Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Wednesday

Mayor Antonio Villar at Summer Night Lights.

This was so sad, ......but tragically predictable.

The Daily News reported last evening that two seasonal employees of the GRYD's Summer Night Lights Program were wounded in a gang-related shooting at Sun Valley Recreation Center last Thursday. Both are expected to survivie.

First, one must ask the Mayor's Office and LAPD why five days past before information of the shooting were made public. Its understandable that a certain level of privacy be accorded the victims of the shooting (especially when a minor is involved). But privacy concerns must also be weigh against the public right to information.

Second, will this shooting cause GYRD officials to augment security at all SNL sites? Each SNL sites have budgeted money set aside to hire four community-based security guards ( "members of the community with standing") Most SNL sites have low visibility when it comes to LAPD or GSP resources at the request of community members, will this change in light of the Sun Valley Recreation Center shooting?

We should note that in North Hollywood last evening, a fifteen year old male was killed in a gang-related shooting. City officials are going to have to come to the realization that prison realignment, along with SB 109 are creating a potent brew that has initiated an upswing in gang-related violent crimes in the City of Los Angeles.

** OTHER NEWS: 

** What is it about a fugitive on the run who takes time to put on a mask and consents to an interview wit a former fishwrap of record? Well that was former Coliseum Contractor Tony Estrada who did just that for the LA Times and pleaded that he was a whistle blower regarding the illegal dealings at the the historic stadium.

** A quick "Oh Mario y Maribel" Update. Despite the dubious efforts of former City of San Fernando City Councilman Mario Hernandez's "Inner Tonto", The District Attorney Office is moving forward with its case against City Councilwoman Maribel "Sancha" De La Torre. 

** LAFD will in panel a task force to deal with the issue of its much-criticise response times. But another possible LAFD controversy looming on the political horizon has to do with inspections, or lack of inspections of certain public facilities. 

** As soon to be former DONE General Manager and CD 13 City Council Candidate Bong H. Kim, preps for his new professional gig down the I-5 Freeway in San Diego, some among the NC masses will miss the opportunity to discuss DONE issues with B.H. in "certain public facilities" (the "John").   

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14

Bloggin Happy Hour Musings on the LA Political Machine for Tuesday

Great Bloggin Happy Hour Musings on the local political machine for the eve of another Hump Day. Join us as we tip the glass and enlighten you on these political musings that may find their way into someone's decaff morning coffee in the A.M. ; ) --- Scott Johnson..

CD 14 Councilman Jose Huizar Chief of Staff Ana Cubas

** Refill please!! Hot political rumor of the day revolves around the public sector future of CD 14 Councilman Jose Huizar Chief of Staff Ana Cubas. According to numerous sources, Cubas has retain property in CD 9 fueling speculation that she will be leaving her CD 14 duties soon to seek higher office, that being the City Council seat being vacated by 2013 Mayoral Candidate Jan Perry. Cubas, a Princeton grad like her current boss, had her eyes on CD 1 but may find greener political pastures in the newly Latino majority CD 9

** Lets refill (especially after another glance at the Cubas picture) and share this teachable moment on how to obtain gainful, political employment in CD 14. Its starts with (the only) perfect loyalty and influence (score) in the eyes of your perspective supervisor This after you found the capital to produce tthe glossy cover "Our Town El Sereno Magazine" which was devoid of any contrary commentary about the local councilman. Thus, its no surprise to many that Julio Torrez becomes the latest staffer in CD 14 (just for how long remains to be seen), replacing the recently departed Daniel Andalon in the El Sereno office.

DONE General Manager and possible CD 13 City Council Candidate BH Kim.

** Some comments from the Northeast LA Yahoo Listserve on DONE GM BH Kim possible run for CD 13. BH may need a stiff drink for these.

I have seen him in action. And, he is an arrogrant person. He has run an incompetent department. DONE can not even get bills paid that neighborhood councils submit to them. DONE does not help with disputes either. Kim has done a horrible job running the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE). 
But it is his attitude that is the worst. He is just plain arrogant. Those that want him elected will make this another race issue to try to get him elected. 
Kim should quit now. If he goes on he is looking at some very bad interviews and debates when people hit him with negitative comments.. 

A GPNC Bradley connection?

Coming from a person who has no axe to grind and has not seen him in action..>  > He reminds me of a typical bureaucrat who see's how people fawn over him and hang onto his words and now he craves something more.  He is going to have a huge disadvantage in that a ton of people know him and already dislike him.  Touting him as this great new Asian-American symbol is going to be a non-starter, as very few Korean-Americans live in his district.  It seems he is not known for his district work at all, but for administering the disasterous NC system which has gone really badly in many areas.>  > Local residents need only remember one word and one name to know why Kim has no chance.  Here's a hint.  The best mayor LA has had in the past 50 years.  Yes, Tom Bradley changed LA.  But Glassell Park's "Bradley" will be the 5000 lb anchor that sends Kim to the bottom of Echo Park Lake...

..... and these people get out the vote. Not good.

