HOT Brief on the Questionable, Studio City Neighborhood Council Election Proceedings for Monday

In a reversal of a previous ruling, an Empower LA Neighborhood Council Elections Challenge Panel, reinstated Studio City NC Candidates Eric Preven and Patrice Berlin as the victorious candidates, unseating among others, the infamous "Dangerous Enemy of Freedom (and Fair Elections, allegedly)" Lisa Sarkin.

 "The Dangerous Enemy of Freedom (and Pro-Development Shill)" is "unwanted (officially)" on the Studio City NC by Stakeholders.

Justice prevails (after a second reconsideration) for anti-Development Activists Eric Preven and Patrice Berlin. 

Let Freedom reign once again in Studio City ..........., and may a "Dangerous Enemy of Freedom" forever be tainted for besmirching the character of TRUE neighborhood advocates.

This blog has previously noted the dubious exploits of now FORMER Studio Council Neighborhood Council Member Lisa Sarkin, who has earned the wrath of neighborhood advocates, city-wide, for her role in past acts of retribution, against the likes of former fellow SCNC Board Member Michael McCue and others who stood up against her constant Pro-Development shillings.

In recent times, efforts to remove her, either during the normal NC Election Cycle, or via an attempted Recall process, have narrowly failed to unseat the "Rubber Stamp" for controversial Development Projects such as the Sportsmen's Landing .........., but her Developers (and CD 2 City Councilman Paul Krekorian)-sanctioned antics, finally reached the tipping point during the just-completed April SCNC Elections.

Challengers Patrice Berlin and Eric Preven (also a former CD 2 Candidate), were the top two vote recipients, beating out Sarkin for the available two seats in the "Employee/Independent Contractor Catagory" ........., but the "Powers to Be (aka Friends of Sarkin)", concocted a scheme to usurp the will of the Stakeholders.

According to the LA Times, associates of Sarkin, filed multiple Election Challenges, that made allegations against Berlin and Preven, that the duo were involved in illegal Electioneering within the Polling Location. Further, officials with Empower LA, impaneled a RARE Grievance Committee, made up of the trio of Boyle Heights NC President Vera del Pozo, Historic Highland Park NC President Monica Alcarez and Eagle Rock NC President David Greene (all noted City Council PLUM Committee Chairperson Jose Huizar supporters), who ruled against the recommendation of Empower LA staff, and disqualified Berlin and Prevan, in a dubious (and questionably legal process) that made Kangaroo Courts look dignified.

But in documentation submitted by the duo of Berlin and Preven, to the Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti and City Attorney Mike Feuer which raised serious questions about the objectivity (and the veracity of the allegations) regarding the actions taken against the duo  Its obvious that Empower LA was placing itself in legal trouble, especially when an alleged statement, submitted as part of the testimony collaborating the charges of Electioneering, are refuted by its supposed LAPD Officer witness, as noted below.

On Apr 19, 2016, at 10:25 PM, MICHAEL LEWIS <31575 lapd.lacity.org=""> wrote:“Patrice,All I know is that I saw you in the hallway of Walter Reed Middle school during the night of the election and we said hello to each other. We probably talked for less than a minute. It is then I heard somebody (I don’t know who it was) say that it was against the rules for you to still be there because you were a candidate in the election. You then quickly said goodbye and left.If this is what they are referring to as inappropriate electioneering, I need to talk to somebody because that is ridiculous. This is the only time I saw you all evening and I did not witness any inappropriate electioneering. I don’t know what the rules of inappropriate electioneering is but its the only time I saw you.I am off tomorrow but I’m back on Thursday. I will also call Stu Miller. I’m reluctant to get involved in theses type of situations but I also don’t appreciate somebody speaking on my behalf, especially when it’s untrue.Who can you suggest I contact or call in an attempt to remedy this or at least give my side of the story? Or who told you last night that you can’t remedy this situation, call witnesses or remedy the situation?Mike

Thus,  contradictions in the evidence against Berlin and Preven, as exampled above (and legal pressure), may be why Empower LA took the drastic step to reconvene the Election Challenge Panel on May 9, 2016 .........., and the results were to rescind the Disqualification of Berlin and Preven (who was stilled found to have engaged in Electioneering, but given only a Written Reprimand).

