2014 Predictions

After a two-year hiatus, I'm back with your annual predictions post. You should be warned, I have a horrible track record here, so take each prognostication with a grain of salt. Here we go...

Mayor Eric Garcetti's Chief of Staff, Ana Guerrero, will continue to earn electability chops in Jose Huizar's Council District, much to the chagrin of the incumbent and his supporters. Following her appearance in the Boyle Heights Christmas Parade - which included distributions from an 18 wheeler filled with toys and goodies - Guerrero will stage a special production of Ana Lloyd Weber's "Evita" where she will give a stunning performance of "Don't Cry for Me CD Catorce," at the bandstand at Olvera Street, followed up by Target gift cards raining from the sky.

Much to the chagrin of Blogger Scott Johnson and the community around the Arroyo Seco, the former site of the Southwest Musuem will be rededicated as "Villaraigosa University," with a special degree program in broadcast journalism taught by the ex-Mayor.

Following a special election in the summer of 2014, LA Fire Commissioner and former teacher Jimmie Woods-Gray will pull out a surprise win in the race to replace the late Marguerite LaMotte. Woods-Gray's victory, will deal a severe blow to LA's charter school movement.

Blogger/Writer Joseph Mailander will sign a deal for the movie version of his non-fiction book "Days Change at Night: LA's Decade of Decline." Esai Morales will be signed to play Mayor Villaraigosa and the film will feature a cameo by Randy Quaid as blogger Scott "Red Spot" Johnson.

The storied Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council, which spent it's salad days with wins such as blocking a controversial Home Depot store, but in recent years has found itself the subject of questions on finances and it's policies on the homeless issue, will find it's incumbent members facing an electoral challenge in the spring from a coalition assembled by controversial local newspaper publisher David "Doc" DeMulle. The uprising will fail when all realize that Joseph Mailander was right when he said that the community is "18 people arguing with 17 people over 14 microphones and 60,000 that don't care." (Turns out the finals of Dancing With the Stars featuring Chaz Bono and Kim Kardashian is on TV the same night as the elections.)

Former City Controller and failed Mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel will jump into the race to succeed termed out LA County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky. Once again Greuel will use "Political Consultant/Private Citizen" John Shallman to helm her campaign and once again will lose, this time to former State Senator Sheila James Kuehl, "The Child Start Formerly Referred to as Zelda."

California Republican candidates for the State Assembly will pick up some unexpected wins in various races around the state, it won't be enough to assume control of the lower chamber, but it will take away the Democrats current veto-proof majority, leading to several deals between Republican legislators and Governor Jerry Brown, who will be by the way, re-elected handily.

Former radio talk show host and Mayoral candidate and current President of the Board of Public Works, Kevin James, will announce he is leaving the Republican party and register as "Decline to State." James will then announce his candidacy for the Council District 4 seat being vacated by Tom LaBonge.

County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas will announce that he has brokered a deal for an existing NFL football team to move to the LA Coliseum with the 2017-18 season, but the deal will fall apart at the last minute. An expansion team for Los Angeles will eventually be located in a yet to be built stadium outside the city limits.

And finally, on the steps of the State Capitol, just after Thanksgiving, Governor Jerry Brown will announce his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for President in 2016.

........ and on the Seventh Day, a certain blogger reappears

A certain Bloggin CD 14 Political Commentator is back!!

Hi MEAT!! Its only your favorite Mayor Sam Blogger returning to the local political bloggin cybersphere.

 

With no apologies to Michael "MEATless" (less his political endorsees John Choi, Ana Cubas and Wendy "The Call Greuel") Trujillo, a certain bloggin CD 14 Cut and Paster is back on line ( and spollcheck is reunited with a dear friend).

First, let me thank the likes of Ron Kaye, John Walsh, Caroline Aguirre, Jose Aguilar, Tony Butka and friends at 200 Spring Street for inquiring about my bloggin status. Speculation has been rampant about why I been offline since the last weekend before "The Call Greuel" went down to defeat ( .... and into debt via "Private Citizen/ Political Consultant" John Shallman). In the bloggin spirit of feeding into the political chismosos y chismosas rumor mill, here are the Top Ten List of why Red Spot in CD 14, was bloggin absence from the local political cybersphere until now.

10. City Clowncil Central Committee Strongman Herb "Mini Amin" Wesson redistricted Red Spot out of the local bloggin cybersphere.

