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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Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Thursday

Guess who jumped the shark?

How do LA's politicians such as Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa sell more influence than the law allows? By creating special committees dedicated to pet causes that special interests who wish to curry favor with the Mayor and other electeds can drop big bucks to. The Center for Governmental Studies released a study that shows Villaraigosa controlled committees and raised and spent millions for various efforts of the Mayor.

Making the case that LA City government is indeed riddled with fraud, waste and abuse is Ron Kaye's "Clean Sweep" campaign which kicks off Saturday in North Hollywood (yay!). Clean Sweep, birthed out of the Saving LA Project seeks to identify, train and support candidates for next year's City Council to boot entrenched incumebents and finally turn around the way LA does business. Kaye, the movement's spiritual leader, says "We need new leaders that will bring us together and work for the common good."

If there is a current incumbent that Clean Sweep might want to consider supporting that would be Council Member Paul Krekorian who received a good six month "report card" from the Daily News. So far Krekorian has impressed his constituents through careful attention to their issues and by doing things like voting to oppose LA's silly lawsuit against Arizona, fighting DWP rate increases, advocating against a truck driving school in Lopez Canyon and significantly reducing his Council office expenses compared to other members. In the meantime blogger/gadfly Phil Jennerjahn finally jumps the shark in seeking to boot Krekorian whom Jennerjahn says - despite everything I just told you - is a "budget destroying socialist (and probably a freedom hating liberal and dangerous enemy of free speech). Jennerjahn seems to think his only hope is to recruit former candidate Augusto Bisani to challenge Krekorian in March. It doesn't get more fun that that folks.

Can you believe it? The Metro Blue Line is now 20 years old. Militant Angeleno has video he shot on opening day, July 14th, 1990 as well as some news clips from the time. Lots of nostalgia! For the 90s!