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

Father Day Notes on the Neighborhood Council Scorecard

As the dialog among Neighborhood Council Activists continues in regards to the proposed Board of Neighborhood Commissioner's (BONC) revamp of Behavioral Protocols/Standards for Neighborhood Councils, no review, commentary and implementation of new NC governing rules, should not move forward without a revisiting of the unjust removal of Michael McCue from the Studio City NC.

 Former Studio City NC Member and CD 2 City Council Candidate Michael McCue.

Its time for a flashback/teachable moment regarding the "Dangerous Enemy(ies) of Freedom (of expression)" on Neighborhood Councils.

As the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners (BONC) continues its arduous task of crafting behavioral standards for NC members city-wide, now would be the time to pause and revisited one of the most egregious act of NC group misconduct against a fellow board member in recent memory.

On April 21, 2010, Green Party Activist, former CD 2 City Council Candidate and then Studio City NC Member Michael McCue was voted off the Studio City NC by his fellow board members, why? As "Village to Village" Blogger and former Valley Village NC Member Paul Hatfield noted at the time .......

There was a general consensus among both Michael McCue’s supporters and detractors regarding his public persona and interactions –  annoying, grating, verbose. 
However, the real question before the SCNC Board was not whether Michael was a “pain in the ass,” as one Board Member claimed, but did Michael cross the line on several occasions and violate its code of conduct?

For eight of his fellow board members (with four abstentions) that was reason enough to dismiss the contrary opinion of the majority present (highlighted by the disdain exhibited then by now SCNC Vice-President Lisa "Dangerous Enemy of Freedom" Sarkin as noted by Blogger Phil Jennerjahn) and become the "Poster NC of Intolerance" by riding themselves of McCue ......, until re elected on May 29.

Observers on both sides at the time, could agree that DONE was impotent in providing an objective protocol or mechanism to ensure a fair resolution of grievances at hand as noted by "Lydia"....,

There were better ways to have handled the problems. My personal
opinion is that the voters should decide, not fellow Board Members.
Since the election was only a few weeks away, I consider the behavior of the Board, very inappropriate. I would like to say that the responsiblity, does lie with D.O.N.E. for their lack of interest in really listening to the Neighborhood Councils and addressing the issues.
What has D.O.N.E. done?

Four years later, BONC can use the wealth of commentary from both sides of the McCue Controversy and review the video tape proceeding, in the hope that common sense solutions (beginning with training NC Presidents to be objective meeting facilitators as noted by Bob Gelfand), will foster decorum when diverse fallible and mortal human beings meet under one roof.

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



Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Friday: JERRY!

Who would have thunk it? When liberal leaning Democratic pols in Los Angeles and all over California went all out for JERRY! little did they imagine Governor Brown would propose killing their fabled golden calf - Community Redevelopment Agencies. If you don't know what CRAs are they are basically welfare for rich developers, who contribute to local electeds, and who can create (often failed) major real estate projects in "blighted" communities the politicians point to as "progress."  Jerry rightly feels that this tax money is better used for jails, schools, roads, police, higher education, health care for the poor, etc. than going to otherwise failed developers.  This has sent a shiver up the spine of City Fathers/Mothers throughout the Golden State who are now spending money faster than a drunken sailor before JERRY! comes and gets it.  Case in point, our own lovely berg, who has found amazing efficiency to get dollars fast to building Eli Broad's mausoleum in Downtown LA.

More after the jump...

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Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Tuesday

The Colfax Bridge project in Studio City is dragging on much to the chagrin of locals in the South Valley.  Yet what's afoot that could even further delay completion of the replacement bridge? Dangerous enemy of free movement Lisa Sarkin, Land Use Chair of the Studio City Neighborhood Council, is pushing for  halt to construction on Saturdays.

Paul Krekorian announces for re-election.



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Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Tuesday

As Carmen the Clown and Jane the Joke go after pot shops many property owners and real estate experts say the shops have been good for the local economy.  One study even says the dispensaries have pumped over $100 millions of sales tax into government coffers.  However NIMBY types, such as Dangerous Enemy of Freedom Lisa Sarkin, are out to use the government to prevent something that should be legal for consenting adults.  If anyone needs to spark up a doobie and mellow out it is certainly Enemy Sarkin. Oh Betty Pleasant too.

