Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Wednesday

He sleeps while the Valley stinks.

The union that represents the Engineers and Architects who work for the city, traditionally one of the more responsible and least greedy of LA's public employee unions, is the first such to make a deal with the City to share in expenses for their health care. The move will allow the City to effect millions in much needed savings and put pressure on the rest of the unions to step up to the plate.

Looks like the once storied Sunset Junction Festival was FUBAR. Employees of businesses along the route were forced to pay the entry fee to get through the barricades and to work, the event owes the city a quarter of mil for services and a massive amount of trash was left behind. Suffice it to say everyone involved is pissed.

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Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Monday

 Over at Village to Village Paul Hatfield recounts the tale of how Planning Department head Gail "Can I get one of the new Google phones with the free GPS?" Goldberg is playing games with the stakeholders.  The State Legislature has passed legislation around so-called "Granny Flats" but unlike cities such as Pasadena and others Los Angeles has failed to introduce an implementation ordinance to keep the matter in check.  Goldberg, who is alleged to like a good brew, has a good excuse: too many staffers have retired to even write a bill.  Rich.

Some employees of the Los Angeles Department of World Airports may be in big trouble. A Los Angeles Times investigation alleges that several staffers may have accepted lavish free trips abroad paid for by LAX Terminal Equity Corp., a company that represents various foreign carriers at LAX.  According to an anonymous source the trips were reported by a staffer disgruntled that they were not selected to go on the trips.

Paul Krekorian was elected to the 2nd District Council Seat in a huge landslide nearly three weeks ago but he's going to have to wait until after the Rose Bowl game is played to be sworn in.  The Los Angeles City Council couldn't get around to certifying Krekorian's election before they left town for their annual Christmas break.  Krekorian, trying to get a jump on things and open up for business, found that he couldn't even get his name on the office door until the Clowncil gets back.  Welcome to the dysfunctional world of City Hall, Paul!

Is this a sign of things to come from the administration of City Attorney Carmen Trutanich? Blogger Mulholland Terrace at one of LA's hottest new blogs, Griffith Park Wayist, was threatened by Trutanich pitbull Jane Usher because Mulholland refered to an LA Times commenter who speculated that the City Attorney's recent serious medical troubles were the result of binge drinking.  If Usher and Trutanich are seeking to threaten bloggers they don't like they better guess again.  That will not go down without a fight.  They know better; particularly in light of the fact that the John Shallman run Trutanich campaign was none too happy to use local blogs in their efforts to attack Jack Weiss when he ran against Trutanich.

Some light may be shed on child molestation allegations made against deceased pop star Michael Jackson when over 300 previously classified files on Jackson's cases from 1993 to 2004 will be released Monday.  It is not known if the files contain any evidence previously unknown however some of the material will relate to the case of Jordy Chandler, who Jackson was accused of sleeping with on at least 60 occasions and whom refused to testify in the case against Jackson following a $25 million settlement with the Chandler family.  Then District Attorney Gil Garcetti, not having the participation of the alleged victim, chose not to prosecute but was willing to re-consider had further evidence come forward. 

Some stories you may have missed over the weekend while you were guzzling egg nog or shopping for gifts.  LA's new bike czar may be in trouble for half-assed work but more so for making what some folks perceive to be racially tinged comments.  Council President Eric Garcetti is looking for The Grinch.  And Mayor Sam's own Red Spot is looking to name the Ass Clown of the Year for 2009.

And finally for your consideration please vote for Mayor Sam as the best political blog at the LA Weekly's 2009 Web Awards.  There are other categories you may wish to vote in such as best Twitterer (I voted for LAist's Zach Behrens) or LA's most shameless self promoter (so many choices there!).

Hotsheet for Friday

Sunland-Tujunga is the place to be tomorrow at high noon. That’s where Paul Krekorian and Christine Essel will square off in a debate moderated by Fox 11’s Christina Gonzales. Rumor has it, topics will range from CD2 to CD2; red herring, hot air balloons, magic mirrors, and gyroscopes will be confiscated at the door. Find the details here and don’t forget to frequent Joe B’s CD2 Special Election blog for the latest.

