Berman Gathers Up Support Over Sherman

Peter Musarlian of Globalist Films covers a recent event for Congressman Howard Berman - who is locked in a weird race as of the result of re-districting and California's new open primary against fellow Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman.

There's an awful lot of Democrats in this video and one of the kings of the blowhards, Zev Yaroslavsky, but it sure seems like if you have to choose between Berman or Sherman, Berman is the way to go.

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Monday

LA's politicians are finding that getting free tickets to premier events around town can wind up being expensive.  After Mayor Villaraigosa was slapped with $42,000 in ethics violations fines, Council Members, Eric Garcetti, Jose Huizar, Herb Wesson and Tony Cardenas all got slapped by the Ethics Commission for scamming tickets to the Oscars, Grammys, etc.  In an interesting twist, those who gave the tickets were fined as well.

The City Reapportionment Commission will be getting to work soon on redrawing Council district maps in Los Angeles.  Every interest group from ethnic politics organizations to those who shill for business plan to get in on the act.  The NAACP and MALDEF will surely wish to see that Districts are drawn to ensure the election of as many minorities to the Council as possible; trade group VICA wants to see that no more than one Council district overlaps the San Fernando Valley and the rest of the City.

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Mayor Sam Candidate Endorsements: Anyone But Cardenas for CD6

This is the next in a series of posts where JoeB and I will give our endorsements for candidates for LA City Council and School Board. Where there is agreement we will give the official MayorSam endorsement to the candidate. Next up is CD6. For each post we will give both Joe's endorsement and mine along with our comments. The choices in CD6 are:

MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT NO. 6 *

• RICH GOODMAN, Small Business Entrepreneur
• TONY CARDENAS, Los Angeles City Councilmember
• JAMES "JAMIE" CORDARO, San Fernando Valley Businessman
• DAVID BARRON, Code Enforcement Official
• None
• Other:

JoeB: Anyone But Cardenas

Michael Higby: Tony Cardenas, who sometimes exhibit some budget restraint, has more often than not been on the shady side of the equation and not part of the solution when it comes to City government. His opponents though each are concerning. Jamie Cordaro is a good man and old friend who I've supported before. But I believe this is his fourth or fifth time running for elected office and if it hasn't happened yet, it may be time to try something else. David Barron sounds like another bureaucrat. Rich Goodman is young but he is of the Gen Y entrepreneur set that is doing so much in America these days. It might be good to have that voice at the Council table. Vote for Goodman.

Verdict: 1 for Anyone But Cardenas, 1 for Goodman

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Monday

Paul Krekorian Meets With Community Leaders

There are a few other races than CD14 in the upcoming primaries you may want to consider...

We haven't talked much about the Tenth Council District where Herb Wesson currently serves.  Althea Shaw, the aunt of Jamiel Shaw, the teen shot in cold blood by an illegal alien gang member, is seeking to grab the seat from Wesson.  Shaw, writing at her website, recounts a recent candidates forum where she said Wesson showed up at the last minute and did not seem prepared.

Over in CD6 three poorly funded challengers are going after incumbent Tony Cardenas.  Jamie Cordaro, Rich Goodman and David Barron have collectively raised less than 10% of what the incumbent has earned.  Still each of them say they're making the go of it. Each of them see major failings in Cardenas or the City government as a whole.  Cardenas enjoys filling potholes.

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Mid-Day Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Scene for Monday

"Big Montiel is watching you in public housing".

Great bloated Monday and start to Rivalry Week in Ciudad de Los Angeles, as the City Council adjourns its high-salary proceedings for the annual junket to the "League of Municipal Fiefdoms Conference". Wonder if former City of Bell Administrator "Ratzo Rizzo" will host a workshop on municipal self-enrichment?

One person who is enriching himself courtesy of the taxpayers is Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA for short) $400,000+ Executive Director Rudy Montiel, who is quickly becoming the LA Times latest "poster bureaucrat" for public salary scrutiny.

Montiel, with his willing allies in City Hall, has attempted to franchise out HACLA's various housing projects and reap the financial windfalls of this endeavor. Thus, you get Montiel's current salary. But it is Montiel's actions against those who dare protest his efforts that is making Montiel the latest "paranoid bureaucrat". This in light of his actions that may cost the City of Los Angeles money in lawsuits by HACLA tenants, who faced wrongful-eviction for protesting Montiel's proposals.

BTW, we hear that someone in HACLA's upper management may have bail out the "connected non-profit Legacy LA", with a new home in the Ramona Gardens Projects. A source speculated that Legacy LA Executive Director Lou Calanche went to someone in HACLA and all of a sudden, a portable trailer was installed.

It should be noted that when Legacy LA was constituted, they had as an "advisor for redevelopment" Dalila Sotelo, who once was a Vice-President for the connected affordable-housing builder McCormick, Barron and Salazar. Sotelo now earns her public paycheck as an employee of CRA.

Can you follow the flow of money and public property, to the "connected-few" here?

