CommentsERIC PREVEN'S NOTEBOOK - Capri Maddox is leading a racial equity audit and plans to address barriers among a range of disenfranchised...not the least of whom are African Americans.
March forward toward racial justice:
Mark Ridley-Thomas touted Eric Garcetti's executive directive 27 to promote racial equity in city government.
"Colleagues... advancing racial equity is no small task... can't happen overnight ... no naivete in this room."
He said it will require concerted effort... "outlined and documented and transparent."
But Bob Blumenfield was sober as he took the microphone to thank the 100s of parents and the Israeli Action Network who have been working the LAUSD anti-Semitism... message. schmegegge in (Yiddish) means baloney; hot air; nonsense. Geshrei in (Yiddish) means shout or yell.
The message here, is non-controversial, we must stand united against schmegegge and geshrei whenever hate or ugly speech rears its head.
Senator:
Kevin DeLeon, Mark Ridley-Thomas and Gil Cedillo were acting super weird by exclusively referring to one another as "Senators" for the entire meeting on Tuesday.
Senator Ridley-Thomas who served a thousand years ago, raised "the critical question," by Senator Cedillo, after a lengthy off the cuff and confusing run down of forty years of legal struggle.
Deleon had to circle back and drop a few big civil rights names. And don't forget...
When it comes to the fight for workers’ rights in the United States, Latino Americans have been critical players since the early 1900s. They were part of the early Los Angeles building boom.
Latino workers’ fight for protections and living wages has been an uphill climb, weighted with layers of discrimination. There was the Oxnard Strike of (1903). The American sugar industry ground to a halt on February 11, 1903, when workers in Oxnard, California joined to form the Japanese-Mexican Labor Association (JMLA) and organize a work stoppage at the height of sugar beet season. “They lowered the wages for clearing an acre from $5 to $2.50"
Workers from the different ethnic groups refused to be divided, even using translators to coordinate their efforts and demands. One reason: The Japanese laborers, heavily recruited after the Chinese Exclusion Act diminished the Chinese workforce in America, tended to be well educated, “so they were not as vulnerable to taking labor abuse,”
And who could forget the El Monte Berry Strike of (1933) where desperate workers began demanding a minimum wage of 35 cents an hour. Or the Delano Grape Strike of (1965) initiated by a Filipino American organizer named Larry Itliong to protest the poor pay and hazardous working conditions faced by grape pickers. The Delano strike lasted five years and led to the creation of the United Farm Workers of America.
Equally important, the highly visible campaigns by Chavez, Dolores Huerta and other organizers who changed for the better how many Americans viewed the migrant workers who harvested the fruits and vegetables they ate.
To spotlight to the isolated farming community of Delano, California, Chavez organized a series of events designed to draw widespread media attention. One was a 340-mile march, in which 75 Mexican and Filipino farm workers trekked from Delano to Sacramento. After 25 days, Chávez and the others were greeted in the state capital by 10,000 supporters.
All the city council members do to whip up a movement is raise a finger.
Kevin DeLeon, "Madame President, I've been inspired by these two distinguished Senators who have a long history... Gilbert Cedillo and Mark Ridley-Thomas. We are in this together regardless of the hue of your skin."
Racial segregation on the west coast... he said "they took Mexican children and put them in the bar."
DeLeon explained how Earl warren, a young man raised in Kern County near Bakersfield... presided over the case. The NAACP had sent an east coast African American out who then filed an amicus brief. That man was Thurgood Marshall and he went on to explain how the Mendez Family had fought school segregation 8 years before Brown v. Board of Education.
When DeLeon was a State Senator, he told a sleepy looking city council, that he'd had the distinct honor of being able to muscle through a piece of good legislation that was then immediately killed by his colleague in the Assembly.
He said, the ACA or Obama Care, does not cover the cost...of undocumented immigrants.
They were left out of the discussion.
Now, he's ready to go beyond the symbolism of a bumper sticker. Blumenfield agreed. Raman is learning a lot as well and ready to move forward with healthcare for all.
Honk if you [heart] Civil Rights!
The BONIN [Donate Button]
The Ninth Circuit has upheld the City's Covid Protections so Mike Bonin was quick to thank the City Attorney and surprisingly, the ACLU and... not surprisingly, Nury Martinez.
As for item 32 which was a quick look at the feasibility of purchasing, installing and maintaining 60 additional illegal dumping cameras. The ACLU will weigh in eventually.
Question: Won't this limit politicians’ ability to blame their failures on a few bad actors? Scapegoating...
Greener:
DeLeon could not resist thanking Marqueece Harris Dawson, who was given a chance to take the wheel of the city council meeting because the normal Council President Nury Martinez was late.
He went on to thank the Salvadoran Diaspora, but folks are wondering if Harris-Dawson could be the next Assistant President Pro Tempore. What about Raman?
