THIS IS WHAT I KNOW-Voter Fraud. Talk about two words we never again want to hear mentioned in the same breath. However, an LA County Superior Court Judge, George Lomeli, ruled last week that the former LA City Councilman Richard Alarcon and his wife could still face voter fraud and perjury charges – this, while encouraging both sides to resolve the case, perhaps moving to a misdemeanor conviction. Judge Lomeli’s ruling comes months after their felony convictions were thrown out by an appeals court panel. 

The heat was turned up a bit as Alarcon announced he was challenging Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-Los Angeles) in the 29th Congressional District within weeks after his conviction was overturned. The caveat is, if he is convicted of a felony in a retrial, he’ll be barred from holding elected office under California law. It seems Alarcon is putting the whole thing on hold, as he hasn’t been actively campaigning. A misdemeanor conviction, however, would still allow Alarcon to hold elected office. 

A bit of backstory: Most of this hinges on residency claims. Prosecutors charge that Alarcon and his wife, Flora Montes de Oca Alarcon, lied about their residence to allow Alarcon to run for LA City Council. Per California Elections Code, candidates must actually reside in the district they aim to represent. Alarcon was termed out as a councilman in 2013. 

Alarcon ran to represent Panorama City while living in Sun Valley, which is in a different district. The defense attorneys for the Alarcons stated the couple had been staying temporarily in the Sun Valley residence during renovations of their Panorama City home and had planned to return once construction was finished. That excuse might have seemed plausible if Deputy Dist. Atty. Michele Gilmer hadn’t presented blueprints for turning the single family residence into a multi-unit complex. To top things off, a police officer testified about a squatter who moved in and even changed the locks. 

The jury wasn’t buying and Alarcon was convicted of three voter-fraud charges and one perjury charge while his wife was convicted of two voting charges and one perjury count. The couple was acquitted on other charges. Alarcon did his time under house arrest and his wife did community service, but the couple appealed. The conviction was overturned by an appellate panel that concluded there were improper jury instructions concerning residence requirements by Lomeli. A new hearing date is set for January 27. 

We’ll keep you posted.

(Beth Cone Kramer is a Los Angeles writer and a columnist for CityWatch.) Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.

GUEST COMMENTARY--David Leonhardt says: “Charter schools -- public schools that operate outside the normal system -- have become a quarrelsome subject, alternately hailed as saviors and criticized as an overrated fad.” There is no such thing as public charter school. Period. And, they are certainly no “fad,” but rather, a ploy to end our public school system. 

It is propaganda about “public” charter schools that confuses the public. Our citizens are unaware of the plan and the ploy by the Educational Industrial Complex to end public schools by starving their budgets, using bogus tests to label them failing and then hand them over to those who want to do so much more than just make a fortune. 

I read and admire the writing of David Leonhardt, but it is outrageous, that once again, the New York Times perpetuates the absolute false notion that there are Public Charter Schools.  

Giving taxpayer’s money to charter schools that lack transparency and regulations does NOT make them PUBLIC SCHOOLS, and yet, this ploy is on the ballots in Massachusetts, Georgia, Pennsylvania and many states. 

Do not pretend that your paper is printing all the “news that is fit to print,” when you consistently promote the end of public education instead of printing the stories that could make our schools strong again. Make America great again by bringing back our schools so an ignoramus like Trump will face a nation of educated, skilled, working people who love democracy! 

 I have been an educator for four decades and I now write at Oped News and on the Diane Ravitch blog about the takeover of the institution of Public Education.  

Dr. Ravitch wrote, “How Not to Fix Our Public Schools-Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools,” and you [LA Times] have  published her editorial, but you have learned nothing about the plan to takeover our democracy by  doing what every  dictator (and even the Saudi’s know)  get the children when they are young -- because they are not kids for long; soon they will be citizens who vote. 

The insidious plan is to let people like these guys rewrite history. “Get ’em young”… as they are doing in North Carolina, where the Koch Bros want to write social studies curricula.  

