Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Friday

The Old Gray Collectivist Hag on Spring Street unleashes "ACORN Rainey" to blunt the Kevin James Campaign momentum.

 The LA Political Insiders PR Organ of Record.

Republican Agenda Basher of Record James "ACORN Rainey".

The LA Political Insider Elites are running scare of the Kevin James for Mayor Campaign. 

Thus, its time for drastic measures by its journalistic enabler "The Old Gray Collectivist Hag on Spring Street", via this bias agenda missive by James "ACORN Rainey", on the past Villar Greuel, John Noguez meetings .

With the likes of noted Liberal bias scribes Tim Rutten and Bill "WWG2" Boyarsky, sent to the journalistic retirement dachas, it falls upon "ACORN Rainey" to protect the interests of the elite insiders and their mayoral candidate of choice City Controller Wendy "The Villar Greuel".

It should come as no surprise that the Villar Greuel's "Private Citizen/ Political Consultant" John Shallman would call upon the Times and "ACORN Rainey" to stop the upward momentum of the James Campaign, considering the Shallman/Times failed past efforts on behalf of another insider darling "The Empty Political Vessel called Chris Essel".

We understand that Rainey (and the elites), were indignant that the James Campaign would have the audacity to make the assertion that the Villar Greuel and jail former LA County Assessor John Noguez, may have shared fiscal thoughts during past meetings.

But the act of "feigning indignation missives", is a noted, repeating behavior trait of "ACORN Rainey".

This especially when Republicans or Conservatives have the temerity to question the veracity/ integrity of Liberal institutions such as ACORN,  President Barack "H" Obama, his paper cover-up of video-taped anti-Israel comments by Rashid Khalidi and now the James Campaign's outing of the Villar Greuel/ John Noguez Meeting.

Thus, the James Campaign should push upward in knowing that the elite insiders are growing restless in combating an increasing potent outsider campaign to return ethics to 200 Spring Street.

** LAUSD District Four School Board Member Steve Zimmer displayed an unknown passion for conviction at last night's Candidate forum with Challenger Kate Anderson. For some in El Sereno, they may ask where was Zimmer's conviction when he had the chance to close down a fail Charter School?

** CD 3 City Councilman and City Controller Candidate Dennis Zine may lead in the money race to replace the Villar Greuel, but former City Controller Laura Chick is backing the insider choice Ron Galperin.

** Just breaking this late AM, Billionaire Texan Harold Simmons has donated another $500,000 to the IE Committee in support of Kevin James. Clearly this is in response to IBEW's Boss D'Arcy support (again) of the Villar Greuel. James Campaign Consultant made this comment to the LA Weekly.

It's not clear that Simmons has much interest in the particulars of L.A. politics. Davis has pitched the James campaign to conservative donors as an opportunity to restore the Republican brand in California.
"My guess is that Harold Simmons would like to see Los Angeles improving its financial situation," said Jeff Corless, James' spokesman. 
Corless also took a shot at Controller Wendy Greuel, who is receiving support from the IBEW, which represents employees of the L.A. Department of Water and Power.
"A private citizen supporting a candidate is not an issue compared to the DWP union directly supporting Wendy after she has voted for their pay increases and their pension benefit enhancements," Corless said.
At a debate on Thursday night, Greuel was asked about whether the IBEW support would influence her decisions as mayor.
"I've been an independent city controller," she said. "I've demonstrated that I'm an independent person, and no matter what I'll continue to do that."

A truly independent thinker would frown upon this latest DWP/ City Council misbehavior directed at Ratepayer Advocate Fred Pickel via this post by Ron Kaye.

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

Wendy Watch: Same Day, Different Year

It was about 10:30 a.m. on  Friday, January 10th, 2010. I was assigned to Wendy Watch out of City Hall, 200 North Spring Street, Los Angeles. My name's Yorty. I'm a dead mayor.

Wendy Greuel, formerly a member of the Los Angeles City Council, now Controller for the City of Los Angeles had a telephone appointment with Kathy Spillar of the Feminist Majority Foundation. The FMF is one of those hard-boiled women's groups that wants to make sure elected officials are addressing issues of concern to women. I take no sides, I'm only looking for the truth.

