Comments
ERIC PREVEN’S NOTEBOOK - Trying to learn about the California Journalism Preservation Act or CJPA that would make tech giants Facebook, Google and Microsoft pay news organizations "a journalism usage fee." The fees would be calculated as a percentage of ad revenue and set based on an arbitration--
At that point an advertisement slash "you're blocked unless you pay" message appeared.
UNLOCK exclusive, continuous digital access.
The San Francisco Chronicle which I do not subscribe to is having a community connection sale, and offered me the chance to subscribe for only 25 cents! At home, at work, or on the move -- be more informed with access to our website, e-Edition, and app. Act Now! The sale ends April 22. Cancel Anytime.
Google appears ready to bust a move against the California Journalism Preservation Act. Here's their warning screed. "Looking ahead, we will continue our efforts to work with lawmakers on alternative paths that will allow us to continue linking to news and supporting the news ecosystem in California."
Jaffer Zaidi VP, Global News PartnershipsWhy the California Journalism Preservation Act is putting support of the news ecosystem at risk.
Next Repetitive Speaker:
Smart Speaker: Thank you. It's Eric Preven from Studio City and obviously, Supervisor Solis is sticking up for the residents so that the MRCA can access and amend Elephant Hill. That's a familiar name. And this is only 110 acres. We have a similar property in Studio City where Horvath and Nithya Raman have done nothing to help — but go along with Paul Krekorian and Mark Pestrella of Public Works has not even engaged with us to talk about the watershed. And this guy loves to talk about water. We want to talk with him about the LA County flood district which owns a piece of land that they're in the process of signing –
Sup. Lindsey Horvath, chair: This item is about the Elephant Hill project, if you could focus your comments on that project please?
Smart Speaker: I know, I’m talking about protecting. I know you don’t like this, Supervisor. I’m talking about protecting the residents like the great Hilda Solis is doing on her end and you should be doing but you haven't been doing because you're trying to shut people out of comments. Yes, it is very upsetting and to see the way Katy Yaroslavsky stood up for her residents when the Bulgari people invaded. Instead, we have constant praising of one another and no protective action. You should redirect all your self-gratitude toward helping the people, ie. your constituents. Bad. Very bad.
Executive Officer: Thank you. Your time has expired.
The Berlin Airlift and the Bonin Carlift!
Mike Bonin (former CD11) started every Transportation meeting with Seleta Reynolds, the former General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), who recently shimmied over to Metro, by presenting a verbal report relative to the Department's ongoing activities.
He would go out of his way to offer recognition for Department employees for outstanding service ticketing the public.
The use of parking permit districts by municipalities has been upheld through the Supreme Court since 1977: Arlington County Board v. Richards.
Ripe for a challenge or settled law is always a tough call. One thing was very clear, Mike Bonin was a believer.
Despite no coherent strategy -- because if you push every car out of one neighborhood, it will obviously land in an adjacent one -- Bonin will be remembered as a Field Marshal committed to bringing relief.
Like a modern-day General Lucius Dubignon Clay, The Great Uncompromiser -- a decedent of Henry Clay, the U.S. senator from Kentucky -- Bonin was beyond dedicated.
Clay orchestrated the Berlin Airlift (1948–1949) when the USSR blockaded West Berlin. Aircrews from the American, British, French, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and South African air forces flew over 200,000 sorties in one year, providing necessities such as fuel and an astonishingly high carbohydrate-loaded menu of relief food:
646 tons of flour and wheat, 3 tons of fresh yeast for baking, 180 tons of dehydrated potatoes,125 tons of cereal, with limited protein representing 109 tons of meat and fish, 64 tons of fat,10 tons of cheese.
A mere 11 tons of coffee, but airlifts can be exhausting. It was a miraculous and filling accomplishment.
Bonin was bringing a different kind of relief.
He was bringing the diligent wiring up of every neighborhood in the city to prevent even the possibility of outsiders, no matter how needed, from parking on the public roadway.
At City Council, Mike Bonin was advocating #DoNoHarm. But up in Transportation and Public Safety, they were banging out 50 to 55 smart boots a day and on one day applied 81 smart boots.
With the vigor of Dr. Fauci promoting vaccination, Mike Bonin pushed through 247 roadway closures often consisting of hundreds of spaces during 2017, 2018, and six months of 2019... That's 247 in 30 months = 8 per month or 2 per week.
As an example, the Preferential Parking District (PPD) No. 276 in the Studio City Area in Council District Two is comprised of about 30 blocks. A block is defined as a street segment between two intersecting streets. Between 300 and 600 spaces.
So if we take an average of 500 spaces x 247 restrictions* = 123,500 spaces!
The Bonin Carlift was a breathtaking nose to the grindstone campaign to rescue NIMBY residents from Angelenos desperate to park.
And why? "The increase goes from $78 to $250 for the first violation, $500 for a second violation within 12 months, and $1,000 for the third violation within 12 months, and increased late penalties."
