Walter Moore Says

Newt Getting Carried Away With Moon Base Thing

2012-01-28T21:50:00.000-08:00

So I was watching re-runs, when I remembered who was in that horrible show all those years ago....

Mayoral Campaign 2013: Averell Abandons Austin

2012-01-27T23:14:00.000-08:00

Austin is VERY different from Antonio: he uses his right hand.

Slimey slimey Averell Smith, who calls himself "Ace," has managed Villaraigosa's campaigns in the past. He is, I believe, the man who managed to help Villaraigosa squeak by in the last election with a 6% margin despite having a budget that was 14 times greater than that of his closest opponent, yours truly.

So it was natural that billionaire investment banker Austin Beutner, who mismanaged the City for a couple of years as Villaraigosa's deputy, would turn to Smith to run his campaign. Beutner, however, decided to try passing himself off to voters as come kind of "outsider." Yeah, right, tell me another one, Pinnochio.

Part of Beutner's "outsider" schtick is to criticize the way City Hall is run. Well, that apparently won't fly with Averell. I suspect Averell wants to run Villaraigosa's next campaign, and he really can't do that if he wages a campaign highlighting the past seven years of incompetence at the top. So Averell is divorcing Austin. Read all about it in the Los Angeles Times.

Averell. Who names a kid "Averell?" How many times did he get beat up per week in elementary school? Dude, you know you can legally change your name, right?

As for Austin, not only is he just another Spring Street insider, but he has all the charisma of _______________ (fill in the blank with the name of someone you know who has no charisma). His speech literally -- and I'm a person who knows what "literally" means -- put former mayor Richard Riordan to sleep, according to the LA Weekly.

Bring on the debates.

Villaraigosa Charter School Show-And-Tell: Show Me A Knife And I'll Show You A Gun

2012-01-27T08:28:00.000-08:00

"Lord of the Flies" Day at Samuel Gompers Middle School

Besides having way-above-average unemployment rates, the City of Los Angeles has something else that makes life here really, really hard for working families: horrid public schools.

I know, because I taught in one of them until a kid attacked me. I was bitten and bruised, and I quit after learning that the student's "punishment" for this crime would be a three-day suspension, followed by return to my classroom. Oh hay-ell no! Even in the most contentious lawsuit I ever handled, no one bit me, for Heaven's sake!

Well, the latest jaw-dropper occurred in middle school the other day. And not just any middle school, but one managed by the illustrious mayor himself, Antonio Villaraigosa: the Samuel Gompers Middle School One little kid pulls a knife, and the other pulls out a gun.

Kids don't need to read "Lord of the Flies" in this town; they are living it.

Read about it in the LA Weekly.

A gun in middle school? A knife? What has become of this city?

Now, unless you've got a job paying you enough money to put your kids in private schools, why would you move to this City? And how are you going to find such a job when the City is run by career politicians who are bought and paid for by special interests? You're not.

So the locals better start paying attention to local politics or start packing -- which most of the middle class here has already done.

L.A. Is Run By Dino's: Democrats In Name Only

2012-01-25T18:48:00.000-08:00

The City of Los Angeles is run by a bunch of "Dino's:" Democrats in name only.

The Democratic Party is supposed to stand up for the little guy.

The Democratic Party is supposed to protect people from, among other things, big businesses that, left unchecked, have a tendency to take unfair advantage of their power and wealth.

Now, you may think the people running Los Angeles are Democrats. After all, they're all registered as Democrats, and they claim to be Democrats.

But they're all phony Democrats. Eric Garcetti, Jan Perry, Wendy Greuel, Antonio Villaraigosa and all the rest are not Democrats at all. They're counterfeits, knock-offs, Democrats in Name Only -- Dino's. They call themselves Democrats because that's what you have to do to get elected in this city.

They don't care about the little guy, or the working single mother, struggling to get by. Rather, they are posers, bought and paid for by the special interests that really run this town. The insiders vying running for mayor are props in a city that is not a democracy, but is instead the poster child for "crony capitalism," where welfare is for the rich, not the poor.

You say you want an example? The L.A. Weekly has a report on the latest example of welfare for the rich. The Spring Street Gang has again chosen to take money away from the city's hard-working taxpayers and hand it to the uber-rich for yet another downtown subsidy.

Is that the action of a Democrat? Or is that a sign that special interests run this town, and have installed their agents in positions of power by passing them off to the public as Democrats?

If you're a Democrat, don't fall for the labels candidates put on themselves. Judge them by their conduct.

Comic Book Guy Cleared In L.A. Arson Case

2012-01-03T20:25:00.000-08:00

Comic book guy has been cleared in the L.A. arson case. Tomorrow, he says, he'll report for duty back at the set of The Simpsons.

Villaraigosa Sets Timer On $100 Million Debt Bomb To Detonate After He Leaves Office

2012-01-03T07:44:00.000-08:00

To create the illusion that he is fiscally responsible, Villaraigosa is, in effect, putting his massive overspending on your credit card -- "you" being the taxpayers of the City of L.A. Think of it as setting the timer on a $100 million debt bomb to detonate after he leaves office on July 1, 2013.

Read all about it in the L.A. Times. And hey, don't blame me. I voted for Walter Moore.

Now, here's the leadership test for all those wannabe Mayors on the City Council and the Controller's Office: will they take any action whatsoever to prevent this? Or will they aid and abet it by doing nothing?

The correct answer is: they will do nothing. Why? Because there is no difference between Villaraigosa, Garcetti, Greuel, Perry and Beutner. They are all exactly the same special interest puppet politician.

Villaraigosa's Massive Fees On Shippers Are Killing Our Port

2011-12-30T08:34:00.000-08:00

As I predicted over three years ago, and again last year, Villaraigosa's decision to impose over a billion dollars of fees on port customers to fund his "green trucks" program -- which did nothing more than create PR for him at others' expense -- has cost our port business and our city jobs.

The AP quotes an economist as saying business could drop 25%.

This is what happens when you elect people who care only about their political careers, and not about the public interest.

And, much as I'd love you have you think I'm a super genius for predicting this, anyone with a "C" or better in Econ 101 could have told you this would happen: as the price of a good or service increases, the demand for same decreases.

This City needs leaders who not only understand economics, but who will put the public interest first.

Why Is City Attorney Filing Condom Lawsuit? Publicity.

2011-12-30T08:08:00.000-08:00

City Attorney Carmen Trutanich filed a lawsuit to keep the condom initiative off the ballot. Why did he do so? According to the L.A. Times, he said he filed the lawsuit to avoid embroiling the City in . . . a lawsuit. I kid you not:

Trutanich's said a voter-approved condom requirement could attract a lawsuit, forcing "the needless and wasteful expenditure of public resources made in connection with a measure which the voters have no power to adopt."

Excuse me, Mr. City Attorney, but if you really want to save City resources, wouldn't you refrain from filing a lawsuit?

After all, if the measure fails, no one would have any basis for suing the City.

Plus, even if it passes, there is no guarantee anyone will file a lawsuit, and even if they did, the City could elect not to defend it. (Recall Prop 187 and the gay marriage law.)

By filing a lawsuit now, you are ensuring exactly the situation you claim you want to prevent: an expenditure of public resources on litigation.

So why is he really filing the lawsuit? Publicity. Somehow, he thinks this is going to help him get elected District Attorney. Me, I'm not seeing it.

MAC IS BACK: DOUG MCINTYRE BACK ON KABC MORNINGS!

2011-12-09T17:08:00.001-08:00

Yes, Virginia, there IS a Santa Claus, and he's bringing back McIntyre in the Morning on KABC 790!!! Read all about it!

Villaraigosa Wants To GIVE Protesters YOUR Property

2011-11-22T07:23:00.001-08:00

I'm as sympathetic to the Occupy L.A. protestors as the next guy. But that does not include my wanting to give them my hard-earned money.

Villaraigosa, however, plans to give them your money and mine by "leasing" them 10,000 square feet of office space that belongs to you and me for just $1 per year. One dollar per year?! Hey, Mr. Mayor, I'll pay ten times that amount for 10,000 square feet.

Read about the latest taxpayer ripoff in the L.A. Times.

Hey, you think any of the occupiers even knows that City Hall provides hundreds of millions of dollars per year of welfare for the rich? L.A. is "ground zero" for crony capitalism. And guess who pays for it? You and I, friend. You and I.

POST-SCRIPT:
City Hall's hypocrisy is pretending to support the "Occupy Wall Street" movement is creepy and breath-taking. Just six days ago, these same politicians passed a tax break, not for the working people of Los Angeles, but for MUTUAL FUNDS!

Villaraigosa Is Plagiarizing My Platform

2011-11-17T06:28:00.001-08:00

Did someone at City Hall just discover my old platform? First, Villaraigosa and the rest of the Spring Street Gang "realize" that the City's business income tax hurts employment. Well, repealing that tax in its entirety was Plank No. 3 of my platform:

3. Taxes. Make hiring more police the No new taxes or bonds. Repeal L.A.’s business income tax. Stop imposing hidden, illegal taxes through excessive DWP and trash fees. End “welfare for the rich:” no more subsidies for developers, hotel owners or anyone else but the poor. Institute taxpayer rebates: the City should spend only what is necessary, and return the balance to taxpayers.

Now, Villaraigosa has started copying another of my planks. He just announced that, rather than having one giant park downtown, it makes more sense to have little parks in neighborhoods across the city that people can walk to: so-called "pocket parks." Yours truly, of course, advocated exactly that years ago. That was in Plank No. 5 of my platform:

5. Population Density. Stop increasing the population density of L.A. Create, subject to budget constraints and over the course of time, “pocket parks” in every neighborhood.

Don't take my word for it. You can still find signs of my platform online at the websites of third parties.

Hey, you think Villaraigosa will start advocating Plank No. 1, the repeal Special Order 40? Yeah, me, neither.

Nor do I think City Hall will actually implement my policy to benefit the public at large. Rather, Villaraigosa's and the City Council's "selective" repeal of the business income tax for the politically connected few (e.g., mutual funds), while forcing the rest of the city's employers to struggle under the burden, is less about creating jobs and more about rewarding his patrons.

Anyhow, I'm glad City Hall is adopting my policies -- or at least paying lip-service to same. But hey, how about giving some credit where credit is due, y'all?

Do NOT Let Villaraigosa Put $800 Million Spending Orgy On Taxpayers' Credit Card

2011-11-10T07:25:00.001-08:00

Villaraigosa apparently isn't content squandering the billions entrusted to him annually. Now he wants to spend another $800 million on top of that, and stick the City's taxpayers with the tab, to be paid off in the future.

For what? Ostensibly, road repairs. Yeah, right. More like to lavish money on his union puppet-masters and artificially create the illusion of a burst of employment in a dying city.

Read all about it in David Zahniser's latest article.

Given how oblivious the voters of Los Angeles are, he will presumably get away with this. The money will be wasted, the roads will continue to crumble, but the debt will linger for decades.

Lawsuit Seeks Retroactive Raises For City Employees

2011-11-10T06:47:00.001-08:00

According to a lawsuit filed by the union representing attorneys who work for the City, Villaraigosa and the City Council broke their written promise to refrain from laying off employees.

The consideration for that promise was an agreement by employees to forego raises. The remedy they seek, therefore, is retroactive raises.

Nice work, Mr. Mayor. Read all about it at CourthouseNews.com.

Why Didn't I Think Of That? Oh Yeah, I Did!

