Allan Jackson for District Attorney

No, not THAT Alan Jackson.

The race to be Los Angeles County's District Attorney has been an interesting and wild one for sure. Writing at CityWatch, our friend Joseph Mailander accurately calls this race - with Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in no need of California's primary delegates - probably the key race drawing Los Angeles County voters to the polls next Tuesday.

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Friday Free for All

California's landmark Parent Trigger Law, which allows students' parents to take control of failing schools, is currently before the State Board of Education which is crafting policies and regulations around the laws.  School teachers and administrators, of course no fan of the law, are seeking to direct how those rules are imposed.  Parent activists who worked to get the law passed, including Lydia Grant of Sunland-Tujunga, have filed an ethics complaint against board member Patricia Rucker, who is also a paid lobbyist for the California Teachers Association.  The parents are saying that Rucker's participation represents a conflict of interest and she should recuse herself from proceedings on the Parent Trigger Law.  Joining the parents is retired State Senator Gloria Romero, who authored the law, in calling on Rucker to step away.

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Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Monday

Calling into the LiveLA Saturday Night talkradio program, MayorSam blogger Joe B. told David Hernandez, Frank Sheftel and myself that a Christmas tree lot that has opened up on the site of a former K-Mart in Sunland-Tujunga is secretly operated by Home Depot, who most of you remember, were booted out of the community following a successful campaign by residents.  While no one begrudges a legal business (certainly a Christmas tree lot) on land leased or owned by a particular organization the reward for Home Depot in this instance certainly can not be commensurate with the risk.  This blog documented for years the continual stupidity let alone near evil this hardware chain did in that community.  Like a crack addict wanting one more fix; they're back. This really doesn't help them any.  We suggest if you are to buy a Christmas tree you purchase it from lots run by non-profit organization, churches, youth groups, etc.

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Sorry Carmen

Breaking...

San Jose Mercury News:

"SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Republican Steve Cooley conceded the California attorney general's race to Democrat Kamala Harris on Wednesday, giving Democrats a sweep of all statewide offices and ushering in the first woman and first minority elected to the post."

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Tuesday

Due to official concerns over potential protests over new extremely invasive TSA policies Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa subjected himself to the new porno scanners at LAX saying "Let me be clear: My job is to make the airport as safe as possible for all of those passengers.'' We're not sure whose job is to make LA safe for female journalists.

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This just in from Eric Garcetti via Twitter!

Eric Garcetti
Harris passes Cooley with late Friday numbers (including new infusion from Los Angeles). She now leads in the AG race by 5,576 votes.

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Monday

Looking good baby, looking real good!

Paul Hatfield has some excellent analysis around why Prop 27 must be defeated and Prop 20 must win in order to bring some sanity to the process of creating legislative districts in California.  Entrenched shady Congressmen like Howard Berman are fighting this because they know taking redistricting out of the politician's hands is bad news for hacks like Berman.

David Berger takes a look at how it easy it is these days to create animated political ads

The Daily News talks to some folks who are perennial candidates for public office.  Yet not one mention of Phil Jennerjahn..

Speaking of Phil Jennerjahn he's figured out a route for District Attorney Steve Cooley to the post of United States Attorney General.

If you like beer, we know many of you do, and you didn't make it to Union Station by Sunday you missed out on the Second Annual Beer Festival.

On the other hand if your tastes go more towards champagne on Tuesday evening the Paley Center hosts a tribute to LA icon Lawrence Welk.  Yes a one and a two celebrating the bubbles, Myron Floren, the luv-ley Lennon Sisters and more, you can't beat that.

The Socialist Shape of Things To Come (Unless You People Wake Up And Smell the Horse Shit)

By David Berger, Exclusive to Mayor Sam

People often ask me why I left England. Oftentimes the question is posed after they've just come back from a trip to 'Old Blighty' and they've seen sights; Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, the Guards with their funny furry hats standing to attention outside Buckingham Palace, the Crown Jewels on display at The Tower of London, the Food Court at Harrods, the Hyde Park Memorial to dear departed Princess Diana, and Tower Bridge (you know, the bridge over the River Thames that opens to allow tall ships to pass and that some American millionaire thought he had bought).

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Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Tuesday

The LA Weekly reports that some LA City Council members are reporting they're getting death threats over the passage of a City boycott of Arizona over their anti-immigration law.  This is despite the fact the Clowncil has passed several exceptions to the boycott. Even Mike Trujillo is getting into the act taking up his new tactic of calling opponents racist.

