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ERIC PREVEN’S NOTEBOOK - Ah, the green sheet—where last-minute agenda dumps mask bad decisions. This time, it's a $242 million budget bloat for Civic Center Power Plant upgrades, quietly slipped in while the Hall of Administration—the very building it helps service—is set for demolition.
Let’s be clear: the Hall of Administration is just one of several buildings hooked up to this quarter-billion-dollar deal, but the absurdity remains. We “can’t afford” $1.8 billion to retrofit Hahn Hall, yet there’s cash to modernize its power source? If we’re abandoning it, why sink millions into the infrastructure that keeps it running?
This is the same board that snapped up the foreclosed Gas Co. Tower for $200 million, yet somehow still needs another quarter-billion dollars for "efficiencies." Supervisor Hahn is right—this isn't about history or sentiment. It’s about a financial shell game where taxpayers foot the bill for incompetence.
Keep an eye on the next green sheet—something tells me this number isn’t final.
Exciting: Supervisor Kathryn Barger is reappointing one of the greatest public information officers there ever was to the Commission on Alcohol and Other Drugs, none other than, super scooper raconteur, Anthony Bell who coined the expression: The sixth supervisor!
Awkward that Regional Planning is up for budget review but the presentation is ...Pending. (sigh)
Kudos to Supervisor Solis for placing her giant mug under the keg's spigot re: the very nice Sole Source agreement with the Renaissance Theme Faire Concessionaires.
What is a pirate's favorite letter. "R," obviously.
Los Angeles deserves better.
If there was ever a single meeting that exposed every rotten facet of LA’s City Council—its hypocrisy, its tone-deaf leadership, its procedural dysfunction, and its outright contempt for the public—it was Valentines Day 2025.
By the end of it, after 13 votes to accomplish absolutely nothing, it became clear that the Council President Marqueece Harris Dawson, whose anti-public mindset has already led to the disastrous call-in ban, deserves nothing higher than a D-. And even that feels generous.
Blocking the Public While Lecturing About Civil Rights
The meeting opened with long-winded speeches about LA’s history of civil rights leadership. Yet at the very same meeting, the Council continued actively suppressing public participation by upholding the call-in ban, ensuring that only those who could physically attend (and wait hours) had a voice. And reducing public speakers who attended to the size of #Blumenfield'snose
If hypocrisy could power City Hall, LA would have the cleanest energy grid in the world. The Council has decided that civic engagement is a privilege, not a right—unless, of course, you're there to applaud their self-congratulatory speeches.
Raman’s Tone-Deaf Ode to an Early Retirement
Then came Nithya Raman, delivering one of the most baffling and tone-deaf remarks in recent memory:
“This is the dream that a unionized job can give you: that you work hard for a few years… you earn your money, you earn your retirement… and then you get to go off and do what you're passionate about.”
Wait, what? The goal of public service is to get out as fast as possible and then do what you actually care about.
This is exactly the kind of entitled, pension-bloated mindset that’s burying LA’s budget. Raman, in her attempt to celebrate the benefits of a good union job, inadvertently highlighted one of the biggest structural failures in city governance: a system where public servants are incentivized to quit early while taxpayers foot the bill forever.
Public service should not be a game where you cash out early and leave taxpayers holding the bag. But that’s precisely the culture the Council has nurtured—do the bare minimum, max out your benefits, and then come back as a consultant.
The 13-Vote Circus That Led to Nowhere
Then came the most embarrassing part of the meeting: 13 separate votes on the same issue, just to accomplish nothing.
The debate on Item 13, a rent relief measure for fire victims, descended into a procedural disaster. Motions were made and undone. Amendments passed and then failed. Councilmembers openly admitted they didn’t even understand what they were voting on.
At one point, they needed a vote just to reconsider a "receive and file" motion—the lowest possible procedural bar. And even that took multiple rounds.
This is how LA governance works: endless procedural games, no efficiency, and no real outcomes.
[Special Kudos to idiot Jonathan Groat, who arrogantly thinks he's on terra firma. Not hardly.]
Harris-Dawson: An Anti-Public Leader Who Wastes Time
The Council President claims he ended call-in public comment because he wants to "spend more time out in the district" and get back to "regular order."
Yet here he was, wasting hours of everyone’s time on procedural chaos. If time is so precious, why did this meeting last so long while achieving so little?
The truth is, the public call-in ban was never about efficiency—it was about control. It was about shutting out criticswho could challenge the Council’s incompetence. It was about ensuring that only those with the time and means to physically show up could be heard.