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Sunday Morning Hotsheet

So let me get this straight. A developer who can't afford to build a hotel and says it won't be successful in the current environment wants taxpayers to foot some of the bill. Developers of the billion dollar Wilshire Grand project want the City to provide financial assistance for construction and our fools Downtown are actually considering the idea. If the developers don't get the money their options "include shutting down the hotel and waiting for favorable financial market conditions, selling the structure or settling on development alternatives that would not include a hotel." Welcome to capitalism folks.

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Moore: Cardenas And Huizar Will Lose In March 2011 Election

Details below the fold

Read more »

Cut and Paste Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Scene for Tuesday

"I hope this Campaign Kitty grows into something big"

Dare I say that Mayor Antonio Parkervillar is still a political role model?

After all, the self-proclaimed "Pothole King" has become the "Freeloading Emperor of Spring Street". Thus, why should we deny the "Elite 15 within the Horseshoe", their chance at showcasing creativity in circumventing ethics rules?

On the theme of circumventing ethics guidelines, we present Sixth District City Councilman Tony Cardenas. Cardenas, who currently is the Chairperson of the Board of Referred Powers, the committee that votes on issues where conflict of interest questions, preclude normal committee oversight. Is himself playing loose with ethical rules.

The LA Weekly is reporting that Cardenas, is or has as of this moment, kicked off his re-election campaign with a morning get together at El Paseo Inn, a eatery owned by Camacho Inc. If there was such a thing as a "politically-connected eatery", then Camacho Inc. would be the "five-star recipient".

By now, Cardenas has finish glad-handy those who pay for the access and is immerse with the business of deciding, with his four other board members, who will get the lucrative contracts to serve food to travelers at LAX. And guess which "politically-connected eatery" wants the right to serve their cuisine to hungry travelers? CAMACHO INC.

We should note that Cardenas will face a challenge for re-election from the Past President of the Van Nuys Neighborhood Council James Cordara, who announced his intentions via his Facebook Page.

..... as for Cardenas, in the theme of his creative and brazen disregard for ethical standards, we propose changing the name of the Board of Referred Powers to the "Board of Creative Ethical Skirting".

OTHER NEWS:

** Creative slogan pertaining to the issue of Library cutbacks, "one-two-three-four... unslam the library doors!!".

** Ron Kaye had this creative retort to the "Driving Ms. Daisy of LA Politics" Michael Trujillo's convoluted "Racist Clean Sweep LA Manifesto", via the LA Weekly.

He (Kaye) also lashed out at Trujillo as a paid agent of the City Hall political machine, calling the accusations "guilt-by-association" and "McCarthyite." Kaye noted the title of the Trujillo letter: Does "Clean Sweep" mean no more Latinos in Los Angeles?

"Does he suspect genocide, mass deportation? The real question is, how can someone who spews smears like that question someone's integrity and decency?" Kaye asked.

** Then we have this response to Trujillo's Manifesto.

Many of us who attended the LA Clean Sweep on Saturday were told Mike Trujillo is the campaign manager for the re election bid of Councilman Huizar. There were at least 3 Latino candidates who attended Saturday. Two are going after Huizar. There were more then 25 Latinos in the audience. There are many Latinos citywide who support Arizona and SB 1070. Does that mean we are racist? No it means we want immigration reform that is long over due. Trujillo wanted to deflect from the success of LA Clean Sweep but all he's doing is showing people his desperation for his candidate. I guess we can make another loss to his political consulting......... which according to Michael, will not happen in CD 14.

** View the racially, creative ways that a "former USDA official" dispensed public resources via the NAACP Convention.

** The City of Bell smells when it comes to compensation for its public officials.

** Who is Citizen turn Council Candidate Stephen Box of CD 4?? Read this profile on the "bikin crusader".

** Lastly, what came first during Mayor Parkervillar's "Cycling Adventures"? The pothole or the cab?

Your thoughts..............

Scott Johnson in CD 14

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Wednesday

Who needs a week to read a 14 page document? Apparently members of the Los Angeles City Council.  A vote scheduled for Tuesday on legislation regulating medical marijuana dispensaries has been postponed until next week so that Clowncilmembers can study the document prepared by the City Attorney's office.

A  City Council panel led by CM Tony Cardenas says that Mayor Villaraigosa should not control the City's anti-gang programs.  Cardenas points to a lack of transparency from within the Mayor's office and laments the Council having no oversight authority over the programs.  The Mayor's staff denies the charges however Cardenas is suggesting the programs be moved to a new agency independent of the Mayor.

No wonder Brian D'Arcy and the IBEW is pulling out all stops to elect Chris Essel.  A city audit shows that massive pay increases given to DWP employees could bankrupt the utility's pension plan.  With news like that D'Arcy needs every vote he can get to continue to rob the DWP blind.

If Chris Essel is elected to the Clowncil she will find a chilly reception from the District's Neighborhood Council leaders.  Two of them, Lisa Sarkin and Judy Price, respond to and refute several claims Essel made during recent candidate forums.

