Noel Weiss on Wendy Greuel's Handling of Local Bridge

The following is sent over to us by local attorney, progressive activist and former City Attorney candidate, Noel Weiss.

Noel has shared the entire file from when he deposed Wendy Greuel, who as a City Councilperson, fearful that years of City neglect could lead to a collapse on her watch, pushed through the renovation of the Moorpark Street Bridge in Studio City. Though the bridge was surely in need of replacing, Greuel was more focused on the pomp and politics of it and construction methods were used that lead to severe damage to the homes of several Studio City homeowners, including that of an 82 year old widow.

From Noel:

Please see the link of my deposition of Wendy Greuel back in 2010 where under oath Wendy just could not find the way to take responsibility for the complete 'screw-job' she did on an elderly widow whose home was damaged due to the City's engineering malpractice on the re-do of the Moorpark Street Bridge. . .

That 're-do' occurred back in 2007-2008 while Wendy was on the City Council.

Disconnected from day-to-day operations in her own office, the deposition shows a disengaged management style, little knowledge of the facts and poor leadership.

Ms. Greuel has spent a lot of time running for office, and precious little time running whatever office she holds. This can be seen in the deposition video and in her recently released Controller calendars which highlight meeting after meeting which is listed as taking place "Without Wendy." It appears from this deposition that her council office also ran "Without Wendy."

Read more by clicking here.

Open Thread for Monday

No HotSheet today....but here are a few topics for you

- What will Joseph Mailander say this week about Sunland-Tujunga
- Who will Mayor Villaraigosa pick for his Chief of Staff?
- Is Janice Hahn going to Congress?
- Will Noel Weiss go with her?

Noel Weiss "RIPS" Ron Kaye over Janice Hahn post

 Former 2009 City Attorney Candidate and City Councilwoman Janice Hahn's "Political Apologist" Noel Weiss

How Noel Weiss views Janice Hahn 24-7.

Dedicated to Noel's infatuation of all-things Janice Hahn, "OHHH NOEL!!"

STAND BY YOUR "POLITICAL BABS"!

That means for former City Attorney Candidate and noted Janice Hahn Kool-Aid Drinker Noel Weiss, when someone like Ron Kaye tells Congressional Candidate and the current "Reigning Blond of the City Council", "stick to being sweet, charming and ditzy, and get a new lawyer", in his recent post on Hahn's "Gattoesque tactics against Fox News, who comes along, puffing machismo pronouncements in sharp rebuke to Kaye? Janice Hahn's "Norman".


Read Noel's "SSSCCCRREEEEEEE" after the jump.

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.

Saturday Morning Shorts......

"What will Councilwoman Janice Hahn get from AEG ??"

Shout out to Community Activist and former City Attorney Candidate Noel Weiss, your favorite councilperson is in need of some direct intervention right now before she falls into the abyss of political suicide.

Who in their proper mind set would want to be seen holding hands with AEG's Tim Leiweke and the Jackson Family, considering the mounting backlash over the cost of providing public services for an non-permitted event ??

So while the likes of City Controller Wendy Greuel, City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, Councilman Dennis Zine and a vast majority of Angelinos are calling on AEG to pony up the cost for their non-permitted event. Councilwoman Hahn did this according to the Los Angeles Times.

While Zine has railed against the costs of the memorial, Councilwoman Janice Hahn offered a different view, saying the city benefited from the Jackson memorial. Today, Hahn introduced her own motion calling for a complete accounting of the tourism benefits derived from the memorial, saying it promoted Los Angeles as a global destination for Jackson fans.

“Los Angeles really looked good to the world,” she said.

Was Councilwoman Hahn channeling the thoughts of AEG's Tim Leiweke at the time of her motion ??

Did AEG's Tim Leiweke make some future promises to Councilwoman Hahn regarding monetary backing for a parcel tax to support gang handouts, errrrr, creation of new gang prevention and intervention programming ??

Noel, if you could of heard the words that were directed toward Councilwoman Hahn on the radio airwaves yesterday, you would call Janice at her City Hall Office at (213) 473-7015 and tell her for the sake of her political career to cease with this charade.

After all Noel, caring is intervening to save one from further political harm, especially when it is self-inflicted.

