Meet Carmen "Nuch" Trutanich, a well-funded candidate for L.A. City Attorney, who wants to get tough on gangs and illegal immigrant criminals.
Clearly, he's not City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo and certainly not Councilman Jack Weiss, the man anointed by the mayor and L.A. corrupt insider political culture to perpetuate the soft on crime policies that are driving away the middle class, making it impossible for the working poor to get ahead and leaving vast neighborhoods terrorized by hoodlums.
"Nuch" is a different sort. He's raised half a million dollars which is half what Weiss has raised but more than enough to be competitive and he has a lot of support from law enforcement and the backing of Sheriff Lee Baca, District Attorney Steve Cooley and former Assembly Speaker and mayoral candidate Bob Hertzberg.
When you look at where their bundled money is coming from, you find Weiss is on the take big time from developers with massive projects that the community has gotten little or no say about, Trutanich is on the take from cops and judges.
I spoke with "Nuch" today in the context of Thursday's 9:30 a.m. protest at Weiss' district office at 822 S. Robertson Boulevard, Suite 102. It's being staged by KABC talk show host Doug McIntyre who is calling for an open public debate in City Council on Jamiel's Law, which Weiss has bottled up in committee (See next item).
"No ifs ands or buts about it," Trutanich told me, "I'd have a zero tolerance policy. Commit a crime, you're gone."
Clearly, he's not City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo and certainly not Councilman Jack Weiss, the man anointed by the mayor and L.A. corrupt insider political culture to perpetuate the soft on crime policies that are driving away the middle class, making it impossible for the working poor to get ahead and leaving vast neighborhoods terrorized by hoodlums.
"Nuch" is a different sort. He's raised half a million dollars which is half what Weiss has raised but more than enough to be competitive and he has a lot of support from law enforcement and the backing of Sheriff Lee Baca, District Attorney Steve Cooley and former Assembly Speaker and mayoral candidate Bob Hertzberg.
When you look at where their bundled money is coming from, you find Weiss is on the take big time from developers with massive projects that the community has gotten little or no say about, Trutanich is on the take from cops and judges.
I spoke with "Nuch" today in the context of Thursday's 9:30 a.m. protest at Weiss' district office at 822 S. Robertson Boulevard, Suite 102. It's being staged by KABC talk show host Doug McIntyre who is calling for an open public debate in City Council on Jamiel's Law, which Weiss has bottled up in committee (See next item).
"No ifs ands or buts about it," Trutanich told me, "I'd have a zero tolerance policy. Commit a crime, you're gone."
Trutanich makes the point that the problem is that
LAPD isn't even following its own rule, Special Order 40. Only the
first paragraph making sure cops don't investigate people solely for
immigration violations gets any attention.
The rest of it, he notes, requires cops to make arrest files with the notation "undocumented alien" and to notify immigration authorities if the suspect is arrested for multiple misdemeanors, a felony or has previous arrests.
"We just need to enforce all of Special Order 40 and we'll have taken a big step forward in dealing with gangs.
Trutanich's commitment to law and order goes beyond gangs to go after billboard companies that have littered the city with illegal signage, illegal conversions of single family homes into tenements and unlicensed and illegal businesses.
"i'll be honest and transparent. I guarantee that," he said.
The rest of it, he notes, requires cops to make arrest files with the notation "undocumented alien" and to notify immigration authorities if the suspect is arrested for multiple misdemeanors, a felony or has previous arrests.
"We just need to enforce all of Special Order 40 and we'll have taken a big step forward in dealing with gangs.
Trutanich's commitment to law and order goes beyond gangs to go after billboard companies that have littered the city with illegal signage, illegal conversions of single family homes into tenements and unlicensed and illegal businesses.
"i'll be honest and transparent. I guarantee that," he said.
Ron Kaye is the former editor of the Los Angeles Daily News where he spent 23 years helping to make the newspaper the voice of the San Fernando Valley and fighting for a city government that serves the people and not special interests.
Twice in recent years, Los Angeles Magazine listed Kaye among the city’s most influential people, specifically in the area of politics. Kaye has been variously described in the media as the “accidental anarchist,” “the Patrick Henry of the San Fernando Valley” and a “passionate populist.” He is now committed to
carrying on his crusade for a greater Los Angeles as an ordinary citizen. Previously, Ron worked at the Los Angeles Herald Examiner,
Associated Press, Cleveland Plain Dealer and The Australian as well as papers
in Fairbanks, Alaska and Yakima, Wash. He also wrote for Newsweek magazine, The Guardian in London and the National Enquirer.
I was hoping that we would have a real choice for a change. Thank you. T.
Time for a City Attorney that is not a toady for the Mayor or City Council. Time for a City Attorney that just wants good government. Time for a City Attorney that does not need to curry favor with the downtown power structure because he does not seek higher political office.
Everyone supports Carmen Trutanich, for 2009 Los Angeles City Attorney.
We all know the truth about Jack Weiss, and his method of threatening local business owners in an effort to strong-arm their vote!
We wont tolerate your games Jack!
Carmen Trutanich's Campaign Website is http://tru09.com/