The result? A council even more disconnected from the people it claims to represent.
LA Deserves Better Than D- Leadership
This meeting encapsulated everything wrong with LA’s City Council: hypocrisy, dysfunction, tone-deaf leadership, and an inability to get anything done.
If this is what governance looks like in LA, it’s no wonder the city’s biggest problems only get worse.
It’s time for real reform:
✔️ Restore public participation.
✔️ Stop the procedural games.
✔️ Demand actual competence from city leaders.
Because this? This isn’t leadership. It’s failure.
Chicago, Paris, and the Ethics of Snacks
Let’s start with Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, whose sneaky ban on virtual testimonymay have had less to do with “efficiency” and more to do with freeing up his schedule for lavish, taxpayer-funded travel. Perhaps he was taking cues from Mayor Bass, jetting off on fact-finding missions—like a serious, high-stakes investigation into whether Bordeaux’s finest reds pair best with disappearing text messages and a “nothing to report, so nothing to investigate” doctrine.
That’s a lesson straight from Mark Ridley-Thomas’s old pal, Don Knabe, father of LA’s favorite lobbyist, Matt Knabe, who perfected the art of government opacity:
“If you don’t declare anything, they can’t investigate anything.”
(A strategy so simple, it’s almost genius.)
And just to be clear—yes, this was all before the Paralympics event he was supposedly in France for.
Less meeting time is key. Why waste hours listening to the public when you could be sipping cabernet in one of France’s finest wine regions? The upside is that we now have some records! The downside? The calendar request from January 16 to January 31 remains missing in action.
Marqueece Harris-Dawson’s travel expenses tell a fascinating story. His airfare to France was $1,745.40, his Paris hotel bill hit $2,111.21, and he dined at Soho House Paris for $51.46. Getting from Bordeaux to Paris cost him a humble $58.42, but once in Chicago, things got serious. He spent $652.84 on 28 Lyfts across the city and another $67.30 on Uber. He skipped unionized hotels in favor of an Airbnb that cost $4,406.19 for five nights. And then there’s the $300 in tickets to Cal Bash, a fancy event that, interestingly, turned out to be a donation to the California Democratic Party. Parking at LAX was $240, because why not?
And yet, this isn’t even the most eyebrow-raising part. That distinction belongs to his staff.
Riddle me this: If Harris-Dawson’s airfare to France was $1,745.40, why was Aden Binyam’s $3,455.80? Binyam, officially listed as a "Homeless Coordinator," conveniently had a different title just in time for the trip. Nothing says homelessness policy like Paris does in the summer. Her airfare alone was double her boss’s. A train ride from Bordeaux to Paris costs $119.42. A night at Novotel Bordeaux was $173.39, while Mansart Paris charged $375.72. Another meal or two at Soho House Paris added $51.46. Was she personally inspecting the Seine for tent encampments? Because at that price, she should’ve at least come back with a new blueprint to solve the crisis.
Meanwhile, Rachel Brashier, Harris-Dawson’s Deputy Chief of Staff, joined in on the travel fun—this time in Chicago, during the Democratic National Convention.
Aden Binyam and Rachel Monique Brashier travel with the Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson.
Her airfare was a modest $707.38, a bargain compared to Binyam’s European grand tour. But what stands out here are the Cal Bash tickets, a $300 expenditure that, for reasons known only to the gods of municipal finance, was classified as a donation to the California Democratic Party. Public funds. Political donation. What’s not to love? Heather Hutt should know because she is an actual delegate, but so far she's ignored the CPRA.
And then there’s Monica Rodriguez, whose trip to Paris and Chicago was as luxurious as it was snack-filled. She spent four nights in Paris at Les Tournelles Hotel, conveniently bundling in tickets to the Bronze football game and the Paralympic Opening Ceremony for a grand total of €11,690—about $12,625.20. Before she even had time to unpack, she was off to Chicago, where her Hotel cost $662.17 per night. More than Harris-Dawson's Airbnb. That’s right—Airbnb. Because nothing says standing with unions like choosing a vacation rental over a unionized hotel. Her transportation choice? Lyft. Because nothing says supporting fair wages like opting for gig economy rides instead of public transit.
Rodriguez’s total travel expenses for eight days hit around $15,595.51. The Les Tournelles Paris stay and event tickets made up $12,625.20 of that total, with her high-floor Airbnb in Chicago ringing up at $2,531.29. A few extra hotel fees added $117.40, while cash taxi fares in Paris totaled $68.32 and $54.50. A mysterious $61.04 cash withdrawal remains unexplained.
