Personal invitation to our Mayor - How about on August 21 you join me for a little tour of one area of Los Angeles. No press. No fanfare. Wear a wig and some sun glasses and nobody will even know who you are. Fly under the radar so to speak. Come along? Info is at http://la-economy.blogspot.com/2010/08/experience-life-learn-about.html
To the Mayor of Los Angeles, I took the photo below in 2010. I dedicate this photo to you.
Seems as if one more is walking away from being associated with the Mayor for whatever reason. Subject of the story claims support and I am sure his support was part of whatever compensation package he was given?
Perhaps a part of the story explains a bit more: As someone who dealt with the mayor’s schedule, Blackman also was one of the officials who helped arrange the mayor’s appearances at special events, such as Dodgers and Lakers games. Villaraigosa’s free events are now the subject of an investigation by the city Ethics Commission and an inquiry by Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley into whether free entry to games and concerts should have been disclosed as gifts.
Villaraigosa said he was performing official duties at those events and did not have to consider the free tickets as gifts under state law. Asked about the controversy, Blackman said in an e-mail: “I am not a part of any inquiry into this issue, nobody has asked to speak with me about it, and it has absolutely nothing to do with my departure.”
Blackman was one of the four people who originally made up Villaraigosa’s E-Team, or executive team. The other three -- Chief of Staff Robin Kramer, Deputy Chief of Staff Marcus Allen and Senior Counsel Thomas Saenz -- have already left.
Perhaps under closer examination more will be discovered?
Looking back at some earlier news - http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/06/city-planner-recruited-by-villaraigosa-from-san-diego-announces-retirement.html
City planner recruited by Villaraigosa from San Diego announces retirement
Gail Goldberg, L.A.’s planning director for the last 4 1/2 years, announced her retirement Wednesday, triggering speculation at City Hall about why she decided to leave the sensitive post now. That is the opening line in the story at the above link.
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Below: Okay, maybe it is just me but if I were Mayor in a city with so many problems and had a staff that had a history of misleading me I would probably avoid these sorts of trendy gatherings until there was more to celebrate. I think our Mayor needs to be less of a public figure and more of somebody who puts on a pair of jeans and rolls up his sleeves and gets things done.
When I was a young child I thought I knew what a Mayor did. The mayor posed for photos, rode around in cars so people could see them, ate in nice restaurants with police to kick all the people out other than the friends of the Mayor to assure great service and had a bunch of people around to do the work and take the blame if anything went wrong. Well, I was sort of right other than the people around that are supposed to do the work are dropping the ball.
Some of my thoughts on this video above:
It seems our Mayor has a lot of extra time (and money) on his hands? Lisa Jackson needs to grab a canoe and skateboard if she wants a realistic view. The skateboard will be of much more use than the canoe.
I was shocked at Lisa Jackson's statement - Lisa Jackson to announce that the EPA deemed the Los Angeles River as navigable. I was even more shocked that the Mayor of Los Angeles bought this nonsense and took the time and resources to mak...e this video. Hey Tony (no respect from me here ... repect is earned in my book) how about spending a few buck on something a little more pressing? You want historical thing to be saved? There are a slew of great examples of architecture that could be saved a lot easier than the L.A. River for much less time and money. I need to add an ongoing post to my blog .... "Things the Mayor of Los Angeles does that are too stupid to put into words". I guess I can try to put it into words in the future.
To the Mayor of Los Angeles - before you try to fix a river that is easier to traverse via skateboard than canoe maybe allocate some of those funds to our schools?
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Today on August 3, 2010 Union Rescue Mission had to lay off eleven of their staff. Andy Bales posted this on the URM blog - http://www.urmblog.org/2010/08/03/i-have-to-admit/
Our Mayor can spend time and resources for so many things yet more pressing issues arrise within walking distance of his office that could be resolved for a fraction of the cost of so many of the Mayor's questionable choices.
URM already had pay cuts and reductions in work force and now comes the lastest wave to hit these folks that are the last line of defense and hope when people hit bottom.
Some comments today on this post:
...This needs to be sent to the Mayors office, the Governors office and the Presidents office. And to think that assholes like our District Attorney spends millions of dollars of our tax money trying to extradite someone from Switzerland, that money could have been spent HERE helping to keep this very thing from happening. Damn it! When will people get their priorities straight!
...Priorities? Government and priorities of the mainstream population are generally mutually exclusive.
...I agree. Then, you should run for office. I would campaign hard for you Myles. This post of yours is going to be reposted on my page, and with a note for others to do the same. Public awareness is the only way this travesty will be prevented. It seems that good things like URM don't do anything for the governments interest. They don't help their bottom line, which by the way is easily spelled out.... C O R R U P T.
