Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Friday

The Enterprise Report runs a piece that claims that two LAPD officers allegedly left instructions that should they be killed in the line of duty they did not want Mayor Villaraigosa to appear nor speak at their memorial services.  Villaraigosa showed up and spoke anyway.  According to the report Officer Landon Dorris killed while investigating a traffic accident and Officer Spree Desha killed in the Chatsworth Metrolink crash had allegedly both indicated in a form reportedly used by LAPD to allow officers to leave instructions following their deathsthat the Mayor was not welcome at their funerals.  Both the LAPD and the Mayor's office would not comment on the matter.

Still too close to call in the race for the 6th District LAUSD Board of Education seat.  Former San Fernando Mayor and protege of Council Member Richard Alarcon and Mayor Villaraigosa Nury Martinez was about 500 votes up on former LAUSD teacher and current CSUN lecturer Louis Pugliese.  Thousands of provisional and absentee ballots remain to be counted which could have an impact on the race's final outcome.

On the City Council agenda for Friday: A events fee waiver for a "Beauty and the Beast" event at the cost of $13,000 to be absorbed by the City.  Also, discussion of a program for "car sharing."  Car sharing is sort of a system of short term car rental that can be used, for example, by users of public transit.  Sounds like a great idea but it's one for private enterprise to handle, responding to a market need, not a program for the City to run, screw up and skim funds to favored folks.  Makes me think of the DWP's awesome electric scooter program.

More fallout from the tragic Metrolink crash in Chatsworth last September. Metrolink has fired two supervisors following revelations that engineer Robert Sanchez allegedly regularly allowed teenaged friends to ride in the engineer's cab and would send hundreds of text messages while operating trains. We reported in December that an inside source had told us that top Metrolink was official was allgedly dismissed after reportedly showing up intoxicated to meetings.  We may very well be scratching the surface of a culture of apparent mismangement at the railroad; an organization that has the most fatalities of any commuter railroad in the US.

Local pundits are apparently suprised that Jack Weiss only received 36% of the vote in Tuesday's election for City Attorney, forcing him into a runoff with opponent Carmen Trutanich. Jaime A. Regalado, executive director of the Edmund G. "Pat" Brown Institute of Public Affairs at Cal State L.A. told the Times  "It's a blow -- there's no way around that. He had the most money, the most mailers and definitely the most TV time."  Frankly I'm surprised he performed as well as he did.  Prior to the election some insiders were putting Weiss at 31% and were even discussing the possibility he would not make the run-off.

He's not saying that he is, but if Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is planning to run for Governor he has his first donor lined up.  Downtown Central City Blogger Don Garza says he's saving his money for that race.

It was one thing that the City stealthily raised parking meter fees and cut back on parking hours hampering businesses and others all over Los Angeles.  Now over-aggressive DOT parking officers are writing tickets for motorits before the meter even expires.  One North Hollywood patron of a local gym was ticketed 52 minutes into her parking hour by an officer who claimed she must have fed the meter - except she has proof from the gym of her arrival and departure.

The Times profiles Dearden's Department Stores which have been around for 100 years and is one of LA's oldest businesses.  The recession is having some impact on the retailer but in it's history has weathered not only recessions but depressions, wars and disco by consistently remaking itself and providing excellent service to their customers.

Patrick Range McDonald's great LA Weekly article about LA's $300,000 a year City Council members makes a Denver journo realize the Mile High's City Council is nowhere near as bad as locals assumed.  When Patrick wrote that the LA City Council "assiduously avoids its actual job: dealing with overarching issues, such as traffic, a chronic lack of parks, and overdevelopment, which have residents fuming," Lisa Jones of the Denver City Hall Examiner asked "Why aren't citizens rebelling?"  Good question Lisa, you might read a little bit here.  But the revolution is brewing; has had it's first victory and is rolling on to the next battles.

And finally, the folks at the NoOnMeasure B Twitter page said they went to Pink's to order a Mayor Villaraigosa dog but the legendary stand said was apparently out of them.  The dog named for the Mayor is only served 11% of the time.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Monday

Prediction: Expect NIMBYs - including candidate for Mayor Zev and Clowncilman Tom LeBong - opposed to development at Universal Studios and the Universal City Metro Station to use the fire at the Studios as a further reason to block the development plans that would - among other things - bring the famed NBC Studios from Burbank into the City of Los Angeles.