And now … the fun stuff. Yesterday, Essel was accused of circumventing campaign finance rules with a rigged independent expenditure. Today, we bring you the countercharge against Krekorian. The synopsis is this: Krekorian cuts checks to consultant Eric Hacopian from his campaign account (some of which being taxpayer money). Hacopian and family then make contributions to Paul4Council, thus getting taxpayer money matched with taxpayer money. As snipers on both sides point out, such games are all too common. It just proves that money is the problem in politics.

Scroll down for Phil Jennerjahn’s interview with Special Assistant City Attorney David Berger. It’s a great read.

Councilmember Paul Koretz wants to see digital billboards come down en masse following a ruling by Superior Court Judge Terry Green that LA City acted “beyond the scope of its authority” in allowing CBS Outdoor and Clear Channel Outdoor to proceed with the conversions. Judge Green, however, says challenges must be considered billboard by billboard. The City Attorney’s office is reviewing. City Council is waiting. The two companies, of course, plan to appeal.

Start refreshing LAist because later today, Zach Behrens promises to explain why the biannual time change always screws traffic. Would Zach also kindly explain why traffic isn’t yielding to the highest unemployment in 26 years?

And wrapping up, Oprah might move to LA, Waltarrrrr of the Highland Park 90042 blog says MTA’s brand new website isn’t running on schedule, Lu Parker posts her first LA Times blog, and let’s add 28,000 FAKE STIMULUS JOBS to the Mayor Sam lexicon, courtesy of the Sacramento Bee.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Wednesday

In a stunning development City Controller-elect Wendy Greuel says she has "Changed her mind" and will not take the position this July 1st.  Greuel told the LA Times that she didn't know she'd actually have to "do spreadsheets and stuff" and decided that being a City Council Member was more fun.  No word yet on who will be City Controller following Greuel's decision.

KABC Talkradio host Doug McIntyre has announced his latest film project.  McIntyre, who produced the award winning "Trying to Get Good: The Jazz Odyssey of Jack Sheldon" with his wife Penny will soon release the next installment in the series.  "Trying to Get Laid: The Love Odyssey of Antonio Villaraigsosa" will feature rare and never before seen footage of the Mayor along with interviews with notables such as Mirthala Salinas, Fabian Nunez, Bob Hertzberg and longtime aide Michael Trujillo.  In one memorable scene Hertzberg remembers his time as Villaraigosa's housemate in Sacramento when both were serving in the legislature.  "If I showed up and an empty bottle of wine and a half-eaten box of El Pollo Loco was outside the door, I made myself scarce for 45 minutes," Hertzberg told McIntyre.

Proving that the only color that matters is green bitter enemies Don Quixote and Walter Moore have put aside their hostilities to partner on a lucrative business deal.  The unlikely partners will open a chain of "Sanctuary City Diners" which will serve Hispanicized versions of suburban Anglo comfort food, such as Meatloaf Asado and Pot Pie de Birria.

Blogger and activist Ron Kaye has won a six month battle with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the non-profit organization that hands out internet domain names such as the dot-coms of every website.  Kaye will now become the proud owner of crotchedyoldman.com, his latest blog project.

LAist editor Zach Behrens has announced his latest project.  Using Google Apps and Google Street View Behrens will began an impressive project to catalog the number of pedestrian crossing buttons in Los Angeles.  These are the buttons usually attached to lightpoles at intersections to request that the stoplight display a "Walk" sign for pedestrians.  Behrens was amazed to find out the that City's Bureau of Street Repair had no accurate estimate of how many of the devices were in service.

(Yes kids, April Fool)

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Friday

Is Burbank based Assemblyman Paul Krekorian going to announce he is running to replace Wendy Greuel on the City Council? That was the buzz around  town Thursday evening.  Stay tuned!


