Morning Briefs on Reshuffling/ Reinventing the Los Angeles Political Machine for Hump Day

Links galore on the Reshuffling/ Reinvention of the Los Angeles City Hall Political Structure.

New Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin, seeks an higher order regarding fiscal data processing. 

Great blogging Hump Day as the calendar (along with the assorted requisite "100 Day Analysis Missives") reminds us that some time back, we past the 100 Day Mark on the supposed reshuffling/ reinventing at City Hall, after the latest election cycle.

The likes of new Mayor Eric Garcetti and City Controller Ron Galperin are espousing their respective grasps of the power of technology, in making government more assessable to the average Angeleno. Mayor Garcetti want you to know how your local government is performing. Thus you can bloggin click here to view (** hopefully, it works like "spoll check" in spelling out the real performance of your favorite department, but I digress). Not to be outdone, City Controller Ron Galperin unveiled his new website "Control Panel", which is suppose to be an electronic door opener to viewing how your public money is allocated. 

Downtown News Editor and "Reigning Scribe of Wit", allocated some work time to go X-box on Controller Galperin's "Control Panel" and the results is an excerpt from his latest "Regardie Report".

Despite the data overload, some interesting nuggets exist in ControlPanel. I dug around in the muck last week, uncovering a handful of facts that won’t make the city better, but do make it more amusing.
For example, a lot of people like to know how much someone working for the city earns. I’m as guilty of six-figure jealousy as the next private-sector employee without an amazing taxpayer-abetted pension, but I’m also curious about how little some people make.
That’s why, after looking at Galperin’s rundown of 2012 DWP pay and figuring out that GM Ron Nichols earned $349,000 last year, I scrolled to the bottom of the looooong list. There, I learned that someone with the job title of “service representative” made $6.23 in 2012 (yes, the decimal point is in the right place). The second poorest DWP earner of the year was a construction pipefitter who raked in $10.98.
This sparks all sorts of questions: Did the service rep sign up for a $25 an hour job and get canned after 14 minutes? How many pipes did the pipe fitter fit for his almost $11? Were these people paid in cash, check or bubblegum? I’d love an answer to any of these questions, but the database doesn’t have it.

Wonder where is the category regarding the expenditures on a certain CD 14 Discretionary/ Amenities Fund (CLARTS) and how $1.5 Million was spent in "salaries transfers"?

** One of the looming byproducts in the reshuffling of the City Clowncil Central Committee in the most recent election cycle, has been the reduce presence of "Political Estrogen" within the Horseshoe. KPCC Reporter Alice "The City Maven" Walton, recently moderated a discussion on the waning influence of women in City Hall with a panel that included for Clowncilwomen Wendy "The Villar Greuel", Joy Picus and the current, token female Clowncilmember Nury Martinez.

** The topic of City Hall General Manager's reshuffling is on the mind of "MSNBC City Watch LA" front person Ken Alpern, as he muses on the recent, predictable departure of Department of Transportation General Manager Jamie "Hummer" De La Vega and his replacement by now former Recreation and Parks General Manager Jon K. Mukri. (** who now has served as GM in three city departments, General Services, Rec & Parks and now DOT).

** The effort to reinvent the CD 4 City Clowncil Seat from the LaBonge Persona into Carolyn Ramsey, is in need funding as the Griffith Park Wayist notes. We wonder what the Wayist thinks of the leadership change in Rec. & Parks?

** ........ oh lastly! CD 4 voters may want to avoid remaking their Clowncil Domain into the next political incarnation of a certain former "Silver Lake Stay at Home Politico" known as the "Infant Assemblyman", in lieu of these past comments regarding Montebello's Tom Calderon.



“I’m proud to endorse Tom Calderon for Assembly,” said Assemblyman Mike Gatto. “We need more legislators like him, who are intelligent and savvy, and willing to put in the long hours necessary to pass legislation that repairs our schools, stimulates our economy, and gets our state’s residents back to work.”

...... the only thing the Calderons know how to stimulate is FBI Stings.

Your thoughts ...............
Scott Johnson in CD 14



Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Monday

Somos primos.

Paul Hatfield writing at CityWatch reports that Dennis Zine went to Wendy Greuel to ask her "permission" to run for City Controller.  Of course, this presupposes that Greuel is planning to run for Mayor creating a race with no incumbent for Greuel's current spot. Hatfield asks why doesn't Zine just run away, but he answers his own question essentially pointing out we have rigged elections and there is no true competition.

This is rich - Assembly Speaker John Perez - a cousin of Mayor Villaraigosa to whom he owes his entire career - is decrying nepotism in the City of Vernon.

Stephen Box makes the case that the Mayor's appointment of Jamie de la Vega to head the City's troubled transportation department is just more of the same.

Homeboy Industries has opened a diner in City Hall.  Let's hope Wendy Greuel audits often.