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ERIC PREVEN’S NOTEBOOK - Over the weekend, "Trump Within Earshot" burst onto the scene as a mid-season replacement for "Biden Goes Down in Flames."
This week’s episode felt a little CSI, but now we’re back to "The Apprentice." There is still no word as to who will become former President Trump's second banana.
One thing is clear, only a seasoned grandstander would instinctively pump their fist for the camera as the former president did. And can we all agree, "there is no place for domestic violence?*"
Lindsey P. Horvath, Supervisor from the Third District...and "Mad with power!"
For the past year, top government officials have warned that domestic violence is a clear and present danger to America. Lindsey P. Horvath has built upon her predecessor Sheila Kuehl’s work, creating a much-needed infrastructure of safe spaces to protect and serve those who endure domestic violence. cc Patti Giggans
Now, another type of domestic violence has reared it's ugly head. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressed relief on X, saying, “I thank God that former President Trump is safe.”
Supervisor Janice Hahn SD4 shared her shock and horror, emphasizing that such violence is unacceptable, regardless of political views.
Councilmember Bob Blumenfield CD3 told KNX News’ Jon Baird that while the political climate has been heated, witnessing such violence on TV is distressing and forebodes a troubling future. [Which is why I am interested in becoming the first elected County CEO...jk srsly]
Outgoing Council President Paul Krekorian urged citizens to recognize that political violence is an attack on democracy itself, stating, “Every American should be horrified regardless of your political orientation because it’s intolerable in our society.”
*except when removing a speaker from the John Ferraro chambers in handcuffs.
Sneaky is, as Sneaky does:
The City should be explaining itself, why are legal items being moved forward in the shadowy claims board even when the Honorable City Council is on a long overdue and totally unwarranted recess? Remember on June 3, the Little-Claims-Board-that-could, heard over 40 items. [Nacho Fries for $10 at Taco Bell for 21 more days.]
As for who specifically heard what about which claims: we are awaiting a coherent response from the City Attorney Hydee Feldstein-Soto.
Feldstein-Soto busted a move recently to block the people's right to know, by working diligently to get California lawmakers to weaken the state's public records law. Understandably, she doesn't want photos released... but this is not personal, the people have a right to see it all.
Coming up this week during City Recess, eighteen legal items are on offer. Who will serve as the trier of facts? A panel of three delegated characters on the authority... "Which three? We don't know,"
1 bicycle fall incident on Valley Circle Blvd in Chatsworth.
1 tree-related incident
1 employment litigation
1 incident involving LAPD
1 Farmers Insurance litigation
5 traffic vehicle versus vehicle
8 trip and fall incidents
Smart Speaker: Farmer's who left Angelenos in the lurch? (eyes narrowing)
"Follow Along" at the bottom for the actual list of cases being decided... sneakily.
Right to a neutral Judge?
Meanwhile, while the sneaky City of Los Angeles is up to its version of no good, the greatest, sneakiest County in all the land exceeded expectations last week by attempting to empower the County Counsel to manage all administrative hearings in the County, including by having County lawyers serving as hearing officers, themselves.
Smart Speaker: That's one way to win a case! Not Kosher or Halal, which has me wondering, why didn't progressive reformers Lindsey P. Horvath and Janice Hahn known as the geniuses behind board expansion, call for the County Counsel to become an elected position? Like the City Attorney.
FEMA announcement: Your time has expired.
Nithya Raman of CD4 noted on X, "Following the now infamous leaked tapes scandal at City Hall, my colleagues and I set to work to truly curb the power of city councilmembers so as to best represent the interests of constituents, not themselves. [Spit-take]
Seeing the County follow suit — and go even further than the City has - should give hope to Angelenos everywhere that their voices are being heard loud and clear. I applaud Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Janice Hahn for leading the way toward a more representative Los Angeles."
[REDACTED]
Smart Speaker: Does Nithya Raman support Hydee Feldstein-Soto's work to weaken the California Public Records Act? Is there an obligation to release pet photo contracts? For instance, how much is Winston being paid to be the county animal advocate?
Adorable Volunteer, Winston Horvath.
California Today Newsletter Update
Starting next week, California Today will have a new look. Soumya Karlamangla announced that the newsletter will still arrive in your inbox every weekday morning, but now it will feature a curated collection of New York Times articles about California. Instead of daily guidance from Soumya, California-based colleagues will occasionally use the newsletter to explain major stories. Additionally, there will be more in-depth reporting and daily news coverage of the state available on the New York Times website. Apparently, many readers also receive the NYT Morning newsletter...
Higher, Higher, Pants On Fire:
In the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the Los Angeles County Fire Department will be enforcing defensible space abatement across 113,466 parcels. The total cost for this enforcement is $11,468,272.00.
