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ERIC PREVEN’S NOTEBOOK - After five exhausting hours of bureaucratic blather, Fesia Davenport—the highest-paid county official, pulling in $630,813 to $677,193 a year—finally took the hot seat on Tuesday. For that kind of money, you’d think she’d have answers. Instead, she laid out a grim financial picture where the county is expected to foot the bill for Olympic-related costs without meaningful outside funding.
Despite this so-called “moment of austerity,” Davenport wants to add dozens of new positions across various departments. She’s asking for 25 new roles in the Office of Emergency Management (because the Olympics will apparently be a “disaster”), 23 more for the Homeless Initiative (without a clear plan for better results), and additional hires to monitor compliance, oversee risk management, and handle labor negotiations. Yet there’s no clear explanation of how these additions will actually improve efficiency or prevent the county from sinking deeper into budget woes.
The hard truth: LA28 and its partners aren’t covering much of anything. If the county wants to see any public benefit from the Olympics—jobs, economic development, or even basic community access—it has to pay for it itself. Davenport suggested using one-time funds, a telltale sign that there is no actual financial plan, just a scramble to plug holes. She also floated the idea of disaster reimbursements, which can take years to materialize—if ever.
This is exactly how these mega-events go: big promises, no guarantees, and the county left holding the bag.The real problem isn’t the CEO’s office—it’s the Supervisors themselves. They let this happen. Instead of regulating themselves, they chase vanity projects while pretending systemic issues will fix themselves.
An elected CEO wouldn’t solve this. What’s needed is a Board that actually governs instead of running interference for their latest pet projects. But that would require real leadership—and based on today’s performance, that’s in even shorter supply than county funds.
Executive Officer: Thank you, next speaker please.
Moderator: Eric Preven, your line is open. You may begin.
Smart Speaker: Thank you. I also have been listening. It has been very, very interesting. I have to say, I want to be supportive of you. I think that you all know I'm a long-time supporter. I think we have to do some consolidating.
The idea that we are going to add so many new positions to deal with Measure A is not what the people were expecting. I think that we were expecting that more resources would be pushed out into the existing already-bloated framework.
As for the Auditor-Controller—when I was listening to, I don’t know if DOGE is in the air or not—I’m not a big fan of throwing people out, but I do think that we have too many people doing the same kind of not-so-productive thing. Paper pushing. I think that we may need to set up a Measure G task force that is going to look closely at how we can not—not get rid of—but redeploy, consolidate and rightsize. I think that it is just—I don’t know—I’ve been watching the unfilled position bullshit for a long time. But you have to be kidding me with all of these new positions. And frankly, Supervisor Solis, thank you for suggesting an investment in the very micro media outlets that keep your reputation the way you like it—that is "howdy do" to the Danny Bakewell’s and so many in-house friends. We don’t really want the micro media spend, we want actual public access.
Executive Officer: Thank you. Next speaker, please.
Rubber Chicken Dinner.
Cross Town Solutions
One solution proposed by the Mayor’s office: chop up city property to create density without the burden of high costs.
Smart Speaker: But you’ll still have the same NIMBY problem.
Yes.
Smart Speaker: By the way, isn’t Brotherhood Crusade Danny Bakewell’s nonprofit vehicle?
Yes.
Also, about city property—ever since the Firesale at the Firehouse in Studio City, when Garcetti-Krekorian-Nazarian worked together to assist Weintraub—
You’re off-topic.
Yes, anyway. Raman and Blumenfield adore poking at the giant list of useless city properties. Not a new idea.
Correct.
One actual new idea came from Rick Caruso, who excitedly announced, while being driven across town in an SUV like a mob boss, that after his meetings with two county supervisors and Mayor Bass, they all agreed:
Undergrounding electrical wires in fire zones is a great idea.
Smart Speaker: Duh. But isn’t that very expensive?
Caruso is a billionaire and has managed to arouse Horvath’s interest.
