Sierra Club Shilling for "Bastard Child" of Measure B

Memo to former Measure B Campaign Manager Michael Trujillo,

Did you consult with those left-wing tree huggers at the Sierra Club, regarding their renew support for the "Boss D'Arcy/IBEW Job Security Act", errr, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa "Solar Initative" ??

This is from an e-mail to Sierra Club members.

Chrissy, the Sierra Club's new LA organizer, and I want to thank you for helping to move LA beyond coal. Nearly 2,000 of you have spoken out for Mayor Villaraigosa's solar plan by signing a petition, emailing the mayor, and attending last month's Solar Workshops. The message from you has been clear -- let's stop talking about solar and start putting up some panels!

Unfortunately, some are trying to weaken Mayor Villaraigosa's resolve by saying we can't get off coal by 2020 as the mayor has pledged. It's very important that Mayor Villaraigosa hear from you today that we must get off coal by 2020. A critical step forward is a solar plan that creates jobs in Los Angeles and that has enough funding for each part of the plan to succeed. This is where you can make a difference.

Click here to make sure that our mayor fights for the Los Angeles Solar Plan. Demand solar energy now by calling Mayor Villaraigosa's office today.

We have made it easy to send a simple message: we want all parts of the Solar Plan implemented and funded in next year's budget.

Your voice is needed to make our city America's coal-free solar capital by 2020. Can we count on you to be a climate champion and call Mayor Villaraigosa's office today?

Thanks for all you do,

Bill Corcoran and Chrissy Scarborough Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign Los Angeles, CAP.S.

The more phone calls that are made to the mayor's office this week, the better. Click here to forward this message to your friends. Thanks!

Memo to Bill and Chrissy,

Why does the Sierra Club continue to build up its "toxic waste" of discord with the average DWP rate payer by supporting projects that only benefit the exclusive few like Ari Swiller and Keith Brackpool, with current DWP General Manager S. David Freeman in a supporting role?

As your myopic membership cries "warming", the true warming is taking place as the likes of Swiller, Brackpool, Nahai, Gore, Clinton, and labor allies such as "Boss D'Arcy" rub their collective hands together, and create heat (and new found wealth), off the dubious science that is the theory of "Global Warming".

And locally, the likes of DWP Human Resources Director Susana Reyes, who doubles as the Los Angeles County Political Director for the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club, are kept busy writing job specs. for the likes of Wally Knox and "consultant" H. David Nahai, on our dime of course.

** Link here to see Sierra Club's Bill Corcoran's "You Tube" supporting Measure B.

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

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Friday

Is Burbank based Assemblyman Paul Krekorian going to announce he is running to replace Wendy Greuel on the City Council? That was the buzz around  town Thursday evening.  Stay tuned!


Celeste Fremon thinks that it would be a good idea to change the City Charter so that His Imperialness Bill Bratton can serve ad infinitum as LAPD chief.  One wonders how consistent an old lefty like Celeste is and did she favor the Christoper Commission's term limits back when Daryl Gates was chief? I am also curious if Celeste thinks that the Police Chief should be dabbling in partisan and electoral politics, again much in contravention of the findings of the panel that sought to reform the LAPD in the wake of the Rodney King beating.  This is no different than the Republicans who were aghast at FDR's election to four terms and sought to change the constitution to prevent that from happening again.  Yet, when those very same term limits meant no more Ike after 1961, they wanted to change the game again.  Fortuanately, Ike was smart enough to know that was wrong.

Zach Behrens notes that Obama California campaign manager and Measure B godfather Mitchell Schwartz thinks there was a message in the defeat of the controversial proposition and hopes that LA's leaders take the hint. “When something that should be very popular doesn’t pass, it is a wakeup call to the mayor and the City Hall establishment," Schwartz told  Daniel Heimpel at the LA Weekly.

No wonder some of the "umbrella organizations" over Neighborhood Councils get scant participation from all but a fingerful of NC members citywide. Perhaps folks don't see these organizations as ready for "prime time." A recent notice I got from the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Coalition said "The LANCC meets on the first Saturday of each month: MEETING SATURDAY, MARCH 28TH."  Now, yes, I did graduate from LAUSD but I am pretty sure that March 28th is not the first Saturday of the month.

