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ERIC PREVEN’S NOTEBOOK –
Where did I come from?
Depends on who you ask.
Grandmother Reva would say it began when her sister chose a butcher’s kiss over a boat to America—leaving 16-year-old Reva to cross an ocean alone, two bags clutched tight, heart fiercer than the waves.
Further back, Gedalia Levinson scraped through Balbieriškis, a shtetl too small for maps but big enough for Yiddish, defiance, and dodging Tsarist taxes.
Before him, one of Reva's elders sat as “the Jew” on a Russian tribunal—a seat at the table, but likely muzzled.
This is the blood in my veins.
From shtetl shadows to City Hall’s open mic, The Forgotten Towns Remember You ... coming soon.
CALIFORNIA POST EXCLUSIVE
President Marqueece Harris-Dawson once again blocking the N-word.
Grovel Hard or Go Home: Suck-a-thon™ 2028 Begins
It was billed as a historic coordination effort for the 2028 Olympics, but what unfolded just across from the White House was something else entirely: a fully televised Suck-a-thon™. The press conference announcing a new federal Olympic Task Force was surreal.
For those who follow Donald Trump, nothing new. The man’s aura attracts sycophancy like a bug zapper in August.
But for Angelenos tuned into city government? Astonishing.
This wasn’t just deferential nodding. This was LA’s political class auditioning to be ignored. The White House didn’t roll out the red carpet—we rolled it out for them.
First up: Casey Wasserman, LA28’s chairman, wealth scion, and the most polished man in any room. He stepped up with a gift: a full set of 1984 Olympic medals for Trump.
“We don’t have trophies in the Olympic movement,” he said,
“but we do have these vintage gold-plated cringe nuggets.”
Trump grinned.
“Can I say I won them?”
Wasserman: “Please do.”
Former mayor Eric Garcetti, now ambassador in New Delhi, was nowhere to be seen—but his legacy of Olympic boosterism lingered like an unanswered FaceTime call.
And while the cameras panned across Washington, back in Studio City, a certain progressive councilmember—known for her urbanist tweets and teardown dreams—was likely plotting to demolish a perfectly nice house with an eight-burner Viking.
The real kicker? At the climax of the announcement came a question from an unidentified antagonist who asked, which member of LA’s City Council would be appointed?
Smart Speaker: One of you may be selected to join the White House Task Force.
Not all of you. One.
As in: one councilmember. From the nation’s second-largest city. After we begged to host the Olympics. After we paid.
Like some junior varsity city desperate for a mention in the program.
If the White House was serious about selecting one councilmember here are a few likely frontrunners in the first round of the 2028 Suck-a-thon™:
100m Developer Dash: Tim McOsker slurs through Planning Commission approvals like Cocktail Hour at a Catalina regatta. Fire extinguisher and backup breathalyzers on board.
Vault Over Ethics: Traci Park flips through lobbyist lunch invites with the grace of a UCLA gymnast. Sticks every landing.
Freestyle Fawn: Adrin Nazarian smiles through city meetings like he’s still in Sacramento, and maybe wishes he were.
Synchronized Deflection: Marqueece Harris-Dawson and the Retired Krekorian, matching blazers, eyes fixed on nothing, silence sold separately.
Permit Pile-Up: Monica Rodriguez juggles 17 community complaints while fast-tracking developer permits, earning style points for her ribbon-cutting pirouette.
Floor Routine (in progress): Heather Hutt, low difficulty score but high persistence.
Silent Sprint: Nithya Raman posts about equity, stays quiet on militarized mega-events. May be stuck in permitting for her own teardown.
Studio City is ready to fight...
In 1984, Los Angeles won the Games on its own terms. In 2028, we’ve agreed to host the Olympics as long as we get to watch from the overflow room.
Gold isn’t earned anymore—it’s handed out for silence. For obedience. The medal podium has become a conference table with no chairs for city officials.
As Wasserman spoke and Trump polished his newly gifted medals, Los Angeles didn’t get a seat. We brought the food, swept the floors, and posed for photos with the busboys (who haven't been rounded up by ICE).
There was one moment—one flash—of resistance. Supervisor Holly Mitchell, the only dignitary to maintain some sense of dignity at a county review of the federal actions. She did not grin. She did not clap. She did not pose.
She stood still. And for a brief second, the mask began to slip.
“Get her out of here. Arrest her!”
The words weren’t said out loud. But the vibe was unmistakable.
Not Trump this time.
Just a city trying to evict its own conscience.
But if anyone was still confused about what this “partnership” meant, the next morning brought clarity. While city leaders composed their post-grovel tweets, the federal government sent its reply:
A Penske rental truck.
A Home Depot parking lot.
And 16 immigrant workers arrested in a surprise DHS sting.
Eunisses Hernandez of CD1, a district under siege.
Agents in windbreakers jumped out like a college prank. Operation Trojan Horse—real, not metaphor.
“We’ll take your medals.
We’ll take your contractors.
And we’ll take your day laborers, too.
Thanks for hosting.”
No press release. No invitation. Just a box truck, a roundup, and the real terms of the deal.
If sucking up is a sport, Los Angeles will sweep the podium.
If silence is gold, we’re already champions.
But if accountability still matters, let’s crash the Suck-a-thon™.
Hand me a mic, start the clock—
I’m ready to run for the city that deserves a real seat at the table.
ERIC PREVEN – PUBLIC COMMENT COLLECTION – AUGUST 5, 2025
Thank you, Board. It was a joy to sit through today’s meeting—mainly because it didn’t require an air-conditioned safe room or a $163/hr lawyer to decipher.