Big three way race to assume the mantle of Speaker Karen Bass in the State Assembly. Among those jockeying include Kevin DeLeon, Felipe Fuentes and Mayoral primo John Perez.  If chosen, Perez would be the first openly gay member to serve in the leadership role.  The winner will be Perez.

And finally some good news about one of the last class acts remaining in Los Angeles.  The Dodgers announced that Vin Scully will be back for a record 61st season annoucing Dodger games on radio and television.  82 year old Scully - who has already been in the Hall of Fame for thirty years - said in a statement quoted in the LA Times that he was "very excited and optimistic"about next season.

Morning Briefs and Outtakes on Oversight of Gang Programs, Pot, Ron Kaye's Endorsement in CD 2 and other News

"Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and his homeboys"

Why would Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa be so dismissive of the findings of City Councilman Tony Cardenas's Ad Hoc Committee on Gang Violence and Youth Development?

As reported in the Los Angeles Times, the committee stated that "the city of Los Angeles should create a standalone department of gang prevention and intervention instead of relying on the mayor's office to oversee anti-gang programs as it does now, according to a report released Monday".

Citing the need for greater financial oversight and improved collaboration between the city, law enforcement, courts, schools and social service agencies, the report called for a comprehensive change in the way the city addresses the root causes of gang violence. The Ad Hoc Committee on Gang Violence and Youth Development has been reviewing city gang initiatives for roughly four years.

The response from the Mayor's office was swift and defiant.

"The graduate students who wrote the report deserve an 'A' for effort, but at a time when we're working to deliver services more efficiently, creating a new government bureaucracy is driving the wrong way on a one-way street," said Matt Szabo, deputy chief of staff to Villaraigosa.

Szabo should get an "A" for spin with this response. But here is the real reason why the Mayor wanted to have direct oversight of the allocation of gang funding.

06/27/08 Maria Lourdes Calanche (Instructor, LA Community College District) Los Angeles, CA 90031 Antonio Villaraigosa Mayor 1305101 - Antonio R. Villaraigosa for Mayor 2009 A - Monetary Contribution Received (IND - Individual) [Period: 01/01/08-06/30/08] $1,000.00

Its all about money!! Or should we say the franchise fees?

We have posted here numerous times about the dubious dealings of the latest "connected non-profit" Legacy LA and their connections to close associates of Mayor Villaraigosa. (Dalila Sotelo, Lou Calanche, Jenny Krusoe, David Galaviz, Raul Estrada just to name a few).

Recently we reported this about Legacy LA and GRYD oversight of their "sub-contract".

A source has stated that Legacy LA is endanger of losing their Gang Reduction, Youth Development or "GRYD" contract due to "double counting". Legacy LA, as part of their GRYD contract, is require to work with 25 gang members and 25 youths who are potential gang members. But it seems that Legacy LA is trying to count the 25 potential gang members again as "gang members" on their reports to GRYD. Further community members are questioning whether the two intervention specialists, "George" and "Renee" are actually in the field doing their work.

In addition, the GRYD rep for the area "Eduardo" was recently terminated from his position with the city, Eduardo also was the on-site coordinator at Ramona Gardens Recreation Center, for the Mayor Villaraigosa's "Summer Night Lights" program.

According to a source close to the organization, Legacy LA did indeed lose their contract only to see it quickly reinstated by the Mayor's office. The employee "Renee", who was an close associate of Jenny Krusoe has lefted the organization, as has Jenny Krusoe. Further, some close to the Summer Night Lights program at Ramona Gardens have stated that "Eduardo" was terminated for his lack of supervision, in regards to the staff structure at Ramona Gardens.

It is clear in our reporting on Legacy LA, that politics played a major role in the creation of this organization (former Mayor staffer and now CRA employee Carlos Alvarado and Jenny Krusoe were the original front people) and one can surmise that Legacy LA was created solely for being a repository for future gang funding and thus, payouts in jobs to their associates.

Maybe that is why Matt Szabo was so "over the top" with his retort to Councilman Cardenas's committee report, after all, protecting the franchise fees to Mayor Villaraigosa is of paramount concern.

View the links below for e-mail documents obtain under the Public Records Act which highlight the political collusion behind the creation of Legacy LA.

Creation of a "Connected Non-Profit", Part 1
Creation of a "Connected Non-Profit", Part 2
Creation of a "Connected Non-Profit", Part 3
Creation of a "Connected Non-Profit", Part 4
Creation of a "Connected Non-Profit", Part 5

Creation of a "Connected Non-Profit", Part 6

OTHER NEWS:

** Former Daily News Editor now blogger Ron Kaye, has posted his endorsement for Paul Krekorian in the CD 2 Special Election for City Council.

The city is at a crossroads.

We have seen how ordinary citizens could defeat the machine on Measure B in March, how it could pull together and elect Carmen Trutanich as City Attorney in May. So let's hand the mayor and the machine a third straight defeat in December by elected Paul Krekorian in CD2.

** Councilman Greig Smith and Dennis Zine, aka, "The Spring Street RINOS" have announced their endorsement of Chris Essel for the CD 2 City Council seat.