Now we know why the City has made significant increases to parking meter rates and cut back on hours you can park, severely impacting local business and residents: there's gold in them thar hills! Friday the Clowncil will transfer $56 million from a parking meter fund surplus to help cover the City's budget deficit.

The LA Times reports that Bergamot Station art museum in Santa Monica could be a victim of the Expo Rail Line.  Local NIMBYs want the legendary location to be used as a maintenance yard for the line, instead of a nearby industrial property that is within the NIMBY's line of site.

BREAKING NEWS: Potential Shake-Up at DWP

We're hearing a lot of chatter with respect to DWP General Manager H. David Nahai, IBEW Labor Boss Brian D'Arcy and something about the upcoming Council District 2 race to succeed City Controller-Elect Wendy Greuel.

A very reliable source with decades long ties to the local political scene is telling us that Nahi is out as DWP chief, at the urging of D'Arcy and that D'Arcy could very well be the replacement for Nahai.  All of this is fallout from the amazing defeat of Measure B by local activists, for which D'Arcy reportedly blames Nahai. 

Coincidentally an excellent piece by Daniel Heimpel in tomorrow's LA Weekly will chronicle how a group of grizzled activists and internet bloggers and tweeters defeated the Mayor, the DWP, the unions and 12 City Clowncil members in drubbing Measure B, a controversial solar ballot measure.  The article also makes clear the amount of power D'Arcy wields at DWP.

Continuing, as part of a "success is the best revenge" move taken out of the Bitter Bernie playbook, Nahai, learning that Villaraigosa is "just not that into him" will run for CD2.

However, on the other hand, another very reliable source embedded deep within City Hall, a veteran of many campaigns over the last several years, tells us that this is news to them and beleives that Nahai does not live in CD2.  However, this tipster believes a "field clearing" player is gearing up to run for Greuel's seat, its just not Nahai.

They also go on to state they'd be surprised if D'Arcy wants to take over at DWP as the boss is a "labor guy."  They do predict other management moves at DWP, just not at this level.

Stay tuned dum dums.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Wednesday

A blogger who writes about lighting thinks that LA voters were voting down solar energy when they defeated Measure B earlier this month.  Jim on Light posits that Angelenos would experience "delerium tremens" were we to "experience a withdrawal from foreign oil."  It's not that at all Jim. A slim majority of LA's voters were voting down government shadiness not alternative energy.

The billboard wackos are at it again.  They don't even want billboards at places like LA Live and Hollywood where most folks under 50 think they're cool.  Convoluted thinking that creates a crisis out of a non-issue leads to the notion that by allowing individual communities to set their own course as opposed to a suburban crank NIMBY driven one size fits all the billboard industry will sue.  Dumbasses, a Citywide ban will invite lawsuits as well.  If there are any billboard attorneys out there (except for Walter Moore) that want to file a class action suit against the city on my behalf I'm willing to advocate for sign districts and more billboards. (Don't we have a budget and crime problem that's more important the nutbar obsession with billboards?)

More special event fee waiver nonsense from your local City Clowncil.  The City is going broke but apparently we can afford to pop taxpayer money for an "American Idol Viewing Party."  Can't Ryan Seacrest pick up the tab here? Heck it would be a write-off! Who is behind this nonsense? Not surprsingly Jan Perry and disappointingly, Dennis Zine.

Catholics are expressing concern over Notre Dame University's invitation to President Obama to speak at their commencement following his recent decision to fund stem cell research.  Conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt says at this blog, "Imagine the reaction if the National Right to Life Committee were to invite President Obama to receive its leadership award.  By contrast, imagine if the ACLU were to invite Secretary Rumsfeld to receive its leadership award."

Apparently it isn't just Senator Larry Craig who allegedly likes bathroom sex.  The Daily Telegraph reports that Britney Spears reportedly had a seven to nine minute tryst with one of her dancers in a john following a concert, while burly security guards were posted outside.  Uh oh, don't let Daddy Spears know!