The issue at hand was concern by residents and victims of rape two years before that "rape kits," physical evidence of reported rapes were backlogged when it came to analysis and investigation by the LAPD, work that could lead to the capture and conviction of these rapist scums and prevent potential future rapes. The rub was that the City Council was ignoring the issue.

Action finally started to happen when then radio broadcaster, Kevin James, pushed the issue into the media and then City Controller Laura Chick was the only elected official to address the matter.

So why was it two years later that Ms. Greuel was meeting with this important organization to seemingly take credit?

Most likely it was that Greuel, having won the Controllers race just months before, was already teeing up a run for Mayor. Support from an important women's group like this would be key; particularly if Ms. Greuel was setting up to be the first female mayor of the nation's second largest city.

It may very well be that Ms. Greuel's attempt to take credit for movement on the rape kit issue rang hollow, as she was part of the Council in 2008 that failed to take action. My guess is this one reason why the National Organization for Women endorsed her opponent Eric Garcetti who is a man. Just the facts, mam.

Liars and shysters don't sit well with the citizens. Unless they're elected officials. That's why I'm here.

The story you have just heard is true. The names were not changed to protect the innocent as there are none when it comes to LA's insider political elite. 

Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Thursday

City Hall Outsider Kevin James woos audience at Glassell Park Mayoral Candidate Forum

Receives Endorsement of District Attorney Steve Cooley

Former Federal Prosecutor and Talk Show Host Kevin James.

The upstart mayoral campaign that could, is going places .........

Judging from the phone calls from prominent community activists who were in the audience last night at the Glassell Park Senior Center (located mere feet from CD 13 City Councilman Eric Garcetti Field Office), James was far above the best candidate at last night's proceedings.

James gained the audience favor from the start, by merely showing up on time for the 6 P.M. start of the forum. City Councilwoman Jan  Perry, City Councilman Eric Garcetti and City Controller Wendy "The Valley Greuel", in that order, were late in joining the proceedings.

James successful evening in Glassell Park , forged a great Thursday morning as the James Campaign received the endorsement of Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley as Randy Economy of the Los Cerritos Community News reports .......

Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley will announce his support and endorsement of former Federal Prosecutor Kevin James for Mayor of Los Angeles at a media event on Friday, Los Cerritos Community Newspaper has learned.In a statement obtained by LCCN, Cooley said he believes that “James will make an outstanding Mayor and that Kevin James is the Mayoral candidate best qualified to tackle the many problems confronting the City of Los Angeles.”Cooley and James will answer questions briefly afterward at the event that will begin at 10 am on the South Lawn Steps of Los Angeles City Hall.Cooley’s endorsement of James is considered to be one of the most important in this early stage of the 2013 Mayoral campaign for Los Angeles. 

Does Cooley's endorsement open the door for needed monetary support, merits watching in the weeks ahead.

A Reminder to CD 14 constituents that your City Councilman voted AGAIN to raise DWP rates.

Councilman Huizar once again turns his back on his constituents by voting to raise DWP rates. For those of you who voted to re-elect the Princeton Graduate, the above graphic should pain your soul.

Memo to CD 2 City Councilman Paul Krekorian, bombastic rhetoric has its price .... in legal costs

Two self-serving, bombastic politicos.

This describes the "real Paul Krekorian" via Ron Kaye.

In the rubber-stamp LA City Council, there are posers and phonies, blusterers and know-nothings and then there is Paul Krekorian — the ambitious, articulate chief apologist given to creative use of his lawyer’s mind to defend the indefensible.

Let Paul articulate the spin to explain this waste of taxpayers money .........

Last week, a jury awarded Contreras $5.7 million with the judge likely to award fees to his attorneys that will bring the bill to about $2 million more than the settlement offer that Krekorian chose to reject.Instead of admitting he made a mistake and wasted $2 million the city desperately as it slashed services to the public and tries to squeeze concession from city workers, Krekorian was unrepentant.“If the city has to pay some more to show that we stood up and supported our police officers when they did nothing wrong then so be it,” Krekorian . “It’s money well spent.”

Reminds me of that $4 Million + "messy exercise in democracy" by a group of occupiers. I Don't remember Paul commenting on that waste of money.

This picture is dedicated to former City Controller Laura Chick.

Laura, holding grudges is not the way to live life.

These facts via Ron Kaye still stings the former City Controller ....