2011-11-08T07:29:00.000-08:00

Villaraigosa has come up with a brilliant idea for encouraging employers to move into Los Angeles: cut the extra tax burden that the City imposes on top of federal and state taxes.

Hey, why didn't I think of that when I was running for Mayor? Oh, you're right: I did. And yet, the local media did not deem my campaign worthy of coverage until election night.

Alas, this is too little, too late. You can't simply cherry-pick particular companies for subsidies or tax breaks. You need to eliminate L.A.'s extra taxes across the board, for all employers.

Drinking While Working For The City Of L.A.

2011-11-04T00:02:00.001-07:00

Remember The Reverend On Election Day 2013

2011-10-30T08:45:00.000-07:00

Losing your job at City Hall does NOT mean losing your paycheck.

David Zahniser reports how the so-called Reverend Jeff Carr has continued to receive your tax dollars months after leaving his post as Villaraigosa's "gangs czar" or whatever he was supposedly doing for $194,000 per year.

Meanwhile, City Council Member Dennis Zine is pretending he's some kind of outsider, who had no idea such things happened, and boy, if you'll just elect him City Controller, he'll be all over this.

Yeah, right.

I suppose that is also when he will tackle boondoggles like the $192,000 party you and I paid for on Villaraigosa's latest junket, as reported by David Goldstein, plus all the other welfare for the rich recently reported by Dennis Romero.

The ongoing crime scene that is the Spring Street Gang is exactly why you should NOT vote, in 2013, for anyone who is in office at City Hall now. They are all the same person, and they are all co-conspirators in ripping you off. It's not enough to sit there in office and feign surprise at what's happening on your watch.

Greuel, Garcetti, Zine, Beutner, Perry -- they are all interchangeable, indistinguishable cogs in a corrupt machine the purpose of which is to redistribute your hard-earned tax dollars to the special interests that fund their campaigns.

Those special interests have learned, partly due to the campaign of yours truly, that to maintain control of City Hall, they must employ what economists call "brand proliferation." Rather than running one candidate in a race, they run three or four, to soak up all the shelf space or, in this case, media attention. The goal is to prevent the consumer / voter from spotting the one truly different product offered by a real competitor.

If you want change, you must vote for Kevin James for Mayor. He's the only real outsider with actual credentials and qualifications. And, while you're at it, how about sending some cash his way? Even $25 helps. Seriously.

Occupy L.A. Should Protest City Hall's Crony Capitalism

2011-10-13T23:19:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest example of welfare for the rich, L.A. style, from Jack Humphreville at City Watch: click here for his story about Herb Wesson and the rest of the City Council blowing $2.6 million of your money on a restaurant "loan."

Villaraigosa's Campaign Was Funded With Illegal Contributions

2011-10-10T19:42:00.000-07:00

If he was such a shoo-in, why did he need so much money for his re-election campaign? Anyway, here's yet another violation of ethics laws explaining how Villaraigosa was re-elected despite his abysmal record: click here for L.A. Times article re $184,000 fine.

Fratricide, The Fungible Four, And L.A.'s Next Mayor

2011-09-11T07:58:00.000-07:00

What do game theory, ICBMs and the next L.A. Mayoral election have to do with one another? Man, you sure ask some screwy questions. But I can answer that one, albeit in an uncharacteristically long-winded way:

As you know, I always try to work into every conversation the fact that I did indeed graduate from Princeton. "What time is it?" "It's the same time that my Econ 101 class started back when I was at Princeton -- 10:00 a.m." If I did not belabor the fact that I went Princeton, people would have absolutely no way of knowing I used to be smart.

Back at Princeton, I took this upper-level math class called "Mathematical Programming," in which we studied, among other things, game theory and optimization. (Yeah, just like that "Beautiful Mind" movie, but without the schizophrenia.) The idea -- to the extent I had any inkling what the professor was talking about -- was to use math to figure out the optimal course of action given a particular set of constraints, whether you were running a factory, searching for enemy submarines, or doing all that electrical engineering stuff that went right over my head. (I was the only student in the class not majoring in engineering, which, in retrospect, should have told me I was in over my head.)

My senior thesis likewise basically applied game theory to nuclear war strategy and, in particular, to something called "hard-target counterforce." The issue -- in the era before smart bombs -- was whether we should develop nuclear missiles accurate enough to blow up the U.S.S.R.'s nuclear missiles in their silos, or whether instead any benefits from doing so would be outweighed by an increased risk of panicking the U.S.S.R. into launching first in a crisis ("use it or lose it").

Now, as you already know, our nuclear missiles have -- or at least had, back then -- multiple warheads, which were called "multiple independently targeted re-entry vehicles" or "MIRVs" for short. But what you may not know is that our rocket scientists were concerned that if we tried to use two or more MIRVs for the same target, one warhead could detonate at the wrong time, in the wrong place, and blow the other warhead up or at least off target. Result: failure to incinerate the intended city, military base or submarine pen.

The rocket scientists called this phenomenon, whereby targeting multiple warheads for the same destination results in none of them working, "fratricide."

Okay, now, finally, here is what all that has to do with the next L.A. Mayoral election:

The other day or week -- it's all a blur to me -- yet another one of the City Hall's status quo insiders has announced that he, too, is uniquely suited to be the City's next Mayor, just like the other current and former City Hall insiders running for the same office, all of whom have voted exactly the same way on everything about 99% of the time.

If you compared the positions and "accomplishments" of candidates Jan Perry, Wendy Greuel, Eric Garcetti and Austin Beutner during their time in public office at City Hall, well, you'd be hard pressed to find any distinctions between them. In fact, let's call them "the Fungible Four."

They are all essentially the same person. During the time the Fungible Four have run our city, unemployment has climbed much higher than in the surrounding county, the surrounding state, and the surrounding nation. They are the quadruplets of the status quo. (Dang, that would be a good nickname, too, but I've already committed to "Fungible Four.")

The Fungible Four: Greuel, Perry, Garcetti and Beutner -- which is which?

Now, each of the Fungible Four aims to become our next Mayor. They are like four MIRVs targeted on Los Angeles. That is the bad news. The good news is, they are likely to blow each other way off target.

Think about it: since they all have exactly the same positions on everything, and they all have exactly the same record of "achievement," each of them is going to have exactly the same appeal to the same group of (misinformed) voters. They are going to cut into one another's voting block. Fratricide, baby, fratricide.

This is excellent news for the one good candidate in the race, namely, attorney and radio talk-show host Kevin James. A fortiori, this is also good news for the city's residents. (You like that? "A fortiori?" Know where I learned that term? Princeton.)

The Mayoral Race has an "open primary." That means voters will have to choose between the Fungible Four, on the one hand, and Kevin James, on the other. (There will also be some other self-proclaimed "candidates" sitting at the "kook table," but we can ignore them for now.)

Assume for the sake of argument that a 60% of voters, misled by millions of dollars of special interest money that props up the Fungible Four, cast their ballots for one of these status quo candidates, and the other 40% have the good sense to vote for Kevin James. This seems like a reasonable assumption, insofar as only about 56% of the very few people who showed up for the March 2009 election condemned the rest of us to another four years of Villaraigosa.

Well, if the Fungible Four split that 60% evenly (i.e., 15% each), then Kevin James will be in a run-off. After all, 40% beats 15%. And even if one of the Fungible Four got, say, 40% of the vote, with the other three splitting 20% of the vote, Kevin James would still be in a run-off.

That is terrific news, because a run-off would focus attention on the election, and give Kevin James a real forum to explain what is wrong with City Hall now, and how he can fix it and turn this city around.

Bottom line: "fratricide" may very well save this City from four more years of the Fungible Four aka the Quadruplets.

Trutanich Trifecta Of Trouble

2011-09-10T18:08:00.000-07:00

Wow! Have you visited the Los Angeles Dragnet blog recently? Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich has, in the words of Ricky Ricardo, some 'splainin' to do.

There's "Rentgate," "Billboardgate," and "Auditgate." Read all about it at Los Angeles Dragnet.

RADIO ALERT: KABC WEDNESDAY EVENING - 8:00 PM HOUR

2011-08-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

RADIO ALERT: Wednesday evening, during the 8:00 p.m. hour, John Phillips and I are chatting about the top stories. Why? I'm guessing Hurricane Irene wiped out the first seven tiers of guests. Join us. It'll be fun.

Shameless Plug For My New Solo Law Practice

2011-08-28T14:59:00.000-07:00

Hey, good news! Well, good for me, but maybe for you, too.

Yours truly is starting his own solo law practice effective 9/1, and my new office is WALKING DISTANCE from my house. No more commuting, plus, this way, I can better serve an under-served community: Beverly Hills.

Also, I will be offering FLAT FEE BILLING, so clients will know in advance what my services will cost them. The problem with hourly rates is clients have no idea what they're going to wind up paying. It's like handing over a bunch of signed blank checks.

Here's a link to my new website: AttorneyWalterMoore.com. And here's a picture of the office building:

Good-bye, 405. Hello, short walk.

This also means I can do about 95% of my work at home, while enjoying the company of my bride, our dogs, and cigars. Is life good, or what?

So please remember me when you or a friend get into a legal dispute -- which is going to happen, because, hey, this is California. Thanks!

RADIO ALERT: KABC TUESDAY MORNING

2011-08-22T22:05:00.000-07:00

John Phillips - KABC 790 AM

RADIO ALERT: For some reason, John Phillips has graciously invited me to vent about Mayor Villaragosa's latest policy proposals tomorrow morning on KABC 790 just after 7:00 a.m. Tune in, would you? On the web it's KABC.com.

The Producers: Nathan Baker and Mike Timpson

Rhymes With "Cage Discrimination"

2011-08-13T08:54:00.000-07:00

Fox, baby, I love you, man, but you just can't fire an award-winning reporter like John Schwada, who's at the top of his game, consistently delivering the goods. That's just asking for trouble.

Here's an article in the Los Angeles Times with the sub-headline that says it all: "John Schwada is not just another pretty face on TV news, which may be why Fox 11 let the dogged journalist go."

Take it from someone with a license to sue: make a deal with Schwada to stay.

Trutanich, Baca, Cooley And Consumer Protection

2011-08-08T07:01:00.000-07:00

Did Trutanich go "novelty check" for effect?

Have you read the article in the Los Angeles Times about City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, Sherif Lee Baca, District Attorney Steve Cooley, and the two million dollar check?

Long story short: Trutanich hand-delivered to the County a $2 million check from the settlement of billboard litigation. Under the law, the money can be used only for consumer protection. Trutanich suggested instead that the County hand it to his political ally, Baca, to use for rape kits. Truntanich claimed, apparently with a straight face, that processing rape kits constitutes consumer protection. Cooley called Trutanich's personal delivery of the check bizarre.

Okay, enough politics, you public attorneys. It's time to get your "consumer protection" on. I have a terrific lawsuit for you, that can not only protect consumers, but can net local government a huge recovery. Ready? File an action for unfair competition and false advertising against Safeco for lying to its insureds about policy limits. Be sure to seek civil penalties.

Safeco falsely tells insureds, in writing, that it will apply the policy limits on their declarations pages to "any covered loss." The policy limits on the declarations pages, in turn, are for hundreds of thousands of dollars -- which is what it would take to rebuild your home. But when you actually submit a claim for a covered loss, surprise! Safeco says that a $10,000 policy limit applies to some losses, even though that figure does not appear on the declarations pages. And ten grand wouldn't replace your car, much less rebuild your house.

