Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Tuesday

BREAKING NEWS! Mayor Eric Garcetti has declared a State of Emergency in the City of Los Angeles due to ........... runaway TV and Film Production?

Is that a ringing sound in my ear or did an Emergency Siren get activated on the Third Floor at City Hall?

  

Great muggy Tuesday AM to everyone as the ringing in my ear is replace by the activation of a State of Emergency in Ciudad de Los Angeles.

Fires, earthquakes, the threat of flash floods and a dreaded work stoppage by DWP IBEW Strongman Brian "Boss D'Arcy's" brothers and sisters, must move aside as Mayor Eric Garcetti takes decisive action to combat a pending serious threat to the well being of everyone in Los Angeles, runaway production. (can you feel the goose bumps already?)

In the second major test of leadership for the Rhodes Scholar, turned new chief executive of the second largest city in the United States, Mayor Garcetti is taking drastic actions to keep with remains of film and TV production, within city limits.

Putting our normal bloggin tongue in creek approach to reporting on the local political scene aside (for a fleeting moment), we concur that remedies to preserving the vital economic engine of the entertainment industry within LA, should be of paramount concern at 200 Street Street (along with DWP and Pension Reform). Its easy to gather that there is a crisis within the local entertainment establishment when the likes of former City Controller Wendy Greuel and fail CD 2 City Council Candidate Chris Essel, abandon supposed safe entertainment careers for tries at local political office and especially, when the former reign mayoral payaso can't get a local or national TV gig, your city has issues.

That said, the key question here is will Mayor Garcetti revert to the tired remedy of tax credits and corporate welfare ..... or will he consider solutions that remake the City of Los Angeles into a business-friendly municipality that grows private sector fiscal opportunities without public giveaways? 

** ......... meanwhile in CD 14, the clock is ticking on City Councilman (and BTW Princeton Graduate) Jose Huizar's own "State of Emergency" (of character, allegedly) as Downtown News Editor and "Scribe of Wit" Jon Regardie notes below the "Loving Blackberry Photo". 

Photo by Zuma Dogg





 What intimate tales the Huizar Blackberry can tell (maybe under oath?)

Tick, Tick, Tick… When José Met Francine: City Hall watchers went gaga on Aug. 12, when the Los Angeles Times’ David Zahniser broke the news that a workplace discrimination complaint had been filed against 14th District City Councilman José Huizar by his former deputy chief of staff, Francine Godoy. The complaint, filed with the state’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (who knew we had one?), contained some salacious claims, in particular that Godoy suffered repercussions after declining the boss’ amorous advances.

The City Council quickly clammed up, though president Herb Wesson convened a panel that looks into sexual harassment complaints. The office of José Carlos Danger, I mean Huizar, also erected a media wall, saying nothing beyond a spokesman’s initial statement of, “He strongly and emphatically denies the assertions made in the claim sent to the City and intends to fully cooperate with the City in any investigation of this matter.”

When Will Things Go Boom?: To be clear, Huizar has not been charged with any wrongdoing. That said, the other shoe could drop tomorrow in the form of a news story (whichever journalist or blogger gets Godoy to talk will win an invisible pony) or months from now.
In the meantime, questions swirl: Will Godoy follow the complaint with a lawsuit? If so, will details spill, or will there be a quick settlement in which money is paid under the condition that no one talks?

Did Huizar and Godoy ever have a romantic relationship? If so, were furry handcuffs involved? How about Jell-O?



   

........ a blogging, CD 14 Political Novella that continues.

Your thoughts ..............

Scott Johnson in CD 14



Chris Essel and Film Production: Not In My Backyard!

New documents have surfaced that paint an even more disturbing picture of CD2 candidate Chris Essel that prove she really is not a fit for CD2.

Essel is a longtime resident of the exclusive Doheny Estates community which really is much closer to tony West Hollywood and Beverly Hills than it is to CD2 and communities such as North Hollywood, Valley Glen, Valley Village. Sun Valley, Van Nuys, Sherman Oaks, Studio City and Sunland Tujunga.

In addition Essel has been extremely active within that community's homeowner's organization, The Sunset Doheny Homes Association.  Unlike  community advocate homeowner organizations such as the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association, this is one of those totalitarian NIMBY crank groups that do everything from telling the homeowners when to breathe to what color you can paint your house.

Essel serves on the board and is a key player on the association's architectural committee.  Want to put a jacuzzi in your back yard? First you have to get Chris Essel's approval.  Thinking of some new landscaping? Ask Chris. Interestingly, one of Essel's partners in crime in her construction review kingdom is fellow board member Steve Cochran who hosted the CD5 mega-bucks birthday-a-palooza for Essel last week.

The group has such an odd and heavy handed approach that members are not even advised of the time and location of board meetings unless they ask and as the association's website says "we will try to accommodate your request." Imagine you dropped over a million dollars on your home and a self appointed cadre of blue hair nags get to tell you what to do and what not to do and you don't even have the opportunity to show up and comment.  Where's the Brown Act here?

But on top of all that the most amazing thing is that Essel and the association have sought to block film production in the area.  Say you're a realtor living in the area and the housing crunch has commissions down so you have a chance to keep the mortgage current by perhaps renting your home to a shoot for "Curb Your Enthusiasm."  Sorry.  Not allowed unless you're lucky enough for Chris and her secret board to say yes (not likely to happen).  So Essel, supposedly responsible for ENCOURAGING filming in LA says "Not in my backyard" when it comes to production. Of course this isn't the first time Essel has sent production packing leading talkradio host Kevin James to call Essel the "Queen Bee of Runaway Production".

Imagine - Chris Essel doesn't want TV or film crews in HER neighborhood but she's more than okay with SB1818 developers building a ten story condo in yours!

The bottom line is that a NIMBY gated community Beverly Hills adjacent corporate lobbyist like Essel is a horrible match for a working class district like CD2.