Something Much Nicer to Look at Than All These Photos of John Perez

A Santa Monica City Councilman is seeking, like Dennis Zine, to create paparazzi free zones in the city; particularly at a nursery school attended by the daughter of actors Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Sunday

The Los Angeles City budget outlook for 2009 is "bleak" according to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.  The Mayor told attendees at the annual "Budget Day" Saturday that the budget deficit could reach $400 million prompting deep cuts in City services and job layoffs.  Not good news for a Mayor going into re-election.

An organization the represents various cities in the San Gabriel Valley has come out against the Mayor's transit tax scam - Measure R - that would raise taxes on residents througout LA County to build projects in West Los Angeles. The San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments voted unanimously on a resolution that opposes Measure R. La Cañada Flintridge City Councilman Dave Spence told a local publication “You just can’t take funds and tax the people in San Gabriel Valley to give the city of L.A. their transportation needs.”

LA isn't the only city in Southern California getting hit up for more taxes and bonds. A Santa Monica based community group, Friends of Sunset Park is opposed to a bond raising money for Santa Monica College on the November ballot.  Among a long list of detailed objections to the bond measure, a key issue prompting opposition to the bond is the fact that although Santa Monica's property owners will pay the full cost of the bill, only 15% of SMC students actually live in Santa Monica.

Fifth District City Council candidate, Adeena Bleich, is first in fundraising according to current reports.  Bleich, a former deputy to controversial incumbent Jack Weiss, has raised $150,000 with former Assemblyman and West Hollywod Mayor (carpetbagger) Paul Koretz just behind Bleich with $142,000 raised.  The old, dead Republican Mayor has yet to decide who he is supporting in the 5th District however Adeena holds a special place in my heart as she was one of the first folks to buy a Bob Hertzberg stuffed bear from the Mayor Sam Online Store.

School Board Member Tamar Galatzan writes in CityWatch that she's been trying to get the straight story on a previous agreement between the LAUSD and the DWP to allow pilot group of schools to install solar panels to generate some electricity.  According to District officials who spoke with Galatzan, the DWP cancelled all meetings with respect to the contract and didn't sit down to discuss it with the school district until after the agreement expired.

Don't forget our Fourth Birthday Party this Friday night at Casa Princesa in Highland Park, hosted in partnership with Zuma Dogg and the LA Daily Blog.  Also, stay tuned Monday for an announcement of a new blogger here at The Sister City.

Santa Monica to LA: Fuck You and Your Little Dog Too!

LAist has an interesting post following an item in the Los Angeles Times last week.

Santa Monica has banned dogs from LA in their dog park - even those who live across the street - just over the border in the Los Angeles communities of Mar Vista and Venice. If you don't have "papers" from Santa Monica, you can't bring your dog in.

However, if you are a human being who doesn't have papers from the US and are here illegally, I presume you are more than welcome in Santa Monica.

Residents of Venice and Mar Vista think that perhaps we should ban Santa Monicans from driving on LA streets and stop shopping at Santa Monica businesses.

Santa Monica benefits from being next door to Los Angeles but doesn't hold up their end of the bargain. Fuck 'em.