Councilman (and PLUM Committee Chairperson) Huizar + "enabling Friends" = "Yes on Measure S".

If voters needed just ONE (of many) reason to mark "YES on Measure S" on their ballot, they only have to look at the enabling cabal of CD-14 City Councilman (and PLUM Committee Chairperson) Jose Huizar's "FRIENDS" ..........., and the role they play (and get compensated for) in helping Developers garner Approval for community-altering Projects.

"No on Measure S"= continuing RICHES for "Huizar's Friends".

** Blogger's Notes: On this Hump Day (Wednesday) of the week before Election Day, the "Yes on Measure S Campiagn" is "Going Deep" into the "Pay to Develop Fiefdom of CD-14" to highlight one of the MANY reasons for voting "YES on Measure S".

Los Angeles—Today, March 1, The Yes on Measure (S) campaign will hold a press conference with leaders in Boyle Heights to discuss the negative affects of gentrification. The Miami billionaire developers, the Fifteen Group, swooped into Los Angeles in 1998 to transform the Wyvernwood Garden Apartments in Boyle Heights into thousands of luxury housing units. Residence and leaders in the Latino community have been fighting these billionaire developers and the displacement they are threatening, ever since.   Supporters, joining Yes on Measure S include: Leonardo Vilchis, the Executive Director of Union de Vecinosa, leasders from El Comité de la Esperanza and community supporters.
When: Wednesday, March 1 at 11:00amWhere: Mariachi Plaza, Boyle HeightsWho: Yes on Measure S, Leonardo Vilchis, Executive Director of Union de Vecinosa and leaders from El Comité de la Esperanza.

Despite numerous pronouncements from CD-14 City Councilman Jose Huizar regarding his support for the PRESERVATION of the historic Wyvernwood Complex, the blunt reality for the residents is that the DAY is near (especially if Measure S is defeated) for the Fifteen Group's desire to "upscale" their property ........... and BENEFIT the "FRIENDS of Huizar".


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The Insane Development of Big Tujunga Canyon

Big Tujunga Today

The continuing insanity of over-densifying Los Angeles has now come to the rural northern hamlet of Sunland-Tujunga. 

Plans are afoot to build a major development of nearly 250 luxury homes smack dab in the middle of Big Tujunga Canyon, near what has been used as space for baseball fields and archery ranges. And the rest of it, just good old fashioned open space.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the Big Tujunga Wash is a major tributary of the Los Angeles River which links the San Gabriel Mountains to the Pacific Ocean offering residents of the Los Angeles area a link to a natural environment. The Place's wooden riparian area serves as an important wildlife corridor, as well as a habitat for sensitive animal species.

But the powers that be want a Santa Clarita style mini city. All in a location at the base of Foothills with only a two lane road in and out. 

Can you say "Stop the Insanity?" More to come.

For More Information: Check Out Save Big Tujunga Canyon's Facebook Page.

Previous plan from 2007

Current Project Plan

Friday Free for All

More after the jump...

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Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Monday

Valley Plaza, North Hollywood - Ghost Town

Class act by some Villaraigosa staffers at the Conga Room at LA Live.  Blanca Martinez-Navarro, a member of the Mayor's anti-gang staff, allegedly got into some sort of squabble with her husband, followed by the genius move of getting into with the police officers trying to break up the scene.  Suffice it to say, Blanca is now "on leave."

Leave it to the politicians to overreact to a tragic event.  In the wake of the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona and a recent rash of school shootings, Council President Eric Garcetti wants to overturn laws that allow folks to legally carry weapons in public.  Even if these laws pass, the wackos who shoot Members of Congress and the gangs who terrorize schools will still get, guns.  But this looks good in the papers!

After years of focus on new urbanism and downtown shopping, it appears that urban malls are back.  The Westfield Culver City Mall once known for gang violence and Hot Dogs on a Stick has remade itself a tad mare upscale and sees rents and retail sales booming.  However it's not the case everywhere as after many years, the owners of the legendary Valley Plaza Mall in North Hollywood want to switch gears from a retail development to production sound stages.