EDITOR’S NOTE: The lawsuit between the Controller and City Attorney over authority to audit the operations of other elected officials was ultimately found to be moot by the state appellate court because by the time the trial court ruled against the Controller Wendy Greuel, City Attorney Trutanich had cooperated voluntarily in the audit of his office’s handling of Worker Compensation cases. “On his first day in office, Mr. Trutanich had reversed the position of the former City Attorney and invited the Controller to conduct the audit. He remained true to his word, not only cooperating with the auditors but providing City Attorney’s office staff to support the audit team,” the appellate court said. (Greuel-Trutanich)

Wondering if Laura still thinks that the Hahn Administration was more corrupt than eights years of Mayor Villar?

Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Hump Day

What happen to our former bloggin colleague Ed (Headington)?

Big things in politics await those who blog at Mayor Sam. In recent memory, the likes of Zuma Dogg, Phil Jennerjahn, Jim Alger, Walter Moore, Michael Higby and this blogger, have parlay their bloggin expertise into campaigns for public office. Now another former bloggin colleague, media consultant Ed Headington, is running for Assembly in the Republican 38th District. 

 Ed is a nice guy and very much respected in the political community for his media consulting. But lets be realistic about Ed chances in this red district that is currently served by Assemblyman Cameron Smyth. Voters in this district are not going to run to the polls to vote for someone who worked for Assemblyman Gil "One Bill" Cedillo and who would be the anglo incarnation of his former boss, if elected. Thus, Ed has to resort to tire (but still funny) political gimmicks, such as the "missing candidate on the milk cartoon". But Ed knows a thing or two about "disappearing".

In the CD 14 City Council Election of 2011, then CIty Councilman Jose Huizar Campaign Manager Michael Trujillo, send out this repugnant, insensitive, bile email to campaign staff and others. If you refer to the list of recipients above, notice the blank space, to the right of "Eric Hogenson", what name was deleted and why, is a political story to be continue ....

** OTHER NEWS:

** The LA Weekly's Gene Maddaus goes in search of evidence of an impending Developer Rick Caruso for Mayor Campaign. The results of his search are reported here and regurgitated by The City Maven.

** The likes of IBEW's Boss D'Arcy, S. David Freeman, Ari Swiller and the City of Los Angeles General Fund, are the lucky ones to benefit from the 11% of DWP rate hikes pass by the City Council yesterday.

** Memo to the likes of EAA, SEIU 721, AFSCME, IBEW, PPL and UFLAC, when are the brothers and sisters going to admit that Mayor Tony Villar, screwed your rank and file big time? In addition, you had 14 supposed allies vote to create a two-tier retirement system for new employees. One can see the late Miguel Contreras rolling over his massage table in disgust..

** Former City Controller Laura Chick can't let go of the fact that City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, beat her and successor The Valley Greuel in court, But then most objective political observers could blame eight years of Mayor Tony Villar, on her.

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14

"The Laura Chick vs. the Valley Greuel Cat Fight" on HACLA

Which one is Laura Chick and the Valley Greuel?

If anyone needed more proof that a fiscal white wash of the latest scandal at HACLA is on-going, then listen to this recent exchange (or cat fight) between the two last City Controllers of Los Angeles Laura Chick and Wendy "The Valley Greuel".

Recorded on Monday via KCRW's "Which Way LA" with Warren Onley, the premise of the program is whether the Valley Greuel waited too long in auditing HACLA after the first damning report of the infamous housing agency by KCET (she was waiting for Mayor Villar's permission).

Former City Controller Laura Chick takes the Valley Greuel and others in city government to task for not responding promptly to investigate the books at HACLA soon after KCET first expose ....... and the claws begin to fly.

Interesting to note in the KCRW segment is the comments by KCET's Laurel Erickson of the smooth cooperation between HACLA and the Controller Office once the white wash, whoops audit was initiated.

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Tuesday

Moved to Tuesday.  Sometime this morning we'll know who Mayor Villaraigosa has chosen as the Chief of the LAPD.  The Christian Science Monitor has a good read on the challenges facing the next man to helm LA's finest.