Former President Jimmy Carter has gone off the deep end and apparently feels that the Civil War as "un-Christian." In a new book about the writings of Abraham Lincoln Carter comments on a comment by the 16th President that he was on a mission from God to end slavery by saying Abe's words were "very troubling" and "that that the leaders of both sides, overwhelmingly Christian, were violating a basic premise of their belief as followers of the Prince of Peace."

Flap the Blogging Sadist I mean Dentist has a Meghan McCain obsession.  I don't blame him because she's smart and very sexy but this isn't way you impress a girl, Doc.  Even when she's right Flap has to hate on Meghan and point out her age.  That might be because Flap is like three times Meghan's age.  Flap, I think there's a molar calling you.

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.

BREAKING NEWS: Measure B Fails

According to the Woodland Hills Neighborhood Council, the City Clerk has certtified that Measure B has failed, 49.5% yes to 50.5% no.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Sunday

Turns out that Walter Moore was elected Mayor after all - in CD12 that is. According to the LA Times, Moore won 42.4% of the vote to Villaraigosa's 37.3%.  Perhaps Moore should consider moving to Chatsworth instead of France and running against rumored candidates Mitchell Englander and Jim Alger in 2011.

Following his election victory Tuesday, Mayor Villaraigosa's staffers started sending out notices that this win - along with his decent standings in a recent Field Poll - put him in prime position to run for Governor. Though the Villaristas hoped for a landslide, as the SF Gate said, "55 percent against nine pretenders, who most voters couldn't have picked out of a police lineup" isn't it.  In a recent Lake Poll, Villaraigosa comes in second to Jerry Brown and both Brown and fellow contender San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom would have no trouble defeating most of the so-far Republican contenders. Tom Hayden via Celeste Fremon says that Villaraigosa will run for Governor and has an excellent chance. 

Speaking of Celeste Fremon in that same piece she has an a-ha moment when she realizes that the reason Laura Chick won't seek Wendy Greuel's Council seat is she's expecting to run for Mayor when Villaraigosa is elected Governor.

Rick Orlov reports that despite the defeat of Measure B, the DWP is going to go ahead with a solar program, without all the shady parts deleted by the voters on election day. That's fine with the No On B folks as long as the DWP offers transparency in the process.

Actress Maria Conchita Alonso - a Venezuelan national - is speaking out about actor Sean Penn's legendary friendship with her homeland's strongman dictator, Hugo Chavez.  Maria says that Penn should "shut up."

John and Ken on another bombastic rant about elected officials and this time it's Governor Schwarzenegger and pro-tax members of the Legislature.  The radio talk show hosts held a rally in Orange County which drew thousands for a tax revolt.  Though most of us agree that the Governor and Legislature's response to our budget woes were basically giving the finger to the people, John and Ken - compared to hosts such as Doug McIntyre, John Phillips and Kevin James - don't have much of an idelogical committment personally and actually phone in part of their performance.  It is has been long rumored that the pair slips out of the studio whenever they feel like it during their final hour and pre-recorded bits fill the remainder of the hour.

Former GOP Presidential candidate John McCain's daughter/writer Meghan McCain finds dating following her father's defeat troublesome.  On one hand if she dates an Obama supporter who rambles on about how the President was a better choice than her fathe, it brings up old hurt.  Yet Meghan often finds herself going out with McCain voters who gush over her father and quote his lines that she says "It’s like someone taking Lisa Marie Presley out on a date and singing Hound Dog in the middle of dinner."

Nahai Defeats Truman: Ooops

Hat tap to the awesome Twitters at the now rock star godlike No On Measure B Campaign for a fun tweet:

DEWEY WINS "Los Angeles Labor, Environmental, Community Leaders Celebrate Passage of Measure B"

Hold the phone Batman! Those chomping at the bit for some of the Measure B jack were ready to pounce even before the last Minuteman left Walter Moore's rally at Dupars, issuing some bold statements. From the Times:

First up was H. David Nahai, the head of the Department of Water and Power, who sent an e-mail statement to reporters at 11:12 p.m. hailing Measure B's passage and congratulating voters for making "a bold choice for the environment." In his statement, Nahai said the DWP "has already laid the groundwork for ramping up the workforce required to begin implementing Measure B."

