Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Monday

We are on bloggin "Rick Caruso for Mayor Watch".

Is 2013 the year "Hamlet Caruso" becomes "Mayoral Candidate Rick Caruso"?

The time may be right ..........

Judging from the formerly "LA Antonio Times" story budget allocated to the latest Rick Caruso for Mayor missive, its looking like the "Hamlet" of Los Angeles mayoral candidacy, is in serious consultations regarding joining the list of 2013 candidates to replace fail two-term Mayor Antonio Villar.

Its been an open secret since Los Angeles County Board of Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky's announcement that he was not a candidate to replace Mayor Villar, that business interests and other city activists have been imploring The Grove Shopping Center Developer to become a candidate.

If Caruso does become "Candidate Rick", it would not be a surprise to see former LAPD Chief Bill Bratton supporting the former Police Commission Chairperson, who was instrumental in replacing former Chief Bernard Parks with Bratton.
The Mayor Sam Blog has attempted to contact Caruso's longtime political adviser Matt Middlebrook, but as of this time, we have not received any response.

**  The Daily News Rick Orlov reports in his Monday "Tipoff Column" that Republicans may play a big role in deciding the 30th Congressional District Jihad between Congressmen Howard Berman and Brad Sherman. We should also note that Republicans have some past documentation of certain questionable financial transactions of a "former Sherman staffer". More on that in the near future.

** As Zev ponders who to bless in the 2013 Mayoral Race, a "Shriver Kennedy via Santa Monica" and a child actress named "Zelda" are themselves contemplating replacing Zev on the Board of Supervisors in 2014.

** A "Princeton Graduate, Dear Charro" honors Antonio "El Charro" Aguilar.

 The "Princeton Graduate, Dear Charro" CD 14 City Councilman Jose Huizar.

 The dedicated statue to Zacatecas native and famous Ranchera Musician Antonio "El Charro" Aguilar at Olvera Street.

Zacatecas native CD 14 City Councilman Jose Huizar  honor one of his own  with a statue on Olvera Street yesterday as noted in the LA Times and the cost?

Most of the about $200,000 cost was covered by private donors, including the University of Guadalajara Foundation and Sigue Corp., Huizar's office said. The city contributed about $50,000.

Will Councilman Huizar state why any public money was needed?

Your thoughts ..............
Scott Johnson in CD 14

Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles "Unionize" Political Machine for Friday

Wonder where Controller Wendy Greuel and City Councilman Eric Garcetti, would tattoo this on their posterior?

Just how far will the LA Labor Left go to retain power on City Hall's Third Floor?

Consider this from the LA Weekly on the local union's dread of a, then possible LA County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky run for Mayor.

The city's labor groups were not thrilled with the idea of Yaroslavsky running for mayor. We've (LA Weekly) heard rumors that some unions were planning to deluge him with negative advertising (and personal attacks on rumored "issues") if he had entered the race.

Zev knew this campaign would get "too personal" and LA will continue its slide towards the financial abyss, unless a truly fiscal reformer like Keven James gets elected.

** Former LA Mayor Richard Riordan, who latest "Mini-Riordan Mayoral Protege" dropped out some time back and with Yaroslavsky walking away from the 2013 Mayoral proceedings, is not too positive about the fiscal future of the "Collectivist Sanctuary City-State", within "Greece on the Pacific".

** Hola!! Is anyone home in the CD 7 Dacha of CD 2/7 City Councilman Richard "Zorro Marxist" AlarCON? A neighbor says rarely between 2006-2009 on the witness stand in the AlarCON's retrial.

** Jack Humphreville has the blunt truth behind the latest rate increase proposal at the non-people/constituent/rate payer orientated DWP (but they do political pet projects).

** Who is the person behind the CD 9 City Council Candidate and current fundraising leader LAPD Deputy Chief Terry Hata? That is the subject of the latest Downtown News "Regardie Report"

** Oh My God!! More insider endorsements for the City Controller Wendy "The Valley Greuel's" Campaign for Mayor. Via John Shallman's permission, the Valley Greuel's Campaign has been given a big hug of support by former Mayoral Candidate Bob Hertzberg, a Si Se Puede from UFW's Dolores Huerta and African-American Activist John Mack. (But Brian D'Arcy edits are still paramount).