If you live in CD5, 11 or 12 and wonder why your Clowncilman isn't spending time on the pressing problem of your community, here is one reason. Members Paul Koretz (we don't have a nickname for him yet), Bill Rosen-DUH and Sleeping Greig Smith are working feverishly to outlaw declawing cats in Los Angeles.  This is despite the fact that veternarians say the law is unnecessary and unworkable and that an overworked Department of Animal Services is begging to not be given one more unfunded mandate they don't have the police powers to enforce anyway.  Your Council at work.

The 818Blog takes the news that CD2 candidate Paul Krekorian has been endorsed by former rivals Tamar Galatzan and Mary Benson as a sign that the Valley Assemblyman is "picking up steam" in the race.  On the other hand, the blog notes, Chris Essel has the endorsement of most of the City Council and the LA Times.

Remember Laura Chick? She's been working as California's Inspector General with a mandate from Arnold to root out fraud, waste and abuse just like she did here in LA.  Tuesday Inspector Chick will hold a press conference to drop the dime on shady non-profit about to receive some Obama stimulus dollars.  According to Chick's office a report prepared by a department of the State of California has found the agency to be "problematic and high risk." Hmmm...does that organization's name start with an A (and no, not the Auto Club)?

Morning Briefs and Outtakes for a "Huevos with Huizzy" Friday in Boyle Heights

"Not that question!!"

As a public service to the "invited, connected pansies" in Boyle Heights, here are some tough questions to ask the "funding source", as you get a break from your government funded non-profits and make your way to feed on some taypayer funded huevos, with Councilman Jose Huizar.

Questions:

1. Can we have a "moment of silence" for the birds who meet their demise at the Hollenbeck Park Fireworks Show ??

2. How many liquor licences have you supported since being elected councilman ??

3. What family member was associated with Oscar's Bar ??

4. How many residents will be displace in your haste to gentrify Boyle Heights ??

5. Does USC's David Galaviz get to take over Ramona Gardens ??

6. Will you support David Galaviz someday to replace you as councilman ??

7. Will you pledge to audit all government funded non-profits in CD-14 ??

8. What is the status of the CLART Fund ??

9. What is your favorite Boyle Heights non-profit and why ??

10. How long before you crack down on illegal street merchants ??

11. Have you ever disagree with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on any policy issue ??

12. Have you been to Florida lately to discuss Wyvernwood ??

13. How much money will you get from the Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council in the 2009/2010 fiscal year ??

14. Are any CD-14 constituents under investigation by your offices for disagreeing with you ??

15. Who are the new staffers??

16. Will you audit the work of non-profits like "Homeboy Industries", "SEA", and "Legacy LA" who were awarded gang contracts ??

17. ...........and where do we donate to your re-election to maintain our non-profit funding ??

(reserved for Raul Estrada, Ozzie Lopez, and Lou Calanche).

CD-14 Disclaimer: The risk of asking these questions included the following; exclusion from future "Huevos with Huizzy", loss of non-profit funding, no toys for your non-profit Christmas programs, deletion from e-mail updates by the newest staffer,.......and the worst, expulsion from "Huevos with Huizzy" by LAPD or General Services Police.

Other News:

** "Senator Antonio Villaraigosa" ?? That is the premise of the Downtown Garment and Citizen Editor Jerry Sullivan as he touts the Mayor as a possible replacement for Dianne Feinstein in 2012. Maybe that is why the Mayor travels the world on the Special Interest dime, to fine tune his foreign policy portfolio (remember the "Latino Tony Blair" ??).

** Eastsider LA has the latest on the lovable bunch known as the Echo Park Neighborhood Council with David Galaviz friend, Jose Sigala presiding. Considering how Sigala ran the Rudy Bermudez for State Senate campaign, it is not surprising that the Echo Park NC has become the latest dysfunctional poster boy on what ails the Neighborhood Council Program.

** Wonder how Mayor Sam diversity trainer/ poster "Archie Bunker" would respond if his favorite ex City Controller/ Councilwoman. Laura Chick, were to run for governor ?? Former Fabian Nunez spokesperson Steve Maviglio has her on his list of democrats he thinks could run for the state's top political office.

** KFI's Eric Leonard is reporting that AEG is making overtures to the LAPD, seeking to donate some camera platform proceeds to a LAPD charity that is use to buy equipment for police use. Still, mum is the word on the investigation by City attorney Carmen Trutanich into possible criminal misconduct regarding the non-permitted Jackson Memorial. More on this story from OurLA.org, and TMZ.