Sunday Morning Hotsheet

So let me get this straight. A developer who can't afford to build a hotel and says it won't be successful in the current environment wants taxpayers to foot some of the bill. Developers of the billion dollar Wilshire Grand project want the City to provide financial assistance for construction and our fools Downtown are actually considering the idea. If the developers don't get the money their options "include shutting down the hotel and waiting for favorable financial market conditions, selling the structure or settling on development alternatives that would not include a hotel." Welcome to capitalism folks.

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Chris Essel: The Queen of SB1818

UPDATE: Some readers have asked for a source of Essel's comments other than Mayor Sam. Fair enough. You can download the CCA Newsletter by clicking here. If for some reason it becomes unavailable please let me know, I have a PDF copy I can email you.

For those of you who like building up lots and lots of condos, adding density without infrastructure and growing the City even more, you'll love Chris Essel.

A thorn in the side to many neighborhood activists is SB1818 a State law that mandates municipalities to provide certain density bonuses and other incentives to projects containing affordable housing. Los angeles adopted an implementing ordinance that provides incentives in excess of the minimum guidelines provided by state law, however the implementing ordinance has been challenged in court and the LA Superior Court issued an injunction regarding some of these additional incentives. One activist told me that SB1818 is "a one-size-fits all solution that has been screwing up the quality of our neighborhoods. Developers come in and tear down a large moderately-priced building (say, 50 units) and build 100 market-rate units with say 10 affordable units. The end-result is a net decrease in affordable units and more density in our neighborhoods. More density means more traffic, bigger strain on infrastructure, etc." As you can see, its not a popular law around the NC nor SLAP-happy folks. And for good reason.

That however doesn't stop Chris Essel and the downtown develop at any cost crowd from backing such a flawed initiative like SB1818. Candidte Essel may be speaking the "smart growth - no growth" mantra in the development sensitive and vote rich areas of CD2 but when she gathers with her Downtown LA friends its a different story.

Essel - who has served as the Chair of the powerful Central City Association - touted her advocacy of capping local communties ability to block overdevelopment in the CCA's January 2008 newsletter by writing "Through our results-oriented advocacy, CCA was successful in pushing forward Senate Bill 1818, TFAR, and the Downtown Housing Ordinances, all of which enable developers to build more density."

Further Essel joined the Sleeping Greig Smith "We Hate Neighborhood Councils Club" by gleefully telling her Downtown buddies "As a result of our efforts, a citywide ban on condominium conversions is off the table, and neighborhood councils will now be required to submit economic disclosure statements before creating a council file." So yes, we have been triumphant in throwing up roadblocks for those pesky local panels.

The more we learn about Essel the more we see she is way out of touch with CD2. Are Downtown values Sunland-Tujunga or West Van Nuys or North Hollywood or Studio City values? I guess the "members" of CD2 will let us know.

Jack Weiss' Gift to Developers Epilogue

Shady City Attorney candidate Jack Weiss received Council approval Wednesday for his pre-election give away to developers. Here is some background:

In July 2008, the State passed SB 1185. SB 1185 seems to be relatively benign. First, it only extends the life of SUBDIVISION MAPS by one additional year AND lengthens the extension time period of subdivision maps by one year thus giving an applicant a total of two additional years to record their final subdivision map, assuming they request an extension. Second, it ONLY applies to RECENTLY APPROVED subdivision maps that are set to expire between July 15, 2008 and and January 1, 2011 (which means they were approved between July 15, 2005 and January 1, 2008) roughly a 2 1/2 year window of subdivision maps that will be given a grace period of two more years. State law does NOT provide an extension to the life of "RELATED ENTITLEMENTS", aka "ASSOCIATED DISCRETIONARY APPROVALS".

On April 16, 2008, Wacko Jacko made a motion with respect to the implementing ordinance that proposed extending the life of "ASSOCIATED ENTITLEMENTS by 24 MONTHS". (Besides this addition, the motion had a subtle omission - it did not mention that the State law only applies to a narrow group of subdivision maps, those that are in the 2 1/2 year window noted above.)

On October 16, 2008, the City Planning Department Recommendation Report was presented to the City Planning Commission. It proposed the following: (1) to comply with the State law by giving two additional years to subdivision maps that would otherwise expire during the the 2 1/2 yr window of time noted above (aka "QUALIFIED subdivision map approvals") AND (2) "to lengthen the life of OTHER ENTITLEMENTS related to a qualified subdivision map approval by one year."