But wait there's more:

And shortly after midnight, the head of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor sent her own statement touting her group's involvement in the Measure B campaign. "Tonight, voters clearly agreed that Measure B is more of what we need to get our environment and economy back on track," said Maria Elena Durazo, the federation's secretary treasurer.

Looks like Measure B isn't shovel ready quite yet. A spate of uncounted provisional, absentee and hanging-ink-a-spot ballots could change course but not likely at this point.

Post-mortem: Election 2009

The Associated Press says Mayor Villaraigosa “easily claimed a second term,” but for the mayor and his advisors, 55%, in a race largely ignored, against a group of challengers he out-fundraised 10-to-1 — and refused to debate, is not a win. “Landslide” was the headline Villaraigosa needed for his 2010 gubernatorial prospects, and the disappointment in his voice was clear.

Walter Moore turned out an impressive 61,000 votes — or 26%. It’ll be interesting to see whether he now leaves LA, or decides to stay and continue building on that momentum. In the meantime, one candidate, Zuma Dogg, is calling it quits — not on LA, but on his volunteer advocacy for the resistance at City Hall. He says the “spell” is finally broken.

Measure B is on life support, likely to be removed within 36 hours. Ron Kaye declares a “miracle in LA.”

Three months ago we knew it would take a miracle to defeat what was nothing but a scam for City Hall to get its hands on billions of dollars of our money in the name of something everyone wants, has wanted for years, solar energy. Well, we got our miracle. Measure B lost.

(snip)

The election results are a repudiation of City Hall's failure, proof positive that the people are waking up and demanding full participation, complete transparency and honesty, an end to machine politics that tramples on their interests and destroys their quality of lives.

No surprises in CDs 1, 3, 11, 13, and 15, or the joke elections in CDs 7 and 9. Per the latest City Clerk totals, CD5 will see a runoff between David Vahedi and Paul Koretz. Smart money says the neighborhoods take this one.

The City Hall machine sent one sacrificial lamb to the altar yesterday. Jack Weiss faces a runoff battle against Carmen Trutanich. I say May 19th will be Jack's last election night party in this town for some time.

Also noteworthy: Wendy Greuel received more votes than Mayor Villaraigosa … and Zuma Dogg received more votes than Ed Reyes, Eric Garcetti, Richard Alarcon, and Jan Perry.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Election Day

Make sure you vote today.

LA Business Journal via RonKayeLA: Antonio tells the truth (finally) about Measure B and the IBEW: "You say, 'We cut a deal with them.' Yeah, we did. We built a partnership with them...they didn't see any jobs." How surreal.

In a last minute endorsement the Daily News selects our pick David Vahedi for the 5th Council District seat that Jack Weiss will be dragged from kicking and screaming. "Vahedi stands out as a candidate well-versed in district issues and who has track record of representing community concerns," says the News.

The Fishwrap of Record does the usual lame pre-election preview. One interesting note - very low numbers when it comes to receipt of absentee ballots. About a third of those who requested have mailed them back in.

Jon Regardie at the LA Downtown News does it again. Jon imagines Mayor Villaraigosas's acceptance speech. "Los Angeles, there is so much we can accomplish in the next two - sorry, the next four years."

We mentioned yesterday an LA Times piece that reported that Skid Row residents are screwed when it comes to getting government coupons for free converter boxes when over-the-air TV goes digital. Turns out our friends at the LA Downtown News were on top of it before the Times with more detailed coverage.

Stories You May Have Missed Over the Weekend

• Is Walter Moore Running Mates with Jack Weiss and Yes on B? 
• Great Debate Video Excerpts 
• Tony Villar's Hot Dog Photo Op  
• Greuel Slimes Patsaouras; Nick Issues Challenge
• Emails Show Moore Controller Candidate Evans in Bizarre Situation 
• Of Dying Fishwraps and the Future 
• Saltsburg Responds to Moore and Rubin Debate Threats
• Craig X, The "Weed President"

Is Walter Moore Running Mates with Jack Weiss and Yes on B?

Not necessarily. But if you're a Republican voter who doesn't know any better and received the "slate mailer" above you might get that impression.

