Goldberg: Cold Beer and Bad Planning

The criticism of Planning Department Director Gail Goldberg continues to grow. We first learned from Joe Mailander that Gail has trouble finding her way to meetings. Then we learned from the LA Weekly that she can't even manage to plan a cup of coffee. Yesterday, we learned that Gail is rumored to be a fan of fermented grain beverages. Here are some more completely unproven allegations from an anonymous tipster.

"Jack Chiang (planner who really stepped on his who-ha by accidentally leaving "the deal is done" message for developer on a local NIMBY's answering machine) is persona non grata. Rumor was he was going to be moved to the public counter which in the City Planning World is the worst thing that can happen to you. The public hates people at the public counter...."

"Gail is really really into getting awards. Did you know a housekeeping ordinance got an award? What does that say about Gail's vision?"

"Gail is all show and no substance. She has violated so many MOUs blatantly that she about to be sued by the EAA (Engineers and Architects Association). What an idiot she is. She is ruthless. And she hiring all these young planners who are brainless and who can be molded into wannabe little Goldbergs. The place is miserable since she showed up."

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Monday

City Planner Jack Chiang - following a bonehead call to an opponent of a development project in Valley Village - has been taken off the project, pending the development of a "code of conduct" by the City Planning Department. In the meantime, writing at LAist Zach Behrens picks up on spin on the matter from the City Attorney's office.

Writer Earl Ofari Hutchinson takes the City Council to task for the current budget mess. Hutchinson says the city has been on a "runaway train" when it comes to spending, one "jampacked with big salary increases for city officials and managers, out-of-control spending on construction projects, and ballooning workers' comp and pension payouts."

Zuma Dogg and friends offer Sister City readers a new service, stock picks and investment strategy. Chat it up here.

Capitol Weekly calls into question the tribal legitimacy of the Santa Ynez Chumash Indians, owners of the Chumash Casino near Solvang. As well, they make the claim that Tribal Chairman Vincent Armenta has a minimal amount of Native American blood and can't even trace his roots back to the tribe.

Yet another dream transit map over at LAist.

The Long Beach Press Telegram editorializes in favor of the Long Beach City Council cutting back on public comment. Among the moves taken by the Council; removing the ability of citizen comments to take items separately much like the filing of public comment cards call an item "special" in Los Angeles.

We Have Very Smart People Leading Our City

Uh-Oh

A Los Angeles City Council member apologized Wednesday to a handful of San Fernando Valley residents, saying a phone message left by a Planning Department employee -- suggesting the fix was in for a controversial Valley Village condominium project -- was not "business as usual" at City Hall.

D'Oh

Councilman Ed Reyes offered his "deepest apologies" one day after he heard a recording of a city planner who, thinking that he had called the 78-unit project's developer, promised it would be approved "no matter what."

Good way to stir up NIMBYs right before they slobber turkey and stuffing all over themselves.

City planner Jack Chiang mistakenly made the call last month to Van Nuys resident Marcelle Duncan, who filed a challenge to the Planning Commission's approval of the condominium project. Duncan said developer Gary Schaffel had failed to address traffic and relocation payments to evicted tenants.