The ordinance that passed Wednesday:

(1) lengthens the life of tentative and vesting tentative tract and parcel maps that expire between July 15, 2008 and January 1, 2011, by one year;
(2) lengthens the allowable extension time of ALL tentative and vesting tentative tract and parcel maps by an additional year in perpetuity (PLUM loosened the Planning Dept's restrictions); and
(3) lengthens the life of other discretionary entitlements related to qualified subdivision map approvals by one year.

Part (1) tracks the State law. Part (2) is NOT narrowly tailored to comply with the State law...a small giveaway to developers. Part (3) is just a huge giveaway to developers.

So, why should you be upset?

The State only meant to impact close-to-by-right projects, like condo conversions, not controversial projects, nor projects whose related entitlements have already expired. SB 1185 stays within the realm of the Subdivision Map Act, clearly a State matter. The Legislature knew how to lengthen the life of other discretionary entitlements, and chose not to do so, because that would be a huge giveaway to developers. Our City seems to have no qualms doing that, however.

Shouldn't there be an analysis of how many and which projects will be impacted by this ordinance? One would think that certain projects should not be given a longer life for related entitlements, and that the projects that do get an extra year for related entitlements should have to pay a hefty fee for it. Don't we have a budget crisis? Why are we giving away significant value for NO consideration? The more egregious the entitlements (or if they've already expired or they're close to expiration), the higher the fee should be.

Once again the shady Clowncil bamboozles the people.

Weiss' Gift to Developers

City Attorney candidate Jack Weiss will introduce a motion at Wednesday's Los Angeles City Council meeting that will represent a major gift to developers.  Weiss' legislation will extend the expiration period of tract maps and entitlements for two years, twice as long as what recent state legislation calls for.  Not bad for a Councilman cozy with developers who is in the political fight of his life.

Neighborhood Council Hosts Town Hall on NoHo Development

Here's an opportunity to have an input on the development going on in the greater North Hollywood area including the Valley Plaza shopping district, NoHo Arts District and the area around the North Hollywood Metro Station on Monday, November 17th from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The Mid Town North Hollywood Neighborhood Council presents: A Town Hall - Call to Action: "NoHo - the Vision for the Arts & Future Development."  The event will be held at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences at 5220 Lankershim Blvd (near Magnolia Blvd),North Hollywood, CA 91601.Parking will be provided in the Academy garage.

To RSVP to Gary Baratta, Chairman of the Mid Town North Hollywood Neighborhood Council Planning, Land-Use, Housing and Transportation committee, please click here or email netengineer2000us@yahoo.com.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Monday

On Friday the City Council approved funding for a yet another "anti-gang" program.  Under this program six different non-profit organizations will redeive $500,000 in public funding each to "reach" at least 100 kids who might be at risk for joining gangs.  If you haven't done the math, that's $5,000 per kid.  Extrapolate that out to the estimated 150,000 gang members in Los Angeles and you're looking at $750,000,000.  Considering that 20% to 60% of gang members are in the country illegally, passing Jamiel's Law and deporting these scum (who prey primarily on other illegal aliens who are otherwise hard working and law abiding ) would make a huge dent in the gang population.

Despite efforts by some community leaders to seek a moratorium on construction in Los Angeles, the City Council approved plans that would allow for the construction of over 100,000 new homes in the City in the next five years. Rita Villa of the Studio City Neighborhood Council. told the Daily News, "The message I take away is that the goal of the city of Los Angeles is growth, almost to the point of uncontrolled growth."

Two years ago the South Central Farm was bulldozed to make way for a warehouse.  You may remember this was the farm where former motorcycle cop and continual disappointment Council Member Dennis Zine showed up as an LAPD reserve officer, carrying a gun in the middle of the dark night to scare the crap out of the farmers.  Now activists who are attempting to block the development are accusing Mayor Villaraigosa of dropping his support for their efforts due to his receipt of $1.3 million in campaign contributions from the developers.

A while back, we gave you the list of taxes, fees and bonds you could be paying for following the November election. The Daily News counts up the latest additions to the list and the bill keeps growing.  Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association told the news "What's happening is the taxpayers are under assault like we've never seen before."

