(White) Power Grab: Krekorian Disenfranchises District With Only 8% White Population

By Daniel Guss

@TheGussReport on Twitter - Paternalistic racism is back in fashion at LA City Hall.  Did it ever really go away?

This week, while voters in Council District 6 hold a primary to decide who will replace disgraced former City Council president Nury Martinez, things are being handled quite differently in Council District 10, whose leadership for the past two years, the next two years and perhaps for the eight years after that, will have the heavy-handed influence of current City Council president Paul Krekorian, who is White.

And the man he is trying to single-handedly replace, the now-federal felon Mark Ridley-Thomas, is Black.

Paul Krekorian (Photo; Los Angeles Times)

But why should that be, especially since the 10th District is 92% non-White?

Because it's LA City Hall, where it is business as usual, and the business is paternalism, racism and disenfranchisement.

To read this entire column, jump on over to DanielGuss.substack.com.

Don't Cry For Me Lake Balboa or How Nury Spent $1,000 on a Hotel Room

Oh dear! The Cindy Montanez for Council campaign has uncovered another donnybrook for her embattled opponent, Nury Martinez.

Martinez apparently spent $1,000 in campaign funds for a two night stay at Downtown's storied Ritz Carlton Hotel at LA Live.

Martinez, who lives in Sun Valley, needed to apparently de-camp to DTLA for a conference there. Montanez was also involved in the same conference, but commuted from her Van Nuys home.

Not everyone in CD6 can stay at the Ritz

The rub is that Martinez (as has Montanez) receives City matching funds, one could make the case that the Council Member was spending taxpayer money on a glitzy hotel stay. To be fair, election law experts and advocates say that Martinez has likely done nothing illegal, still it creates a bad impression for Martinez.

The Montanez campaign however is making sure voters remember Nury's "strava-gances" in a recent mailer.

Bonfire of the Absurdities in CD6 - With Large Sodas

Nice Room Design

That latest creation in the world of faux public engagement, the neighborhood council sponsored "candidates' forum" reared it's moderately ugly head in Van Nuys, when the local certificates and donuts panel hosted CD6 candidates, incumbent Nury Martinez and challenger, Cindy Montanez Wednesday evening. Two great Valley based blogs, the legendary Here in Van Nuys and the photo-rific Up in the Valley both chronicled the event and offered up a delightful buffet of quips and observations we share with you now.

Up in the Valley: "Nury Martinez has Good Hair. Even by lofty Latina standards, Latinas being

Get me - THAT Girl!

naturally advantaged in all matters coiffure, Nury has gorgeous, telenovela quality hair."

Here in Van Nuys: "The room was packed but badly arranged. The seating favored the 19 council members who had box seats. But the candidates were pushed off to the side, forcing the audience to rotate their necks at a 45-degree angle. If the VNCC cannot design a room for debate how can they design Van Nuys at large?"

Up in the Valley: "Cindy’s no slouch in the hair department herself, though. She’s abandoned the pantsuits of 2013 and adopted a kind of I-shop-at-Costco-just-like-the-rest-of-you-Van Nuysians look."

Here in Van Nuys: "Candidates discussed Obesity, which garbs modern Van Nuys as white gloves and hats did in the 1940s, by offering bananas, water and apples at 7-Eleven checkouts. Later on, the council would adjourn to devour cake, 2 liter sized drinks and 12-inch long, mayonnaise-laden sandwiches."

Care to join me at Costco, Cindy?

Up in the Valley: "In matters pertaining to the Great Wide Realm Over Which the Council Has No Authority, they offered opinions freely. Alternative energy? Yea. Fracking? Nay. GMO foods? Double Nay."

Here in Van Nuys: "The two hour debate, moderated by a gavel pounding council, was then handed over to the smock garbed loud lady with the white hair and big gulp drink who got up and danced in front of the room screaming loudly about video conferencing in an insane demonstration of free speech and performance art."

Up in the Valley: "Nury….I’m not sure what’s going on there. She’s hanging on to a rather baroque accent for a college graduate raised in the United States."

Thirsty, anyone?

Here in Van Nuys: "Ms. Martinez has evolved into a fierce housecleaner who wants to clean the streets of discarded refuse and disdained prostitutes. But Ms. Montañez had murder on her mind last night, with a strange remark that she would rather have a couch on her curb than a dead body."

Seems like just another evening in the world of Department of Neighborhood Empowerment inspired chūnori like performances.

(Photo credits: Andy Hurvitz, Andreas Samson, Cindy Montanez campaign)

Is Nury Martinez' Field Office Landlord Funding Her IE?

Late Wednesday afternoon the Independent Expenditure Group suspiciously calling itself “Valley Families For Nury Martinez” finally revealed its sources of funding. One of the major funders of the pro-Nury campaign is Spiegel Development none other than the owners of the Sun Valley City Council district office currently rented at taxpayer's expense by Nury Martinez.

"It is beyond unethical that Nury Martinez is funneling our tax dollars to a major donor that has contributed tens of thousands of dollars to fund her negative campaigns," said Cindy Montanez.

