Wendy Greuel Slimes a Good Man: The Nick Patsaouras Story

Pre-Mayoral Makeover Wendy
and Nick, the man she slimed

When we think about the character of a person we might want to elect to office, we think about what they may have said about others.

Wendy Greuel's record of sliming other candidates is well known. During the Mayoral primary campaign, she threw all kinds of charges against her opponents, many of them personal. We all remember the attack on Jan Perry from the Greuel campaign on the personal bankruptcy Perry faced following the dissolution of her marriage. When presented the opportunity to apologize for her remarks, Greuel was recalcitrant and said "That's politics."

Go back to another campaign and you'll see more of the same. In her foray into running for City Controller, Greuel was faced up against businessman and philanthropist, Nick Patsaouras. Patsaouras, who immigrated from Greece as a young man over 40 years ago, is a real American success story. The kind you usually see trotted out at Republican and Democratic conventions. Nick got an American education, worked hard, became an engineer and built a very successful business. Because Nick was grateful for the opportunity his adopted country offered, he became a community activist, working with Mayors Tom Bradley and Richard Riordan on building the City's transit system, among other issues. Nick's contribution to the MTA was such that the transportation center at LA Union Station was named after him. His wife Sylvia is also a very distinguished community leader.

None of that mattered to Wendy, who in her quest for power, is known by City Hall mavens to "do or say anything" to get ahead. Let us take you back now to 2009, when the delightful pixie who has supposedly done so much for Sunland-Tujunga, NoHo, Studio City, Valley Village et al, at the last minute, made horrific charges against a good man:

From Mayor Sam's Sister City, March, 1, 2009

City Controller Candidate Wendy Greuel is airing the ad below where she alleges that opponent Nick Patsaouras, as chairman of a local bank, ran the bank into the ground.

However, the Sister City has located documents that show that Marathon National Bank, of which Patsaouras was Chairman of the Board, was acquired by First Community Bancorp in a 2002 merger.  Additionally, records show that Marathon, in quarterly reports filed just before the merger, had significant earnings growth, hardly the picture of an institution in trouble.

Patsaouras has issued a challenge to Greuel - prove the bank failed and he'll drop out of the race. However if she can not dispute Patsaouras' claim that the bank failed Patsaouras is calling on Greuel to withdraw.

We don't expect to Greuel to drop out even if she was wrong about Patsaouras' bank; its politics as usual in LA.

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Tuesday

Dennis Zine does an
impression of Tom LaBonge

CM and former motorcycle cop Dennis Zine used to be a fiscally conservative Republican who know exactly what the problem was with City government.  Then he joined the City Council and became part of it.  Doug McIntyre spells it out.

Zine took some hits when he approved a Costco siting at a mall in Woodland Hills. Local NIMBYs and anti-big box wackos went apoplectic but obviously the locals want to shop there or the Washington based retailer wouldn't go to the trouble.  However, in a move to mollify the retired and the professional agitators, Costco has released plans that promise the store - which generally have the ambiance of a cargo hangar at LAX - will be really pretty!

Read more »

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Thursday

Looking good baby, looking real good!

Yea we're back. As long as you don't piss me off.

Longtime civic activist Nick Patsaouras is filing suit against the DWP to force them to end their game of chicken with the Los Angeles City Council and compel the utility to make a scheduled $73 million payment to the City. Filing the suit for Nick is former City Attorney Noel "The Good" Weiss. But didn't he endorse his non-relative Jack Weiss for City Attorney over Nuch?

Who knew? Turns out the biggest donor to a drive to place a pro-pot measure on the ballot in November is George Zimmer, founder of The Men's Wearhouse. I guarantee it!

Who was that man walking up and down the street in front of a Los Feliz church early Easter morning picking up trash from the gutter? None other that CD4 Council Member Tom LaBonge. In the meantime actor/director Tom Hanks was seen stalking around Atwater Village ostensibly scouting movie shoot locations.

Great work by blogger Don Petrosky Garza and the folks on Skid Row helping the homeless on Easter. Still you know had to show up for a photo op, despite the City crumbling around him.

A CurbedLA reader from Hollywood wants to know how to establish preferred street parking in their neighborhood. The Curbed readers aren't giving much support to this move. I think eventually the courts will find preferred parking districts unconstitutional.

The LA Can't Drive blog snapped a photo of a motorist driving a BMW steering with his knees and eating a bowl of soup. Well, at least I hope it was some pho!

And finally Phil Jennerjahn's ill executed recall of all elected officials is still pretty much going nowhere. However Phil might get lucky that anger at the Mayor is building so much Villaraigosa may resign before Phil has to suffer the embarrassment of not enough signatures.

Morning Briefs and Outtakes with Something about Missing Documents

Hey "staffer whats your name", have you seen some missing petitions ??

Memo to Councilman Jose Huizar,

Instead of having your staff role playing "lo jacks" whenever former Deputy Chief of Staff Henry Casas enter CD-14, why don't you maintain your constituent files ??