** Mayor Villaraigosa, Councilman Huizar and others associated with Aramark Turkey Giveaway fiasco at the Convention Center, might want to make nice to those hundreds of people who were denied their Turkeys. Chants of "WE WANT TURKEYS!!, WE WANT TURKEYS!!", mixed with images of "connected associates" of various public officials, driving off with turkeys without providing the require vouchers, is going to create a backlash.

** Speaking of turkeys, Mayor Villaraigosa and the City Council will get a financial reality check today.

The Los Angeles City Council today will get what is expected to be a sober briefing on the city's financial condition, a day after L.A.'s credit rating was downgraded. The city’s credit was downgraded by Fitch Ratings on $2.94 billion in debt, meaning that borrowing money will become more expensive for Los Angeles as it grapples with a $98-million current-year budget shortfall and faces the prospect of graver fiscal woes in the years ahead.

** This city continues to go to pot with Councilman Ed Reyes leading the way.

Dispensaries in Los Angeles could continue to accept cash for medical marijuana under a provision approved by the City Council on Tuesday, after it adopted language carefully crafted to maneuver past the city attorney's adamant position that state law bars the sale of the drug.

This from Councilman Ed "density" Reyes,

Several members harshly criticized the city attorney's office. Councilman Ed Reyes, who oversaw the effort to write an ordinance, accused the office of pressing "a political point of view that has nothing to do with objective advice."

** The LA Weekly chronicles how Los Angeles went to pot in an extensive must read by Patrick Range McDonald and Christine Pelisek, here is a passage on Eagle Rock residents interaction with their attentive councilperson.

Michael Larsen sought out Reyes, who had bottled up the regulations for years, never sending a plan to the City Council for a vote. When Larsen finally wangled a meeting with Reyes, he found himself facing a few city employees — and four marijuana activists, including Don Duncan.

“It was clearly lopsided,” Larsen says. After that, Larsen tried for three months to reach his council representative, Huizar, a former school board member who Larsen assumed would be on top of things. But Huizar — who has a personal staff of 26 people — ducked all of Larsen’s calls.

So Larsen came up with a little subterfuge of his own: He and another neighbor found out where Huizar was going to be appearing in public, and in April, “we ambushed him — at an Easter event. We walked up to him with a paper showing all the medical marijuana dispensaries in our community. We said, ‘What are you doing about it?’ He feigned shock.” More recently, Huizar’s office “asked me to please find out what is going on with them. I am happy to do it, to keep the thing moving. But it is just crazy, that it’s our responsibility to be on top of this stuff.”

Some will say that is the normal Huizar reaction to all issues.

Your thoughts and Happy Thanksgiving to all.

“Shot-caller”

Photo by Uncle Glen (Flickr)

That’s how the feds describe Alex Sanchez: An MS13 shot-caller who is alleged to have participated in a conspiracy to commit murder in 2006 while running Homies Unidos, a prominent gang intervention organization. Sanchez was arrested this morning at his Bellflower home as part of an FBI operation targeting two dozen members of the Salvadoran street gang.

WitnessLA editor Celeste Fremon splashed “Target of FBI Rampage” over a photograph of Sanchez following news of his arrest. Dueling replies posted on LA Weekly and LA Times articles take aim both at the FBI and the local politicians who celebrated and funded Sanchez’ intervention efforts.

It’s another sharp turn in a life of sharp turns. Sanchez arrived in the US around 1980 at age seven and joined MS13 at age 14. In 1994 he was deported to El Salvador on a parole violation. One year later, he returned to establish the US chapter of Homies Unidos and in 2002 won political asylum with the help of former California State Senator Tom Hayden. Hayden’s son, Troy Garity, is listed as chairman of Homies Unidos.

Last year, NPR sought Sanchez for comment on the FBI’s efforts to dismantle the 18th Street gang—specifically on leadership succession when law enforcement closes in. There are always new shot-callers to fill the void, Sanchez explains. “Shot callers are local heroes; role models.” … In what may emerge as a moment of prescience, he then added, “The lure of the gang culture may be stronger than any federal-local anti-gang collaboration.”

Big Week for LeBong

Two biggies this week for aging Marshall High football star Tom LeBong.

On Tuesday, PLUM takes up the issue of the Griffith Park Historical Monument. Proponents get to finally find out what cuts, slashes, and overall emasculation LeBong and his office have managed to do to the Griffith Trust's original application since the Historic Resources Commission passed its recommendation to make the entire park a historic cultural resource last October.

If PLUM (Reyes, Huizar, and Weiss) passes the proposal, file 08-3086 is set to be heard in full Council on the 27th, which, coincidentally, is the last day the council can take action on this item. Does this suggest what the Autocrat of Griffith Park's real strategy may be to kill this perceived threat?