Celeste Fremon thinks that it would be a good idea to change the City Charter so that His Imperialness Bill Bratton can serve ad infinitum as LAPD chief.  One wonders how consistent an old lefty like Celeste is and did she favor the Christoper Commission's term limits back when Daryl Gates was chief? I am also curious if Celeste thinks that the Police Chief should be dabbling in partisan and electoral politics, again much in contravention of the findings of the panel that sought to reform the LAPD in the wake of the Rodney King beating.  This is no different than the Republicans who were aghast at FDR's election to four terms and sought to change the constitution to prevent that from happening again.  Yet, when those very same term limits meant no more Ike after 1961, they wanted to change the game again.  Fortuanately, Ike was smart enough to know that was wrong.

Zach Behrens notes that Obama California campaign manager and Measure B godfather Mitchell Schwartz thinks there was a message in the defeat of the controversial proposition and hopes that LA's leaders take the hint. “When something that should be very popular doesn’t pass, it is a wakeup call to the mayor and the City Hall establishment," Schwartz told  Daniel Heimpel at the LA Weekly.

No wonder some of the "umbrella organizations" over Neighborhood Councils get scant participation from all but a fingerful of NC members citywide. Perhaps folks don't see these organizations as ready for "prime time." A recent notice I got from the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Coalition said "The LANCC meets on the first Saturday of each month: MEETING SATURDAY, MARCH 28TH."  Now, yes, I did graduate from LAUSD but I am pretty sure that March 28th is not the first Saturday of the month.

Now we know why the City has made significant increases to parking meter rates and cut back on hours you can park, severely impacting local business and residents: there's gold in them thar hills! Friday the Clowncil will transfer $56 million from a parking meter fund surplus to help cover the City's budget deficit.

The LA Times reports that Bergamot Station art museum in Santa Monica could be a victim of the Expo Rail Line.  Local NIMBYs want the legendary location to be used as a maintenance yard for the line, instead of a nearby industrial property that is within the NIMBY's line of site.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Friday

Jill Stewart writes about the talk over what will happen to Wendy Greuel's 2nd Council District seat once she assumes the Controller position. Municipal law says the Clowncil can either call an election or appoint an individual to serve out the rest of Greuel's term which ends in 2011. Stewart notes that the last time the Council appointed to a vacant seat was in 1966 when the Fourth District seat was handed to Tom LaBonge svengali, the late, great John Ferraro. If an election is not called and an insider appointed a rebellion could very well brew. David Hernandez is making pre-emptive strikes with a tour of Neighborhood Councils starting Wednesday night in North Hollywood and Sunland Tujunga. If that's not enough, a group of angry Sunland-Tujungaistas are firing up their mighty machine to fight any potential shadiness.

LA Weekly picks up on Zach Behren's quixotic quest to try to report illegal dumping via the Department of Public Works' website. About the same time your old, dead Republican mayor had a similar experience reporting some illegally dumped bedroom furniture in North Hollywood via the City of LA's 311 system. Looks Zach shook up Public Works and may have got the problem fixed. How about Zach for CD2?

Like their bretheren elsewhere in Los Angeles, residents in Janice Hahn's San Pedro are livid over increases in parking meter fees and reduction in parking hours. Contra Costa Times

The driver of a Mercedes-Benz McLaren in Sunset Plaza apparently doesn't care they've parked in a red zone nearly blocking a fire hydrant. Why not? Our school board president does it! LA Can't Drive.

LA seems to have a problem handling trains. An MTA Gold Line train goes out of control and went runaway in a tunnel under Boyle Heights. LA Times.

Villaraigosa: Always out and about!

Photo by Zach Behrens of LAist

Your Mayor, hard at work, showing up to the Oscars last night as chronicled by Zach Behrens at LAist.

Wacko Jacko: No--Show at Valley Debate

The Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Councils is hosting a regional candidates forum February 12 for all those seeking office as Mayor, City Attorney, City Controller and City Council - and guess who is the one guy not showing up? Yup, Wacko Jacko.