This is a massive consumer rip-off, and the law lets City Attorneys and District Attorneys go after insurance companies like this. For example, in People ex del. Bill Lockyer v. Fremont Life Insurance Company (2002) 104 Cal. App. 4th 508, the Court of Appeal upheld an award of $2.5 million in civil fines, plus injunctive relief and an order requiring restitution.

So how about it, fellahs? You want to play politics or protect consumers? Either one of you is welcome to contact me. In the meantime, you can find out more at SafecoLitigation.com.

Why Should Taxpayers Co-Sign A Loan For A Stadium AEG Admits No Other Developer In His Right Mind Would Build?

2011-07-30T07:38:00.000-07:00

Why should taxpayers co-sign a loan for hundreds of millions of dollars to fund construction of a football stadium when the developer expressly admits no other developer in his right mind would invest in the project?

The Los Angeles Times quotes Ted Fikre, AEG's chief legal and development officer, as follows in its story, "Football stadium profit-sharing not feasible, L.A. Council told:"

"As people full well know, we have a lot of surrounding property that would benefit from this project, and candidly, that's part of the reason why we're willing to consider doing a project here that no other stand-alone developer would consider doing in their right mind," he said.

If this project crashes and burns, guess who gets to repay all the people who buy the bonds to fund the construction? Hint: look in the mirror above your bathroom sink.

Yes, that makes you crazy.

Thought For The Day: Debt By Chocolate

2011-07-30T07:23:00.000-07:00

Raising the federal debt ceiling to balance the budget is like eating 10 pounds of fudge to lose weight.

Los Angeles Dragnet Blog Says City Attorney's Clients Not Happy

2011-07-28T07:02:00.000-07:00

Let's play law school. I'll be Professor Kingsfield. You be the class.

Suppose your attorney doesn't return your phone calls, or you see him go all "deer in the headlights" when asked tough questions by a judge at a hearing, or he writes briefs that even you as a layman can tell don't make any sense.

In the private sector, you can simply fire your lawyer. It's not as though there aren't nine bazillion other lawyers out there, ready to step in.

But what happens if your attorney is the City Attorney? Uh-oh. You can't just fire him, can you? You have to wait for an election.

Turns out, this is not a hypothetical question, after all. City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, who is running to become District Attorney Carmen Trutanich, apparently has some very unhappy clients. Not only has the City Council opted to start relying more on outside law firms, but, according to the Los Angeles Dragnet Blog, the firefighters aren't exactly thrilled, either.

In fairness to Trutanich, it's not as though he got to hire his staff. Rather, the City's civil service system dictated that he work with the people already employed by the City Attorney's Office. But in fairness to them, he's in charge. If some of them aren't living up to the standard of care, it's his job to make sure they do so or show them the door.

Speaking of the door, off I go. I'm working on a case against Safeco Insurance for bad faith and unfair competition, where I'm both the attorney and the client, and, I must say, I am delighted with my attorney's work. (For more about that, visit SafecoLitigation.com.)

Creepy Fungus, Creepier Insurance Company: Friends Don't Let Friends Buy From Safeco

2011-07-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

If you missed KTTV Fox Channel 11's outstanding -- truly outstanding -- report on the fungus that ate our house, and our lawsuit against Safeco for bad faith and unfair competition, you can see it right here, right now:

Thank you, Channel 11, for warning consumers about this horrible, destructive parasite -- and the fungus is pretty bad, too.

Fox 11's John Schwada Uncovers Yet Another Taxpayer Rip-Off

2011-07-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

Here's another terrific report from John Schwada on how taxpayers are being ripped off. Please, Channel 11, work out a deal with him, would you? The television-watching taxpayers of Southern California need the outstanding coverage your station provides through Schwada's investigative journalism.

High School Coaches Get Major League Kickbacks?: MyFoxLA.com

TV ALERT: Safeco Litigation Makes The News

2011-07-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Watch Fox Channel 11 news at 10:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 19, 2011, for coverage of the horrible fungus that ate our home, and the even more horrible insurance company, Safeco, that refused to honor its written promises.

And thank you, Channel 11, for covering important stories like this. Consumers need to know about Safeco's misleading sales practices and bad faith.

When Safeco is trying to get you to buy its policy, Safeco sends you documents telling you the policy limits on your declarations page -- for hundreds of thousands of dollars -- apply to "any covered loss." But if you actually submit a claim, even for a covered loss, Safeco tells a completely different story. Ever try to rebuild a house for $10,000? Total scam.

Boy, did Safeco ever pick the wrong couple to try to screw! See you in court, scum-bags.

Read all about it at SafecoLitigation.com.

Attention CBS, NBC, ABC and CNN: Grab John Schwada While You Can

2011-07-16T18:01:00.000-07:00

Did CBS ever make the mistake of letting a competitor grab Walter Cronkite? No. You just do not let talent like that fall into someone else's hands.

And yet, the local Fox affiliate in Los Angeles is making a comparable mistake right now.

Channel 11 should have made award-winning journalist John Schwada an offer he could not refuse. That way, he would keep delivering world-class coverage of America's second-biggest city to the station's viewers.

Instead, Fox failed to renew Schwada's contract. Huge mistake.

The man has won two Emmy Awards, for goodness' sake. And he deserved them.

Schwada, as you will recall, is the man who broke the Ticketgate story that resulted in the imposition of fines against L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for violating state and local ethics laws.

Indeed, Schwada is the only TV reporter -- or at least one of very few -- who does serious investigative reporting on City Hall. Examples? How about the double standard for security fences around your house and mine, versus the Mayor's house? How about tax dollars being squandered on European vacations for artists? Schwada doesn't just deliver interesting stories, he protects the public interest. Remember his coverage on lawbreakers getting pensions in prsion? The list of important stories Schwada has uncovered goes on and on.

Fox 11's loss could be someone else's gain. How about, it, Fox national? Hey, CBS Channel 2, why not try to make a deal with Schwada while you can? Channel 7? This is an opportunity.

I, for one, will continue to look for John Schwada's stories wherever he winds up. I suspect the 72,000 people who voted for me will feel the same way. Those of us who pay attention to local politics know which reporters actually report, and which "reporters" instead merely read press releases.

John Schwada is a real reporter. This City needs him on the air, without interruption.

Fox 11 Shows Janice Hahn's Gang Affiliation And Clumsy Cover-Up Attempt

2011-07-07T07:26:00.000-07:00

Fox 11 reporter Chris Blatchford is doing exactly what investigative reporters are supposed to do, and he's doing it dramatically well. Thank you, Fox 11, for telling L.A.'s citizens what REALLY goes on at City Hall.

Today's story: How Janice Hahn, who is on the City Council Member and running for Congress, has supported the idiotic "anti-gang" programs through which millions of your tax dollars have been handed to "ex" gang members who have a nasty habit of getting caught committing new crimes.

Worse, Hahn falsely accused Fox 11 of misrepresenting the facts, and had her lawyers send them a cease-and-desist letter. Hey, Janice: "First Amendment" -- do those words ring a bell?

Another Rat Jumps Off S.S. Villaraigosa - 2011

2011-07-06T22:50:00.000-07:00

Another rat is leaving the S.S. Villaraigosa. The latest dearly departed is the Mayor's Chief of Staff, Jeff Carr. Hey, no one wants to be around when the indictments hit.

Can you remember how many people have bailed? Beutner bailed, and now he wants to be Mayor because, well, he did such a terrific job as de facto mayor.

This is an annual event, isn't it? Here's a link to my essay from July 2010, in case you feel like floating down memory lane aboard the perpetually sinking ship that is the Villaraigosa Administration.

David Zahniser notes some of the more recent departures in his article on the subject in the Los Angeles Times:

The announcement comes three months after the departure of First Deputy Mayor Austin Beutner, who left after 15 months to explore a bid for mayor. And it occurs 10 months after the resignation of Chief Deputy Mayor Jay Carson, who quit in September and was said to be at odds with Carr over key issues.

* * *

Carr, 47, was hired with much fanfare two years ago, with supporters of Villaraigosa promising that a reshuffling of the executive ranks would make the office more effective. Those changes came after months of criticism that the mayor lacked focus and follow-through on programs ranging from tree-plantings to a prescription drug program — and a weaker-than-expected reelection victory.

Instead, Carr's hiring was followed by more instability.

L.A. Republican Party Needs "Plan B" If Hahn Goes To D.C.

2011-07-03T15:52:00.000-07:00

That the Republican Party of Los Angeles County is supporting Craig Huey in his race against Janice Hahn is well and good, but do Republicans have a "Plan B?"

In other words, assuming Hahn wins the election, do the Republicans have a viable candidate ready to run to replace her on the City Council of America's second-biggest city?

I'm guessing "no." I hope they prove me wrong, and come forward with a really good candidate that people of all political persuasions can support. Someone competent and ethical would be a nice change on the City Council, don't you think?

Double Standard Double Feature

2011-07-01T22:04:00.000-07:00

After you see John Schwada's report on City Hall's double standard for fences, check out the article in the Los Angeles Times about how members of the privileged class use a so-called "Gold Card" to evade the parking tickets that you and I would have to pay if we disregarded laws the way they do.

Fox 11's John Schwada Nails It: City Hall's Double Standard

2011-07-01T20:12:00.001-07:00

Fox 11's John Schwada shows again what REAL journalism is. You don't just re-print career politicians' press releases. You INVESTIGATE, and you point out when politicians have one standard for you and me, and other for themselves.

Click here to read the story. Click below to see the video.

A Tale of Two Fences: Fair or Unfair?: MyFoxLA.com

Nominee For "Bad Timing" Award Of 2011

2011-06-27T23:32:00.000-07:00

Today -- the day the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team filed for bankruptcy -- the billionaire developers of AEG want you, the taxpayers of L.A., to co-sign a loan for nearly $300 million, to build a football stadium. But see, they call it "less than $300 million," to make it sound like a bargain.

If everything works as hoped, then an NFL team will appear and generate sufficient profits, and you'll be just fine, supposedly. But if this "investment" of tax dollars instead goes the way of the Dodgers, guess who gets to repay the "less than $300 million" to the bond-holders. Hint: it rhymes with "schmou."

Hey, AEG, tell me this, would you: If this is such a great investment opportunity, why can't you get people in the private sector to pay for it? After all, we taxpayers have higher priorities -- like sending L.A.'s artists on European vacations.

Must . . . stop . . . paying . . . attention . . . .

Lunch With A Lawyer

2011-06-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

Your business or civic group needs a good speaker for its next lunch. I'm a terrific speaker, and lunch is the high point of my day.

Are you seeing the win-win here?

How about I give a delightfully informative presentation, including a slide-show, to your group at its next lunch meeting, with practical legal tips, and you can give me, say, a Reuben and a diet Coke?

Details at my legal website, now known as LunchWithALawyer.com -- or, for you early birds, BreakfastWithABarrister.com.

Fox 11 Exposes City Hall Boondoggle: You're Paying For Artists' European Vacations

2011-06-21T16:16:00.000-07:00

LA Cultural Affairs Program Under Fire: MyFoxLA.com

Three cheers for Fox 11 and John Schwada for their serious investigative reporting on L.A. politics!

Calling All City Hall Insiders: Know Of Any Nepotism?

2011-06-21T16:11:00.000-07:00

Do you know of any instances of nepotism at City Hall?

Inquiring minds what to know how many people with cushy jobs, dreamy grants and other sweetheart deals just happen to be the cousin, brother, nephew or sister-in-law of people holding elected office in L.A.