Councilman Dennis Zine has worked hard to bring a much needed Costco to Woodland Hills.  Folks need the jobs and residents like to shop there otherwise Costco wouldn't risk the capital to invest in the area.  Still some wacko NIMBYs with plenty of time and their hands (perhaps some other folks who need to smoke some pot or at least get more sex than they may be currently getting) are calling for Zine to be impeached.  Anyway nimrods City Council members can't be impeached.  They are recalled.  And as Phil Jennerjahn found out it's a hell of a nut to crack. Even well organized and wealthy stakeholders couldn't muster a recall of the then most hated member of the Clowncil, Jack Weiss.

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Saturday Hotsheet

We've all been waiting for "The Big One" earthquake on the San Andreas Fault for some time now.  New studies show that there may have been more large quakes on the fault in past centuries than previously thought.  The last one was in 1857. Better start getting ready.

From the "Noone Cares" department: Eli Broad says he didn't tell Zev Yaroslavsky that he was for sure bringing his museum to Downtown LA.



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Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Tuesday

Michael LoGrande appears to be the odds on favorite to replace Gail "GPS" Goldberg as LA's new head of planning.  LoGrande tells bloggers he plans to bring increased transparency and customer service to the Planning Department.  The City Hall veteran appears to have the endorsement of Dangerous Enemy of Freedom Lisa Sarkin, grand doyenne of the Studio City Neighborhood Council. However Ron Kaye has a different response saying "They've got to be kidding."

More below the fold...
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A Dangerous Enemy of Freedom Squeaks By

Un-official results are in from the Studio City Neighborhood Council elections and extremely dangerous enemy of freedom Lisa Sarkin was, unfortunately, barely re-elected to the panel. However more voters voted against the grand dame of StuCi and had those voters coalesced behind one candidate Sarkin would be hearing this song:



On the other some good news is that former member Michael McCue was re-elected and will return to the panel after being unceremoniously dumped by Sarkin and her thugs.  Hopefully Sarkin won't try this again as the community is wise to her reindeer games.

However the biggest news is the abysmal turn-out for the Neighborhood Council elections.  Less than 2,000 voters turned out for 11 of the panels representing an area with over a quarter million residents.  If the Councils expect to survive and achieve legitimacy they're going to have vastly increase participation and do it soon.

Last Call! Friends Don't Let Friends Vote for Lisa Sarkin!

If you're going to the polls in Studio City - 

VOTE YES on Michael McCue
VOTE NO on extremely dangerous enemy of freedom Lisa Sarkin

Background material for you

• SCNC voter ALERT!!: STOP Sarkin & Neumann!!
• Vote NO on Lisa Sarkin. Take This With You to the Polls.
• Removal Redux at Studio City Neighborhood Council
• Michael McCue Speaks to Mayor Sam

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Thursday

We teased it last night; Fox 11's John Schwada reports that a controversy is brewing over Mayor Villaraigosa has accepted thousands of dollars in gifts from AEG such as free tickets to events at the Staples Center  but failed to report these items on required ethics filings.  Villaraigosa told Schwada that these are not gifts because he is conducting "official duties" when he attends these events.  That must have been the purpose of the Mayor's visit to a Sherman Oaks condo with vino and pollo in hand.

Big Neighborhood Council elections happen tonight across the South San Fernando Valley.  While most of the races are ho-hum the biggest battle is in Studio City where recently defrocked panel member Michael McCue will seek to return to his seat while hot-under-the-collar stakeholders will seek to get enough votes to deny dangerous enemy of freedom and NIMBY-crite Lisa Sarkin re-election to her throne.  Stay tuned; unfortunately it takes days to get results of these elections.

Big write up in the LA Weekly on City Clowncil Member Janice Hahn who is running for the Democratic nomination for California Lt Governor against San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.  The consensus appears to be that most folks count Hahn as being dumb as a doorknob though some constituents are satisfied with her. Probably doesn't help that her two biggest fans, as noted in the Weekly, are Tom LaBonge and Bill Rosendahl.