Mulholland Terrace pens an essay on eighteen months (and lots of prologue) of Carmen, of whom he says he is hoping against hope his mentor Steve Cooley will be chosen California Attorney General by the voters thus opening up the DA spot for Carmen.

Phil Jennerjahn was able to use some of this trademark phrases such as "Dangerous enemies of freedom" at last Saturday's Clean Sweep Candidates forum despite the lack of air conditioning.

Mayor Villaraigosa has appointed a former longshoreman, David Arian, to the Board of Harbor Commissioners.  More importantly Arian was once President of the longshoreman's union.

Law and Order is coming to Los Angeles but apparently a legendary LA landmark house wasn't LA enough for the producers. So they photoshopped the house to make it more "authentic."

If you want to have your cake and eat it too blogging.la recommends the Salt Peanut Chocolate Cake at the Nickel Diner.

LA Politics and Donuts for a Saturday

The Clean Sweep campaign gets its first candidates' forum off the ground this afternoon.  Among the candidates confirmed are not only Phil Jennerjahn and Stephen Box in CD4 (worth the price of admission alone) but the only incumbent with the cahones to show up, Bernard Parks, and his Betty Pleasant appointed opponent, Foreskin Hogan Family or something like that, a previous campaign ethics violator.  Despite that nearly most of the candidates who are showing up are koo-koo for cocoa puffs Clean Sweep did make a very good move in snagging local reporters Michael Linder and John Schwada as moderators.

A funny thing happened on Mitch Englander's way to get anointed as the next Clowncilman from CD12. Ali Wolter reports that popular community activist Kelly Lord has filed to run.  Now Lord will have to convince us he's going to raise money, build an organization and not just run a vanity campaign but it appears that voters tired of the status quo and the special interests may have an alternative in Lord.

Jose Huizar wants the City to run all elections almost entirely by mail. Tell me how that isn't an invitation to fraud.

Any of you carpetbaggers who want to move to a new district to run for City Clowncil next year better move there and get completely moved in by October 9th.  Otherwise Steve Cooley will come and slap a felony charge on you.

Phil Jennerjahn spends the night with Meg Whitman.

Last year I got an invite to the blogger prom. This year no one from Mayor Sam did though I'm certain we have a larger readership than most of the blogs invited. However when I recently referred to "The Midnight Swin" as a place where "hedonistic, narcissistic, brain dead young people engage in self-aggrandizing stupid events." I think the blogger who wrote about that event blackballed me.  She runs the Blogger Prom.  Kind of a head cheerleader for the nearly thirtysomething set.

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Tuesday

But Antonio's seats are better than mine!

Man, being an elected official sure has it perks. We all know about Mayor V's free tickets. The latest politician to score free Lakers and USC tickets as well as wine, whiskey, tequila, cigars and cologne is District Attorney Steve Cooley. Of course a spokes-flack says that Cooley has the "highest integrity" and these were gifts from friends. It's nice to have friends in high places.

Speaking of perks for pols Walter Moore makes a good point. Though City Controller Wendy Greuel has released the salaries of City workers her report does not list the perks they receive such as free cars, per diems, insurance, etc. Moore recounts that during an interview with KABC's Peter Tilden, Councilman Dennis Zine hemmed and hawed when asked what perks he gets.

Attorney General Jerry Brown is investigating the pay scandal in the City of Bell but a new report recounts outrageous pay for officials in the City of Oakland when Brown was Mayor there. The situation was so bad that an auditor was brought in following Brown's departure that found a tangled web of high salaries as well as unknown bonuses, paid leaves and vacation buybacks far in excess of salary agreements. The situation was so bad an unnamed Democratic leader said that Brown was “the worst administrator ever to come down the pike.”

Despite serious ethical allegations against her, Maxine Waters, like Richard Alarcon, seems to have not lost support amongst her supporters. Daiquiri Jackson, a member of a South Central church, told reporters that Waters was being targeted because she is a minority woman. However this is nonsense because most of the House members - Republican and Democrat - who have been brought up on ethics charges the last few years have been white males.

The Los Angeles and First blog has given Mayor Villaraigosa a report card and he averages a C minus. With an F in budgeting and a D+ in the economy it's hard to go up from there.

Mulholland Terrace brings to our attention a ridiculous exercise sponsored by the Mayor and the CRA: a "contest" for the best ideas on how to build a "clean corridor" in LA. The purse? $11,000.

