A "David (Highland Park Community) vs Goliath (McCormick, Barron and Salazar Developer)" Court Victory

** Blogger's Note: Former Mayor Sam Blogger Solomon "Antonio Watch" Wolfson (who we hope is well), wrote the following below in 2008, about the proposed "Highland Park Transit Village". 

A few miles down the Arroyo, the Highland Park Transit Village is coming. A four story, multi-block, all-but-certainty, residents are told. Minor details yet to be worked out include: a) what it will look like, b) whether or not it will include retail, and c) whether or not it will supplant all existing public parking spacesand provide adequate parking for the new residential units. Oh—and, what will become of the “market-priced” units when the market fails to deliver. One thing is certain: 75% “affordable” means developers Kevin McCormack, Richard Baron, and Tony Salazar will sleep soundly—far from Avenue 56 and Figueroa.

In late 2015, despite the efforts of current CD 1 City Councilman Gil "Broken Deal Cedillo", his predecessor Ed "Density" Reyes, along with the then local Southwest Society Insiders Cabal, featuring the likes of Carol Jacquez, Pat Griffin and Jenny Krusoe, the community altering (adversely according to some) trio of McCormack, Barron and Salazar, will be mulling the legal costs (both past and future), as they ponder their "Goliath Legal Beatdown" by the "David-like Friends of Highland Park".   

The connected Developer, which is synonymous for the Density Housing, espoused by the likes of former CD 1 City Councilman Ed Reyes and CD 14 City Councilman Jose Huizar, will likely join with the City of Los Angeles, in appealing the decision, that would force them to restart the approval process (which includes a new EIR). 

In lieu of a potential appeal to the California Supreme Court, the victorious "Friends of Highland Park" and its Legal Counsel Dean Walraff, will host a 2 P.M. Press Conference today (view Press Release below), which include details on the court decision's impact on the Highland Park Community and city wide-----Scott Johnson.   

Page 1 of Friends of Highland Park Press Release.

Page 2 of Friends of Highland Park Press Release.

Hot Morning Briefs on the "Anti-Broken Deal Cedillo NELA Political Scene" for Monday

As CD 1 City Clowncil Central Committee Member Gil (formerly One Bill) Cedillo nears the end of his First Term, its becoming clear to a growing number of disenchanted Northeast LA constituents, that their Officeholder is becoming the official purveyor of Crony Capitalism ....., at the expense of Broken Promises to the Greater NELA Community.

Has the former "One Bill Gil" become the Crony Capitalist Opportunist known as "Broken Deal Cedillo"?

** Blogger's Note: For a former, career Sacramento Lawmaker, now First Term member of the Los Angeles City Clowncil Central Committee, who's singular pursuit of entitlements for the Undocumented, earned him the moniker of "One Bill Gil", is exhibiting a new political persona that is bound to have his Progressive followers wandering if he spent to much time absorbing the Free Enterprise proclivities (minus the ethics) of his Legislative, Republican friends. Since his victory over former CD 1 Clowncil Ed "Density" Reyes Chief of Staff Jose Gardea, many who were part of the Northeast LA Coalition that gave the friend of former Failure Mayor Antonio Villar, his slim margin of victory, are now openly condemning their former candidate of choice for numerous broken promises, which prompted a certain blogger to bestow the CD 1 Officeholder with the moniker of "BROKEN DEAL CEDILLO". Its been bloggin clear to most objective political observers that material self-interest (via the accumulation of campaign contributions) and its desired benefits for a select group of cronies (ie. Crony Capitalism), has become paramount for Cedillo, when deciding his course of action on a particular policy issue. Below, we extrapolate upon how the Crony Capitalist desires of "Broken Deal Cedillo" has adversely affected policy direction on four on-going issues within Northeast LA---Scott Johnson.

Is Northeast CD 1 becoming less safe under the supposed leadership of "Broken Deal Cedillo"?

** Safety on the Northeast LA Figueroa Corridor: For those who were involve in the vigil for Yolanda Lugo, who was killed September 18 in a "Hit and Run Incident" at Figueroa and Ave. 55. The tragedy of Ms. Lugo's death is compounded by the fact that "Broken Deal Cedillo" views those who are the regular voices calling for increase pedestrian safety as the "One Percent". 

