Welcome Los Angeles Tourists to the Hollywood Sign!

Seems as if local NIMBY neighhbors to the world famous Hollywood Sign, which is older than anyone who lives up there, want to keep tourists to our great city from seeing this iconic landmark.

That's like New Yorkers blocking access to the Empire State Building or South Dakotans throwing up roadblocks to view Mount Rushmore.

In the interest of tourism, our local economy, good hospitality and pissing off these dumb CD4 NIMBYs, we offer up to tourists to Southern California these opportunities to see the totally awesome Hollywood Sign.

And with the good search engine optmization that the great Mayor Sam blog offers, we'll be certain this will wind up in so many Google searches tourists do, insturcing them how to reach the Hollywood Sign.

One way to see the Hollywood Sign

The folks at CurbedLA have put together three sure fire sets of directions on how tourists can visit the Hollywood Sign. 

Neighbors to the Hollywood Sign have apparently protested to Apple and other internet firms about maps and apps that show how to get to the Hollywood Sign.

You can read more about visiting the Hollywood Sign at sites such as Trip Advisor and Yelp.

You can also read the official Hollywood Sign website, though they have to do a dance between promoting the sign and not pissing off local politicians.

Council Member Tom LaBonge welcomes you to Hollywood,
home of the Hollywood Sign!

Did you know that an LAPD officer is posted at the Hollywood Sign 24 hours a day? With rising crime in Los Angeles, one would wonder if that is a good use of resources.

And certainly while we encourage that tourists to Southern California do visit and enjoy the Hollywood Sign, we certainly do advise you to adhere to the law, read posted signs and do not illegally tresspass.

But do enjoy our iconic Hollywood Sign!

Hat tip to the fun folks at CurbedLA!

Saturday HotSheet

Who will he pick?

Courting of the losers by the winners in Tuesday's Mayoral race is already underway. The LA Times reports that both Wendy Greuel and Eric Garcetti are seeking the endorsement of former opponent, Kevin James, who came in third place. James has not yet stated if he will endorse and if so, who he leans towards. It's highly unlikely, given his criticism of Wendy Greuel's lack of independence from special interests he could support the Controller yet as well James was highly suspect of Garcetti's leadership as City Council President during the years Los Angeles slipped into steep decline.  James met with Greuel on Friday and will meet with Garcetti over the weekend. Perhaps he will announce his decision as well as comment on speculation he may seek the GOP nomination for Governor in 2014, when he guest hosts on KRLA AM 870's "The Morning Answer" on Monday morning.

A severe tuberculosis strain has broken out amongst the homeless population of LA's Skid Row and officials are scrambling to address it. Writing at CityWatch, author/blogger Joseph Mailander notes that "Over five of every six cases since 2007 have occurred among those homeless in Skid Row, for whom we have failed to provide housing, despite two decades of affordable housing programs and recent costly developments that are purported to house the greatest at risk." Mailander squarely lays the blame at LA's "Homeless-Industrial Complex" where a web of politically connected non-profit organizations, elected officials and Chamber of Commerce types spend millions in taxpayer dollars that do little to address getting any significant number of the homeless in homes. He observes that while "CEOs" of homeless service organizations get salaries often north of well paid Los Angeles City Council members, and apartment like housing units are developed at costs equivalent to the average single family home, existing stock and facilities which could house more individuals at a lower price point sit fallow. Mailander posits the City's policy of "containment" led to the TB outbreak, as opposed to spreading the homeless out in existing section 8 housing in a "regional approach" that doesn't require massive spending on homeless specific facilities. Blogger and homeless activist, Don Garza, told us he agrees with a regional approach stating "the homeless are in tears and those who have seen the horrors of the containment policy first hand living in the supportive housing in skid row" are hoping to see elected officials take a different approach.