** KTLA Channel 5 reporter Eric Spillman is becoming the visual media version of fellow Tribune employee David Zahniser. Spillman post on his blog that he has filed a California Public Records Act request with the Mayor's Office, seeking information on the cost of the Mayor's travels. Then he is treated to these crypted responses from his questions about the Mayor's current vacation by Mayor Spokesperson Matt Szabo.

** The government watchdog group Judical Watch is suing the LAPD seeking to overturn Special Order 40. "There are two federal laws and a California state law that we think are being violated as a result of the sanctuary policy that obviously helps illegal aliens avoid detection," Judicial Watch's Tom Fitton says".

** Former Councilman Nick Pacheco Campaign Manager and Montebello City Councilman Robert Urteaga is awaiting the decision from the Montebello City Clerk, if the Recall Petition against him and Councilwoman Kathy Salazar garnered the require signatures.

** The surly blogger from Mar Vista Hill and supposed Pulitzer Winner known as the "Westside White Guy" Kevin Roderick, takes issues to a story in Ron Kaye's fledging "OurLA.org Website". Could it be that "Pulitzer" sees Kaye's endeavor as a fact-laden counter to his West LA centric view of civic life east of the 405 ??

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

Struggles in the public war over Trutanich's integrity

Yesterday, Laura Chick launched a very public salvo at Los Angeles's new City Attorney's personal integrity via Doug McIntyre's radio program.

During his campaign, Carmen Trutanich agreed to let the City Controller's office audit the City Attorney's office if he were elected. With Trutanich being in office for just over three weeks, Chick is already going all-out on the attack:

"The City Attorney lied, and is not a man of his word... he is a demagogue who will say anything to get elected, and then go back on his word... he stood next to me and lied to get my support."

Ron Kaye has transcripts and audio of the shots fired on his web site.

A lot of people find both this and Controller Wendy Greuel's claims that Trutanich is reneging on his promise somewhat perplexing. The City Attorney already has a statement out there insisting he will allow the audit. It's unclear exactly what game is afoot: the simple besmirching of Trutanich's reputation or has Trutanich's office already rebuffed attempts at an audit behind the scenes?

The jury remains out right now and will remain out until that particular skirmish ends. However, there is another struggle over Carmen Trutanich's integrity playing out every day on the streets of Los Angeles, in City Council chambers, and through blogs. A slightly less public struggle that is disturbing, primal, and oddly mesmerizing at the same time. Its basis lies simultaneously within the realm of societal and political failings. A lot of us here are witness to the drama, most not by choice. Ultimately, it just might be personified in a singular comment posted to Mayor Sam yesterday.

I was at the very first community meeting in which Carmen Trutanich was introduced as running for City Attorney. Coincidentally, this was at one of Ron's SLAP meetings and the guy taking Nuch around and showing him where the grassroots supporters gather was ... David Saltzberg, aka Zuma Dogg.

Nuch relied on David to show him the community, and later Nuch's campaign people made a lot of promises on Nuch's behalf to David regarding hiring him if Nuch won the election. David is a believer. He didn't need those promises to push for Nuch in interviews and on talk radio. He pushed Nuch because he believed. In that way, our friend David is very much an idealist. I recognize that trait, because I'm one too, and being an idealist means you are in for a lot of letdowns in this world.

Nuch won, and I voted for him. I had made up my mind to do so the very first day David introduced Nuch to us at SLAP. I very much liked the man I met before he had any real idea that he might win. I thought he had true integrity.

As David, Nuch's truest believer, falls deeper and deeper into serious personal crisis due to being homeless and unemployed, I am beginning to have equally serious doubts about Carmen Trutanich's integrity.

What's it gonna be, Carmen?

Is Laura Chick right about you?

Are you going to keep those campaign promises, especially the personal ones you made, or not?

It appears that the next move in both struggles belongs to Carmen Trutanich.

Question for the morning

How will Controller Wendy Greuel make good on a promise to audit the City Attorney’s Office now that a judge has ruled she lacks authority to do so? Does Carmen Trutanich invite her in, anyway? … If the City Attorney can veto her requests, is an audit under these circumstances really worth anything?

