADOT's target LA bike rider. | Photo from Streetsblog LA

LADOT Bike Coordinator Michelle Mowrey rationalizes LA's half-assed bike plan compared to other cities is that LA must not be as "very white and very progressive" as Portland, Oregon.  Here are comments from a recent exchange between Mowrey and Bill Rosendahl during a Transportation Committee meeting.

BILL ROSENDAHL: Alta Planning is reportedly one of the finest consulting groups in the world for bike planning. How is it that the City of Los Angeles kicked off the Draft Bike Plan process with Alta but did not incorporate the robust Bike Plan process that Portland used/is using to develop their own Bike Plan? For example in Portland Alta maintained eleven working groups, and they used community bike rides to engage and survey.

MICHELLE MOWERY: With all due respect the City of Portland is 450,000 people. It’s a homogeneous community that is very white, and very progressive with respect to transportation. They have a trolley system that works very well, as well as their transit overall. We are a very diverse, disjointed city of 4 million people. They are 30 years ahead of us in the development of their, well, they’re not quite 30, they’re more like 20 years ahead of us in the development of their bikeway. So we’re a step behind Portland in what we’re trying to do. Granted, several of us would like to see a lot of changes in the city happen very quickly, but again we have a very diverse city with a lot of needs.

As Streetsblog LA points out the likely reason the plan is so-so is that the City didn't spend enough money.  Probably but also LA's city government is so dysfunctional and staffed with morons compared to most other cities on these type of issues it was impossible for our City to step up to the level of more functional cities like Portland.  Or, as Streets says, even equally large and diverse cities such as Chicago and New York.

Anyone want to start the countdown clock on when Mowrey gets the pink slip?

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Tuesday

Moved to Tuesday.  Sometime this morning we'll know who Mayor Villaraigosa has chosen as the Chief of the LAPD.  The Christian Science Monitor has a good read on the challenges facing the next man to helm LA's finest.

If you live in CD5, 11 or 12 and wonder why your Clowncilman isn't spending time on the pressing problem of your community, here is one reason. Members Paul Koretz (we don't have a nickname for him yet), Bill Rosen-DUH and Sleeping Greig Smith are working feverishly to outlaw declawing cats in Los Angeles.  This is despite the fact that veternarians say the law is unnecessary and unworkable and that an overworked Department of Animal Services is begging to not be given one more unfunded mandate they don't have the police powers to enforce anyway.  Your Council at work.

The 818Blog takes the news that CD2 candidate Paul Krekorian has been endorsed by former rivals Tamar Galatzan and Mary Benson as a sign that the Valley Assemblyman is "picking up steam" in the race.  On the other hand, the blog notes, Chris Essel has the endorsement of most of the City Council and the LA Times.

Remember Laura Chick? She's been working as California's Inspector General with a mandate from Arnold to root out fraud, waste and abuse just like she did here in LA.  Tuesday Inspector Chick will hold a press conference to drop the dime on shady non-profit about to receive some Obama stimulus dollars.  According to Chick's office a report prepared by a department of the State of California has found the agency to be "problematic and high risk." Hmmm...does that organization's name start with an A (and no, not the Auto Club)?

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Tuesday

"Vendido"

Photo by Ted Soqui, LA Weekly

 Chalk up a victory for the billboard wackos.  A federal judge has upheld for a now the City Council's ban on billboards and supergraphics despite the fact most real people don't care. Despite the setback for Liberty Media Corp. a City Attorney's office official says that the case could eventually go forward.  Additionally another 20 lawsuits against the city are pending.  How much will that cost and are the billboard wackos prepared to pony up?

Tired of illegal dumping and other reportable to 311 woes in your neighborhood? If you have an Apple iPhone, Curbed LA reports you can use the device to snap photos and upload the complaint directly to City computers.  The CitySource app can read your GPS position and easily tag the issue for City action.

Voter turnout in the recent CD2 election was abysmally low as are most City elections. One solution may be to follow the lead of cities like Burbank and states like Oregon who conduct elections by mail only.  Though LA's City Clerk has recomended this move for some time, the Clowncil has been relucatant to consider it.  Always on top of things City Councilman Bill "Open Shirt" Rosendahl told Rick Orlov "I really regret the low turnout, but that's what happens in these elections when there is so little media attention." Yea, it's the media's fault Bill.


