Comments
ERIC PREVEN’S NOTEBOOK - The Ethics Commission announced on December 2 that the fundraising window for the regular 2026 City Council election had opened. The primary election for the odd-numbered districts will be held on June 2, 2026, and, if a general election is necessary, it will take place on November 3, 2026.
The notebook has accessed an exclusive copy of a proposed **Docent map** with insightful notes that hopefully, one day, will appear on the LA28 merchandise website alongside the $137 Polo shirt from Ralph Lauren and the more affordable but still out-fucking-rageous $74.99, sweatshirt from Nike.
Docents will receive an exclusive backstage entry pass as well as free swag from sponsors + treasured partners of LA28.
Match sponsorship partners to City Hall scandals for a chance to win additional gift cards that can be used in association with the First Amendment. Thank you! [No, thank you!]
Start Tour Here:
- Ethics Chamber Negotiations
This is where a half dozen law enforcement officials descended on the Ethics Chamber waiting area to assist with negotiations involving the dogged lunatic Sergio Perez, to secure an agenda for a public meeting—one of the most chaotic and oddly memorable setups in City Hall history. Perez was the enforcement zealot, preceded by talking head Nima Rahmani. Nima may have worked alongside both Nathan Hochman and talking head, Jessica Levinson. - Revolving Door
This is where Mike Feuer, the former fleet-footed city attorney, recently nestled into a cushy job at Inner City Law next to the Paul Koretz Center for Wildlife Lobbying, used to pontificate. His legacy of quick exits and a steadfast willingness to look away and do nothing in the face of wrongdoing make him a city family favorite. - The Famous Elevator
This is the elevator where Karo Torossian noted that Mayor Villaraigosa worked for Herbalife. This sent an expedition down a rabbit hole where Sheila Kuehl and the Beaches and Harbors group were being massaged by the Malibu Triathalon + public rip-off! This led to a deeper exploration of the naked (meaning perfectly legal) public corruption related to feel-good opportunity, Taste of Soul. - The Plexiglass Barrier
Herbert Jason Wesson had this six-inch thick plexiglass bank teller-style window installed in his district office. Dubbed the "10th District Cash Register," it is now viewable by select private groups. cc: Andrew - CD2/4’s UFLAC Fire Axe
In an unassuming office of the sixth floor—assigned to CD2 (wait, sorry, CD4—whoops, Ok, it was CD2)—resided a custom UFLAC fire axe. This axe was gifted to the Council President Emeritus following his enormous giveaway to LAFD after enduring a veritable pelting of campaign contributions and assistance with an old revolving credit line extended by Paul Krekorian to Friends of Krekorian. - Jose Huizar’s Infamous Restroom
After countless breathtaking Land Use meetings with Terry Kaufmann Macias in the role of City Attorney over Land Use corruption, Jose Huizar would return to this restroom for a quick shower. He allegedly flushed his impressive career down the toilet right here, experimenting with ways to conceal cash bundles in liquor bottle containers—an act as brazen as it was futile. Kauffmann-Macias has joined the Ethics Commission. - Panda vs. Eagle Mascot Talks
This is where LA City officials met with a Chinese delegation to discuss replacing Sam the Eagle with a leased Panda Bear as the city mascot. Sam, who once symbolized Olympic pride, now shares his decline with Deputy Mayor Brian Williams, both facing charges that seem more like a coverup than legitimate. - Rick Jacobs Era Fundraising
Millions of dollars for Peace Over Violence services flowed through the Mayor’s office while Eric Garcetti presided over the Rick Jacobs era—marked by some of the friskiest and most unsettling fundraising hauls in modern city history. - Garcetti-Weintraub Playroom
This is the playroom where Richard Weintraub and Eric Garcetti schemed as boys about an exclusive firesale price on a firehouse with a massive TOT tax reduction. It was here that their playful experiments in city finance pushed the limits of decorum. Sir, you’re off-topic. - Homeboy Coffee Shop
This is the basement coffee shop run by Homeboys. On many mornings, Emily Alpert Reyes developed a bit of a following, perched on a barstool like an exotic bird, firing off dozens of hard-hitting stories to our collective amazement. - Tom Bradley Fundraising Room
This one-stop fundraising hub is just above the LA City Ethics Commission where Bob Stern Zev’s best ethics man resumed his post. Today, Zev’s daughter-in-law Katy Yaroslavsky leads the City Budget, Finance, and Innovation Committee, ensuring the cycle continues. Stern mesmerized the commission with a proposal to start the six annual meetings at 1 pm instead of 12. - Rick Orlov Media Room
This room, a haven for city reporters, helped perpetuate silence on LA County Golf corruption because Rick Orlov, Zev Yaroslavsky, and others shared a mutual love for golf—and an indifference to transparency when it suited them. The room is currently used for naughty (mostly) after-hours hookups. - Land Use Corridor
In this corridor, Marqueece Harris-Dawson candidly admitted that he received so many contributions as the new Land Use Chair that it was impossible to keep track of them all. Meanwhile, Atlas Capital and the Goldbergers quietly navigated City Hall’s complexities, returning Richelle Huizar's contributions fourteen days before the FBI announced its investigation. HOLY CRAP! - Sneaky Side Entrance
This is the sneaky side entrance where Eric Garcetti promised to investigate egregious election fraud before rushing off to lunch at Perch. The gesture, while symbolic, left many questions unanswered. - The Majestic Front Door
This iconic entrance to City Hall is sadly no longer open to the public, serving as a reminder of the growing gap between civic leaders and the people they serve. This Patio is where Mayor Garcetti danced the hora and Jose Huizar was gifted a pig's head during an early period he and Richelle were not simpatico. - The Occupy LA Lawn
