---
[ LOS ANGELES ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles)
# Power Outage at City Hall: Mayor’s Panel is Secretly Removing the ‘Power’ from ‘EmpowerLA’!
June 13 2019
Written by Jay Handal.
[](https://www.addtoany.com/share)
**GUEST COMMENTARY**--More than two weeks ago, a group of over 50 neighborhood council leaders sent a letter to the Mayor and to the City Council asking to have a citizen’s interview panel created to do pre interviews of new general manager candidates for the Department of Neighborhood Councils.
Not one of the 16 elected officials responded.
BUT, secret interviews are being held as I write this article. Interviewers include Grayce Liu, current GM. Joy Atkinson, Commissioner for BONC (A mayoral appointment), Greg Goode, a mayoral deputy, Holly Wolcott, city clerk and two more.
Those being interviewed are all insiders such as Mike Fong, Leyla Campos, Tom Soong, Julian Antelin, Seeme Park (All city staffers) and Eli Lipman, a current mayor-appointed commissioner.)
So, it is now clear why the name EmpowerLA is being removed from the branding of the department … BECAUSE THE ELECTED OFFICIALS DO NOT WANT TO HEAR FROM US, THE STAKEHOLDSERS!
*(Jay Handal is Co-Chair of the LA Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates committee.)*
*-cw*
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/107 "LA DWP | Save $4K, Green | Priority Ad")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/98 "Donna Tryfman - HS1-1")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/82 "LA DWP #2 (Power Savers)")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/111 "David DeJute Campaign")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/97 "Home - LA DWP #2 (Pay Water Bill Help)")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/112 "Anna Reitano Vertical R. Col")
## Get The News In Your Email Inbox Mondays & Thursdays
Email
---
## Featured CityWatch Stories
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33349-l-a-county-faces-a-government-shake-up)
### [L.A. County Faces a Government Shake-Up](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33349-l-a-county-faces-a-government-shake-up)
WESTSIDE - Currently larger than 40 states in terms of population with roughly 10 million residents, Los Angeles County…
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/voices/33346-before-we-ask-god-to-judge-us-the-jewish-people-must-judge-ourselves)
### [Before We Ask God to Judge Us, the Jewish People Must Judge Ourselves](https://mail.citywatchla.com/voices/33346-before-we-ask-god-to-judge-us-the-jewish-people-must-judge-ourselves)
Yom Kippur demands more than personal repentance. At a defining moment for Jews everywhere, it asks whether we have tru…
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/voices/33372-the-greater-israel-delusion-may-undo-israel)
### [The Greater Israel Delusion May Undo Israel](https://mail.citywatchla.com/voices/33372-the-greater-israel-delusion-may-undo-israel)
ANNEXATION - The vision of “Greater Israel” draws on maximalist readings of biblical verses, especially Genesis 15:18–2…
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/world-watch/33366-israels-political-map-is-being-redrawn)
### [Israel’s Political Map Is Being Redrawn](https://mail.citywatchla.com/world-watch/33366-israels-political-map-is-being-redrawn)
NETANYAHUISM - The next Israeli election may be about something larger than Benjamin Netanyahu. For the first time in a…
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33347-la-stop-the-war-on-cars-they-arent-going-away)
### [LA, Stop the War on Cars. They Aren’t Going Away](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33347-la-stop-the-war-on-cars-they-arent-going-away)
LA TRANSPO - For anyone traversing the San Fernando Valley, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: Los Angeles is sp…
---
## [ LOS ANGELES ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles)
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33361-what-actually-drives-the-cost-of-a-local-move-in-los-angeles)### [What Actually Drives the Cost of a Local Move in Los Angeles](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33361-what-actually-drives-the-cost-of-a-local-move-in-los-angeles)
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33358-a-practical-guide-to-holiday-wine-and-champagne-gifting-in-los-angeles)### [A Practical Guide to Holiday Wine and Champagne Gifting in Los Angeles](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33358-a-practical-guide-to-holiday-wine-and-champagne-gifting-in-los-angeles)
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33355-who-got-the-money-let-ai-audit-l-a-s-homelessness-machine)### [Who Got the Money? Let AI Audit L.A.’s Homelessness Machine](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33355-who-got-the-money-let-ai-audit-l-a-s-homelessness-machine)
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33347-la-stop-the-war-on-cars-they-arent-going-away)### [LA, Stop the War on Cars. They Aren’t Going Away](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33347-la-stop-the-war-on-cars-they-arent-going-away)
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33349-l-a-county-faces-a-government-shake-up)### [L.A. County Faces a Government Shake-Up](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33349-l-a-county-faces-a-government-shake-up)