Fancy Airbnbs and an upscale Hyatt (high room + rate).
And then there was the snacking.
David Tristan, the Executive Director of the LA City Ethics Commission, is no doubt a man who has seen it all—but even he might have to pause when asked: how much snacking is appropriate for an eight-day taxpayer-funded boondoggle? Rodriguez’s list of meals, snacks, and miscellaneous bites is much much longer than an LA City Council public speaker list.
Would $600 in Lyfts, $662-a-night Airbnb stays, and $300 political donations normally be acceptable for city officials during a budget crunch? No? Well, you're time has expired.
And what we still don’t know: Where’s Harris-Dawson’s missing calendar? Why is there no airfare listed for Monica Rodriguez’s trip to France? Did she flap her arms and fly there herself or fly private? Why did Binyam’s airfare cost twice that of her boss? Did taxpayers really just buy a $300 political donation to the California Democratic Party or did that come out of Linda Berghoff and Brianna Knabe officeholder donations? And is there an official threshold for how many Hyatt snacks one can bill before it becomes an ethics issue?
Not alleging anything. Just wondering aloud.
But if anyone has any good answers, one man who will most certainly not get to the bottom of it—
David Tristan.
I certainly hope he and Heather Holt attended the games in Paris for benchmarking.
And where are the Paul Krekorian expenses? If you quadruple Rodriguez's bill...
Get him out of here.
Top 10 Actual Quotes from the City Council Meeting:
Because no council meeting is complete without a mix of absurdity, grandstanding, and unintentional comedy, here’s a Top 10 list of real quotes from the meeting—
1. “This is the dream that a unionized job can give you: that you work hard for a few years… you earn your money, you earn your retirement… and then you get to go off and do what you're passionate about.”
- Councilmember Nithya Raman
- Category: Most Tone-Deaf Take on Public Service
- Why It Made the List: A perfect encapsulation of why LA’s pension system is a slow-moving financial disaster. Also, since when is quitting the dream?
2. "I want to make sure this month, February, is Black History Month, and I want to make sure our council president respects Black History Month… Every single Black person in the city of LA should be awarded a big house by our council member. And also… a free Lamborghini Ferrari.”
- Public Speaker during General Comment
- Category: Most Ambitious Legislative Proposal
- Why It Made the List: Bold. Iconic. Absurd. Also, a “Lamborghini Ferrari” is not a thing, but hey, we admire the confidence.
3. “Honestly, we would have to go look at the records, but throughout 2024 we were receiving about 1,500 eviction notices per week.”
- Housing Department Representative
- Category: Most Depressing Statistic Casually Dropped in a Sentence
- Why It Made the List: If there are 1,500 eviction notices per week, why exactly was this council busy debating procedural nonsense for hours instead of addressing the housing crisis?
4. “Folks who are shouting out, please be silent. This is your first warning to everybody shouting out.”
- Council President (Mid-Meltdown)
- Category: Most Inevitable Statement
- Why It Made the List: This happens at every meeting. Also, it was immediately ignored.
5. "You have been informed by who?"
- Public Speaker (After Being Told Their Comment Was Off-Topic)
- Category: Best Real-Time Exposure of Bureaucratic Nonsense
- Why It Made the List: Because the real answer was: “A staffer using Google Translate”—which is not exactly the Supreme Court of Public Comment Enforcement.
6. “We need to create jobs. Jobs create progress. And I brought you a Happy Valentine’s Day for a couple of you in your districts that you need to go clean up because we need to rent those businesses so people can have progress and have jobs.”
- Public Speaker
- Category: Most Ambiguous Yet Passionate Statement
- Why It Made the List: The pivot from job creation to Valentine’s Day to cleaning up was unexpected, but sure, let’s roll with it.
7. "This is not a blanket eviction moratorium! It’s an affirmative defense!"
- Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez (Frustrated Beyond Belief)
- Category: Most Desperate Attempt to Keep the Council on Track
- Why It Made the List: After hours of debate, some members still didn’t understand what they were voting on.
8. “I’m asking that you stand with people impacted by the fires in your districts and throughout the city and vote to move this forward. This is about using the power of the government to protect the working people of this city!”
- Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez
- Category: Most Rousing Speech That Ultimately Led to Nothing
- Why It Made the List: She made a heartfelt plea, but after 13 votes, nothing passed.