Other news:

**Judge accused of bribery attempt

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has been indicted on charges of trying to bribe his opponent in a 2008 election campaign, a spokesman for state Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown said Thursday. Judge Harvey A. Silberman and two political consultants are accused of trying to induce Deputy Dist. Atty. Serena Murillo not to run against him in the June 2008 election -- apparently unsuccessfully, because she did run, losing by a margin of 53% to 47%. The three are accused of two counts each of solicitation.

Brown spokesman Scott Gerber said the two political consultants, A. Randall Steinberg and Evelyn Jerome Alexander of SJA Strategies, pleaded not guilty, and Silberman's plea was postponed until a judge could be designated from another county to hear the case. All three were released on $20,000 bond.

KRLA's Kevin James last night equated this indictment to what Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa did for Ricardo Lara and Cindy Montanez in appointing them to the Planning Commission. Thus, deciding not to challenge John Perez for Assembly and the "Zorro Marxist", Richard Alarcon for City Council respectively. Makes you go Hmmmm.

**Downtown News: "City Officials Cautious After El Pueblo Audit"

However, while 14th District City Councilman José Huizar and a representative of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa both said they agree with the general findings in the audit and believe rents should rise, they stopped short of supporting the report’s recommendation that tenants pay market rates of $2.65-$6.75 per square foot a month.

One does not want to bare the wrath of Carol Jacques ??

**From the "Dot Dot Dish Column" at the Downtown Garment and Citizen:

BOO-HOO: 45th District Assemblymember Kevin DeLeon sent out word that tobacco giant Phillip Morris has made him a target of mailers and a phone campaign in a bid to pressure him into opposing a tax hike on tobacco products as part of plans to fix the state’s $26 billion budget deficit. Sorry for all of that pressure, Assemblymember—reckon that’s a downside of having one of the few secure jobs in the district. Let us know when you and your pals in Sacramento balance the budget. Meanwhile, excuse us while we focus on those other mailers that are going to so many of your constituents—layoff notices, furlough orders, foreclosure proceedings, etc…

Couldn't said it better....................

Your thoughts................., and great weekend to all.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Wednesday

Excellent piece by Joel Kotkin on "The Decline of Los Angeles."  A mentor of mine told me several years ago that Los Angeles is a city with its best days behind it.  That appears to be true.  Kotkin chronicles how the City has fallen on economic hard times, the middle class and business has left in droves and quality of life is slipping. Kotkin laments" In such a context, Villaraigosa's upcoming coronation seems hard to comprehend. By most accounts, he has been at best a mediocre mayor, with few real accomplishments." Though its tough at the moment to find a scenario where one of the Mayor's challengers pushes him into a run-off or even defeats him, there's still the chance.  Vote for anyone but Antonio and lets go from there. 


Westside White Guy shows his Pulitzer Paperweight winning suburban chops once again when he can't imagine why even Congresswoman Maxine Waters has bailed on supporting Jack Weiss for City Attorney and has endorsed Carmen Trutanich.  Yes Kevin, get past your cocktail party talk and understand that indeed "Anyone but (Jack) Weiss" is critical for the City.

So if it's anyone but Jack who do you vote for? Fortunately you have several choices. One of whom is the good Weiss, NOEL WEISS, whom you can read about here and here.

Mayoral candidate David Hernandez is charging the City's Channel 36 censored the final segment of a Full Disclosure report on the Mayor's gang program.  Hernandez charges that "The broadcast was censored and viewers were subject to a blank screen during the 30 minutes scheduled to air the controversial conclusion.," and then asks " Just what did the Mayor not want you to see?" 



Measure B made the New York Times.  Relatively balanced piece however it doesn't go into why there is such "fierce opposition" to this shady boondoggle.

I'm all for privatizing as much City services as possible but stand for a shady alert.  Mayor Villaraigosa wants to explore an idea similar to one implemented in Chicago (red flag alert) in which the Windy City has sold their parking meter revenue for 75 years to Morgan Stanley.  Watch out folks, there's huge room for abuse here.

Joseph Mailander likes yurts but I think he would rule this one out as an option for the homeless.  CurbedLA reports a Silverlake version of a manse that comes with the home style pioneered by the Mongols that is on the market for nearly $600K.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Wednesday

More developments on the Jim Alger, DWP MOU and Northridge West Neighborhood Council front. Following both dust-ups between Alger and the members of the Council, as well as an email-blog dispute with DWP Memorandum of Understanding Oversight Committee Chairperson Soledad Garcia, Alger was denied the opportunity to serve as NWNC's representative to the MOU Committee. Alger told the Sister City "I was asked by the President to do it, but after just finishing rising against the re-appointment of the former President who had just resigned, didn’t get the votes it was 4 for 3 against and 3 abstentions with 6 required." Alger downplayed the Board's decision telling me "I didn’t seek to be appointed, I was asked."

