A "Two Percent Substance (of choice) Presidential/Mayor Gar-SOFT-ee" Faces the Reality of his Homeless Crisis

Mayor Eric Gar-SOFT-ee (in Yoga Pants) interrupted his "Two Percent Substance (of choice) 2020 Presidential Aspirations Tour", to view first hand, the blunt reality (and growing communal push back) regarding his failed absentee leadership, in mitigating the affects of a life-threatening Homeless Crisis.   

There was NOTHING SOFT about the Venice Community's Push Back against an Absentee Mayor's Home Crisis Policies last week.

** Blogger's Notes: A "Politico-SOFT-ee Fraud", exposed at home, again.

From Lincoln Heights, Koreatown, Sherman Oaks and last week in Venice (recorded on videos below), a growing (and diverse) amount of Los Angeles Neighborhoods, are pushing back against the failure of leadership from their City Clowncil Central Committee ............, and its absentee "Two Percent Substance (of choice) 2020 Presidential Aspirant" Mayor Eric "Gar-SOFT-ee (in Yoga Pants)".

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Early Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Wednesday

Page 1 of Koreatown Activists Lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles over Redistricting 2012.

Great early morning to all as we quickly get started on a news pack August 1, 2012.

** As we first reported here at Mayor Sam, Koreatown Activists filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the final backroom-drawn boundaries agreed upon by the City o Los Angeles Redistricting Committee. With the first of what could become multiple lawsuits on Redistricting 2012 on file as of yesterday, you can bet that City Council President Herb "Mini Amin" Wesson will not be discussing his alleged role in the Redistricting backrooms anytime soon (unless under oath).

** Former SEIU 6434 General Manager Tyrone Freeman is looking at alot of non-union time making license plates as a Federal Grand Jury returned multiple indictments against LA County Board of Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas favorite ex. union strongman. According to the indictments, Freeman and wife live the high life on the backs of low-paid union members dues. Many observers are wondering if Freeman will sing regarding what was an alleged plan to raise union dues and for workers to support the campaign of now Board of Supervisor Member Ridley Thomas?

** CD 14 City Councilman Jose Huizar was successful in getting a vote on the March ballot to create a special downtown tax district to finance his Broadway Choo Choo. But as Hillel Aron reports in the "Weekly of Record", will downtown residents want to pay more taxes when many are "under water" with their respective mortgages?  

** The political office hopping of currently CD 2 City Councilman Paul Krekorian, will remain on hold as the first full term CD 2 City Councilman announces that he is not running for City Attorney. BTW, great show of discipline by Krekorian's staffers not to comment on this issue when asked in a City Hall elevator.

** July 31 was deadline day for municipal candidates to file their latest fundraising reports with the Ethics Commission. In the 2013 Mayoral Contest, City Controller Wendy "The Valley Greuel" and CD 13 City Councilman Eric Garcetti, were mere hundreds of dollars apart at the $2.2 Million dollar mark. Look tomorrow before our report on the 2013 money race.

** City Controller Candidate Dennis "The Valley Zine" is puffing out his chest again in indignation of city employees who are watching the London Olympics on city computers during work time. Is that me or do I here the political sirens of the ambulance-chasing auditor Wendy "The Valley Greuel"?

** Saving the best laugh for last, Ron Kaye has his thoughts on Yahoo's "Villar for President" story, but the City Terrace native is not without ambition. 

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14                                            

Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Wednesday

...... on this year's

"State of (Abandoning?) the Town of Eagle Rock Speech".

The likes of Michael Larsen, Pot Shop owners, the Eagle Rock Patch, connected CBOs, Tom Topping (if invited) and other Eagle Rock luminaries will spent quality time away from their close ones this evening on what should of been the last "State of the Town of Eagle Rock Speech" by "Downtown Councilman Jose Huizar".

As questions about the future of Colorado Blvd., Pot Shops, Massage Parlors, Yosemite Park and increase in crime await resolution in the minds of constituents, their councilman has quietly been working the Redistricting Commission to make Eagle Rock and its issues, the future responsibility of either CD 1 or CD 13.

The proposed map released by the Redistricting Commission shows that Councilman Huizar was partly successful in removing Highland Park (no more "MorYork Gallery Shakedowns" by staffers), Glassell Park (Bye, Bye Bradley!) and most of Mt. Washington (Hasta La Vista Southwest Society) from his district. But his bold plan to trade all of the Northeast for the campaign riches of CD 9's Downtown LA, came up short with Councilwoman Jan Perry holding on to LA Live and Councilman Huizar forced to endure four more years of phone calls from Garvanza and Eagle Rock.

