Friday Free for All: That's SO Jerry Edition

Antonio Villaraigosa came to Sacramento this week to call for the nuking of Proposition 13. Wednesday, the Mayor was dissed by Governor Brown who says he's not interested in making any changes to the holy grail of California politics.  "I will focus my attention on ensuring financial stability and making the state more efficient,"  Brown told the Associated Press.

Last year the City Clowncil voted to boycott doing business with any company based in Arizona in protest of the Grand Canyon state's successful immigration reform law. Since then, the City has failed to avoid to do business with Arizona companies.  The latest opportunity to give an economic whammy to our neighboring state exists in the form of a pending $90 million contract with Arizona based Honeywell, to upgrade computer systems at LA's sewage treatment plants. The computers are needed to replace out of date monitoring systems and help alleviate the odds of an ecological disaster. Councilman Ed Reyes plans to vote no on the contract and a losing bidder is trying to peg a second chance to the boycott being complied with.

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Carmen Clowns His Base

Or at least so says Walter Moore...

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Tuesday

Zasloff on Stewart: "NIMBYism,  libertarianism and anger management problems." 

Six staffers from Councilman Richard Alarcon's office will be called before a Grand Jury panel on Wednesday.  The District Attorney is currently investigating whether or not Alarcon falsified his voter registration by claiming residence at a home he does not live in while actually living in another home in Paul Krekorian's district.  If true, Alarcon could be guilty of a felony.

Now that it's pretty clear that the City's ill-thought out water conservation policy was the cause of multiple significant water main breaks throughout the City in the last year, the Council is voting on new procedures.  What's needed next is an independent investigation of the DWP and Mayor's office to determine if any DWP engineers warned that the policy could lead to the breaks and if those warnings were ignored. If the engineers didn't issue such advice, then they need to be fired at the very least.  William Mulholland must be turning in his grave.

Salt Lake City is the latest to say thanks, but no thanks to a boycott of Arizona over it's controversial but popular immigration reform law. Council members there are concerned about the "unintended consequences" of such a boycott. In the meantime Councilman Dennis Zine tells KTLA that the ramifications of LA's boycott were not researched prior to the vote and that the boycott is "a symbolic effort by two colleagues that wanted to generate controversy."

An environmental law blogger is accusing Mayor Villaraigosa of "betraying environmentalism again" following the departure of Planning Manager Gail "GPS" Goldberg.  Jonathan Zasloff claims that Goldeberg is a visionary who fell victim to a rogue's gallery of opponents including Jane Usher, County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and LA Weekly Editor Jill Stewart whom Zasloff says has a unique combination of "NIMBYism,  libertarianism and anger management problems." Wonder what Mulholland Terrace's take is on this one?

And finally back when we had our Hollywood Police Chief he saw no need for the City to rein in crazy paparazzi because, among other things, celebrity Lindsay Lohan had "gone gay."  That was back when Lohan was dating disc jockey Samantha Ronson with whom she had a very public and dramatic breakup.  While there was some sign that Lindsay had gone back to guys it looks LA may be safe again as rumors are abuzz LiLo has once again hit the sapphic trail and has hooked up with a female Israeli soldier.

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Friday

Can I get some of those Paramount Pictures movie tickets?

Here's your daily update on Ticketgate.  First off Mayor Villaraigosa declared he's going to release boxes and boxes of records detailing why getting free pricey tickets to Beyonce concerts and the Grammy Awards were official city business.  In the meantime Walter Moore draws the lines between the free tickets and specific giveaways of your tax dollars to corporate interests.  Ron Kaye makes the point that District Attorney Steve Cooley, whose office is currently conducting an investigtion of the Mayor, might want to distance himself a bit as he's running for Attorney General.  So why not appoint Walter Moore as a special prosecutor? And it wouldn't be complete without checking in with San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who according to the LA Weekly, fives a big neener neener to his former rival in nothing that his staff has kept full records and disclosed every free ticket he's ever got.