The Westchester Parents blog issues a report card for Mayor Villaraigosa and gives him failing grades on everything from the City's fiscal condition to how he has handled traffic to the Mayor wasting water at his homes. The blog points out one key example of the Mayor's hypocritical lifestyle (in addition to the Mirthala thing) saying "While promoting public transit and urging the council and other departments to cut usage of their take-home cars - the Mayor is driven around in a 2005 GMC Yukon at an average rate of 73 miles per day."

I'm supporting City Attorney candidate NOEL Weiss because of his integrity, committment and knowledge but there's one thing (well there are others) I don't agree with him on - advertising pillars.  You know those are the cool looking, European style cylindrical kiosks as seen in places like San Francisco, Noel is against them.  I don't know Noel, I think they're perfectly approprirate for areas such as Hollywood, Downtown, the NoHo Arts District, etc.

Obviously to the consternation of the Daily Kos set former GOP Presidential candidate John McCain announced his campaign for re-election to his Senate seat. McCain said in a letter to supporters that be is running again because  "The economic challenges currently confronting our nation are immense and unfortunately, the Democrats in Congress propose addressing these challenges through increased spending that wastes billions of taxpayers dollars and saddles our children and grandchildren with a staggering debt."



Bloggy bits:

• Eric Garcetti unveils his campaign website
• Santa Monica City Council wants to set aside beachfront apartments for the homeless
• Mayoral Candidates tell the LA Times what "sets them apart"

Wacko Jacko: No--Show at Valley Debate

The Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Councils is hosting a regional candidates forum February 12 for all those seeking office as Mayor, City Attorney, City Controller and City Council - and guess who is the one guy not showing up? Yup, Wacko Jacko.

Zach Behrens at LAist tipped us off:

Everyone vying for a school board, controller or attorney seat is attending except one person. You probably would have guessed it without the headline or photo, it's 5th District Councilmember Jack Weiss, who is well-known for being the most absent and unreachable politician in the city.

Get the word out folks - four years of Jack Weiss as City Attorney will be misery.

That being said I am endorsing Noel Weiss for City Attorney. This is the one guy who running who is brilliant, thougtful, and knows the issues inside and out. For sure, idelelogically Noel and I are far apart on several issues. However he has the character and ability to do the job, so I will cast my vote for the "other" Weiss.

Bitch SLAPped!

BREAKING NEWS

Update: Judge David Yaffee dismissed all but one of the complaints from the Yes on B crowd; that the Solar 8 could not say there were no public hearings. The judge also denied the request for court costs against the Solar 8. Read more at RonKayeLA.

This just in - the judge in the case of the Mayor's Yes on Measure B team - the one that sought to sue Ron Kaye and other local activists for their ballot argument against a controversial and "flawed" DWP solar initiative - tossed out the suit. The judge found no merit in the Mayor's team's argument and the Solar 8's ballot statement will stand - telling the truth to voters about this alarming boondoggle.

Big feather in the cap for Ron Kaye and his Solar 8 and their legal counsel, candidate for City Attorney Noel Weiss.

Been a good week so far for the people, no doubt!

Losing Control on Prop B? Then Resort to Intimidation.

In a clear attempt at intimidation under the guise of law, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and his team of lobbyists, strategists and pay-to-play cronies have sued the eight people who signed the No. on Prop. B ballot argument.

This measure isn't about solar energy and has nothing to do with the largest solar energy initiative ever undertaken. The City Council and mayor could initiate that by their own actions. This is solely about paying blackmail to the DWP and its IBEW union which have blocked solar projects for a decade and would have exclusivity on large-scale projects under this measure.

The Solar Eight -- Jack Humphreville, Soledad Garcia, Humberto Camacho, Kristine Lee, Nick Patsaouras, Joe Pulido, James O'Sullivan and me -- will not be silenced by this tactic. But our lives have made difficult as we need to respond in court on Tuesday to the allegations that are ballot argument is false and misleading. We were unable to find a lawyer knowledgeable in city election law because this was dropped on us during Christmas week but Noel Weiss, candidate for City Attorney, has now volunteered to provide us help in putting together our pleading. The next hearing in court is Jan. 8.