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Friday

Getting down to the wire in the 5th Council District race. Candidate David Vahedi is accusing his opponent Paul Koretz of ethics violations and has filed a complaint against Koretz with City and State officials. Vahedi claims that Koretz has violated borrowing and expenditure limits and is co-mingling campaign funds with other monies. Vahedi campaign consultant Phil Giarrizzo accused Koretz of being a career politician "who will do anything to get elected." In the meantime, Koretz picked up the endorsement of a past CD5 Councilman, County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky.

A sign that Mayor Villaraigosa may not be running for Governor of California? The Mayor is ditching this weekend's California Democratic State Convention in Sacramento, citing needing to deal with budget issues at home. Since we've never known Antonio Villaraigosa to miss a photo op and chance to gladhand - even when there's work to be done (remember his attending a Dodger game in the luxury box with owner Frank McCourt when the Valley was on fire last year?) - something must be up. Steve Maviglio of the California Majority Report suspects that Villaraigosa "couldn't compete in the convention buzz with the other major candidates gunning for gubernatorial prize," and that the Mayor fears "a cold shoulder from organized labor" over his recent budget policies and job cuts.

The new Metro Gold Line light rail route will be the first transit line to have a name in both Spanish and English following a recent MTA vote. CurbedLA thinks that Bill O'Reilly will have a fit over it; I suspect Walter Moore would be much angrier.

Friday is City Controller Laura Chick's last day in office as she heads to Sacramento Monday to hopefully keep Arnold from cooking the books. For those of Mayor Sam readers working in City Hall, stop by Chick's office for coffee and cookies. Now with Chick gone and Wendy Greuel not stepping in until July 1; who signs the checks? Not the Mayor I hope!

And finally, big congratulations to long-time purveryor of press releases to Mayor Sam, publicist extraordinaire Ginny-Marie Case who will wed her fiance Alexander on Saturday. Best wishes to the happy couple!

Laura Chick's Last Day

From Rob Wilcox, Spokesman for Laura Chick:

Tomorrow will be Laura Chick's last day as City Controller (and my last day in the office as well ) before she starts her new job as California Inspector General on Monday. Laura will be serving coffee and cookies Friday from 10 am to Noon in her Office. We hope you can come by!

We thank Ms. Chick for her service and will deeply miss her as the last person in City Hall who looks out for the taxpayer.  We dread the future without her.

Open Thread for Friday

Rick Orlov: Chick goes with Trutanich: City Controller Laura Chick, who has battled City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo over her authority to audit his office, said Wednesday she is throwing her support to a city attorney candidate who would side with her position.

LA Weekly: Jan Perry's Grand Avenue Conflict: An L.A. politician votes for public subsidies that boost her home's value.

LA Weekly: Should LA City Council Agree to Slash It's $178,789 Salaries?: 15 richly paid politicians are happy to cut their pay — by 2.5 percent?

Curbed LA: WeHo Taxi Rates Set to Raise: Hey, drunkies, soon you'll have to pay more to come home from a West Hollywood bar.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Wednesday

The DWP has some of the nastiest tasting water in America and they want to continue to charge you more and more for it. However - despite a Mayoral order three years ago to stop it - a number of LA City departments are ordering bottled water for their employees to drink. City Controller Laura Chick (damn we're going to miss her) said “There is no reason why the city should continue purchasing large quantities of bottled water. If employees wish to drink bottled water, they can do so at their own expense.”

Gavin Newsom made the rounds in LA Tuesday and has a town hall meeting in Palm Springs planned for Saturday.

Blogger Don Garza reports that NIKE donated free shoes to the homeless in Skid Row. Garza offers praise saying, "They didn't have to beg to the larger entities in the community for these things, and realized the fruits of their labor , which has brought back their sense of self-respect and dignity , which will only increase. Thank you NIKE"

Gay Patriot blogs a good take on Gays and the GOP.  "I don’t think the Republican Party need develop a gay-specific outreach plan.  I simply believe the party should abandon policies which discriminate against gay people and otherwise leave us alone to live our lives as we please," says the right leaning blogger.  He's absolutely right.  If folks like Pat Roberston, Rush Blowtard and Ann Coulter could unpoke their noses from the bedroom, the Repugs might pick up a few votes.  As a conservative I am far more concerned about tax cuts than anal sex.  So should be the wingnuts.