Though she voted yes on a measure to place a controversial $7 billion school construction bond on the November ballot, School Board Member Tamar Galatzan says she did so with "considerable reluctance." Galatzan feels that in general financing construction via bonds is unfair in that only property owners foot the bill.  Gee, ya think?

Despite the fact that the DWP is suing the firm, accussing them of allegedly overbilling the utility millions of dollars on contracts, the Los Angeles Department of World Airports approved a two year contract extension to Colorado-based CH2M Hill Inc. According to City News Service, the DWP filed a federal lawsuit against CH2M Hill in June, accusing the company of marking up the bills of subcontractors and then passing the increased cost on to the city. A May 2007 audit found CH2M Hill officials overbilled the DWP by $3.3 million to $4.5 million.

A doctor who runs a fitness website takes exception with Jan Perry's goofy fast food ban for South Central.  Perry and her colleagues on the City Council think that people who live in the area are obese because there are too many fast food locations in the low income community.  Dr. Michael Appelbaum, who is also an attorney, says "The problem is more calories in than out, no matter the source or income bracket. The problem is also moron politicians who do not recognize the real problem. There are no "healthy" foods, only healthy eating. But there are idiots in charge."  I think that sums it up pretty well.

A British man has decided to take his bride's last name instead of the other way around.  An English newspaper reports than an American trend is to "mesh" last names and a good example of that is Los Angeles Mayor Antontio Villaraigosa who "meshed" his last name of Villar to his wife's surname or Raigosa.  No mention in the article if the former Mrs. Villaraigosa will take back custody of Raigosa name in their pending divorce.

Prediction: Declining demand, a strengthening dollar and growing supplies will continue to push oil prices lower with the cost at the pump for a gallon of gas falling well below $3 a gallon before the November elections.  This is good news for the consumers; bad news for Barack Obama and Mayor Villaraigosa's transit tax scam.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Friday

Mayor Villaraigosa may want to clean your toilets but Ron Kaye wants you to take him your garbage. Kaye is hoping to lead a cadre of citizens to the steps of City Hall to pile their garbage on the front steps as a massive act of civil disobedience. Sounds like a good idea. Who's in?

The California Planning and Development Report notes our earlier reports that developer and former Police Commisissioner Rick Caruso plans to run for Mayor and gives some good reasons why it won't happen. It won't be a cakewalk for anyone to go against an incumbent much as it was not for Antonio Villaraigosa to do so. But with Villar's lack of progress as Mayor, the worsening crime situation, rising taxes, stinking economy, his failed efforts with Hillary Clinton, Mirthala and the rest of the mis-steps and mis-deeds many are smelling blood in the water.

The California Planning and Development Report also has a piece that development was a big winner at the ballot box on Tuesday. With the failure of Proposition 98 and votes that either expanded development or shot down building limitations in various parts of the state it was a very good day for developers.

The Los Angeles Times reports that City Librarian Fontayne Holmes is retiring after 30 years on the job. Holmes oversaw the recent library construction program which added new libraries and upgrade many others after years of neglect.

And finally, she's starred in everything from Miss Saigon to Grease to Aladdin and now she's playing the Music Center. Vocalist Lea Salonga will perform one night only at the Disney on July 11th, 2008.

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?

The Coming City Superstorm

For far too long, the masses napped while Los Angeles was plundered. They're awake now, grouchy and suspicious, and ready for a fight.
-Steve Lopez

You know that I am generally in favor of the type of real estate development being pursued in Los Angeles. However, that's not the focus of this piece.

No, its sort of a warning and it may be one that's too come late - the masses are pissed and the politicians need to watch out.

A series of significant real estate developments and planning decisions have various communities up in arms. Even when some residents may support various developments or some aspect of the projects, they're annoyed, bothered, upset and downright disappointed in their elected leaders. They're showing up to public meetings in droves and making their voice heard. And their voice says we vote and we're not happy. These residents are distressed by - whether real or perceived - a lack of transparency, candor and dialogue with their elected officials. Yet developers and moneyed interests seem to be able to buy the type of access to government officials taxpayers feel they deserve.

At the same time many real estate developers and business interests behind these controversial projects have failed to adequately engage the surrounding communities and in many cases have actively alienated neighbors. A notable exception is developer J.H. Snyder who has worked closely with local leaders in creating three separate projects to revitalize North Hollywood and has received high praise from every corner from the local Chamber of Commerce to very active and aggressive homeowner associations.

