Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Friday

From GetLiberty.org.  Used with permission.

The Expo Light Rail line from LA to Culver City has hit a roadblock.  A California Public Utilities Commission Judge has ruled against the authority building the train and their desire to have two at grade crossings near Dorsey High and Foshay Learning Center.  Community activitists as well as the LAUSD argued that these crossings would be dangerous to children walking to school and the judge agreed, ordering the Expo Line authority to construct bridges at the crossing adding perhaps $18 million and three years to the project.  The Commission itself will have the final say in November.

A Glassell Park community forum turned into a debate on the fate of the Southwest Museum and a controversial plan to use funds from a bond measure to fund facilities for the Los Angeles Community College at the Museum.  Though the District denies this, activists say that the Southwest is included in an LACCD "wish list" of projects should the measure pass. 

Like Mayor Villaraigosa, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has managed to pass his own version of shady term limits extension but he didn't have to bamboozle the voters to do it.  The New York City Council voted 29-22 (God damn, could you imagine having 51 CLOWNCIL MEMBERS?) to extend his (and their) terms by another four years, despite the fact that Big Apple voters have twice passed term limits meaures capping the Mayor and Clowncil at two four year terms.  Dang and we thought our Clowncil was shady!

An attorney for John McCain's wife Cindy has sent a protest letter to the New York Times for their recent hatchet job story on Cindy McCain.  That's part of the usual bloviating of campaigns though it does seem unfair the Obama Times would dredge up McCain's past but not look at Mrs. Obama's background, of which there are some questions.  That being said the more disturbing issue of the whole affair is that the writer of the story - Jodi Kantor - scoured the Facebook profile of McCain's 16 year old daughter Bridget and contacted classmates of Bridget McCain in order to dig up dirt on the McCains.  Incredible.

And fnally, Britney Spears has decided what she's going to dress up as for Halloween: herself.  Brit's going to put on a bald wig and trick or treat as her old crazy self a few years ago. 

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Monday

District Attorney Steve Cooley is well on his way to being re-elected to his third term though he once blasted former opponent and District Attorney Gil Garcetti for doing the same. Cooley says he further goals to achieve.

Despite the scares and Neighborhood Council votes, Joe Mailander reports that LA's libraries have not been cut in their funding in the coming City Budget. Still it was a good opportunity for the libraries to shake down their patrons and the Neighborhood Councils.

You've read here about the antics of former Glassell Park Neighborhood Council President Bradley and his top lieutenant Paula Bagasao. Now David Markland picks up the story at his KNBC blog. Among the antics at the Council's meeting Tuesday; reviewing complaints over Bradley's attempt to prevent a stakeholder from video taping the Council's meetings and a complaint against Bagasao for alleged racist remarks made against Hispanics and Whites. In case you forgot what fun Bradley and Bagasao are, here' s video reminder.



Rick Orlov blogs what local Democratic activist and former candidate for LA Community College District Trustee Maria Agazaryan and her husband did with their $2100 tax rebate stimulus check: a shopping spree for patio furniture.

A goofy screed about the comining of the new 747 area code as an overlay for the 818. Writing in CityWatch developer Rickey Gelb doesn't understand how after 20 years of use the area code is running out of numbers. His math of six numbers of every man, woman in child doesn't take into account business lines, cell phones and other uses for lines. Time marches on Rickey, its time for another area code.

You can see a video of the new MTA advertising in subway tunnels at the LA Times website. Though the billboard NIMBYs are screaming about it. It reminds me of the old Peoplemover throuh Superspeed Tunnel at Disneyland back in the 70s.

Sunday Morning Mimosa

JM, Mattress truck, Los Feliz Boulevard, 3.28.08


Joseph Mailander a guy in la • elsewhere • email

The City's density Stasi are bringing the same kind of dystopic bedlam to Ventura Boulevard that they brought to the Westside. The Times is starting to catch up and discovers that the neighborhood councils, though largely powerless, are the organizations that best speak for the opposition. There wasn't a good enough homeowners/renters ratio to combat density on the Westside, but there might be in the Valley.

