Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Monday

The Times recaps their endorsements for Tuesday's ballot.

Rich Goodman is running for City Council on $4,000. He might win. Okay, back to reality, his opponent, incumbent Tony Cardenas is backed by the developer-union holy alliance that owns this City. But then again Goodman got the endorsement of the LA Times and Cardenas won in 2007 with fewer votes than that which could fill the Nokia Theatre. So who knows.

While he tries to get a higher than allowed fence for his Mayoral manse, Antonio Vilaraigosa wants to scale back benefits for retired city workers.



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Mayor Sam Candidate Endorsements: Anyone But Cardenas for CD6

This is the next in a series of posts where JoeB and I will give our endorsements for candidates for LA City Council and School Board. Where there is agreement we will give the official MayorSam endorsement to the candidate. Next up is CD6. For each post we will give both Joe's endorsement and mine along with our comments. The choices in CD6 are:

MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT NO. 6 *

• RICH GOODMAN, Small Business Entrepreneur
• TONY CARDENAS, Los Angeles City Councilmember
• JAMES "JAMIE" CORDARO, San Fernando Valley Businessman
• DAVID BARRON, Code Enforcement Official
• None
• Other:

JoeB: Anyone But Cardenas

Michael Higby: Tony Cardenas, who sometimes exhibit some budget restraint, has more often than not been on the shady side of the equation and not part of the solution when it comes to City government. His opponents though each are concerning. Jamie Cordaro is a good man and old friend who I've supported before. But I believe this is his fourth or fifth time running for elected office and if it hasn't happened yet, it may be time to try something else. David Barron sounds like another bureaucrat. Rich Goodman is young but he is of the Gen Y entrepreneur set that is doing so much in America these days. It might be good to have that voice at the Council table. Vote for Goodman.

Verdict: 1 for Anyone But Cardenas, 1 for Goodman

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Tuesday

Folks in CD14 are out of work and there is little business opportunity in the District.  That must be why Councilman Jose Huizar is talking the City into spending a million to study a goofy streetcar idea for Downtown.  Follow the money folks, follow the money.

The LA Times recaps their endorsements. The set as a whole will not please either the downtown status quo folks nor the Clean Sweepers, and in a few districts, neither.  They are CD2: Krekorian, CD4: O'Grady, CD6: Goodman, CD8: Parks, CD10: Wesson,  CD12: Englander, CD14: Martinez.  Count that up folks the Times is actually calling for half of the incumbents up for re-election to be tossed out.  And in the case of CD4 the other Fishwrap in town, the Daily News, endorsed the other challenger to Tom LaBonge, Stephen Box.

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Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Monday

Paul Krekorian Meets With Community Leaders

There are a few other races than CD14 in the upcoming primaries you may want to consider...

We haven't talked much about the Tenth Council District where Herb Wesson currently serves.  Althea Shaw, the aunt of Jamiel Shaw, the teen shot in cold blood by an illegal alien gang member, is seeking to grab the seat from Wesson.  Shaw, writing at her website, recounts a recent candidates forum where she said Wesson showed up at the last minute and did not seem prepared.

Over in CD6 three poorly funded challengers are going after incumbent Tony Cardenas.  Jamie Cordaro, Rich Goodman and David Barron have collectively raised less than 10% of what the incumbent has earned.  Still each of them say they're making the go of it. Each of them see major failings in Cardenas or the City government as a whole.  Cardenas enjoys filling potholes.

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