Your thoughts ..............
Scott Johnson in CD 14

BREAKING NEWS: Times Says Beutner Out

LA Times reports that former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan has said Austin Beutner is ending his candidacy for Mayor of Los Angeles to "spend more time with his family."

While there are some who are not thrilled with the idea of a Jan Perry, Eric Garcetti or Wendy "Valley Greuel" Greuel pining for an entry into the race by County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, this is actually excellent news for former Federal prosecutor and broadcaster, Kevin James, who in early polling was showing some strength as non-insider candidate.

UPDATE: KEVIN JAMES REACTS TO AUSTIN BEUTNER'S RESIGNATION FROM MAYORS RACE

"I commend Austin Beutner for his work in being part of the solution at City Hall while others are merely contributing to the problems. Austin's focus on job creation has been important to the City. We shared a mutual disgust for business as usual in City Hall and I will work as hard as I can to carry on our similar sentiments to make Los Angeles great again. I also want to wish Austin the best in his future endeavors and a speedy recovery to his father," stated Kevin James.

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.

Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Tuesday

 Los Angeles County Board of Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky pondering whether to add more years of political service to the  nearly 42 years already accounted for. 

Will former State Assembly Speaker Bob "Huggy" Hertzberg embrace the rigors of political campaigning again in the near future?

This is the crossroads moment in the political lives of two men who would or could be mayor of the nation's second largest city, one fell a few thousand Walter Moore votes short in 2001 to qualify for a runoff that could of led to an "Mayor Hertzberg Era"at 200 Spring Street. The other still ponders whether a run for the Third Floor is worthy of a late life political commitment. But for former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg and County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, "time and place" are the keys whether to move forward with the another political quest. 

Speaker Hertzberg transition from hugs on the campaign trails to the embrace of business interest since 2001, but the inner fire of campaigning may of been reignited with the redrawing of the 27th State Senate District. Hertzberg tells the Daily News Rick Orlov that the moderate demographics of the new district fit his political leanings and that current Eco-progressive State Senator Fran Pavley, who now resides in the district, is too liberal to win. This prompted Pavley's Campaign Consultant Parke Skelton to respond with ......... "I can't imagine he is in this without thinking it's a stepping stone to something else," Skelton said. "We hear he is being encouraged to run by business interests. No one in the (Democratic) caucus will support him. He will become toxic in Sacramento if he is elected."    

For Supervisor Yaroslavsky, he stated that his final determination whether to seek the city's top job is predicated on whether to devote time from other late life desires into a 2013 run. And lets not forget the recent tumult over redistricting in Los Angeles County, with its divisive racial overtones, may have diminish Yaroslavsky's desire to seek a return to City Hall.

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14 

Zev speaks on yesterday's redistricting proceedings

Thoughts from County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky.

County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky shares some insightful thoughts on yesterday's spirited dialog on county redistricting in this post from the acclaimed "Zev's (status quo) World Blog.

To be sure, the process that culminated in Tuesday’s historic vote was punctuated with strong words and heated emotions. But there was something encouraging about it all, no matter what your views or loyalties. From one end of the county to the other, from its urban core to its rural reaches, people were engaged, writing thousands of letters and appearing en masse to express their diverse opinions on representative democracy in their communities.

The debate forced us to assess—and rally behind—the things that are most important to us in this complicated region of competing interests and values. We may not always have liked what we heard, but I had the sense that, at least, we were listening and learning. Consider this: despite the passionate feelings on all sides, I can’t recall a single speaker of the hundreds who testified who was shouted down or disrespected.

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14

Weird "Scribeisms" at the "Old Gray Hag on Spring Street"

 As hundreds, maybe thousands saw this evening, there were some strange sights in this evening's skies across Southern California and Arizona, most likely a meteor. (this blogger saw one on the Saturday night before Easter from a hilltop near the Bow Willow Campground in the Anza-Borrego State Park last spring). bloggers and community activists took notice this evening of some strange scribe-doings originating from the "Old Gray Hag on Spring Street" as we note below.

First, we note the following headline of the Times story that plays catch-uip to this blog's coverage on the latest in the Los Angeles Community College District's Van de amp Controversy, "Judge ruling threatens charter school at Van de Kamp site". If you were ignorant of the background behind the Van de Kamp Scandal, you would think from this headline that some mean-spirited NIMBYS did not want some couple hundred students fowling their fragile environment. But in actuality, this campus should be offering community colleges classes as intended. ** BTW, read the well-informed comments at the bottom of the story.

