Welcome to Little Chicago in Sherman Oaks

CANDIDATE FOR
CITY ATTORNEY:Greg Smith

The campaign of Los Angeles City Attorney candidate, Greg Smith, claims that the storied and way more powerful than they should be, Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association, has cut Smith from an upcoming debate:

Richard Close of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association has denied City Attorney candidate Greg Smith from being able to participate in a forum sponsored by Close’s group. Mr. Close is the President of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association. One of three candidates running for City Attorney, Greg Smith has raised over $200,000 to date and will have the resources necessary to run an effective city-wide campaign.

The Greg Smith campaign demands that the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association include his candidacy in their debate.

Greg Smith said, “How can we expect to elect a different kind of City Attorney if we only allow politicians to share their views with the voters? I’m sure the residents of Sherman Oaks want to hear from all the candidates.”

“Greg Smith is the only non-politician running to do the job of City Attorney. Don’t voters deserve the right to hear from someone other than a politician?” said John Thomas Smith’s campaign strategist.

Despite the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association issue, Smith has been invited to several other City Attorney debates.

"BOSS" Richard Close
of Sherman Oaks

The question stands: who is Richard Close carrying water for? Carmen Trutanich or Mike Feuer? Stay tuned

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Thursday

The political science professor who is considered the "father" of Los Angeles' current City Charter, Raphael J. Sonenshein, pens an LA Times op-ed piece slamming City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, calling Nuch a "bully."  Sonenshein opines that Carmen doesn't understand his duties and is overstepping his bounds in many ways.  The professor tha "the most worrisome element of Trutanich's overreach is its chilling effect on political speech at City Hall."  This follows another op-ed, in the Daily News by Doug McIntyre praising Nuch as a hero who plays by "San Pedro" rules.

Yet another endorsement for CD2 candidate Paul Krekorian and its a biggie. The President of the powerful Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association - Richard Close - joins a long list of San Fernando Valley community leaders who back Krekorian's bid to replace Wendy Greuel. Close said in announcing his support that Krekorian is "our best hope to fight overdevelopment and to fight for the interests of Valley residents. Paul has a proven record of effective service to his constituents in the state legislature, and I know he will do the same for us as a member of the City Council."

An Orange County blog is all juiced up (like the stupid pun?) that Mayor Villaraigosa will be making his choice for LAPD Chief from a pool of three old white guys, even if it's a post-racial world.  In the meantime Ron Kaye is teed off that one of the candidates - current LAPD Chief of Detectives Charlie Beck - is behind LAPD's purchase of Australian made police vehicles to patrol the City streets.  Hey I don't care if Beck bought kangaroos for officers to hop around on if he is as qualified as most folks seem to think.

Wind gusts in Los Angeles, some up to 80 mph, caused much havoc across the City Tuesday.  Many communities, already hampered by DWP infrastructure issues, were without power for several hours.  In the NoHo Arts District, an apartment complex resident was stuck in an elevator and had to be rescued by firefighters when the power went out.  Nearby, a local Jack-in-the-Box restaurant on Sherman Way saw the high winds knock its sign down.

Here's something Hamburger Jan Perry - possibly soon to be jailed by Nuch - probably didn't think of when she banned fast food restaurants: the void could be filled by the City's ever growing fleet of mobile food vendors offering everything from carne asada to kogi tacos to grilled cheese sandwiches. The free market at work responding to consumer demand. KCET (via Franklin Avenue) takes a look at both the impact of the ban and the growing phenomenom of the food trucks.