Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Wednesday

Press coverage is finally kicking in on Jamiel's Law. I corresponded earlier with Jamiel Shaw, Sr. who has been quite busy with interviews. Unfortunately, the behavior of some of our City Council members to the appearance today by the Shaw's in chambers was quite disturbing. Not daunted, the Shaws will continue on in suport of Jamiel and Jamiel's Law.

Joe Mailander has an excellent piece that touches on something we've been saying for a while but he puts it better - the Mayor is scared to death of a conservative populist movement in the City and it may find it in the anger over gang violence that is motivating the Jamiel's Law campaign.

The Daily News takes to task some Clowncil members who are also hoarding millions of dollars of taxpayer money that should go back to the general fund during the budget crisis. Chief among the hoarders is everyone's favorite "George W. Bush of LA" Zuma's friend Tom LeBong who says he has to hold on to the money so he can "deliver for his district." Is there a bigger clown on the Clowncil than LeBong? You tell me.

NIMBY/CAVE/BANANA types normally fight against condos, stores and other nasty things near their homes. I didn't think it was possible but we have a new monster in LA, the NIYBY - not in your backyard! Busybody Westside White Guys and Gals from Holmby Hills, Brentwood, et - including Wacko Jacko - al are protesting construction of an electronic billboard miles away in South LA. The billboard is supported by the local residents and the local Clowncilman because it will generate funds for much needed parkland in the area. Let's hope the South LA'ers tell the WWGGs to go to hell.

Fellow Mirthala Banger Fabian Knucklehead Nunez is holding onto $4 million meant to support Democratic candidates and the unions want it back. A spokesman for the disgraced, termed-out Assembly Speaker said nuts to you, "We don't question how labor runs its operations. It's unfortunate they don't offer the same consideration to the speaker."

I've reported on the nutty security cameras Clowncil people are squeezing Neighborhood Councils for. Many of them wind up broken due to a lack of maintenance. Our favorite ex-motorcycle cop turned Councilman Dennis Zine makes an excellent point: arrests deter graffiti, not cameras.

Stuart Waldman has yet again nabbed more big name endorsements as he rolls to the Democratic nomination for the 40th Assembly District. This time, among more unions, he picks up the support of two current Assembly Members he'll work with - neighboring seat holders Paul Krekorian and Anthony Portantino.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Monday

Los Angeles Port President David Freeman joined Port of Long Beach Prexy Mario Cordero for a joint appearance last week in San Pedro about the controversial "Clean Trucks" programs to be adopted by both ports. The goal - to lower diesel emissions and pollution at the ports and in surrounding communities - may only be window dressing. Freeman denied that one of the more talked about provisions of the LA plan that could require truck drivers at the port to be employees rather than owner-operators was more about pleasing unions (unions can't organize truck drivers who are independent operators) than making the Port more green.

Mr. Tamar Galatzan and VICA head Brendan Huffman has a letter in Monday's Daily News praising the selection of Marcus Allen as the new CAO for LA. Brendan, how come they iced the plan to dump Robin Kramer until none of us are looking?

Joel Budd writing in the Economist is the latest journalist to delve into the development issue in Los Angeles. Though he captures well the usual NIMBY/BANANA/CAVE anti-growth mentality, the story also makes it clear why the city has to look at all types of growth strategy including smart development and transit oriented development. We just can't get keep growing out.

The MTA and the City are trying to encourage more people to use public transit yet at the same time they're cutting service on the lines that the most transit-dependent need most. Makes sense of course. Even Tony Villar finds fault with it.

Except for some of the NIMBYs who read this blog, most of you probably have no idea who Sandor Winger is, but he's the man that anyone wanting to annex Las Lomas and other prize properties in LA County has to get through. The Newhall Signal profiles the Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Local Agency Formation Commission who spends his days pouring over proposed county maps and often tells guests he "feels crappy." Maybe on his desk: new plans to annex Las Lomas?

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Tuesday

Our sources are telling us there was one barn burner of a session at Monday night's meeting of the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council's Land Use Committee meeting. Tipsters say a representative of Councilwoman Wendy Greuel's office, in trying to explain the backroom deal between City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo and Home Depot to place a controversial branch of the store in the mountain community, made essentially "circular comments" that provided no answers. Frustration and emotion ran so high that one committee member broke down in tears and expressed that she has "lost faith in the whole process." I suspect its going to get a whole lot uglier before the matter is resolved.

Following our big time expose that City Planning Director Gail Goldberg is allegedly a big time beer fan, the department is leaking like a sieve and lots of information is coming our way. It will take some time to parse it all but here's the latest tidbit: Planning Department employees who happen to be minorities say they're getting passed over for promotions and that an outside investigation and lawsuits may be in the works. Our sources tell us that Goldberg and her second in command, Michael LoGrande allegedly have frequent meetings at a local sports bar to drink beer and make changes to department staffing.