There were four other absences noted today... John Lee, Joe Buscaino, Paul Krekorian, and Paul Koretz, who one speaker noted, added the word "audits" to the name of the committee he's been chairing since being dumped from Budget and Finance. Personnel, Audits, and Animal Welfare Committee. Clever, as he's now running to be the next great Auditor Controller of the City of Los Angeles. Koretz always says, "It's easy to rasse $25,000" [if you live in the rich part of town.]
Raman thanked her six environmental fellows for their work... building a better, greener Los Angeles. Thanks.
El Salvador compo:
A deeply moving update from DeLeon on Wednesday re: Death squads from El Salvador... who had displaced 1 million, killing 75,000... 10,000 disappeared. He could not be stopped.
"Now 30 years later... Salvadorans are looking for answers... " there is no justice nor closure for families. Slow mental anguish. There are 100s of thousands still living with an unacknowledged trauma. Violence bankrolled by the USA."
Stress post traumatico... financiado de nuestro pais. El publico general. Entonces... declaramo treinto del agosto...
DeLeon, thanked all his great council member colleagues, though he noted Cedillo who was absent, has a large number.. of salvadoreños, in district.
Monica Rodriguez, who he noted worked for Mike Hernandez of CD1... back in the day, has a large number as does Nury Martinez, who was late.
Marqueece Harris-Dawson was kicked under the table. As President, he interjected. "For those, who don't know, Mark Ridley-Thomas has more salvadoreños, than any jurisdiction... in America! "
Thanks to Cal Trans...
Paul Krekorian interrupted all the good feeling by introducing an Item 43, that he called special, a property on a tiny fragment of park property left by a freeway... Since, unusable.
He's loading in 77 cabins for up to 150 people, who are currently on the street. The Municipal Finance Committee reports that there is no anticipated impact to the General Fund.
In Fiscal Year 2022-23, the annual cost to operate this site is estimated to be $3,011,250.
The City was not taking comments on the item 46 involving IPC healthcare...in which City pays $1,728,391 in settlement to a company who paid $60 million to another jurisdiction to settle a False Claims Act qui tam lawsuit a few years ago.
There was no support for the decision. Maybe the Claims Board or Budget and Finance approved it.
We need more transparency...
AECOM is moving to Texas.
Kelli Bernard, from Mayor Garcetti's team became the chief executive for AECOM’s business in the Los Angeles Metro area.
AECOM is a treasured partner to the Mayor of Los Angeles (they coughed up $50,000 for his inauguration) and the County Board of Supervisors. I wonder if the Civil Rights Commission will intervene to encourage them to remain committed to LA.
AECOM collaborated on so many projects here, on jails, airports and listing all of the infrastructure work and corresponding costs needed. Kind of the stuff you don't share with a firm that is leaving...
We hear they're going to Texas to save money, so they'll have enough to afford a trip to LA 2028.
LAFD:
It's hard to not repeat yourself when you are discussing chronic problems as with the LAFD who has made very little progress hiring women or African Americans. Consistently, the UFLAC union has negotiated against the city with the feignt threat of witholding public service. What would we do without the fire department during fire season?
The blessed First responders are also generous.
They always get with the incumbent or likely winner and right up front pour $20,000 campaign package of love including a refrigerator magnet in the shape of a fire hat with the candidates name affixed. Krekorian! They also send fiery mailers.
And a lot of their power comes from a long history of pay to play public safety.
People forget that Mitchell Englander who grew out of the contaminated west valley soil hoed by Greig Smith, was caught taking a $15,000 hand job (he was handed cash) in a restroom, but the real stealing was done through his uncle's lobbying firm who takes a piece of the whole police and fire budget!
It's lol funny except the fact that they've been getting away with it for years, and Mitch sitting in a cell in Tucson for a short year is a small price to pay for literally hundreds of millions...dare I say, billions of quasi-legal graft over the years.
The main idea is you can't do anything without a permit from the fire department. Even in Hollywood, where they're used to doing the ripping off, not getting ripped off, the fire department can shut the whole show down.
This sets up a cozy warm feeling.
As a line producer for TV shows, we were always happy to go along with whatever the Fire Department wanted.
You don't mess with the LAFD.
Well, that is well and good, but if the LAFD is asked to do naughty things by the Mayor's staff/victims who remain quiet as unauthorized 'tongue kissing' and "vile" fondling of sworn officers... was going on. Sigh.
If we see something, we say something.
Not to mention Vidovich... Frank Lima, Jimmy Blackman and that horrible guy, Peter Sanders, who attempted to ram a bystander in a Trader Joe's parking lot in Studio City or something similarly "off."
He was a public information officer PIO, like poor Alex Comisar, who was subjected to ("vile") activities.
The story behind the story of The Intercept article about the Skirball Fire and climate change is a nail biter where Paul Koretz and Kathryn Barger share billing as the "Scapegoaters in Chief"... coming soon to a platform near you!
Sent: Sat, Aug 21, 2021 11:30 am
Subject: RE: LA, A Special Election for Mayor If we Hurry by Eric Preven
Good morning. [Mr. Preven]
The RR/CC has not prepared an election cost estimate based on the scenario you have specified. That would occur if the City of Los Angeles asked for an estimate for such a scenario as only the City has the authority to call for an election under such circumstances. Any cost estimates provided based on requests from the City would be available through the City Clerk.
