Comments
ERIC PREVEN’S NOTEBOOK - In David Zahniser’s article, “Council Moves to Curb Slurs at Meetings,” members of the public are referred to as “audience members.” This is a fundamental misunderstanding of how public meetings work.
Members of the public are not passive spectators at a performance; they are active participants in the democratic process. Public meetings exist so that residents can engage, question, and hold their elected officials accountable. Calling them “audience members” diminishes their role and misrepresents the very purpose of these meetings.
Words matter. Dismissing engaged citizens as mere observers is not only inaccurate—it’s insulting. I urge the Los Angeles Times to publicly correct this mischaracterization and acknowledge the rightful role of the people in their government.
Backroom Governance:
If you’ve ever watched a Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting and wondered why billion-dollar decisions get approved with barely a whisper of discussion, the answer lies in something called the Operations Cluster.
These under-the-radar meetings—posted quietly on the CEO’s website—are where supervisors’ staff, department heads, and consultants hammer out the real details of major motions. By the time the public hears about it at the formal Board meeting, it’s already a done deal.
The County claims these Clusters are “an important part” of its governance system and that the public can provide input. But in practice, the meetings are opaque. Agendas are vague. Zoom links are hard to find. Public comment is capped or rushed. At the March 19 meeting, where a $1 billion homelessness realignment plan was discussed, speakers were given just one minute each after hours of closed-door consensus building.
That’s not transparency. That’s choreography.
The Brown Act promises the public a role in shaping policy—not reacting to it after it’s fully baked. If Cluster meetings are where decisions are really made, then they should be treated like any other official public meeting: clearly noticed, meaningfully accessible, and genuinely participatory.
Democracy doesn’t happen in the dark. And LA County shouldn’t be doing its laundry behind a curtain.
Metro Family:
The Metro Board went into closed session at outset on Thursday, to prune back the commenters. It worked.
Charles Safer is finally retiring, which is worrisome. He served for many years as a public agency attorney and was frequently the last line of defense between us and, you, the procedural sleight-of-hand artists. With him gone, it’s just vibes and redacted PDFs.
Now, the consent calendar—where democracy gets shoved into a blender with toner purchases and $4 million settlements. You call it efficient. We call it camouflage. And God forbid anyone pulls an item—staff looks at you like you’ve insulted their mother, and leadership acts like you’ve delayed the Olympics.
Smart Speaker: That's a good idea, let's take the Olympics in 2032 and give them back to Paris in 2028. And, btw, we are STILL waiting for Katy Yaroslavsky's travel expenses from her Oooh, La, La or Chi-town trip.
The consent calendar isn’t streamlining. It’s steamrolling.
And no, voting on “the whole calendar” doesn’t count as accountability. It’s anti-transparency, groupthink in bulk.
On General Public Comment
Smart Speaker: General public comment. Three minutes, is that accurate? … You are planning to fact check me to make sure I stay on the items? OK. Please don't interrupt, as it is pretty difficult as is. I'm just a volunteer. I want to say that my heart goes out to the DHS over the sad sad sad budget news. I had no idea that we had a billion-dollar ($945M) problem going into the instant threats we may be facing from DC. Now in terms of the homeless report, you know... I know you don't want me to discuss it— okay. All right. I'll come back for the bureaucratic spectacle later. In terms of the update on Emergency deals, you know, I am happy that both Pestrella of Public Works and the ISD have done some disclosing and assessments of how the emergency contracting has been going. Short answer: Great! For who? Great question. One big detail missing there was nothing about F.E.M.A. reimbursement, and I know that we have $1.28 billion, or something authorized without much transparency. Almost $300 million of that could be a F.E.M.A. reimbursement. But when will we get it? Supervisor Horvath, could you ask that question? And in terms of the parking enforcement… All right. I'll come back it. And regarding Bungee America Barger's area, I am starting to wonder, whether or not some of these environmental objections are just to delay and put people through the wringer? Apparently, only 67 people a day engage in bungee jumping.
