Mayor Sam Candidate Endorsements: Anyone But Englander for CD12

This is the next in a series of posts where JoeB and I will give our endorsements for candidates for LA City Council and School Board. Where there is agreement we will give the official MayorSam endorsement to the candidate. Next up is CD12. For each post we will give both Joe's endorsement and mine along with our comments. The choices in CD12 are:

MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT NO. 12 *

• DINESH "DANNY" LAKHANPAL, Businessperson
• KELLY M. LORD, JR., Small Business Owner
• BRAD SMITH, Neighborhood Council Boardmember
• NAVRAJ "SINGH" SINGH, Businessman/Restaurant Owner
• ARMINEH CHELEBIAN Boardmember, Neighborhood Council
• MITCHELL ENGLANDER, Policeman/Councilmember Deputy
• None
• Other:
  

JoeB: Anyone but Mitch Englander. Englander is the big money, business as usual, anointed one. He's the last person CD12 needs as their representative.

Michael Higby: CD12 has had a strange oligarchic like tendency to promote the reigning chief deputy to Council when the current member retired. No more, Mitchell Englander, is nothing but a job climber whose every action from joining community organizations to becoming a reserve police officer was calculated for this run. Brad Smith on the other hand is a true blue community organizer, more in line with the mood in that community. Smith apparently scared Englander so much the Englander campaign tried to get Smith fired from his job. That says volumes. Vote for Smith!

Verdict: One for anyone but Englander, One for Smith

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

Smith Is Back In

After some strong arm tactics by Mitchell Englander threatened to boot him from the race, CD12 candidate Brad Smith is now back in the race. 

Saying "Hmmmm" About Englander

When it came to CD12 candidate Brad Smith, the only one who had some money, some name ID (both from his community work and perhaps the ability to benefit from folks who may mistake Smith for current incumbent Greig Smith,  or, perhaps as Smith's son) and some mojo dropping out of the race, we said "Hmmmm."

We may have had good reason.

Street Hassle is reporting that Smith may have based his decision to drop out following alleged pressure from Englander and his campaign consultants against Brad Smith's employer, Parsons Engineering.

Read more at Street Hassle but the bottom line reportedly is that Parsons, who has a significant business in getting government contracts, was told that it would be a "very good idea" for Parsons if Smith dropped out of the race.

Stay tuned.

Things That Make You Go Hmmm: Brad Smith Drops Out

Street Hassle reports that Brad Smith has dropped out of the race for the CD12 Council Seat being vacated by Greig Smith. (No relation)

The heir apparent under the Smith-Villaraigosa machine is Mitchell Englander, currently Chief of Staff for Smith. As you may remember, Smith was the Chief of Staff for the Clowncilman before that, Hal "Napkin Joke" Bernson.

Apparently it's an oligarchy in CD12.

I became aware of Smith puling a Sarah Palin via SOME GUY, who DM'd yesterday on Facebook.

My first response was "What did you guys offer him?" SOME GUY didn't like that.

Now I am not at all accusing anyone of anything shady (though in this town it's usually a safe bet) but when the leading challenger with the most money after the heir apparent drops out, it makes you go "Hmmm."

We've seen a number of occasions where a past opponent in a race drops out and then gets something. Lawyers call "quid pro quo" and no, my friends, that is not a character in Nickelodeon's SpongeBob Squarepants.

There is no evidence to suggest the more evil Englander scion offered B Smith anything nor that if he did, Smith accepted. But it's still legal, even in a post-Gattoaclytpic world, to wonder out loud.

I simply find Englander to not be genuine and one who's entire career has been about climbing a ladder of political offices, opportunistically like Mike Gatto, Bob Blumenthal, Lloyd Levine, Cindy Montanez and even to some degree, Tamar Galatzan.

And before you riff on that "Higby must hate young politicians," don't bother. There are a number of younger candidates who have sought public office as a way to do service. Stuart Waldman, Monica Rodriguez and Caprice Young, or even back in the day, a young Joel Wachs, to name a few, come to mind.

However unless Kelly Lord and a whole bunch of SLAP Happy Clean Sweepers get to work fast, get some money and make magic happen (and have the fortitude for when Michael Trujilo calls you racist), the Dark Lord will be your Clowncilman out there in CD12.

Otherwise stay tuned for more of the same.