Thus, the likes of Michael Larson and the Huizar enablers in what remains of Councilman Huizar's Northeast domain should fortify themselves to the fact that their "3 for loyalty" will not have the same value of a "Downtown 3" in a new "Downtowncentric CD 14" as the medical ganga burns on in Eagle Rock.

OTHER NEWS:

** BRAVO! This to the Korea Times Editorial Board for stating the obvious about true reason for redistricting in Los Angeles. ITS ALL ABOUT THE SPOILS STUPID! From the toothless LA Times.

In a biting editorial, the Korea Times attacked lawmakers for treating Koreatown like a "cash register" by taking campaign contributions from the neighborhood but not fighting for it.

Plus, you add in the cost of doing "cash only business" with certain city departments, and the bottom line of doing business in a future CD 10, become subject matter for investigated agencies.

** This should be a simple formula for corruption in government.

"Cash payments of public money to union strongman = TROUBLE!"

But as the LA Times goes front page, above the fold (and to the right of outer fishwrap advertisements) on the latest expose of monetary malfeasance at the Coliseum Commission, does anyone notice the absence of the siren sound of the media-seeking ambulance chaser of audits, City Controller Wendy "The Valley Greuel"?  

But as noted in the "Weekly of Record" this is one audit that is "too close for political comfort".

Others, however, have painted the union as a victim, noting that benefits and tax liabilities have been lost if these allegations are true. City Controller Wendy Greuel told us previously that "IATSE clearly followed the rules on so many levels."    

.... and what would LA Weekly Editor Jill Stewart think of that comment from the "Valley Greuel"? "Pul-eeze!"

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14

Easter Sunday Morning Mimosa

JM, Sycamore, St. George, 3.20.08


Joseph Mailander a guy in la • elsewhere • email

It's Easter, and Tony Castro has the scoop. Easter hasn't been this early since 1913, and it won't fall on this early date again until 2160, so enjoy this one.

Pedro Espinoza, the alleged gangbanger suspected of killing Jamiel Shaw, Jr., may have been in the US illegally, Zahniser says. He is said to have been smuggled into the country from Mexico when he was four years old.

KFI says that an LAPD-commissioned report on SWAT will be fairly critical of some operations. The police union is alert to a possible ruse on behalf of department change, the Daily News implies: "All the issues are not being put on the table," said Tim Sands, president of the league. "We aren't bringing in the experts. We haven't had an opportunity to see this report that was leaked. We just need more information."

LA can neither grow its own newspaper editors, its own department heads, nor even its own cultural leaders, and the Times celebrates the latter fact in an aren't-we-wonderful puff piece.

Korean-styled BonChon Chicken at 6th and Catalina has opened for bidness. Most desperate cultural stretch of the month: "Think of it as Pinkberry…with fried chicken."

Thursday Hotsheet at 3 a.m.

JM, Wilshire Vermont: Ice Cold Urbanism, 1.23.08


Joseph Mailander a guy in la • elsewhere • email

The De La Hoya / Sears Building deal back on again? That's what we hear, and that's what the LA Biz Journal says, without reporting the real part of the deal. Civic seed money could approach $200 million---way more than for even Grand Avenue. The people in Oscar's corner played a little poker after the City balked on the other enormous project slated for the east side, the stem cell center.

Despite the efforts of the gents below, the former fishwrap of record puts out an editorial this morning in support of Proposition S. Basically, their editorial says, yes, there's been nothing but duplicity, but vote for it anyway. We have been saying for a long time now that the biggest problem at the paper is the way it snuggles up to elites while pissing off the City's ordinary citizens, and that the formula for running a beloved newspaper is precisely the opposite of that. Here's one more example: nobody wants Prop S once it's explained to them, but the paper stands on the side of the elites and their trickery.

Children left behind: the Bush administration would make cuts that would close the LAUSD's health centers, the Daily News says.

Red Tape Busters? The Valley now has its own 311 for the City, and it's not run by the City at all---it's run by VICA. Hey, whatever works. It took us about six years to get a street sign that was leaning like the flag in the Iwo Jima picture fixed. Somehow it was fixed the very day of the election in November 2006 in which Tom LaBonge became our Councilman again. Admittedly, I thought the angle was fairly jaunty. Maybe they should bring VICA across the hill.

Above is a photo of the ice cold faux urbanism going for $2000 a month in the faux-urban fun zone at Wilshire and Vermont. People who live in the neighborhood complain that nothing being built in the neighborhood is being built for them, that the new developments just reinforce rather than ease the City's missing rung on the housing ladder. Scroll below to see a photo of lux condos in the same neighborhood. Does it look like of the developments are going to be marketed to people who already live in LA?


Below, JM, Cell Phone ad / "Luxury" Condos, 1.23.08