In this month's The Voice Newspaper, column inches are devoted to the multi-year saga of El Sereno residents who had been seeking help regarding some Caltrans property on Maycrest Avenue which has become a "shooting gallery" for local drug users.

And what help did they get from the El Sereno Office of Councilman Huizar ?? This is not good.

We now fast forward to 2009, three years later and the problem has not been resolved. Enrique Aguilera owner of Aguilera’s Hair Studio one of the businesses that is affected by this on going problem recently met with Councilman Huizar’s District Director, Arturo Gonzalez to get update on the project. Aguilera was shocked and could not believe the update he received at that meeting. Aguilera stated “I found out that the documentation we submitted including the signatures have been lost.” Aguilera said “According to Gonzalez the Councilman office
has lost the documentation during the move to the new El Sereno Constituent Center, the new home of Councilman’s Huizar office on Huntington Drive.

This is after all the work that was accomplish starting in 2006.

The stakeholders met with Councilman Huizar in 2006 to ask him for his assistance in resolving this problem and to take on the communities concerns. Huizar was well aware of this problem and used it as a wedge to gain votes for his re-election campaign and according to the stakeholders, during one of their meetings he promised them that he would take care of this problem if he were to get re-elected. A couple of the stakeholders allowed him to use their names on re-election campaign flyers and re-election website and list them as community
members who supported him. They stated, “We believed him and did vote for him.”

Seems to me that once Huizar won his first full term in 2007, all constituents concerns were put on the back burner of priorities.

Other News:

** The Los Angeles County Democratic Party recently bestowed the "Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Award" on worthy recipients in the respective Assembly Districts within the county.

Some of this year awardees will be familiar to Mayor Sam regulars.

44 AD Dolores Helen Hickambottom and Eliot Sekuler.

45 AD Carol Jacques and Bill Rumble.

46 AD Gloria Gasca and Ulisses Sanchez.

For the likes of Sekuler, Rumble and Jacques, This award is dedicated to their efforts in "sharing the wealth" of the Southwest Museum with the disenfranchised widower Jackie Autry.

** This question for the CD-2 "Cut and Pasters", is this comment in response to a LA Weekly story regarding the Special Election from former City Controller Candidate Nick Patsaouras, a indication of an imminent endorsement ??

From all the candidates Tamara is the only one with a concrete , SPECIFIC commitment; that is to fight for an IG/Ratepayer Advocate at the LADWP. Tired of platitudes such as, I am for efficient government, I have business experience , I will fight for NCs , I have been a Valley resident for most of my adult life etc etc;The scandalous, continually escalating utility rates are unsustainable, unless the waste,fraud and abuse are checked on a day to day basis. I hope the NCs take notice.

Comment by nick patsaouras from tarzana on Aug 26th, 2009, 23:51 pm.

** Former activist blowhard from South-Central Los Angeles Najee Ali, is piping for early release from prison where he is serving four years. Maybe he can serve out the rest of his sentence by working for Congresswomen Maxine Waters ??

** Celeste Fremon reports that Deputy Chief Sergio Diaz wants to be the next LAPD top officer. look for the likes of Councilman Jose Huizar and Ed Reyes to support Diaz.

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

Morning Briefs and Outtakes for Monday

"The Albert Robleses of Southeast Los Angeles"

The last time I saw these two "Albert Robleses" was in Downtown LA's United States District Court.

Albert T. Robles (top photo) had been found guilty of multiple counts of corruption in the City of South Gate and was awaiting sentencing, meanwhile his defense attorney was Albert Robles (lower photo), former candidate for District Attorney, was attempting to get his client off with some dubious, verbal legal nonsense that drew a quick retort from the presiding judge.

Albert T. Robles was sentence to ten years in prison and Albert Robles went on to run for District Attorney, it is this campaign and the use of "robocalls" that has "Little Albert Robles" (nickname from those in the know in Southeast LA), under investigation for not disclosing who paid for the calls.

One would of thought that with the conviction of Albert T. Robles, that the "Robles Machine" would fade away, but to the contrary, the machine has been entrusted to the likes of "Little Albert" and others (Angel Gonzalez, Chacons, Pedroza, and others) in Southeast LA who were taught by the likes of Lou Moret and Richard Alatorre.

The machine shows its face in the form of political mailers that make outlandish charges from fictional campaign committes, with paid street walkers from "Victory Outreach" handing out campaign material and the use of absentee ballots to get out the vote.

Somebody might want to ask Montebello City Councilman Robert Urteaga how he feels about the Chacons and their tactics, at this time ??

Other News:

** Nick Patsaouras and Doug Epplehart are highlighted today in Daily News Rick Orlov "Tipoff Column. Patsaouras wants to create an office of "ratepayer advocate" to oversee the DWP. Epplehart wants to cut in half the salaries of the Mayor, City Attorney, City Controller and City Council.

Thumbs up on both, but let Corina get her half from Tony first.

** Those low rent paying merchants at El Pueblo have responded to the audit from the City Controller Office and lets guess who is patting himself on the back for his leadership on this issue ?? Hint, huevos for you, if invited.

