P3 Pumpkin Patches

ERIC PREVEN'S NOTEBOOK - The City Council of Los Angeles has canceled its regular meeting scheduled for Wednesday, October 2, 2024. Please note that the Continued Consideration of Council file No. 24-0160-S75 will take place on October 8, 2024. 

Marqueece Harris-Dawson continues No. 24-0160-S75 to thin the herd in poorer districts.

The council will then shift from the audible "day off" for no reason to a scheduled recess on October 4, 2024, for Rosh Hashanah. In the meantime, you can locate your council members at any number of pumpkin patches citywide. 

Spotlight on HR&A, Private Sector Ignition Device

A glance at upcoming items includes a motion from Councilmembers Raman and Blumenfield to authorize the CAO to accept in-kind consultancy services from the California Community Foundation [Isn't that Mr. Harris-Dawson's prior employer?], the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, and Southern California Grantmakers to advance a new strategic work plan for the City's Homeless Strategy Committee.  They aim for a robust study of the various data sets agencies use to gather critical information, along with an assessment of the latest best practices from other jurisdictions for quick implementation citywide. The complete strategy should also outline a systemic approach to coordination with the County, LAHSA, and other regional entities.

Who's going to do the robust study? HR&A.

HR&A, comprised of local government operations experts (perhaps lobbyists?) and homeless program designers, works on the inside and outside of government, which presents a potential conflict of interest.  

"Get him out of here."

Founded in 1976, HR&A is a national firm specializing in public-private partnerships (P3). With nearly 50 years of expertise, they provide strategic guidance, economic analysis, and implementation planning to enhance community vitality and ensure equitable outcomes. HR&A prioritizes collaboration across sectors, addressing systemic inequities and fostering sustainable growth. As an employee-owned firm, each team member is invested in project success, driving excellence and transformational impact. They connect governments with eager private investors, such as Wes Edens, often negotiating favorable deals for the private sector.

New York Drama: 

I caught two plays in New York that both serve as cautionary tales about the impact of technology on art and the integrity of the creative process.  

Job

Starring Sydney Lemmon, Job follows a woman employed in content moderation for a major tech company who experiences a psychological breakdown due to the pressures of her job. The narrative unfolds in the office of her therapist, played by Peter Friedman, where she seeks approval to return to work. The play examines the toll that modern technology and corporate culture can take on mental health, highlighting the intense struggles faced by individuals in the digital age.

Shrink set for Job on Broadway. 

McNeal

Featuring Academy Award® winner Robert Downey Jr. McNeal delves into the life of a Nobel Prize winning writer who confronts the existential crises brought on by the digital age. As he navigates the challenges of maintaining artistic integrity in a world dominated by artificial intelligence technology, the play raises poignant questions about authenticity and the cost of success in a rapidly changing landscape. The starry cast includes Brittany Bellizeare, Rafi Gavron, Melora Hardin, Andrea Martin, Ruthie Ann Miles, and Saisha Talwar.

Jeremy Strong and Dustin Hoffman take their seats at McNeal.

The Corruption Parade: Coast to Coast

The recent corruption scandals surrounding figures like Senator Menendez of New Jersey and Mayor Eric Adams of New York reveal the persistent rot at the heart of our political systems. Gold bars hidden in homes? Luxury travel suites at a fraction of the cost? These aren't isolated incidents—they’re symptoms of a much larger issue. Adams, now under indictment, wants a speedy trial, and he should get one. But shouldn’t all citizens be entitled to the same?

The justice system, overburdened by delays, tends to grant the wealthy and powerful quick resolutions while the everyday person is left hanging in bureaucratic hell. A fair legal system would streamline trials for everyone—not by replacing court staff with AI or cutting corners, but by reducing workloads, enhancing transparency, and improving efficiency. AI, for example, could help manage case loads and track processes, freeing up court resources for more significant work.

Mayor Adams insists the allegations are merely "routine" political behavior. Lavish trips and perks, like getting Turkish campaign donations in exchange for pushing a building permit for Turkey’s consulate? This all sounds eerily familiar—but it also highlights how far we’ve drifted from what should be the norm in public office.

Here in Los Angeles, our city council members and county supervisors are no strangers to Boondoggling. We still await a full accounting of their travel related records to the Paris Olympics over the summer.  Por qua les delay? Public records requests under the California Public Records Act (CPRA) languish for months, ignored as if basic transparency is some kind of inconvenient afterthought. 

And what are the council members doing while we wait? Taking time off, canceling meetings,  presumably to provide concierge level district service to the Trustees [Harvard-Westlake] and Treasured Partners [Capri Urban Partners, LLC] and the nakedly greedy like Midwood Partners who are dedicated to the prioritization of profit over Studio City people. 

Profit over people at Midwood, special thanks to city planning staff!

