Mayor Sam's Late Afternoon Thoughts

Here's where Paul Krekorian gets into trouble.

The voters are PO'd as of late. Not that Paul isn't a nice guy but if he is tied to Villar then he's got trouble. Remember Jack Weiss?

No doubt that Krekorian will have excellent resources and makes for an attractive candidate but being a carpetbagger and being tied to AV is not going to help him in the super pissed-off places like Studio City, Sunland, Tujunga and West Van Nuys, all places where folks vote in higher than average numbers in a special election.

I got an invitation to Wendy Greuel's pre-assumption festivities.  It's a catered affair at CBS Studios featuring a live band.  Now I know criticizing these soirees especially for the third and fourth floor types is like criticizing Christmas but one has to ask the question: who's paying for this? I am certain not the taxpayers so it means once again we probably have donors donating to another "transition fund" and footing the bill for a high-end celebration that makes the pol happy.  Quid pro quo? Pay to play? Or is Wendy paying for it herself? If that's the case, then kudos, nothing wrong with putting on your own party.  However I did go to Wendy's first inauguration before she became an entrenched pol and that was a low-key respectable affair with no caterers and only a boom box for entertainment.

Finally, have you seen Jack Weiss since he lost the election? He's looking terrible; kind of like Tom Hanks from Castaway (after the plane crashed).

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Monday

The Daily Breeze profiles the three candidates for City Controller in a piece Saturday.  Rick Orlov talks to Council Member Wendy Greuel who is trying to get out of Mayor Villaraigosa's shadow, former DWP Commission President Nick Patsaouras who hopes to achieve further name recognition and visibility for his reform agenda and Walter Moore affiliated candidated Suzy Evans who did not return Orlov's phone calls or emails (hello?). 

In case you missed it over the weekend: "Fraud and Disorder."


Interesting piece in the Times about our March 3rd elections.  The Former Fishwrap of Record laments the lack of choices in most of the races or even the lack of a contest.  While they say they often agree with the assessments of how fouled up City government is that lesser known candidates make, they often can not find much more than that to make a endorsement of an alternative candidate.  So they wind up endorsing the incumbent and realize it often makes them look foolish or inconsistent.  Still the Times in conducting courtesy endorsement interviews with all candidates are hoping that perhaps someone will prove them otherwise and therefore will take more time than usual with their process.  As well, beyond the usual interviews, the Times plans to hold the open vetting process of Measure B the City didn't and will rely heavily on the comments of it's readers on the controversial measure in coming to a conclusion.


Now that President Obama has signed an executive order that the terrorist prison camp at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba be closed; the next issue is where to put the detainees (which is why I say that Gitmo won't be closed anytime soon; at best there will be modifications to the process there).  If you think we have NIMBYs here on billboards and super-sized houses wait until some Congressman gets word that Al Queada is going to be stored in his district.  Still Congressman Bill Young of Florida has a great idea where to send them - in Nancy Pelosi's district at Alcatraz.

Tom Hanks has stirred controversy in the Gay community for apologizng for his part remarks that members of the Mormon faith were "un-American" for their support of Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage in California. A statement released by the actor-director stated that "Everyone has a right to vote their conscience; nothing could be more American. No one should use 'un- American' lightly or in haste. I did. I should not have."  Even more interestng reading in the comments at gay blog Towlerroad including claims that Hanks was motivated by the coming release of his film "Angels and Demons" to "Tom Hanks is a dork" to a remark that Mormonism was the "Scientology of the 19th Century."