Activists and parents from the North Valley are not giving up until an independent review into the death of teenager Zac Champommier. You may remember that Zac was shot down in cold blood by LA Sheriff's Deputies in a shopping center parking lot for no apparent reason. For two weeks now protesters have held rallies in Studio City near the site of Zac's murder.

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Friday

Following his indictment on 18 felony charges the LA Weekly points out that the City Council has the power to "suspend and even call for the replacement of" Councilman Richard Alarcon.  Alarcon has been charged with voter fraud and perjury in relation to claims he does not live within his Council District.

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Betty Pleasant Fibs?

We reported Thursday that always classy "journalist" Betty Pleasant is still continuing her jihad against Council Member Bernard Parks.  What Parks did or didn't do that has Betty with her panties in a bunch I have no idea.

Betty "reported" in her "newspaper," The Wave that District Attorney Steve Cooley was investigating the residence of Parks and claiming that the Councilman does not live in the District he represents.

We did a little digging of our own and found the following.  First off Pleasant's report sounds an awful lot like this press release from Parks' former County Supervisor race opponent Mark Ridley Thomas, right down to the phrase that Parks voted last June despite allegedly not being eligible to vote at his address "presumably for himself."

Next we spoke to insiders who have told us that the District Attorney's Public Corruption Division is conducting no investigation and that only the DA is reviewing a letter of complaint that was submitted (presumably from Pleasant or an associate) as is their practice with all complaints.

The complainant has received an acknowledgement letter from the DA's office; apparently these are the "documents" Pleasant claims to have in her possession.

If anything changes at the DA's office but it looks like Betty once again was, well, wrong.

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Thursday

The Los Angeles City Council has taken the next step in their efforts to oppose Arizona's immigration reform law.  They have voted to join in a lawsuit against the Grand Canyon State along with the SEIU, UFCW and all the usual suspects.  But there's a wrinkle - former Mayoral candidate Walter Moore points out that the Clowncil voting to have the City join the lawsuit is actually a violation of the City Charter; as well, even voting to boycott Arizona is outside the Council's charter authority.  Moore has sent a letter to City Attorney Carmen Trutanich urging his office not to get involved and noting that a resident of the City could turn around and sue the City over the issue.  In the meantime Paul Hatfield reports that the Valley Glen Neighborhood Council is the very first in the City to have gone on record opposing the City's boycott.

Always classy Betty Pleasant is peeing her pants in joy.  Betty, who never misses the opportunity to take potshots at Councilman Bernard Parks, is "reporting" that District Attorney and newly minted Attorney General candidate Steve Cooley is investigating Parks' residence status.  Betty also claims "friends" in the DA's office have sent her documents from the investigation.  That might be illegal Betty, you better call an attorney soon.  In a related note the Sister City learned today that Cooley is investigating yet another elected who does not live in the District they represent.  We can't say who but when it comes out it will be a doozy.

You may remember that several journalists, including several Spanish language television reporters and crews,  were roughed up by LAPD officers following the May Day Immigration melee in 2007.  Wednesday the City Council voted to approve a total of $450,000 in settlement payouts to some of those journalists.  More lawsuits are still pending.

The always interesting Here in Van Nuys blog has a thoughtful post.  On Van Nuys Blvd, several major car dealerships have moved and the old facilities are being razed and the asphalt being pulled up.  This gives one the rare opportunity to see a wide swath of empty Valley land.  It also gives pause as to what could be done with such.  For example, a shopping and dining experience built around an urban farm.  Sadly, there are no intelligent developers in the Valley who can't see beyond frozen yogurt and nail shops but wouldn't it be cool if there was one who could figure out how to make money building a restaurant that grows some of it's own food right outside the window?

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Monday

 Guadalajara International Book Fair

All hell breaking loose in LA and the Mayor is traveling once again, this time south of the border down old Mexico way. But its city work he'll be inspecting a book fair pavilion built in Guadalajara with millions of dollars of your money.  That's the part the old fishwrap scribes forgot to tell you. You may remember when, much to the Clowncil's chagrin, that it was this blog that broke the story of this wasteful and misplaced spending. (And before you race baiters have a cow this would be wasteful and wrong whether the book fair is in Mexico, Luxembourg, Tokyo or Pasadena.)

It's become a way of life.  Water main breaks over the holiday weekend Saturday in Hancock Park and Sunday in Highland Park.  Perhaps if the DWP wasn't so busy trying to elect Chris Essel they could do their job.