You can post a comment below or click here to email me.

Gracias in advance.

TV ALERT: FOX 11 NEWS TONIGHT ON CITY HALL'S BOONDOGGLES

2011-06-20T08:50:00.000-07:00

Tonight, on Fox 11 News during the 10:00 p.m. show, they're broadcasting the first of what may become a series of reports on City Hall's parade of boondoggles.

They interviewed me about a program where you and I foot the bill to send performance artists to the Netherlands and other delightful venues, and we don't even get a crummy t-shirt.

Hey, for $12,000, I'll do an interpretive dance among the tulips by the windmill in wooden shoes. Why am I paying for somebody else's European vacation?

Did Safeco Tell Insureds It Was Slashing Their Policy Limits?

2011-06-15T15:38:00.000-07:00

Usually I don't write about the lawsuits I handle, to protect clients' privacy. Right now, however, I'm handling a lawsuit that deals with the rights of thousands -- tens of thousands? hundreds of thousands? -- of consumers, and I'm both the lawyer and the client, so it's okay.

The lawsuit is against Safeco Insurance Company for bad faith and unfair competition concerning a homeowners policy.

There's an important hearing this week on a motion. The issue is whether Safeco violated California law by failing to give its insureds conspicuous, plain and clear notice that the company was slashing coverage for certain types of covered claims from hundreds of thousands of dollars down to just $10,000 total. Good luck re-building your house with $10,000.

Safeco's practice, in my opinion, is like selling empty fire extinguishers: most customers will never even discover they have been cheated; only the few who wind up needing protection find they've been sold something empty and useless.

Anyhow, to read all about it, and see how the Court rules, visit my new website: SafecoLitigation.com.

David Goldstein Kicks Ass At City Hall

2011-06-10T07:34:00.000-07:00

David Goldstein, a terrific reporter with CBS Channel 2, has demonstrated dramatically the power and potential of local TV channels to clean up corruption at City Hall.

Remember how, back in February, he caught the Housing Commissioners going on those pointless boondoggle trips to luxury hotels, and how they double-billed for their meals, by getting reimbursed for same while also collecting a per diem? Later, he reported on how the sons of a Housing Commissioner seemed to be getting preferential treatment. Well, Goldstein's tenacious professionalism has forced a major change of personnel downtown: THREE commissioners, gone. Here's his latest report:

Way to go, David Goldstein! You've done more to fight waste and corruption in three months than every member of the City Council has done. . . well, EVER.

Imagine how great this City could be if other stations followed the stellar examples of David Goldstein of CBS 2, and John Schwada of Fox 11 (who broke the Ticketgate story), and consistently exposed the corruption at City Hall. That coverage could start to wake up and shake up the 88% of registered voters who skip local elections.

Bottom line: If L.A.'s local TV stations will get serious about covering the on-going crime scene that is City Hall, they can help fix this city -- and probably increase their viewing audience, to boot.

Facebook Blurb Edition

2011-06-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

I'm too busy to blog today, so here's some of my Facebook blurbology, in case you're bored out of your wits:

Aiding And Abetting

2011-05-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Where is the outrage over the murder of American citizens by illegal alien gang members? Doug McIntyre asks and answers that question in a terrific column, published in today's Daily News. Rather than my summarizing it, I recommend you read it.

And thank you, Doug McIntyre, for expressing the outrage that at least 72,000 of us in L.A. feel, i.e., those of us who voted for me for Mayor in 2009, feel. Supporters of Jamiel's Law will always feel contempt for Mayor Villaraigosa, City Council Members Dennis Zine, Jan Perry, Bernard Parks, Eric Garcetti and everyone else at City Hall for continuing to aid and abet the murder of American citizens like Jamiel Shaw, II, by maintaining Special Order 40 and the related police policies that make Los Angeles a sanctuary for criminal gangs.

In contrast to Doug's excellent essay, today's L.A. Times includes an astounding bit of pro-illegal-alien propaganda, worked into an editorial on why we shouldn't worry about the court-ordered release of thousands of prisoners from California's prisons. Check out the last two clauses in this quotation:

"Despite all those releases, crime rates are at the lowest levels since Dwight D. Eisenhower was president. Serious crime and arrests have been dropping in California and across the nation for years. While criminologists do not have an easy explanation for the huge crime decline, the evidence points to more effective policing, improved prevention programs for at-risk families and an influx of immigrants, who traditionally have very low crime rates."

I'm calling "BS" on that assertion.

How can the L.A. Times possibly claim "immigrants" have "very low crime rates?" Since "Sanctuary Cities" don't ask about "immigration status," how can they possibly generate statistics on how many crimes per capita "immigrants" commit?

The LAPD -- the police at Ground Zero of America's illegal alien explosion -- go out of their way NOT to inquire about "immigration status." Therefore, there is no reliable record about how many crimes are committed by illegal aliens. The gang member who murdered Jamiel Shaw had a long criminal history, and was in this country illegally. Where would all his crimes be reported as crimes by an "immigrant?" Nowhere. Result: under-reporting of crimes by illegal aliens.

Also, has the L.A. Times looked at prison populations lately? Has the paper even compared the foreign-born percentage of the prison population to the foreign-born percentage of the population at large?

Unlike the L.A. Times, I actually looked up the numbers on foreigners in our prisons about a year and a half ago, and wrote an essay entitled, "Fun Facts About Illegal Aliens In Federal Prisons." Guess what I discovered. The percentage of "non-U.S. citizens" in our federal prisons is 15.8%. That means that if "immigrants" -- a legal term the L.A. Times misuses to include illegal aliens -- commit crimes at the same rate as the general population, then we have over 48 million "non-U.S. citizens" living in America.

So I ask you: do you think 15.8% of America's population is foreign-born, or do you think Mexican gang members come to America, commit crimes, and routinely get away with their crimes in "sanctuary cities" without being reported to federal authorities for violating immigration laws? Yeah, me, too.

The corrupt politicians at City Hall get away with letting illegal aliens commit murder because the L.A. Times is driving the getaway car for them. Nor is the City Attorney lifting a finger to enforce the law.

And unless and until the 88% of L.A. voters who skip local elections start paying attention, the City's downward spiral will continue.

Bullet Train? More Like Slug.

2011-05-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

California, a state with a multi-billion dollar deficit, which is under court order to release prisoners due to overcrowding, has a Legislature that is busy aiding and abetting the violation of federal immigration laws and -- I'm getting to it -- spending billions of dollars it does not have on a so-called "bullet" train, the first leg of which will go from nowhere (Borden) to nowhere (Corcoran), which is essentially the same as going from the south side of Fresno to the north side of Fresno.

But hey, a journey of a thousand miles begins with one billion dollars, so let's be fair: how much faster will this train let people travel through California upon completion?

According to the website of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, some day you will be able to travel from Los Angeles to San Francisco in as little as -- drum roll, please -- two hours and 38 minutes. Wow. That number is impressive, compared to traveling by ordinary trains.

The number is far less impressive, however, when you compare it to aviation -- a mode of transportation used by actual human beings, as opposed to, say, freight and cattle.

Southwest can take you from L.A. to San Francisco in an hour and 15 minutes -- i.e., half the time, twice as fast -- and for just $59 one-way.

What's next? High-speed horse and carriage? I guess they could call it "Bullet Buggies" to give the illusion of speed.

Congratulations, California voters. You picked an extraordinary brain trust, political rocket scientists all, to run your state . . . into the ground.

How To Fix Golf In Three Simple Steps

2011-05-24T13:37:00.000-07:00

Golf doesn't have to remain the agonzingly dull waste of bandwidth it is today. Three simple steps are all it would take to fix golf:

Step 1: Change the name to "Extreme Golf."
Anything with "extreme" in the name is going to be better. Plus, you're not getting younger players without it.

Step 2: Base the scoring on speed, not strokes.

If I want to see a bunch of men walking around on a lawn, well, why would I want to see that? Let's see people running, moving as fast as they can. Don't make the winner the person who gets the ball in 18 holes in the fewest number of strokes. Instead, make golf a timed event, and make the winner the person who gets the ball in 18 holes in the shortest amount of time.

Imagine the fun. Are they going to run around carrying those huge bags of clubs? Or will they instead carry, say, one or two, to lighten their load?

Step 3: Obstacale course.

Let's not just have them run along a nice grassy lawn. Let's put some serious obstacles in their way. How about putting a big pond or three in the route, so they have to swim from one hole to the next? Perhaps a muddy marsh or two. And who says cacti are just for the desert? Plus, wouldn't you love to see those guys have to crawl through a tunnel or two, they way the dogs do in the dog agility contests? The possibilities are endless.

Okay, I gotta get back to work now. You're welcome, golfers and golf industry.

Yes, City Hall Is Still Screwing You

2011-05-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

How long does it take you to save up $12,000? Far longer than it takes City Hall to squander it.

Your boondoggle du jour is this: Villaraigosa and the City Council handed over $12,000 of your tax money to some outfit called "Poor Dog Group" to "conduct one program of theatre arts in the Netherlands." Hey, I'd like a free frikkin' trip to the Netherlands myself. Tulips and dikes -- what's not to like? Contract No. C-118811:

The fun doesn't stop there.

You're also chipping in $5,000 to send Linda O'Brien-Rothe to Guatemala. Suzanne Lacy is getting $10,000 for a free trip to England. Wave good-bye to $15,000 to send "The Culture Catalyst" to the Republic of Guinea.

Want a free trip to Spain? Maybe you can join Electroland, LLC, because they're getting $7,000 of your money to set up a multimedia installation there.

Oh, and, by the way, you're chipping in $57,831 to help a woman called Gwen D. Morgan-Smith buy a house at 1635 W Middleton Place Los Angeles, CA 90062. Don't count on a thank-you note.

Did I mention $137,890 of your tax money is going to Alesia A. Jones to help her buy a house at 2340 E. Santa Ana Blvd. North Los Angeles, CA 90059?

You'll love the terms of the deal these women get. How about an interest rate of zero? Would you believe that? How about this: the monthly payments are zero. They don't have to repay one penny of your money unless and until they sell their new homes. See for yourself:

Do you see, now, why you must not believe, even for a second, that there is a "budget crisis" at City Hall? We don't have a local government. We have a continuous crime scene, and taxpayers are the victims. Alas, they are too oblivious to know they're being ripped off.

The scams don't stop. They don't even slow down.

Law For Lawyers

2011-05-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

If you're licensed to sue, or otherwise find the law interesting, you may want to take a look from time to time at a second blog I've set up to focus on legal matters. It's called Law for Lawyers, but you don't have to be a lawyer to read it.

Culture of Corruption: Another Guilty Plea From City Hall

2011-05-20T19:11:00.000-07:00

The culture of corruption at L.A.'s City Hall continues: a second building inspector is pleading guilty to bribery. Perhaps he can call someone with a Gold Card and get out of it.

Gold Card Scandal Is But A Grain Of Sand On An Oil-Soaked Beach

2011-05-20T08:24:00.000-07:00

The scandal du jour at L.A.'s City Hall is Gold-Card-gate, whereby corrupt politicians -- redundant, I know -- let their cronies escape liability for parking tickets. The local paper says residents are "furious" about it.

But this oily, sleezy scam is merely one of thousands occurring each year in this town. Hundreds of millions of tax dollars are routinely handed out each year, by these same politicians, to billionaires. Tens of thousands of dollars go to friends and family for such absurd "public services" as taking low-rider cars to Mexico for an exhibition.