The Consolidated Fire District of Los Angeles County Emergency Response and Infrastructure Special Parcel Tax Initiative Ordinance Petition has been capably handled by Jeramy Gray, Chief Deputy to Dean Logan, the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.
Translation: The Fire Tax to help fill the structural hole in the county fire department budget.
Dean declared that there were 182,497 petitions filed by the proponent. Then he and Jeramy, who used to work as the political hack in the Executive Office, verified 5,476 (3%) and found that 4,174 were valid, whereas 1,302 were challenged and so deemed invalid.
The total number of valid signatures necessary is 112,546. A projected number of valid signatures from the 3% random sample would yield 23% more signatures than needed or a total of 139,106.
Maybe Holly Wolcott, the Los Angeles City Clerk, an expert on disqualification could weigh in.
Smart Speaker: Hello, Jeramy! Shouldn't the county be counting more of these signatures just to be absolutely sure?
No! Get him out of here! "Get Well Soon, Judge Beckloff."
County Counsel Cannot Be the Judge, Nice Try!
During one of the most brutal county board meetings in recent memory last week, Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath stuck it to frenemy Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, "So we will see what county counsel's interpretation of the Brown Act is."
The whole nation is waiting to hear County Counsel's interpretation of the Brown Act this Tuesday at the top of the meeting, right after the Land acknowledgment. Do not miss it!
Smart Speaker: Great, let's go back to an item that was not given enough consideration during the carnival surrounding board governance and expansion. More public attention is needed on item 43, related to the County Code, Title 2 - Administration Amendment.
"Pursuant to California Government Code section 27720, et seq., this section establishes the Office of the County Hearing Officer of the County of Los Angeles, located within and administered by the Office of the County Counsel of the County of Los Angeles."
The proposed amendment to delegate the authority to the county counsel to handle all administrative hearings in Los Angeles County is deeply problematic. The county counsel, as the county’s lawyer, is inherently beholden to the Board of Supervisors and the county's interests. This dual role as both advocate and judge presents a glaring conflict of interest. How can we expect impartiality when the same entity advising on legal matters for the county also presides over hearings affecting its operations?
Moreover, this item was strategically delayed until late, suggesting an attempt to minimize public scrutiny. The chair's efforts to expand the board while simultaneously calling for the county counsel to provide a ruling on the Brown Act—a law meant to ensure transparency—only underscores the potential for abuse. The Brown Act is routinely violated by those in power, further eroding public trust.
Pursuant to California Government Code section 27720, the office of the county hearing officer must operate independently to maintain fairness and integrity in administrative hearings. Allowing the county counsel to act as the hearing officer violates this principle and undermines the very foundation of an unbiased judicial process. We must reject this amendment to preserve justice and transparency in our county.
Alba Speaker: Hello, on behalf of neighborhood legal services of Los Angeles County in North LA, we represent low-income people in various administrative and court proceedings. We know the importance of impartial decision-makers ... We ask the county to place this office within a different agency or create clear parameters. Second, the ordinance is silent on crucial elements of due process and accessibility contained in other county ordinances, including language access, appeals, and judicial appeals, hearing notices, procedures for recording of hearings and preparation of transcripts and incorporation of an improvement in chapter 1.25.
The current ordinance does not contain any language related to peremptory challenges to judges, and it should.
A Safety-Based Ordinance Should Not Exempt Nonprofits
While $539 may seem steep, exempting nonprofits from a safety-based ordinance undermines its purpose. Safety regulations protect everyone, and hazards don't discriminate based on an organization's nature. The CO2 soda provider exemption is reasonable, ensuring limited users aren't unfairly burdened. However, blanket exemptions for nonprofits could lead to unsafe conditions, eroding trust in local governance. Every permittee issued a violation notice must correct it by the set date or face a $539 reinspection fee. Safety should be universal, and no entity should bypass essential measures due to exemptions.
City Claims Scorecard: Follow Along
(2) R24-0359 City Attorney report relative to settlement in the case Gregory B. Sherman v. City of Los Angeles, et al. LASC Case No. 22STCV13481. (This matter arises from a bicycle fall incident on May 2, 2021, in the roadway located at Valley Circle Boulevard, in Chatsworth.)
(3) R24-0345 City Attorney report relative to settlement in the case Omar Valdez Lopez v. City of Los Angeles. LASC Case No. 23STCV09818. (This matter arises from a vehicle versus vehicle traffic accident on May 4, 2022, at the intersection of James W. Wood Boulevard and the 110 Freeway on-ramp.)
(4) R24-0346 City Attorney report relative to settlement in the case Tina Kim v. City of Los Angeles. LASC Case No. 21STCV25602. (This matter arises from a slip and fall incident on October 15, 2019, near 200 North Main Street, Los Angeles.)
(5) R24-0347 City Attorney report relative to settlement in the case Farimah Fiali v. City of Los Angeles, et al. LASC Case No. 22STCV21028. (This matter arises from a trip and fall incident on November 23, 2020, on the sidewalk located at 24153 Gilmore Street, in the city of Los Angeles.)
(6) R24-0348 City Attorney report relative to settlement in the case Daniel Davoudi, et al. v. City of Los Angeles, et al. LASC Case No. 21STCV45341. (This matter arises from a trip and fall incident on December 27, 2020, on the sidewalk in front of 2012 Bagley Avenue, in the city of Los Angeles.)
(7) R24-0349 City Attorney report relative to settlement in the case Barbara Stewart v. The City of Los Angeles, et al. LASC Case No. 23SMCV02020. (This matter arises from a trip and fall incident that occurred on February 1, 2023, at 838 South Barrington Avenue, in Los Angeles.)
(8) R24-0360 City Attorney report relative to settlement in the case Chellie Schou v. City of Los Angeles LASC Case No. 19STCV38110. (This matter arises from a tree-related incident on May 16, 2019, near 14709 Sutton Avenue, in the city of Los Angeles.)
(9) R24-0361 City Attorney report relative to settlement in the case Behzad Simon Yousefzadeh v. City of Los Angeles, et al. LASC Case No. 21STCV41848. (This matter arises from Plaintiff tripping and falling on a broken portion of the sidewalk / curb near 21926 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills.)
(10) R24-0350 City Attorney report relative to settlement in the case Linda Daneshrad v. City of Los Angeles. LASC Case No. 22SMCV02842. (This matter arises from a trip and fall incident on February 1, 2022 where the Plaintiff fell on a broken curb located at 1281 Westwood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90025.)
(11) R24-0351 City Attorney report relative to settlement in the case Ines Chavez v. City of Los Angeles LASC Case No. 22STCV19610. (This matter arises from a trip and fall incident that occurred on December 4, 2020, near East 46th Street and South Avalon Boulevard, in the city of Los Angeles.)
(12) R24-0352 City Attorney report relative to settlement in the case Jacqueline Benites v. City of Los Angeles, et al. LASC Case No. 22STCV30442. (This matter arises from a trip and fall incident that occurred on September 16, 2021, on the sidewalk abutting 915 East 87th Street, in the city of Los Angeles.)
(13) R24-0353 City Attorney report relative to settlement in the case Bach N. Dieu v. City of Los Angeles, et al. LASC Case No. 22STCV06164. (This matter arises from a February 25, 2020 traffic collision involving a Bureau of Street Services vehicle at the intersection of Broadway and Avenue 20 in Los Angeles.)
(14) R24-0354 City Attorney report relative to settlement in the case Elizabeth Cabrales v. City of Los Angeles, et al. LASC Case No. 20STCV08755. (This matter arises from a vehicle versus vehicle traffic accident on May 6, 2019, at the intersection of Van Ness Avenue and 67th Street.)
(15) R24-0362 City Attorney report relative to settlement in the case Esmeralda Camacho v. City of Los Angeles, et al. LASC Case No. 20STCV15115. (This matter arises from a vehicle versus vehicle traffic collision that occurred on May 17, 2019, at the intersection of McKinley Avenue and East 50th Street, in the city of Los Angeles.)
(16) R24-0355 City Attorney report relative to settlement in the case Angel F. Igartua, Jr. v. City of Los Angeles LASC Case No. 22STCV15196. (This matter arises from a vehicle versus vehicle traffic accident on May 17, 2021, near West 11th Street and Blaine Street, in the city of Los Angeles.)
(17) R24-0356 City Attorney report relative to settlement in the case Joel Sydanmaa v. Los Angeles Police Department, et al. USDC Case No. 8:20-cv-02190-FLA (JDEx). (This is an Employment Litigation matter against the City of Los Angeles.)
(18) R24-0357 City Attorney report relative to settlement in the case Farmers Insurance Exchange v. City of Los Angeles, et al. CLAIM NO. C22-01617. (This matter arises from the June 30, 2021, incident in which the LAPD Bomb Squad detonated explosive material.)
(19) R24-0358 City Attorney report relative to settlement in the case Rondall Stewart v. Los Angeles Police Department, et al. LASC Case No. 21STCV10900. (This matter arises from an incident involving members of the Los Angeles Police Department that occurred on May 30, 2020, in Los Angeles, California.)
(Eric Preven is a longtime community activist and is a contributor to CityWatch.)
(Eric Preven is a longtime community activist and is a contributor to CityWatch.)