Rumor has it that Friday the Clowncil votes yet again on the Zoo's new $42 million elephant exhibit. This time LeBong has the support of celebrity zookeeper Jack Hanna as he tries to make the case that the clowncil wasn't wrong the first two times it voted for the project. Meanwhile, we're just waiting for Guido Cardenas to resurrect his idea for the City to go into the Elephant Sanctuary business using taxpayer money and public lands. As ridiculous an idea as this is during such financially difficult times in the City, clowncilmembers simply love the sound of their own clever ideas. So we know Cardenas's brainstorm will definitely ....be baaaaaaaack.

Zoo Meets Circus at City Hall Today

This issue goes before the full Clowncil on 12-3-08.

UPDATE: The Budget and Finance Committee voted 3-to-2 to kill the Zoo's Pachyderm Forest project. Parks, Huizar, and Rosendahl for, Greuel and Smith against. Rosendahl missed all of the public comment on the subject, citing more important concerns (a sewer pipe in Venice.)

This opens the door for passage of Cardenas's other motion -- to spend all that money by having the City of LA go into the Sanctuary business.

This is also precedent-setting in that it opens the door for the Clowncil to revisit any and all other previously-passed council motions... something they've refused to do in the past even when faced with evidence demonstrating that they probably should...

Your suggestions for what they should review next?

---

Today at 1pm, the City Clowncil's Budget and Finance Committee considers one of the two controversial Zoo-Elephant motions recently made by Guido Cardenas. The meeting will no doubt be a total circus, complete with a ringmaster (Parks), lot of clowncil clowns, the freak show barker (Cardenas), the puppet master (Alarcon), the fat lady preparing to sing (LeBong), the guy being shot out of a canon (Zoo GM John Lewis), the ubiquitous elephant in the room (Billy), and a crowd of alternately thrilled and horrified onlookers.

The proposal being heard today is CF 08-2850, which calls for all work to stop on the Los Angeles Zoo's $40 mil Elephant Pachyderm exhibit and to actually outlaw all future elephant exhibits at the Zoo. It also requests yet another CLA/CAO report on the costs associated with transferring the remaining elephant (Billy) to an elephant sanctuary, the alternative uses for the current Elephant Pachyderm exhibit and the possible transfer of other zoo animals into the intended Elephant Pachyderm Exhibit, the status of elephant exhibits that have closed and currently do house elephants on the zoos premise throughout the United States; and the fiscal implications for closing the elephant Pachyderm Exhibit.


Once again, the public will queue up to plead for Billy's future. Unfortunately, few public comments will be about the bigger issues that impact the citizens of Los Angeles: money and land. Guido and the Zorro Marxist are looking to take control of a substantial portion of that $40 mill, while benefiting rich developers in their district through the theft of public lands. Meanwhile, LeBong sees this as an opportunity to steal more of Griffith Park by taking part of Harding Golf Course to expand the Zoo footprint.


The future of Cardenas's other motion, CF 08-2849 which calls for a brand new “Elephant Satellite Sanctuary Advisory Group (ESSAG)” to search for 60 acres on private OR PUBLIC lands in the City to create a new elephant sanctuary, probably relies on what happens to this afternoon during the Budget and Finance Committee hearing.

With the City facing an ever-increasing deficit, let's hope the important fiscal fiducial issues and responsibilities aren't lost to the very committee tasked with these things during the tertiary animal rights discussion.

LA Doesn't Need To Build An Elephant Sanctuary

Leave it to politicians to jump on high emotion, high profile issues where they seen an opening to pull a scam.

Council Member Tony Cardenas is on the right track when he says that construction on the LA Zoo's wrongheaded multi-million dollar elephant pen needs to be halted.  He's also correct that the Zoo's last elephant (after killing nearly 15 of them over 30 years), Billy, needs to be moved to a sanctuary where he will have the space to roam and companionship of several other elephants.

However Cardenas and his partner-in-crime Council Member Richard Alarcon are absolutely wrong to pursue the City of Los Angeles going into the animal sanctuary business.

Cardenas and Alarcon seem to think that if we halt the elephant pen at the Zoo, then they get to build an animal sanctuary in their Districts.

When the City is in fiscal crisis, folks are losing their homes and a boatload of City employees are about to be laid off, this is the last thing the City needs to do.  As the Daily Breeze said "Rome is burning here, and this is no time for fiddling about over elephants."

Most everyone who has a heart, except for Councilmember Tom LeBong who thinks he owns the zoo, Zoo officials who want to keep their jobs and a cadre of LA Zoo fanatics who think it's okay to keep majestic animals in cages, agrees that Billy needs to go to a new home.  Numerous elephant preserves exist throughout the US that would be more than happy to take Billy.  Citizens including retired game show host Bob Barker have offered to cover the costs of Billy's move.  Those who want Billy out of the zoo and are not up to speed on how LA politics really work need to resist the siren song of the Northeast Valley Boyz and not support the LA sanctuary.