We sat on this story when we first became aware of it because it just seem so unbelievable but Paul Hatfield reports that CD2 Candidate Paul Krekorian's home in Valley Glen was recently stalked by  suspicious figure.  Witnesses told police they spotted and confronted an Anglo man who appeared to be between the ages of 40 to 50 stalking around taking photographs outside the home. Photos of this home have shown up in Essel campaign literature. While it is not clear if the individual is directly involved with the Chris Essel campaign it is a possible sign how far this campaign has gone. Krekorian filed a report with the LAPD and sent a letter to Essel urging her to keep her campaign operatives away from his family.

Speaking of CD2 Paul Krekorian appears to be winning in the online wars. On the social networking site Facebook, Krekorian has 2944 friends while Chris Essel only has 310.

SLAP Happy members of AARP and other suburban cranks think that medical marijuna and digital billboards are the scourge of LA life when anyone under 50 will tell what LA needs is jobs and commerce (notice as businesses leave the City's financial condition worsens?).  Now Mayor Villaraigosa is the latest AARP member on board with this nuttiness while Nuch's and Cooley's Barney Fife like obsession with it all is making Republicans look even worse than we already do!

The ever classy Betty Pleasant continues her jihad against Councilman Bernard Parks.  This time when the Councilman was correct to bring up ethics issues around the appointment of Angela Reddock to the City's Fire and Police Pension Board Ms. Pleasant for sure saw a conspiracy.  At issue was Reddock's refusal to disclose various clients she represents.  At a time when the city's pensions are a mess there is nothing more vital than full transparency from those who will provide oversight.

And finally, please take a few moments to read an excellent post from Central City East Blogger Don Garza. Don, who wrote for years from a tough existence living in SRO housing in Skid Row, has recently bootstrapped himself into better living conditions and is on a determined mission to better his life.  Don talks about not really feeling like he ever fit into the lifestyle of Skid Row and even less so now when he visits.  Garza writes "I am skid row adjacent, but am living in a different culture where social norms are followed, where there are consequences to what we do, where civility can have it's day. Skid Row was not like that."  Memo to local journos; your pub may want to buy this piece from Don.

Padilla and Cardenas subject of probe by District Attorney

Memo to "WWG's" favorite newspaper owner Sam Zell.

If you really want to revitalize the "OLD GRAY HAG ON SPRING STREET,...for sale", one may want to invest in the flow of newsprint on the continuing follies and dealings at City Hall.

Take today's offering from reporter David Zahniser

The Los Angeles County district attorney has opened an investigation into whether two San Fernando Valley politicians illegally exceeded election spending limits by raising money through an independent campaign committee, sources familiar with the matter said.

Prosecutors and investigators with the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission have spent the last three months asking questions about the committee and whether it was controlled by two political allies -- state Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) and Los Angeles City Councilman Tony Cardenas.

State law bars elected officials from controlling independent expenditure committees, which usually have no limit on how much they can raise from individual donors or spend on candidates.

Investigators with Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley's Public Integrity Division have served search warrants as part of the investigation, issuing one to Burbank-based accountant Kinde Durkee, two sources said this week. Durkee is listed on the committee campaign contribution reports as treasurer -- and is the only contact for the group.

The Citizens for Dependable and Reliable Leadership committee was formed in February 2005. It supported candidates in the San Fernando City Council election and, a year later, the 2006 candidacy of Lt. Gov. John Garamendi.

The committee spent its largest sum, $54,000, on behalf of the 2005 mayoral bid of then-City Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa, whom Padilla and Cardenas -- then council members representing the northeast Valley -- supported in the final weeks of the campaign.

One would hope that in 2009, Cooley will have some help from a new, competent City Attorney in any future endeavors to clean up the mess on Spring Street.

Notes on the "Election Scorecard" (with respects to the late, great Allan Malamud)

Great place to take a "June Gloom Snooze" in solitude was any polling place in Los Angeles.

But for those who did their duty, or the majority who didn't, here are some thoughts on the results of yesterday's election.

2nd District Board of Supervisors:
Mark Ridley-Thomas 56,951 45.2%
Bernard Parks 50,051 39.8%
Antonio Alvarez 5,012 5.0%
Martin Luther King Aubrey 4,012 3.2%

$$$$ from assorted unions bought only a runoff in November??

Los Angeles County District Attorney:
Steve Cooley 327,088 64.3%
**Albert Robles** 101,886 20.0%
Steve Ipsen 79,357 15.6%

**The former Defence Attorney for "Albert T. Robles" of South Gate outpolled a sitting Deputy District Attorney. Nice to know that people will vote base upon a surname compare to association and past deeds, err, misdeeds in the case of "Little Albert".