** A no-brainer from the Editorial Board at the "Daily Moldy Green Sheet" about the need for the City of Los Angeles to revamp its business taxes.

** Rumors are circulating on the streets about fraud in the Mayor's Gang Prevention and Intervention Program, what do you expect when you are paying $6,000 to "Summer Night Lights Advocates" and awarding contracts to those who contribute to re-election campaigns ??

Your thoughts......

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"

Greuel Slimes Patsaouras; Nick Issues Challenge

City Controller Candidate Wendy Greuel is airing the ad below where she alleges that opponent Nick Patsaouras, as chairman of a local bank, ran the bank into the ground.

However, the Sister City has located documents that show that Marathon National Bank, of which Patsaouras was Chairman of the Board, was acquired by First Community Bancorp in a 2002 merger.  Additionally, records show that Marathon, in quarterly reports filed just before the merger, had significant earnings growth, hardly the picture of an institution in trouble.

Patsaouras has issued a challenge to Greuel - prove the bank failed and he'll drop out of the race. However if she can not dispute Patsaouras' claim that the bank failed Patsaouras is calling on Greuel to withdrawl.

We don't expect to Greuel to drop out even if she was wrong about Patsaouras' bank; its politics as usual in LA.

Antonio no pudo ayudar a Wendy; MAPA Passes Over the Pixie for the Greek

Oops!

MEDIA ADVISORY
Mexican American Political Association to endorse Nick Patsaouras for Los Angeles City Controller

Date: Friday, February 27, 2009
Time: 2PM
Location: Music Center courtyard, across from DWP Headquarters
111 N. Hope St.
Los Angeles

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Sunday

The LA Times has given a half-hearted endorsment of Mayor Villaraigosa.  Of course, no one is surprised by this.  In the meantime Villaraigosa's strategy is as if there is no election, telling Rick Orlov
"I don't take umbrage that people want me to debate," Villaraigosa said. "What I say is judge me by what I've done. I'm going to knock on doors and talk to voters."

Nearly $3 million in special interest money has gone to the campaigns of City Controller candidate Wendy Greuel and City Attorney hopeful Jack Weiss.  On the other hand, Greuel's nearest competitor Nick Patsaouras has raised just over $100,000. Better walk those precincts and make those calls Nick.

MetBlogs notes that Mayor Villaraigosa, Tom LeBong and Richard AlarcCON all seem to be inspired by rock legend Huey Lewis in photos on their websites.

Measure B is getting most of the attention this election season but Measure E is yet another scam by the politicians to divert your money to people who can do something for them.  Claiming that LA needs to bring business to the City - which it does - LA's leaders want to direct big chunks of your tax money to certain businesses who agree to locate here.  Council Member Wendy "I never saw a giveaway I didn't like" Greuel is of course supporting this measure and once again spouting mistruths claiming that nearby cities like Burbank do this and gave big bucks to Yahoo to locate in that city.  Not true says Burbank City Manager Michael Flad who said not one dime was given to Yahoo, "We don't try to bribe people to come to Burbank . We find ways to encourage businesses, not buy them off."  It's not a lack of corporate welfare that drives business out of LA, its the City's business unfriendly regulatory environment, high crime and high taxes - as well as a well developed NIMBY contigent.

The Daily News has come out against both Measures B and E.  In their editorial the paper points out that both shady propositions would despite their best intentions "unnecessarily change the City Charter with vague and restrictive requirements that could saddle Angelenos with bad policy for decades to come."

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 Thursday

Excellent piece by Jill Stewart in the LA Weekly takes a look at the race for City Controller between Wendy Greuel and Nick Patsaouras . Greuel is viewed as a friendly and popular politician however a funny thing happened on the way to her coronation to succeed Laura Chick - a hardscrabble, battle worn old Greek who knows where the bodies are buried jumped in the race. A series of embarrassing moments for Greuel, pissed off voters, growing skepticism of incumbents tied to the failing economy and a perceived too cozy relationship with Mayor Villaraigosa has privately caused some in Camp Wendy to be "concerned." Stewart notes this in her piece; saying that the Greuel campaign is sensitive to the Villaraigosa issue and has backed off on joint appearances with the Mayor.


Steve Lopez chats with former Villaraigosa Planning Commission Jane Usher  who eventually left the family when she get tired of the shadiness that is LA City government.  Usher is hopeful for eventual change in LA but like many of us is terrified of the "terror troika" being elected to lead LA.  So she's backing Carmen Trutanich for City Attorney, most likely sensing that Jack Weiss is the most vulnerable and scariest of the troika.

The DWP finally managed to shut off a fire hydrant in the Valley that's been gushing 50 gallons of water a minute for the last ten days.  According to the Daily News, after several days the utility ultimately figured out how to save some of the water  while they tried to figure out how to turn off the flow.  The DWP seems to have a lot of trouble with hydrants lately .  And now they want to take over the solar industry in LA? Vote No on B!

Antonio Villaraigosa has one  and now Britney Spears is getting version 2.0 of her wax figure  at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. In the meantime, Joseph Mailander at Street Hassle has an audio-animatronic version of the Mayor for your amusement .