Second is the Times piece on Los Angeles County Board of Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky's supposed risky gambit involving his spirited defense against redistricting efforts that would create a second "Latino Supervisory District. The Times premise is that Yaraslavsky's stance on redistricting on the county level may hurt his standing among Latinos if he were to run for Mayor of Los Angeles in 2013. Further, their premise is supposedly reinforce by comments of South Pasadena resident/ CD 14 based "political consultant" (** and lets not forget lobbyist for the controversial Vernon Power Plant) Victor Griego, with help from Supervisor Gloria Molina (who is eyeing a return to the City Council via CD 1) and MALDEF's Thomas Saenz. But move away from the talking points via the Latino political establishment, and the Times would find a robust, pluralistic Latino political culture that has moved away from the identity politics of their Brown Beret fore-bearers. Many, especially in the grass-roots are looking beyond the "failure" of Mayor Villar and are waiting to see who the final cast of candidates are as we move toward 2013. And when the time comes to make their choice, skin color will not be the paramount factor.

Your thoughts..............
Scott Johnson in CD 14

YAWNmageddon crawls on

Carmageddon has become YAWNmageddon.

** Sunday Morning Update: So Cal motorists prepare to start your engines! The end of Carmageddon/Yawnmageddon is near as Mayor Ahhhmageddon Villar takes to the Mulholland Bridge at a 10:30AM. photo op, announcing the re-opening of the 405. Unofficial word is that the freeway will re-open in stages starting at 11:00AM with unrestricted access by 4PM.

** 11PM Update: Three hour long pursuit playing out on the local stations. A possible "third-striker" heading up the I-5 after making tour of So Cal Freeway grid. This chase ranks up there with the infamous "Range Rover Chase" that terminated on the Cornejo Grade years back. The chase ended in the darkness of the Grapevine at 11:15PM when CHP deployed spike strip. Two arrested and no one injured.

Can we say political fearmongering? Stay away! The closure is coming!

Supervisor Zev takes credit for coining the phrase "Carmageddon" but thanks to KFI's John and Ken, Mayor Villar is the inspiration for "Ahhhhmageddon"

"WWG2" aka Bill Boyarsky touts economic benefits of Carmageddon.

The bicycle beat the jet (blue). Post race comments

Where is Sarah Palin to say "Drive Baby Drive"?

Carmageddon does New Zealand!

Will the "Old Gray Hag on Spring Street" needs a "Story Budget Deficit Limit Increase" for its ceaseless coverage of "YAWNmageddon"?

Sunland-Tujunga "Strongman" Joe B. channeling "Mayor Ahhhmageddon" spokeshole Matt Szabo. "No, I think we can say good outreach, great communication, an informed public, and the perfect outcome"
.
** Mayor AHHHmageddon received hotline call during 3PM press conference. Who was the caller?
A. Speech Therapist.
B. Corina seeking ex to not use her last name.
C. Spanish-speaking media.
D. Parke Skelton imploring him to shut up.

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Tuesday

We reported last week on how, due to budget cuts, LA County beaches' restrooms are getting cleaned and are quite filthy.  Radio talk show hosts John and Ken led a harangue against County Stupidvisor Zev Yaroslavsky which led to Zev yelling at fellow Stupidvisor Don Knabe. Maybe Zev should just get a mop - or he can call Mayor Villaraigosa.

This blog has chronicled for sometime the controversy around the Autry National Center's takeover of the Southwest Musuem.  Now it appears the matter could lose a significant grant for the Autry.

Read more »

Friday Free for All

Spruce Up Your Dog Park!

Controller Wendy Greuel notes the existence of a Department of Transportation program that allows elected officials to reduce or eliminate parking violations fees. Over 1,000 tickets were handled by the program in the last two years, however it goes back about 20 years.  Several Council Members told the Times that they think they knew of the program but have never used it.

Radio talk show host Tom Leykis has offered up a $50,000 contribution to the reward to find the attackers of John Stow who was beaten by thugs in the Dodger Stadium parking lot following the Dodgers-Giants home opener.  Apparently city officials do not want Mr. Leykis contributions with representatives from Councilman Ed Reyes' office belligerently insisting Mr. Leykis as a private individual can not join the Dodgers and other private organizations in making the contributions.

