Candidate Assails SCV Mayor's Ethics: Is There a Tie to Las Lomas?

From today's San Fernando Valley Business Journal

Activist Asks For Mayoral Investigation

A Santa Clarita Valley watchdog seeks an independent investigation into alleged financial improprieties of Santa Clarita Mayor Robert C. Kellar.

At a city council meeting Feb. 26, Bruce McFarland presented public documents produced between the years of 2002 and 2005 that he believes suggest that Kellar broke financial disclosure laws.

McFarland is organizer of the Santa Clarita Valley Ethics Alliance.

McFarland also told the council that Kellar did not disclose income from the 2005 sale of property along Sierra Highway that was purchased by College of the Canyons.

Thus far, the city council has decided not to investigate McFarland’s allegations.

Mayor Sam snoops have started to investigate campaign contributions to City Council members in order to determine if donations from developers have influenced their respective positions on the controversial and likely doomed Las Lomas development.

Unfortunately, it appears that transparency is not taken as seriously by the City of Santa Clarita as it is by the City of Los Angeles where its very easy to pull up campaign data online.

Stay tuned.

Las Lomas: Something Shady From the 661?

Now the old dead Republican Mayor is not necesarily gung ho on the Las Lomas Project (beyond my libertarian soul which cries to the ghost of Ayn Rand to end rampant collectivism. Anyway.)

Despite that, 1) what the hell is the City of Santa Clarita up to, 2) When will residents of Sylmar, Granada Hills, Porter Ranch and other communities affected by the massive development in the 661 have a voice, and 3) Why are the politicians who are screaming and yelling about Las Lomas going AWOL on Newhall Ranch?

David Hernandez has crafted the following and it provokes thought that is sure to raise the hackles of those with an agenda. For those of us who are only concerned about the impact of the project (one way or another) on the communities within the City of Los Angeles, I don't think David's points can be ignored.

It does seem to make sense to allow the Las Lomas land to be part of the City of Los Angeles and give us control of it. Why do Angelenos want to turn this part of their destiny over to County or another City which doesn't give a rat's ass about our community?

Again I myself have not taken a final position on the project (other than I question it from a logistical perspective but I like a lot of their ideas). However, no matter what, I don't trust Santa Clarita and don't want to see my friends in the North Valley being used by shady politicians from the 661. We get used enough from the shady politicians in our own city.

Can the case be made for the City of Los Angeles demanding the Los Lomas Project be under its jurisdiction?

David Hernandez writes:

The Las Lomas site sits just outside the city limits, a true fact.

The traffic conditions on the main highways leading in and out of the San Fernando Valley are at rush hour horrific, also a true fact.

What is the cause of this traffic nightmare? Could it be the Development in Newhall, Saugus, Santa Clarita, Valencia, Action, and Agua Dulce; all outside the City of Los Angeles? Did Los Angeles have any voice in these developments and the negative impacts on Los Angeles, NO!

Why are paid lobbyists representing Santa Clarita warning local community groups in the San Fernando Valley about the Las Lomas Development? Why are they warning of horrific impacts to traffic, water and the environment?

The real question is, why weren't they warning us about the other projects? How many of those projects were they or are they involved with?

If the Las Lomas project is such a dreadful development, why have those opposed to it, not made any arguments, protests, or warned us about a project ( Landmark Village development) which was just given the green light in Newhall Ranch? After all, this project is not 5, 800 homes, it is 21,000 homes!

More on the Landmark Village project: http://www.newhallranch.net/index.asp

More on Las Lomas project: http://www.laslomas.com/

How is this going to impact our current traffic and water conditions?

Why haven't the community groups in the San Fernando Valley been given the opportunity to ask questions or lodge complaints or protests since they will pay a price for more traffic and other challenges?

Because they are all outside the City of Los Angeles!

If the Las Lomas folks are willing to give the residents of City of Los Angeles the ability to ask questions and demand mitigation or even nix the project, we would be foolish not to let them.

If the Las Lomas folks want to go forward with the EIR Process, they must be required to pay for it.

Ask yourself, is it better to have a voice or not?
Is it better to have the ability to demand mitigation or not?
Is it better to have the developer pay for the EIR or not?

David Hernandez
Community Advocate

What can you do? Call your City Coucil member and demand we have a voice and a vote in this project!

P.S.

Why have all the politicians opposing Las Lomas be absent in the Newhall Ranch Development debate and its impact on the San Fernando Valley?

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Friday: One Sentence Edition

Young-Gi Kim is one nominee so far for sexiest City Hall staffer in the Sammie Awards - is she single?

The Coliseum Commission just can't stop hatin' on USC.

Bitter Bernie says the Minnesota Vikings are coming to LA.

Reyes wants bike paths but no one is using them.