At the opposite end of the extreme is Home Depot, most notably with their plans to open a controversial store in Sunland-Tujunga. The retail chain has failed to enter into conversations with community leaders, was caught in a major phony astro-turf effort and most recently decided to file a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the City, leading to a secret backroom deal with City Attorney Rocky Degladillo.


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Among a few of the most controversial developments in Los Angeles:

Metro Studio@Lankershim
NBC Universal announced plans to create its West Coast News and Content Center at Metro Studio@Lankershim, and also intends for Metro Studio@Lankershim to serve as home to NBC Network News’ Los Angeles Bureau, KNBC, KVEA, and Access Hollywood. Nearby residents are concerned about traffic and the resulting changes to the local skyline. Historical advocates are worried about the fate of the nearby Campo de Cahuenga, the site where the agreement was signed between the US and Mexico leading to the eventual end of the Mexican-American War in the 1840s.

Universal Studios Expansion
NBC Universal announced plans to create a long-term vision plan for the approximately 400-acre Universal City property, home to Universal Studios, the largest motion picture and television production studio in the world, CityWalk and Universal Studios Hollywood. Again, traffic, noise and other potential annoyances have neighbors in an uproar.

Southwest Museum
Site of a controversial move to merge the venerable museum with the Autry National Center in Griffith Park. Supporters of the museum say the Autry wants to loot the Southwest's collection and its property could be developed.

Autry National Center
Home of the organization some folks are saying is going to loot the Historic Southwest Museum; and possible future real estate development such as a hotel.

Sunland-Tujunga Home Depot
The controversial site where the national retailer has attempted to build an outlet in a former K-Mart has become ground zero in the battle between residents who want to control the destiny of their community and the city officials and developers they are battling.

The Las Villas Entertainment Center
The Las Villas Entertainment Center in Lincoln Heights is a proposed themed-restaurant with a banquet facility component and video arcade. The building permit application to the City of Los Angeles includes a conditional use permit for a "full liquor" license and zoning variance for 140 video games (which will be open to youth during school hours).

Las Lomas
Las Lomas, a proposed community of 5,553 homes and 2.3 million square feet of commercial space, lies in unincorporated Los Angeles County territory.

Developer Dan Palmer wants the city of Los Angeles to annex the land so his Las Lomas project - opposed by the neighboring city of Santa Clarita and nearby residents in the City of Los Angeles - can move forward.

There are but only a few of the "hot spots" in the coming superstorm over development in the City and the growing feeling by residents that their elected leaders are not hearing them. Though it appears these are all isolated projects in isolated neighorhoods, residents are getting smart and realizing there is strength in numbers, particularly through creating alliances via Los Angeles' system of Neighborhood Councils.

A few weeks ago the Mid Town-North Hollywood Neighborhood Council teamed up with Councils in Valley Village, Valley Glen, Toluca Lake and Studio City to hold a town hall meeting attended by nearly 700 residents to discuss various developments planned for the region. The result of this collboration was an agreement amongst the Councils to partner and support each other's goals and aims.

At a hastily called meeting following the revelation of the secret backroom deal on the Home Depot in Sunland-Tujunga, nearly 200 residents showed up to ask questions, make their voices heard and to affirm their resolve. Representatives of the community surrounding Southwest Museum were in attendance, and like the signers of the Declaration of Independence who promised that they would "mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor" both sides swore to assist one another in their battle against a common foe.

This scene has and will continue to repeat itself all over the City. And if the Mayor is concerned about his re-election chances, he needs to know is that this environment will make it very easy for a "white knight" like Zev Yaroslavsky - who has significant street cred on standing up to over-development - to come along and ride the wave of dissatisfaction to Getty House.

Villaraigosa v. Bloomberg

Noted:

Manhattan housing prices at record high - AP

The median price -- the midway point between the highest and lowest sales prices -- rose to $850,000, up 6.4 percent from a year earlier, according to the Prudential report.

Home prices at lowest levels in three years - LA Daily News

The Valley's condo market took a similar hit. Sales plunged 50percent, to 141 transactions, and the median price dipped 4.1percent, or $16,000, from a year ago, to $384,100.

