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ERIC PREVEN’S NOTEBOOK - Rob Quan, Speaker: Hi, I'm Rob Quan. I live in Supervisorial District 1. With all of the talk about the missing report, I think it's worth emphasizing that they completed polling on this issue in May and waited until July to introduce the motion. We could have had twice as much time to talk about this.
Also, I want to note that the California Clean Money Campaign submitted a memo yesterday evening. We suggested some changes that would ensure fair essentials for independents. I know you want to wrap it up today, but we ask that at a minimum, Supervisors Hahn and Solis commit to returning to the ballot in 2026 to ensure substantive ethics reforms are in place. Failure to do so is going to needlessly harm this issue and others on the ballot.
If this thing fails in November because of your handling of it, it could set the expansion move back in a really devastating way that can screw over what we're trying to do at the city level. Please, show some leadership, and follow through, this is all just a really annoying process to see—
Executive Officer: Thank you, your time has expired. Next speaker, please.
Moderator: Next is Eric Preven. Unmute yourself and speak directly into the phone, you may begin.
Smart Speaker: Thank you, I don't know how to unmute myself. But I just feel like Horvath gets credit for being brave on this, but the process has been super bad. And to look at the county CEO as an elected position, it really does not come into focus as the resolution to any of our problems. I mean, Fesia Davenport is competent, she can put up a plan… Do you want the voters to tell her what kind of plan? That’s your job. The Legislative body of five supervisors. And frankly, I remember in the bad old days, five supervisors seemed smart, compared to the disunited council. And regarding Ethics, please consider this, the city ethics commission has already—it is a dog that doesn't hunt but it is functional at posting the data we need to expose the shenanigans. Why not pool resources and provide one ethics commission for the County and the City of Los Angeles? The city can easily take under it’s wing the five or nine supervisors, the DA and the Assessor.
This would mean there would be one place to get the information watchdogs and citizens need. And we noted that here at the county you announce who has contributed over $250 on some items. Why don't we do that over at the city, as well?
I would recommend tabling this item until a sane process can be achieved — also, where is the Covington Burling report on contracting fraud?
Executive Officer: Thank you, your time has expired.
Moderator: Our next participant is Eric Preven. Please unmute and speak directly into the phone. You may begin.
Smart Speaker: Hopefully I'm unmuted. I don't have a mute feature. I believe in Care First. And I think that everybody agrees that jail should be last. But what about when care first is refused? This is a real question. We don't have a good place to put the guy who is living in the Grand Park fountain.
Dietrich, good talker. Good guy.
Now, I love hearing Deputy Dietrich tell it like it is. He’s a great speaker asset. And I don't mind when law enforcement are helpful on some of these homelessness issues. This doesn’t mean we have to criminalize the homeless.
One idea, for the county — one of the most compassionate counties in America— is to bring the unhoused people who don’t want to leave the neighborhood park to the Kenn Hall Compassionate Administration. This would be on a temporary compassionate basis, while your teams put together some housing. “Sir, can the teams go to Paris?”
So, we move the unhoused out of the public spaces in our neighborhoods, and bring them to the county where they can queue up and the county staff, who Horvath admitted are doing a fantastic job, can deal with them. So, County Compassion would come after Care First but before Jail Last. A temporary but compassionate place... like Paris! I’d like to take a moment to thank staff —
Executive Officer: Thank you. Your time has expired. Next speaker, please.
Moderator: Samuel, the line is open, we can hear you breathing.
Sup. Lindsey Horvath, Chair: Okay, we'll go to the next speaker.
Moderator: Next is Eric Preven. Unmute yourself.
Smart Speaker: Thank you for notifying the prior speaker about the breathing, that seemed important and compassionate.
This MCJ item is a big mess naturally. It's been a decade-long mess and I was here in the beginning. I've seen so many of these promises and what can we do? I was moved by Mitchell's desire to do something other than a motion or report back. It's a great question.
James Austin had a coherent idea, to execute some directives, and move the Men’s Central Jail population to smaller jails around the county. Once the smaller facilities absorb, we demo MCJ. You pick a date and you demo it. What comes in the aftermath is some kind of a care facility. Obviously, the old MCJ is a fiasco.
That said, it’s not clear how nine supervisors is a good answer to anything. We need to remove or vote down the charter amendment. It’s a distraction from the lack of leadership.
And an …Elected CEO? Are you kidding me? I have an idea, you gals go over to Paris, have a good time on the taxpayers. But don’t pretend that you are doing the work. This is a quick, “Oh, shit, the city is doing something” let’s give the people something to talk about… other than our Olympic boondoggle. Thank you.
Executive Officer: Next speaker, please.
Moderator: The first participant is Eric Preven. Unmute yourself and speak directly into your phone.
Smart Speaker: Thank you and I appreciate the discussion. We do need a kind of "mod squad” to provide sneaky outreach to the younger people about street racing. The supervisors may not have credibility with that set. Like Barbara Ferrer of Public Health said, we need a credible delivery person.
The Sheriff said “We're not young and hip, we're not going to be the ones to connect to the kids.”
Right, that’s why I’ve suggested sending in a young county counsel dressed up like a cool kid to get in there and issue a bunch of citations. Not Alberty, Not Zurabyan… a newish young one! But a real ball-buster, like old Tinkham!
Look, these racers are engaged in serious violent conduct. I do blame Vin Diesel and the Fast and Furious franchise that glorifies driving like lunatics and getting away with it.
But mostly I blame you. So, let’s make sure we learn up on how sweet racing is handled in Paris. I would like to move that a large squadron of Deputy Sheriffs be sent to Paris, with Horvath and Hahn, first class.
Ambassador Snoop Dogg.
Executive Officer: Thank you, your time has expired. Next speaker, please.
LA Grievance Hall:
Sad Speaker: Downtown during the strike, I saw Councilmember De Leon working on the five-block area, which is great. But we have a lot of people coming downtown who have been struggling for a while. I know this firsthand because I was in a similar situation, and I can tell you that it’s a very difficult process to get rent protection. It’s not easy to get help. We need more accountability and transparency, especially from property management companies. Nonprofits that are supposed to be helping are not taking care of the people. People are becoming...
City Attorney: Speaker, I cannot tell which item you're speaking to. Can you identify the item on the agenda?
Speaker: That's fine, I'll move on. Another issue, preparing the downtown neighborhood for a lot of things and working on the sidewalk, we have an ordinance that you voted on to pass and it's still waiting in the committee I believe — The rodeo ban. I have presented the City Council with research showing that when that rodeo takes place here in Los Angeles, there is a significant increase in crime in the area.
Councilmember Hutt has been appointed to 3rd base, and thinks she just hit a triple! Meanwhile, we’re still dealing with weed abatement, along with Kevin Deleon’s smaller contractors and veterans initiative—and thanks for the deeply moving Muhammad Ali presentation on Muslim Faith Day!
And whatever happened to Mayor Bass’s brilliant idea of asking the rich friends to take in a homeless family? Seems like that’s gone up in smoke! But shout out to Hutt! She snagged a pole position without being qualified or elected.
Next caller.
Smart Speaker: Hello, this is Eric Preven from Studio City. I'd like to speak on the items and give a general public comment.
Jonathan Groat, Deputy City Attorney: Alright, you have three minutes for the items and one minute for general public comment. Please begin with the items.
(bark bark)
Smart Speaker: Okay. Well, first of all, the $400 to light Tom Bradley up and make a little celebration, I think it's appropriate and supportable.
I wanted to ask you, Groat, will you be keeping track of the expenditures for Paul Krekorian, our Council President, while he's over in Paris on the longest "so-called" business trip by an active council president, EVER... ?!
Paul Krekorian (CD2) tweeting old news about Amelia Earhart to distract from extended boondoggle.
Jonathan Groat, Deputy City Attorney: Speaker, this is not on the agenda, so I'm going to ask that you politely speak to the matters. Please stick to the items on the agenda.
Smart Speaker: This is related to the Muslim festival. [Dog barking] Be quiet.
Jonathan Groat, Deputy City Attorney: You can speak to this during general. [Dog barking]
Smart Speaker: Sir, do not interrupt these watchdogs.
Jonathan Groat, Deputy City Attorney: Are you talking about the dogs or... go ahead.
Smart Speaker: I'm talking about not disrupting my comments. Anyway, I'm going to have to go to the general public comment now because I've been pushed from the agenda by all of your intentional interruptions.
Jonathan Groat, Deputy City Attorney: Okay, you have one minute for general public comment per your request.
Smart Speaker: Yes, the general public comment. I know Krekorian is planning to be over at the Olympics for the longest time that any seated councilmember has ever been anywhere — from July 24 to August 8. It’s all at our expense, and of course, that seems reasonable, because Krekorian is setting up jobs for himself and his lobbyist friends for the 2028 Olympics. And I'd like to recognize and thank the Wasserman Agency for landing 164 sponsored athletes in these glorious 2024 games. One can only imagine how many athletes Wasserman will represent by 2028.
And I suggest that we also thank Harvard-Westlake, once again. Krekorian and Raman under the school's guidance are planning to put in a dizzying array of high school regulation basketball courts within a half-mile radius. More than any other section of America. It may be a world record. There are going to be four over at Weddington Golf & Private Asshole Academy, where Raman's father used to play tennis. And, right around the corner at Beeman, they are going to stick a huge net zero building in the open grassy field ruining Studio City Rec Center. Prop K is not for Krekorian.
The behind-the-scenes movers and shakers who helped realize this asinine dream, include congressman, Brad Sherman. I think "appalling beyond belief” covers it.
Let’s see if we can get Eric Garcetti to come back from India and lead the LA River Olympic Parade with his bestie, Casey Wasserman. Maybe a kayak?
City Attorney: Caller, your time has expired.
No Comment For You:
It was a busy Wednesday at the council meeting, with Marqueece Harris-Dawson (CD8) stepping up as the acting mayor while both Council President Paul Krekorian and Mayor Karen Bass were overseas. The agenda was jam-packed with escheatment of monies left behind when people were arrested; liens on residential properties for building and safety violations, and lots of REAP (Rent Escrow Account Program) items.
The real fireworks arose over a motion to allocate $2 million to protect houses of worship from racist attacks. Katy Yaroslavsky (CD5) and Bob Blumenfield (CD3) found themselves in the hot seat as furious protesters filled the room, accusing them of enabling apartheid-style war criminals in Israel. The term "Nazi" was tossed around loosely. Yaroslavsky tried to explain that Governor Newsom had come up with $76 million that could be used for this purpose, so their motion could simply be received and filed. Unfortunately, the relentless public speakers weren't having it, bombarding the council members with articulate scathing critiques.
Even Evan Lovett of "LA in a Minute," who was recently honored by the council (a demerit) has practically become an in-house spin doctor. Check out his planning primer—one wonders how much he gets paid to lay down tracks explaining complicated planning rules to the public, helping the agency with outreach. Sigh.
As tensions ran high, Harris-Dawson announced at 12:56 pm that he would take phone-in comments until 1 pm. One smart speaker would have allotted time to address Krekorian's three-week Olympic voyage as one of the longest trips ever taken by a council member. It was recommended that Krekorian fly first class at taxpayer expense, to collect business cards that will help once the 12-month holdback on lobbying period expires.
There could have been jokes about France, and the train track fires and we could have speculated as to whether Krekorian would adopt some complicated French bureaucratic BS, to gently assist him in his quest to shove the City Hall's Obelisk into a federal designation.
And lastly of course... the pumpkin bread—maybe Krekorian could establish a sister city relationship over a good loaf if he can find one. This was Tom Labonge's great contribution. A loaf in every pot.
All in all, it was a petty pink-faced deficient meeting filled with passionate speeches and a massive amount of disrespect for the ground citizens of Los Angeles. Go USA!
(Eric Preven is a longtime community activist and is a contributor to CityWatch.)