In light of a ridiculous idea for the City to create business preferential parking districts as a way to raise money, CityWatch takes a look at the whole concept of the districts which allow residents/homeowners in a given area to snatch up street parking from non-residents. I've never been in favor of these districts as I see them as an unconstitutional taking of public streets for a select few. A stakeholder tells CityWatch's Ken Draper that he finds the districts exclusionary sayng “We have to ask: whose street is this anyway?” Our property lines end at the curb. We all pay taxes. The streets belong to all of us. What gives me the right to tell you you can’t use your taxes-paid-for street?"

Zuma Dogg's story on the latest in the court case against Proposition R features a photo essay that makes me think maybe life isn't so easy for some of our City Council members.

Billboard wackos may not like this but cities like Los Angeles have provided public restroom facilities that clean themselves and are partially funded by advertising. The arrangements make available the restrooms and other street furniture at no cost to cities.

Rumor has it that Britney Spears is being considered to appear in the latest Broadway production of Grease portraying Sandy, the part made famous in the film by Olivia Newton-John. However there is no official confirmation of the casting at present.

Guess What? Mayor Admits Event Waivers Drive Up City Payroll!

How do you win a jackpot if you don't go to Vegas or play the lottery? Be a city employee who gets overtime pay, usually for doing nothing. The Daily News reports that the City paid $350 million in overtime pay to employees last year. For at least 1500 city employees, the overtime earned them a bonus of $50,000 or more on top of their regular salary.

The Mayor says he's trying to cut back; getting departments to comply with cutting back non-essential overtime and holding accountable department managers who are not compliant with the order.

What's behind the overtime? You guys are going to love this. Mayoral spokeshole Matt Szabo told the Daily News that 'much of the extra pay is being driven by the cost of providing necessary city services and security for special events - from marathons to parades - that are granted fee waivers."

You think? Zuma Dogg and Greig Smith better get cracking!

Zuma Dogg Talks Event Waivers with Greig Smith

Zuma Dogg interviews Council member Greig Smith about his efforts to cut back on "special event waivers" which result in a loss of significant city revenue. Smith wants to cut back about 50% on these waivers which give planners of large events breaks on fees generally charged by the city for police protection, traffic management, etc.

What About A Party For The Rest Of Us?

On Thursday, Zuma Dogg reported at LA Daily Blog that the city clowncil approved an event waiver to absorb fees and salary costs of the L.A. Fiesta Broadway 2008 to the tune of $162,977.

Council District Fourteen has received a request that the City provide certain services and declare this function a Special Event. Approval of this request
will mean that the City will absorb an estimated $162,977 in fees and salary
costs.

I THEREFORE MOVE that the "L.A. Fiesta Broadway 2008" be declared a Special Event, and City departments be requested to waive all fees and costs,except insurance and application requirements.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing I love more than a good party; but it seems to me that if the City will be helping to cover the costs of one of the biggest events occurring in the heart of its Civic Center, it should be more culturally inclusive than it is right now.

I know I’m dating myself with this little walk I’m about to take down memory lane, but the history of one of L.A.’s greatest street festivals needs to be told to some of the younger folk (or the new in this town and/or country).

Back in October of 1978, the City of Los Angeles, (with the generous help of the Schlitz Brewing Co., which contributed $100,000 and the National Endowment for the Arts, which gave $40,000) held its first ever “Street Scene” at the L.A. Civic Center. The festival was bordered by Aliso St. on the north, 1st St. on the south, Los Angeles St. on the east and Broadway on the west. Angelenos were able to enjoy a diverse selection of cultural life which included: dance, drama, arts, crafts, music and food.

Sol Marcus, the chairman of the first Street Scene and then vice-president of the city’s Board of Public Works said at the time: “This is the time for Angelenos to gather, have fun, be proud of their beautiful city and see things they never knew existed in the downtown area while enjoying performances by top artists and artisans. We want them to come early, stay late and enjoy”.

Back then, parking for the day at any of the public lots was only $2.50, or you could park for free at Dodger Stadium and take a shuttle bus to the Civic Center.