The Christian Science Monitor reports that many of the local cities that are boycotting the state of Arizona are finding their boycotts going nowhere one way or another.  Not only did the City of LA have to dial back their boycott to allow for money losing red light cameras to continue but other cities have found that the boycotts are more hurtful to individual businesses and employees - many of them of Latino - than Arizona as a hole.  Meanwhile, a County Supervisor in Milwuakee, Wisconsin claims that she might support Arizona's SB 1070 were it a border state like Texas is.

Pot shops chased out of LA due to legislation that just recently went into effect have tried to stay alive by moving into West Hollywood.  No dice as the City Council there passed an emergency law putting the brakes on more dispensaries.

Completely broke the eastern Los Angeles County City of Maywood has voted to shut itself down, outsourcing its functions to the neighboring City of Bell and police duties to the LA County Sheriff.  The Eastern Group Publications wonders if the long corrupt little duchy should even remain an actual city.

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Thursday

Next time instead of tickets can I just get your ex-wife?

The Ticketgate scandal continues for Mayor Villaraigosa.  While Walter Moore details a laundry list of laws that the Mayor have broken by allegedly taking tickets to many events and failing to disclose them, the normally very left of center Latino Politics Blog takes aim at Villaraigosa saying that when the City is laying off working class folks it may not sit very well for the Mayor to be camped out in corporate suites ingesting foie gras and Veuve Clicquot.  Rounding out the pack Phil Jennerjahn isn't thrilled,  but will take, that perhaps it will be easier to recall the Mayor over a ticket scandal than Villaraigosa's budget destroying socialist ways.  If you're really interested in the potential depth of this mess, Mulholland Terrace at Griffith Park Wayist has posted a list of all the tickets at least that it is known that the Mayor allegedly accepted.

It gets more fun.  The City Council voted to override their boycott of Arizona to allow a contract with a Grand Canyon State based company for red light cameras to continue unabated while learning the City is actually losing money on the cameras.  Boycott leader Councilwoman Janice Hahn was clearly frustrated saying "It just seems to me it's wrong when the state is making money, the county is making money and it's costing us money."

Paul Hatfield reports the LA Board of Education voted to boycott non-union car washes. The sole vote against such silliness was Valley rep Tamar Galatzan who does not take a district car nor charge her car washes to LAUSD considering that perhaps in times like these those funds are better served paying teachers or buying books.  Imagine that! Though a registered Democrat Galatzan continues to make common sense votes that make us think she's slowly moving to join us on the dark side.  Given that she is in her early 30s; she's right on schedule.

While the Board of Education is voting on car washes, including member Nury Martinez, the area around Pacoima based Maclay Middle School (in the heart of  Martinez's district) is in a war zone of gang violence. 13 people have been murdered within a one mile radius of the school since 2007.  14 year old student Francisco Valles says he plans to leave the community as soon as he can saying the gangs are "Pure violence, pure shooting, pure drugs. Pure hurtful stuff."

Technology has allowed welfare recipients to receive their cash via debit cards cutting out the need for them to cash checks and carry cash and cut administrative costs for social service agencies.  However the LA Times has discovered that the welfare EBT cards are accepted in ATMs in more than half the casinos and card rooms in the state. What about strip clubs?

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Tuesday

Some of the math around Ticketgate and AEG ponying up some funds for the Michael Jackson Memorial are not penciling out for Walter Moore.  Moore notes that while Mayor Villaraigosa recently announced that AEG, the promoters of the memorial service and owner of the Staples Center would pony up $1.3 million to cover the City's expenses actual expenses according to records are closer to $3.2 million.  So, Moore asks, did the number of free tickets that the Mayor received to Staples Center events "cost" taxpayers just shy of $2 million?