Laura Chick will not pursue CD2

Via LAist:

It was rumored to be a simple swap. If Wendy Greuel won City Controller, which she did last night, City Controller Laura Chick would run for Greuel's empty seat in Council District 2 in the Valley. In an upset to many, Chick announced this morning that she is moving on from elected city politics.

LAist floats a few names including Tamar Galatzan and Cindy Montanez. … I've got few people from Sunland-Tujunga in mind.

Chick Endorses Amerian

City Controller Laura Chick has endorsed City Attorney Candidate Michael Amerian.  Stay tuned for more.

Wendy Greuel's House of Flip Flops

I'm not sure if Wendy Greuel is having a John Kerry or Joe Biden moment.

The candidate for City Controller is airing a commercial (below) where she chastises the City Department of Housing for hiring a Zen Buddhist consultant to teach employees how to breathe.

Yet, as a Council Member Greuel voted to approve the funding for the program.

In the spot Greuel also lashes out at the Department of Animal Services who apparently bought equipment they never took out of the box.  However, as noted by the always excellent David Zahniser in the LA Times, that issue was a key point of a Laura Chick audit released months ago and Greuel's Audits and Efficiency Committee never took up that contract.

Even Council Member Jan Perry, usually a Greuel ally, was a bit miffed by the spot saying "If you have a problem with something at the time, you say it at the time and you vote accordingly," with regard to Greuel's sudden turnaround on these issues.

So like Kerry I guess Wendy was for it before she was against it?

Jack Weiss Stretches the Truth

Following a report from Zuma Dogg that Council Members were quietly questioning a recent Jack Weiss for City Attorney mailer, the LA Times gets into the game saying that Weiss' fellow Council Members are miffed at claims in the mailer that Weiss was the only Council Member leading the effort to deal with a significant backlog of unprocessed rape evidence by the LAPD.

Councilman Dennis Zine who told Zuma Dogg that voters should "...vote for anyone BUT Jack Weiss for City Attorney." and that "It will be detrimental to the City of Los Angeles if he (Jack Weiss) becomes City Attorney," was quoted by The Times as saying that Weiss was "capitalizing on this tragedy of rape survivors."

Weiss, who has headed up the City Council's Public Safety Committee for years however significant action did not occur until City Controller Laura Chick exposed the situation creating a media firestorm. The Times says that Chick, upset by Weiss television commercials that make the same claims as the mailer, was quoted as saying "I think they're (the commercials) an enormous stretch, and I find them offensive."
Other colleagues of Weiss were disturbed by the City Attorney race campaign material with Jan Perry saying "It's disappointing. We all fought and agree and voted on funds for rape kits and to get testing done more quickly -- it was a council effort, not led by one particular individual."

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Sunday

Like a dumb old farmer who closes the barn door after the horse gets out, Council Member Wendy Greuel and Mayor Villaraigosa now are addressing the $10 million in fraud, waste and abuse going on with the city's fleet of "take home" vehicles following the releasing of a damning audit by City Controller Laura Chick.  Greuel has authored a City Council motion to ask for a "study" of the issue while the Mayor has ordered a freeze on the issuance of new vehicles and using City credit cards at gas stations.

Local pols are seeking to gain over $300 million in Obama era money for "infrastructure" projects in the San Fernando Valley. No word what those projects are but no doubt the lobbyists and contractors are lining up to built projects as cost effective as the Orange Line Busway and tbe Belmont Learning Center, to just name two.

If you really want to know what's going on at the OLD GRAY HAG ON SPRING STREET don't read what the Westside White Guy writes, be sure to visit Ed Padgett's excellent Los Angeles Times Pressmans 20 Year Blog, run and penned by the people who print the paper.  WWG has some inside buzz as to the possible moving of the Calendar entertainment section to the main news section but according to Ed the speculaton in (Anglo)LAObserved is all wrong. 

If you buy something in another state the state of California expects you to pay a "use tax" on the item.  The state, hungry for revenue like a crack whore jonesing for her next fix, plans to allow people to "voluntarily" register their purchases online or face potential audits.  According to the state Board of Equaliziation the use tax  "applies when a person or business in California purchases tangible merchandise from a retailer outside of this state that will be used, consumed, given away, or stored in this state and the retailer does not collect California tax on their sales."