Abraham Lincoln's troops won the battle at Gettysburg 150 years ago, which began to turn things around in the Civil War and likely saved the Union, but Los Angeles Pierce College President Kathleen Burke-Kelly is having none of it.  Burke has cancelled the annual Heritage Days event on the West Valley campus. The event featured highly detailed Civil War re-enactments where children and others can first hand get an idea of what the battle was like and even ask questions of re-enactors who answer in the frame of the period.  Yet, despite that Gettysburg Sesquicentennial observations are going on all around the country - and interest in Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War period is at an all time high with several popular movies, books and TV shows out on the subject - Burke-Kelley gave into naddering NIMBY naybobs in the Woodland Hills neighborhood who did not like "the noise." These are the same type of folks who got the Fourth of July Fireworks show cancelled at LA Valley College. Watch out, they may be coming to YOUR neighborhood

And finally when you consider the results of our Mayoral and other elections on Tuesday, one often wonders "who are these people?" who vote.  We think late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel has found them! Watch below!

Stuffing on the Veranda

President Obama salutes the Democratic National Committee Chairman

Posting light over the holiday but here are a few nuggets for you to chew on.

Phil Jennerjahn drops out of the race for CD 4 and predicts a Tom LeBong victory.

Before Mayor Sam came to LA there was not this level of political coverage as seen in a Weekly story on Rudy Martinez's race for CD14. We've even made Mike Trujillo famous. You're welcome.

Here are some opportunities for you to help your fellow man and make Thanksgiving a little bit nicer for those down on their luck. It's also a great opportunity to see your favorite local elected get their picture taken.

Not realizing there are hungry people in their own city or a massive AIDS scourge in Africa, time on their hands NIMBYs in Encino are lamenting the free market has transformed an ailing Barnes and Noble into a CVS Drug Store. In the future people will not read but they will need stimulants. Just watch Idiocracy.

It's not exactly the death of high culture but Disney is giving up making animated fairy tales after its latest Rapunzel based feature Tangled is released this holiday season. Again, the march to Idiocracy continues.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Monday

District Attorney Steve Cooley is well on his way to being re-elected to his third term though he once blasted former opponent and District Attorney Gil Garcetti for doing the same. Cooley says he further goals to achieve.

Despite the scares and Neighborhood Council votes, Joe Mailander reports that LA's libraries have not been cut in their funding in the coming City Budget. Still it was a good opportunity for the libraries to shake down their patrons and the Neighborhood Councils.

You've read here about the antics of former Glassell Park Neighborhood Council President Bradley and his top lieutenant Paula Bagasao. Now David Markland picks up the story at his KNBC blog. Among the antics at the Council's meeting Tuesday; reviewing complaints over Bradley's attempt to prevent a stakeholder from video taping the Council's meetings and a complaint against Bagasao for alleged racist remarks made against Hispanics and Whites. In case you forgot what fun Bradley and Bagasao are, here' s video reminder.



Rick Orlov blogs what local Democratic activist and former candidate for LA Community College District Trustee Maria Agazaryan and her husband did with their $2100 tax rebate stimulus check: a shopping spree for patio furniture.

A goofy screed about the comining of the new 747 area code as an overlay for the 818. Writing in CityWatch developer Rickey Gelb doesn't understand how after 20 years of use the area code is running out of numbers. His math of six numbers of every man, woman in child doesn't take into account business lines, cell phones and other uses for lines. Time marches on Rickey, its time for another area code.

You can see a video of the new MTA advertising in subway tunnels at the LA Times website. Though the billboard NIMBYs are screaming about it. It reminds me of the old Peoplemover throuh Superspeed Tunnel at Disneyland back in the 70s.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Friday

We told you this was coming back during the Summer of Love. AnVil not only wants to clean your toilets, he wants you to drink from them. Toilet to Tap is back! And Ron Kaye reminds us how it fired up the secession movement back in the 90s and how the Daily News under his leadership led the charge.

Couple of interesting items in light of the State Supreme Court's ruling that allows gays to marry in California. Joseph Mailander observes that the lone Schwarzenegger appointee to the Court joined the minority who ruled against overturning the state's laws banning gay marriage while three of the four Justices who voted to overturn the ban were either George Deukmejian or Pete Wilson appointees. A fact of course that blows out of the water conservatives claims that the Governor's less than right wing stance is responsible for this. In a related, stunning development, Zuma Dogg has proposed marriage to openly gay Councilman Bill Rosendahl. Big loser in the whole thing? AnVil since San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom will get all the credit and all the gay Democratic political support and money come the 2010 Democratic Gubenatorial primary.