Some activists who have been supportive of Council Member Paul Krekorian's yeoman efforts to date to represent the concerns of his district are now a bit upset with the Second District rep given reports that he may not be in Council the day a vote on an appeal of a controversial trucking school in Lopez Canyon.  Krekorian has supported the appeal to date and the activists feel his presence is necessary for their success.  The activists should consider this though - Krekorian has already bucked the system and while we all like that, as one man there is only so much he can do.  Krekorian's one vote is not enough to make the difference (as it wasn't with the DWP, the Arizona boycott and friend of the court filing).  They need to do as I suggested and that is 1) Hammer Alarcon, 2) Hammer whoever their CM is and 3) Most importantly get as many NCs to pass resolutions in support with those in Lopez Canyon and to make phone calls, write letters and show up.  Use that power and don't count on just one friendly voice in the woods to do it all for you.

We continue to learn in new ways every day how the City Council's boycott of Arizona continues to screw the pooch. This time we find out the City's lucrative red light cameras are contracted out to an Arizona firm.  Yes, the Council will make an exception unlike with the anti-terrorist training for the LAPD. Your Clowncil in action!

Lots of fun at Monday's Laker Day Parade in Downtown LA.  Not enough porta-potties and a mobile medical marijuana vendor truck selling pot lollipops. The suckers were available in your choice of orange or blue. Welcome to LA!

City Council President Eric Garcetti is known for being one of the more technological members of the City Council and now he recalls his first tweet.  Coming so far from those halcyon days Garcetti has become of the first elected officials in the US to issue an iPhone app.

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Thursday

The Los Angeles City Council has taken the next step in their efforts to oppose Arizona's immigration reform law.  They have voted to join in a lawsuit against the Grand Canyon State along with the SEIU, UFCW and all the usual suspects.  But there's a wrinkle - former Mayoral candidate Walter Moore points out that the Clowncil voting to have the City join the lawsuit is actually a violation of the City Charter; as well, even voting to boycott Arizona is outside the Council's charter authority.  Moore has sent a letter to City Attorney Carmen Trutanich urging his office not to get involved and noting that a resident of the City could turn around and sue the City over the issue.  In the meantime Paul Hatfield reports that the Valley Glen Neighborhood Council is the very first in the City to have gone on record opposing the City's boycott.

Always classy Betty Pleasant is peeing her pants in joy.  Betty, who never misses the opportunity to take potshots at Councilman Bernard Parks, is "reporting" that District Attorney and newly minted Attorney General candidate Steve Cooley is investigating Parks' residence status.  Betty also claims "friends" in the DA's office have sent her documents from the investigation.  That might be illegal Betty, you better call an attorney soon.  In a related note the Sister City learned today that Cooley is investigating yet another elected who does not live in the District they represent.  We can't say who but when it comes out it will be a doozy.

You may remember that several journalists, including several Spanish language television reporters and crews,  were roughed up by LAPD officers following the May Day Immigration melee in 2007.  Wednesday the City Council voted to approve a total of $450,000 in settlement payouts to some of those journalists.  More lawsuits are still pending.

The always interesting Here in Van Nuys blog has a thoughtful post.  On Van Nuys Blvd, several major car dealerships have moved and the old facilities are being razed and the asphalt being pulled up.  This gives one the rare opportunity to see a wide swath of empty Valley land.  It also gives pause as to what could be done with such.  For example, a shopping and dining experience built around an urban farm.  Sadly, there are no intelligent developers in the Valley who can't see beyond frozen yogurt and nail shops but wouldn't it be cool if there was one who could figure out how to make money building a restaurant that grows some of it's own food right outside the window?

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Monday

Apparently up until now the City of Los Angeles has been using budgets with fuzzy dollar amounts. Following the City upholding Mayor Villaraigosa's veto of the City budget City Council President Eric Garcetti stated that the "days of budgets with hypothetical numbers are over." Huh? However expect lots more cuts and layoffs ahead.

