City to Spend $1.6 Million on Book Fair in Mexico
When the City of Los Angeles was struggling to balance it's budget on the backs of local libraries, most of whom do not have enough books for local children, a little known plan was hatched within the bowels of the City's Cultural Affairs Department to spend up to $2 million in Federal grant money on the City's participation in a book fair in Jalisco, Mexico, including the construction of a pavilion for the event.You may remember back in May significant cuts for the library were proposed including a fee charged on children who borrowed books from other branches across the city through an inter-library exchange. Citizens banded together to save library funding while librarians were instructed to shake down Neighborhood Councils for book funding. Indeed, the Mid-Town North Hollywood Neighborhood Council voted to forgo an election mailer in order to fund the library (at a vote taken literally minutes before an announcement from Councilmember Wendy Greuel that funding had been restored). At the Neighborhood Council elections about a month later, turnout was about 100 voters in a community of 95,000.
The proposed cuts and fees never happened and $2 million was restored to the library budget as Council Member "Sleepy" Greig "Good Deal" Smith gleefully boasted to CityWatch.
Tuesday the Council will vote on a motion by Councilmembers LaBonge and Huizar to approve the $1.6 million in funding for the book fair. If it bothers you that our local children don't have enough books in their libraries or schools there is still time for you to call your Council Member. Here is their contact information below:
| District 1 - Ed Reyes | ||
 City Hall Office (213)-473-7001200 N. Spring Street, Rm 410 Los Angeles, CA 90012 Field Offices Map of District | ||
| District 2 - Wendy Greuel | ||
| ||
| District 3 - Dennis P. Zine | ||
 City Hall Office (213)-473-7003200 N. Spring Street, Rm 450 Los Angeles, CA 90012 Field Offices Map of District | ||
| District 4 - Tom LaBonge | ||
 City Hall Office (213)-473-7004200 N. Spring Street, Rm 480 Los Angeles, CA 90012 Field Offices Map of District | ||
| District 5 - Jack Weiss | ||
 City Hall Office (213)-473-7005200 N. Spring Street, Rm 440 Los Angeles, CA 90012 Field Offices Map of District | ||
| District 6 -Tony Cardenas | ||
 City Hall Office (213)-473-7006200 N. Spring Street, Rm 455 Los Angeles, CA 90012 Field Offices Map of District | ||
| District 7 - Richard Alarcón | ||
 City Hall Office (213)-473-7007200 N. Spring Street, Rm 425 Los Angeles, CA 90012 Field Offices Map of District | ||
| District 8 -Bernard Parks | ||
 City Hall Office (213)-473-7008200 N. Spring Street, Rm 460 Los Angeles, CA 90012 Field Offices Map of District | ||
| District 9 - Jan Perry | ||
 City Hall Office (213)-473-7009200 N. Spring Street, Rm 420 Los Angeles, CA 90012 Field Offices Map of District | ||
| District 10 - Herb J. Wesson, Jr. | ||
 City Hall Office (213)-473-7010200 N. Spring Street, Rm 430 Los Angeles, CA 90012 Field Offices Map of District | ||
| District 11 - Bill Rosendahl | ||
 City Hall Office (213)-473-7011200 N. Spring Street, Rm 415 Los Angeles, CA 90012 Field Offices Map of District | ||
| District 12 - Greig Smith | ||
 City Hall Office (213)-473-7012200 N. Spring Street, Rm 405 Los Angeles, CA 90012 Field Offices Map of District | ||
| District 13 - Eric Garcetti | ||
 City Hall Office (213)-473-7013200 N. Spring Street, Rm 470 Los Angeles, CA 90012 Field Offices Map of District | ||
| District 14- José Huizar | ||
 City Hall Office (213)-473-7014200 N. Spring Street, Rm 465 Los Angeles, CA 90012 Field Offices Map of District | ||
| District 15 - Janice Hahn | ||
 City Hall Office (213)-473-7015200 N. Spring Street, Rm 435 Los Angeles, CA 90012 Field Offices Map of District | ||
Labels: city budget, library, Los Angeles City Council
Posted by Michael Higby @ 8/11/2008 04:00:00 AM
29 Comments:
Great catch, Michael, another small but significant insult to the public
Zuma, as usual your work is sloppy. First, the fair is in Guadalajara and second, this is not money the City had which was set aside for this purpose, it's NEA federal money that they agreed to grant FOR THIS SPECIFIC PURPOSE. Your beef should be with the feds.
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS / 2009 GUADALAJARA INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR
Motion - That the City Council, authorize the General Manager of the Cultural Affairs Department, or her designee, to submit a proposal to the National Endowment for the Arts relative to developing a partnership that would result in the provision of up to $2,000,000 for a grant program that would benefit Los Angeles authors, artists and arts organizations by allowing them to represent the City's community at the 2009 Guadalajara International Book Fair.
At the Neighborhood Council elections about a month later, turnout was about 100 voters in a community of 95,000.
That's the City Council's fault???
Dummy Zuma didn't post this. Second Guadalajara is in JALISCO (Like LA is in California). Third the City has no business spending any money on this. They had to spend city time and money to ask the Feds for this money.
Why can't some book company pay for it?
ANOTHER EMBARRASSEMENT TO THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES THAT DOES EVERYTHING FOR ILLEGALS AND THEIR FAMILIES AND THE LEGAL EDUCATED LATINOS IN THIS CITY HAVE BECOME A SILENT VOICE WITH THESE SCREWED UP CITY COUNCIL MEMBER LOSERS. I CAN'T BELIEVE ALL THE BLOGS THAT BLAST THEM IN THIS CITY.