One odd detail—Caruso referred to Horvath as ‘Horvath.’ It seemed like he’d forgotten her name, but he did note her commitment
UFLAC Airways:
Supervisorial Fly By
That vote was a foregone conclusion the moment Bass made up her mind. Crowley never stood a chance with this council, stacked as it is with loyalists who would never dare cross the mayor. Park and Rodriguez had the backbone to push back, but the rest fell in line, either out of political survival or sheer deference to executive power.
The most absurd argument came from the Bass camp, with the claim that criticizing the mayor’s decision was “rooted in anti-Blackness.” That’s a classic deflection, especially when the criticism was about firefighting strategy, resource allocation, and disaster response, not race. Meanwhile, Padilla’s critique—that Crowley spoke to the media at the wrong time—was nothing more than an excuse to avoid the core issue: was Crowley right about the chronic underfunding of LAFD? And if she was, what does that say about Bass’s leadership?
McOsker’s statement about needing a functional government was a dressed-up way of saying it’s politically inconvenient to challenge Bass. He acknowledged that Crowley had been a better advocate for firefighters than her predecessors, yet still backed the mayor, effectively admitting that the decision was more about politics than public safety.
Meanwhile, Traci Park was the only one who actually brought up the fact that no independent investigation had been completed. That should have been a basic prerequisite before firing the chief, but clearly, this was never about facts—it was about consolidating control.
And let’s not forget, Bass was off in Ghana when the fire broke out. She ignored the warnings, left the country, then came back and blamed Crowley for everything. That’s leadership?
Crowley’s next act—likely moving to a new post in the Valley—will be interesting. The “Englander Bureau” reference is a reminder of how political patronage runs deep in LA. They’ll find a way to keep her around, just not in the top job. However this whole saga sent a clear message to department heads: speak out at your own peril.
Professional Testimonials:
The most intelligent and well-spoken public comment came from Chung Ho, a director with United Firefighters of Los Angeles City (UFLAC), who delivered a clear, factual, and structured argument in defense of Fire Chief Crowley. His remarks stood out because they were fact-based, concise, and focused on accountability rather than politics or personal attacks.
Comment from Chung Ho:
“Good morning, my name is Chung Ho and I proudly serve as a director with United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, Local 112. Today, I’m here to ask all of you to give Chief Crowley a fair shot. Listen to her with an open mind, and then make the right decision.
The men and women of our great fire department support Chief Crowley because she stood up, she spoke out, and she had our backs. I have never seen a fire chief in my career consistently speak out about the constant understaffing and lack of funding for our fire department. Today, you're going to hear from my UFLAC colleagues, who will tell you why the mayor's stated reasons for dismissing Chief Crowley are simply false.
The mayor has said the chief was being terminated for three reasons: 1. Not keeping a thousand firefighters on duty past their shift on the morning of January 7th. 2. Not communicating with the mayor about the dangerous wind conditions. 3. Not agreeing to an after-action report from the LAFD Fire Commission.
Each of these manufactured reasons is simply inaccurate. The truth is, there was nowhere to put a thousand firefighters that morning. Second, the entire country knew about the dangerous weather conditions. Finally, there is a comprehensive, independent after-action report happening right now.
The reality is that Chief Crowley was fired for telling the truth and for exposing the budgetary deficiencies of our fire department. That is why we are standing with her today.”
Disclosure: The United Firefighters of Los Angeles City Local #112 (UFLAC) has funneled a staggering $3.17 million into political campaigns and independent expenditures over the past couple of years. Most of the funding has gone to their independent expenditure committee, Firefighters for a Better Los Angeles, which is UFLAC’s vehicle for influencing local races.
Here’s the breakdown:
2024 Contributions ($1.02 million)
- January 23, 2024: $600,000 into Firefighters for a Better Los Angeles
- January 18, 2024: $220,000 into Firefighters for a Better Los Angeles
2023 Contributions ($1.5 million)
- December 15, 2023: $1.25 million in five separate $250,000 payments into Firefighters for a Better Los Angeles
2022 Contributions ($100,000)
- September 19, 2022: $50,000 to First Responders in Support of Tim McOsker for City Council 2022 (sponsored by LA County Fed)
- September 12, 2022: $50,000 to Communities United to Re-Elect Mitch O'Farrell for City Council 2022 (sponsored by Equality California)
Where Was the Money Going?