Read the Ravitch blog: “Civics Lessons Financed by the Koch Brothers” | Diane Ravitch’s blog and you will see the end of public education.  

They also know that Democracy depends on shared knowledge, and they know how to end real knowledge by simply taking over the 15,880 school systems, and make sure the newspapers and media spit out lies.   

Fifty-two states and almost sixteen thousand separate school systems make it so easy for the puppet-masters who own all the media in this nation to hide this assault on American democracy, and the only road to income equality. 

We saw how privatizing heath care affected our people while enriching the corporate big pharma! 

There is a ton of money to be made when the salaries and benefits of experienced professionals are removed from the budget. Take the experienced professional out of a hospital and watch it fail, too. 

Yes, the hedge funds love charter $chools. Look at what the California Billionaires are doing to privatize education and be aware that this is a worldwide takeover of education by the oligarchs who know that taking over the education system wins the battle to take over any nation. This article by Justin Miller in the American Prospect seeks to demystify the strange confluence between hedge fund managers and the charter school movement. 

This is a great discussion, in which Amy Goodman of “Democracy Now” interviews Juan Gonzalez of the NY Daily News about the big money pushing charter schools. The discussion is based on this article.  

Look at the scam of “virtual” charter schools. Ariana Prothero writes in Education Week about the “Outsized Influence” of lobbyists for the virtual charter industry. 

Or, go to my series on privatization, using information that Diane Ravitch provides about the state legislatures which are taking over the local schools, with nary an educator on board, and giving them to charters, with not a shred of oversight! Here is a link to Diane’s posts on charter school corruption.  

(Susan Lee Schwartz has been an award winning public school teacher for decades. She is currently a freelance travel writer and photographer, but I also write widely, about real education reform in order to change the national conversation to where it needs to be. This was originally published as a letter to the Los Angeles Times.) Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.

DUNNING THE PROPERTY OWNERS-Those who didn’t pay their LA County property taxes on time -- the deadline was Tuesday -- have until 11:59 p.m. on December 10, when at the stroke of midnight, a 10% late fee will snap shut on them like a trap. 

In LA County, property taxes can be paid with a credit card, and many Angelenos struggling to make ends meet make use of that option, however fraught with costs and hidden risks it may be. 

LA County is not to blame for those risks and costs. But it is to blame for the fact that Angelenos who pay their property taxes with a credit card get charged a fee equal to 2.1% of their tax bill by the company which processes those payments. On a $5,000 tax bill that comes out to $105, not including the $5.95 fee.  

On what grounds can such an exorbitant fee be justified? It’s not the contractor who bears financial risk by processing tax payments. It’s the credit card companies.  

Why should the dollar amount of a tax payment affect the cost to process that payment? It obviously doesn’t, which is why the County’s arrangement with Fidelity Information Services, LLC, the company which charges -- and keeps 100% of the high fees -- needs rethinking.  

It doesn’t take a math whiz to figure out that Fidelity Information Services, LLC is making a fortune off its “nice work if you can get it” arrangement with the County.  

Time to renegotiate. 

(Eric Preven is a CityWatch contributor and a Studio City based writer-producer and public advocate for better transparency in local government. He was a candidate in the 2015 election for Los Angeles City Council, 2nd District. Joshua Preven is a CityWatch contributor and teacher who lives in Los Angeles.) Prepped for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.

RANTZ & RAVEZ--While you are considering the Presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, don’t forget the many important issues that will impact your wallet on a local level here in Los Angeles City and County.   

The time has come to end the discussions and torrent of TV Ads and piles of campaign literature and all political mail and select the people we want to be our next President and Vice President; Members of the United States Senate and Congress as well as our California State Senators and Assembly members. Then there are the other items on the ballot. Like the Four Judicial Offices (who knows anything about any of them) and 17 State Measures, 2 County Measures, 1 Community College Measure and finally the 4 Los Angeles City Measures. 