Slate mailers are generally a nasty part of politics. While the mailers seek to give the impression that a political party or organization are supporting a set of certain and candidates and/or ballot measures.

Though some slate mailers are sent out by official party organizations, most are organized for profit by political consultants. Each candidate and organization supporting or opposing a measure pays for placement on the slate.

In some cases where the consultant has not been able to sell a spot for a certain race in the election on his slate mailer, he may list other candidates or causes he is supporting for free.

Though the mailers contain small disclaimers indicating that most of the placements are paid and that a placement by one candidate or cause does not imply endorsement of other candidates and causes on the slate mailers, it still can be confusing for voters.

In this case according to the Los Angeles Ethics Commission website both Walter Moore affiliated Controller candidate Suzy Evans and City Attorney candidate Jack Weiss paid to be on the mailer. City records do not confirm if Moore nor the Yes on B campaign paid to be on the mailer or not.

Caveat emptor.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Sunday

Retired DWP employee Leon Furgatch is the latest to join the chorus of voices against the controversial Measure B on Tuesday's ballot.  Writing in a Daily News Op-Ed piece, Furgatch says that B "violates every tenet of good utility management and municipal fiscal responsibility," and that the scheme "affects an existing DWP green power program, including a project already in the works to do the same rooftop job called for by Prop. B."

Need a reason to vote for anyone but Jack Weiss for City Attorney? Here are least four.  It appears the message is getting out. Our tipsters are telling us that Jack is at about 31% in the polls and may not even make the runoff.

Joe B. has been doing great work posting up the excerpts from last Sunday's Great Debate. Check them out before you vote!

If you want to pick up some of those famous Walter Moore lawn signs before they're all gone this is your last chance.  Moore will have them available at his campaign office Sunday afternoon, first come, first served!



Another blogger takes City Controller candidate Wendy Greuel to task for her controversial television commercials. This time its not calling her out for criticizing programs she voted for but a grammar blog that critiques Greuel's mis-use of nouns.
Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Granada Hills needs to expand to continue to provide services to the community but the controversial project has been caught in the crossfire of local NIMBYS and unions upset that the hospital's nurses voted not to join.  So Councilman Richard Alarcon and other Council Members are holding up the project's EIR, effectively stalling it. Hospital officials are fighting back, telling patients that the delay in services is due to Alarcon's blocking of the project.  Even Alarcon's own family members heard the pitch during a recent emergency room visit.

Evening Hotsheet for Saturday

The final weekend before the election and Mayor Villaraigosa has lots of photo ops planned including swallowing a weiner at Pinks and gnoshing at Cantor's.  The Mayor, aware that Measure B stands a good chance of failing, also took off on a Yes on B Bus Tour Saturday.

Moving on to Measure B, a Green Party candidate has come out in opposition to the "solar" plan. 39th Assembly Green Candidate Jack Lindblad. Linblad issued a statement saying "Defeat of this green-washed, wrong-headed, top-down, anti-union, payola underwritten Proposition does not stop solar development within the City of Los Angeles. Measure B will be defeated and then we will make a real plan for clean energy and clean government."

Time Warner Cable's internet service had significant latency and intermittent outages as we reported earlier in the week. LAist posts up a statement from the cable company blaming it on hackers.  Service credits will be offered on a "case by case" basis, whatever that means.

In a last minute, pre-election campaign stunt City Controller candidate Wendy Greuel has "outed" a number of businesses as "tax cheats" who allegedly owe the City hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars in unpaid taxes.  Blogger David Markland has an insteresting idea - run some of those businesses through the City Ethics Commission's database of campaign contributors.  Well I did and not much there only two companies on the list came up as donors to local pols and only one still in office: CVE Development owes $130K and donated $500 to Villaraigosa. American Waste Industries owes $225K and donated $1200 to former Mayor James Hahn and $500 to past Council Member Ruth Galanter.

Slow Internet Evening Hotsheet

Time Warner Cable is still having challenges (the support technician I spoke to said "the engineers are aware") but let's try to crank out the hotsheet I owe and maybe one for tomorrow through all the latency.