Your thoughts ..............
Scott Johnson in CD 14 

The Political Place Settings on the Los Angeles Politicos for Sunday, May 13, 2012

The Los Angeles Political Machine Place Setting for the week beginning May 13, 2012. Who will provide the politico's napkins?

Welcome to the Mayor Sam "Political Place Setting" for the week beginning May 13, 2012. Take your seat as we set the political menu for the week but we leave the the daily specials to various politicos to present in real time.

** What documents will Mayor Sam disclose next in its on going coverage of the controversial Charter School Academia Semillas del Pueblo? We can report that rent on the former Xocolatl Coffee Shop now school meal prep kitchen, was paid in full on Friday. But one must wonder how a mere monthly rent payment of $2652.25 was allowed to grow by times six, when records show that Academia Semillas del Pueblo cleared $4,285,317 in revenue in 2010?'

** If one believes the City of Los Angeles Coalition of Unions, Mayor Antonio Villar is waging his own municipal war on woman as denoted in the latest rounds of layoffs. But then the mayor has practice revisionist history when it comes to a certain single woman in his life and her employment background.

** Did the fade away of 2013 Mayoral Candida Austin "Mini Riordan II" Beutner usher in an era of waning business influence in City Hall? Or is it a new type of green business developers (Keith Brackpool, Ari Swiller and S. David Freeman) that are waiting for their pay day?

** Does anyone in the local media community give any credence to City Attorney and District Attorney Candiate Carmen Trutanic as witness the LA Times story questioning facts around his South-Central Shooting Claim and Daily News Editorial that supports Lacey and Jackson over Nuch?

** Lastly, we want to thank the City Maven Alice Walton  for her scoop on DONE GM BH Kim taking out papers for CD 13. We understand that BH has no hesitation when it comes to discussing his opinion of NC's and the Second Amendment  which includes dialog in the men's room.

** In Rick Orlov's "Tipoff Column" for today (Monday), California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsome takes to the Current TV airways to pass away the dead time of office. LA County Supervisor Mike Antonovich is assuming the presidency of the MTA (no more D.C. junkets for Mayor Villar). And lastly, the City of Los Angeles is taking a hit on tax as the Dodgers lower parking prices.   

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

DONE Public Hearing Tomorrow Morning

Drop in and say "howdy" to BongWater Kim.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING, Saturday, October 11, 2008
Date: October 10, 2008
To: Neighborhood Council Friends and Colleagues
From: Board of Neighborhood Commissioners

The Board of Neighborhood Commissioners (BONC) will hold two Town Hall sessions on Saturday, October 11, 2008, at 11 am and 1:30 pm at the Citywide Congress of Neighborhoods to learn about and provide input on the various limited personal financial disclosure options for neighborhood councils currently under consideration by the City Council of Los Angeles. The Town Hall format is an opportunity for us to hear from neighborhood council members and stakeholders. See links for full City Ethics Commissions (CEC) Report and proposed language.

Report from CEC dated 02/19/08 regarding financial disclosure and Form 700
http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2008/08-0351_rpt_eth_2-19-08.pdf

Report from City Ethics Commission 08/11/08 Support Form 52.
http://ethics.lacity.org/pdf/policy/NCFinDisc/Transmittal (Forms 52 & 53) Sep08.pdf

http://ethics.lacity.org/newsletter/issues/2008-2/6-NeighborhoodCouncils.cfm

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Thursday

Department of Animal Services General Manager Ed Boks isn't the only city department head in trouble.  BongHwan Kim, the General Manager of the City's Department of Neighborhood Services - the department that oversees the City's system of Neighborhood Councils - is facing a complaint from the union that represents DONE's workers.  Among other things, the complaint alleges Kim demoted a staffer for taking complaints to the union.  You may remember that before Kim was given the GM job, we reported on a DONE management report that many of the department's staffers found Kim to be unqualified to take the position.

In the hub-bub of the Presidential campaign, hopefully you have not missed some excellent reporting by Petrafried in the City with respect to important issues around Griffith Park, the most recent of those can be found here. Most notably, some bizarre ideas coming out of Council Member Tom LaBonge.

In case you missed it last night, rumors abound that soon to be termed out Assemblyman Lloyd Levine may be replacing controversial Department of Animal Services General Manager Ed Boks.  Stay tuned.

Much has been said about the high class junket that executives of bailed-out financial firm AIG took to the tune of nearly $400,000.  However one blogger tries to make the case that there's no connection to the bailout as the junket was undertaking by the insurance side of the house, which is not involved in the current mess.  Hmmm, not sure most folks will get the distinction, still a poor choice by those execs.

We report a lot of bad news about LA so here's something good: The American Planning Association has chosen Echo Park as one of the great neighborhoods in America.  By the way, according to CurbedLA, Echo Park Lake is stocked with trout and catfish at different periods of the year and, apparently, bass breed freely in the lake.  So take your kids fishing and have a ball.