The Sun Valley district office in question is located at 9300 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Sun Valley, CA 91331. The listed owner for the property is SC and JB investments LLC of 22801 Ventura Blvd. #111 Woodland Hills, CA 91364 whose President is Suzanne Courtney, the wife of David Speigel.

“This is a clear conflict of interest, Nury must either vacate her premises or publicly demand her landlord to stop using city monies to fund a political campaign on her behalf,” said consultant Eric Hacopian.

Speigel Development who is also a major developer in the San Fernando Valley also spent $15,000 in funding another Independent Expenditure in support of Nury Martinez in her 2013 race against Cindy Montañez.

Documentation

http://ethics.lacity.org/disclosure/campaign/browse/browse_CA497.cfm

http://ethics.lacity.org//PDF/disclosure/CA497//Valley%20Families%20for%20Nury%20Martinez%202.4.15.pdf

http://ethics.lacity.org//PDF/disclosure/CA497//Spiegel%20Development,%20Inc.%205.14.13-M.pdf

Is Nury Martinez Using City Trucks to Campaign?

Elected officials will take any step possible to put their name out there to create the impression they are serving constituents, whether they are or not.

However, it is generally considered somewhat verboten not to use public resources to campaign for office, and indeed there are rules around that.

Is a local incumbent facing a serious and unexpected election challenge however perhaps skirting the letter if not the spirit of the law?

City Bureau of Sanitation trucks were seen recently that are sporting rather professional looking signage touting 6th District Council Member Nury Martinez. Martinez, just elected two years ago, is being opposed in the upcoming election by her previous opponent, former Assembly Member Cindy Montanez.

To the best of my knowledge, though I've seen City Clowncil members put their names on construction signs, event banners and other places, I've yet to see this rather blatant mobile display.

Given that the Santiation Bureua rolls up to the Department of Public Works, I'm certain it's board president, Kevin James, who in another life riled against such shadiness, will not be amused.

Certainly, the Montanez campaign must be making an inquiry of ethics officials as we speak?

(Photos courtesy of Edwin Ramirez)

Is Street Prostitution an Issue in CD6 Race?

From Up In The Valley. Special to MayorSam.

By Andreas Samson

‘Can I get in?’

‘No.’

‘Don’t you want a date?’

‘I’m not looking for sex’

‘I really have to get some money. Can you help me with that?’

‘Not with that.’

‘Don’t you like me?’

‘I like you just fine. But no thanks.’

‘Can I just sit in your car for a little while? I’m tired. We don’t have to do anything. I just kinda need a break.’

This conversation took place in the parking lot of a grocery store. In daylight hours. In a middle class neighborhood. She was the fifth one I saw on my way home, but I didn’t have it in me to photograph her face. In the moment, she was my sister in Christ.

Women ply the trade off of Craigslist or escort services every day with varying degrees of autonomy, but women in the street are…chattel. They are owned. Their owners lurk nearby, without fear of consequence. As long as they stay north of Burbank Blvd, rich, liberal Los Angeles is content to allow African-Americans to live in the year 1861. With mobile phones.

Mayor Sam Candidate Endorsements: Anyone But Cardenas for CD6

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 CD6. For each post we will give both Joe's endorsement and mine along with our comments. The choices in CD6 are:

MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT NO. 6 *

• RICH GOODMAN, Small Business Entrepreneur
• TONY CARDENAS, Los Angeles City Councilmember
• JAMES "JAMIE" CORDARO, San Fernando Valley Businessman
• DAVID BARRON, Code Enforcement Official
• None
• Other:

JoeB: Anyone But Cardenas

Michael Higby: Tony Cardenas, who sometimes exhibit some budget restraint, has more often than not been on the shady side of the equation and not part of the solution when it comes to City government. His opponents though each are concerning. Jamie Cordaro is a good man and old friend who I've supported before. But I believe this is his fourth or fifth time running for elected office and if it hasn't happened yet, it may be time to try something else. David Barron sounds like another bureaucrat. Rich Goodman is young but he is of the Gen Y entrepreneur set that is doing so much in America these days. It might be good to have that voice at the Council table. Vote for Goodman.

Verdict: 1 for Anyone But Cardenas, 1 for Goodman

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Monday

Paul Krekorian Meets With Community Leaders

There are a few other races than CD14 in the upcoming primaries you may want to consider...

We haven't talked much about the Tenth Council District where Herb Wesson currently serves.  Althea Shaw, the aunt of Jamiel Shaw, the teen shot in cold blood by an illegal alien gang member, is seeking to grab the seat from Wesson.  Shaw, writing at her website, recounts a recent candidates forum where she said Wesson showed up at the last minute and did not seem prepared.

Over in CD6 three poorly funded challengers are going after incumbent Tony Cardenas.  Jamie Cordaro, Rich Goodman and David Barron have collectively raised less than 10% of what the incumbent has earned.  Still each of them say they're making the go of it. Each of them see major failings in Cardenas or the City government as a whole.  Cardenas enjoys filling potholes.

Read more »