I have reviewed all the items including the 223 page Official Voter Information Guide from my friend Alex Padilla, the California Secretary of State. I have my selection of endorsements. Since I am concerned with electing people that will work for all Republicans and Democrats and Independents, my endorsements cross-traditional Red and Blue party lines. In the end, we are all American and deserve to have elected officials that represent and care for all of us. I have not received any consideration or compensation for any of the selections. I truly believe that our votes should be for the betterment of our city, county, state and America. 

President and Vice President……Your Choice of Hilary Clinton / Tim Kaine or Donald Trump / Michael Pence. Since there has been so much controversy and discussion about the Presidential Office, I leave that one up to you to select. I know who I am voting for and believe that after all the research I have done I am selecting the person I believe can bring America to a new arena of Progress and Hope. I am reluctant to use the terms Hope and Change since I don’t believe that has really worked for America during the past 8 years. Is America Great or not so Great? I believe that America is the land of opportunity and promise for those that work hard and pursue their dreams. I pray that all parties in America can unite for the good of ALL people.    

Now for the United States Senator from California.    This is a critical position for many reasons. While President Obama is doing TV Commercials for California Attorney General Kamala Harris, that tells me something about her connections with Washington D.C. On the other hand, the other candidate is current Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez. Both of these candidates are Democrats and my bet is on Harris. In examining the track record of both candidates, Harris has accomplished a number of significant programs while Sanchez does not have any real claim to fame for all her years in Congress. 

As for your State Senator and Member of the State Assembly, each district has different candidates. In my district I am supporting former Reserve LAPD Officer and business owner Steve Fazio. My selection for Assemblyman is Matt Dababneh. I know both of these candidates on a personal level and can attest to their dedication to the people of their respective districts and the people of California. 

The Judicial candidates are usually very confusing to most voters. Since voters are not generally involved in court matters, your knowledge of the Judicial candidates is very limited. With the Slates of Candidates that are mailed to your homes, you can read a few words and not know the true story about the candidate. I have done my homework on the Judicial candidates running for offices 11, 42, 84 and 158. I know two of the candidates personally and have done research on the other two. I can attest to their qualifications and ability to be honorable Judges of the Superior Court.   

Office 11. I am voting for Debra R. Archuleta. Debra is currently a Deputy District Attorney and well qualified for the position of Judge. 

Office 42. Efrain Matthew Aceves is my selection for this office.     

Office 84. I am going with Susan Jung Townsend. Susan is also a Deputy District Attorney. She is most qualified for the position of Judge. 

Office 158. Kim L. Nguyen. Kim is a Deputy Attorney General and my pick for this Judicial office. 

Now we have the State Measures ...

51. NO. School Bonds. Funding for K-12 and Community College Facilities.  This measure will last for 35 years and cost us approximately $17.6 Billion Dollars.     

52. NO. Medi-Cal Hospital Fee Program. Uncertain Fiscal Impact. 

53. YES. Revenue Bonds. Requires approval from voters if Bond exceeds $2 Billion. 

54. NO. Prohibits Legislature from passing any bill unless published on the Internet for 72 hours before the vote. Note…We elect our state representatives to do a job for us. This measure will cost millions to maintain and is not necessary.   

55. NO. Extends by another 12 Years a former temporary Tax extension to fund Education and Healthcare initiative. This temporary tax was enacted in 2012 and set to expire in 2019. This measure will extend the tax until 2030. This is all about truth in government. TEMPORARY means TEMPORARY!     

56. YES. Cigarette Tax. If you smoke, I am sure you are opposed to this additional tax. If you are a non-smoker like me, you most likely will vote YES.   

57. NO. Criminal Sentences, Parole and Juvenile Criminal Proceedings and Sentencing. This measure will continue the release of Criminals in our Penal System. This will lead to more crime and a negative impact on society.     

58. Yes. English Language Proficiency will be a requirement in schools. 

59. NO. Corporations and political spending and Federal Constitutional Protections. 

60. Yes. Adult Films, Condoms and Health Requirements. 

61. NO. State Prescription Drug Purchases. Pricing Standards.   

62. NO. Death Penalty. Repeals the Death Penalty. With all the murders of civilians and police officers, we need to continue the enforcement of the Death Penalty. 