9. The "Old Gray Hag on Spring Street" wanted to make Red Spot the second coming of the  "Z-man" and put him on payroll.

8. Red Spot meets up with Ana Cubas and joined her on a post campaign bender.

7. The former Infant Assemblyman, now ethnic cleanser Mike Gatto, had Red Spot turned into fish food.

6. "Private Citizen/ Politcal Consultant" John Shallman, cease and desisted after running the "Call Greuel" into the fiscal poor house. Thus, Red Spot needed to blog no more.

5. Academia Semillas del Pueblo Charter School Principal Mark(os) Aguilar and his political sancha Monica "Gorda Boo Boo" Garcia, cut the bloggin heart out of Red Spot (which Gorda Boo Boo promptly wrapped in tortilla and consumed).

4. Red Spot ran into Betty Pleasant in a dark alley within South  LA and "Mini Amin" Wesson had a bloggin dinner.

3. Red Spot and "City Terrace Tony" went trolling for Telebimbos in Baja.

2. New CD 1 City Councilman Gil Cedillo granted Red Spot with his own "Dream Act".

......... and NUMBER ONE, the wife of the CD 14 Dear Charro, Princeton Graduate City Councilman Jose Huizar, had Red Spot and Francine Godoy exiled together from the "Cut and Paste Barrio". 

Bloggin humor aside, the reason for my bloggin absence was simple, time and a broken computer. Between work, caring for mom and serving on the LA 32 Neighborhood Council, 24 hours in a day is not enough to bloggin commentate, especially when your computer goes south on you. But starting today, rest assure that this bloggin observer will be making up for lost time in the local political cybersphere.

With Bloggin Respects,

Scott Johnson in CD 14    



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Chief Spoll Check Officer

Our award winning bloggin' mangler of the English language, Scott Johnson, has once again shone a big spotlight on something not smelling too good in Los Angeles. No, not the Mayor's sock drawer but the case of a one Academia Semillas de Pollo (uh, que lastima, Pueblo) here in Los Angeles.

You've been following for years the story of this controversial charter school, everything from the Aztec language lessons to the Costco pizza snacks to the attempted, literal attempt to throw newsman Sandy Wells under the bus.

Scott has been doing excellent investigative reporting on the school for some time now, with documents happily provided by alleged employees, former parents, public officials and what he could dig up himself. Apparently, as the school escaped near death at the hands of LA schools super, John Deasy (by school director Marcos Aguilar dressing up like an Aztec warrior and securing the vote of LAUSD Board Chair Monica Garcia who probably, like me, has enjoyed one too many Costco pizzas), they've become much more sensitive to anyone shining light on their operations.

Snackin' Semillas Style?

Thus, a very confusing "cease and desist" letter came to Johnson, who laughed in it's general direction and was emboldened by even further document dumps coming out of El Sereno.

And, as we have seen before, this action does not serve to shove the whole matter under the wrong, but it only wakes up local media, who - despite their political leanings - don't take kindly to government types trying to shut up fellow members of the working press.

Two good examples of that today, a thoughtful analysis of the story so far by Joseph Mailander at CityWatch and a delicious reportage dripping with her trademark snark, by Simone Electra Wilson at the LA Weekly. 

We hear more is coming.

I believe it as former Watergate burglar and now right wing gold salesman G. Gordon Liddy who is famous for allegedly having said "Once you squeeze the toothpaste out of the tube, it's hard to get it back in."

Stay tuned.

Happy Birthday, Red spot

Who know that when July 2nd rolled around it would signify the birth of one of LA's most note bloggers that often raises the ire of the elites. Indeed much to a chagrin of Kennedy Republicans, the Councilman Formerly Known as Jose Huizar, infant assemblymen, backyard bloggers, meaty political consultants, singing cowboy museum operators, and grammer teachers that would be everywhere, Mayor Sam blogger Scott "Red Spot" Johnson marks another year on the planet to continue blogging without a spollchecker and just raise hell.  Happy birthday, Scott!

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Wednesday

No more free tickets to events for Mayor Villaraigosa and other elected officials if the LA Ethics Commission has it's way.  The panel has voted that if an elected official wants to stay at Laker game, the Oscars, Latin Grammys after conducting an official presentation or making a speech they must pay for their tickets. Dopey Commissioner Nedra Jenkins was the lone dissenting vote thinking the City looks good if Villaraigosa is schmoozing George Lopez or Paris Hilton at events.

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