We've talked about the Rocky Delgadillo obsessed billboard NIMBYs and the MTA's new videos on the wall of it's subway tunnels. CurbedLA has a piece where one billboard NIMBY says he'll leave town if Angelenos decide they are in favor of billboards. Check out the comments section of the post; many great contributions.

Ever tried to hail a cab in LA? Unless you're at an airport or a few select hotels or other locations it's illegal. But that is changing.

Court Issues Ruling Favorable To Providence Holy Cross Medical Center

The nuns may continue their mission of mercy. From the SFV Business Journal:

"Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Thomas I. McKnew dismissed a suit filed by a citizens group challenging an expansion at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center.

Community Advocates for Responsible Expansion at Holy Cross objected to the city’s decision to approve the hospital’s $146 million expansion project because no environmental impact report had been conducted, though one was not legally required."

The strange bedfellows NIMBY/union challenged the Sisters of Providence who wish to expand the hospital to provide much needed trauma care. With a number of local hospitals having closed; PHCMC found itself having to sometimes treat patients in the hallways. The new project, which has already broken ground, will make better use of the hospital's space to treat the sick and injured.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Tuesday

Despite the protests of NIMBYs, the City of Beverly Hills has approved a developer's $500 million project to bring the Waldorf-Astoria to the former hometown of Jed Clampett. Opponents plan to gather enough signatures to put a referendum on the ballot to overturn the Council's decision.

Normally, you see stained concrete and dripping ooze when you stare out the windows at the tunnel walls of the Metro Red Line subway, but the MTA has an idea for the tunnels near the Universal City Station - project trailers for upcoming motion pictures on the walls that riders can watch as they speed 800 feet under the Santa Monicas at 70 miles an hour. The cash strapped agency estimates it will earn several hundred thousand dollars from the scheme. Still, we're sure that Jill Stewart or Observing Anglos in the distant Westside will have an issue with it.

I missed it and so did Franklin Avenue. An LA Times piece on former LA City Mayors that gives a hat tip not only to the old, dead Republican Mayor but to the Sister City itself.

Miley Cyrus is only 15 but she's sure she knows what 21 - 25 year olds go through. The Hannah Montana star said of bad girls Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan, "Everyone has their time. And I think most 21- to 25-year-olds go through this kind of thing. Basically, they're being normal 21-year-olds, especially Lindsay (Lohan)."

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Wednesday

Barack Obama is one step closer to the Democratic nomination after a massive victory in the North Carolina primary and a near tie with Hillary Clinton in Indiana. With a significant lead in the popular vote and delegate count, will more Superdelegates begin to jump ship? Will Michael "MEAT" Trujillo be headed to an EDD office in LA? Stay tuned. By the way, go back in time about a year ago when Zuma Dogg wrote about Trujillo's hiring by the Clinton campaign. Read how wrong many of you were about this campaign's outcome.

A blogger who is sort of another type of KENNEDY REPUBLICAN uses the Janice Hahn gang pay-for-play scandal as yet another reason why Los Angeles is going into "the crapper."

The Silver Lake reservoir will no longer be used as a source of drinking water but will continue to serve as a fake lake. One blog asks why not use the space instead for much needed parkland and open space?

It used to be a person's home was their castle. Not anymore in Los Angeles. Busybody NIMBYs who would be better off fighting Home Depots and toxic waste dumps decide to jealously tell others how big your house could be. I've heard comments like "no one needs a house that big." Who the hell is anyone to decide that? In Los Angeles, it's impossible for anyone who is not a multi-millionaire to purchase a small estate, hence if you want to give up your backyard for a bigger family room or more bathrooms, it should be your right.

If you thought you had a chance with actress Scarlett Johansson you're now ever more wrong than you were before. The 23 year old actress is engaged to be married to actor Ryan Reynolds.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Monday

The Daily News reports that LAUSD only began to track the amount of lead in the water of it's campus drinking fountains six months ago. A group of parents at one local school undertook their own test and found water to have lead nearly eight times the United States Environmental Protection Agency's recommended levels.