"Rome is burning here, and this is no time for fiddling about over elephants."
Daily Breeze

Los Angeles is not a proper place for such a preserve as much as we would like to perhaps have one nearby.  Assembly Lloyd Levine, who is in favor of moving Billy to a sanctuary and closing down the Zoo exhibit, does not see the need for an LA based sanctuary.  As he said sure, we'd like to see elephants in LA.  But we might also might like to see glaciers.  But we're not going to haul one down from Alaska and park in the LA Harbor.


As PetraFried in the City so well put it, Alarcon and Cardenas are looking to benefit rich developers in their district and have yet another "legacy" to their administrations.  That's the kind of thinking that moved the Children's Museum from Downtown to Lake View Terrace, miles from most kids in LA, which has become a boondoggle of it's own.

Those who care about both Billy and LA need to advocate to immediately send Billy to an established sanctuary and at the same time shut down both the LA Zoo's elephant exhibit and Cardena's boondoggle preserve.

Elephant-Zoo vote: It's about $$$ and stealing public land, folks.

Today the City Clowncil votes on whether they feel they can get away with stealing more public $$ and land without anyone noticing.

Under the guise of animal rights, last month Tony 'Guido' Cardenas proffered two council motions aimed at the LA Zoo, one (#08-2850) to halt construction of the Zoo's new $40 million dollar elephant exhibit and outlaw elephant-keeping completely at the Zoo, and the other (#08-2849) to create a task force to study stealing 60 acres of rare public park land in the park-poor San Fernando Valley for an elephant "sanctuary".

Guido originally voted for the new $40 mill elephant exhibit and its hard to imagine that a change of heart is the only thing driving these motions. So what's this all about, then?

In the eyes of the public, this is all about Billy --the Zoo's remaining elephant. Emotions run high with animal activists falling on both sides of the fence. Both sides have their experts lined up for a battle of 'our experts verses your experts'. Public comment will be full of emotional pleas on Billy's behalf.

The real fight, however, is what is in the eyes of the greedy Clowncilmen involved: LeBong, Guido, and the Zorro Marxist, Alar'con'. These motions are all about opportunity. LeBong's been looking for an excuse to steal more of Griffith Park land to expand the Zoo, and Guido conveniently provided the excuse. On the other side, Guido and Zorro want part of that $40 mill, most of which cannot be re-allocated to projects outside the Zoo. So why not have the City go into the Elephant Retirement Home business with the Zoo as the puppet department in charge? Odds are Guido and the Zorro Marxist both have a healthy financial stake and a campaign donor or two in mind for the project.

What is the real bottom line here?

If it's ultimately decided that Billy needs a much larger enclosure, he can be retired to an existing elephant sanctuary somewhere at minimal cost compared to the new exhibit cost. No new sanctuary is needed; no public lands need be taken; and the City does not need to spend our tax dollars on going into the Elephant Retirement Home biz.

...Hell, these clowns can't even provide fundamental services to taxpayers or balance a budget. Now they want to run a circus?

As for the partially-complete exhibit? It could be re-purposed for other animals, again at minimal expense compared to the cost of the new exhibit. In other words: NO STEALING OF PUBLIC LANDS AND MONEY NECESSARY.

UPDATE: Blogs Chime In ("Villaraigosa backed into corner")

GOING, GOING...Part II
http://www.laanimalwatch.blogspot.com/

EMPLOYEES BLAST BOKS
http://www.animalsheltersdirectory.com/

Strong-arming the City Council backs Villaraigosa into a Corner

Did Mayor Villaraigosa try to strong-arm Councilmembers Tony Cardenas, Bernard Parks and Dennis Zine into not holding a meeting of hundreds of city employees and animal rescuers last night?

You betcha, but did it work? No sir!

According to those in attendance, nearly 200 people composed of animal shelter employees, union officials, rescuers, and media attended the special evening Personnel Committee meeting at Van Nuys City Hall to demand the termination of Edwin M. Boks, the Animal Services general manager and Linda Barth, his hand-picked assistant general manager.

Villaraigosa’s office also ordered Boks’ Animal Services commissioners to not attend the event, although two (Archibald J. Quincey and president Glen Brown) disregarded those directives.The Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles Daily News have stories about this today, but both missed the most shocking testimony of the evening, which was confirmed by several people in attendance.

Former chief veterinarian of the Department of Animal Services, Kathy Rainey, said Mr. Boks ordered her to “conduct certain veterinary practices with infectious diseases without regard for public safety, including allowing public access to a rabies isolation area, even though such jurisdiction is a county function once rabies is diagnosed."

Mr. Boks, she said, told her that the worst that could happen is that she would receive "just a slap on the wrist and that the California Veterinary Board should not be in our business."

The vet also said that Mr. Boks allowed other medical decisions to be made by another Assistant GM, even though she has no background in veterinary medicine, causing six other veterinarians to leave the city to practice elsewhere.After detailing other shocking behavior from Mr. Boks and/or Ms. Barth, Dr. Rainey said that as a public health official, she resigned because if she acted as Mr. Boks directed her to, the California Veterinary Board could have revoked her license.

The veterinarian advised that if such practices were ever reported to the state, and proven to be true, it could cost the city its own state license to run animal shelters.