What went wrong with Drew Street, Glassell Park? The Times also revisits the case of Chata Leon, who's an avatar of everything gone wrong with the City-as-an-immigrant-haven. Haven't we seen this story before, elsewhere? But the article does point to a constant problem in LA:

The number of apartment buildings doubled. City records show that from 1984 to 1992, builders razed 30 single-family houses and erected apartment complexes in their place, adding 480 units to the 12-square-block neighborhood -- between the Glendale Freeway and Forest Lawn Memorial-Park -- that includes Drew Street.

Living conditions began to resemble those of many public housing projects, particularly on Drew Street, where the concentration of apartments was the greatest....

The LAUSD wants to prepare students better---in Chinese, the Daily News informs. How optimistic. We might become the training ground for the Wal-Mart buyers of 2025 yet. Has the district shown a lot of measured growth in English? Just asking.

Yours truly has an article on music and the LA Opera speaker's series at Brand Library Recital Hall in this month's just-issued Verdugo Monthly. Brand has been my home away from home of late. It's a great venue. On a different tack, last week, I had an article on ovarian cancer in the Downtown News---I hope it got emailed around to women and men alike, as everyone benefits from more awareness of this malady that isn't talked about too much.

Bradley Defrocked?

I don't know how we missed this one but, thanks to David Markland for the heads up; looks like everyone's favorite control freak Neighborhood Council President the uni-named Bradley is no longer President of the Glassell Park Neighborhood Council.

The Council's website lists Business Representative Tony Butka as the President and Bradley has been demoted to a lowly area representative. As best as we can see, the Council website has no current minutes or news to confirm or give details.



Could this indeed be the end of an era?

In other David Markland news (via Will Campbell), no a former WKRP in Cincinatti Star is NOT running for Culver City Council and an interview with Eric Garcetti.

Glassell Park's Bagasao Doesn't Get Brown Act

Neighborhood Councils want to spend money intended for outreach and community empowerment on cameras to watch dangerous criminals and others; but they apparently don't want to be the subjects of cameras themselves.

In this previously unreleased classic from the comedy series that is know as The Goofy Glassell Park Neighborhood Clowncil starring Bradley, we see Council leader Paula Bagasao display a complete and utter lack of understanding of the Brown Act. Sadly, Bagasao seems to think she is immune from anyone who plans to "fight" her or the Council.

Bradley's Parallel Universe

When is a grievance an agenda item for committee reforms? In the parallel universe that is Bradley's Glassell Park Neighborhood Council. Embattled but not giving up residents who are tired of this evil empire and their treatment at the hands of it's mononymic leader Bradley want to file grievances against the Council and in particular, Bradley.

At a meeting of the Council's Executive Committee, Bradley told a stakeholder their grievance would be heard at the upcoming meeting of the full Council board. Upon arriving at that meeting the stakeholders found that the grievance was not on the agenda. Bradley had buried the issue - or at least claimed he did - under an agenda item about the grievance process.

As the stakeholder correctly pointed out, the Council now could not legally hear the grievance as it was not specifically published on the agenda as per the Brown Act. Not a bad dodge for a smarmy despotic Neighborhood Council President who displays little regard for constituents. He should get elected to the real Clowncil!

Bradley's Back!

And he's at it again, refusing to answer stakeholder questions about an alleged conflict of interest. Bradley better hope he's telling the truth cause if not he will eventually wind up in deep doo-doo, just like the Mayor, Bill Clinton, Tom DeLay, etc.

Anyway Bradley says that if you don't like him not answering questions, you can file a grievance. Feel free blog readers to file as many grievances as you can to gpnc41@sbcglobal.net.

Bradley's Mid Year Report Card

We haven't heard much about the antics of Bradley and the Glassell Park Neighborhood Council lately.