Walter Moore has made the big time. A Communist newspaper has said his support for Jamiel's Law is part of a right wing racist conspiracy to keep the working man down. In the same article they call for amnesty for all illegal aliens and claim the Los Angeles Police Protective League is "false union." Speaking of Walter Moore he reports that though the Mayor says we're in a budget crunch; Villaraigosa is spending 32% more in the City Budget than when he first took office.

NIMBYs won't like this but the LA City Council has voted to approve a billboard district along the 10 Freeway near the Coliseum and Staples Center. This plan will generate much needed revenue for services in the area; still "build absolutely nothing anywhere near anywhere" over 50 year old Anglo suburban Westside cranks will likely be against it, though it does not affect their neighborhood.

Britney Spears has apparently been working out and decided to show off her new body to paparazzi and beachgoers. Connection to politics? In the photos in this story what former City Hall staffer does the singer/actress bear a resemblance to?

Mayor Sam's Afternoon Hotsheet

One of the arguments for allowing illegal immigration is that those who sneak over the border for a better life do "the jobs Americans will not do." But a major problem that illegal aliens can not help with and in fact may make worse is the growing shortage of skilled labor in California. As baby boomers retire, there are fewer doctors, nurses, computer progammers, etc. while at the same time the rise in population caused by illegal immigration creates more demand for these services. Ernesto Cortes Jr., Southwest regional director of the Industrial Areas Foundation, told the Temple Daily Telegram, “Right now we’re headed toward becoming a Third World city."

We need more police officers! There's compelling reasons for police officers to join other departments than LAPD. So the City has offered $5000 signing bonuses to new officers and $10,000 bonuses to officers who transfer from other departments. Mercury Insurance kicked in $1 million to help with it. But now the Clowncil wants to end the program (and spend the money elsewhere I guess).

You might think I'm shilling for the billboard companies, but I have no issue with the signs, especially if they're electronic ones put up along the freeway or in entertainment districts like Hollywood, NoHo, Downtown, etc. They might be too ugly for the Anglo Westside but if folks downtown want them or in other areas, let them do it. We don't need suburban blue-hair cranks telling us what to do in other parts of the City.

Mayor Gavin Newsom's fiance sounds like a bright chick. Jennifer Siebel planned to change her voter registration from Republican to decline to state. However, she instead registered with the right wing American Independent Party. Maybe he should have stayed with the 19 year old.

Just like the City, British bankers are seeing their expense accounts sliced. Most notably cut is reimbursement for trips to strip clubs and brothels (note to American readers: those are generally more accepted in Europe than in the US.)

Stuart Waldman picks up an endorsement from a teacher's union.

We don't hear much about NIMBYs in Beverly Hills but of course they have them in spades. They're against a new hotel on the site of the Beverly Hilton; though probably you'd have to live there to afford it. Swimmin' pools, movie stars.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Tuesday

Future Condo Site, North Hollywood - Photo by Mayor Sam

The city has no cash, members of the City Clowncil refuse to give up their personal slush funds and the Mayor wants to charge kids to borrow books from distant libraries. The Daily Breeze sees a solution in this: give the Council slush fund to the libraries.

Lots of people like cool, well-designed electronic billboards but they don't have the time NIMBY cranks do to organize against them all over the City. And now it looks like Long Beach will be one of the only South Bay cities without revenue generating, entertaining, civic pride bearing electronic billboards along the 405. For Christ Sake, do we have wait until Lawndale to see what's going to be on the next episode of 24?

The City is supposed to broke. The Mayor is raising your taxes and fees to make up for a budget deficit. He says he's making spending cuts. So why - as Walter Moore reports something you won't read in the Former Fishwrap of Record - is the recently announced budget INCREASING overall spending nearly a quarter of a billion dollars over last year?

Zuma Dogg has a run in with the Governor and got most of it on video. The KENNEDY REPUBLICAN didn't seem to want to respond to Zuma.

We get stupid emails sometimes. Just because you want some reforms to illegal immigration and alien gang members deported doesn't mean you agree with ignorant drivel like this.

Apparently bubble gum star and superstar sibling Ashlee Simpson arriving with her boyfriend at LAX is news. It's nowhere near as important as Britney Spear's legal bills. Who knew?

