CommentsERIC PREVEN'S NOTEBOOK - Mapping the future. A map letting unhoused Angelenos know where they are allowed to sit, sleep, and lie down is going to be needed.
The law 41.18, intended to establish zones in which living on sidewalks and other public right-of-way areas would be prohibited, will officially go into effect Sept. 3. This will inevitably lead to arbitrary enforcement and abuse of the most vulnerable Angelenos but a handy-dandy map could be a great piece of Olympics swag for all the millions of travelers/customers heading our way right on through.... LA 2028.
An authentic souvenir reminder of our "national disgrace" for both visitors and locals alike. It could ALSO help avoid a nasty citation or arrest!
Hard Summer: Outreach beats ostracism and poor communication by the health authorities…who are too busy misleading people and sending mixed messages, is resulting in some viral turbulence.
Governor Newsom should probably have stopped a superspreader RAVE for 160,000 young drunk and drugged Californians and out-of-staters, a rave that had NO vax requirement, NO testing requirement, NO temp checks, and NO masks.
Sponsors included Verizon, Corona and Uber, Mamitas and Liquid Death. One Angeleno familiar with the event said, "They actually made Lollapalooza look responsible."
The Governor may believe the ravers will vote for him in September. I suppose if the hangover has subsided by then. It's all happening very fast and even if sober, it is not 100% clear that the "stupid, selfish, youngster" vote will come out on September 14th. But they might!
Citations not commendations: Selwyn Hollins walked over from City Hall through the Grand Park revolving door to become the County ISD Director when Janice Hahn let Mark Ridley-Thomas pretend he was running the show over at Kenn Hahn. I remember encountering Hollins during an excavation of an LA City Department of Transportation ticketing scandal involving Mayor Garcetti's partners, Xerox Solutions and the City Attorney's office. The issues involved excessive punitive without any real due process, so ultimately untenable.
Kudos to the victors in the lawsuit against the city.
The Internal Services Department ISD still plays a major role in supporting all County of Los Angeles departments and commissions. With an annual budget of over $873M and 2,183 budgeted positions along with over 5,120 contracted workers of varying professions in facilities management, information technology, environmental, administrative, purchasing, and contracting, ISD is the County’s trusted partner and provider of choice.
ISD even runs the County bimonthly payroll, including paying 110K employees, creating about 2.4 million paystubs totaling $8.64 billion annually.
Starting to sound like Dr. Fernando Campos, Executive Officer, Board of Public Works, who likes to use the technique of stacking up an impressive number of things like "paychecks processed" to lull a member of the public into a lazy acquiescence that "there is no way to understand it all, so better leave it up to Dr. Campos, he seems quite smart." Dr. Campos and Blumenfield are both mutually admiring of their shared nerdy/cute approach to public officiating.
I wonder if Selwyn Hollins can get a printout of what old Skip Miller of Miller Barondess LLP has actually been hauling down from the County since 2020? Rodrigo Castro-Silva a pioneer in playing silly games while doubling down on bad strategies should consider a good one: compliance and provision.
Spin the revolving door: The Mayor’s 2020-21 Proposed Budget included $13,193,534 in funding for graffiti abatement in 2020-21.
The City just re-upped with 11 of 13 providers relative to graffiti removal services for three years with three additional one-year options last week. Might still be on the mayor's desk.
There are three types of service provided in these contracts: standard graffiti removal; strike force graffiti removal; and specialty graffiti removal work.
Here are the lucky winners:
Central City Action Committee, at an amount not-to-exceed $2,500,000 for graffiti removal services in Council Districts 1 and 13.
Coalition for Responsible Community Development, at an amount not-to-exceed $5,000,000 for graffiti removal services in Council District 9.
Gang Alternatives Program, at an amount not-to-exceed $8,000,000 for graffiti removal services in Council Districts 8, 14, and 15.
Hollywood Beautification Team, at an amount not-to-exceed $4,000,000 for graffiti removal services in Council Districts 4 and 13.
Koreatown Youth and Community Center, at an amount not-to-exceed $5,000,000 for graffiti removal services in Council Districts 4 and 10.
Los Angeles Conservation Corps, at an amount not-to-exceed $4,000,000 for graffiti removal services in Council Districts 1 and 13.
New Directions for Youth, at an amount not-to-exceed $3,000,000 for graffiti removal services in Council Districts 2, 5, and 6.
Northeast Graffiti Busters, at an amount not-to-exceed $8,000,000 for graffiti removal services in Council Districts 1, 6, 7, and 14.
Pacific Graffiti Solutions, at an amount not-to-exceed $3,000,000 for graffiti removal services in Council Districts 5 and 11.
Sylmar Graffiti Busters, at an amount not-to-exceed $2,500,000 for graffiti removal services in Council Districts 7 and 12.
West Valley Alliance, at an amount not-to-exceed $5,000,000 for graffiti removal services in Council Districts 3 and 12.