An old, crabby white guy is upset that someone has the money to build the home of their dreams.

After 20 years blowhard Congressman Henry Waxman gets out of the way of a subway.

We have lots of hot air in City government so wind power might work.

The City has no money and wants to raise taxes but they can boost salaries.

Antonio Villaraigosa your shot at love has ended.

In the meantime, Tila Tequila picked the boy over the girl.

The City of LA thinks poor people are too stupid to make proper food choices.

Is Eric Garcetti dating Britney Spears?

Ed Edelman is actually still alive.

Republicans are going for Barack Obama in Nevada.

LAUSD facilities should be available to the public - after all we paid for them.

Some in the Santa Clarita Valley want to be their own City - take a lesson from the Valley do it!

Former Laura Chick aide Ruben Gonzalez has become a partner in Harvey Englander's powerful lobbying firm.

Dick Riordan is opening a version of The Pantry in Pacific Palisades.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Tuesday

Big loss for NIMBYs - Mayor Villaraigosa has concurred with the City Council allowing Providence Holy Cross Medical Center to add a much needed 100 beds to the hospital. That doesn't mean the NIMBYs and their union buddies won't go to court, but lets hope they realize the folly of that (please don't waste our tax dollars on your fight).

The lawyers at Warner Brothers finally caught up to Dennis Zine. Many know that our favorite former motorcycle cop turned Clowncilman (or Republican turned Democrat) had created a "logo" for himself that was reminiscient of the big S on Superman's chest. Denny got a cease and desist from the studio that owns the rights to everything The Man of Steel so its back to the drawing board for a new logo.

Good catch by the Daily News: Mayor Villaraigosa's online budget survey doesn't ask virtual budget cutters if they would cut the Mayor's huge staff, collection of city cars, etc.
West LA Online is officially merging with the Westside Today print publication. And in an interesting twist the print publication will pull from the online portion not the other way around.

Michael Cruz writing in the Santa Clarita Signal takes a stand against corporate welfare. Big League Dreams develops parks around the country that resemble famous ballparks and feature restaurants with bars. Sounds like a fun concept. However the company seems to think that taxpayers should finance their construction. Cruz is absolutely right to take on this dumbass plan and the incredibly dense members of the Santa Clarita City Clowncil who would buy off on this scam. His prediction that should the city buy into this deal, it will set a dangerous precedent leading other businesses to line up and hold up the city for dough.

Atwater Village Newbie says he got some pretty shabby treatment at the Burbank Circuit City and is now banned from the store.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Friday

Politicians want Neighborhood Councils to spend money on security cameras; Walter Moore has the story of how Mayor Villaraigosa wants to spend $17,000 per camera to be loaded into police cars.

Could the City of Santa Clarita's opposition to the Las Lomas project be based on the City's desire to annex the area for local developers before the City of Los Angeles does?

There's a budget crisis yet the city is taking in more money than ever. Check out Walter Moore's latest blog.

The City does not have enough funds to buy security cameras or other things we need but we have enough for Tom LeBong's ego parade called the Hollywood Santa Parade. However they've picked a cool dude, tv host Bob Barker, to be the grand marshall.

If you need a free Thanksgiving dinner, the County of Los Angeles has one for you.

Broadway Downtown has been a bustling center of Hispanic culture for decades. Now Councilman Jose Huizar wants to gentrify the place into a west coast version of its New York namesake. That's great if the property and business owners there buy into the idea; but no city funds should be spent on it.

Mayor Sam's Hot Sheet for Thursday

The City of Santa Clarita Valley is up in arms about a development project near Sylmar. Las Lomas is a major mixed use, transit oriented development that will combine housing, office space, retail and a Metrolink station. It will bring jobs and housing to an area that needs it. Mayor Villaraigosa is being urged not to follow through with the City of Los Angeles' plans to annex the area, but Los Angeles needs to have control over the area, not a bunch of CAVEs and NIMBYs in Santa Clarita who have no business messing around in the Valley. Encourage the Mayor to support this important development which will be a major boon to our local economy.

This is why you don't mess with property owner's rights - developer Rick Caruso has won several million dollars in a lawsuit related to interference with his Americana at Brand development in Glendale. Take heed Sunland-Tujunga!

Mayor Sam's Sunland-Tujunga prediction: Due to actual and perceived conflict of interests between the City Attorney's office and the law firm Latham and Watkins, the City will be forced to hire outside counsel to defend it in the lawsuit filed by Home Depot over the blocking of opening their store in the community. Also, the City will have a tough time defending such a high powered case. Therefore, the City will decide to settle with Home Depot, place a number of cosmetic restrictions on them, perhaps require some donation to the community and grant the retailer the permit to build out and open their store. Game over.