You have a Mayor who pleads guilty to violating anti-corruption laws by accepting "gifts" worth tens of thousands of dollars, and who then pays his fines by asking for more contributions from his patrons to do so.

Metaphorically speaking, City Hall is a beach ravaged by the Exxon Valdez and the BP Oil spill.

And the voters and local media just don't give a damn. Eighty-eight percent of the registered voters simply blew off the last city-wide election. Over 90% blew off the special run-off election a few days ago.

So pardon me if I fail to get worked up about this particular outrage. The beach is covered with dead seagulls, and they just keep rotting. Only a few of us care. That's not enough to make a difference. I want out.

There's An Election Today In Los Angeles

2011-05-17T07:27:00.000-07:00

Yeah, it's raining. Yeah, it's the Community College Board. But if you vote, you get an exceptionally cool "I voted" sticker.

Vote for Gutierrez. Here's a link so you can find your polling place.

POST-SCRIPT:

Oh! As Amy Alkon (syndicated columnist on whom Governor Schwarzenegger tried to hit while in traffic on Lincoln) reminds me -- see comment below -- there IS the matter of that Congressional seat up for grabs, too!

SON-OF-POST-SCRIPT

I voted, as had 13 other people in my precinct by 4:30 p.m.

Sam

2011-05-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

Sweetest dog ever. We'll never forget you, Sammy. Good boy.

Art and Architecture in Los Angeles in 2011

2011-05-16T12:51:00.000-07:00

Why did they bother with the statue?

You Should Google More During Your Commute

2011-05-10T21:25:00.000-07:00

How can we get people to Google more frequently?

Easy! Get them to use the internet during their commutes, by building cars that drive themselves.

Google rocks. Read all about how the company is lobbying Nevada for permission to deploy the robot cars: click here.

Obama Gives New Meaning To "Basically Complete"

2011-05-10T20:01:00.000-07:00

Today, President Obama proclaimed that the fence along our border with Mexico is "basically complete." I am not making this up.

The fence is "basically complete."

I don't know about you, but I, for one, plan to embrace his linguistic strategy wholeheartedly.

Let's say it's your turn to wash the dishes. You rinse, maybe, one plate. It's time for you to announce that washing the dishes is "basically complete."

Trying to lose 20 pounds? Well, if you leave one of those three doughnuts on the plate tomorrow morning -- say it with me -- your diet is "basically complete." Congrats, slim.

The best application, however, is to use Obama's newspeak against the federal government itself. The IRS says you owe $20,000 this year? Send 'em a check for $500, and tell them your payment is "basically complete." Actually, if you try that one, there's a good chance you'll see a completed fence, every day, for three to five years.

Assassinating terrorists in one thing. Assassinating the English language is another. I don't mind presidents who disagree with me about policy. That's okay. But I don't like it when my president lies so blatantly and badly that it's actually insulting to my intelligence.

Your Guide To Fleeing L.A.: Costco Locations In America

2011-05-05T23:50:00.000-07:00

As you consider where to re-locate upon fleeing Los Angeles, you may want to make sure there's a Costco nearby:

Trutanich's Latest Publicity Move: Blame The Deep Pocket

2011-05-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

Henry Potter - Evil Banker

So City Attorney Carmen Trutanich has elected to sue a bank which made the mistake of lending money to people who wanted to buy homes in the City of Los Angeles.

Judging from the article in the Los Angeles Times, Trutanich says the bank foreclosed on the properties and then effectively became a slumlord. What are the signs of that? Well, the houses are run down, there's graffiti, there's prostitution, squatters, gang members and other criminals.

And we're supposed to believe that's the BANK's fault? Are you kidding me?

As for the condition of the homes, does anyone really believe they were properly maintained BEFORE the bank foreclosed? Take a look at the picture in the article. This stuff does not happen overnight. We're talking at least a decade of deferred maintenance.

And, more importantly, as for graffiti, prostitution, squatters, gang members and other criminals, remind me: Whose job is it to fight those ills? Is it the bank's job? Or is it THE CITY ATTORNEY'S JOB?

Trutanich, in his bid to run for District Attorney, is trying to gin up publicity and distract attention from his and the City's failure to enforce our laws. Blame the deep pocket. No one's going to feel sympathy for a German bank, right?

Does Trutanich care about run-down neighborhoods, graffiti, etc.? Judging from his prior actions, no. Remember the people in Venice who dumped poop out of their RV along the street? Trutanich and his office did nothing until local radio talk show hosts made a fuss over it. And even then, the punishment was trivial: two days in jail after dumping their number two not once, but twice.

Oh, and is anyone mentioning the law the geniuses in the City of Los Angeles passed that requires a bank to PAY tenants thousands of dollars to vacate a house after foreclosure? I'm sure the bank would prefer to evict the people and try to re-sell the houses. But the City has, in effect, forced banks to pay extra merely to exercise the property rights they would otherwise have.

Well, this is another warning to businesses thinking of investing in or moving to Los Angeles: STAY OUT. You can't win here unless you happen to have contributed to the career politicians, in which case they'll give you subsidies and immunity.

The City Attorney's Office is supposed to enforce the law and promote the public interest, not function as a profit-center by filing dubious "shake-down" lawsuits against deep pockets merely because they are deep pockets.

Osama's Death Means New Life For Hollywood

2011-05-03T20:36:00.000-07:00

My movie poster is ready. All I need is the pitch meeting.

We're looking up, from the ocean floor, seeing the bottom of that big aircraft carrier, as we see a splash off the port side....

The camera backs up -- I forget what that's called -- to reveal that the body is drifting towards the wreck of an old Soviet submarine, one that had a nuclear reactor.

Cue the music. . . "Octopus's Garden."

LA Times Analysis of Kevin James For Mayor Overlooks Fact That Republican Party Of LA County Can Elect Him Just By Showing Up

2011-05-01T22:16:00.000-07:00

Take an umbrella with you tomorrow, because pigs are now airborne: the Los Angeles Times has finally gotten around to covering the best candidate for Mayor, namely, Kevin James. Read all about it.

The gist of the article is that Kevin James will have to build coalitions to win.

In fact, however, the numbers show that all it would take for Kevin James to become the next Mayor of America's second-biggest city is for Republicans to show up.

The reason is that voter turn-out in L.A.'s local elections is shockingly low. Indeed, over 88% of the City's voters simply skipped the 2011 election. Just skipped it.

I've done the math for you before, I'll do it again here now. Here's the short version:

There are over 287,000 registered Republican voters in the City of Los Angeles.
In 2009, Villaraigosa was elected with about 153,000 votes.

Do you "get" the significance of that?

If the Republicans just SHOW UP, Kevin James wins.

And that's before you add the votes he'll get from decline-to-states (like me) who will vote for him, and from Democrats who understand this local election is about integrity and competence, not political philosophy, because, really, neither party supports giving welfare to billionaires, does it?

So the Republican Party of Los Angeles County (RPLAC) should have one, and only one, mission between now and March 2013: make sure every single Republican in the County contributes to Kevin's campaign, and make sure every single Republican in the City shows up to vote for him in 2013.

The RPLAC has the opportunity to do something extraordinary -- and extraordinarily simple. Or it can continue its tradition of being an irrelevant cocktail party for the elderly. I am optimistic. The RPLAC has already started taking steps to promote local candidates after I lit a fire under them with my tough-love video. I think they're going to pull this off.

Local Government Goes Fight Club: Full Employment For Lawyers

2011-05-01T21:49:00.000-07:00

Remember in Fight Club when Edward Norton realizes he is also Brad Pitt, and he had actually punched himself in the face that first night? It's kind of like that.

Click on picture for motion

The Los Angeles Unified School District is suing the City of Los Angeles for selling it contaminated land for a school.

Who will win the lawsuit? The lawyers. Who will lose? You, the taxpayer. You are paying for both sides of one lawsuit, in a fight over who gets to spend your tax dollars. Brilliant.

District Attorney's Double Standard For Villaraigosa's Violations

2011-04-30T07:56:00.000-07:00

Can someone explain this to me? The Los Angeles County District Attorney seems to be serving different sauces for the goose and gander.

Start with the goose, aka Ticketgate:

Villaraigosa accepted over $100,000 worth of "gifts" illegally from companies that receive subsidies and tax breaks from the City. He gets caught. He pleads guilty, and a $42,000 fine is imposed. He then starts asking for contributions from others to pay the fines. Net impact on Villaraigosa for breaking the ethics laws: zero.

No indictment, no jail time, no further investigation to see what quid Villaraigosa gave for the quo. No nothin'. Just "have a nice day."

Now turn to the gander:

The District Attorney has indicted a 62-year-old real estate developer named Alexander Hugh for reimbursing employees who contributed to Villaraigosa's campaign, in the amount of about $26,000.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the prosecutor handling the case said the following, in reference to these and prior cases involving illegal contributions to Villaraigosa:

"He gets to talk to the mayor ... and have a big party with people of influence. That's his payoff," Huntsman said. "And how did he do it? Not by bringing together members of the community who had a common interest, but by having money come out of his own bank account."

Well, of course. But why does the Mayor get away scot-free for selling influence, while his customers get indicted? That is a double standard, and does nothing to punish crooked politicians who sell out the public interest in exchange for campaign contributions and God-only-knows what else.

The District Attorney should immediately convene a grand jury to investigate what Villaraigosa gave to the people and companies that gave him the tickets for which he was fined -- fines he is simply "passing through" to his customers.

Hat Day

2011-04-29T21:00:00.001-07:00

Remember, Saturday, April 30, 2011 is Hat Day. Wear a hat, a real hat, not a baseball hat, okay? Why? Because it's Hat Day.

Take THAT, Princess Beatrice!

Small dogs dig hats.

Ode To Tang

2011-04-29T07:47:00.000-07:00

Tang. Remember Tang? Man, you are SO old!

If you remember Tang, you remember Americans landing on the moon, which brings us to the gratuitous Tang and moon video:

Having not yet completed my second cup of coffee, I cannot articulate any profound observations about Tang forty years later.

But you can see a great deal of cultural change between that time and this, just from the product and the ad.

Tang America was exploring space; commercials joked about whether there was intelligent life on earth; and people were actually drinking orange-colored sugar and giving it to their kids.

In Post-Tang America, we're on the verge on having to bum rides into space from the Russians, and politicians want to ban chocolate milk from school -- notwithstanding the potential impact on bovine unemployment rates -- because children are too fat.

We were optimistic, upbeat, adventurous, innovative and drinking some really nasty stuff. I wonder if we can regain that positive mental attitude as a nation. I think we can.

Enough with the deep thoughts. My second cup of Joe beckons.

Plus, it turns out this isn't an "ode" to Tang at all. I looked up "ode:"

ode |ōd|nouna lyric poem in the form of an address to a particular subject, often elevated in style or manner and written in varied or irregular meter.• historical a poem meant to be sung.

You can't sing this, and you can't dance to it. Now get to work. It's Friday, not Saturday.

Villaraigosa And Trutanich Flouting Ethics For Fun And Profit

2011-04-28T07:30:00.000-07:00

I'd love to hear a philosophy professor deliver a lecture on ethics discussing the most recent activities of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and City Attorney Carmen Trutanich.

Have you heard the latest twists in their sordid stories? About the fund-raising to pay the Ticketgate fines, and the phony "Draft Carmen" campaign?