The community-based non-profit organizations, or graffiti crews, have fixed routes throughout the City to remove graffiti daily.
In the last five fiscal years, the graffiti crews have removed 67% of graffiti within 24 hours and 77% within 48 hours. The graffiti crews also respond to requests for graffiti that is not removed during the routes.
When I read, "It is recommended that the Mayor instruct the Board to consult with the City Attorney on the possibility of removing the monthly flat fee requirement from these contracts," I heard it as a whistle!
Why would we pay a flat monthly charge, if perchance there was no graffiti to remove?
Paint to make graffiti is expensive after all. Pandemics hurt graffiti artists too, right?
Well, the mayor is not likely to upset the apple cart because he's reportedly loading up his rickshaw to head off for a new assignment as ambassador to India, and also because he likes it this way. How do we know?
He gave them an exemption from the Business Inclusion Program, that is intended to expand opportunities for qualified and responsible contractors. "Due to the nature of this program and the use of non-profit community-based organizations contractors, the Office of Community Beautification has received an exemption from the Mayor’s Office as it relates to Executive Directive No. 14, Business Inclusion Program.
FYI - The public is the lucky loser on this the money should be put to better use.
Automobile Insurance is not enough... At the Gower exit and 101 freeway underpass in Hollywood, deep in Scientology territory, there was fender bender, causing Traumatic Brain Injury, according to the attorney representing the plaintiff, who is from Valley Village but was delivering water and sandwiches at the underpass encampment, when she got hit by a Nissan.
The auto insurance would cover such a thing, no? Here in Los Angeles, you file a claim with the city clerk and eventually meet Paul Krekorian who Nury Martinez always delegates to be her stand in reviewer and serve next to two other members of an elite claims board appointed by Mike Feuer and Eric Garcetti. They decide what to do.
Donations are OK, but best to check with the LA City Ethics Commission, who are excellent. Krekorian approves all their staff requests as chair of the budget and finance committee.
Alan Turlington, the plaintiff's attorney made Bar in 2013 and went to Georgetown Law School. He landed in Tustin, sometimes called "the city of trees."
We all know what grows on trees! Money? Lemons?
Important Chiquita Landfill Update: Several years ago, a shameful chapter unfolded right in front of everyone's eyes in the narrative story that is Los Angeles. As the crowd of interested citizens made their way around the entrance to the Board of Supervisors to move past a handsome poopie that had been presented by Mark Ridley-Thomas constituent in appreciation for his leadership in unnecessarily routing public speakers around and around spending money to pointlessly scan them at every single exterior entrance to the public building + more.
It made zero sense and cost a fortune in a silly staffing surge of not-exactly-sworn Sheriff Deputy types.
It was reminiscent to the absurdity of cops scanning the public as they entered City Hall for their own safety and ostensibly to protect the glorious mayor, when in fact the dangerous conduct was in his office at city hall. The creepy sidekick, played by Rick Jacobs.
Anyway, the agenda that set the stage for the shameful Board of Supervisors chapter had to do with the the Chiquita Landfill.
But the conflict had to do with a Star Wars opening at the Exposition Park...
To be more clear, George Lucas and his wife, Mellody Hobson, the chairwoman of Starbucks Corporation were cutting a ribbon announcing the record breaking speed LA got with the program. All the great downtown facilitators were there, Eric Garcetti, Curren Price, even Herb Wesson, whose wife Fabian Wesson sat on the Science Museum board and had a cushy gig at SCAQMD, to celebrate the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.
The issue arose when a recognized critic noticed that Mr. Ridley-Thomas, who could care less about the Antelope Valley, slipped out the back, Jack. He motored over with his driver and basked in the glory that is billionaire benevolence. Nobody likes helping powerful rich narcissists more than MRT, except Eric Garcetti!
Condition 68 re: the Chiquita Landfill was the big concession. Air monitoring would be provided.
On Tuesday, a gasp was heard over the shitty AT&T phone line. The speaker came through and said, that there had been "Still no air monitoring four years later at Chiquita." She described the Landfill Operator as a bad actor...
One idea is to ban Mark Ridley-Thomas from the narrative museum and Exposition Park or maybe name the Chiquita Landfill after him?
Courage and perseverance: As smoke obscured popular tourist sites in Athens, Greece, the Tokyo Olympic games are nearing the end. The Olympics is a huge business, and the financial assumptions that underlie the games are overdue for reevaluation.
The people of Japan got little for their massive investment, separated by metal fences from the Games they paid to host. With no ticket revenue, the economic bet turned into a sea of red ink.
Meanwhile, at ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games in southern Greece, the local authorities were digging fire lines around the archeological site to keep the flames at bay, as record-breaking heat had transformed the country into a "powder keg."
Still, there are a few stories that have emerged that make the whole exercise seem worth it
The longest of long shots: One such example, is the Tunisian swimmer Ahmed Hafnaoui who caused a huge stir at the Tokyo Olympics with a stunning 400m freestyle gold medal victory.