Hot political rumor for 2010, "Gloria vs. Gloria Cat Fight" for Board of Supervisors.

Assembly District 46 "Nunez's Seat":
John Perez 4,299 54.5%
Arturo Chavez 1,330 16.9%
Ricardo Lara 1,150 14.5%
Michael Aldapa 1,121 14.1%

$345,000 compare to $1,ooo dollars for the one guy who ramain in the race after "Cousin Tony" cleaned the deck, bought you only 54% percent of the vote. A sign of a "Villar backlash"??

District 45 Democratic Central Committee:
Stay tune, this one deserves its own special thread.........

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Monday

A FoxNews report on a gang member who claims he has been paid by Councilmember Janice Hahn for "gang intervention programs" is creating a huge buzz around City Hall. The gang member who has been arrested for issues ranging from indecent exposure to possession of marijuana and said that Hahn assisted him in getting out of jail. Now the individual has been convicted to life in prison in a rape case. Some community activists are calling for District Attorney Steve Cooley to investigate Hahn's actions and gang intervention projects funding. The report also details other gang members who have received gang intervention funds and police officers who claim that these gang members bragged about their city funding and laugh at Hahn for the irony of it all.

Those who wish Jamiel Shaw, Sr. would stop crusading in favor of Jamiel's Law and against Special Order 40 protection for gang members are getting more desperate. First off, as we reported here in an exclusive interview on the Sister City, the father of an innocent youth allegedly murdered by an illegal alien gang member said he had been "offered a better paying job" in order to give up the campaign for Jamiel's Law. Now, Shaw has told KFI's John and Ken that District Attorney prosecutors have threatened to paint a very different picture of his son's life who was not a gang member.

Hal Netkin chronicles Council Member Dennis Zine's flip flops on Special Order 40 over the years. I remember several years ago attending a Community Police Advisory Board meeting when Zine was still head of the Police Protective League. At the time Zine called for the elimination of Special Order 40 as one way police officers would be able to fight gang crime.

Gloria Molina is going against taco truck operators in unincorporated portions of Los Angeles County, including East Los Angeles. However Molina has found a gabacho led effort to save the trucks which dispense delicious regional specialties and often server as community gathering spots for Latin immigrants wishing a brief reconnection with the old country.

Britney Spears left her LA home to return to her native Kentwood, Louisiana for her 17 year old sister's baby shower. This is the first time that Spears had visited her hometown since 2006.

BREAKING NEWS!!! Jamiel Shaw Sr. claim D.A. threats to taint his son as "gangbanger" for his crusade against Special Order 40.

****Link here to the KFI Podcast page, then click on the 5/2, 6:00 PM "John and Ken Show" labeled Jamiel Shaw, for audio.

Jamiel Shaw Sr. is on KFI's "John and Ken Show" with the startling story of Deputy D.A. Michelle Henisee and her stance made to him for maintaining the status-quo in regards to Special Order 40 and the repercussions that would result if Shaw Sr. continue his crusade for Jamiel's Law.

In the same conservation Henisee made some not so veil insinuations that the D.A. office would paint a portrait of Jamiel Shaw Jr. that is contrary to reality. One where Shaw is type casted as a red wearing, gang member who character is different from what has been portray in the multi media forums.

Currently, District Attorney Steve Cooley is on the air doing spin control on the actions of his prosecutor in this case. Shaw Sr. is standing by his story on the actions pertaining to the actions of Henisee.

Shaw Sr. in his brief appearance before Cooley called in, paints a picture of a political community that is adamant in maintaining the status quo regarding Special Order 40. He sights repeated visits and calls from the likes of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, council members, and their respective staffs.

We invite Jamiel Shaw Sr., Walter Moore or other reps of the family to email further information to redspotincd14@yahoo.com for prompt posting on this thread.

Jack Hoff's Give 'n Take: Deadbeat Dads & Steve Cooley

(source: Daily News Op-Ed 3/26/08)

DN Headline: Hounding low-income dads won't pay
JH Headline: Hound The Bastards, It'll Pay Dividends For Everyone!

By Jeffery M. Leving and Glenn Sacks Jeffery M. Leving is a family-law attorney and the author of "Divorce Wars." Contact him through his Web site, www.dadsrights.com. Glenn Sacks writes on men's and fathers' issues.

Jack Hoff grew up with(out) his deadbeat dad. Now he writes for no money on a crappy political blog.