A 29 year department employee, Kathy Mooney, said she is retiring early due to Mr. Boks' intimidation, said she felt like she is "hanging herself" by coming to the meeting, told how in her job as the keeper-of-department-kill-statistics, Mr. Boks creates ever-vaguer statistics so that Mr. Boks can make false claims that the city is "95% No Kill," even though it kills tens of thousands of animals per year.Victor Gordo, a union representative, told of the threats, intimidation and unfair labor practices employed by Mr. Boks and Ms. Barth.

Mr. Brown (the Animal Services commission president) publicly denied that these wide-scale employee concerns were ever brought to the commission’s attention. That could be because Mr. Brown appears to have missed at least 10 commission meetings during his two year tenure. (Mr. Brown's claim were publicly disputed by Maria Atake, another former commissioner who told about her experiences with Mr. Boks. She said that the commission is a "rubber stamp for Ed Bok.")

Other problems addressed include a complete lack of training, policies & procedures, and emergency preparedness.

At one point, Dennis Zine asked, "Is there anyone in the room who has anything positive to say about Mr. Boks or Ms. Barth?" Only one employee got up, but it was to say, "Yes, they have united everyone in this room against them!"

The meeting ran so long that, after a full 4 hours of testimony, the Councilmembers still had dozens of speaker cards that had yet to be called, so the Council members told the crowd that the meeting would be reconvened within a few days.

Going back to the original point: Why did Mayor Villaraigosa try to strong-arm the City Councilmembers into not having the meeting? In a word: embarrassment. For years, the Mayor has stayed with Mr. Boks because, to admit that he made yet another hiring mistake would be to arm future political opponents with proof of Villaraigosa’s incompetence.

But now, with numerous TV and video cameras recording last night’s meeting, the Mayor can no longer claim he didn’t know.All the Mayor can do is try to strong-arm the City Council, again, which, this time, it appears won’t be enough.The Mayor is meeting on Thursday with Union officials to discuss the future of Mr. Boks’ and Ms. Barth's employment with the city.
~~~~~
Paul Harvey says there’s “the other side of the story.” There is a money trail to someone who has been influencing the mayor to keep Mr. Boks. If anyone has more information about this, please write to us. Be prepared to help us name names.

Strong-arming the City Council backs Villaraigosa into a Corner

Did Mayor Villaraigosa try to strong-arm Councilmembers Tony Cardenas, Bernard Parks and Dennis Zine into not holding a meeting of hundreds of city employees and animal rescuers last night?

You betcha.

Did it work? No sir!

According to those in attendance, nearly 200 people composed of animal shelter employees, union officials, rescuers, and media attended the special evening Personnel Committee meeting at Van Nuys City Hall to demand the termination of Edwin M. Boks, the Animal Services general manager and Linda Barth, his hand-picked assistant general manager.

Villaraigosa’s office also ordered Boks’ Animal Services commissioners to not attend the event, although two (Archibald J. Quincey and president Glen Brown) disregarded those directives.

The Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles Daily News have stories about this today, but both missed the most shocking testimony of the evening, which was confirmed by several people in attendance.

Former chief veterinarian of the Department of Animal Services, Kathy Rainey, said Mr. Boks ordered her to “conduct certain veterinary practices with infectious diseases without regard for public safety, including allowing public access to a rabies isolation area, even though such jurisdiction is a county function once rabies is diagnosed."

Mr. Boks, she said, told her that the worst that could happen is that she would receive "just a slap on the wrist and that the California Veterinary Board should not be in our business."

The vet also said that Mr. Boks allowed other medical decisions to be made by another Assistant GM, even though she has no background in veterinary medicine, causing six other veterinarians to leave the city to practice elsewhere.

After detailing other shocking behavior from Mr. Boks and/or Ms. Barth, Dr. Rainey said that as a public health official, she resigned because if she acted as Mr. Boks directed her to, the California Veterinary Board could have revoked her license.

The veterinarian advised that if such practices were ever reported to the state, and proven to be true, it could cost the city its own state license to run animal shelters.

A 29 year department employee, Kathy Mooney, said she is retiring early due to Mr. Boks' intimidation, said she felt like she is "hanging herself" by coming to the meeting, told how in her job as the keeper-of-department-kill-statistics, Mr. Boks creates ever-vaguer statistics so that Mr. Boks can make false claims that the city is "95% No Kill," even though it kills tens of thousands of animals per year.

Victor Gordo, a union representative, told of the threats, intimidation and unfair labor practices employed by Mr. Boks and Ms. Barth.

Mr. Brown (the Animal Services commission president) publicly denied that these wide-scale employee concerns were ever brought to the commission’s attention. That could be because Mr. Brown appears to have missed at least 10 commission meetings during his two year tenure. (Mr. Brown's claim were publicly disputed by Maria Atake, another former commissioner who told about her experiences with Mr. Boks. She said that the commission is a "rubber stamp for Ed Bok.")

Other problems addressed include a complete lack of training, policies & procedures, and emergency preparedness.

At one point, Dennis Zine asked, "Is there anyone in the room who has anything positive to say about Mr. Boks or Ms. Barth?" Only one employee got up, but it was to say, "Yes, they have united everyone in this room against them!"

The meeting ran so long that, after a full 4 hours of testimony, the Councilmembers still had dozens of speaker cards that had yet to be called, so the Council members told the crowd that the meeting would be reconvened within a few days.

Going back to the original point: Why did Mayor Villaraigosa try to strong-arm the City Councilmembers into not having the meeting?

That answer is embarrassment. For years, the Mayor has stayed with Mr. Boks because, to admit that he made yet another hiring mistake would be to arm future political opponents with proof of Villaraigosa’s incompetence. But now, with numerous TV and video cameras recording last night’s meeting, the Mayor can no longer claim he didn’t know.

All the Mayor can do is try to strong-arm the City Council, again, which, this time, it appears won’t be enough.

The Mayor is meeting on Thursday with Union officials to discuss the future of Mr. Boks’ and Ms. Barth's employment with the city.