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Wednesday

Press coverage is finally kicking in on Jamiel's Law. I corresponded earlier with Jamiel Shaw, Sr. who has been quite busy with interviews. Unfortunately, the behavior of some of our City Council members to the appearance today by the Shaw's in chambers was quite disturbing. Not daunted, the Shaws will continue on in suport of Jamiel and Jamiel's Law.

Joe Mailander has an excellent piece that touches on something we've been saying for a while but he puts it better - the Mayor is scared to death of a conservative populist movement in the City and it may find it in the anger over gang violence that is motivating the Jamiel's Law campaign.

The Daily News takes to task some Clowncil members who are also hoarding millions of dollars of taxpayer money that should go back to the general fund during the budget crisis. Chief among the hoarders is everyone's favorite "George W. Bush of LA" Zuma's friend Tom LeBong who says he has to hold on to the money so he can "deliver for his district." Is there a bigger clown on the Clowncil than LeBong? You tell me.

NIMBY/CAVE/BANANA types normally fight against condos, stores and other nasty things near their homes. I didn't think it was possible but we have a new monster in LA, the NIYBY - not in your backyard! Busybody Westside White Guys and Gals from Holmby Hills, Brentwood, et - including Wacko Jacko - al are protesting construction of an electronic billboard miles away in South LA. The billboard is supported by the local residents and the local Clowncilman because it will generate funds for much needed parkland in the area. Let's hope the South LA'ers tell the WWGGs to go to hell.

Fellow Mirthala Banger Fabian Knucklehead Nunez is holding onto $4 million meant to support Democratic candidates and the unions want it back. A spokesman for the disgraced, termed-out Assembly Speaker said nuts to you, "We don't question how labor runs its operations. It's unfortunate they don't offer the same consideration to the speaker."

I've reported on the nutty security cameras Clowncil people are squeezing Neighborhood Councils for. Many of them wind up broken due to a lack of maintenance. Our favorite ex-motorcycle cop turned Councilman Dennis Zine makes an excellent point: arrests deter graffiti, not cameras.

Stuart Waldman has yet again nabbed more big name endorsements as he rolls to the Democratic nomination for the 40th Assembly District. This time, among more unions, he picks up the support of two current Assembly Members he'll work with - neighboring seat holders Paul Krekorian and Anthony Portantino.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Monday

Los Angeles Port President David Freeman joined Port of Long Beach Prexy Mario Cordero for a joint appearance last week in San Pedro about the controversial "Clean Trucks" programs to be adopted by both ports. The goal - to lower diesel emissions and pollution at the ports and in surrounding communities - may only be window dressing. Freeman denied that one of the more talked about provisions of the LA plan that could require truck drivers at the port to be employees rather than owner-operators was more about pleasing unions (unions can't organize truck drivers who are independent operators) than making the Port more green.

Mr. Tamar Galatzan and VICA head Brendan Huffman has a letter in Monday's Daily News praising the selection of Marcus Allen as the new CAO for LA. Brendan, how come they iced the plan to dump Robin Kramer until none of us are looking?

Joel Budd writing in the Economist is the latest journalist to delve into the development issue in Los Angeles. Though he captures well the usual NIMBY/BANANA/CAVE anti-growth mentality, the story also makes it clear why the city has to look at all types of growth strategy including smart development and transit oriented development. We just can't get keep growing out.

The MTA and the City are trying to encourage more people to use public transit yet at the same time they're cutting service on the lines that the most transit-dependent need most. Makes sense of course. Even Tony Villar finds fault with it.

Except for some of the NIMBYs who read this blog, most of you probably have no idea who Sandor Winger is, but he's the man that anyone wanting to annex Las Lomas and other prize properties in LA County has to get through. The Newhall Signal profiles the Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Local Agency Formation Commission who spends his days pouring over proposed county maps and often tells guests he "feels crappy." Maybe on his desk: new plans to annex Las Lomas?

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Wednesday

Planning Commission President Jane Usher may find her services may no longer be needed. The attorney and Villaraigosa appointee is drawing fire for sending an email to neighborhood activists that recent rules enacted by the City Council allowing developers to build bigger projects if they include some level of "affordable housing" (see why this is a crock here) are probably in violation of state law. Some Council Members feel that Usher's remarks could be an encouragement to NIMBYs to sue with the perceived imprintaur of the leading civilian planning official.