If not, let me bring you up to speed. We'll start with Tony V:

Villaraigosa's Fine Fund Drive

Villaraigosa violated ethics laws by accepting "gifts" worth tens of thousands of dollars from companies to which he used his position to grant subsidies and other special privileges that you and your company will never get. It was illegal for him to accept those "gifts." He also violated laws requiring him to report his receipt of gifts. This has come to be known as "Ticketgate."

The "gifts" included tickets to high-profile events, which gave him massive amounts of favorable and free publicity during the months leading up to the 2009 election. Why bother debating opponents when you can simply smile and wave to people at Lakers' games, Dodgers games, concerts, etc., and have those images broadcast on the TV news night after night?

Villaraigosa violated the ethics laws even though his own telephone directory -- as yours truly reported back on June 30, 2010 -- shows we're paying for three different employees to keep him out of trouble: the "legal counsel to the mayor," the "deputy counsel to the mayor," or another person whose title is "ethics advisor/commissions."

After Villaraigosa got caught, he pleaded guilty, and was fined $42,000 -- just a fraction of the value of the tickets and free, favorable publicity he received as a result of those tickets.

And now, if you can believe it, he is asking people to give him money so he won't have to use his own money to pay the fines. That's right: Villaraigosa, having been fined for accepting gifts, would like some new gifts so he won't have to use any of his own money to pay those fines.

Trutanich's Breach Of Contract And Phony Draft

One law enforcement official who could have and should have done something about Villaraigosa's illegal conduct, but elected to look the other way, is City Attorney Carmen Trutanich.

Trutanich, however, was apparently too busy generating material for an ethics lecture himself.

One reason he was elected to the office was that -- as Alan Jackson, a candidate for District Attorney has pointed out -- Trutanich promised voters, in writing, that if elected, he would not run for some other office. After the election, however, the County Sheriff, Lee Baca, supposedly tried to "draft" Trutanich to run for District Attorney. Well, how could Trutanich say "no" to law enforcement officials begging him to please, please, for the good of the county, run for District Attorney because no one else could possibly do the job?

Except here's the problem -- the new problem, aside from the broken promise, that is. Apparently the Sheriff "drafted" Trutanich only after Trutanich asked him to do so. The website Los Angeles Dragnet has put together what appears to be a bullet-proof case demonstrating that a Trutanich aide set up the "draft Trutanich" website months ahead of time.

Yikes

So that's Ethics 101 in America's second-largest city in 2011. You've got a Mayor asking for gifts so he won't have to pay fines for taking gifts. And you've got a City Attorney who not only breaks his written promises, but who secretly and dishonestly orchestrates a pretext for doing so.

Compare and contrast? How about this: Neither one of them has any desire to do the right thing. The only difference between them is that the City Attorney has apparently gone to greater lengths to create the appearance of propriety.

The future looks bright as can be for our city and county, doesn't it?

http://losangelesdragnet.blogspot.com/2011/04/exclusive-3-ds-of-draft-trutanich-4-da.ht

Villaraigosa Wants To Give City Employees 12% Raise

2011-04-26T21:40:00.000-07:00

Villaraigosa wants to give the City of L.A.'s employees a big fat 12% raise, notwithstanding the City's "budget crisis," the recession, and the city's double-digit unemployment rate. So says the San Francisco Chronicle.

No further comment is really required, is it?

Villaraigosa's Proposed Budget For 2011-2012: Source Documents

2011-04-22T19:27:00.000-07:00

In coming weeks and months, you will probably here all kinds of claims about the City of L.A.'s budget.

When you do, you can come to this page to find links to Mayor Villaraigosa's actual budget documents.

Me, I'm not planning to scrutinize them, because, frankly, I think the City is politically brain-dead and terminally ill. Plus, I'm super busy.

But be my guest. Here's your link to my public iDisk, where you can find the documents in PDF format:

L.A. Budget Documents for 2011-2012

If you find something interesting -- and I'm sure you can -- let me know, and I'll post it.

Dodgers Show Taxpayers Can Lose Their Shirt On AEG Stadium Deal

2011-04-20T22:07:00.000-07:00

Wanna buy a shirt? Give you good deal.

Villaraigosa, Beutner and the rest of the Spring Street Gang tell you not to worry about the fact that you, the taxpayer, will be on the hook for decades to repay the money AEG wants to borrow to build a football stadium. After all, they say, AEG will guarantee repayment.

The problem is, companies go bankrupt all the time.

Today's takeover of the Los Angeles Dodgers, moreover, illustrates that even professional sports franchises can fail. The media are reporting that the team's owner had to borrow $30 million just to make payroll.

You've been warned.

American Culture Update For My Foreign Friends

2011-04-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

Sorry for your loss. How about a Shamrock Shake?

For some reason, people from France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, the Philippines, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Eastern Europe, Canada and even Mexico visit my website with some regularity.

I am honored. Puzzled, but honored.

So today, especially for my guests from other countries, I want to share the latest distinctive bit of American culture: drive-through funerals.

Or, as most people would spell it, because Americans don't have the time or patience for silent letters, "drive-thru funerals."

The Los Angeles Times reports that we no longer have to endure the agonizing ordeal of finding a parking place merely to bid farewell to a loved one.

Now, in the country where convenience is paramount, you can simply drive your car next to the casket, take a look at grandma while slurping some icy purple drink from your big-gulp cup, and head down the road.

Life is sacred, sure, but we've got places to go.

The Nissan Altima CAN handle the cup

Honk if you loved Uncle Bob. Want fries with that?

Anyhow, I'm assuming the next step will be Facebook funerals and YouTube Eulogies. After all, why leave home to pay your respects?

How many people will "like" your funeral? How many hits will your eulogy get? It will help if you can make it whacky.

City Attorney Trutanich Shows He's Just Another Creepy Wanna Be Career Politician

2011-04-16T07:50:00.000-07:00

Pot throwing stone at kettle in glass house.

Just two years ago, Carmen Trutanich was elected to a four-year term as City Attorney of Los Angeles. In his campaign, as the Los Angeles Times reported, he made an issue of politicians who run for one office while holding another:

During the campaign, Trutanich called on then-City Councilman Jack Weiss to join him in swearing to seek a second term should he become city attorney and to promise not to run for another office, including district attorney, while serving in the post. The pledge called on the election winner to donate $100,000 to an afterschool program and to take out full-page newspaper ads declaring "I AM A LIAR" if he violated the terms.

Now, however, Trutanich has officially filed the paperwork needed to run for District Attorney of the County of Los Angeles in 2012.

Talk about stabbing voters in the back!

Let's see: he's doing exactly what he promised not to do; he's going to spend his time in coming months running for office -- and accepting campaign contributions -- rather than doing his job full-time; he's going to subject the City to the cost of a special election to replace him if he wins the District Attorney race; and he apparently believes he is so extraordinarily special that, out of all the attorneys in the County of Los Angeles, he, and he alone, is so vitally needed at the County that he must leave his office at the City.

Wow.

To me, Trutanich's actions disqualify him from serving in either office. He made a deal with the people of the City of Los Angeles to do the job for four years. Now he wants to breach his contract, for his own personal benefit. And, in the exceptionally unlikely event he wins the District Attorney's race, why would he stop there? Why not start campaigning immediately for Attorney General, or County Supervisor or whatever? The man is now officially a wanna be career politician.

Hey, did I mention? Let's draft David Berger for City Attorney for the 2013 election. He could start raising money right now. Then he'd be ready for a special election, if necessary, or the regular election in 2013.

Who Will Run For City Attorney In 2013? City Controller?

2011-04-15T19:10:00.000-07:00

Several people have formed committees to raise money to run for Mayor of L.A. in the March 2013, including -- unless you rely on the Los Angeles Times for your information -- attorney and radio talk-show host Kevin James.

No one, however, has formed a committee to run for City Attorney or City Controller. How about it, people?

Don't look at me. I already tried running for office twice. Why don't you try it at least once: run for office. If you win, you get to fix the city. If you lose, you earn the right to complain.

If you know an attorney or an accountant who's smart enough to do the job well, and stupid enough to volunteer for it, try to dupe them into running. It's loads of fun -- especially the part where people just make up lies about you and call you names because they can't debate policy.

Meanwhile, I'll see if I can bamboozle David Berger into running again. He would make a TERRIFIC City Attorney. Hey, maybe I'll get Lee Baca to write a letter to draft him.

David Berger: Guilty of stealing. . . the show.

Plus, beginning on September 5, 2011, you can form a committee to start raising money to run for City Council in 2013. Half the seats will be up for grabs: the odd-numbered districts.

State Of The City: Villaraigosa, Beutner And The City Council Cost 88,341 People Their Jobs

2011-04-14T22:01:00.000-07:00

You know how, when the President delivers his State of the Union address, the opposing party is allowed to present a counter-statement?

Well, here in Los Angeles, when the Mayor delivers his so-called "State of the City" address, the media don't bother to present another point of view.

Had they bothered to ask, say, the guy who finished second in the Mayoral election, here's one point that guy would have made:

Thanks to Mayor Villaraigosa, America's second-biggest city is far above average -- but not in a good way.

In February 2011, the national unemployment rate was 8.95%.

Thanks to the policies of Villaraigosa, his right-hand man Beutner, and the City Council, however, the rate here in L.A. that month wasn't 8.95%, or 9.95%, or 10%, or 11% or even 12%.

Antonio Villaraigosa's diastrous policies pushed our City's unemployment rate to a breath-taking, jaw-dropping 13.5%.

What does that mean? Well, if L.A.'s unemployment rate were the same as the national average, then "only" 170,921 of your neighbors would be out of work.

Instead, thanks to Villaraigosa's crony capitalism -- whereby you and your company pay extra taxes to fund hudreds of millions of dollars in subsidizes for AEG and other patrons of the local career politicians -- there are 259,262 unemployed workers in L.A.

Bottom line: Villaraigosa, Beutner and the fungible City Council Members have cost an extra 88,341 people their jobs.

Hey, you know what might be a good idea? Send Villaraigosa, Buetner, Perry, Greuel, Zine, Garcetti and all the rest to the unemployment line, and give someone else a chance to run City Hall. Someone like, say, Kevin James.

How Exhibitionist Politicians Can Change The Course Of History

2011-04-13T19:44:00.000-07:00

Here's your compare-and-contrast essay assignment.

Candaules, aka Myrsilos, was a king of the ancient Kingdom of Lydia from 735 BC to 718 BC. His wife was good-looking, and he wanted his aide, Gyges, to see her naked. Weird, huh? So the wife caught Gyges looking, was horrified, and said either you kill my husband or I'll have you killed, you peeping Tom, you. Gyges opted for the former, and the course of history was changed.

(That, at least, was apparently Gyges's story. Candaules didn't really get to tell his side, now, did he?)

Anyway, fast forward about 2690 years. There was an American politician in the 1990s named Jack Ryan. No, not the Tom Clancy character; a real person.

Like Canaules, Ryan was married to a good-looking woman. Ryan, however, didn't just want others to see his wife naked. He wanted other people to watch her have sex with him at sex clubs in France.

She wasn't into that scene, as she explained in the divorce papers. When those papers were leaked to the press, Ryan's political career was over; he withdrew from the Senate race he was in; and was replaced by a much weaker candidate called Alan Keyes, who then lost the election to . . . wait for it . . . a young man named . . . Barack Obama.

History is crazy, isn't it? I guess it just goes to show that politics has attracted nut-jobs for centuries.