Hafnaoui had qualified to the final race as the slowest swimmer in the heats, but in the final, which the more experienced Australian Jack McLoughlin was expected to win easily, it was Hafnaoui’s turn.
He came from the outside (lane 8) to win with a time of three minutes 43.36 seconds. The commentators who were barely paying attention to the Tunisian, and the rest of the world were... stunned.
When asked how he kept his lead, Hafnaoui, shrugged: "I don't know, I just put my hand in the water, that's it."
An adorable underdog who went from lane eight to top of the podium has given hope to Tunisia as it undergoes a coronavirus surge and major political upheaval.
This Tokyo Summer games, for Tunisians as well as the entire Arab world, should be named after Ahmed Hafnaoui, just as the region made Nawal El Moutawakel a household name after the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Moving quickly forward: The outburst of joy and tears was "beautiful”, according to the Gulf News, as the entire arab world looked on in delight as a petite 22-year-old Moroccan with youthful looks and short curly hair, cross the finish line first on Aug. 8, 1984
She started in lane 3 and was trailing the rest of the runners in the first half of the race, only to take off after two hundred meters, leaving everyone else in the dust.
Her victory was so well deserved and gratifying that the International Olympic Committee marked the 20th anniversary of her Los Angeles victory: “Nawal El Moutawakel was able to go all the way with her dream, despite the difficulties. She thus became an example of courage and perseverance for all athletes, and a model of success for all women.”
On a brighter note, this was the most gender-equal Games ever, with women making up a record 49% of participants.
Tokyo 2020 hosted 18 mixed-gender events and featured a record 182 Olympians publicly out as LGBTQ.
Acceleration and Removal: Nice to see the Mayor declaring victory in Venice... he's apparently "overjoyed" with the progress.
How did he do it? Courage and perseverance.
Obviously, the upcoming referendum on Governor Newsom scheduled for September 14 would have been an ideal, cost-effective opportunity for LA voters to select a new mayor, but that ship has sailed. Still, Angelenos cannot wait another six months.
Has the mayor given any thought to stepping aside to make way for a quick Special Election? If he agrees, Council President Nury Martinez could immediately call for a special mayoral election and if she feels well rested enough following the lengthy council recess in July, she can certainly toss her hat in the ring as well.
County shaming: AT&T is making a $2 billion, 3-year commitment to help ensure broadband is more accessible and affordable for more people in the U.S., so low-income families have the opportunity to succeed and thrive. Thank you, ma bell!
Quick question: Could AT&T also assist Celia Zavala, the Executive Officer at the county for another couple months probably, with the meta data from the astonishingly second-rate public meetings that the LA County Board of Supervisors have been holding on an AT&T platform. Zoom provides it.
Hilda Solis and Kathryn Barger declaring 10 meetings of the County Board of Supervisors from Memorial Day to Labor Day as Special meetings, are doubling down on their Behind Closed Doors strategy. For each of the 10 special closed sessions, no general public comment will be taken, so an effective prohibition on criticism is in place in violation of the Brown Act.
May 25 closed session
June 1 closed session
June 8 regular meeting
June 15 closed session
June 22 regular meeting
June 28 budget deliberation
June 29 closed session
July 6 closed session
July 13 regular meeting
July 20 closed session
July 27 regular meeting
August 3 closed session
August 10 regular meeting
August 17 cancelled
August 24 cancelled
August 31 regular meeting
September 7 closed session
September 14 regular meeting // RECALL election day
September 21 closed session
September 28 regular meeting
It's highly shameful for the most powerful board in the region and country to be engaged this way and the voice of the OC has been diligent in covering the Orange County dimension. As Board meetings are now fully reopened to members of the general public, public commenters are once again allowed to provide public comments in person.
And the debate is on as to phone in comments.
Supervisor Katrina Foley told voice of OC, the county should be making it easier, not harder, to participate in meetings about how their tax dollars are being used. “I think we should be providing accessible opportunities for the public to participate in their local government,”
She also said letting people phone-in to public comment sessions exposes officials to a prism of opinions. “What I found as mayor [of Costa Mesa] when we opened [public comment] up to the call-ins, was more and different people called in, it wasn’t just the same five people …
The Los Angeles Times: Redd Foxx’s Fred Sanford from the show "Sanford and Son" once quipped that his son's Lamont's “Days in Paris” cologne “smells like Nights in El Segundo.”
Sewell Chan who joined The Los Angeles Times as a deputy managing editor in 2018 and became the editorial page editor last year is heading off to Texas. The Times won a Pulitzer prize for editorials about criminal justice. Chan is relocating to the @TexasTribune.
Redd Foxx: "f you can see the handwriting on the wall... you're on the toilet."
As for relocations, Fesia Davenport, the CEO approves of John Cooke coming aboard as Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Asset Management for Los Angeles County. He needs up to $25,000 to relocate.
How much is his salary? And which John Cooke? It's a very popular name.
(Eric Preven is a longtime community activist and is a contributor to CityWatch.)