The other day I said that Caroline Kennedy was probably too damn stupid to be a United States Senator, likely the dimmest bulb in the Kennedy family but I forgot about one of her cousins. That would be Robert Sargent "Bobby" Shriver, the brother in law to Governor Kennedy Republican himself.  Now the Mayor of Santa Monica, Bobby, who generally sits in meetings playing with his mane of hair, wants to import Santa Monica's homeless to West LA.  Wonder what the Westside White Guy will think of that?

Vote NO on Lisa Sarkin. Take This With You to the Polls.

By now you know the story of how Michael McCue, a member of the Studio City Neighborhood Council, who was unjustly removed by well known dangerous enemy of freedom Lisa Sarkin.

You may remember that when the SCNC recalled Michael on spurious charges at west, against the will of a majority of the stakeholders, Sarkin told the stakeholders they had no business speaking out in favor of McCue.

Pissed off stakeholders attempted to remove Sarkin for very specific charges, including violations of the Brown Act and other Neighborhood Council rules in her illegal removal of McCue.  However the fix was in because Sarkin's stooges on the panel voted against the will of the citizenry and saved Sarkin's ass.

Paul Hatfield has provided excellent coverage of the entire mess including very cogent analysis of why both McCue and Sarkin should not have had to go through a recall.  Lisa Sarkin, once again proving her role as an enemy (a dangerous one) of freedom excoriated CityWatch, a respected local news source, for even printing one of Hatfield's commentaries.

Lisa Sarkin is one of those toe tag NIMBY hypocrites that unfortunately wields a disproportionate amount of power in her community.  This happens when there are folks who might be financially set and who unlike most folks in LA have the time to attend every meeting, hearing and powwow in LA.  They are good at turning out decent crowds of their fellow suburban cranks and manage to burn their name and image in the soft brains of the elected officials and government officials in their area that those officials think that NIMBYs like Sarkin somehow actually represent the masses.  Lisa is a hypocrite who thinks she knows better than anyone else.


You have a chance however to make a difference.  If you are a stakeholder in Studio City - which can include you if all you have even done is buy a stick of gum in Studio City per the crazy rules of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment - vote NO on Lisa Sarkin and vote YES to restore and re-elect Michael McCue. Our Neighborhood Councils need to be representative of the public at large and not just a handful of suburban cranks.

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Wednesday

Who needs a week to read a 14 page document? Apparently members of the Los Angeles City Council.  A vote scheduled for Tuesday on legislation regulating medical marijuana dispensaries has been postponed until next week so that Clowncilmembers can study the document prepared by the City Attorney's office.

A  City Council panel led by CM Tony Cardenas says that Mayor Villaraigosa should not control the City's anti-gang programs.  Cardenas points to a lack of transparency from within the Mayor's office and laments the Council having no oversight authority over the programs.  The Mayor's staff denies the charges however Cardenas is suggesting the programs be moved to a new agency independent of the Mayor.

No wonder Brian D'Arcy and the IBEW is pulling out all stops to elect Chris Essel.  A city audit shows that massive pay increases given to DWP employees could bankrupt the utility's pension plan.  With news like that D'Arcy needs every vote he can get to continue to rob the DWP blind.

If Chris Essel is elected to the Clowncil she will find a chilly reception from the District's Neighborhood Council leaders.  Two of them, Lisa Sarkin and Judy Price, respond to and refute several claims Essel made during recent candidate forums.

Big three way race to assume the mantle of Speaker Karen Bass in the State Assembly. Among those jockeying include Kevin DeLeon, Felipe Fuentes and Mayoral primo John Perez.  If chosen, Perez would be the first openly gay member to serve in the leadership role.  The winner will be Perez.

And finally some good news about one of the last class acts remaining in Los Angeles.  The Dodgers announced that Vin Scully will be back for a record 61st season annoucing Dodger games on radio and television.  82 year old Scully - who has already been in the Hall of Fame for thirty years - said in a statement quoted in the LA Times that he was "very excited and optimistic"about next season.

Community Leaders Respond to Chris Essel

Our Critique to Essel’s Statements during the Great Valley Glen, Valley Village and Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Councils Forum on November 30, 2009

by Lisa Sarkin and Judy Price

1. Essel makes the error by saying that the appeal process Neighborhood Councils (NC) want is to appeal City Council motions. The NC appeal process would not appeal council motions, but it would allow NCs to appeal planning decisions.