Last year the City Clowncil agreed to big time pay increases for city workers - more than the private sector would ever get - and now that the City is in a big budget crisis the Clowncil wants to reopen negotiations and take some of those raises back. But it seems as if the unions are not taking the Clowncil's calls.

A well known Valley NIMBY is griping in a local publication about SB 1818. You know that's the state law that basically allows developers to overrun local zoning laws if they provide some level of "affordable housing." Of course the NIMBY is up in arms but what she doesn't realize is that it's the NIMBY/CAVE/BANANA mentality that drives this very nonsense (as well as the need for developers to be shaken down by local politicians). If the market drove development, scams like SB 1818 wouldn't happen, there would be stronger reasons for developers to develop smart and it would create genuine "affordable housing." However in the current environment developers and land owners can not make the best and highest use of their land.

In the same article the same NIMBY is also aghast that the City has come to the conclusion that preferential parking districts "are turning neighborhoods with public streets into what are essentially gated communities accessible only to the residents and their guests." I've always felt that these districts - which limit parking only to those people who live next to the streets that they are created on - are on a shaky constitutional ground. When you consider that the streets are maintained with gasoline and property taxes paid by more than just the local residents, the preferential parking districts are unfair.

I Want My McMansion

The sickness known as anti-mansionization, reported on by both our own Joe Mailander and the folks at CurbedLA, has spread deep to the City Clowncil.

Here's a word to the NIMBY, CAVE and BANANA crowd: you might figure out ways to shut down Home Depots or hospitals but you have no right to tell people what kinds of homes they can live in.

Amazingly, in an LA Times article about a City Council plan that will surely be overturned by a court, Jack Weiss sounds positively libertarian.

Interesting too that the "anti-mansionization" movement contains anti-Semitic, anti-Persian and anti-Asian overtones. You could read more about it at Wikipedia.

By the way, the home in the photo above is that of KFI's Bill Handel, who certainly worked his way up to the place in life to afford such a home. Good for him. That is what it's all about right?

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Tuesday

Duke Helfand writing in the Former Fishwrap of Record says that Mayor Villaraigosa "faces a steep climb to California's top job." A number of self inflicted wounds have proably derailed his efforts to seek the Governor's seat in 2010 and greased the skids for others such as former Governor and current Attorney General Jerry Brown. Of course, I told you that months ago.

Mayor Villaraigosa and Wacko Jacko announced a plan to make Pico and Olympic virtually one way streets in opposite directions in an attempt to deal with traffic. Riddle me this Batman, if the same number of cars more or less travel in different directions on each street, isn't this like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic? The cars have to go one place or another. The answer isn't changing direction but reducing the number of cars, one way or another. Stakeholders in the area claim that the Mayor and Jacko have done little to consult the community on the plan.

Walter Moore asks "Has Mayor Villaraigosa really reduced crime?" Good question, as the Mayor and Chief Bratton blow each other's horns falling crime rates are really based on a long term demographic shift and efforts taken back during the Clinton Administration. Nice try boys.

Not only is Sunland-Tujunga unfriendly to business, but formerly Republican Orange County has also caught NIMBY fever. Its so virulent that while folks in Huntington Beach are fighting a Costco in their city, BANANAs in neighboring Westminister are joining the fight. Perhaps some CAVEs from the Valley might want to join in.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson writes about a growing resentment among African Americans that Latino politicians are eerily silent on Hispanic gangs that have targeted Blacks with violence.

Urban legends to the contrary, public officials in both cities say that Los Angeles is not paying low income residents from housing projects such as Nickerson Gardens to move to Moreno Valley in the Inland Empire.

In celebration of the Dodger's 50th anniversary in Los Angeles, the baseball team will play an exhibition game versus the World Champion Boston Red Sox at the Los Angeles Coliseum, the team's home before Dodger Stadium was built.

Valley VOTE on Private Property Rights

According to a Wall Street Journal editorial and Valley VOTE treasurer Vic Viereck, individual property rights are the basis for the great economic success of the United States of America. The consequence of when groups try to deprive individuals of their property rights is lack of availability of resources provided by industrious people. Due to the City of Los Angeles' rental housing policies, the city's scarcity of housing has been severely aggravated.

Locally, the opposition to condo conversions effectively demonstrates that problem. Another local example of promoting group over individual rights is a campaign against the Weddington Golf and Tennis property in Studio City. Since 1955 the Weddington family has provided the Studio City community the opportunity to play golf and tennis there. With the May 31, 2007 expiration of the lease on the property the owners have plans to update the existing driving range, rebuild the 17 tennis courts, install a new golf putting green, and provide a new club house on 70% of the land. On only the remaining 30% of the property a 272-unit first class senior citizen condo development is planned. But the Studio City Resident's Association seems to forget that it is not their land, but privately owned land. They want to deprive the property owners of the American right to improve their own property for the golfers and tennis players, provide comfortable living accommodations for local seniors, and significantly improve the tax base and revenue.