On Bungee America (Item 3)
Smart Speaker: I think this looks okay as they've been good sherperds of the environment. And only 67 people a day max are engaged up there... so what's not to agree? That said, be careful not to get Whiplash. The chord measurement is key to avoid unwanted... you know. I'm sure they have advisories about what to do — if you swing wide or smash into a low flying bird or something. Also, human error is a thing. Politely, I think you need your head examined but okay to allow this group to proceed as long as they have a fair evacuation plan so that they can properly transport people out with the various neck injuries, and back braces etc. out safely. Without, and this is key, eating up LA County Fire resources which are in very short supply based on the structural deficit and all of the difficulty we have been facing under your leadership. Once again, thank you to a very, very generous Board for taking care of this once and for all. Let's make sure that all of the office holders are treated with the respect they deserve following this approval. Thank you Bodek, you are doing a great job.
On Weed Abatement (Item 2)
Smart Speaker: There is a lot of feedback, Mr. Yen. I'm here, in the weed abatement feedback zone, many would agree with me, what can we do to get more lifesaving goats up and running. Goats are a sustainable and nice approach. Now I realize they can't cut fire lines, so Dave Geloti doesn't have to sweat, but there has to be some way to press more goats into service, you know, whereas I appreciate these vulnerable sites and your instinct to fine and penalize, I prefer taking care of the problem with less citations and a more sustainable approach. For the people in the Pacific Palisades, there has to be some kind of a mote or, some kind of a natural break that allows the residential community to live there, because who do we think we are kidding? After a major hurricane, you can't just build back dumber, can you? You can! Okay... we live in a windy world, we could end up like those who faced the great floods of 1861-2 They had their whole community flushed away... Maybe check the details as I'm not an expert
On TAY & Youth Funding (Item not specified, likely part of Measure A discussions)
Smart Speaker: Yeah, I mean, this is a lot of allocation. In fact, TAY and youth money has been suspended or interrupted or curtailed, I don't know because I tried look it up. Nice work if you can get it Supervisor Mitchell on these absurd cluster meetings. 300 pages wadded up there, and the supervisors aren't even in the room. There's a little chit-chat among bestie deputies, so I'm going to get the transcript and get into it. Measure A, we're overtaxed right now. This billion-plus got through, I hope we can put to it good use. I'm worried about the fraud, waste, and abuse component, it's in the air. And the Covington Burling report you won't show us. Lots of these not for profits feel threatened by the federal government, so that is a potentially ripe situation. Bad things can happen. There's just a lot of promises and I just hope as we lurch forward rushing the money out the door, that we are very confident that the money is getting to the people who actually need it. I have great concerns about that, candidly. I appreciate that you're trying to push the damn money out the door... very worrisome.
Wild Children...
Date: March 26–27, 2025
SUBJECT: Post-City Employment — Ethics Inquiry
From: Eric Preven
To: David Tristan
Date: Wednesday, March 26, 2025 at 1:35 PM
David,
Hope all is well.
I have a question that relates to post-employment at the City of Los Angeles.
Is a Chief of Staff who worked for a Council Member permitted to take a job working, for example, for a nonprofit that has business before the City?
Would anything bar a former Chief of Staff from taking such a job? I believe there might be a holdback on lobbying the City — even for a nonprofit — but if the former Chief of Staff becomes, for instance, a soccer coach at Harvard-Westlake, that wouldn't violate any restriction, right?
Could a former Chief of Staff who left one week ago take a job at AECOM?
Yes, methinks — as long as the job is not lobbying the City Council.
Please let me know your thoughts.
Eric Preven
From: David Tristan
To: Eric Preven
Date: Wednesday, March 26, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Hi Eric,
Answers to your questions depend on several factors and the specific facts of the situation.
Generally speaking, a former City employee can work for an entity that has matters before the City, but:
· The former employee cannot lobby the City,
· Cannot lobby via intermediaries,
· Cannot use confidential information in their new position.
In addition, the City’s one-year and lifetime lobbying bans would need to be considered in any scenario.
State law may also bar the former employee and their new employer from receiving any benefit from a contract the employee participated in while at the City.
In short, it’s very case specific.
