Tuesday Hotsheet for Hot Streets

“I don't trust any police department to investigate itself”

Heat on the streets! The media sure know how to play Representative Maxine Waters against Southern California. Listening ad nauseam to her batty sound bites yesterday on KFI, you’d think nothing else was worth reporting in this town. By now, you know the story: Inglewood officer-involved shootings have killed three people in three months; Waters wants a federal investigation; yadda yadda yadda. Is anyone demanding a federal investigation into the San Francisco program that released a dozen felons to the streets of San Bernardino County? Or, into how AK-type assault rifles are finding their way into our communities? Or, perhaps, into the apparent lack of oversight that broke L.A. Bridges?

Speaking of which, Jeff Carr, the city’s gang czar has resurfaced. He and Mayor Villaraigosa recommend awarding half-million-dollar contracts to six anti-gang programs, effectively replacing L.A. Bridges:

“This is arguably the most pressing social problem in the city of Los Angeles. What we’ve been doing for the last 20, 25 years hasn’t been working. So we’re trying to do something different.”

Surely, we can question the mayor’s motives in hiring out-of-towners to handle such menial tasks as reversing multi-generational gang culture, fixing transportation, and city planning, but I will credit Villaraigosa for starting fresh (amazingly, there remain councilmembers who support sinking more money into L.A. Bridges). That said, L.A. Bridges should not be swept under the rug. An audit and investigation are long overdue.

The cool dudes over at LAist have documented a successful journey down the L.A. River by kayak. The purpose was to prove that the river is navigable, and thus, a river that can be “revitalized.” Blogger Zach Behrens declares, “we need this river for the people!” but with special interest man Ed Reyes’ involvement, isn’t this akin to Tom LaBonge’s Griffith Park for the people?

Finally, Los Angeles Downtown News threw a party last week to celebrate the winners of its annual Best Of. Those in attendance included many of our favorites; LaBonge, Greuel, and Reyes. According to reports, a highlight came when Councilmember Jan Perry… well, just click for yourself.

Damn out of towners

JM, No space problems here, Playa del Rey shoal, 2.05.08

Joseph Mailander a guy in la • elsewhere • email

I'll admit it, sometimes folks get on me about Zuma---even as they get on MayorSam about me. But I can't imagine Zuma (or me, for that matter) writing what Patt Morrison came up with this morning at the former fishwrap of record.

Space is purportedly tight on the Times op-ed page--too tight to cover local news adequately, they say---but the paper this morning had adequate space to lend to Patt Morrison pitching the "fun" of Rudy Giuliani as prospective Mayor---of LA.

I won't speak for myself, but I do know that Zuma shows way more restraint and sound editorial judgment than that.

Whatever her column meant to accomplish is unclear, but whatever it is, it looks like a big waste of space. Patt, in fact, is going way off in the wrong direction, if recent City history serves to inform.

So forget Rudy, Patt. I'll give you three out-of-towners, already here with the Mayor's blessing, who you should be writing about:

Ed Boks. Enough said. The guy recently took down a poll from his personal blog that wasn't going his way. He has pissed off nearly every corner of the City's various animal rights communities.

Gail "GPS" Goldberg. "Growth is inevitable" by Goldberg's book, even though both New York City and her hometown of San Diego have been managing its population with considerable stability and healthy economies for over a decade. She pleads "My hands are tied" when any issue gets tough; she caves to every re-zoning request. Literally thousands of million-dollar condos have been built under her watch, and not one of them for anyone who actually lives here (it's simple math, Gail: if you live here, you can't buy a million-plus condo without already owning something, and who would trade a million-plus property they already own here in LA for a million-plus condo?). And certainly: anyone who needs a map to get from Downtown to Los Feliz should not be the City's top planner. D'Oh!

Gloria Jeff. She's come and gone, mercifully, but---why on earth would you bring in a traffic czar from outside of the city? The majority of residents, who have lived here five years or more, all ramble around LA with long-ago established knowledges of how the City is supposed to flow; we project our expectations onto our commutes, our meet-ups, our late-night boogie routes. The idea that an out-of-towner could tap into this collective traffic consciousness and start solving things was completely preposterous.

Here's a worthwhile op-ed, Nick: when a Mayor brings someone in from out of town, they're easier to lead around by the nose, and that's what the Mayor's people knew in 2005 when they brought in these people. But our City has too much legacy for an out-of-towner to penetrate in a short time; these out-of-towner internships are typically are busts that don't work in the City's interests, only in the Mayor's.

Nobody talks much about these people,who are failing LA's citizens daily, and nobody assigns their failures to the Mayor. But Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa appointed them all, and the Mayor should answer for them all.

Mayor Villaraigosa on notice: no more firings!

Mayor V. has been warned advised not to fire or accept resignations of any more African American employees, according to an LAT opinion piece co-authored by one of my favorite weekend radio hosts:

The City Council's three black members -- Jan Perry, Bernard C. Parks and Herb Wesson -- met with black pastors to discuss Jeff's termination. The Los Angeles Sentinel, the major African American newspaper in town, raised questions about "what is transpiring with black employees under the mayor's political umbrella." Frederick O. Murph, senior minister of Brookins Community African Methodist Episcopal Church, told Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa: "We don't want to see any more African Americans get fired. We don't want to see any more African Americans resigning." According to the mayor, about 20% of his appointed department heads are African American. This in a city with a black population of less than 10%.

Did the fall of Rome include this much low comedy and high drama? LAT

Another day, another City Hall shakedown

Gloria Jeff is paid $95,000 to go away quietly. Settlement amounts under $100,000 cannot be reversed by City Council.

“This is outrageous,” said Councilman Dennis Zine, (snip) “It makes us look like fools,” ...

Indeed, it does. LAT