Do Northeast CD 1 Constituents have any say when "Broken Deal Cedillo" supports major Crony Capitalist Developments?

** The Proposed McCormick, Barron and Salazar Highland Park Transit Village: When you put self-interest before the concerns of the community, sometimes the results can become litigious as residents (Friends of Highland Park) use their legal rights to preserve their neighborhood character. Conceived during the reign of Clowncilman Reyes, the proposed Transit Village had the backing of the local political establishment, which were given their pieces of the Crony Capitalists payouts. But under the reign of Cedillo, a promise to revisit the project, has became just another Broken Deal via Cedillo (allegedly).

Will the goal of a rehabilitated and open Southwest Museum become a casualty of the latest "Broken Deal Cedillo" Crony Capitalist Scheme?

** The Future of the Southwest Museum: What should of been a policy priority for the latest CD 1 Clowncil, has instead, become a "El Plan" how to put Crony Capitalistism, Self-Interest before preserving and re-opening Los Angeles Oldest Museum. What is readily apparent is that Broken Deal Cedillo has created bad, political Ju Ju for himself by aligning himself with the likes of Gabriel Buelna, who see real estate exploitation as being paramount, instead of a stand alone, reopen museum.

What is the effect on a community when their voice is ignore in favor of a backroom dictated exercise of Crony Capitalism?

** Cypress Park Community Center/GRYD Prevention Contract: Since being awarded the Northeast LA GRYD Prevention $800,000 Contract, El Centro del Pueblo's Program Director Fernando Chacon has found some quality time (away from work) to run for City Council in Montebello.  That said, we would advise community members within the boundaries of the contract area, to practice oversight in how contract money is dispense .............., considering these FPPC Actions again his brothers Art and Hector ........., and his involvement with both.

Your thoughts ..............

Scott Johnson in CD 14

Notes from the pressure cooker

Leave it to the grown-ups in Los Angeles’ most congested neighborhoods to stall an inexpensive, sensible congestion remedy on Pico and Olympic Boulevards. L.A. is in perpetual internal conflict. In the end—decades from now—it’ll make for fascinating reading.

Southern California: where the wealthy and educated lost paradise, clinging to a belief that everyone else on the block would eschew Lexus luxury for mass transit.

I passed by the Archstone Del Mar Station apartments in Pasadena yesterday—an ochre monstrosity I watched rise from the dead over the dusty northwest corner of Arroyo Parkway and Del Mar Blvd. Archstone is among a growing number of Gold Line “transit villages,” and features massive faux pillars, a bell tower, and kitschy transit theme—perfect for the über-hip, carless, young professional who works downtown and finds his sense of place in something resembling Legoland. Never will he make a spontaneous day trip to Redondo Beach or drop in at IKEA, just because he’s in the neighborhood. Life is so clean and manipulatable on government letterhead.

A few miles down the Arroyo, the Highland Park Transit Village is coming. A four story, multi-block, all-but-certainty, residents are told. Minor details yet to be worked out include: a) what it will look like, b) whether or not it will include retail, and c) whether or not it will supplant all existing public parking spaces and provide adequate parking for the new residential units. Oh—and, what will become of the “market-priced” units when the market fails to deliver. One thing is certain: 75% “affordable” means developers Kevin McCormack, Richard Baron, and Tony Salazar will sleep soundly—far from Avenue 56 and Figueroa.

I’m still searching for the young, professional Angeleno who invests $750,000 in a condo with only one parking space, among majority affordable units in a marginal neighborhood, and commutes to her six-figure job via rail and bus transfer.

Should it surprise anyone that the same geniuses who failed to notice an 800-pound sub-prime gorilla savaging the city budget in slow motion also believe they can fabricate markets, complete with consumers lining up to make bad investments? Make believe is so easy when you’re spending someone else’s money.

Meanwhile, an urgent sandwich board outside Archstone Del Mar Station reads: FLEXIBLE LEASE OPTIONS.