Mid-morning briefs and reminders on the issues of the day

We start with these comments from Mayor Villar about the cover of next weeks Los Angeles Magazine.

......when Villaraigosa was asked about the magazine cover he smiled, rocked back and forth a bit and said: "Well, it's a pretty nice smile. A few pounds lighter and a couple of years younger. So what can I say?"

One can't remember what Villar thought of this cover, but we link here to the story by Alan Mittelstaedt , which contain a comment on Jack Weiss and his role in the contentious "Pico and Olympic Traffic Plan".

Weiss, by the way, does get rewarded for his blind support of the mayor. During the news conference on Olympic, KNBC’s Laurel Erickson asked if the neighborhood critics of the plan were correct to say that he had sold them out. The mayor took the microphone and defended Weiss, a vocal opponent of the traffic plan when it bore Yaroslavsky’s name.

Republican candidate in CA 32 Congressional Race, faces audit.

Some would say that the timing of this, races eye brows, as noted in this San Gabriel Valley Tribune story.

A restaurant owned by the lead Republican in the Congressional race to replace former Rep. Hilda Solis is being audited by the state tax board which one of her main opponents, Democrat Judy Chu, helps lead.

Candidate Teresa Hernandez received a letter from the Board of Equalization Monday saying her South El Monte Mexican restaurant, Cielito Lindo, is being audited for sales tax payments.

Chu, who is an elected member on the five-member Board of Equalization, said neither she nor her staff had any knowledge of the audit.

"I know nothing. I have nothing to do with the selection of places for audit. This is the first I knew about it," she said Thursday.

Parke ???? There is a mailer making the rounds that ask some tough questions about Gil Cedillo days at SEIU 660.

LA Weekly has these offerings in this week's issue.

Why Governor "Kennedy Republican's" May 19 bailout is failing.

LAPD Chief Bill Bratton's political endorsements.

Vahedi vs. Koretz CD 5 slugfest.

........and props to the scribes at the "Weekly of Record" for their multiple award nominations from the LA Press Club. I guess there was no P.R. catagories for the graying writers at the "OLD GRAY HAG ON SPRING STREET".

Rally reminders:

Join John and Ken at their next Tax Revolt Rally Saturday, May 16 from 4-7pm at Tom’s Farms in Corona. From John and Ken, "Our last Tax Revolt Rally in Fullerton had 15,000 angry taxpayers, Let's make this one bigger!"

Thanks to Phil for this.

Please join the Westside Republicans as they host the Westwood Tea Party Rally on Sunday, May 17th from 3pm to 6pm at the Federal Building at 11000 Wilshire Blvd (near UCLA).Multiple speakers (including KRLA's Kevin James, will protest higher taxation in the form of Proposition 1A, on the ballot in the election on Tuesday May 19th.http://www.westsiderepublicans.com/

FREEDOM AND FREE ENTERPRISE!!

Open Thread for Thursday

Gil Cedillo isn't too happy that Mayor Villaraigosa threw him under the bus and is endorsing Judy Chu for the Congressional seat vacated by Hilda Solis who went on to become President Obama's Labor Secretary.  Cedillo issued a press release implying the Mayor is part of the "entrenched political interests" that Chu is "cozying" up to.

As part of his mad, Cedillo is trying to stir up bad feelings over the shady Measure R, playing his San Gabriel Valley base against the fashionable Westside of LA and the Westside folks aren't too happy about it.

It's fun to see these clowns go up against one another. Of course you don't need to go down that road; there is a far more thoughtful, professional and mature alternative in Teresa Hernandez.

Blog away dum dums.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Monday

Former Assemblyman Lloyd Levine is looking for a job.  At least that's what an email he sent out to several supporters stated. In the email Levine writes "I recognize that this might be the worst time to find employment since the Great Depression (editor's note: clearly not true), which is why I am reaching out to you, hoping to learn about the best possible opportunities as they arise."  According to one rumor that lit up the State Capitol gossip wires on Friday, Levine has found employment at a Sacramento store that sells runners' shoes. If you have a more rewarding opportunity for Lloyd you can send it him at levine4assembly@hotmail.com.

Isn't "Two Bill" Gil Cedillo's time up? God forbid this shady race baiter gets elected to Congress when there is a dynamic, thoughtful Mexican-American mom and self-made business sucess story in the person of Teresa Hernandez running for the 32nd Congressional seat vacated by Labor Secretary Hilda Solis.  Lets hope the voters get it this time.

Bernie Parks gets Jasmyne Cannick's "Negro Please" Award for wanting to keep the Parker Center name for LAPD's new headquarters; in honor of former LAPD Chief William Parker.  Wonder what Mike Trujillo thinks the name should be?

Though it may seem like the usual feel good holiday photo op, there is nothing more truly Christian than volunteers washing the feet of the homeless over Easter Weekend in Skid Row.  But, as blogger Don Garza correctly notes, it also serves a purpose: health workers can inspect the homeless individuals' feet for signs of illness and serious medical conditions and provide them treatment.

With declining enrollment in Los Angeles' schools should the LAUSD be spending billions on a full bore ahead program of building new schools? KCET (hat tip to CurbedLA) is asking that question in a new report, "Blackboard Bungle."