Speaking of NIMBYs, I wonder if some day in the future, when Los Angeles is struggling greatly for jobs and housing, our general emotional overreaction against and disdain for development will be viewed much in the same way many of us view the shortsightedness of previous generations of Anglenos who rejected mass transit plans for the region decades ago.

The Daily News slams the Clowncil and the Mayor for not selling surplus City property when they could have; now that the city is in a budget crunch.

Here's an interesting bit of City history from Bob Timmerman: Proposition B, on the June 3, 1958 ballot which sealed the deal to give Chavez Ravine to the Dodgers in their move from Brooklyn. Interesting that some of the argument was about real estate development back then. Also interesting in the image of Prop B on the ballot is Prop C, a $12 million bond for police construction. I guess the City went on borrowing binges even back in the day.

Want an Elliot Spitzer scandal t-shirt? You can get one here.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Tuesday

Our sources are telling us there was one barn burner of a session at Monday night's meeting of the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council's Land Use Committee meeting. Tipsters say a representative of Councilwoman Wendy Greuel's office, in trying to explain the backroom deal between City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo and Home Depot to place a controversial branch of the store in the mountain community, made essentially "circular comments" that provided no answers. Frustration and emotion ran so high that one committee member broke down in tears and expressed that she has "lost faith in the whole process." I suspect its going to get a whole lot uglier before the matter is resolved.

Following our big time expose that City Planning Director Gail Goldberg is allegedly a big time beer fan, the department is leaking like a sieve and lots of information is coming our way. It will take some time to parse it all but here's the latest tidbit: Planning Department employees who happen to be minorities say they're getting passed over for promotions and that an outside investigation and lawsuits may be in the works. Our sources tell us that Goldberg and her second in command, Michael LoGrande allegedly have frequent meetings at a local sports bar to drink beer and make changes to department staffing.

Last year the City Clowncil agreed to big time pay increases for city workers - more than the private sector would ever get - and now that the City is in a big budget crisis the Clowncil wants to reopen negotiations and take some of those raises back. But it seems as if the unions are not taking the Clowncil's calls.

A well known Valley NIMBY is griping in a local publication about SB 1818. You know that's the state law that basically allows developers to overrun local zoning laws if they provide some level of "affordable housing." Of course the NIMBY is up in arms but what she doesn't realize is that it's the NIMBY/CAVE/BANANA mentality that drives this very nonsense (as well as the need for developers to be shaken down by local politicians). If the market drove development, scams like SB 1818 wouldn't happen, there would be stronger reasons for developers to develop smart and it would create genuine "affordable housing." However in the current environment developers and land owners can not make the best and highest use of their land.

In the same article the same NIMBY is also aghast that the City has come to the conclusion that preferential parking districts "are turning neighborhoods with public streets into what are essentially gated communities accessible only to the residents and their guests." I've always felt that these districts - which limit parking only to those people who live next to the streets that they are created on - are on a shaky constitutional ground. When you consider that the streets are maintained with gasoline and property taxes paid by more than just the local residents, the preferential parking districts are unfair.

Business to Fight Back

After taking it lying down from unions, NIMBYs and liberal politicians for some time, local business may fight back.

Tuesday, with politicians such as Bitter Bernie, Sleeping Smith and Leather Denny tagging along, a coalition of business organizations will announce the formation of the Los Angeles County Business Federation. They already have a cutesy name for it, "Biz Fed."

The idea is to coalesce many local and regional Chambers of Commerce, business organizations and other groups under one umbrella along the same model as the LA County Federation of Labor. Indeed, the plan has caused Maria Elena Durazo, executive secretary-treasurer of the County Fed to get her panties in a bunch. Durazo fears the organization could be a "another tool to defeat reasonable proposals made on behalf of workers in Los Angeles."

The organization could be an effective resource for business to fight back against job and business killing proposals here in Los Angeles. For too long, business has rolled over and played dead as unions and other special interests took control of City Hall.