Zach Behrens at LAist tipped us off:

Everyone vying for a school board, controller or attorney seat is attending except one person. You probably would have guessed it without the headline or photo, it's 5th District Councilmember Jack Weiss, who is well-known for being the most absent and unreachable politician in the city.

Get the word out folks - four years of Jack Weiss as City Attorney will be misery.

That being said I am endorsing Noel Weiss for City Attorney. This is the one guy who running who is brilliant, thougtful, and knows the issues inside and out. For sure, idelelogically Noel and I are far apart on several issues. However he has the character and ability to do the job, so I will cast my vote for the "other" Weiss.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Friday

Local Islamic leaders are not pleased with Mayor Villaraigosa's unswerving support for Israel. Following rocket attacks by Israel on Hamas Villaraigosa supported that nations's"right and responsibility to defend itself." Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations of California told the Los Angeles Times that Villaraigosa's "...role is not to be a cheerleader for one side . . . He ought to be on the side of justice and peace."  Though Villaraigosa's positon supporting Israel is the correct one, Aylouhis correct that this is not the Mayor's role.  His job is Mayor of Los Angeles, not Secretary of State.  Barack Obama did not offer him that role. How about getting to work Tony? Your city is a shambles.


Wendy Greuel is having a picnic! If you want to ask her what her position is on Measure B or anything else about how she - as longtime Villaraigosa insider - promises "reform" of the very City government she is a part of, come on by and have one of her free hot dogs.

An employee of the company that provides rail agency Metrolink with engineers and conductors alleges that  management was aware that the engineer involved in a deadly crash in Chatsworth in September was using his cellphone to send text messages while operating trains, a violation of company policy.  The unidentified employee reported this to management several times according to his attorney.  Hmm.  Looks like Mayor Sam prediction #18 could be the next to come true. 

You can't get any more to the edge of Los Angeles than the Sagebrush Cantina.  The venerable watering hole is just over the line in the City of Calabasas but that doesn't mean LA City Council Member Dennis Zine couldn't join with Calabasas in honoring longtime Sagebrush owner, the late Bob McCord in renaming El Canon Street for McCord and establishing a "square" in his honor on the LA side.

Looks like Britney Spears won't be joining Zach Behrens for cupcakes anytime soon. The pop princees scarfed way too much during the holidays and is going to get back on her regimen. A Spears friend said "Going home for Christmas with all that food was just too much to deny herself. She indulged herself for a few days but now she's had to promise to get it all off again fast."

Alarcon for CD2? We were just kidding!

Last year when it was announced that Second Council District Member Wendy Greuel was planning to run for City Controller in 2009 we began to speculate on should Greuel be successful and step down from her Council seat, who would run to replace her. In addition to the usual suspect - School Board Member Tamar Galatzan who began running for the seat before she was even elected to the Board - we playfully tossed around a few names including our own Joe Barrett, nerdy blogger Zach Behrens and then recently elected Seventh Council District Member Richard Alarcon. To the latter we of course intoned, "just kidding."

But maybe not. Zuma Dogg is reporting on a wild rumour around City Hall that Red Spot's favorite ZORRO MARXIST is indeed considering a move that would put in CD2 and a run for the spot after Greuel steps down. According to Zuma Dogg Alarcon's view is that he could be succesful in getting elected to the District seat which has a significant population though not a majority of Hispanic voters. Presumedly Alarcon's view is that he has enough crossover appeal that would not necessarily be the case for other Latinos considering running. Were Alarcon to be elected in CD2, his 7th District seat - with a far larger Latino population - would go to another Hispanic and hence increase the number of Latinos on the Council.

When will the ethnic, racist politics come to end? I would hope the day would come when a Jew would be elected CD14 Council Member beacuse they love their community and they are the most qualified person or perhaps a Latino would be elected in CD5 for the same reasons or an African American in District 12, etc., etc., etc.

When this nonsense ends, we'll have a better City. Let's hope Alarcon gives up his silly plan or at least gets his ass kicked at the polls.