~~~~~

As Paul Harvey says, then there’s “the other side of the story.” There is a money trail to someone who has been influencing the mayor to keep Mr. Boks. If anyone has more information about this, please write to us. Be prepared to help us name names.

Boks’, Barth’s Last Stand at City Hall?

Go back 123 years ago this week, and you'll find that General George Custer was buried at West Point (That's Custer with his dog in the photo to the right)

In Los Angeles, on Tuesday, there will be a special evening meeting in Van Nuys City Hall of the City Council’s Personnel Committee to determine whether the Committee will ask Mayor Villaraigosa to terminate Edwin M. Boks and Linda Barth, the General Manager and Assistant General Manager, respectively, of the Los Angeles Animal Services department.

Judging by the nearly 100 city shelter employees, volunteers, animal rescuers and union leaders who recently appeared at City Council to demand that Boks & Barth be terminated, it looks like this will be Boks' and Barth's last stand.

Ironically, a few hours before this special meeting, Mayor Villaraigosa will hold a hastily arranged, and obviously pandering, press conference about neuter~spay, one of Boks’ and Barth’s greatest failings.

The invitation reads, “Mayoral Press Conference this Tuesday at 9 a.m. at City Hall. Come participate in this celebration of the new ordinance, which recently became enforceable October 1st. The Mayor will be there as will the entire City Council, featuring as well as expressing our appreciation to the law's co-authors CM Richard Alarcon and CM Tony Cardenas.”

Haikula is confused. Didn’t Mr. Boks say last week that Mr. Boks would not be enforcing the law? And didn't Bill Rosendahl say that if Mr. Boks had a handle on licensing, which he says he does not, the funding would be plentiful? Or is this yet another pandering press conference, where cameras count, and killing doesn’t?

Will Mr. Boks receive false praise just hours before the hammer falls on him and Ms. Barth? Or will the croissants, coffee and orange juice put everyone in too good a mood for terminations later in the day?

According to public records, Mr. Boks has a high school diploma and earns more than $170,000 per year.

If anyone attends these events, please let us know what happens.

(Special thanks to Binkie and Mr. Frog for helping us with this report!)

Say What?

Today, the Los Angeles Times has an article about the Mayor and City Council criticizing the Wall Street bail out plan. (quotes from the article are in bold, below)

This is all well and good, but time and again, the City Council admonishes public speakers that they are to talk about subjects that "are under the jurisdiction of the Council," and frequently cut the microphones of the speaker when they determine that the person is "off-topic."

So why then is the Mayor and City Council taking a position on the Wall Street bail out plan? It is a Federal plan, and has nothing to do with Los Angeles City Hall, other than, perhaps, some bad city investments.

Like the rest of us, you have to suck it up when times are bad. That's why incompetence running the City of Los Angeles during a good economy is intolerable.

"'No way do I want to give the secretary of the Treasury unbridled power,' said Councilman Bill Rosendahl."

Why is anyone from the Council making a public statement on a Federal issue, if it doesn't fall under the L.A. City Council's jurisdiction? And isn't it the L.A. City Council that mismanaged us into a $500,000,000 debt?

That's like, well, I don't know what it's like. But it sure as hell is hypocritical.

The article goes on to say that a lot of the City's nervousness comes from City officials having "voiced anxiety about their ability to borrow money to pay for upcoming initiatives."

A major reason that the City is unable to get better lending terms is because of its teetering credit and debt problems. If the Mayor and City Council did a better job of running the city when the economy was healthy, it wouldn't be in such a jam during tough times like these.

Unfortunately, the Times' Mr. Zahniser overlooked that point in his article.

A while back, I predicted even larger DWP rate hikes. In the article, Councilmember Tony Cardenas confirms that that's where we're heading. "If this continues in the way it has over the last few weeks, then it's inevitable that the department's going to have to look at our water and power rates," he said.

If we re-elect people who continue to sink the City of Los Angeles, and we expect a different outcome in their next term, we are by definition, insane.

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.