The Times points out something I've been saying frequently lately - City department heads like Police Chief Bratton should not be endorsing candidates in City elections. As the fishwrap notes "the Christopher Commission concluded, amid its many recommendations, that the chief of police should refrain from engaging in city politics. 'Because the chief's office is inherently powerful,' the commission wrote, 'it is unseemly for the chief to use that position to influence the political process. ... Such activity politicizes the chief, and ultimately the department.'"  We agree.

We've heard about this the last few days but how unseemly it was to have Mayor Villaraigosa - in the throws of a re-election campaign where he's yet to really discuss the issues - campaigning for Governor in Northridge last weekend?  As the LA Times notes "there was Antonio Villaraigosa, the mayor of Los Angeles, giving a low-key pitch for his reelection next month without so much as a nod to his potential rivals in the June 2010 primary for governor."  Is California ready for an 11% Governor?

Political recurring disease Laurette Healey is back again hitching her wagon to yet another shady solar measure like she did with last year's Proposition 7.  Healey is using her vast mailing list to push Measure B.  Besides being opposed by those who know solar what both measures have in common are both Healey  and the so-called "Green Cowboy" David "I was there when FDR built the Tennessee Valley Authority" Freeman.  One wonders what's in it for them? We may eventually know.

If he's elected Mayor, Candidate David Hernandez promises to send Billy the Elephant to a sanctuary where he can be with other elephants.  Herndandez issued a statement saying that "Time has come for Billy the Elephant to join Ruby at the PAWS Sanctuary. It is clear the Los Angeles City Council and Special Interest Groups are using Billy as a bargaining chip in moving the Zoo’s Elephant exhibit forward."

Why Is DWP Campaigning for Measure B?

From my inbox:

You are cordially invited to attend a community meeting where LADWP will present facts about the Comprehensive Solar Plan including Measure B and the Huron Consulting Group will discuss the Independent Assessment of LADWP Owned Solar Projects (Measure B).

February 25 – 7:00 pm
Banning’s Landing
100 E. Water Street, Wilmington 90744
Parking: Street or Lot Entrance on Water Street

Will the other side be allowed to present? Send your questions to neighborhood.newswire@ladwp.com.

When this election is over I'd like to see someone pursue a ballot measure that will prohibit government agencies like DWP or LAUSD from "advocating" on ballot measures that impact them as well as banning department heads like the DWP General Manager and LAPD Chief from campaigning for city issues and candidates. Time to start cleaning up the corruption.

By the way I'm told that protesters from the unions and environmental groups that oppose B have outnumbered the general public at this meetings. The Sister City encourages as much peaceful, legal protest outside these meetings as possible.

Nick Calls Out Greuel on Measure B

City Controller Candidate Nick Patsauouras has issued a challenge to his opponent - City Council Member Wendy Greuel - to meet him any time, any where for a debate on Measure B, the controversial DWP takeover of the solar industry in Los Angeles.

In his message to Greuel, Patsaouras says "We don't know how much Measure B will cost but we do know it will raise utility fees significantly for DWP ratepayers.  In this time of extreme economic stress the voting public should have all the facts on Prop B."  Patsaouras tells Greuel "You as an author of Prop B and it's chief sponsor in the City Council and I as an opponent of Prop B are uniquely qualified to debate this issue."

Stay tuned for Greuel's response, if any.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Wednesday

Opposition to Measure B is growing .  Ron Kaye reports that Council Members Bernard Parks, Dennis Zine and Greig Smith have gone on record opposing the controversial DWP measure and that "Bill Rosendahl, is now undecided."  Kaye also notes that 32 Neighborhood Councils and two NC coalitions, at least seven homeowner groups and business organizations, the county Republican Party and the Harbor Democratic club have joined the opposition.

Industry news source FTVLive is reporting that NBC may outsource local news operations at it's owned and operated stations , perhaps to local Fox stations who NBC has an agreement with to share programming.  Apparently NBC brass aren't happy with the revenue performance of their local news divisions and their associated websites.  According to sources, NBC honcho Jeff Zucker wants to align the local websites with MSNBC.  The report says however that the outsourcing program will not affect KNBC here in Los Angeles.