63. Yes. Firearms and Ammo Sales. This measure will require a background check to purchase ammo. Additional Firearms restrictions are contained in this measure. 

64. Up to you…Marijuana for recreational use. If you like to get high, you will vote yes. There are some serious consequences with the legalization of Marijuana. DUI Marijuana and related public safety matters.      

65. Yes. Carryout Bags and Charges. When bags are sold in stores, the money will be required to be used for environmental projects. 

66. Yes. Death Penalty Procedures. Streamlines the Death Penalty procedures to avoid the current years long delays. Prison savings will amount to tens of millions of dollars annually. 

67. NO. Unless there is a local ordinance, Plastic Bags will be provided free of charge to consumers.    

County Measures 

A.  NO. This measure will provide another tax increase on your home and business property. The measure calls for a 1.5 cents to be levied annually per square foot of improved property in all of Los Angeles County.  

M.  NO. This measure will increase the sales tax in all of Los Angeles County to at least 9.5 cents on all your purchases forever. There is no sunset clause in this measure. Some cities will be over 10 cents on all purchases. This measure is also being pushed to create over 465,000 jobs. How many of those jobs will be administrative? 

While we have massive traffic congestion in Los Angeles County, this is not the answer. Near $10 BILLION DOLLARS was sent on the 405-freeway improvement. Not much improvement to date. Combine this tax increase with the other ones being pushed for the November 8 election and your spendable cash will all be gone soon. 

Many of the proposed projects will not be completed until 40 years from now! While driverless cars are being developed along with battery operation vehicles, there is no vision in the future for this proposal.      

School 

CC.   NO. Los Angeles Community College District. 

The Community College District received increased funding a few years ago. Major improvements were completed and continue to be made at Community College Campuses. Valley College is still experiencing major construction along with many of the other campuses. This bond measure of $3,300,000,000 is not necessary.      

Los Angeles City 

HHH.   NO. This is another tax increase for Los Angeles residents. It calls for a $1.2 BILLION Dollar bond measure that will result in an increase in your property taxes. The funds are expected to be used for the Homeless population. Many homeless don’t want to reside in apartments or other structures. 

JJJ.   NO. This is the Affordable Housing and Labor Standards related to city planning. 

While this initiative may sound good, it will not bring about any significant affordable housing to Los Angeles. It will increase the cost of any housing that is done in Los Angeles.   

RRR.  NO. This is just another scam on those of us that pay for water and electricity with the DWP. The number of commissioners will increase to 7 members that will be PAID for their services. When the Rate Payer Advocate was established a few years ago, that was designed to improve the services and operations at the DWP. In the end, the Rate Payer Advocate cost us all more money with little positive results.   There is also a discussion about moving from a two-month bill to a monthly bill for DWP services. That is expected to cost $19,000,000 to begin the change and a recurring cost of $4,000,000 annually. RRR is a bad idea and should be defeated.  

SSS. Yes. This measure will permit newly hired Los Angeles International Airport Police Officers to join the City of Los Angeles Fire and Police Pension System. It will also permit current LAX Police Officers to join the Fire and Police Pension at their own expense. 

There you have it. I hope this assists you in understanding of the many items on the November 8, 2016 Ballot.

(Dennis P. Zine is a 33-year member of the Los Angeles Police Department and former Vice-Chairman of the Elected Los Angeles City Charter Reform Commission, a 12-year member of the Los Angeles City Council and a current LAPD Reserve Officer who serves as a member of the Fugitive Warrant Detail assigned out of Gang and Narcotics Division. Disclosure: Zine was a candidate for City Controller last city election. He writes RantZ & RaveZ for CityWatch. You can contact him at [email protected]. Mr. Zine’s views are his own and do not reflect the views of CityWatch.)