- Firefighters for a Better Los Angeles: This PAC is used for independent expenditures, meaning they can spend freely on ads, mailers, and other campaign efforts to sway elections. Given the size of the donations, UFLAC has likely been backing pro-firefighter candidates and fighting policy moves they view as unfavorable.
- Tim McOsker: Current CD 15 councilmember and former chief of staff for Mayor Hahn. He received direct support in 2022.
- Mitch O’Farrell: Former CD 13 councilmember who ended up losing his re-election to Hugo Soto-Martinez. The $50,000 wasn’t enough to save him.
UFLAC spends big to protect its interests, pumping millions into city politics—often to keep pro-union, pro-firefighter funding candidates in office. The heavy spending in late 2023 and early 2024 suggests they were gearing up to influence this year’s elections and major policy battles. Given the Crowley-Bass fallout, it's worth watching where the money flows next.
The strongest argument in support of Mayor Bass came from Eric Aguirre of Brotherhood Crusade, who framed the issue around leadership accountability and public safety while avoiding personal attacks. His comment was structured, fact-based, and focused on executive responsibility rather than political division.
Dial Drunk (quick rewrite) by Eric Preven tk.
Comment from Eric Aguirre:
“Good morning, Council President and esteemed Council Members. My name is Eric Aguirre, and I’m with Brotherhood Crusade. I am here today to support Mayor Bass and her decision.
Mayor Bass made the right decision to remove the fire chief. Leadership changes are necessary when performance doesn’t meet the high standards required for public safety. The decision to remove the fire chief was about experience and accountability, not politics.
Emergency response leadership requires proven experience, and in this case, the missteps during the Palisades fire showed an experience gap. The mayor has the authority and responsibility to make leadership changes, ensuring public safety is our top priority. This includes making tough but necessary decisions.
Communication during this crisis was insufficient. The acting mayor was not directly briefed, which is standard procedure during an event like this. Pre-deployment failures put lives and property at risk. Proper preparation is key in disaster response, and leadership must be held accountable when it doesn’t happen.
Forecasts of extreme winds made aerial assault impossible, but leadership should have anticipated this and ensured additional resources were available. Effective leadership challenges and adjusts.
The city must move forward with strong, experienced leadership in the fire department. Now is the time to focus on solutions, including rebuilding and preparing for future emergencies. The decision reinforces the city's commitment to public safety. I urge this council to stand with Mayor Bass.”
Adrin Nazarian CD2 draconian adores Jonathan Groat, who deployed the 'bulletin board' in 2025.
This is embarrassing—because we all love theater (especially recently deposed, sorry retired, Holly Wolcott). But instead of preserving the small theater and rec center with the fully funded $4 million from Prop K, the corrupted minds at BOE Krekorian cooked up a $35 million "upgrade" to something that was already adequate and just needed a facelift. Brad Sherman...
Now, the old charmer is off to a landfill, and in its place, a massive, overbuilt structure—a monument not to the arts or community engagement, but to politicians obsessed with their favorite pastime: High School Regulation Basketball Courts.
Smart Speaker: What is the appropriate number of high school regulation basketball courts in a residential square mile radius? Is it true that, when you delve into it, it's because private schools have a large appetite for everything?
Yes.
Meanwhile, a project introduced as a $600,000 “Phase One” is now an $8 million facelift—with the usual surprise cost overruns baked in. What began as a modest renovation has ballooned, thanks to unexpected structural issues (translation: "we didn’t look closely before budgeting").
Raising money is fun and funny.
Now, they’re reinforcing walls, adding support beams, and repairing concrete damage before getting to the fun stuff—revamping the theater, upgrading sound and lighting, and installing solar panels so it all feels green and forward-thinking.
Smart Speaker: Can we name it The Nazarian? I mean, they do run the Valley’s most glamorous theater…
Yes. Different Nazarian, but there could be a relation. We’ll check.
At least this LADWP property (Hi, Matt Hale!) isn’t some brand-new, overpriced vanity project—it’s a historic building with real community value. But still, this is classic L.A. Nothing gets fixed without a little mission creep and a wildly inflated price tag.
(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.)
