Happy Bloggin 50th Birthday to Michael "Mayor Sam" Higby!!

Michael "Mayor Sam" Higby is fifty years young today as we send bloggin B-day wishes to the man behind Los Angeles premiere political blog.

Mayor Sam with B-day Cake and wearing the Official B-day of Sunland-Tujunga's Joselito's Restaurant Saturday.

** Blogger's Note: We are sure that the likes of Jim Alger, "MEAT", Zuma Dogg, Betty Pleasant, "Mayor Frank", Ex "Mayor Poopy", Mary Cummins and Gatto Truthers will join in wishing Michael "Mayor Sam" Higby a most bloggin sincere 50th Year of Being. A great crowd (including Joseph Mailander and wife Lynn, Ed Padgett and lovely daughter Kristin, David Hernandez and lovel spouse) was on hand Saturday evening at Sunland-Tujunga's Joselito's Restaurant to celebrate, with chocolate party treats via Frank Sheftel's Chocolate Factory, great food and of course, Mayor Sam. As can be seen below, Political Consultant John Thomas was on hand, taking a brief break from the Elon Carr for Congress Campaign, as he takes a moment to display a CD 14-centric B-day Gift from a certain "Spoll-checking Blogger"---Scott Johnson.

Who needs a City of LA Certificate of Appreciation when you can have a framed, autographed (by a certain CD 14 Blogger) copy of the 2011 Rudy Martinez for City Council Campaign's "Councilman Huizar (still?) under FBI Investigation Mailer" as modeled by Political Campaign Consultant John Thomas?

Happy Labor and Birthday to former LA Times Pressman and Blogger Ed Padgett

Happy Mayor Sam Birthday wishes to a truly Blogging Man of Labor Ed Padgett

Former LA Times Pressman Blogger Ed Padgett. 

 

As we get ready to partake in the Labor Day ritual of BBQ and relaxation, we want to extend a most sincere Mayor Sam Birthday Greetings to our blogging friend Ed Padgett.

The proprietor of the LA Times Pressmen Blog, Padgett was terminated by the "Old Gray Collectivist, Elitist Hag on Spring Street" in December of 2011, after some sham investigation of his supposed outing of in-house labor issues.

Padgett was a supporter of unionizing the Pressroom at the "Old Gray Collectivist Hag", but the labor, liberal leanings of the former Fishwrap of Record, did not extend to its corporate bosses, who took a dim view of Padgett's blogging commentary. Thus, ending his 39 year employment.

With his pressman days behind him (but not forgotten via his recent blog post), Mr. Padgett has regale his Facebook friends with posts on his wonderful family, his opinions on issues of the day and still keeps up with his former pressman colleagues.

In closing, Ed has always been a supporter of this blog and this blogger appreciates his kind words over time. Thus, we wish the best for a truly Bloggin Man of Labor, on this special day.

With respects,

Scott Johnson in CD 14



Old Gray Hag Does Edward Padgett a Favor

Edward Padgett

Our blogging friend - and LA Times pressman for nearly forty years -Edward Padgett, was told by his employer that his services were no longer required.

Certainly the newspaper formerly known as The LA Times wasn't happy with Padgett's truthful missives at his blog. When an organization is failing and unable to revive itself, it lashes out.

Firing Ed Padgett won't help the Times save itself from itself. If anything, they've done Ed a favor by letting hop off a sinking ship before it takes on any water. And he should realize a nice settlement. I am sure the labor lawyers are lining up.

Ed Padgett is too talented, too cool and just too much of a nice guy that some enterprising venture will snatch him up quickly.

When the LA Times goes the way of the Herald Examiner, the 8-track tape and the buggy whip, we can say we remember it when AND we knew the guy who printed it!

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Monday

Supporters of the Los Angeles Zoo's efforts to keep on track the multi-million dollar effort to construct a controversial elephant exhibit thought that they had lost the battle and the votes needed on the City Council to keep the elephant pen from being shut down.  Then a white knight in the form of Global Crossing founder and Wall Street rainmaker Gary Winnick came to their rescue.  Winnick hired crisis management guru Mike Sitrick to turn it around for them.  Sitrick who handled PR for Paris Hilton during her county jail days and Rush Limbaugh during his pill popping phase got right to work and, according to insiders, managed to turn Bill Rosendahl to the dark side bringing along Jose Huizar and Ed Reyes and securing the Zoo a win.  The bill: tipsters say $250,000.


Mayoral Candidate David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsburg will be interviewed by KABC Talkradio AM 790 host Doug McIntyre Monday at 9:30 a.m.  By the way if any other Mayoral candidates want to send us over their media appearances we'll be glad to post them.

Lots of hand wringing by paperweight winners over the LA Times decision to axe it's "California" section and move local news to the main section.  However Ron Kaye, a blogger who's actually run daily metropolitan papers, says that's not a bad thing.  Kaye opines "The Times becoming a Los Angeles newspaper could be the best thing for the city. The community needs a powerful, credible voice to stand up for the common good, the greater good, to passionately tell the stories of who we are and how we could do better."  In his hand wringing our favorite paperweight winner keeps making the claim that by getting rid of the California section, the Times can print its Calendar entertainment section at night, hence keeping it more newsy.  However, Ed Padgett, a blogger who has actually printed a newspaper explains how the paper is actually printed.  Folks this is the kind of reportage that wins Pulitzers. 


The LA Weekly reports that Mayor Villaraigosa and Southern California Congressman Xavier Becerra apparently didn't rate invitations to President Obama's Superbowl party at the White House.  But guess who did: Senator John McCain, but apparently the former Republican Presidential candidate was not able to make it.

From the weekend:

• Jasmyne Cannick on Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the Missing Councilmembers 
• Candidate Adeena Bleich Stumps in CD5

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Sunday

Like a dumb old farmer who closes the barn door after the horse gets out, Council Member Wendy Greuel and Mayor Villaraigosa now are addressing the $10 million in fraud, waste and abuse going on with the city's fleet of "take home" vehicles following the releasing of a damning audit by City Controller Laura Chick.  Greuel has authored a City Council motion to ask for a "study" of the issue while the Mayor has ordered a freeze on the issuance of new vehicles and using City credit cards at gas stations.

Local pols are seeking to gain over $300 million in Obama era money for "infrastructure" projects in the San Fernando Valley. No word what those projects are but no doubt the lobbyists and contractors are lining up to built projects as cost effective as the Orange Line Busway and tbe Belmont Learning Center, to just name two.

If you really want to know what's going on at the OLD GRAY HAG ON SPRING STREET don't read what the Westside White Guy writes, be sure to visit Ed Padgett's excellent Los Angeles Times Pressmans 20 Year Blog, run and penned by the people who print the paper.  WWG has some inside buzz as to the possible moving of the Calendar entertainment section to the main news section but according to Ed the speculaton in (Anglo)LAObserved is all wrong. 

If you buy something in another state the state of California expects you to pay a "use tax" on the item.  The state, hungry for revenue like a crack whore jonesing for her next fix, plans to allow people to "voluntarily" register their purchases online or face potential audits.  According to the state Board of Equaliziation the use tax  "applies when a person or business in California purchases tangible merchandise from a retailer outside of this state that will be used, consumed, given away, or stored in this state and the retailer does not collect California tax on their sales."