Stephen Kaufman's law firm, which represents the mayor, eight City Council members and a host of other political figures, is handling the case for the City Hall political machine for the named plaintiff, Mitchell Schwartz, a high-powered environmental lobbyist.

This isn't just an attempt to squelch the Solar Eight or the debate over this phony ballot measure but a direct assault on everyone's right to freedom of speech and to participate in the political and electoral process.

We need support from Neighborhood Councils, homeowner and resident groups, service clubs, churches and every individual who cares about L.A. This is a defining moment. We need to come together and stop the political machine that is destroying the city. If we won't fight as one against these tactics and this dirty deal, I don't know that we ever will.

The March 3 primary gives us the chance to change L.A., to elect candidates to the City Controller's and City Attorney's offices who can stand for the community. Villaraigosa, Wendy Greuel and Jack Weiss along with the 15 obedient council members will have nothing in their way if they prevail in this election.


Support the Solar Eight. Support the efforts to make this a great city and get rid of Chicago-style corruption.

-Ron Kaye

City Hall Seeks to Silence Critics

It's amazing to me that this story has yet to show up in any of the local media when one considers the civil liberties implications of the Mayor of a major city taking opponents of a controversial measure to court to silence their dissent. In searching the net, the activist blogs are on the beat but our favorite nannypoo local status quo loving West Los Angeles suburban crank Kevin "Westside White Guy" Roderick poo poos Ron Kaye's story.

First some background to get you up to speed. Last month the Council rushed to place a measure on the March City Primary ballot which would effectively raise DWP rates 12% (on top of an already approved 24%) to fund an initiative for solar energy. The plan calls for the DWP to use taxpayer funds to place solar panels on the roofs of public and private buildings using only DWP employees who are members of the politically connected International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) union whose various arms and committees have donated thousands of dollars to LA's elected officials in recent years, including chief plan proponents Council President Eric Garcetti, Council Member and City Controller candidate Wendy Greuel and Mayor Villaraigosa. The speed with which the Council moved to place the measure on the ballot led the LA Times to remark that it had the "scent of a swindle."

"This rush to the ballot has the scent of swindle about it."
LA Times

The next turn in the story of a swindle was excellent reporting by the only reporter apparently awake at the LA Times, David Zahniser discovered a "secret" analysis by a City hired consulting firm found the plan "extremely risky' and considerably more expensive than was being portrayed by the Department of Water and Power.'" The key findings of the analysis inlclude that the DWP, in the consultants analysis, does not have the infrastructure in place to carry out the program and that it would cost at least $2 billion more than DWP General Manager H. David Nahai claims it will.

Amazingly, according to Zahniser's report, when Garcetti received the consultant's findings he allegedly not only kept them from the public but his fellow members of the Council. After the sunlight shone by the Times' story, Garcetti released the report to Council members (of course well after they voted to place the measure on the ballot).

But here's where it gets worse. Former Daily News editor turned blogger and activist Ron Kaye joined with several other community activists in composing the ballot argument against the plan. However the straightforward argument, mild in tone, was apparently too much for the Mayor and the Council. Earlier last week Villaraigosa hired an attorney and drug Kaye and his co-writers - including City Controller candidate and former DWP Commissioner Nick Patsaouras - into court to challenge their argument, calling it full of lies and mistruths (read the argument and do your own research - Kaye's argument is backed up by the facts). Amazingly, in addition to asking the court to throw out the opponents' ballot argument, the Mayor and his toadies are asking Kaye et al to come up with the court costs.

"They have made our Christmas week tough, trying to find a lawyer, raise money, understand the law and the risks we face."
Ron Kaye

Kaye and his associates are faced with going up against high powered and high paid attorneys including a well funded plaintiff in the case - high powered lobbyist Mitchell Schwartz - particulary during the holidays when attorneys and resources are in limited supply. Kaye reports that attorney and longtime activist Noel Weiss - himself a candidate for City Attorney - has joined The Solar Eight -- Jack Humphreville, Soledad Garcia, Humberto Camacho, Kristine Lee, Nick Patsaouras, Joe Pulido, James O'Sullivan and Kaye - as their legal advisor in the fight.

The case's next hearing is January 8 where the group will answer the Mayor's toadies' charges. That is a significant date for civil liberties, transparency and good government in Los Angeles. We will be watching.