The Arroyo Seco Journal asks the question if "this is anyway to run a neighborhood council?" Back late last year the newspaper had a report as to concerns special interests had taken over the Council, many in the community now feel this has come to fruition.

Among the alleged trangressions of Bradley and crew as reported by the Journal:

• Not posted any minutes of any proceedings for nearly 6 months.
• Failed to adequately maintain GPNC website. (Website is now offline.)
• Ignored the approved 4th quarter 2006 budget and expenditures were not honored nor followed through with.
• Held Illegal Executive Committee votes. Illegally added an Assistant Secretary to the GPNC Executive Committee
• Passed Action Items with less than the required minimum eight votes
• Illegally changed the name of the standing Land Use Committee to the Economic Development Committee, in violation of the GPNC bylaws, and the political opposite of the Land Use committee.
• Attempted to disallow videotaping of GPNC Meetings
• Lied with regard to City attorney’s position as to whether written permission was needed from the GPNC Board
• Violated the Brown Act numerous times including requesting the name of a videographer taping a GPNC meeting.
• Bradley did not recuse himself from an April 17 GPNC vote of support for a Victory Outreach sign, though he had a clear and public conflict of interest.
• On April 17 and June 5, Bradley publicly lied in denying he had any dealings with Victory Outreach pertaining to their proposed sign.
• Bradley attempted to intimidate stakeholder Alisa Smith during her presentation to the board until a former boardmember stepped between them.
• Bradley did not declare his community standing and conflict of interest at a recent Zoning Appeals hearing for Victory Outreach, only until the Zoning Administrator asked him.
• The majority of the complaints and accusations all come back to one issue—conflict of interest.

BRADLEY: The Rocky of Glassell Park

You saw this video where Glassell Park Neighborhood Council President "Bradley" denied that city documents he signed were not relative to the installation of a controversial sign in the community.

The claim made by opponents of the "Bradley" administration (and what an insult to the great Mayor Tom Bradley this guy has the same name) is that "Bradley" allegedly has voted to approve projects he allegedly has some financial interest in. That's a big no-no for Neighborhood Council members.

Here is yet another video of "Bradley" shucking and jiving, skipping around the question like a wannbe artful dodger.

Lets hope this guy gets removed from office before he tries to step up to City Council. What a smarmy arrogrant smug asshole!

Big Laugh: Bradley Preaches Diversity and Tolerance

The latest "Bradley" video is a hoot. Bradley wants to have some kind of town hall forum where the topic is one of "diversity" and "tolerance." Pretty funny coming from a tinhorn dictator who doesn't seem to preach much diversity and tolerance when it comes to those who oppose his Neighborhood Council and their actions.

The funniest part of this video is some clown on the Council board who is opposed to the Northeast Los Angeles Yahoo Group and does not want them to be part of the "forum." Apparently their crime is that they "defame" people and equates what is said on this Yahoo group to the type of real racism the Anti-Defamation League fights.

This comparison is insulting as if you read the Northeast LA Yahoo group most of it is pretty mundane. The only thing I can surmise is "defamatory" is user comments that that take on the Council board for their authoritarian ways..

By the way CurbedLA has picked up on the comedy of Bradley here and here.

Lets hope at some point the good folks of Glassell Park get a real Neighborhood Council. And that probably puts me on their enemies list.

When is a Committee Not a Committee?

Our friends at the Glassell Park Neighborhood Council have figured out a way to get rid of their Planning and Land Use Committee, even though its required by their by-laws: Just pretend it doesn't exist.

The Bradley Bunch

The fun continues in Glassell Park! In this latest video installment (complete with music and titles!) that rascally Neighborhood Council President Bradley (one name like Cher or Madonna or Liberace) sort of gets caught with his pants down! Could this clown be more pompous and arrogant? Watch how he dodges questions and refuses to answer them. It's artful!