Saturday Special Hotsheet

The campaign of Los Angeles City Attorney candidate Carmen Trutanich announces that he has outraised front runner City Council Member Jack Weiss by two to one in the last reporting period.  According to reports filed with the City's Ethics Commission Trutanich received $92,000 in contributions compared to Weiss' $42,000.  Trutanich says that he has nearly $350,000 in cash reserved for television advertising.  In the meantime Trutanich unveiled a series of proposed reforms to the City Attorney office and garnered the endorsement of Council Member Dennis Zine and possibly from another opposing candidate, the Walter Moore affiliated David Berger.


Working hard for the City following President Obama's inauguration Mayor Villaraigosa took the ceremonial first bite of a Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich at the annual "dineLA" restaurant week photo op this week.  While slurping down roast beef and Velveeta, Controller Laura Chick uncovered millions of dollars in waste and lots of potential fraud and abuse in the taking home of city owned vehicles by municipal employees and elected officials.

Mayoral candidate Zuma Dogg (David Saltsburg) appears in an ABC News Nightline piece covering the current state of public access television for the first time out of his character.  Along with public affairs television doyenne Leslie Sutton, Saltsburg expresses concern as to potential censorship of programming with the channels moving to City control.  I guess that camera crew wasn't really "Matt Dowd's friends" as you know who was posting.

Following an ass kicking in Sunland-Tujunga, Home Depot is now focused on it's day laborer center at it's store in Del Rey; working with Council Member Bill Rosendahl on plans to upgrade the facility.  However, local residents are not in favor of day labor centers being forced by the City on local big-boxes such as Home Depot.

A middle-class section of Van Nuys has worked itself up in a lather over being associated with a primarily Latino and working class remainder of the historic San Fernando Valley community and wants to attach itself to Sherman Oaks.  The effort, led by unsuccesful Assembly candidate Laurette Healey who has last seen trying to bamboozle Neighborhood Councils over the last shady solar energy ballot plan appears to have zero support in either Sherman Oaks or the rest of Van Nuys.

Opposition from neighboring cities is growing to the construction of a proposed NFL stadium in the City of Industry by Los Angeles developer Ed Roski.  Joaquin Lim, the Mayor Walnut has expressed his opposition to the stadium over fears of the arena's impact on his community while Diamond Bar has hired an attorney to attack Industry's Environmental Impact Report.  Maybe they could build a Home Depot there instead or move the detainees from Gitmo.

With buzz that he is a leading contender for the GOP Presidential Nomination in 2012 and the usual comparisons to President Obama, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal will be the headline speaker at the National Republican Congressional Committee's annual dinner.  Jindal, who takes the spot previously reserved for President Bush, denies he is running for President but has made a tour to at least one early primary state, Iowa, and has been campaigning and raising funds for candidates in other states, part of the usual required groundwork for a run at a party's Presidential nomination.

City Spends $10 Million on Take Home Cars; Remember That When They Raise Your Parking Meters

Laura Chick has released an audit of how the City manages it's fleet of vehicles, including cars that officials and employees are allowed to take home at night, and well it isn't pretty. The City is spending $10 million a year on take-home cars, with fraud, waste and abuse rampant.

Among the key findings of the Controller's report::

• The type of required insurance policy for employees with take home vehicles is inadequate and costly. Most employees are unaware of the requirement and do not possess it. This goes unmonitored resulting in increased risk and liability for the City and for the employee who drives the car.
• There are 48 City vehicles for use as loaners when cars are being serviced, repaired, washed or detailed. Twenty-eight of those vehicles are unneeded.
• Gas credit cards issued to elected officials, staff and general managers have a $1,500 per month line of credit (in case of emergency) and there is no way to determine if these are only used for city cars.
• Until around the time our audit began, the City did not monitor usage of cards to fill-up five gallon gas cans. Since that time there has been a 41% drop in usage.
• Since April 2008, the City’s former car auctioneer has owed the City $2.1 million. The City continued to use this auctioneer even after it stopped reimbursing the City. The City Attorney is now preparing a letter to collect the monies owed.

Chick has called for an immediate cancellation of City gas cards as well as overall reforms such as investigating if it's cheaper to reimburse employees for mileage as opposed to providing cars.

Read the whole report, here.

And you thought the City needed more of your money!