If my federal government has an extra 2 million why is ny state governement and federal government saying our taxes are going up in November.
Stop takeing care of the world and start taking care of the citizens of the United States of America!
Um, not that I mind, but you probably just violated a half dozen copyright laws by pulling a full section off the L.A. City Website and re-pasting all the pictures and e-mails herein.
Federal sites are exempt, you can cut and paste them all you like, but local and state aren't usually considered public domain.
Check with your attorney (or stop being so lazy).
Addresses and phone numbers are copyrighted?
Has anyone seen how horrible the Wabash Library is? You would think it was in a 3rd world country but these idiots want to give money to foreigners. Do the state workers who were laid off know about this?
9:45 AM said, "Zuma, as usual your work is sloppy."
Naw, bitch...as usual YOUR work is sloppy. Now bow down and apologize you sloppy worker. You must work at 200 Spring Street you dumb a-hole.
It is highly unlikely that if L.A. had not been awarded this money for this purpose that no other city would have done the same, and the money returned to the federal treasury.
Incredible. Who's the CM behind this? LaBonge and Huizar? Figures.
What exactly is the purpose? To have an LA booth at book fair in Mexico? Can't the LA Times do that?
I hear LaBonge is pissed this got out.
doesnt huizar have enough to worry about in his own district. Like the non-reponsive, high turn over staff that results in nothing getting done. SHAME ON YOU WEEZY
Jeez you guys get your facts straight.
3:10pm, thanks for letting me know LaBong is pissed this got out. I'll be sure to remember to comment on it at Tuesday's meeting. So looks like I'm now "IN" for tomorrow's meeting (pending gas money).
What facts aren't straight? Zuma Dogg and Higby copied it right out of the Council agenda.
Outrageous. I'm telling my PTA. We just raised $5K for books for our school.
Zuma, here's something I DON'T want you to do -- he's my homie and I don't want his last term in office upset! He needs to amass as much wealth as possible before he retires -- why else do you think he demanded to be made the highest-paid public attorney in the country, even though he makes some "mistakes" like releasing thousands of felons from the prisons every year.
Do NOT ask him why he has by far the biggest staff and budget of any law enforcement or public agency, and is in charge of felonies and working with ICE to identify and process illegal gangmembers and felons, but doesn't, and instead uses his investigators to harass his DA's who get too close to his friends?
weezy's staff is very responive. i think one of the best. call any field office. i hear his office is one of the best on east side...
Mayor Sam, you totally get the Scoop of the Month Award for this one. Thank you for scrutinizing the City Council agenda to catch rip-offs like this one.
This is an important story, and I hope the local media will take it and run with it. I don't expect it, but I hope for it just the same.
Who's the lucky cronie getting the no-bid contract?
How many taxes and fee increases are on the ballot this time?
I'll never vote for another tax increase, bond or proposition because this is what they do with our money!
yb7:56 DEFINITELY Huizar field staffer. He's lost something like 20 staffers in one year. Now has another chief of staff. Its a revolving door. Who has the best council staffers? I think Garcetti by far
Huizar and Perry did not vote for this when it first came up.
They were absent and missed joining in the unanimous vote.
YOU CAN COUNT ON HUIZAR's USUAL MISPLACED ALLEGIANCE to non-U.S. functions, groups and countries.
He ALWAYS squeezes in references to HIS Mexican birthplace- continuing to distinguish himself in the name of division, not unification of Los Angeles residents.
Very counter-productive and juvenile for HUIZAR to highlight his differences at EVERY opportunity, even if others on the council do it. As an attorney he should see that impact. As a former president of the school board dealing with issues affecting student lives, he should see that.
They, the council members, for all their professed allegiance to Los Angeles and "this great country" and "the American Dream", truly do not see the forest for the trees.
As a befitting irony, there will be no "American Dream" left if their course is followed, other than what we will have left in our memory banks. Put that on the "Endangered" list.
How about working on a "UNIFICATION" theme for a change, Jose? Or is that not within your agenda?
LATINO IN CD-14
"He ALWAYS squeezes in references to HIS Mexican birthplace- continuing to distinguish himself in the name of division, not unification of Los Angeles residents."
Huizar is going to retire to his birthplace. He just sent down 4 ambulances in case his family needs it when he visits twice a year. Does anyone know if and when Huizar become a citizen? Locals in Boyle Heights say he carried a Mexican Passport to travel.
They have no class give them a break. Just because you go to ivy league college doesn't mean you have any class. Huizar should know. Never has he stood up to say I'm an American and proud of this country and respect our flag. Its usually pussies like Huizar and Antonio who aren't veterans of any war because they are cowards. Every time Huizar stands up and speaks about his alligance to his other country its an insult to the thousands of Latinos who fought proudly for this country.
As soon as I can I am leaving this circus that LA has turned into. I am tired of the clowns running the show. I no longer recognize Los Angeles, it has turned into an annex of Mexico City...downtown sidewalks (especially surrounding food establishments & MTA bus stops) are disgusting! On Mondays after the weekend fiesta and what-not celebrations are the WORST! These people do not care to clean up after themselves and yet we just give, give, give...and just given away our City.
DISGUSTING! why are we spending all this money on freaking mexicans who don't give a shit about improving themselves? have you been in Boyle Heights? they don't even know how to write in their freaking language let alone read in their own freaking language! why don't you spend that money for books for the kids on the east side? like the losers in ramona gardens (oh that's right, they think they own their apartments - does transitional housing mean anything?) anyways, all these books to waste - just ask have of those who will get the books how long before they get to boyle height!
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