Sunday Morning Mimosa

JM, Blame the homeless: Splattering Hyperion Bridge, Atwater, 12.21.07 (see earlier items)

Joseph Mailander a guy in la • elsewhere • email

I love this term from this Downtown News headliner on yet another to-be-shelved CRA report on what to do with industrial downtown: "Employment Protection Districts." You want to make all of LA an "employment protection district"? Just stop filling the ballots with fraudulent tax measures like S!

Maybe coming from Estolano-Goldberg in the future: "Employment Preservation Overlay Zones"...

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The median price of a home sale in southern Cal has fallen over ten percent from November 2006---and in LA County it's fallen 12 percent, the Daily News says. What that means: more leasing of recently-built spec condos meant to be sold. More rentals in a town that badly needs more homeowners. What else it means: the homeowner-to-renter ratio, already the worst in the nation among big cities, will get even worse.

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Steve Lopez takes the opportunity of the new Zellian climate as an open platform for his personal-vendetta hostility towards the Catholic Church. It's bad enough when former fishwrap of record scribes don't do any investigative journalism around the City; it's twice as bad when you blow a bunch of space doing so tongue-in-cheek. He should apologize to his editors, if he won't to the Church or the readers who expect good-faith content.

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Rumor has it that the Sam Zell Times' subscriber base average age skews into the fiftysomethings, even as it has likely dropped into the 600,000s, but it might be getting even older, if stories like this become the norm. Maybe the former fishwrap of record is more for people who remember what a newspaper actually used to be?

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Only the City of Gardena could turn a skate park into a long, drawn-out community crisis. Funds were encumbered from the County in 2002, and still no skate park, five years later. But now it looks like one is finally coming at last.

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Your Venti Java Chip Frappe, or else...In a scene that must have seemed straight out of Pulp Fiction, three men from my dear old home town of Hawthorne robbed 13 people at a South Bay Starbucks Wednesday night. They sped away at speeds of up to 100 per but were caught the same night. At least when Starbucks robs you, they don't do it at gunpoint.

Tuesday Hotsheet at 3 a.m.

JM, Ray distingué, 12.17.07

Joseph Mailander a guy in la • elsewhere • email

Francophone LA was out en masse last night as Ray Bradbury was honored by the Government of France as Commandeur des Ordre des Arts et des Lettres at Résidence de France in Beverly Hills. In a quiet moment, I had a chance to tell the honoree of my special admiration for his story, The Picasso Summer, which I originally read thirty-three years ago (and many times since) as a senior at Hawthorne High. He assured me I had bon goût and asked me to write a new screenplay to it, which I took more as charm than commission.

A cultural delegation from Laguna Beach, which had feted le Commandeur just last Friday, including recent Mayor Toni Iseman, Arts Commision chair Nancy Beverage, and Jennifer Karam provided most of the charm on the American side. The Résidence featured Gallic fare that you do not taste at other diplomatic maisons: saumon en croûte, huîtres, and haricot vert, for instance, as well as champagne flutes alongside sturdy rouges et blancs.

Nota bene: Commandeur is the top honor of the Order; there are also officiers and chevaliers.

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Political consultants know that voters almost never say no to propositions with the words "library," or "prison" in them. But some smart watchdog group should condition voters to say no to the word "emergency" which almost always gives the legislature powers to override an otherwise high hurdle.

The City's Internet/Phone Tax Measure S is one such instance: as an "emergency" item, it only needs a simple majority to pass, rather than the typical two-thirds for taxes. And now, Republicans, your man in Sacto who promised to "clean up" Sacramento four years ago, is declaring an "emergency" that puts the State legislature in a phoney vise. Schwarzenegger is a man who keeps signing budgets that don't make sense; after four years and a massive drubbing by unions, he's now like a guy perpetually calling his credit card company for a larger line even while claiming things will be in control next month.

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Zahniser at the former fishwrap-of-record has noted how el Alcalde uses his office to pump special friends for special favors. "When Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa arranged a reception celebrating trade with Mexico, two real estate developers stepped in to pay the $25,000 catering bill. One wants city approval for the 5,553-home subdivision known as Las Lomas." If only there were 15 Zahnisers, one for each Councilperson. It's hard and tedious work, tracing donations to favors.