Thank you.
DEAN C. LOGAN
Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk
Los Angeles County
Sent: Tue, Aug 24, 2021 9:57 am
Subject: *Irregularity* City of Los Angeles v. US Metro Group, Inc, Los Angeles Supreme Court Case: 20STCV24357
Dear Ms. Holly Wolcott,
Please provide an estimate for a Special Election to fill a mayoral vacancy in 2021 or as early as possible in 2022. Thank you.
Dean Logan has refused to discuss it further until the City Clerk speculates as to the possibility and asks him nicely to work up the cost. I don't blame him, but every estimate he gives is either way too low or way too high. Hard to keep track.
Wolcott gets special treatment, despite the dramatic ruptures to the presumption of regularity that have arisen...fortnightly.
Also, can the public review the complaint on this matter ...?
The Committee may recess to Closed Session, pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1), to confer with its legal counsel relative to the case entitled City of Los Angeles v. US Metro Group, Inc, Los Angeles Supreme Court Case: 20STCV24357. (This case arises from business tax assessments issued to US Metro Group, Inc., for tax years 2008-2017.)
...from Budget and Finance yesterday.
It's quite a protracted case. Exciting.
Due to Pandemic, getting to the court building, the only place we know of to access court files for no charge has been tough. Not even the LA LAW LIbrary will permit access to case file without charging, so... very very shameful.
Ordinarily we will go to the courts building... and we would research these cases, especially when they're protracted and especially when the act of filing a lawsuit against a party (in this case, US Metro Group Inc.) is initiated by the city decision makers.
The issue which arises is the very same decision makers (Council President Herb Wesson dba Paul Krekorian, + Mayor Garcetti + Mike Feuer) who initiate the lawsuit are the ones who settle it... lightbulb!
So if US Metro withholds 10 million in taxes.. the decision makers (Council President Nury Martinez dba Paul Krekorian, + Mayor Garcetti + Mike Feuer) lightbulb! settle the lawsuit.
The DISCOUNT that will be agreed to avoid further litigation is ... a DISCOUNT.
Shrug. How can the public routinely know what's going on without access to the complaints, during a pandemic?
Finally, once again the city clerk has not been proof reading carefully. Or is it Avak and the CLA?
Together the City Clerk and CLA have put together an astonishing portfolio of irregularity.
There is no LA Supreme Court, and the public intends to notify Judge Beckloff and Commissioner Mary Wickham, both!
This is the last time I am going to ask, Mr. Trivedi:
Please provide the names and payments issued to the 'signature checkers' inhouse and short-term hires brought in to validate or invalidate signatures on petitions for all City Elections requiring valid signatures since 2017.
And, I want you to know that we are prepared to reach out to the Governor's office, if necessary.
Warm regards,
Eric Preven
Sent: Tue, Aug 24, 2021 1:21 pm
Subject: Will Carlos Singer, Sing? **NEW**
Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary at Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom
Dear Strefan Fauble,
I'm copying Noro Zurabyan from the Office of Los Angeles County Counsel, because Nicole Davis-Tinkham who has been frustrating even the simplest of CPRA requests, is getting plenty of rest with the Board of Supervisors who, for all we know, may be in Zacatecas with Jose Huizar. They're still AWOL until August 31.
I know the Board has been meaning to thank you for sharing the language you wrote in your stern and comprehensive pre-speech admonishment! You should get residuals. If you did, revenue might be off because they've canceled so many regular meetings and replaced them with closed sessions. The county, bless it's giant budget, makes the city look decent, by comparison...
But it's not a competition. There's plenty of horrible malfeasance and misconduct to go around.
Did you see that Carlos Singer the mayor's boy Friday for hideous legal abdications and egregious failures... has become: Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary at Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Wow, I thought you would have fit in nicely up in Sacramento. Whatever, Carlos is nice.
Carlos Singer served on the city's highly irregular claims board of designees for several years going along with Paul Krekorian. He went to Yale, which is impressive, for those who like New Haven, Connecticut. I'm more of a Cambridge, Ann Arbor ... kind of guy.
Fauble, did you authorize Singer's escape to Alcatraz and in the unlikely event that Governor Newsom is certifiably defenestrated in September, would Singer be eligible to get his city job back?
Would David Michaelson be willing to exit promptly in shame to make room for a refreshed Singer?
Singer has had ample and solid experience at the State level....since he started in February. He has a very good working relationship with a myriad roster of bad actors... Szabo probably loves him. Doh!
I just hope Carlos is not a stickler on fondling sworn officers and providing unauthorized ("vile") tongue kissing as the Mayor picked over the buffet.
Everyone agrees, "the man was a naval intelligence officer. He had to know." But Attorney General Bonta has got plenty on his political plate with his exciting investigation into Sheriff Vile-anueva.
Warm regards,
Eric Preven