Read more »

Friday Free for All

The Los Feliz Ledger is asking whether Council President Eric Garcetti plans to run for Mayor or not.  The Ledger proclaims were Garcetti to run, he would be an instant front-runner.  But hold the phone - the LA Weekly reports experts have already handed the Mayoralty to Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky.

Where is the Mayor? In Chicago, at a design summit!

A bill to disincorporate the corrupt city of Vernon has passed the State Assembly.  If it clears the Senate and is signed by Governor Jerry Brown, Vernon comes under control of LA County.  However waiting in the wings to get a hold of the territory is Jose Huizar who would love to annex the industrial tax base rich territory to Los Angeles for all kinds of fun stuff.  Problem is, with LA's anti-business regime in charge, commerce leaves and we're stuck with Vernon's debt and no revenues to pay it off.

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

"Los Angeles Wave Newspaper's Betty Pleasant is mad at Zev Yaroslavsky's Plastic Bag Ban"

Good pre-Thanksgivings morning to all in the political bloggersphere.

As many of you look forward to the four-day weekend, at least in the public sector, most of us will make our way into the supermarket of choice to load a select bird into the shopping cart. What bag you choose to carry to your vehicle is a choice that Angelinos in Unincorporated Los Angeles County, will have less of, thanks to Nannycrat, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisor Member Zev Yaroslavsky and guess who is not happy? "BETTY"

This from the author of the Los Angeles Wave Newspaper's "Soulvine Column" Betty Pleasant.

Read more »

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Wednesday

The biggest threat to the LA oligarchy since Tom Bradley busted up the Committee of 25, Rudy Martinez, has opened his first campaign office.



Read more »

My Word, Ban the Bag! Zevcialism Comes to LA County!

From USA Today - 

Los Angeles County has become the largest U.S. municipality to ban plastic shopping bags. Although the ban, approved earlier today, will cover about 1.1 million residents, it pertains only to unincorporated areas and not to Los Angeles itself and 87 other cities in the county, the Los Angeles Times says.

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Thursday

Egads! The well heeled liberal suburbanites of Beverly Hills (you remember - swimmin' pools, movie stars) are aghast that choo-choo trains with hordes of non-Whites aboard will run underneath their mansions as part of the route of Mayor V's Subway to the Sea. Joining the fight to make sure no such travesty happens is none other than County Stupidvisor Zev Yaroslavsky.  Yikes.

Read more »

Saturday Hotsheet

We've all been waiting for "The Big One" earthquake on the San Andreas Fault for some time now.  New studies show that there may have been more large quakes on the fault in past centuries than previously thought.  The last one was in 1857. Better start getting ready.

From the "Noone Cares" department: Eli Broad says he didn't tell Zev Yaroslavsky that he was for sure bringing his museum to Downtown LA.



Read more »

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Thursday

Mulholland Terrace brings to our attention perhaps a poor employment decision made by Councilman Bill Rosendahl in the hiring of new spokes-hole Jon Fairbanks, an import from Canada.  As MT notes could Rosendahl not find a gay publicist in all of Los Angeles? More of concern is the audit trail of stories written by Fairbanks, a scribe out of Quebec, who blogs about "Anglophone bitches" and desiring to keep those women who like to party with gay men out of the bars.

Read more »

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Friday

Jill Stewart of the LA Weekly asks a great question: "Is the Los Angeles City Council the stupidest political body currently active in Southern California?" And the answer is clearly yes when, as Stewart points out, with funding and staff near the level of the Obama White House, the LA City Council is facing a crumbling city yet spends it's time banning 7-11s from the hood.

The DWP is part of the City that's crumbling. Yet for now the Clowncil may have got it right for a change when they rejected a DWP water rate hike. In the meantime while some members of the Council are seeking what many community activists have long fought for, a DWP ratepayer advocate, newly re-minted DWP head David "Cowboy" Freeman is intrasigent insisting "I am the ratepayer advocate," evoking memories of Paul's TV owner declaring "I am the king!"

Remember shady Measure R? Lots of politicians were chomping at the bit to raise sales taxes in the middle of a recession to build choo-choo lines around LA. As many animals do, the electeds often eat their own and this is evident as its Zev against the Eastsiders who are attempting to divert funds the Supervisor wants for the Red Line on the Westside to the Gold Line for example serving the Foothills. If Zev doesn't get his way he's going to put another measure on the ballot to get his.