As DWP infrastructure continues to crumble, more signs of the coming appocalypse following years of shoddy management and stealing from the utility by the City Council.  A short power outage of unknown origin hit Downtown LA Monday striking many skyscrapers causing stuck elevators and the like. Then, another water main broke, this time in the Miracle Mile discontinuing service to about four dozen homes.

And finally things continue to get curiouser in the recent defacing of a mural of Mayor Villaraigosa in East Hollywood.  As previously noted here on the blog, vandals splashed the face of the Mayor with red paint and scrawled on the sidewalk below the mural "This is Our Town."  LA Weekly photographer Ted Soqui revisited the mural last Friday and see that someone has painted the word vendido on the Mayor's shirt collar, a term that is Spanish for "sell-out" or "Uncle Tom."  The Weekly reports that the red paint and "our town" remain but "vendido" has since been removed.

California Dreamin?

Councilmember Bill Rosendahl is dreaming big … Diane Feinstein’s Senate seat big, should she step down in 2012. He tells the LA Weekly: “I care as much about world events as potholes.” True, Rosendahl is arguably best known for a) pushing an anti-Iraq War resolution in City Council, and b) leading the charge to ratchet up our parking meter rates under the slogan, “There’s gold in the gutters!”

H/T: LA Observed.

Neighborhood Council Funding: Mayor Wins; Parks, Smith, Rosendahl Lose

From Jay Handal of the WLANC:

This just in!
City Council Vote was unanimous...
$45,000, no sweeps, clerk does hybrid elections.
Congratulations to all neighborhood council members and their communities

Bill Rosendahl's House of Flip Flops

What a difference a few days make.

Dyke Day?

09-0499 CD 13 c. MOTION (GARCETTI - ROSENDAHL) relative to declaring the Dyke Day Los Angeles on June 13, 2009 a Special Event (fees and costs absorbed by the City = $3,252).

Thanks to a tipster we found out among the many special event waivers totaling nearly $75K the City Clowncil is considering today is over $3K in subsidies for something called "Dyke Day."  Our tipster says:

This is absurd in and of itself but I am particularly appalled that among the events being sponsored is DYKE DAY in East LA. I am a member of the LGBT community and feel this is UNBELIEVABLE that we work so hard to get rid of words like faggot and dyke from school yards yet we condone it here? This is disgusting!

Garcetti and Rosendahl may have some 'splainin' to do.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Thursday

Ron Kaye and I were both interviewed for a piece by T.A. Frank in The New Republic about Tuesday's elections. Frank keenly observes how screwed up our City is when he notes that the election "failed to make the front of The Los Angeles Times."


Calitics deftly wraps up why Tuesday's election was a dismal failure for the Mayor.

He ended up with just 56% of the vote after running a dismissive non-campaign where he refused to debate and spent almost no time in the city. One of his top lieutenants, Jack Weiss, is now in a runoff for city attorney despite spending millions on his campaign. And Measure B, the solar power initiative which the mayor backed, is too close to call at this hour, as provisionals and late absentees are tabulated.

To top that off one of the Mayor's picks for school board has either narrowly won or perhaps narrowly lost a race that should have been a cakewalk for her.

Continuing on this theme, our friend Jill Stewart at the LA Weekly says "The anti-Villaragiosa blogosphere will now have bragging rights to say Villaraigosa's key opponent was his own record." I guess we just did.

And it appears, just like Dick Nixon, we may not have Walter Moore to kick around any more.

Another Mayoral candidate we probably won't hear from again anytime soon is Craig X. Rubin. Rubin held his "victory" party appropriately at "The Comedy Store" and told supporters "The party starts at 9 p.m. and is expected to last until Rubin and his supporters hear the words, 'And the winner is Rubin'" No word if the party is still going on at this time.

Following the election, LA's leaders are dealing with what could be a ominous budget situation. Rick Orlov reports that "Interim City Administrative Officer Ray Ciranna predicted the budget deficit - $430 million this year - will worsen as revenue declines in virtually all areas, including taxes on sales, hotel rooms and parking." Of course the Mayor and City Clowncil have been spending like drunken sailors for the last four years so they only have themselves to blame.

Speaking of City spending, LA Weekly readers are not too happy about our $300,000 a year Council members. One reader, Nick Antonicello of Venice Beach chimes in with the following question, "How does Bill Rosendahl, with his bombastic and clownlike approach to government service, earn more than a U.S. senator or member of Congress?"