Don't forget Zuma Dogg's event Friday night at Casa Princesa Cafe in Highland Park.  Karaoke, voter registration, public comment, karaoke, the $5 Gift Store and, of course, Zuma Dogg will be there.  Who knows, maybe the old, dead Republican Mayor himself will make a cameo.

Want to Talk About the Neighborhood Council Elections?

Yes you too can chat with Bongwater Kim about the debacle of all debacles.  Maybe we should have listened when that consultant said he sucked? 

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Friday

Laura Chick plans to release her follow up audit of the LA Fire Department Friday morning. Chick's intital report in January 2006 found the LAFD rife with harassment, hazing and discrimination. The 2006 audit was followed by the Tennie Pierce Dog Food Settlment, a string of multi-million dollar lawsuits against the City and the resignation of the Fire Chief.

Free food y'all! At a special event at the Chapman Market on 6th Avenue AnVil will introduce BongWater Kim as the new General Manager of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment Friday morning. The public is invited and a light breakfast will be served.

Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh have trained monkeys to control robotic arms with their brain waves. Could they perhaps teach monkeys to run the City?



Mayor Villaraigosa and Chief Bratton have unveiled their gang fighting plans. Part of the effort includes seizing vehicles from gang members and evicting them from their apartments.

Retired LAPD officers can make a decent living doing security for movie shoots. It also benefits film producers who can have seasoned, experienced officers on hand during productions. But you can guess that Big Baby Bill Bratton wants to mess with the officers. The LAPD wants the retired officers to have to go through additional gun training and remove their rank from their uniform. Many fear that the real issue is the LAPD is eying the revenue and may set up its own contract officer bureau similar to other agencies who contract with studios for production security. Sadly it looks like former motorcycle cop turned Clowncilman Dennis Zine is backing the LAPD on this one.

The California State Assembly has passed yet another jobs killing initiative - mandatory sick leave for all employees. The Assembly doesn't get that it's good business for employers who want top employees to offer these and other benefits. Some of the top employers in the state such as Google, Mrs. Gooch and others offer fantastic benefits voluntarily and find they huge numbers of potential employees lining up to apply for open positions. Therefore, they get to pick the cream of the crop. At the same some really small businesses often can't afford to offer these benefits and will either close down or move out of the state or country. Get ready to watch unemployment go up!

And finally, do you want a Zuma Dogg for Mayor t-shirt? Click here and the dee oh double gee will hook you up. Yea yea.

Interim DONE GM Slammed in Management Study on Eve of Confirmation

Explosive inside information from the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment comes to the Sister City on the heels of the confirmation of interim General Manager BongHwan Kim to take the post vacated by the sad passing of previous GM Carol Baker Tharp.

Insiders tell the Sister City that in the last month Kim hired management consultant John Wisor to assess the work of the supervisors in the office. Wisor recommended a confidential survey of the rank-and-file, and asked them to rate their supervisor. According to the survey, 42% of respondents (17 people) did not rate their direct supervisor, but instead rated and commented on Kim in order to "send him a message about how dissatisfied they have been with his leadership, or lack of it."

Wisor issued the following statement to the Sister City. He did not respond to our request for an interview:

"I was hired to conduct an employee opinion survey and report results to the management and staff of DONE. I am no longer associated with them. They have all my reports and comments and I know that the management team is reviewing the data and determining action steps in response to the various reports."

The DONE staff members who responded to the survey were highly critical of Kim and other DONE senior managers found serious concerns with respect to accountability, distribution of work and management's - including Kim's - lack of the needed skill sets to manage the department. DONE employees also complained that management rarely takes and implement suggestions; that the only such recommendation implemented in the last year was that of a "morale club."

Our insider had told us that the results of the survey have been suppressed while the confirmation process continues. Kim is scheduled for confirmation by the City Council on Tuesday.

Wisor was reportedly paid $1000 by DONE for his work. You can read a summary of his report at MS2 by clicking here.

"It was difficult to tell the man who hired me that he was the problem."
Management Consultant John Wisor, regarding DONE Interim GM BongHwan Kim

The biggest bombshell of the Wisor study was not contained in the report but allegedly in an email from Wisor to an unamed DONE staffer, an email the Sister City has obtained a copy of. In a very candid assessment of Kim's ability to lead the department Wisor tells the DONE staffer that it was "difficult to tell the man who hired me that he was the problem." Wisor further stated that the DONE staffers he spoke with wanted to send a "direct message to him (Kim) that he was a failure in being a leader at DONE." Our insider said the survey results confirms the concerns of staff.

Reportedly, it's not only DONE staffers that are dissatisfied with Kim, but at least two members of the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners who doubt his ability to lead. On Friday, Commissioner Tsilah Burman resigned her post. Our insider said that Burman allegedly told others "that the appointment of BongHwan Kim by the Mayor to be the permanent General Manager of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment was the last straw." Burman's resignation follows that of fellow commissioner Diane Middleton who also expressed concerns about Kim in her resignation letter.

Maybe there's still time to bring Kim Thompson or Huell Howser on board as DONE GM!