Suspicious Fires Erupt in Elysian Park; Mayor's Budget Cuts Firefighting Rangers

A number of suspicious fires erupted in Elysian Park at around 11 PM Saturday evening causing minor damage due to the swift response by Los Angeles City Park Rangers and the LAFD. Other agencies responding included LAPD, OPS, and Los Angeles County Sheriff who were spotted passing residents roused by the noise and, in some cases, smoke.

According to residents, small fires are common in Elysian Park, but these fires were very different up to and including the hardcore response they received, with numerous agencies' helicopters buzzing the park for hours. LAFD Twitter stated that more than 90 firefighters responded to this incident, which is a very large allocation for what they reported as just a 2-acre fire.

Los Angeles City Park Rangers were observed by residents as first on-scene with firefighting units. The Rangers' division - part of the Department of Recreation and Parks - has reportedly had patrols in the area as well as in other parks as a precaution against the dry conditions throughout the past week, a week that coincidentally marked the second anniversary of the devastating Griffith Park fire.

Although the swift emergency response is in part responsible for the minimal damage caused by this fire event, it is worth noting on this politics blog that counter intuitively, Los Angeles City Park Rangers are not funded with other so-called vital emergency services in the Mayor's budget, but are prioritized by the police-obsessed Villaraigosa with all other Department of Recreation and Parks' activities, including trash collection and restroom cleaning.

In fact, as activists pointed out at the Budget and Finance Committee hearings, the Mayor's 2009-10 budget actually cuts ten Park Ranger positions plus their Chief position, regardless of the fact that the state agency that certifies and accredits these types of organizations (CA P.O.S.T.) requires them to have a chief.

Yet simultaneously, a stubborn Tony V holds firm to his 'hire 10,000 LAPD officers' obsession. At a time when LAPD is blasting stats saying crime in the City has decreased to 1950s levels, the 10,000 number appears to hold little if any real needs significance. It's more likely just a nice, round number, divisible by ten, that looks good in headlines and on resumes.


Wonder what the people whose Elysian Park homes were spared by the quick response of the Rangers think of the Mayor's budget priorities? My impression as I hung up the phone was: "Not a whole hell of a lot, right now."

LA Democracy - Gone in Sixty Seconds

Damn. It's tough to be an idealist in this town.

Last Friday's Clowncil session was another new low in the suppression of public input. This city's budget is a big topic, and an important topic to those lucky/unlucky enough to live in the City of Angels. Last Friday, a lot of concerned Angelenos -- concerned constituents -- showed up dutifully to give their input before the full Clowncil's deliberations on the Mayor's budget. Folks from the Harbor area, folks from the Valley, folks from Northeast took time from their jobs to hustle themselves downtown and engage City government. Democracy in action - WhooHoo!

Said same commonfolks were then forced to sit through 2.5 hours of glee club presentations because there is no way of knowing just how long this weekly waste of time will last. Around 12:30pm, when all the glee was finally wrung from chambers, actual City business began.

With Dennis Zine presiding, general comments on non-agenda items went first. Speakers including Clowncil institution Zuma Dogg were given the standard 2 minutes to expound. Zuma used his democratic right to go after Clowncil fee waivers (go get'em Zuma!) while the Channel 35/36 cameraman was obviously highly amused by The Dogg's showmanship.

The next item was the public hearing on the City budget - probably the most important item on the entire agenda. Zine then unceremoniously ordered public comment reduced to 1 minute.

There's a big difference between one and two minutes in public comment. If you have anything to say other than "Thank you sir! May I have another?", one minute doesn't cut it.

Before comment was allowed to begin, Bitter Bernie actually stood up and 'splained to the public that if they were there to talk about Park Rangers, they shouldn't bother because it had been handled. His attitude was that of a school teacher talking down to little children; his tone and body language implied threat. (really? yes.)

As the public attempted to make their many varied points about a variety of topics in sixty seconds or less, City Clowncil-kiddies ate lunch, chatted with parties unknown, left the room altogether, text'd parties unknown, or exchanged goofy faces with one another. A scene reminiscent of squirming school children just before recess that left no doubt Bitter Bernie had been talking down to the wrong group.

So that's it. The pretense of City Democracy disappearing into the ether in sixty seconds. I know... I know. "SO WHAT'S NEW !!?!"

Nothing, and that's the sad part.