The fear I have is that the organization - though having some 40,000 businesses under its umbrella - is too close to a number of the "usual suspects" such as the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce who have often times put their desire for a cozy interest with the Downtown power payers ahead of their members as a whole citywide. Indeed, politically connected attorney and outgoing LA Chamber Chairman David Fleming will be Chairman of the new group.

However "BizFed" for now is worth a shot. Only time will tell if the organization will be a true advocate for business or a lapdog for the hoi paloi.

Friday Hotsheet at 3 a.m.

JM, Tough drive here, 1.10.08


Joseph Mailander a guy in la • elsewhere • email

Bill Boyarsky told the LA Press Club last night that not all of LA's Jews live in Brentwood, some elderly ones live in apartments in Pico Robertson, and that's why he doesn't support condo conversion. He said there wasn't much difference between the way State propositions are marketed today and the way they have been marketed through their history. As a solution to LA's housing crisis, he favors inclusionary zoning. He says Mitt Romney is like the guy who comes into the Times every so often and says, "We're cutting this and we're cutting that and we're cutting that." He tailed Bob Kennedy's ambulance in a taxi down Wilshire from the Ambassador to the hospital. And he's written a book on Jesse Unruh---Big Daddy: Jesse Unruh and the Art of Power Politics---which includes a lot of info on Jesse's girls, all the various women in the State strongman's life, and lots about Unruh's accomplishments as a State party boss. If you want a read that is both about naked political power and lurid appetites, with strong flavorings of sixties and seventies California, read the book.

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Also noted: a bundle of Westside HOAs shook down a developer and a complicit Councilman for lots of cash. The successful landmark blackmailing of one private entity by another in the name of permitting, all done in broad daylight, demonstrates what a complete farce the City's Planning Department has become under the Mayor's hand-selected planning doormat Gail Goldberg and the current City Council.

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The former fishwrap of record has said "NIMBYs NIMBYs," but David Coffin says, "NIMBY’s is hardly the proper term to describe the resistance of a community that has already seen the loss of 4,500 homes, 14,000 people, 3 schools, the resulting losses of church and synagogue membership, school enrollments and business growth that was set back for 40 years during the last expansion" in the latest CityWatch.

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There's more in the Daily News on the phenomenon I noticed a couple of weeks ago: the way the City is spinning NOT making zone changes, treating industrial jobs as though they were some kind of quaint relic of the past, to be "preserved." We'll ask again: When are Employment Protection Overlay Zones coming to LA?

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Is the LA Weekly still doing hard City news anymore? It's hard to tell these past two weeks; there have been no City Hall stories in the Weekly. There haven't been City Department stories, or City Council stories, or development stories; there hasn't been anything regarding City politics at all, in fact.

Last attempt, three weeks ago: the Brewer cover was a pure hatchet, flailing at low-hanging fruit, singling out the current Supe of the district for not solving problems that were created by others, who have since moved on.

And the "Nine Miles and Spreading" gang cover story a month ago, the one that was spiked at the NYTimes is similarly starting to look a bit...shall we say...stretched. That story made it sound like gangs were on the verge of taking over the City. Today comes the former fishwrap of record with this: "LA gang related killings plunge." The DN has it too. Yes, there appears to be lots of trouble of late at the Weekly with coming up with local news features that ring strongly true, or even stick for a while.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Thursday

Happy New Year!

Though NBC is planning to move its Beautiful Downtown Burbank facilities to Universal City, the Burbank Leader reports its not a done deal. Though the City of Burbank has approved NBC transferring its development rights to a new developer, the City of LA has yet to approve this deal which will bring significant economic opportunity to the San Fernando Valley. Due to NIMBY nonsense and the lack of foresight of Councilman Tom LeBong, NBC is going to have tough sledding here.

This is kind of odd. Its an old story and as far as I know nothing has come up lately, but a fine waters website is carrying a post about LA's Toilet to Tap water program.

The blog Cheat Seeking Missiles declares Mayor Villaraigosa as Bill Clinton's "spiritual brother." The blog posits that Antonio - who says of his conversations with Iowans - "I say I'm mayor of Los Angeles, and some of them put up a smile," probably doesn't tell the locals that "his popularity has plummeted with his zipper" since The Summer of Love.