Aura Vasquez spoke at the county.
Look, I get it—we’re in the Season of Austerity™, which apparently involves hiring back the most expensive Metro lawyer and pretending four hours of HVAC chatter counts as public engagement. But hey, nothing cools things off like a mystery $500,000 Covington & Burling contract across the street we’re not allowed to see. Fauble, please confirm receipt, already!
I’m all for mom-and-pop landlords—unless mom and pop are actually a pair of golf buddies with a Delaware LLC. If one cool room saves a life, let’s cool it with the loopholes and get the rollout rolling before the next heat dome does the job for us.
And yes, I still think Primo Villanueva deserves better than “a white bus, a Black bus, and cab fare.” Supervisor Solis, Si se puede. Reach out to my office.
As for the rest—whether it’s promotoras, Planned Parenthood, or the nonprofits we can’t quit—I agree: there’s distrust in government. But that is not an excuse to push every dollar into a shady not-for-profit. I see it as evidence that the public is paying attention. Which is more than I can say for whoever decided unreadable YouTube slides during the county set matter 1. Link here[CAUTION: Not for kids who are afraid of layoffs and steep budget cuts].
Let’s not do it again... until next Tuesday.
Re: August 6, 2025 – Misstatement by Deputy City Attorney Jonathan Groat
To: Hydee Feldstein Soto, City Attorney
Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Council President
Petty Santos, City Clerk
City of Los Angeles
200 N. Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Dear City Officials,
I write to address a serious misstatement made by Deputy City Attorney Jonathan Groat during the August 6, 2025, Los Angeles City Council meeting.
In response to a public speaker, Mr. Groat asserted:
“This is your general public comment, but the Brown Act does not allow you to be repetitive.”
This is false.
The Ralph M. Brown Act does not prohibit repetition. It protects the public’s right to comment, regardless of content, even when remarks echo previous statements. Mr. Groat’s incorrect interpretation not only misleads the public — it chills speech and invites legal risk under both state law and the First Amendment.
Therefore, I request the following by August 8, 2025:
- Public Retraction by Mr. Groat of the false statement.
- Written Acknowledgment to me affirming that repetition is not prohibited by the Brown Act.
- On-Record Statement at the August 8 Council meeting correcting the misstatement.
Misrepresenting the law — especially by legal counsel in a public forum — is unacceptable. Please confirm receipt of this letter and outline the corrective steps you will take.
Sincerely,
Eric Preven
Studio City Fights Back
Smart Speaker: Mayor Bass says she's working every day to “protect our communities, stand up to the Trump administration, and give every Angeleno a fair shot.”
Okay, cut.
Madam Mayor, let’s not accidentally endorse a shoot first, ask questions later policy. We’re not trying to remake The Purge: Valley Edition.
Still, about that pepper-spray incident in Studio City—was Timothy Brehmer wrong?
It was Tuesday night, August 5. A guy with a duffle bag, spotted on surveillance and flyers, allegedly stealing mail. Residents confronted him. Brehmer, possibly in full Neighborhood Watch mode, brought pepper spray and a baseball bat. The guy pulled a knife. Brehmer smashed a windshield. The guy scootered away into the night.
Welcome to Los Angeles, where even suspects flee on Lime.
Sure, cooler heads should prevail—but in a city where your rent includes catalytic converter theft, package snatching, and the occasional machete showdown in a Rite Aid parking lot, it’s hard to blame the residents for snapping.
Still, let’s leave the injustice to the professionals.
You know—the federal government.
(Sigh.)
“Get him out of here!”
Holder of Secrets: $2,495-an-Hour Democracy Defender, for Hire
Eric Holder’s back, righteously blasting a shameful Republican ploy in Texas—redrawing congressional maps mid-decade while flood victims are still bailing out their homes. He’s right to be outraged.
But here in Los Angeles, where backroom redistricting and public corruption are thriving, the better question might be:
How much did we pay the $2,495-an-hour democracy fixer to help us save face?
Yes, that Eric Holder. Yes, Covington & Burling—the firm quietly hired by LA County during the Mark Ridley-Thomas scandal. The Board of Supervisors called it an “internal review.” But to this day, they’ve refused to show the public the contract—or the bill.
Now the City of Los Angeles is doing the same: a fresh Covington contract, this time capped at $500,000. At least the City pretends to file paperwork. But don’t expect line-item clarity on what exactly Holder’s team is doing.
In Oregon, Holder’s firm was brought in to help manage a political scandal tied to abuse at a Hospital. Sound familiar?
Holder’s right when he warns about Republicans clinging to illegitimate power. He’s right to blast gerrymandering as “shameful.”
But where’s that same energy when the shame is right here at home?
Where’s the outrage when LA’s political class hires elite legal fixers during scandals and hides the paper trail? Where’s the accountability when “healing trust” means redacting the truth?
If Covington helped LA officials control a narrative instead of uncover one, we deserve to see the receipts.
Because democracy doesn’t just die in darkness.
Sometimes it’s quietly billed at $2,495 an hour.
(Eric Preven is a Studio City-based television writer-producer, award-winning journalist, and longtime community activist. He is known for his sharp commentary on transparency and accountability in local government. Eric successfully brought and won two landmark open government cases in California, reinforcing the public’s right to know. A regular contributor to CityWatch, he combines investigative insight with grassroots advocacy to shine a light on civic issues across Los Angeles.)