-cw

GELFAND’S WORLD--The world as we know it has ended. The Cubs won the World Series. So said one Facebook commenter known to me only as Joel's cousin, and I don't even know Joel. But the night of November 2, 2016 links people across the states, the continents even, in our celebration of the assertion that the impossible can happen. I mean, Halley's comet had already appeared twice since the last time the Cubs won the Series. 

Was this victory unlikely? Well, as one of the most famous statisticians in the world pointed out a couple of days ago (back when the Cubs were down in games by 3-1), the likelihood of the Cubs winning the Series was less than that of Trump winning the presidency. Perhaps this comparison ought to make us a little nervous. 

Then again, we could look at it another way: What was the statistical likelihood of both the Cubs winning the Series and Trump winning the presidency? The odds of both things happening in the same year (or at all) must be incredibly low. So now, with the Cubs winning, it must be practically impossible for Trump to win. It's like Garp's comment in The World According to Garp: "We'll take the house. Honey, the chances of another plane hitting this house are astronomical. It's been pre-disastered." 

This victory undermines the basis of our civilization. As another pundit argued (also when the Cubs were down 3-1), it was a big relief that the Cubs were losing, because in threatening to win the Series, they were endangering something precious. After all, there is the Chicago spirit to conserve -- that is to say, the morbidly depressed view that whenever hope arises, it is destined to be dashed on the rocks below. It must be useful to have some fractional part of each civilization holding that point of view, lest the rest of us become reckless. The Cubs were endangering this foundational principle of our society. 

The 7th game: At first (or in the 8th inning, anyway), the Cubs looked like they were going to respect that 108 year old tradition. They built up a 6-3 lead and then squandered it by giving up 3 quick runs. 

Hope. Rocks below. Morbid depression. 

It was game tied at the other team's ball park on a cold, rainy night with your best pitchers looking worn out and ragged. 

It looked like the Cubs of old had returned. And then they had to go and destroy a tradition older than the 20th century (which, after all, was only given 100 years), a tradition that went back to monarchial rule over Europe and Asia, wooden airplanes, Giacomo Puccini, and Billy Goat's curse. All lost to history now. About all we've got left is Halley's Comet, and it's not due till the 2060s. 

Here's another odd item. The winning pitcher in the championship game of the 2016 World Series will go down in history as Aroldis Chapman. He came into the game with a solid lead and a runner on base, which means the victory would have gone to another pitcher if Chapman could have held. But he gave up the run (charged to the previous pitcher) and then a couple of his own to leave the game tied after the regulation 9 innings. Because the Cubs scored a couple of runs in the top of the 10th, Chapman gets credit for the win. Vin Scully used to dwell on the pitcher's status. Think of how many times we heard him say about a departing pitcher, "He could win it, could lose, or could have nothing to do with it." All of those were possibilities for Chapman when he entered the game, but who would have predicted the W? 

Addenda 

1) As I've mentioned here before, I started internet writing by doing analysis of the media, including newspapers and talk radio. At the time, Rush Limbaugh had made a name for himself by claiming that the mainstream media were biased against conservatism and in favor of liberalism. The term media bias became part of the language, and is repeated by right wing bloggers as if it is obviously true. In retrospect, mainstream media bias was no more nor less than an instinct to tell the truth once in a while about racial bias in our broader culture. Apparently it was also considered media bias when newspapers and television stations mentioned, however fleetingly, the argument that church and state are separate in our republic. 

I think it's obvious that whatever existed back then, media bias has swung badly in the opposite direction the past few election cycles. The mainstream media have failed to expose the nonsense behind supply side economics, no matter how many times politicians claim that a tax cut on the rich will stimulate the economy. The media also should have been pounding on Trump's penchant for lying from the beginning. Of equal importance, Trump's propensity for respecting and hanging out with bad guys, whether foreign tyrants or local mafiosi, was slow to emerge and even now is undercovered. The one thing we can credit the media for, Trump's sexual predation, was originally brought up by a Fox News personality during a presidential debate. Apparently you can get to the media by talking about sex, no matter which side the candidate. 