If you're interested in having input into the legislative redistricting reform contained in the voter approved Proposition 11 last fall, here's your opportunity.   The California State Auditor will hold a public hearing  on Monday, February 23rd from 11am to 5pm at the Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. 5th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071.

The San FernandoValley Republican Club has released a list of recommended voters and ballot measure positions for the March 3rd election .  To me the most interesting thing is how many Republicans are not running in some of the various races.

City Council President Eric Garcetti is holding a competition for local residents to design bike racks  to be built and installed in his District.  The prize for the winning design is $2000.  How about a contest to design a better City government? Oh wait - that's Garcetti's job!

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Tuesday

Billboards are a big issue in the 5th District Council race and for the first time I've seen reported something I had suspected all along.  Most regular people don't care about billboards according to surveys.  That being said, the NIMBY core is fanatical about this issue, more so than crime or the economy it appears and they represent a good chunk of the current voting masses given LA's apathy.  Politicians beware.

Speaking of billboards the LA Weekly takes a look at Walter Moore's legal career representing billboard companies.  Nothing really new here if you've been reading Street Hassle or Ron Kaye but the Weekly does get Walter on record as denying that he is Satan.  First comment on the Weekly post is from Moore's opponent Phil Jennerjahn who appears as a chihuahua nipping at Walter's heels.

Controversial, conservative, evangelical preacher Pastor Rick Warren seems to present an odd fascination for some liberal Democratic politicians.  First President Obama chose Warren - much to the chagrin of liberals and some gays - to deliver the invocation at his inaguration last month.  Next, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa chose the anti-gay and anti-choice cleric to headline Villaraigosa's "Prayer Breakfast" over the weekend (is this an appropriate event for an elected official to hold?).  According to Politicker.com it was a contest to see how much Warren could avoid mentioning gay marriage and abortion and how often Villaraigosa could say he was much in favor of both.

Supporters of Measure B - the controversial solar energy plan on the March LA ballot - appear to have union members bamboozled.  Though trades and other unions think the plan means more jobs for them, it doesn't.  Well for the DWP IBEW members possibly, but that's about it.

The New York Post reports that the Empire State's Governor David Patterson has quietly raised the salaries of key staffers despite asking for cuts in state employees' pay due to budget cuts.  Some raises amounted to as much as 46%.  No word if Mayor Villaraigosa contacted Patterson to ask how he did it.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Sunday

Some LA Times endorsments for March 3rd primary candidates coming through.  In a stunning blow to Jack Weiss the Times has endorsed prosecutor Carmen Trutanich for City Attorney saying that he has "a strong vision for the office, with tough prosecution of violence tempered by a real-world recognition that gang crime must be answered with alternatives for youth." Holding their nose the Times endorsed Wendy Greuel for Controller over Nick Patsaouras saying that :Patsaouras has been instrumental in moving the region's transportation plans forward," but Greuel is more inclined to twist arms in City Hall, a trait they view as important for a Controller.

LA Weekly's Daniel Heimpel has read the fine print of Measure B and finds some similarities to past shady LA boondoggles, despite the promises from B's proponents that this time is "different."  Heimpel retells the story of a DWP plan to invest $2 million in an electric scooter company that flopped as well as a department plan to generate wind power that wound up costing three times as much and hasn't produced a single megawatt. 

The LAUSD is moving ahead to build a new school in Echo Park but can't move forward until they get an approval from Councilman Eric Garcetti. Garcetti is upset about aspects of the design of the school and won't sign off until LAUSD makes the changes he wants. Speaking through a spokeshole Garcetti said he "has requested that the district review its plans for the school and see if it can be made more appropriate in size, scale, and design for the neighborhood."

Looks like Jan Perry's goofy fast food ban isn't working.  Consumers in South Central are eating at places such as McDonalds as opposed to Subway because they can get more food for their money. Speaking to a USC blog, Marlon Grissom a resident of Watts who supports the ban still thinks it won't change his neighbor's food choices,  "They wouldn't go to the healthy places. They'd still go to KFC."

I know this is old news but I didn't know it.  I had always heard that there was a rumor that entertainer Carol Channing was really a man.  Well that's not probably true but for decades Channing hid the fact that she is African-American.  Who knew?