I will stipulate that need both speedy trials and quicker access to public records. The recent court reporter shortage here in Los Angeles is being addressed by allowing litigants to make audio recordings for trial transcripts—this will help bring swifter and more affordable justice. 

Transcripts are critical and essential.  Scholars will remember the Citizens Commission on Jail Violence Meeting Trancript kerfuffle?  Zev Yaroslavsky who famously said, “We don’t need a Vin Scully down here,” appointed Miriam Krinsky to handle the CCJV and she reluctantly agreed to release meeting transcripts after I went berserk. Justice prevailed that time, but if the public can't call balls and strikes, the home team loses every time—you can't fake clarity. 

Dockworkers' Strike: Who Really Pays the Price?

The dockworkers' strike at the Port of New York and New Jersey and other eastern ports reveals deeper divides within the working class. While longshore workers picket for higher wages and job protections, the truck drivers, who are essential to moving goods, face an entirely different struggle. The longshoremen, often earning up to $200,000 with overtime, are viewed by the drivers as the "aristocrats of the docks." Paid hourly, dockworkers have little incentive to speed up operations, while drivers, compensated per load, sit for hours unpaid, waiting for containers to be released. Worse yet, dockworkers deny them access to restrooms, an indignity that only sharpens the divide.

Signs proclaiming "CORPORATE GREED VERSUS WORKER RIGHTS" can be seen among the striking longshoremen, but the irony is stark: it’s the truckers and other lower-paid workers who feel the greatest pinch. Often non-unionized and operating as independent contractors, these drivers have minimal job security, working long hours under strenuous conditions. Forced to wait in their trucks, they suffer the direct financial consequences of delays in a system that benefits the few.

This strike, like recent labor disputes in Hollywood with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, showcases how the powerful few are able to halt entire industries, while the less secure workers—drivers, hair and makeup artists, and stagehands—are left to absorb the damage. It’s an all-too-familiar story of corporate profit driving worker desperation. The shipping companies, like film studios, rake in billions while workers argue over scraps.

I hope for a swift resolution, but the core of the problem lies in the glaring inequity within labor ranks themselves. It’s not just the corporations pitting workers against each other; it's a system that allows higher-paid, secure workers to fight for their rights while their blue-collar counterparts get left behind. This needs to change.

Hearth. Ecology. 

Chain of Fools:

Subject: Public Comment Denial & Deselection Process

A member of the texted me:  "Groat muted me immediately after I was FIRST CALLER today."  I had the same experience. This raises concerns about the current deselection process, and whether a lawsuit over these egregious practices will be required. One way or another we need a tectonic shift in how the public is regarded by City Hall. 

Forwarded Message:
From: Eric Preven
To: Solomon Rivera
Cc: Holly Wolcott, David Michaelson, George Gascón
Sent: September 24, 2024
Subject: Not called - deselection 🚨

Why was I not called two meetings in a row?

Forwarded Message:
From: Eric Preven
To: Tanea Ysaguirre
Cc: Jonathan Groat, David Michaelson, George Gascón, Holly Wolcott, Solomon Rivera
Sent: September 25, 2024
Subject: Denied Comment

Mr. Harris-Dawson has been improperly reducing speakers and culling critics. I urge you to take my comment today.

Forwarded Message:
From: Eric Preven
To: Jonathan Groat
Cc: David Michaelson, Solomon Rivera, Holly Wolcott, George Gascón
Sent: October 1, 2024
Subject: In Queue

Forwarded Message:
From: Eric Preven
To: Tanea Ysaguirre, Councilmember John S. Lee, Kevin De Leon
Cc: Holly Wolcott, George Gascón, Jon Nahhas, Councilmember Harris-Dawson, Dawyn Harrison
Sent: September 25, 2024
Subject: Violation of Right to Speak

You violated my right to speak at the Special meeting. We will figure out who is behind this.

818-645-2616

Forwarded Message:
From: Jonathan Groat
To: Eric Preven
Cc: David Michaelson, Solomon Rivera, Holly Wolcott, George Gascón
Sent: October 1, 2024
Subject: Eric Preven in Queue

Good morning Mr. Preven,

Public comment, both in person and virtually, is closed.

Also, please note that e-mailing me directly does not constitute signing up for public comment.

Thank you and have a great day,
Jonathan Groat

Forwarded Message:
From: Eric Preven
To: Ted Ross
Cc: Jonathan Groat, Tanea Ysaguirre
Sent: October 1, 2024
Subject: Metadata Request

Please provide the metadata from today’s meeting. Thanks.

Forwarded Message:
From: Eric Preven
To: Jonathan Groat
Cc: David Michaelson, Solomon Rivera, Holly Wolcott, George Gascón
Sent: October 1, 2024
Subject: Meeting Cancellation

Why is Wednesday's meeting cancelled? Please provide the resolution. Thanks.

(Eric Preven is a longtime community activist and is a contributor to CityWatch.)