...Thanks so much for the suport. Sometimes I cannot figure the percentages on corrupt versus payoff versus plain and simple stupidity. A post from a day or few ago on the Mayor of Los Angeles taking resources (even if only time that could be better spent just about ANYWHERE) than the Los Angeles River just makes my head spin.
...I have a simple solution. Get rid of the vice squad altogether. That alone would pay for the needs of the URM. Besides, drugs and prostitution doesn't hurt anyone except those that abuse them. People are going to do it anyway.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0803-homeless-20100803,0,7544706,full.story
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Below - Here is some serious stuff to ponder along with things like oil leaks, homeless folks, unemployment, KABC news reporting unemployment down when in fact it increased in July but over 380,000 folks were dropped from being counted as their benefits expired.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/07/new-grass-planted-at-lapd-headquarters-park-but-budget-woes-complicate-upkeep.html
Perhaps the reason they cannot water the new grass goes deeper than a budget issue? - http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/07/councilwoman-accuses-dwp-board-of-trying-to-punish-consultant-by-not-paying-bill.html
You might need a program to follow the real story? DWP giving the Mayor's office grief?
Villaraigosa names real estate executive to DWP board
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has nominated a real estate executive to sit on the five-member board that oversees the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the nation’s largest municipally owned utility.
This is one way to fix it - http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/07/villaraigosa-names-real-estate-executive-to-dwp-board-.html
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The below is from a few days ago. Interesting story. Lots of data from 2007 and 2008. Guess the Mayor has his office window open and is too close to the crack smoke coming from a short walk away? Perhaps he needs to spend less time listening to his staff and use his own eyes?
http://mayor.lacity.org/Issues/GangReduction/SummerNightLights/index.htm
Just a slight suggestion .... regardless of what voters want or vote for, you may want to consider stopping some of your current projects and spending the money elsewhere than the L.A. River, planting pretty lawn areas and those sorts of things.
My suggestion would be to fire some of your staff and for each one you get rid of hire one more police officer into the L.A.P.D. Give them money to protect themselves better. They are out there fighting a war. In case you think your staff know what they are talking about, here are the homicides for July in my blog post at http://la-economy.blogspot.com/2010/07/busy-july-for-lapd-lot-of-tension-out.html
Maybe your staff is putting a spin on this and putting homicides into a category that reduces the gang incidences?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXRRmf9XYro Turning a broken arm or whatever injury into a photo op? I wonder how much the video folks were paid for this? I wonder how many manhours were spent. I wonder what will help get the picture out of my mind of some of my friends on skid row that are missing an arm?
L.A. cab driver involved in Villaraigosa's bicycle fall didn't break traffic laws, mayor's office says
Is it safe to assume from this story - http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/07/traffic-laws-cab-driver-villaraigosa-bicycle-fall.html - that our Major was not paying attention? I rode motorcycles as my only form of transportation for years and never had an accident on the street. The trick ... ride like everybody is trying to kill you. Same probably applies to bike folks. My other questions come from the statement - Villaraigosa was riding with a member of his security detail ( crack security who also seemed to have a lapse in being aware of the environment) when he hit his brakes suddenly, flipping over his bike. (Somebody give our Mayor a bike riding lesson. Hard front brake is a no no. Then again, some folks just panic under any sort of pressure. The mayor did not make any contact with the taxi. (which is why the driver was not cited for any violation in the first place).
Villaraigosa plans to attend girlfriend Lu Parker's pet project
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/07/villaraigosa-to-show-up-for-girlfriend-lu-parkers-pet-project.html
The Lu Parker Project, created by the KTLA news reporter who has been dating the mayor since early last year, is organizing young community volunteers to repaint the lobby at the city’s South Los Angeles Animal Shelter. (I wonder who will supply the paint for this project?)
Nonprofits seen as being associated with politicians and those close to them warrant scrutiny, some government watchdogs say.
The motivation for Parker, a longtime animal advocate, is to beautify the city and help animals and children in the process, according to a press release. Maybe get some people together to do a bit of painting in a place where kids have nothing? I love animals myself but give me a break, there are kids out there in trouble. Priorities?
"As a former high school teacher, I have always believed children crave an outlet to express love and compassion,” she said in a statement. “My dream is to help them find that outlet through Lu Parker Project by introducing them to animals who otherwise would never have a shot at knowing what love feels like.” Former high school teacher? Did she stop being a teacher when she started dating the Mayor? Not important I guess but a question I have in my own mind.
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California ethics agency investigating L.A. Mayor Villaraigosa's acceptance of free tickets
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/06/state-ethics-agency-investigating-villaraigosas-free-tickets.html
Villaraigosa releases ticket information, but many details are unclear
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/06/villaraigosa-releases-ticket-details-but-many-donors-are-unclear.html
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The Mayor of Los Angeles would be a great source of comedy material for Jay Leno if it were not so sad in so many cases.
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