If you are a resident an in the program, enjoy these low low rates: Annual Permit $34.00 each, Three (3) per residence Visitor Permit (Valid for 4 months) $22.50 each, Two (2) per residence One-Day Guest Permit, $2.50 each, 25 per day
Bonin was committed to bringing parking restrictions citywide, of every conceivable variety along with Avak (who was recently put out to pasture) he would agendize dozens and dozens and dozens. . .relative to prohibiting the parking of a vehicle, prohibit the stopping, standing, or parking vehicles that are in excess of 22 feet in length or over 7 feet in height, parking of vehicles advertising the private sale of those vehicles.
The people had never seen anything like it because they were mostly squirreled away in committee.
During the pandemic, the phone lines were finally opened to callers.
The Lines Are Open:
In a 2020 interview with Nithya Raman who ultimately was elected to CD4 and Meghan Choi, a founding member of Ground Game LA and one of Raman’s campaign managers, Choi noted:
“[We’ve] seen incredible participation in the City Hall Budget and Finance Committee meetings. All these meetings that happened before in person down at City Hall during work hours, where most folks were unable to go because they had other obligations, are now more accessible in a different way. There's this huge growth in education, and there's a massive uptick in participation, and it's been really great to watch. It’s packed, [the meetings are] so long, the comments are really passionate. It's wonderful.”
Yes, what's not so wonderful is how Paul Krekorian and the other fourteen council members have blocked virtual testimony at all the committee meetings. Unless they want to prevent you from coming down, like with Harvard Westlake, then they open the line right up. It' not defensible.
This was also the time when a group connected to Ground Game LA called KnockLA was covering almost all of the city council meetings and generating twitter transcripts of public comments The digital publication had a leftist bent but they disclosed what they were doing - sort of - so it was good for the people.
I enjoyed reading both Cerise Castle and Jon Peltz.
As the story unfolds Meghan Choi of Ground Game joined Eunisses’ campaign as well and boom! When she got elected, Eunisses tweeted “Please join me in uplifting Meghan Choi, coming onto our CD 1 team as a Senior Advisor. Meghan led the campaigns that unseated not one, but two CM incumbents (Ryu+Cedillo)! I’m so grateful & honored that she has accepted to join our team! One of the best strategic minds in LA!”
Choi has been instrumental in changing the political landscape in Los Angeles.
A fan called her “The incumbent killa.”
Smart Speaker: She's very busy, I'm sure with homelessness, housing, immigration, policing, environment, and building electoral power for the people of LA.
Knock-Knock.
Who’s there?
George Wallace, at the Improv!
Smart Speaker: I was hoping to deliver my comment to the council, but once again, they lost my card. My idea, given the stark landscape for journalism at the moment and the ever-shrinking amount of readables on the increasingly complicated local government, is to have a big nasty fight.
Ordinarily, pay-per-view but in this case, we should alert Mackenzie Scott or someone to the idea that two very nice groups are at war.
Smart Speaker: Not very nice.
But the people don't mind two newsrooms or three.
Each of the two factions at war should survive and thrive!
The resources can be divided equally. Each team can work in parallel sometimes competing directly, but always bringing sharp relevant coverage.
The Slack meetings (or Zoom) of the board should be made public and the writers are encouraged to bicker with one another over everything and anything including Gaza. The only thing that we don't want to do, is be too critical of the incumbents who we helped put in office, Like Raman, and Eunisses.
Smart Speaker: What? That doesn't sound good. I reached out to Meghan Choi, but so far I have not heard back.
Chain of Fools:
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Jonathan Groat
To: "[email protected]" Sent: Friday, April 12, 2024 at 11:03:12 AM PDT
Subject: CPRA REQUEST re: Meta Data from the April 2nd, 3rd, and 5th Council Meetings
Good morning Mr. Preven,
I've attached the documents you requested re: the meta data from the April 2nd, 3rd, and 5th City Council meetings.
Have a great weekend,
Jonathan P. Groat
Begin forwarded message:
From: [email protected]
Date: April 12, 2024 at 12:02:41 PM PDT
To: Jonathan Groat Cc: Mayor Helpdesk, Karo Torossian, Bob Blumenfield, Councilmember Harris-Dawson, Holly Wolcott, Ted Ross, ITA CPRACoordinator
Subject: Fw: CPRA REQUEST re: Meta Data from the April 2nd, 3rd, and 5th Council Meetings
Ted,
We need a kind of technical mapping of who specifically handles the list of callers during public meetings-- should we meet and confer with the union maybe because these are workers and it is clear that they are being put in a stressful position, having to cherry-pick speakers or just do things that they know results in Angelenos being disenfranchised or feeling sandbagged. Lowering speakers' hands without warning is weird and unacceptable. We need to get a map of the system. Are you a part of the solution or...would it be Ted LIn's area? This is deeply annoying, FYI.
Thank you, Groat. You have not responded, so we will persist because the current practice is unfair to city workers.
And yes, we are considering bringing an exciting landmark case to the new Civil Rights department...
In the interim, I hereby request the metadata for today's meeting April 12, 2024, with $36,000,000 in legal settlements, though the council is in special closed session now, so the night is young.
Also please provide the metadata from the meeting on Tuesday April 9th, the one with merely $16 million in legal settlements.
Let’s not upset Hydee.
Warm regards,
Eric Preven
(Eric Preven is a longtime community activist and is a contributor to CityWatch. The opinions are of Mr. Preven and not necessarily those of CityWatchLA.com.)