Open Thread for Thursday

Patt Morrison wonders why the Mayor and City Council won't hold hearings on the new City Budget until the middle of next month - long after it's picked apart by every faction of dum dum out there. Patt's view is the folks who pay the bills and don't get the services should be able to give their view on Los Angeles' budget priorities well before the document is drafted. Patt either didn't know or didn't mention that the Mayor did meet with a few select Neighborhood Council leaders for coffee, so give him a break!

Discuss.

Jan Perry Shilling for Bitter Bernie?

Rick Orlov reports that Jan Perry is back on the beat trying one way or another to get rid of the LAPD's 3/12 schedule. This is the popular plan that allows police officers to have four days off if they work three straight 12 hour days. Considering the nature of police work as well as the fact that many police officers are forced to commute great distances from home to work; officers are understandably reticent to change the schedule. Perry has been accused of carrying water for Bitter Bernie, who's been opposed to the schedule ever since he was Police Chief and, as is true to his name, still bitter over losing that battle (and many others).

"I know what people say, but I'm thinking for myself and looking any way we can to get more police officers on the street,"
Councilwoman Jan Perry

In the meantime, Orlov also reports that members of the City Clowncil are considering forcing LAPD officers to pay for their uniforms, more taxes and some of the other following ideas to raise money to cover the city's budget deficit:

Councilman Bill Rosendahl has advocated for more - and higher-priced - parking meters around the city.

Councilwoman Janice Hahn wants the city to have an oil extraction fee similar to one that Long Beach charges oil companies.

Councilman Dennis Zine has suggested that people who are arrested be charged the cost for officers' time.

And others have suggested the city look at selling advertising or naming rights to city facilities.

Among the options suggested has been selling ads for gunmaker Smith & Wesson on police cars around the "To protect and serve" logo - or renaming the new police headquarters after Glock, another gunmaker.

The transport division could be renamed after a car, such as the politically correct Prius.

Fire trucks could be sponsored by an insurance company or a brush-clearance firm. The DWP could have its trucks emblazoned with Sparkletts water ads.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Monday

City Planner Jack Chiang - following a bonehead call to an opponent of a development project in Valley Village - has been taken off the project, pending the development of a "code of conduct" by the City Planning Department. In the meantime, writing at LAist Zach Behrens picks up on spin on the matter from the City Attorney's office.

Writer Earl Ofari Hutchinson takes the City Council to task for the current budget mess. Hutchinson says the city has been on a "runaway train" when it comes to spending, one "jampacked with big salary increases for city officials and managers, out-of-control spending on construction projects, and ballooning workers' comp and pension payouts."

Zuma Dogg and friends offer Sister City readers a new service, stock picks and investment strategy. Chat it up here.

Capitol Weekly calls into question the tribal legitimacy of the Santa Ynez Chumash Indians, owners of the Chumash Casino near Solvang. As well, they make the claim that Tribal Chairman Vincent Armenta has a minimal amount of Native American blood and can't even trace his roots back to the tribe.

Yet another dream transit map over at LAist.

The Long Beach Press Telegram editorializes in favor of the Long Beach City Council cutting back on public comment. Among the moves taken by the Council; removing the ability of citizen comments to take items separately much like the filing of public comment cards call an item "special" in Los Angeles.

LA City Council Real Estate Scam

Every now and then a reader comment gets bumped up as a blog post. This one's a doozy:

fourthfloorstaffer said:

This post will:

(a) Be the first in a series of exposes on just how much money the City of Los Angeles has, and how much it wastes.

(b) Pose a question to our councilmembers, in some cases, our bosses, regarding these funds.

(c) Hopefully be reposted, so that it reaches several sets of eyes.

OK, here goes.

When city property is sold in any council district, 1/2 of the proceeds go to the General Fund, and 1/2 go to ...

The council office for that district.

To spend ... as the member desires.

Yes, that's right. When the Dept. of Sanitation decides to sell a small, defunct, old processing plant along some busy corridor, the Councilmember invariably brokers the sale.

He or she makes money (of the campaign or illicit variety) by selling it to a campaign supporter or rich developer.

It is in the interest of that Council member to sell and sell quickly (not to get the best price for the property or anything), because, in case you didn't hear be correctly the first time, that member gets half the money, to be spent in his or her district, as he or she sees fit.

Yes, there are some members who don't take advantage of this. Mostly those whose districts have no public buildings.

But the rest? Ought to join the National Association of Realtors.

How do they spend this money? That's a topic for another post.

In the meantime, blog away dumb dumbs.