"Wacko Jacko" Weiss continues his journey towards libertarianism as he promotes a sort of modified free enterprise approach to transit in Los Angeles - some degree of privatization of subway and transit lines. He doesn't go far enough but this type of heresy coming from a local elected is a breath of fresh air for an old, dead Republican Mayor such as, well, uh, me.

I've been trying to tell my friends in Sunland-Tujunga (as well as Wal-Mart and Costco haters) that the best andidote to big box stores is the free market. And it appears I was right. Big boxers like Wal-Mart, Home Depot and even chains like Starbucks often find its not so easy to compete against small independents and are struggling because as Reason Magazine's Michael Moynihan writes; "The inability to adapt to local tastes and the failure to anticipate technological market shifts have been the Achilles heel of many big box retailers."

Speaking of Sunland-Tujunga don't forget our big Mayor Sam wing-ding there on Sunday, January 13th. To RSVP click here.

I Want My McMansion

The sickness known as anti-mansionization, reported on by both our own Joe Mailander and the folks at CurbedLA, has spread deep to the City Clowncil.

Here's a word to the NIMBY, CAVE and BANANA crowd: you might figure out ways to shut down Home Depots or hospitals but you have no right to tell people what kinds of homes they can live in.

Amazingly, in an LA Times article about a City Council plan that will surely be overturned by a court, Jack Weiss sounds positively libertarian.

Interesting too that the "anti-mansionization" movement contains anti-Semitic, anti-Persian and anti-Asian overtones. You could read more about it at Wikipedia.

By the way, the home in the photo above is that of KFI's Bill Handel, who certainly worked his way up to the place in life to afford such a home. Good for him. That is what it's all about right?

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Thursday

Not too long after Mayor Villaraigosa declared NFL football dead at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum talk started anew of a stadium in Chavez Ravine. But I don't think its going to happen. The NIMBY/CAVE/BANANA movement is just too strong and it will take years to get through the lawsuits alone. The honest truth is private landowners just don't have rights anymore.

This sounds like something out of a Sanford and Son episode: Thieves are stealing copper wire from streetlights. Its expensive to replace and before it's fixed a significant number of streetlights in a community will remain off. The valuable material can catch quite a pretty penny from recyclers. Which makes it even dumber that radio station KPCC posts an article showing you the tools necessary and the steps to take for anyone who wants to join in on this thievery.

The City of Los Angeles wants to blanket the City with free wireless internet. That's good for Zuma Dogg and anyone else who wants to remote blog; the problem is no city government yet has been able to figure it out. However, a number of non-profit community based initiatives are working well. How about leaving it to the private sector?

Just about every politician in Los Angeles has a plan to raise taxes and cries poverty when it comes to the municipal budget. However the Daily News reports that the City has wasted millions of dollars mismanaging state and federal grants. In an audit of the process, City Controller Laura Chick found there is no tracking or central management of grants leading to missing out on some grants or spending more money to get the grant than the grant is worth.

The MTA loses nearly $7 million a year to fare scofflaws who don't adhere to it's "honor system" of no turnstiles on it subway and rail lines. Now the MTA is considering putting in East Coast style gates on the entrance to the lines, requiring a fare payment to ride. However, some idiot writing in the Former Local Fishwrap of Record thinks that the multi-million dollar fare loss is a small "price to pay for the architectural and aesthetic benefits" of the stations' "openness."

How do you get to do a major real estate development and trick the NIMBYs and local Clowncilman to get on board? Dig up historic plans that show your project was supposed to be there all along.

I don't know how I missed this, but over a month ago Luke Ford reported a woman who looks a lot like a television reporter we all knew and some (well one) loved checked into Sherman Oaks Hospital's maternity ward.

Fellow Mirthala Banger Speaker Fabian Nunez's spending sprees are going to mess it up for all the other pols. The California Fair Political Practices Commission is considering regulations to crack down on the use of campaign funds for personal use.

LAist calls Clown Prince of the City Clowncil Tom LeBong a "grinch" for claiming the DWP's annual holiday light show in Griffith Park is "green." Critics say the event is far from green especially considering the fact that LeBong and the DWP have banned bicyclists from riding the city streets through the show in contravention of state law.