— David Tristan
Executive Director
Ethics Commission
ethics.lacity.org | (213) 978-1983
SUBJECT: Delay in Records Release — CD 5
From: Andrew DeBlock (Council District 5)
To: Eric Preven
Date: March 26, 2025
Dear Mr. Preven,
We have reviewed your California Public Records Act request (#25-2475).
Please be advised that we need additional time to fulfill your request. We anticipate being able to fulfill your request within the next 14 days.
Respectfully,
Andrew DeBlock
Council District 5
From: Eric Preven
Date: March 27, 2025 at 9:41 AM
In what world are these records not readily available?
CM Yaroslavsky is well aware of the rules, and extending 14 days is not warranted. In my view, this constitutes a violation.
Let’s ask Strefan Fauble, who has experience with negligent Council District offices, to wrangle the remaining outstanding records — citywide.
He (they, the City Attorneys) represent the LA City Council — one of the greatest bodies of government in several categories, including failure to provide timely records.
Thank you for understanding and sending the records immediately.
— Eric Preven
Raise Your Hand If You're Listening
Wayne Spindler, wearing a Santa Claus hat, announced that he had hired a First Amendment attorney and proceeded to challenge the council’s ban on the C-word and the N-word. (No, not corruption and neglect —the other ones.)
Santa Claus: Good morning, niggas and cunts. Here we are again.
Number 18 is the first nigger item.
Number 18 has been continued, so you can speak to items 19 through 32.
It's a nigger item, is it not?
So how about 19? Can I speak on that? DEI.
Of course. So KKK, Katy Yaroslavsky, the worst thing to happen to the Hebrew people since the opening of Auschwitz is now trying to do street light repairs. What a fucking joke that cunt is. Can you believe, Markeezy, that after all these years, this bitch came up with $100,000 fucking dollars? Now what happened? The ghetto don't get that, but she gets it for the Hebrew demons. And then number 20, that's a cunt item. The program celebrates the 43rd annual Cuntus Festival at Cunt Echo Park. We vote no on that shit.
Item 21,
niggas trimming trees in city for Nithya Raman noodle and non-certified cunt.
Noodle, noodle, noodle, noodle, noodle, noodle, noodle, noodle.
Yeah, that's right. $75,000 that bitch finally found under the mattress. Mattresses of city hall offices. That's where you've been bending over all those campaign donors, right? And then KKK, Katie again, finding $10,000. Why, you dirty little cunt you. Look at how you can find that money. Ringy ding ding, ringy ling ling. And then we have 23, the fake Holocaust motion by KKK, Katie Yaroslavsky. There wasn't no goddamn Holocaust. You out of your fucking mind, every German would have been arrested, tried, and executed. You don't have no goddamn Holocaust. That bullshit's ridiculous. They were work camps, fool, like I'm working here, fool.
Going around, niggering around, going around, bitching around, going around, fool, going around.
City Attorney: Speaker, you need to get on the items.
Well, I'm just rapping. I'm sorry.
It's my Tourette's syndrome, my disability. I apologize. Number 24, well, we got Monicow, Cuntrageous.
(Growling)
The biggest, fattest piece of shit on the council. She wants to do housing bonds. There ain't no goddamn housing bonds. Fuck that.
And let's be clear. On Friday, our city attorney taught me how to spell two words. I wasn't sure, Bob. Nigga is spelled N-I-G-G-E-R. And Cunt-- I didn't know this, Bob-- is spelled C-U-N-T.
Heather Hutt received an award from her honoree for Women's History month. She wept with joy.
Now, how come Heather Hutt didn't sign the motion?
She's been called both nigger and Cunt, and she didn't sign the motion. How come only seven of you motherfucking gang members signed the motion to ban these words? They're laughing at you. All over, they're laughing. But why am I dressed as Santa Claus, nigga? Why? Because my First Amendment attorney already started racking up his $844 an hour fees. We're getting ready for the lawsuit. I want my motion today, wave it out of committee, so we can all start getting paid for being niggas. I want to be paid as a nigga.
(Eric Preven is a Studio City-based TV writer-producer, award-winning journalist, and longtime community activist who won two landmark open government cases in California.)