There is one exception to this story. The late night comedy shows are taking every chance to drill Donald Trump. Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers are doing their best to make him into a laughingstock. They are two of the more visible faces of two of the biggest on-air networks. 

The biggest difference between then and now is the development of the internet as a major source for public opinion. It's become the office water cooler of the modern age. 

2) Here's to Jessica Rosner, film history expert and long-time Cub's fan. I can remember you wearing that Cubs hat at film festivals over these many years. Congratulations. You finally did it. 

(Bob Gelfand writes on science, culture, and politics for City Watch. He can be reached at [email protected]) 

-cw

WORDS FROM THE BUTCHER SHOP-Recently I wrote in support of Proposition 62 to repeal California’s death penalty in the name and memory of my murdered son, Matthew Benjamin Butcher (March 17, 1983 – June 24, 2010). The support and love I have received as a result of this expression of opinion, “This Mother of a Murdered Son Says: ‘Repeal the California Death Penalty’ by Voting YES on Prop 62”  is surprising, humbling, and overwhelming. 

Within the Butcher family, there is deep division of opinion on the topic of the death penalty. I love that! Don and I are both originally from New York and New Jersey and we raised our kids to argue as a way of life. 

Since publishing my recommendations for the state initiatives, my son Steven Butcher has changed my voting recommendations on two of the props. I should have asked him about Prop 54 to begin with -- he's more knowledgeable than I about these things these days. His winning argument? I said “gut and amend.” Really? When he said, “Yeah, but good stuff sometimes happens at end of session that otherwise might not if it had to wait 72 hours.” He raised several other points that made good sense, closing with, “Plus, Jackie Goldberg's against it.” The kid still knows how to win an argument with me! 

No on 60, he says, as well. The industry is already closely regulated, and the San Fernando Valley is in danger of losing jobs to New Hampshire. Good points. I’ve changed my recommendation on that one as well. 

On Prop 51, I easily convinced him that while $9 billion in school bonds would be a great thing, it’d be better if they pass locality by locality rather than statewide (like Measure CC in LA and Measure O in Riverside, for instance.) That way the wealthier districts don’t get funding ahead of more needy school districts likely disadvantaged by a seemingly fair “first come, first served” schema. 

We have joyfully survived “the Move.” Note that I’m writing now from La Crescenta, 10.7 miles from “the kids” and “the baby.” Fifteen minutes up the 2. That’s us, here in Grandparent Heaven. 

Who knew there’d be ancillary political benefits fun enough to make me smile when I our absentee ballots arrived just as we did? 

First, I know Ardy! Ardy Kassakhian is a sincere, good man and I couldn’t be happier to cast a vote for him for Assembly. Ardy and I got to know each other as cohorts in Coro’s 2011 Executive Fellows program. He is driven by love, by service, and by the love of service and I know him to be thoughtful, visionary, and genuine. Plus I always love those candidates originally from the localest of government. 

I’ve known Anthony Portantino for a long, long time and he’s gonna be a phenomenal State Senator. The union formerly known as Local 347 vetted, tested, and supported Portantino like a Brother, and he worked hard for workers in local government and in the Assembly. Anthony Portantino is one of those few rare birds – an honorable, decent, and wise elected official. We’re happy to cast two Butcher votes for him here in our new home. (Never moving again, not ever!) 

Casting a gleeful YES vote for LA County Measure M, hoping LA can begin to fix its past transportation snafus. The word “infrastructure” is my own personal drinking game word. Imagine tons of infrastructure and transportation spending? Cool, huh? 

And finally, I was delighted to vote for Kathryn Barger for LA County Supervisor.  (Photo above.) When I was briefly assigned to the County part of the Union, Kathryn, personally and formally, welcomed and helped me. She’s smart – a badass who knows how to get things done. She will be an amazing part of Los Angeles County’s Board of Supervisors!

(Julie Butcher writes for CityWatch, is a retired union leader and is now enjoying her new La Crescenta home and her first grandchild. She can be reached at [email protected] or on her new blog ‘The Butcher Shop- No Bones about It’)  Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.