9. “Mr. President, can I make a motion to receive and file this item?”
- Councilmember John Lee (After Chaos Ensued for Hours)
- Category: Most Transparent Attempt to Just Make It Stop
- Why It Made the List: Because no one understood what was happening anymore, and Lee finally just said, “Let’s kill this thing and go home.”
10. “Thank you. Mr. Blumenfield recorded as a yes. All right, so we have a moment of unity here.”
- Council President (Clinging to Any Sign of Order)
- Category: Saddest Attempt at Optimism
- Why It Made the List: They had just spent hours bickering, changing votes, and achieving nothing, yet he still tried to sell it as “a moment of unity.”
Honorable Mentions:
- “Can we record Mr. Lee as a no-vote without doing a re-vote?” (Translation: Can we stop this madness? Please?)
- “The motion to receive and file has failed.” (The moment the Council fully spiraled into dysfunction.)
- “We need to retake the vote on reconsideration… again.” (When democracy just means voting on the same thing over and over.)
This meeting had everything—procedural nightmares, speeches that contradicted reality, awkward attempts at comedy, and public comment that swung between genius and chaos.
Legacy Pricing:
The dealership doors slide open, and in walks a man in his early sixties—though he’d insist you call him “mid-fifties” at most. Dressed like a fourteen-year-old in well-worn jeans, a Patagonia fleece, and sneakers built for adventure, he exudes a rugged, youthful energy. The kind of guy who could, at any moment, load up a kayak or hike to a scenic overlook… but also very much enjoys his couch.
Inside, a young, chipper Latino salesman—one of the best on the floor—greets him with a firm handshake. This kid moves a lot of cars.
"Sir, welcome in! What brings you to Subaru today?"
"Legacy," the man says, nodding sagely. "In more ways than one."
The salesman perks up—an easy sale! But the old-timer (don’t call me old, he jokes) isn’t here to be rushed.
He leans in. He’s got stories.
"My first car? '78 BRAT. Light-duty pickup with those ridiculous jump seats in the back. Hell of a ride. Lost my virginity in it."
The salesman, momentarily caught off guard, recovers quickly. “Okay, nice, um… well, today’s models have a lot of great new features, like this solar-powered cooler—”
But the old-timer isn’t done.
"My second Subaru? '96 Legacy. I knew I needed one when my friend’s wife was pregnant. Not that I was expecting a kid, I just… you know, figured it was time to be responsible. Then I got my brother to buy one. Then my sister. Then my mom. I even got one for the country house back east. At one point, my family had seven Subarus. SEVEN. We’re not a ski team, just a family."
Forrester Hybrid coming in May.
The young salesman smiles, nodding, subtly glancing at his watch. He’s got a quota to hit.
"That’s really great, sir. So let’s talk about the add-ons—"
But the old guy is already rolling into his next chapter.
"And then, there was Molly."
The young guy sighs. This again.
"Molly was my dog. Golden retriever. She rode in the back of my '06 Outback everywhere. I swear, that car was her second home. And when she got old… well…"
He swallows hard.
"That last drive, man. She could barely walk, so I laid her down on the tailgate. We sat there together, just watching the sunset. And I—"
His voice breaks.
The young salesman shifts in his chair. He had not signed up for this.
"—I just sobbed. Right there. In the Subaru parking lot. My Molly. My Outback. My legacy."
He wipes his eyes. Checks his phone.
The young salesman, now deeply uncomfortable, jumps up.
"I’ll be right back!"
He practically sprints to the manager’s office, and slams the door behind him.
"Sir… we have to cut this guy a deal."
"What? No, hold the line—"
"NO. You don’t understand. He will NOT. STOP. TALKING. About his 'legacy' with Subaru. He has three decades of misty-eyed Subaru memories. I think he actually WANTS me to cry with him. He just did a whole thing about his dog. I barely made it out alive."
The manager exhales. Looks through the glass at the customer, who is now scrolling on his phone, completely fine.
"Alright. Fine. Give him whatever he wants. Just get him out of here before he tells another story about his brother's Forester or starts reciting Subaru ad copy."
Minutes later, the young salesman returns, shaking his head.
"Sir… we’ve got a deal."
The old-timer grins. Legacy pricing unlocked.
Moments later, he drives off in his brand-new Subaru, golden light glinting off the hood.
Legacy intact.
(Eric Preven is a Studio City-based TV writer-producer, award-winning journalist, and longtime community activist who won two landmark open government cases in California.)
