Wendy the Outsider?

I'm an outsider with a parking
meter on my credenza!

Despite nearly 25 years in City Hall and the Federal government  candidate for Mayor Wendy Greuel is claiming to be the "outsider" candidate.

Excuse me while I choke.

Even the slow to get it Daily News caught wind of this joke and produced some fishwrap around it. By the way, City Attorney Carmen "the Clown" Trutanich, desperately trying to remain in office, claims to be an outsider too, but no one cares.

Los Angeles Times readers were perhaps puzzled to see a page 1 headline this month reading: "Greuel stresses status as outsider." Wendy Greuel, the city controller who's a contender for mayor, the former two-term city councilwoman? She has status as outsider? Really?

Read more...

Classic MayorSam: VillarSalinas - We Told You So

More from the MayorSam wastebaskets, uh, archives as we celebrate Obama-nation in Charlotte, NC, glibly presided over by our own Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. This is the story that put MayorSam on the map and Mayor Villaraigosa in the dog house. From July 3rd, 2007


Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is in the midst of divorce proceedings with his wife, acknowledged he is in a relationship with a Spanish-language television reporter, according to a statement published Tuesday.

Villaraigosa issued a statement, published Tuesday by the Los Angeles Daily News, acknowledging his involvement with Telemundo newswoman Mirthala Salinas, after the paper told the mayor it was set to publish a story about their relationship.

"It is true that I have a relationship with Ms. Mirthala Salinas. As I've said I take full responsibility for my actions, and I once again ask that people respect my family's privacy. For my part, I intend to stay focused on my job, and to work as hard as I can every day to be the best mayor I can be," Villaraigosa said.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Monday

A group of bicycle activists staged an action in Hollywood Saturday night to protest for their rights.  In the meantime though a Twitterer found several bicyclists stocking up on libations at a nearby CVS drug store.

Zach at LAist reports that two same-sex marriage measures are in the works for the California 2010 ballot. One would resincd Proposition 8; the other would replace all marriage, gay and straight, with domestic partnership.

My friend and occasional Mayor Sam blogger Edward Headington doesn't get why Measure B failed. Ed says "I am still a little surpised that Measure B did not pass given the green mood of the populace."  We are all for green solutions but what Ed may have missed is that the angry mood of the populace was stronger on B than the green mood.

L:A Dodgers' owner Frank McCourt says he's not planning to provide funding for shuttle buses to Dodger Stadium.  CurbedLA reports McCourt commenting "But it's a few buses. We need robust, muscular public transit for Dodger Stadium to be a vibrant place. But that applies to the whole city, doesn't it?"

It appears most of our readers who spoke up wouldn't shed a tear if newspapers went the way of the dinosaurs. James Rainey writing in the LA Times contends that were local papers to die it would give a blank check to local politicians to be shady with the fishwraps no longer watching them. That would however presume rags like The Times were actually covering municipal politics to begin with.

Speaking of dying fishwraps here's an ironic tale. Though newspaper subscriptions are way down someone is posing as a door to door Daily News salesman as a ruse to rob the place.

What Is Wrong With Kevin Roderick...

...is what's wrong with the LA Times and much of the status quo elite in this town who are either blind to and/or complicit with the actions of the kleptocracy that is destroying this City.

Yes, Roderick is fiddling while Rome burns.

A bit dramatic, yes. But contrast the two blogs this morning of two grizzled old newspapermen, Westside White Guy Roderick formerly of the Former Firshwrap of Record and suburban freedom fighter Ron Kaye, immediate past helmsman of the MOLDY GREEN SHEET (aka Daily News).

Roderick's main piece on Mayor Villaraigosa this morning:
"Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, art collector Cheech Marin and local arts leaders will kick off the first annual LA Arts Month at 10 a.m. at the Japanese American National Museum."

In other words our Mayor's most important task today is to join a man who made millions pretending to smoke pot in movies (and funny movies they were) at an art museum.

Yes, Roderick is fiddling while Rome burns.

On the other hand over at Ron Kaye:
"Yes on B campaign manager Mike Trujillo, under questioning from Shaffer, called the council's power to complete change Prop. B at any time "tweaking it." Talk about a "false and miseleading" statement."

With the Mayor, Council and a few well-heeled special interests they are about to foist a plan on voters - called immensely flawed by the City's own staff and consultants - that will signficantly raise power rates, cripple any chance to allow the free market to develop a green industry in LA and grant alarming new powers to the Council on a number of issues.

Yet Roderick sips lattes, signs books and polishes his Pulitzer either blind to it all or just doesn't care.

We shouldn't pick on Roderick alone because it is the same disease that the Times has (save for David Z and a scant few other journos who pay attention), all local TV, other blogs, even the Daily News these days.

And they wonder why no one is reading the papers anymore.

The Daily News Nails It!

Click image for full impact.

Best picture/headline I've seen so far! Nice Job DN!

Strong-arming the City Council backs Villaraigosa into a Corner

Did Mayor Villaraigosa try to strong-arm Councilmembers Tony Cardenas, Bernard Parks and Dennis Zine into not holding a meeting of hundreds of city employees and animal rescuers last night?

You betcha.

Did it work? No sir!

According to those in attendance, nearly 200 people composed of animal shelter employees, union officials, rescuers, and media attended the special evening Personnel Committee meeting at Van Nuys City Hall to demand the termination of Edwin M. Boks, the Animal Services general manager and Linda Barth, his hand-picked assistant general manager.

Villaraigosa’s office also ordered Boks’ Animal Services commissioners to not attend the event, although two (Archibald J. Quincey and president Glen Brown) disregarded those directives.

The Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles Daily News have stories about this today, but both missed the most shocking testimony of the evening, which was confirmed by several people in attendance.

Former chief veterinarian of the Department of Animal Services, Kathy Rainey, said Mr. Boks ordered her to “conduct certain veterinary practices with infectious diseases without regard for public safety, including allowing public access to a rabies isolation area, even though such jurisdiction is a county function once rabies is diagnosed."

Mr. Boks, she said, told her that the worst that could happen is that she would receive "just a slap on the wrist and that the California Veterinary Board should not be in our business."

The vet also said that Mr. Boks allowed other medical decisions to be made by another Assistant GM, even though she has no background in veterinary medicine, causing six other veterinarians to leave the city to practice elsewhere.

After detailing other shocking behavior from Mr. Boks and/or Ms. Barth, Dr. Rainey said that as a public health official, she resigned because if she acted as Mr. Boks directed her to, the California Veterinary Board could have revoked her license.

The veterinarian advised that if such practices were ever reported to the state, and proven to be true, it could cost the city its own state license to run animal shelters.

A 29 year department employee, Kathy Mooney, said she is retiring early due to Mr. Boks' intimidation, said she felt like she is "hanging herself" by coming to the meeting, told how in her job as the keeper-of-department-kill-statistics, Mr. Boks creates ever-vaguer statistics so that Mr. Boks can make false claims that the city is "95% No Kill," even though it kills tens of thousands of animals per year.

Victor Gordo, a union representative, told of the threats, intimidation and unfair labor practices employed by Mr. Boks and Ms. Barth.

Mr. Brown (the Animal Services commission president) publicly denied that these wide-scale employee concerns were ever brought to the commission’s attention. That could be because Mr. Brown appears to have missed at least 10 commission meetings during his two year tenure. (Mr. Brown's claim were publicly disputed by Maria Atake, another former commissioner who told about her experiences with Mr. Boks. She said that the commission is a "rubber stamp for Ed Bok.")

Other problems addressed include a complete lack of training, policies & procedures, and emergency preparedness.

At one point, Dennis Zine asked, "Is there anyone in the room who has anything positive to say about Mr. Boks or Ms. Barth?" Only one employee got up, but it was to say, "Yes, they have united everyone in this room against them!"

The meeting ran so long that, after a full 4 hours of testimony, the Councilmembers still had dozens of speaker cards that had yet to be called, so the Council members told the crowd that the meeting would be reconvened within a few days.

Going back to the original point: Why did Mayor Villaraigosa try to strong-arm the City Councilmembers into not having the meeting?

That answer is embarrassment. For years, the Mayor has stayed with Mr. Boks because, to admit that he made yet another hiring mistake would be to arm future political opponents with proof of Villaraigosa’s incompetence. But now, with numerous TV and video cameras recording last night’s meeting, the Mayor can no longer claim he didn’t know.

All the Mayor can do is try to strong-arm the City Council, again, which, this time, it appears won’t be enough.

The Mayor is meeting on Thursday with Union officials to discuss the future of Mr. Boks’ and Ms. Barth's employment with the city.

~~~~~

As Paul Harvey says, then there’s “the other side of the story.” There is a money trail to someone who has been influencing the mayor to keep Mr. Boks. If anyone has more information about this, please write to us. Be prepared to help us name names.

Sizzling Tuesday Hotsheet

Mayor Sam gave Haikula a $5 raise and the keys to the morning Hotsheet. It’s my world. It’s a good world. Come join me.

On this day in 1952, Richard M. Nixon delivered his “Checkers” speech. It reads a lot like modern day Los Angeles City Council.

Speaking of dogs with the same middle initial, Edward M. Boks, the curious $181,000 per year general manager of Los Angeles Animal Services, had to turn-tail and go away empty-handed after showing up at the Van Nuys shelter and demanding a meeting with shelter employees just 48 hours after City Council warned him about retaliation for their demanding his termination. The matter was referred to union officials and certain City Hall suites. But when a general manager isn't able to get a meeting with Department employees, it's over. Look for the City Council's Personnel Committee to come up with a termination recommendation for Mr. Boks and his assistant gm, Linda Barth, who has seen more than her fair share of legal & ethics trouble in other departments. (More information on that as it comes in)

Speaking of retaliation lawsuits, the LAPD ain’t got nothing on the LAFD and Tennie Pierce. A former cop was just awarded millions in this recent verdict. Maybe the Department of Water & Power rates will go up again in order to pay the award and legal fees.

Fortunately, the DWP is still on the L.A. Daily News' editorial radar. It has a knockout editorial on the never-ending fat at DWP. “A very real dark comedy being played out in Los Angeles City Hall, where elected officials are more interested in fleecing residents for more money than adapting their own spending to reflect the true state of the local and national economy.”

No matter where you stand on the presidential candidates, you will enjoy reading Republican commentator Andrea Tantaros' provocative article about how celebrities can best help Barack Obama: shutting up.

Renowned writer Dominick Dunne fell ill yesterday at O.J. Simpson’s criminal trial in Las Vegas. He says he is fine. However, that brings to mind the infamous Celebrity Death Pool.

KNBC channel 4 pre-empted "The Conan O'Brien Show" last night because of a scene in which they were smashing items together. News anchor Colleen Williams came on TV and said that they were interrupting the show's reference due to LA's recent Metrolink/Union Pacific accident. Come on, really?

If you are still having difficulty figuring out who to vote for, consider this:

Finally, a thought for the day: If pro and con are opposites, wouldn't the opposite of progress be Congress?