And, in case you were wondering what brought this on, I had never heard of Candaules until today, when I listened to Podcast 51 from MilitaryHistoryPodcast.com, a fascinating collection of essays by a disturbingly bright young man who somehow accidentally enrolled at Harvard instead of Princeton.

There Is No Male-Female Wage Gap

2011-04-13T06:41:00.000-07:00

Read about it in the Wall Street Journal. According to the author, Carrie Lukas, the pay disparity is a result of men taking jobs where they work longer hours, with greater risks and less job security (e.g., construction vs. teaching).

Guess How Many People Get Government Aid

2011-04-11T07:12:00.000-07:00

How many people in the U.S. get checks -- not including paychecks -- from the federal government? Today's Washington Post has an article with a link to the following spreadsheet from the Census Bureau. Would you believe over 136 million people, over 46% of America? Yikes. Something is seriously out of whack. We need more whack.

Dodger Stadium Troop Surge Shows "Anti-Gang" Programs Are BS

2011-04-09T10:24:00.000-07:00

You know why the Mayor and the Chief of Police are sending an army of armed police to the next L.A. Dodgers game?

Because armed police are the best way to protect public safety, and because Mr. and Mrs. McCourt are politically active billionaires who throw down the free tickets and receive special treatment from the City (e.g., a taxpayer-subsidized "free" shuttle for customers).

If, by contrast, you're just some poor schlub taxpayer, in a neighborhood over-run by gangs, you know what you get instead? You get unlicensed, unregulated, so-called "anti-gang" programs run by ex-cons who are cronies of the former gang-member Mayor -- and who keep getting arrested even while riding the taxpayer gravy train.

You've got your "Tale of Two Cities" right here in one city. You've got a double standard: real security for the rich, and faux security for everyone else.

Tell you what, Mr. Mayor: show us you really believe in the "anti-gang" programs on which you squander tens of millions of our tax dollars every single year. Don't send more police to Dodger stadium at the next game. Instead, send the police out to the crime-ridden neighborhoods, and send your "anti-gang" people to the parking lot at Dodger stadium. In other words, treat the billionaires the way you treat people who do not give you free tickets.

Don't Fight Global Warming, Embrace It

2011-04-09T08:31:00.000-07:00

Why does no one ever discuss the benefits of global warming? We don't need "green" energy. We just need to adjust our attitude about latitude.

You say it'll get all hot, sticky and wet unless the government subsidizes solar technology and windmills? Hello, McFly?! We have a seventh continent just sitting there, unused by anyone but birds in tuxedos. Turn up the thermostat a few degrees, and you will have essentially created a huge new parcel of real estate. There's enough room in Antarctica for everyone to have a beachfront condo.

And don't forget, we live in a bi-polar world. If we would just get rid of all that pesky ice and snow, we could finally surf the Arctic Ocean. Canada and Russia would thrive. Look at all the real estate encircling the North Pole:

So enough with the electric cars, already. Just say "no" to snow, and embrace the warmth.

You Arrest Building Inspectors But Not The Tickegate Five?

2011-04-09T08:02:00.000-07:00

Explain to me why two lowly building inspectors who take bribes to "fast track" building permits get arrested, but the Mayor and four City Council Members who receive "gifts" from companies to who which they give fee waivers, subsidies, bonds, etc., merely have to pay minor fines.

Why are there no celebrity mugshots of Antonio Villagraigosa, Eric Garcetti, Jose Huizar, Tony Cardenas, and Herb Wesson? Anti-corruption laws should be enforced against those at the top, not just those at the bottom. Arrest the Ticketgate Five.

Ticketgate Sequel: City Council Members Plead Guilty And Pay Fines

2011-04-08T19:43:00.000-07:00

Ticketgate isn't just for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa any more. As reported in the Los Angeles Times, four City Council Members have now copped pleas for accepting tickets as "gifts" illegally:

City Councilman Tony Cardenas: GUILTY, $2,500 fine.
City Councilman Jose Huizar: GUILTY, $2,100 fine.
City Councilman Eric Garcetti: GUILTY, $4,800 fine.
City Councilman Herb Wesson: GUILTY, $3,900 fine.

Not only are Los Angeles career politicians are corrupt, but they seem . . . what is the word? . . . embarrassingly cheap. Actually, we can't jump to that conclusion, can we? After all, who knows what they're really getting away with. We only know they got caught for this.

Way More Money Than An NPR Pledge Drive, And He's Not Even Giving Away Tote Bags!

2011-04-06T07:36:00.000-07:00

See, her name is Nina Totenberg, so it's a Nina Totin' Bag.

People who are serious about fixing this City have pledged over $500,000 to a candidate the Los Angeles Times is pretending does not exist, namely, Kevin James.

How about you help make it a million? I know this recession is brutal, but every $25 helps. You've heard the expression, "there's strength in numbers?" Well, if half of the 72,000 people who voted for me contributed just $25 to Kevin's campaign, that would be $900,000 right there.

I know the recession is brutal -- believe me, I know, or I would have already contributed more than the $100 I've kicked in. But the sooner you get your first contribution in -- whether it's $25 or $50 or $100 -- the sooner our favorite Sooner can start getting the publicity he needs to reach the 88% of L.A.'s voters who ignore local election.

Click here to contribute to Kevin's campaign.

Now what I really want to know is, how do I get my "Kevin James for Mayor" bumper sticker? I want to be the first to have one.

This will look so good on my car.

How To Cure The L.A. Times's Terminal Groupthink

2011-04-04T19:37:00.000-07:00

You probably already know the L.A. Times is up to its old tricks again: concealing from voters the identity of Mayoral candidates of whom it does not approve.

The paper published an op-ed entitled, "Who Will Be L.A.'s Next Mayor?" Omitted from the list of actual and potential candidates was attorney and talk radio host Kevin James.

Instead, the newspaper purported to draw distinctions between the fungible members of the status quo, namely, various City Council Members, a Deputy Mayor, and one of the developers whom they serve.

To paraphrase Dorothy Parker, the Times's list of candidates runs the gamut from "A" to "B."

If that ticks you off, do NOT write a letter to the editor. The editor doesn't give a damn about you.

Instead, if you want results, write a check to Kevin James for Mayor 2013. Better yet, just click here to charge it -- and maybe get some frequent flyer miles to boot.

I can tell you from personal experience, there is one, and only one, cure for political invisibility. That cure consists of portraits of dead white men from bygone centuries on rectangular pieces of cloth -- dollars, in other words.

When I ran for Mayor in the 2005 election, I made a point of telling people not to send me money. I got something like 2.7% of the vote. When I ran for Mayor in 2009, I urged people to contribute to my campaign, and I got nearly 27% of the vote. Did my platform change? No. Same guy, same platform, ten times as many votes.

If you want Kevin James to win, you have to contribute money. It really is that simple. You don't have to send a huge amount, but you have to send something.

According to my guesstimates, if and when you and I get him to the $1 million mark, he will get publicity. And if he gets publicity, he will win. Why? Because, for one thing, the other candidates are interchangeable, and will cannibalize one another's potential voting base. More importantly, he will win because he's a good man who wants to make our city a nice place to live and work.

But he can only do that if you contribute to the campaign. Remember, it's not a contribution to him. Rather, it's the price we must pay to break the dysfunctional cycle whereby voter apathy lets special interests install career politicians who then cater to the special interests at the expense of the public interest.

Why are you still reading, when you should be entering those credit card digits at Kevin's website?

Villaraigosa's Guilty Plea In Ticketgate Should Be Start Of Criminal Investigation, Not End

2011-04-03T10:33:00.000-07:00

The Mayor of America's second-biggest city has effectively pleaded guilty to violating state and city anti-corruption laws. Villaraigosa has agreed to pay a $42,000 fine. Why? For accepting valuable consideration -- in the form of tickets -- that it was illegal for him to accept at all, and, separately, for failing to report same. One of the things that made this consideration illegal is that it came from people and companies doing business with the City of which Villaraigosa is the Mayor.

The District Attorney's Office has announced this will end their investigation. Really? Why? If I were District Attorney -- and no, I'm not running for that office or any other -- I would convene a grand jury in a heartbeat. I want to know what Villaraigosa gave back to the people and companies that gave him over $100,000 worth of tickets. I would subpoena every email, every note of every meeting, everyone who attended discussions between Villaraigosa and his staff, on the one hand, and, say, AEG and its lobbyists, on the other.

Villaraigosa's guilty plea is the legal equivalent of a huge, billowing cloud of black smoke. And where there's smoke, you can bet there's a fire that explains his eagerness to sign your name on bonds to pay for AEG's proposed new stadium.

Here's the only good news in this: John Schwada of Fox 11 News is all over this. He broke the story in the first place, and he's not letting go of it. We are lucky to have a REAL journalist on local TV in this town, with the tenacity that yours truly is losing day by day. Go, John, go! Get those crooks!

Mayor Villaraigosa To Pay Fines For Accepting Free Tickets: MyFoxLA.com

Villaraigosa's "Clean Tech Corridor" Crashed And Burned, But Trust Him, This Stadium Won't Cost You A Dime

2011-03-31T20:57:00.000-07:00

The LA Weekly seems to be the only newspaper reporting that Mayor Villaraigosa's much-touted "Clean Tech Corridor" has completely crashed and burned.

And yet, you are asked to rely on Villaraigosa's prediction that a new stadium will pay for itself. I say "baloney." (Actually, I say something else, but I'm trying to be all polite and stuff.)

Villaraigosa and the City Council are signing YOUR name, Joe Taxpayer, to a loan document. You won't get the money, but you will get the bill -- for approximately $86 million per year. Now, people in the private sector are unwilling to risk their own money on building a stadium downtown.

But Villaraigosa assures you nothing will go wrong; the stadium will be a huge success, and will generate more than enough money to repay the loan for which you will be liable.

Hey, come to think of it, can he or anyone else at City Hall point to a single example of any of their "public-private partnerships" ever creating a positive cash flow for the public? Didn't think so.

And again, thank you, LA Weekly, for actually covering politics and public policy in America's second-biggest city, a beat nearly everyone else ignores.

Multiplicity: Clones, Clowns And Candidates For Mayor

2011-03-27T07:53:00.000-07:00

Remember that movie, "Multiplicity?" You know, the one where Michael Keaton clones himself, such that there are four indistinguishable versions of the exact same person running around, getting into mischief?

That's pretty much the story for all the candidates in L.A.'s 2013 Mayoral race, except for Kevin James.

Think about it. What is the difference between City Council Members Eric Garcetti, Jan Perry, former City Council Member Wendy Greuel, and Deputy Mayor Austin Beutner? They are all exactly the same person.

After all, when have any of those people disagreed about anything? When have any of them spoken or voted against a proposal any of the others have made? Never. They are one and the same person.

They agree on everything. They can't even sing that "You say to-may-to, and I say to-mah-to" song. They all say "to-mah-to."

Even worse, these clones are clowns. These are the people who caused the very problems they will be promising to solve. A vote for any of them is a vote to continue the exact same disastrous policies the City is already following: welfare for billionaires, obscene boondoggles, higher-and-higher tax and DWP rates, millions for sham "anti-gang" programs, millions for friends' and family's profitable "non-profits" that do nothing for the public interest and, the pièce de résistance, an unemployment rate that towers above the national and state averages.

The clown clones are already in charge of City Hall. If you want to see the future with any of them as Mayor, look at the present.

If any of the clown clones had any decent proposals or leadership skills for turning around this city, he or she would have done so by now. Or are we supposed to believe they have merely been saving the "good stuff" for when they become mayor?