LOS Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley and Child Support Services Department Director Steven Golightly have announced a sweeping new campaign against "deadbeat dads." They say their new Most Wanted Delinquent Parent list is modeled on the FBI's fabled 10 Most Wanted list. On paper the 10 offenders owe over $2 million, but it's very questionable that Cooley and Golightly will be collecting much.

Do you think that's the entire point? It's a campaign. Campaigns are about communicating a message or position. Think hard, what could that message possibly be?
(More after the jump...)

Golightly's action is particularly remarkable considering that the California Department of Child Support Services, which supervises the CSSD, issued a report in January that contradicts any possible rationale for this campaign.

I see you've already missed my point.

According to the CDCSS, there are four primary factors creating child-support arrearages in California: "high child-support orders established for low-income obligors"; "a limited number of child-support orders adjusted downward"; "establishment of retroactive child-support orders"; and "accrual of 10 percent interest on child-support debt." Over a quarter of these arrears is interest.

Is this the "apples" part of your argument, or the oranges?

Unlike the Most Wanted Deadbeat Parent lists put out by most states and counties, the CSSD's list does not contain the occupations of the "deadbeats." One can understand why.

Lemme guess...it gets boring putting "unemployed" under each name?

Nationwide these lists are never comprised of well-heeled businessmen, lawyers and accountants, but instead of fathers who do low-wage and often seasonal work, and owe large sums of money, which they could never hope to pay off. It is rare to find a person with even a college degree on these lists.

Let's all take a moment to pity the uneducated deadbeat dad who travels the country earning his low wage, yet liberally "spreading his seed" throughout the land...

In recent years there have been several highly publicized actions similar to CSSD's, generally coupled with arrests.

Praise the Lord, somebody's gotta do something!

For example, Virginia's Most Wanted list was topped by a laborer, a carnival hired hand and a construction worker, who collectively somehow owed over a quarter-million dollars in child support.

Fifty states in the union, and you choose Virginia to establish your fundamental argument?

Similarly, Kentucky's list during its campaign sported only one obligor with an education, and the most common designation for occupation was "laborer."

See above, add "deadbeat dwarf shot out of cannon." And btw, sure glad this is about L.A. County, Cooley & Golightly...

How do men of such modest means end up with such fantastic arrearages?

How do turkeys drown when they look up in the sky during a cloudburst?

The child-support system is largely impervious to the economic realities working people face, such as layoffs, wage cuts, unemployment and work-related injuries. According to the Urban Institute, less than one in 20 noncustodial parents who suffers a substantial drop in income is able to get courts to reduce the support obligation.

Because, jackass, nobody lowers the cost of food and clothes for children who need something to eat and wear just because daddy lost his job again or the price of a six pack just went up...

To Cooley's and Golightly's credit, they did explain that some of the "deadbeats" they're pursuing may be able to use California's Compromise of Arrears Program. COAP allows some obligors to settle their artificially inflated paper debts to the state for realistic amounts.

Ah, there is a rainbow after the storm. Now low-wage deadbeat dads can hire a lawyer like you...for $350/hr.

The problem is there has been little outreach done on COAP, so few obligors are aware of it.

See, that's the problem, you can't do "outreach" to deadbeat dads who refuse to leave a forwarding address...

Fewer than 5,000 have used it since its inception in 2003.

Not surprising. How'd you find them, at another one of their weddings or baptisms?

Moreover, it's unlikely that those on the list will view the Most Wanted approach as much of an invitation to turn themselves in.

Ahahaha....So smug. Where is my vomit bag?

Golightly says he's doing this so the "deadbeats" will "take care of their children." This is misleading, because 70 percent of California's child-support debt is owed to the state, not to custodial mothers and fathers.

Okay, you're not gonna win any friends on this blog by trying to make that point....

It is understandable that taxpayers want money spent on welfare benefits to be repaid.

DOH!

Yet it makes little sense to hound low-income fathers, particularly since research shows that in some cases, were it not for child support, the men would still be playing a role in their children's lives.

Oddest point of all...conclusion being that "if these men didn't have to support their children, they would still be in their lives, uhm, supporting their children, yeah, that's it!"

The Cooley/Golightly approach may be good politics, but it's counterproductive policy.

What's counterproductive, sir, is that your potential client base (absentee fathers, deadbeat dads) is largely responsible for the gang problem in our city, the high dropout rate in our schools, drug and alcohol abuse amongst teens, and myriad other ailments in our society. Try taking a look at that research some day....

And get back to us!!