Meanwhile, Orlov and Art Marroquin note how the Airport has just scrapped $25 million worth of design work on baggage claim. The good news, however, is that Barrio Planners wasn't the beneficiary---for a change.

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The scribbling never ends: as Ed Headington said in a thread here yesterday, tonight at the Redwood is the SPJ (Society of Professional Journalists) Los Angeles Holiday Mixer. "It's free and open to everyone and there's supposed to be a celebrity mystery guest (not yet revealed)." The Redwood is the new incarnation of the storied watering hole catty-corner to the Times where editors drank themselves towards their current senseless state, and Eddie the bartender (who was also Monday night bartender at Milano's) distinguished between "eastern Sierras" and "western Sierras" kinda guys.

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.

We Have Very Smart People Leading Our City

Uh-Oh

A Los Angeles City Council member apologized Wednesday to a handful of San Fernando Valley residents, saying a phone message left by a Planning Department employee -- suggesting the fix was in for a controversial Valley Village condominium project -- was not "business as usual" at City Hall.

D'Oh

Councilman Ed Reyes offered his "deepest apologies" one day after he heard a recording of a city planner who, thinking that he had called the 78-unit project's developer, promised it would be approved "no matter what."

Good way to stir up NIMBYs right before they slobber turkey and stuffing all over themselves.

City planner Jack Chiang mistakenly made the call last month to Van Nuys resident Marcelle Duncan, who filed a challenge to the Planning Commission's approval of the condominium project. Duncan said developer Gary Schaffel had failed to address traffic and relocation payments to evicted tenants.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Tuesday

Corporate Welfare Report: The Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox are getting a free spring training facility courtesy of Arizona taxpayers. This ends decades that the Dodgers trained in Vero Beach, Florida at a facility they owned and had to pay taxes at.

Mickey Mouse has joined the NIMBY/CAVE/BANANA movement! That's right Disney is fighting mad that someone wants to build condos and apartments across the street from the Magic Kingdom in Anaheim - all because Disney was too punch drunk from their 50th anniversary celebration and stupidly brought in clueless executives from other parts of the company to run the park, one who had no idea how the politics in Orange County work. So what is Disney doing? Like the best of NIMBYs, they're seeking a political/legal solution.

The Daily News reports that fees paid by developers don't cover the cost of reviewing applications, effectively sticking taxpayers with the bill. However, if there wasn't so much waste, abuse and anti-business regulation surrounding development, this wouldn't be an issue.

Fellow Mirthala Banger Fabian Nunez has lost the support of the prison guards' union for his employment extension act, better known as Propostion 93, a term limits scam being hoisted on voters. Now this is because the prison guards are pissed about not getting the pay raise they wanted. However, it certainly doesn't hurt to have one of the most powerful public employee unions on the right side of an issue.

Post-Script: Special kudos to Joseph Mailander for providing as always insightful, interesting and often amusing contributions to the blog - and especially for stepping up when the old, dead Republican Mayor has been slacking off.

Holiday Week Hotsheet for Monday

If you're going to Sacto or somewhere, know that Bob Hope Airport is shut down in the fog.

"Developer bills go to taxpayers" says the Daily News. But it still doesn't quite get it right. The real issue is why the Departments of Buiding and Safety and the Planning Department are so overstretched at this time. The overdevelopment of Los Angeles is the kind of story homeowner groups have been trying to get the likes of Times news scribes to bite on all through the Antonio hegemony; but this take paints City Departments as simply beleaguered. They could ease their workload by saying no more often.

This is why so many homeowners who supported Antonio turned on him so soon after 2005---they quickly saw that he was a shill for developers, determined to turn the City into another overcrowded Pacific Rim dystopia. And it's homeowners who get to subsidize their own undoing. In print, it's still a largely unwritten story.

An incidental follow-up to Zuma's weekend item on Jan Perry's proposed moratorium on fast food in South LA: a County study links obesity to poverty and also to available public space. The Daily Breeze has the story.

The Times follows some others on Project 50, which would triage 50 at-top-risk homeless on Skid Row into apartments. Upside: it does something. Downside: it does something at a maximized per-capita cost; it's another turn-it-into-a-lottery approach, leaving 69,950 more homeless in the County to deal with.