Some of the acts booked for the inaugural Street Scene: Red Hot Marimba Band, Gypsy International Folk Dancers, California Boy’s Choir, Classical Ragtime Company, Dance A La Carte, Judy Garrett – mime, Korean Ethnic Heritage, Nared the Magician, Living History Theater, California Arts African Ensemble, Ramanlahi Dance Troupe, East-West Players, New American Jazz Ensemble, Dixie Belles, Oscar Nieto Flamenco, Visual Theater Workshop, Arroyo Singers of Pasadena, Ballet Mexicapan, Freddy Fender, R’Wanda Lewis Afro Dancing, Megaw Theater Puppets, Nancy Wilson, the Frankie Valli Revue, Make Believe Unlimited, Spanky Wilson, California Festival Ballet, Chuck Jones Magic, Tierra, Mormon Samoan Choir, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Benny Howell Septet, “Skins” Afro-Cuban percussion, New Artef Players, Danny Rees – Juggler, Watts Prophets Poets, Samoan Fire Dancers, David “Fathead” Newman and the rock group Chicago, just to name a few. Some of downtown’s government buildings such as the U.S. Courthouse and the Criminal Courts Building became stage backdrops for many of the performers. A crowd estimated at somewhere between “over 10,000” (a police estimate) to an unofficial count of 30,000 all gathered in the parking lot of CCB for a light and music show.

By the close of the two-day event on Sunday night, police reported that five persons had been arrested for minor infractions. One person was taken to Queen of Angels Hospital for emergency treatment.

Other stats: There were 10 stages where more than 60 performers displayed their talents; 100 exhibitors featured arts and crafts of many nationalities and 40 booths offered foods from around the world.

Mayor Tom Bradley opened the Street Scene at a ceremony on the steps of City Hall. He told the crowd gathered there that the purpose of the festival was to try to “focus attention on the beauty and vitality of this Civic Center. We are proud of Los Angeles. We think it is one of the premier cities in the world. The people who work in the Civic Center know it intimately but there are people out there who rarely come downtown to see what’s happening.”

Lois Hale, the publicity director for the festival, said the festival was going to stay within its $140,000 budget and that the city was contributing only “in-kind services” to the event through use of municipal employees.

Of course, all good things must come to an end, and in September of 1986, after a violent weekend at that year’s Street Scene during which one person was fatally shot, 40 others injured and 35 more arrested, Mayor Tom Bradley recommended that the festival, which began as a tribute to the city’s cultural diversity – should be stopped.

Police Chief Daryl F. Gates called a news conference at the same time urging that the city-sponsored Street Scene be scrapped unless its organizers were willing to shut down the weekend event before nightfall and to stop booking “problematic” rock acts (Run DMC?).

Zev Yaroslavsky, who was then chairman of the council’s Finance and Revenue Committee proposed that the city first consider banning alcohol from its street fairs as an alternative to discontinuing the Street Scene. But seeing as how the major sponsors were beer and wine-cooler companies who were putting up the by then $700,000 annual budget, that recommendation didn’t go over so well.

Having visited the first Street Scene as a very, very, very, very young ‘tweener and being able to experience Hispanic, African, Asian, Middle Eastern, and many other ethnic influences was so exciting and inspiring to me. The sounds, the sights, the smells of all the different ethnic music, art and foods added to the mystique of Los Angeles as being one big melting pot of all types of people.

What I’d like to know is why the city is spending so much on celebrating just one aspect of our ethnic diversity when there is nothing that I know of (that compares to the vastness of Fiesta Broadway) which celebrates ALL of our ethnic diversities. I want my kids to be able to enjoy a “downtown” festival and be able to eat different types of foods, talk to and see vendors, performers and artisans from all over the world who have settled here in Southern California and specifically in the Los Angeles area, and who have so much to share culturally with all our children. Another learning experience flushed down the toilet by the politicians in charge. Why?

Why can’t we have that back – a festival for all Angelenos of every nationality to celebrate our differences as well as celebrate the (once) great city we live in and the diversity that makes us and our city unlike any other.

I’m just askin’ ….

The Mayor Says the City is Broke But the Council Funds Porn

Updated

The Mayor needs to tax your phone and internet service because the City has no money; still the City Clowncil wants to give gave an event fee waiver to a porn show in Hollywood.

Now the old, dead Republican Mayor is all for porn but not on the government dime.

Clowncil President Eric Garcetti has had a motion to be that was considered approved Tuesday last Friday to waive all event fees for the "Lust for LACE" event in Hollywood on Valentine's Day.

According to the event's own flyer "Lust for LACE" features "all manner of delightful debauchery, by creating a night featuring explicit, juic, tasty, slippery, slimy, crunchy, gooey, sexy, voyeuristic, festishtic live action animated narrative squishy hand-made video, live art and musical performance."

Perhaps President Garcetti would like to reconisder after watching this video: