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ERIC PREVEN’S NOTEBOOK - Tipping in America has spiraled into an epidemic, now creeping into fast food counters, self-checkout kiosks, and even auto garages. The latest twist? Both major-party presidential candidates want to eliminate income taxes on tips, which would only encourage more businesses to rely on this broken system. Economists, employers, and even some tipped workers are raising red flags, calling it unfair and warning of unintended consequences that could make things worse for everyone.
Despite these concerns, service-sector workers have become a hot political commodity since the pandemic. Their clout has presidential candidates bending over backward to win their votes, but the reality is far messier. One Fair Wage, an advocacy group is pushing to end subminimum wages rather than cut taxes on tips. Meanwhile, a recent article in The New York Times reports that customers are getting tired of being constantly asked to tip, leaving service workers caught in an unsustainable cycle.
So why not bring this circus to City Hall? Line up the workers and taxpayers, and let the council members chew over their own incompetence in public, as they love to do. And remember, when you attend a meeting, it’s never a bad idea to carry a $25 gift card for preferred seating. No need to worry about those pesky campaign finance laws—it's like cash but without a name attached! Council members may not receive contributions during meetings, but who’s to say no to a little “thank you” in the form of a gift card? This is LA, after all; there’s always a workaround.
Friday: Sabbath before the Labor Day:
City Clerk ..2616 please unmute yourself.
Smart Speaker: Yeah, it's Eric Preven and I'd like to speak on the available items and a general public comment. And I take note that Groat is absent.
Strefan Fauble, Deputy City Attorney: So, you have...three minutes for items 5, 8, 20 and 21 followed by a minute for general please begin. Okay, I'll start with twenty-one because I remember Alex Johnson. Alex Johnson was a not-for-profit leader, not dissimilar from Marqueece Harris-Dawson fully in the orbit of convicted felon Mark Ridley-Thomas. His career is distinguished by being in virtual lockstep with that group led by now Holly Mitchell and Karen Bass. It's a great political block.
And in the New York Times the other day they had a big article about corruption in California. The main focus is on Huizar and the investment of downtown LA Chinese and the city council. What was NOT said, was as powerful as what was...
How is it possible that Bob Blumenfield who will become Pro Tempore next week, Paul Krekorian, Curren Price, and SStaffer B John Lee all managed to evade indictment when Mitchell Englander, Jose Huizar, and Mark. Ridley Thomas went down in flames. Who knows what the future may bring? So, sticking Alex Johnson back on the Ethics Commission is exactly what we don't need and we remember as we hold hands—
Strefan Fauble, Deputy City Attorney: Alright, Mr. Preven you can move on to you next item.
Smart Speaker: ...the painful work. We remember the shameful shameful painful work. Sure, okay let me go on to the next item. The Port item, these recycler good-guys who ARE NOT profiting from the copper craze. I was just studying that now. Wow. We are increasing the minimum guaranteed substantially to $3.9M from $2.4. So, well done. Very very nicely done. And let's hope we can finally clean up the port.
As we remember today on Labor Day, with so many moving presentations today...and so much butt-kissing... but what about yesterday... when so many truck drivers from the port would come down begging for relief and yuck (link) were only to be frozen out....by this shameful council. Can we get that guy Seroca down here to give a first-class presentation? We are tired of these council members yammering on to one another over and over again repeating themselves.
Paul Krekorian, City Council President (CD2): Alright, next agenda item please.
Smart Speaker: Yeah, I think we are going to go to the general right now. Are you ready? One minute. Thank you. Prop K does not stand for Krekorian.
Yesterday at Beeman Park or Studio City Recreation Center (link) the little elves from Recs and Parks or BOE did a terrible thing. Despite being fully aware of the known opposition to an expansion, they ripped out the picnic tables so folks on Labor Day would be fresh out of luck. When we complained to Paul Krekorian about this expansion years ago, he told us....they "would never get the funding." Well, then he went to work with Brad Sherman to get the money.
Unwanted NITHYA RAMAN Monstrosity in CD4 (formerly CD2) Beeman Park Open Space. Bait and Switcheroo.
Now... Katy Yaroslavsky (CD5), please call Dad or Zev. The entire community of Studio City is under siege by a different powerful political group. Not the Mr. Ridley-Thomas, Alex Johnson group, we're talking about Ambassador Garcett's alma mater, the Harvard Westlake group.
And naturally, at city hall there is an enemy within... our deep state. The Bureau of Engineering (eyes narrowing)... we will never forget the local oversight members who were all appointed by Paul Krekorian, not Nithya Raman, to rubberstamp a bad plan to decimate a local park, that served political needs over residents. We certainly do not need a high school regulation basketball court. And Lisa Karadjian one of Krekorian's henchwomen and someone connected to Tamar Galatzan (her brother)... all tried to pretend the plan was appropriate, even as locals told them "Hell no!" to a giant structure in the open space.
Pick your battles. You're not seriously suggesting putting a huge building in our park, are you?, we said.
Paul Krekorian, City Council President (CD2): Thank you, your time has expired.
Upcoming Tuesday:
Board Of Supervisors will be at the Beach... or Paralympics until September 10th.
City Council Hard at work (or hardly working):
Appointments and Reappointments: 17 items
Sharon Delugach: Board of Fire Commissioners (Term ending June 30, 2029) - 23-0500
Phyllis Klein: Los Angeles City Planning Commission (Term ending June 30, 2027) - 23-0510
Jacob Saitman: Los Angeles City Planning Commission (Term ending June 30, 2027) - 23-0520
Giovanni Zuniga: Commission on Community and Family Services (Term ending June 30, 2028) - 23-0530
Pierre Arreola: Board of Human Relations Commissioners (Term ending June 30, 2028) - 23-0540
Rosa Russell: Board of Human Relations Commissioners (Term ending June 30, 2028) - 23-0550
Katherine Yeom: Board of Commissioners on the Status of Women (Term ending June 30, 2028) - 23-0560.
(Current composition: M = 0; F = 7)
Simona Grace: Board of Commissioners on the Status of Women (Term ending June 30, 2028) - 23-0570
Luis Vasquez: Commission on Community and Family Services (Term ending June 30, 2028) - 23-0580
Lisa Vasquez: Commission on Community and Family Services (Term ending June 30, 2028) - 23-0590
Dr. Mara Cohen: Commission on Community and Family Services (Term ending June 30, 2028) - 23-0600
Cristina Rose: Board of Commissioners on the Status of Women (Term ending June 30, 2028) - 23-0610
Maria Roman-Taylorson: Board of Human Relations Commissioners (Term ending June 30, 2028) - 23-0620
Dr. Enrique De La Cruz: Board of Human Relations Commissioners (Term ending June 30, 2028) - 23-0630
Hoang Nguyen: Civil and Human Rights Commission (Term ending June 30, 2029) - 23-0640
Candice Cho: Board of Human Relations Commissioners (Term ending June 30, 2028) - 23-0650
Chinedu Udeh: Commission on Community and Family Services (Term ending June 30, 2028) - 23-0660
Alisa Schlesinger: Commission on Disability (Term ending June 30, 2029) - 23-0670
Bob Blumenfield: Council President Pro Tempore (Effective September 20, 2024) - 23-0680
Blumenfield's people.
Funding: 14 items
24-0850: Increase in Port of Los Angeles rates, $6,936,291 increase in operating revenues -
24-0850 24-0852: Liquor license for The Upstairs, no specific financial implication -
24-0852 23-1022-S5: HHAP-3 and HHAP-4 funds for interim housing and master leasing, no General Fund impact -
23-1022-S5 22-1545-S20: $1,055,317.97 from Inside Safe Reserve for homelessness-related expenses -
22-1545-S20 24-0795: Statement of Debt Accountability and Capital Improvement Plan, no financial analysis completed -
24-0795 24-0293: Report on Project Roomkey investments, potential impact on future budgets -
24-0293 23-1248: RFP for affordable housing development, no General Fund impact -
23-1248 16-0600-S145: Extension of Exclusive Negotiation Agreement for affordable housing, no General Fund impact -
16-0600-S145 19-0126-S2: Reduction in Proposition HHH funds for Homekey projects, no additional financial impact -
19-0126-S2 11-0217-S1: Transfer of funds for pedestrian bridge project, $150,000 - 11-0217-S1 Item 33
“The Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC)” in the Recreation and Parks Fund No. 302/89, Account No. 89270K (General Capital), for construction of a pedestrian bridge project that connects Valley College to park space in Coldwater Canyon in CD 2, to be provided by the Social and Public Art Resource Center. [There is No map or Budget for this item. Why not?]
35-1000: Transfer for Harbor Park Pool operations, $7,500 - 35-1000
What about the Olympics money from LA28? Rememberthe $160 million?
36-1090: Transfer for security door installation, $133,455 -
36-1090 44-5000: Funding for CARECEN day labor centers, $85,000 -
44-5000 42-2000: Transfer for Jenesse Center operations, $300,000 -
BID Reports: 11 items
12-0489-S1: Chinatown BID APR for FY 2024, no General Fund impact -
12-0489-S1 13-0199-S1: East Hollywood BID APR for FY 2024, no General Fund impact -
13-0199-S1 12-0071-S1: Historic Old Town Canoga Park BID APR for FY 2024, no General Fund impact -
12-0071-S1 13-0603-S1: Greater Leimert Park Village/Crenshaw Corridor BID APR for FY 2024, no General Fund impact -
13-0603-S1 13-0705-S1: Melrose BID APR for FY 2024, no General Fund impact -
13-0705-S1 15-0094-S1: Old Granada Village BID APR for FY 2024, no General Fund impact -
15-0094-S1 20-0400: San Pedro Historic Waterfront BID APR for FY 2024, no adverse impact on property owners -
20-0400 21-0500: Venice Beach BID APR for FY 2024, no adverse impact on property owners -
21-0500 22-0600: Westchester Town Center BID APR for FY 2024, no adverse impact on property owners -
22-0600 23-0700: Downtown Industrial District BID APR for FY 2024, no adverse impact on property owners -
Sneaky Amendments: 7 items
24-0850: Port of Los Angeles Tariff Amendment for rate increases -
24-0850 24-0795: FY 2024-25 Statement of Debt Accountability and Capital Improvement Plan approval -
24-0795 24-0852: Liquor license issuance for The Upstairs -
24-0852 12-0489-S1: Chinatown BID APR -
12-0489-S1 19-0126-S2: Reduction in Proposition HHH funds for Homekey projects -
19-0126-S2 25-0100: LexisNexis Contract amendment, increasing by $1,116,000 - (REDFLAG)
25-0100 31-0050: Kendall Brill & Kelly, LLP Contract amendment, increasing by $652,631 (REDFLAG)
Reports: 6 items
24-0293: Report on Project Roomkey investments -
24-0293 23-0479-S1: Analysis of Judge Ford’s Ruling in Barrington Plaza Case -
23-0479-S1 24-0140-S1: Analysis of Supreme Court Ruling on Homelessness Regulations -
24-0140-S1 23-1248: RFP for affordable housing development -
23-1248 16-0600-S145: Extension of Exclusive Negotiation Agreement for affordable housing -
16-0600-S145. GTM Holdings and Women Organizing Resources, Knowledge and Services (together, the Developers
11-0217-S1: Report on Pedestrian Bridge Project in CD 2 -
REAP: 1 item
32-0000: Removal of property from REAP - 32-0000
Reward: 2 items
25-0000: Reward payment for fatal hit-and-run case - $50,000
Not identified: $50,000 Reward for Unnamed Good Samaritan. CLASSIFIED
37-0000: Reinstatement of $50,000 reward offer for unsolved murder
Other Reports: 3 items
34-0000: Acceptance of gifts for ReelAbilities Film Festival - 34-0000 $10,000 gift from Disney Worldwide Services,
But LA Times readers know their track record is splotchy... link
35-0000: Funding for Harbor Park Pool in CD 15 -
Michigan Weed. Go Blue!
Geographically, Michigan is in a great place to sell a lot of cannabis. The impact of cross-border shopping from states that are not yet legal is very relevant when you look at per-store revenue. Add to that the fact that Michigan law allows people to buy up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis at a time and possess up to 2.5 ounces in public or 10 ounces at home. In California, it’s only legal to purchase and possess up to 28.5 grams — just over an ounce — of weed.
Notes From Last Wednesday City Council:
City Clerk: ...2616 please unmute yourself.
Smart Speaker: Yeah it's Eric Preven from Studio City. Item one, is that what is on the docket?
Jonathan Groat, Deputy City Attorney: Yes, go ahead and please start his time over. "So, you have one minute for item number one."
Smart Speaker: Thank you. So the bimonthly charge for a typical family home on this is going to go from $72.27 to $92.08, which means that the bimonthly charge will go to $155 by 2028 which means $933 per parcel. So it's a huge amount of money... the question is, how can the city come after the residents for more money (again) in good faith since there have been so many fuckups... including the $38 million dollar settlement behind Mei Ling law suit and the horrible abusive neglect the city imposed on the disabled housing community...so shameful. Egregious. And yet you continue to go into closed session... and do wrong. And your big focus, seems to be bulking up on more council district offices for your friends? And the county under Lindsey Horvath's asinine leadership appears tobe jumping in the dumb dumb tent. When the Board should be scaling back and becoming more effective, they are doing the opposite. Attempting to get voters to agree to more elected leaders. We say, unwieldy. So pathetic -- but great work!
Jonathan Groat, Deputy City Attorney: Please begin with the items.
Smart Speaker: Okay, well sixty-six is an item having to do with Leonard Shaffer. You stuck him, a former cop, at the end of the agenda. He's reupping to the board of neighborhood commissioners. You know, maybe -- he's not a bad guy obviously -- though I would say he's part of a core deep state group at city hall. Years ago, he tried to block the ouster of an incumbent council government that we had voted out. He did so by imposing rules that people were not set up to understand immediately because he was misleading them.
Anyway, it was totally outrageous and inappropriate but surprisingly effective. The puppet was installed and eventually we got her out, and Shaffer sits there year after year... why not make room for someone else, Shaffer? How about Jamie York?
That was a stunning failure on the part of Mr. Harris-Dawson (CD8) and Rodriguez (CD7). Shameful, we all remember... Dirty dirty stuff. Number 67 doesn't exactly pass the smell test... 17 contracts, each up to $3M so that is nearly $60M of authorized... spending for what?
There's a list of lucky winners at the end but we are on the honor system here. Pffft...
Yer $350,000 spay and neuter project looks okay, but it would great to hear if the Harbor Animal people are meeting expectations for that kind of money. Are they? Carl Weathers will be getting a posthumous star on the walk of fame. Not sure how the hand print works for that one... For those who don't know he was Apollo Creed. I want to thank Mr. Soto-Martinez for remembering those who came before us and...died. Thank you.
Yeah, the CD12 spending $120 thousand dollars on something other than policing is surprising and noteworthy. Although it is called homeless services I assume Staff B means scraping the homeless out of his area ... into Blumenfields house.
And finally, not finally, but this particular agenda is unfriendly to the idea of public participation. And I'm just reaching out to the council to see if they might be interested in having good productive meetings.
Jonathan Groat, Deputy City Attorney: General public comment.
Smart Speaker: Yeah the general public comment is why not do a better job? Today Tom Girardi, the attorney who is accused of embezzling $15 million dollars from his clients, and who Krekorian and Wesson honored and inserted a beautiful presentation right up the -- just like Deleon just did for the Ambassador from Guatemala today. So bad judgment by the council presidents is expected.
This sort of taints the feeling for the Guatemalans who deserve better... than being associated with one of the great corruptos of the decade, Thom Girardi. No disrespect to other crooks and Brian Panesh or the McNicholas bros. I think one way to be better is to actually put agenda items in front of the people.
By allowing people, as Yaroslavsky and Raman have each admitted: Committee meetings is where some of the work is done, so to deny speakers virtual access is simply antithetical to engaging the community. You can quote me on that. It's just really bad and finally, if we are going to publish newsletters at the LA Times please be sure to identify all the people in photographs not just the men and white women. Is that clear? Snoop's sidekick should be seen. Incidentally, great shot of Traci Park by Francie Orr who got her name in the paper. I suggest Shelby Grad order a profile on the sidekick to make it right. You're welcome.
(Eric Preven is a longtime community activist and is a contributor to CityWatch.)