2. Density along the subway and transit corridors – Essel talks about areas in the city and downtown only being affected and seems to forget that there are subway stations and transit corridors in the Valley and Sunland-Tujunga. Where does she really think density should go?

3. How would Essel pay for the number of task forces and blue ribbon committees she says she wants to establish? Some already exist, but nobody on the City Council pays attention to them now. Or would she just advocate more citizen committees filled with political allies of herself, Greuel and the Mayor?

4. Essel doesn’t know that there is no support within the state legislature to change the Ellis Act nor SB1818 and there is no way Los Angeles would ever be exempted. We need ordinances that protect our neighborhoods as other cities do, instead of giving everything up to developers and city unions who are trying to buy this election.

5. Her insistence that she would stay in the job and never seek another office is a joke. Who is she fooling when she says that would keep her from being influenced by the PAC money? She thinks Paul should pay for the election to replace him if he wins, but she doesn’t call for Greuel to pay for this special election caused by Greuel when she became Controller. It is just the same old contradictions in all of Chris’s flip-flopping i.e. SB1818, film jobs in California and Neighborhood Councils.

6. Essel again, as she did in Sunland-Tujunga, misstated the issues. She said the Los Angeles Police Protective League didn’t endorse Paul because they didn’t like him at his interview. But they stated in a letter to Paul that as a friend to public safety, they wanted him to stay in the Assembly to help them in the state legislature.

7. AB 1866 Accessory Dwelling Units – Essel says is another way the state is trying to control land use in Los Angeles. Essel doesn’t know that we have to write an implementing ordinance. Los Angeles is the only city in California without an implementing ordinance. It is interesting that Councilmember Ed Reyes has not endorsed Essel, since he is the chair of the Planning and Land Use Management Committee, tasked with writing the ordinances.

8. Essel talks about her accomplishments, but none, not one, is in CD2. Paul is endorsed by numerous community leaders within the area of CD2 he represents in the Assembly and can point to a long list of accomplishments.

9. Essel stated that billboards need to be counted obviously now knowing that has already been completed. Building and Safety is in the process of finding out which ones are illegal. The real problem is that Building & Safety doesn’t enforce the laws in the first place i.e. marijuana dispensaries.

10. Essel claims that when Laura Chick was auditor, she did not have a friend on the City Council and that is why her audits went nowhere. She further claims that with her on City Council she will work with Wendy Greuel to get things done. Laura Chick performed many audits during her term as controller. None was more important than the Department of Building & Safety, for which many assessments could be made to bring in money to the city. The audit was completed in mid-2006, but the council never took it up. City Controller Greuel was on the City Council then, but she did nothing to get the audit out in the open. This is just one of many examples of the City Council’s resistance to act on audits. Why didn’t Greuel support the controller’s audits then and why should we trust Essel when Greuel sat on her hands and did nothing?

11. Essel has almost no support from CD2 leaders. Her fundraisers are held in other locations because her support is from out of the district. Why do these people want her on the council? A look at her list of donors and Independent Expenditures tells the story. Which leads to…

12. Essel made a feeble effort to dispute any endorsement or aid to her campaign by the Mayor. This is also a joke. Compare her Independent Expenditure contributors and the Mayor’s from his last campaign. Interesting similarities, particularly the IBEW. Which leads to….

13. When questioned about her over $700,000. in Independent Expenditures, Essel stated she was proud to have the support of all of the groups. What should be noted is that the IBEW, the union representing the 8,678 DWP employees, is a major contributor to Essel’s Independent Expenditures. Considering that the DWP workers are paid 40% more than comparable City workers, costing ratepayers at least an additional 10% in rates, not including the 8% transfer fee and the 10% City utility tax (thanks to Jack Humphreville for the stats), one should be alarmed by the five-year package of raises now being considered by the Mayor appointed board of Water and Power Commissioners. If approved, it will then be voted on by City Council. Remember, IBEW is the same group, aided and abetted by the Mayor and the City Council, who tried to ram Measure B down the voter’s throats.

14. Essel continually refers to her experience as a businesswoman as a major qualification to serve on City Council. In truth, she was a lobbyist for Paramount Pictures where her job as Senior Vice President of Government and Community Affairs was to “interface with city and state government” (from her bio). In other words, a lobbyist. Were her relationships with government officials, including our City Council, established when she doled out free gifts?