Says Viereck: When initiatives are on the ballot, such as those that profess to prevent eminent domain abuses, it's necessary to determine which one protects the rights of all property owners

A Few Good Council Members

While I was on my "hiatus" several members of the City Council did something remarkable. They stood up to a hallelujah chorus of NIMBYs, CAVE People and BANANAs as well as the unions to support something the community needs - expanding the Providence Holy Cross Hospital in Mission Hills. At a time when hospitals are closing, emergency rooms are packed and health care is in a crisis - especially in the North Valley - Councilmembers Tony Cardenas, Wendy Greuel, Bernard C. Parks, Jan Perry and Greig Smith actually followed their convictions and blocked a stalling tactic by Councilman Richard Alarcon, who was seeking the block the hospital in his own district, one that doesn't have the health care options of tonier parts of Los Angeles.

They should be complimented. And Alarcon should be ashamed of himself for putting special interests ahead of his community.

Mayor Sam's Hot Sheet for Wednesday

Cirque Du Soleil has signed a multi-year agreement to stage a new Hollywood themed show at the Kodak Theater. This agreement makes the exotic Canadian circus troupe the only other tenant at the struggling venue along with the Academy Awards. No event waivers though please. Of course Mayor V showed up at the photo op today; take a look at a weird ass photo of the Mayor and a "friend" from the LA Times via Franklin Avenue.

If you're part of the NIMBY, CAVE and/or BANANA movements this place sounds like utopia for granola loving liberals like you - a blogger lives in some unnamed city where Wal-Mart (mis-spelled Wallmart) is illegal, there's a Trader Joe's where one can sign petitions and developers who would build low-income housing are just not welcome.

If a department store put out a sign that said "No Wetback Documents Allowed" when it came to applying for credit there would be a firestorm. So why is it no one is disturbed by the actions of a furniture store near Washington, D.C. that is advertising "Credito sin papeles de gringo?" Racism is racism and both comments are equally offensive.

If you're thinking of deep frying your turkey, the LAFD suggests you think twice. Not only is it not that healthy, unless you have the right equipment, enough open space and know what you're doing its really dangerous. Every year we hear stories of someone who burns down their garage trying to cook their holiday bird in a vat of boiling oil. By the way, I like the way the LAFD is going about this - warning and educating people rather than the usual nanny state tactic of banning it.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Tuesday

Corporate Welfare Report: The Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox are getting a free spring training facility courtesy of Arizona taxpayers. This ends decades that the Dodgers trained in Vero Beach, Florida at a facility they owned and had to pay taxes at.

Mickey Mouse has joined the NIMBY/CAVE/BANANA movement! That's right Disney is fighting mad that someone wants to build condos and apartments across the street from the Magic Kingdom in Anaheim - all because Disney was too punch drunk from their 50th anniversary celebration and stupidly brought in clueless executives from other parts of the company to run the park, one who had no idea how the politics in Orange County work. So what is Disney doing? Like the best of NIMBYs, they're seeking a political/legal solution.

The Daily News reports that fees paid by developers don't cover the cost of reviewing applications, effectively sticking taxpayers with the bill. However, if there wasn't so much waste, abuse and anti-business regulation surrounding development, this wouldn't be an issue.

Fellow Mirthala Banger Fabian Nunez has lost the support of the prison guards' union for his employment extension act, better known as Propostion 93, a term limits scam being hoisted on voters. Now this is because the prison guards are pissed about not getting the pay raise they wanted. However, it certainly doesn't hurt to have one of the most powerful public employee unions on the right side of an issue.

Post-Script: Special kudos to Joseph Mailander for providing as always insightful, interesting and often amusing contributions to the blog - and especially for stepping up when the old, dead Republican Mayor has been slacking off.

Mayor Sam's Hot Sheet for Thursday

The City of Santa Clarita Valley is up in arms about a development project near Sylmar. Las Lomas is a major mixed use, transit oriented development that will combine housing, office space, retail and a Metrolink station. It will bring jobs and housing to an area that needs it. Mayor Villaraigosa is being urged not to follow through with the City of Los Angeles' plans to annex the area, but Los Angeles needs to have control over the area, not a bunch of CAVEs and NIMBYs in Santa Clarita who have no business messing around in the Valley. Encourage the Mayor to support this important development which will be a major boon to our local economy.

This is why you don't mess with property owner's rights - developer Rick Caruso has won several million dollars in a lawsuit related to interference with his Americana at Brand development in Glendale. Take heed Sunland-Tujunga!

Mayor Sam's Sunland-Tujunga prediction: Due to actual and perceived conflict of interests between the City Attorney's office and the law firm Latham and Watkins, the City will be forced to hire outside counsel to defend it in the lawsuit filed by Home Depot over the blocking of opening their store in the community. Also, the City will have a tough time defending such a high powered case. Therefore, the City will decide to settle with Home Depot, place a number of cosmetic restrictions on them, perhaps require some donation to the community and grant the retailer the permit to build out and open their store. Game over.