And finally looks like Gavin Newsom thinks he's Obama:

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Tuesday

Score one for Antonio Villaraigosa and Eli Broad and one against Zev Yaroslavsky and the taxpayers.  Tom Christie writes at the LA Weekly blog that Tuesday Villaraigosa and Broad will join to announce the selection of a new CEO for LA's Museum of Contemporary Art and that the troubled MOCA has rejected a proposed merger offer with the more solid LA County Museum of Art, a plan supported by the County Supervisor as well as art lovers concerned about a potential Broad takeover of MOCA. Also figure on more CRA subsidies for the free-spending MOCA.

Two Mayoral candidates have unveiled websites encouraging voters to take positions they are supporting.  Zuma Dogg has created LAVotersforChange.com offering up endorsments of candidates for other offices and information on various issues.  Meanwhile, Walter Moore has launched VoteNoLA.com expressing opposition to three measures on the March primary ballot.

LAPD Police Chief William Bratton, the United Teachers of LA and even the City Council of Carson and others support the naming of a new high school for slain LAPD Officer Randal Simmons who was an active volunteer within the community but now one Council member and Carson's Mayor Jim Dear have reversed their earlier decisions and want the school named after late labor leader Cesar Chavez.  Though supporters of the Chavez name deny it, some are suggesting that racial politics are at play; that many residents of the heavily Latino neighborhood opposed the naming for Simmons who was African-American.

If anyone thought that former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin was going away anytime soon they were sadly mistaken.  A recently launched social networking site dedicated to the Alaska Governor has garnered nearly 70,000 members.  Back from the dead Republican Senator of Georgia Saxby Chambliss says he owes his come from behind victory in this month's special election to Palin's campaigning. And local columnist Sandra Tsing-Loh says a pit bull with lipstick PTA mom like Palin is exactly who the LAUSD needs for it's new superintendent (instead of recently deposed Admiral David Brewer or recently coronated Villaraigosa toadie Ray Cortines).

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Monday

Delicious political circus at a meeting of the MTA Board last week.  Following a discussion of the shady transit tax Measure R and rail safety issues board member and County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky declared that fellow board member and Supervisor Gloria Molina's comments were "selfish nonsense."  Molina wanted the board to consider crossing gates for the Gold Line extension through her district as well as barring the MTA from sending out campaign material on Measure R.  Following that, Zev walked out of the meeting as he had threatened earlier.

Mayor V will fill his one millionth pothole Monday in Toluca Lake. You may remember back in March the Mayor filled the 800,000th pothole.  The Mayor may be criticized for his lack of time spent actually running the city but it sure looks like Antonio Villaraigosa has made a priority of filling holes in LA.

Starting next month the LA Live project will begin to rollout the various phases that have completed construction. Set to open first is nightclub Club Nokia, and restaurants, the Lucky Strike bowling alley, the Conga Room and Trader Vic's.  Million dollar condos will be available in 2010.  Among the future residents: Mayor Villaraigosa and Governor Schwarzenegger.

Yet another Republican has come out against Proposition 8 which would outlaw same-sex marriage in California.  Former Reagan Administration member and five term Congressman Tom Campbell.  Campbell says "Republicans also care about jobs; and as a business proposition, it makes no sense to support Prop. 8. Discrimination at any level is bad for business."

I just ran across a great post by feminist and stay-at-home mom blogger Jessica Gottlieb at the LA Moms Blog. Gottlieb deconstructs the cult of Obama that many of us have been subjected to for the last few months.  Think about it, how many of your friends have replaced their photo on Facebook or MySpace with that of Obama. Gottlieb nails the whole objection to the Obama singing, posters and more with "We're Americans, we don't have Kings and Queens, we don't have presidents we Revere. We have presidents that we hold accountable through checks and balances. We have Presidents and Vice Presidents that we employ and reserve the right to fire."

One of the big issues in LA is how to get folks to the Music Center downtown and where to park.  The DWP has raised hackles by declaring their parking lot off limits to patrons.  They tried shuttle buses from the Westside but usage was lacking.  Even adding free bottle water and on-board arts talks didn't raise interest. Perhaps this is one reason why it's not wise to center all these facilities downtown and we should adopt a regional approach.