Kerry Cavanaugh of the Daily News analyzes the City of LA's boycott against Arizona over their immigration law and comes to the conclusion that the impact will be felt more by LA than Arizona.  Of all the contracts that can be legally and/or practically cancelled the dollar value amounts to less than $5 million.  However the expense to replace those contracts could run into several millions of dollars.  As well, the makers of Taser equipment used by the LAPD is based in Arizona.  No other company makes a similar product.  The LAPD has warned of severe public safety ramifications if those contracts were cancelled.

Following a controversy over accepting thousands of dollars in free event tickets and gifts Mayor Villaraigosa has offered to pay back the costs of those items if the Ethics Commission finds wrongdoing.  Why not just pay for them to begin with like the rest of us do?

The Sunday before an election most candidates are out walking preincts, meeting folks and calling voters.  But not vanity candidates like Congressional hopeful Phil Jennerjahn.  Phil spent his Sunday working on his golf game and opining on state ballot measures.

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Tuesday

The City Council Monday night approved a nearly $7 billion budget for fiscal year 2010-2011 after months of trying to close hundreds of millions of dollars in deficits.  Key to the budget is the layoff of over 700 City staff unless unions agree to concessions.  What say you that the unions will agree or the Clowncil will back down?

Big doins' and the blowback coming on the controversial Arizona Immigration Law, SB 1070, and the boycotts against it.  First off pro-illegal immigration activists were incensed by remarks made by LA Lakers Coach Phil Jackson that indicated the winningest coach in NBA history either supported SB 1070 or at least didn't oppose it.  That created a firestorm of controversy calling for boycotts and protests of the Lakers yet activists could gather only about a score of folks to picket the Staples Center Monday evening.

Next up hotels in San Diego were reporting handfuls of Arizona residents were cancelling trips and room reservations in America's Finest City as a counter-boycott against the border city was brewing in the cactus state.  While it doesn't yet represent a groundswell more rooms have been cancelled than there were protesters at Staples and it has the local tourism folks worried.

A Tulare County (CA) trucker is encouraging other truckers to boycott Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego Counties over the boycotts.  A group of Arizonans has created the BUYcott Arizona website to encourage supporters to boycott cities that are boycotting Arizona and to spend money in the Grand Canyon state.  Conservative radio talk show host Tony Katz is leading a group of SB1070 supporters to travel to Arizona and spend money in support.

From the how come no one thought of this before department, existing California law was compared to the new Arizona law that has everyone up in arms.  Section 834b of the California Penal Code contains remarkably similar language to SB1070.

Back in LA-LA land the City Council - fast to act on the  boycott of Arizona - is languishing on legislation to cut City ties and business with firms that do business with the Islamic Republic of Iran.  A really terrible place where folks actually are asked for their papers all the time, racial profiling and segregation is the law, women are legally treated like property and well we don't even want to say how they treat da gheys. I wonder where Paul Koretz stands on all this because remember it's Iran, not Arizona, that has missiles pointed at Israel.

And finally moving on to our favorite goofy recall and the gift who keeps on giving, Phil Jennerjahn.  Recall leaders, including David Hernandez a really good guy we can't figure out why he has teamed up with Phil, is seeking the financial support of Arizonans pissed at LA who might want to exact a pound of flesh from Mayor Villaraigosa.  Fair enough I am sure a lot of help can be ginned up but this is a strategic error even if it generates a short term gain. LA's non-partisan politics has created the environment for left-wing yuppie liberals in Silverlake to be simpatico with Republicans from Sunland-Tujunga or Latinos from CD14 over issues like over-development, billboards, phony ballot measures, etc. and be united in their disdain for the Mayor and Clowncil.  The moment you attach the recall to anything that sounds like Minutemen or even Tea Partiers two of those three legs of that table fall out, it becomes  Republican movement and the numbers aren't there in LA for that.  That doesn't stop Phil Jennerjahn though who doesn't care what anyone else says, he's going to win!