Once covered in tents and trash during the year-long Occupy LA protest, this lawn now seems quaint—a nostalgic relic of collective activism. - CD4 Waiting Area
Representatives of David Ryu the first man to lose his seat, quietly wept here as Ryu outwardly supported Harvard-Westlake before stepping aside for Nithya Raman. Lindsey P. Horvath then swept in with the most interesting man in the world, Esteban Montemayor. - City Clerk’s Office
Here in the Office of Irregularity, you can now get a US passport but will never find a straight answer. In the past, charging phones were strictly forbidden, and trespassing warnings lacked bilingual signage until public shaming overcame the stubborn defense by Vivienne Swanigan—who always wore a hat. The famous "Upskirt" stairs, where John Lee Staffer B and Mitchell Englander would look up skirts while inquiring about fire department personnel, are out the door to the left. - Department of Neighborhood Disempowerment
This office witnessed election rules bent to accommodate untimely challenges by incumbents. A video was made that caused the city's team to aggressively backpedal... making way for the good guys.... who eventually prevailed, paving the way for a few years of 2nd District revitalization until...local worm, Randy Fried exercised his discretion. - Taser/Axon Controversies
Paul Krekorian and Bob Blumenfield supported Mitchell Englander’s conflicted Taser/Axon deal, which dovetailed with Mark Ridley-Thomas’s manufactured pepper spray crisis. The crisis culminated in a $600,000 Taser order buried under the backseat of the city's bodycam order. Scholars will note that Harold G. Becks’ defense for the county in the infamous Blake Earl Dupree case—a payout of $4.25 million after Dupree was tased off a bunk bed, led to Becks' failed effort to help MRT ...Sir, you're off topic. - John Ferraro Chambers Applause
In this chamber, lobbyist wives like Linda Berghoff and Brianna Knabe received sustained applause as first responders in the campaign to express gratitude in the form of maximum contributions to electeds, without fussing around about how much her lobbyist husband, Arnie is taking from his lobbyist clients who want stuff from city hallers. Merci! $900 x 15 council members as often as is legal. - Whistleblower Insight
From this 19th-century stockade on loan to the LAPD, Smart Speaker aptly remarked that city reforms benefit insiders and nonprofits, not the public. His critique remains a potent summary of City Hall’s ongoing priorities.
Almost gone!
The Smart Speaker and the Free Museum
Children, gather round and let me tell you a story of heroes and villains, of a terrible smell, and of a wonderful gift that almost didn’t happen. This story begins years ago, in a place not far away, where the air was heavy with the foul stench of the Chiquita Canyon Landfill.
The landfill was in a quiet, slightly conservative area where they don't mind license plate readers, but its terrible smell traveled for miles. Families couldn’t enjoy the fresh air. Kids couldn’t play outside. Something had to be done. So, one day, the people gathered at a big hearing at the Board of Supervisors. Everyone hoped the board would listen to their concerns and find a solution.
But just as things were getting serious, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas—let’s call him MRT—got up and left. Where did he go? To a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the shiny new George Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in world-famous Exposition Park. Now, children, this museum wasn’t like any ordinary museum. It was designed to look like a giant sneaker insole and was going to be filled with treasures—Norman Rockwell paintings, Star Wars memorabilia, and other amazing things.
The people were furious. “How can you leave us in the middle of this hearing to celebrate a museum?” one boy, known as Smart Speaker, bravely asked. MRT didn’t like being questioned. “You’re out of order!” he said. But Smart Speaker stood his ground. “I have the right to speak, and you have the duty to listen!”
MRT tried to push the boy out with law enforcement, and his lawyer, Latavius, argued, “This is disruptive to the process!” But Smart Speaker wouldn’t budge. “You can’t silence us!” he said. His courage inspired the crowd, and everyone started to cheer. Even Latavius couldn’t stop the voices of the people.
Fast forward to today. The landfill is no better. MRT is no longer in power—he’s facing the consequences of his actions—but something wonderful has happened. The George Lucas Museum, once surrounded by questions about how much it would cost, is about to open its doors.
At first, there were whispers that admission might be as high as $49. “Yuck!” said the kids. “That’s almost 1/3 of the price to go to Disneyland!” But then, a Christmas miracle. Lindsey P. Horvath and Kathryn Barger, dressed in festive red and green, stood alongside Holly J. Mitchell in tights and a tipsy Hilda Solis before the people as Janice Hahn made the announcement.
“Thanks to the generosity of George Lucas and Melody Hobson—and perhaps a little nudge from the people—the museum will be 100% free!”
Cheers erupted. Children danced in the streets. Families who couldn’t afford expensive tickets smiled with relief. Smart Speaker, now a little older, said, “This is what happens when people stand up for what’s right.”
And so, the giant sheath that holds George Lucas’ incredible art collection became a place where everyone—young, old, rich, or poor—could explore and dream, all for free.
The moral of the story, children, is this: Even when the odds seem stacked against you, speaking up and standing together can lead to incredible things. And sometimes, the best gifts are the ones that don’t cost a thing.
The End. #WeSeeYou
(Eric Preven is a longtime community activist and is a contributor to CityWatch.)