Friends don't let friends vote for clones. Support Kevin James NOW. And by "support," I mean send him some money, even if it's only $25. Take it from me: every dollar helps, and the sooner, the better. Money is how one gets media attention.

Don't let the clown clones win.

The City Of L.A.'s Budget "Crisis" Is Still Phony

2011-03-24T21:45:00.000-07:00

How big is the City of L.A.'s budget deficit? Yesterday, according to the LA Weekly, Villaraigosa blurted out $500 million, even though the City Administrative Officer -- you know, DUI Guy -- says $350 million.

But that's not what's important. What's important is that this whole budget "crisis" is completely contrived. How can I say that? Easy. Look at the CAO's own figures from a presentation he made to the City Council earlier this week, and you'll see that revenues are down just five percent from the all-time high of $7.11 billion in 2008-09:

Five frikkin' percent? And that's a crisis?! How happy would you be if your annual revenues were just five percent below your all-time high?

The "crisis" is completely fake. It constitutes nothing more than a desire to keep squeezing taxpayers to subsidize billionaire developers, along with the career politicians' cronies who run those very profitable "non-profits," plus assorted sisters, brothers-in-law, chow-hounds living it up at luxury hotels, and other muzzles feeding at the public trough, including the so-called Chamber of Commerce itself.

How many times have I documented for you the ongoing parade of obscene boondoggles at City Hall? Remember that couple for whose condo purchase you're making the down payment? How about billions for Eli Broad and the Related Companies?

But none of this matters, because 88% of local voters skip elections, and the rest are easily duped, thanks to a lazy media that just repeats press releases from sociopathic career politicians.

At least LA Weekly's Gene Maddus realized the Mayor can't seem to agree with his own budget crony about whether the defict will be $350 million or $500 million. The more interesting question, to me, is why the CAO's deficit projection figures ignore over $2 billion of revenues, and address only the "general fund," which is but one of dozens of funds the City has. Is it to scare oblivious voters into approving yet another tax hike, like the "save the libraries" scam that succeed in this month's election?

Hey, how come it's $4.375 billion here, instead of $6.75 billion? And would it kill them to use a COLOR scanner so we can see that they are already planning to spend more than they take in, even with rising revenues?

When Did Congress Declare War On Libya?

2011-03-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

Congress has not declared war on Libya.

Declaring wars, however, is a power assigned to Congress, not the President, under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution.

Presidents from both parties have disregarded that fact, as have many members of Congress and the public at large.

How about we start obeying the law for a change? The Founding Fathers put that clause in there for a reason. The decision about whether to kill people and destroy property in another country is as important as decisions get. It's one that should require agreement by a majority of the people's elected representatives, don't you think?

An "undocumented" war is an illegal war.

Thank You House Of Representatives For Nixing NPR

2011-03-17T21:54:00.000-07:00

If people want to listen to NPR, let them buy a dang tote-bag, but don't tax me to pay for Garisson Keilor's monotonous monologues. Thank you, House of Representatives, for taking the first, important steps in making government affordable. Meanwhile, I'll take advantage of radio paid for by another country's taxpayers: BBC via podcast, thank you very much.

Have You Made Your First Contribution To Kevin James Yet?

2011-03-16T20:04:00.000-07:00

I contributed my first $100 to the Kevin James's campaign today. Why? Because as the guy who finished second in the 2009 Mayoral race, let me tell you the key to victory: more money, more quickly.

Let's win this time, shall we? Contribute whatever you can to Kevin James right now, and keep it coming in future months. We cannot afford the status quo. Here's a link to Kevin's website: KevinJamesForMayor.com.

Kevin shown demonstrating his proposed solution for L.A.'s traffic jams.

Cops On Horseback

2011-03-16T07:38:00.000-07:00

Driving home from court yesterday, along Sixth Street, after the LAPD issued its report finding the shooting there a year ago was justified, what do you suppose I saw? Cops on horses!

The Picture Worth A Thousand Words About L.A. In 2011

2011-03-14T08:31:00.000-07:00

Take a look at this picture from the L.A. Times, and while you're at it, look at the ad from the City of Los Angeles for tax amnesty accompanying it. Says quite a bit about what happens to a City when 88% of the voters skip city elections, don't you think?

Could you even guess this was taken in an American city?

Austin Beutner Commences Outlandish "Outsider" Campaign

2011-03-11T23:43:00.000-08:00

Hey, what do you do if you're already the de facto Mayor of a City teetering on bankruptcy, and you want to dupe people into making you the actual Mayor? Easy! You pretend you haven't been an insider for the past two years, and start pointing fingers at your rivals, the members of the City Council. Good luck with that one, A.B.

He's not like Villaraigosa at all. See? He uses his RIGHT hand to fondle his chin. Totally different.

Campaign 2013 Begins. . . .

2011-03-10T07:15:00.000-08:00

Photographic decapitation in action

The last election is so "two days ago."

The relevant race now is the City-wide election scheduled for March 2013. Up for grabs are the following seats: Mayor (Villaraigosa is termed out); City Attorney; City Controller; and half the City Council seats (i.e., the odd-numbered ones).

This raises several issues:

Will the Republican Party of Los Angeles do anything, anything at all, to help any Republicans win any of those seats? Probably not, even though all they would have to do to win an election in this town is show up. Abysmally low turnout is the key.

Will anyone good run for Mayor? Yes. But that's all I can say about that right now. That, plus, "it ain't me, babe."

Will anyone good run for the other offices? Probably not. Good people look at things like the outcome of this last fiasco, and decide against spending their time and subjecting themselves to the requisite abuse.

Is there hope for our city? No. Get out while you can. You now live in a corrupt, bankrupt city, run for the benefit of special interests. Save yourself. You can't save the oblivious people who live here.

The Winner By A Landslide: Obliviousness

2011-03-09T07:24:00.000-08:00

There was an election? Did not realize that. Who won?

The official bird of Los Angeles is the ostrich.

Guess what percentage of L.A.'s registered voters did not bother to vote in yesterday's election? The answer is 88.41%.

Let me put that another way: 1,454,005 of the 1,644,647 people registered to vote in America's second-biggest city simply skipped an election. They did so even though the City is nearly bankrupt, and even though approximately half of them live in districts where they could have replaced current City Council Members.

Every single feckless incumbent was re-elected to office, without even a run-off, by maddeningly small margins.

Councilman LaBonge stayed in office with a margin of just 827 votes. That is, he needed 8,130 votes to win, and he received 8,956.

Councilman Cardenas retained his office with a margin of just 599 votes. He needed 3,411 votes to win; he received 4,009.

Councilman Huizar squeaked by with a margin of 2,051 votes. He needed 7,216 votes to win; he received 9,266.

Councilman Wesson maintained his office by a margin of 2,650 votes. To win, he needed 5,5,562; he got 8,212.

Think about those numbers, would you? In major American city that is failing, and that has 1.6 million registered voters, the career politicians who caused the crash-and-burn are staying in office by margins of 827 votes, 599 votes, and so on, because 1.4 million voters don't even show up.

Plus, only .04% -- less than one half of one percent -- of L.A.'s registered voters realized that the "library" ballot measure was an unjustifiable tax hike: 65,669 people voted against it; 113,350 voted for it; and everyone else stayed home. Hey, do you think the people who voted for it even know that on election day, the City Council diverted nearly $1 billion of revenues to "welfare for the rich" through so-called redevelopment programs?

Do you understand, now, why I will never run for office again in this City? The combination of lazy media and uninformed voters spell doom for America's second-biggest city. And if you think that's hyperbole, I have one word for you: Detroit.

Okay, enough pessimism. Hey, who's running for the 2013 elections?

Here Are Your Election Night Results

2011-03-08T20:44:00.000-08:00

Just click the following link to get the latest updates from the City Clerks: election results.

Snapshots Of Journalistic Malpractice: L.A. Election "Coverage"

2011-03-08T19:18:00.000-08:00

Why don't more people vote in L.A.'s local elections? Two words: journalistic malpractice. The local media essentially ignore local elections, and, therefore, so do the voters in America's second-biggest city, a city with nearly as many people as Ireland.

To document this utter failure of the Fourth Estate, I have taken screen shots from local newspapers and TV stations today, election day. Click on them to zoom in, and see if you can even find anything about the election:

How To Vote Tuesday

2011-03-07T21:15:00.000-08:00

Here are my recommendations for L.A.'s election on Tuesday, March 8, 2011 (click here for a printable version):

Los Angeles City Council

District 2: Bisani
District 4: Box
District 6: Barron
District 8: Hogan-Rowles
District 10: Shaw
District 12: Smith (NOT Englander, and NOT Chelebian)
District 14: Martinez

Ballot Measures
NO on all of them

Community College:
Seat 1: Essavi
Seat 3: Write in "Mark Isler" (I know. It's a hassle, but so are crummy politicians.)
Seat 5: Gutierrez

LAUSD:
District 1: Lee
District 3: Pugliese
District 5: Fernandez
District 7: Love

Ticketgate: Et Tu, Carmen?

2011-03-06T19:25:00.000-08:00

A picture's worth a thousand words. A commenter on my last essay, who calls himself "Chief Damn," and who has website of his own, revealed that City Attorney Carmen Trutanich has accepted tickets from AEG worth nearly $1,000.

Those Spring Street politicians just go gaga for "freebies" from AEG, don't they? I guess it's official: we've got a chicken guarding the hen house. So much for protecting the public interest from the special interests.

City Attorney Chickens Out

2011-03-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

Hey, you want to tie up traffic for thousands of commuters by lying in the middle of the street? Go right ahead.

L.A.'s City Attorney won't do a damned thing about it. He has elected to surrender the streets to whoever cares to take them.

The Los Angeles Times reports he's dropping all charges against the clowns who messed up the West side with their protest in support of the "Dream Act."

Thanks for nothing, Carmen Trutanich.

Work Harder So Others Won't Have To

2011-03-02T20:30:00.000-08:00

City Hall is handing $56,600 of YOUR money to a couple to help them buy a condo. Why? Why are YOU being taxed to pay for someone ELSE's condo?!

Their names are Steven Patrusky and Dina Charles-Patrusky; they're buying a condo at 5500 Lindley Avenue, #206, Encino, 91316; and you are kicking in $56,600 courtesy of L.A.'s Housing Department.

Yes, THAT Housing Department -- the one run by the chow hounds who stay at luxury hotels, send you the bill for room service, and pick up a per diem on top of it.

Hey, you know what I did before I had enough money to buy my first home? I kept working and saving until I could. Is that so wrong? How about if Steven and Dina do that instead of City Hall handing 'em $56,600 that you and I paid as taxes?

I'm guessing you would like $56,600 to pay down your own mortgage, or maybe pay your rent, or get a new iPad. Am I wrong? Would you rather spend your own hard-earned money, or hand it to two strangers to buy a condo?

And it's a gift, not a loan, by the way. They call it a "loan," but how many loans have you ever signed that bear zero interest, and don't require you to repay a dime unless and until you sell the house? Seriously, read it for yourself:

2.4 INTEREST. This Loan shall bear no interest, unless there is a default as defined in Section 10 below. . . .

2.5 TIME AND AMOUNT OF PAYMENTS. The outstanding balance of the City Loan shall be due and payable upon sale, transfer, refinance, or change of residence of the Borrower.

So vote on March 8, and get both your friends to vote, too, or shut the heck up about City Hall for the next four years.