No. 1 Insult of the Day: “Activists get dose of City Hall reality”
That’s a headline this morning on the Daily News
website over a story by Rick Orlov on Council President Eric Garcetti‘s
annual Government 101 Day to teach activists and students how City Hall
works — or in reality doesn’t work at all.
Garcetti told the group, apparently with a
straight face, that even if City Council members do
not appear to be
listening, they are still carrying out public business. “This is the only place where you can directly address your government.”
Reality, as it usually does, won, however. Mayor Villaraigosa didn’t bother to show up as
promised, the council meeting started late as usual, and the people in
power didn’t pay any attention to the public.because they were too busy
looking after themselves and their friends..
“Because of (state) laws, we are not allowed to
talk privately,” Garcetti said. “So the meetings are often the only
time we can talk with one another. City business is still being done.”
No. 2 Insult of the Day: Nahai defends $152,000 giveaway, saying: “We want to attract the very best from the private sector.”
It’s funny how often a guy who’s so smart and well-educated as David Nahai almost always says the wrong thing.
Here, he is, exposed for another arrogant act that shows he has utter contempt for his customers, the people of L.A. who are being gouged with ever higher rates that produce nothing but blackouts and toilet water, and what does he do?
He reminds everybody that he’s not the best the private sector has to offer in terms of running a mammoth water and power monopoly. In, fact he has no experience in the industry at all or experience as a manager.
His latest screwup — and ripoff of the public — is the revelation that he hired the controversial Raj Raman as his No.2 with the promise he would pad his lucrative public employees pension with $152,000 of ratepayer money.
The signing bonus finally came out this week at the same time Raman’s ethics are being questioned because of the appearance of a conflict of interest over DWP contracts with his former private sector clients.
“There should be a discussion about why this offer was made, why it
wasn’t carefully researched at the time, why it was necessary,” Controller Laura Chick
said.
DWP Commission President Nick Patsaouras noted pointedly that Nahai hires his own management team and the board is only responsible for hiring the general manager.
No. 1 Hopeful Sign of the Day: Arnold will veto all bills until budget is passed
“There is no excuse for the Legislature’s failure to reach a
compromise and to send me a budget,” Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said at a news
conference, more than a month into the new fiscal year.
“Until the
Legislature passes a budget that I can sign, I will not sign any bills
that reach my desk.”
Actually, it would have been better for the people if he vetoed all bills all the tiime.
No. 2 Hopeful Sign of the Day: Appeals Court hearing set for Aug. 26 on City Council’s term limits fraud
David Hernandez’s amazing personal crusade to overturn Measure R, the phony measure that gave council members an extra four-year term in office and weakend ethics rules has a date in court.
Here’s the info: Aug. 26, 1 p.m. 2nd Court of Appeal, Ronald Reagan State Building, 300 S. Spring St., Division 8. Here’s case informatioon and background information.
This time the good news outweighs the bad. Arnold is finally thinkingg like a public servant instead of a Prince and David Hernandez and Ted Hayes have been finally rewarded for hours and hours of volunteer citizenship by having their (our) case in court. Thank you, Ron, for letting us know and for the encouragement. You are one of the good ones.
TH
Since when does DWP, or any City department, offer a “signing bonus”? Isn’t that a gift of public funds? Is it even legal?
Nahai is clearly a disaster as GM, but he’s a puppet. The Raj appointment was engineered by union boss Brian D’Arcy and the mayor. The three of them became pals years ago at the MTA. And if anyone actually believes that Raj’s former clients are winning all these contracts on the merits, I’ve got a bridge for sale.
Are the officials in the public sector even listening to or reading their own press releases? What part of the budget crunch (also known as deficit) do they not comprehend? Notice to all local politicians and appointed officials: Your constituents are struggling from the burden of your excess. You all need slaps upside your head. We are mad as hell and not going to take it any more. I am bereft at the lack of common sense within government. Go ahead and wallow in your caviar because come voting season you all are gone!
LCStone
The hubris of the gang of 15 plus 1 in City Hall is beyone appalling! They have forgotten the definition of what it means to be a “PUBLIC SERVANT”! They city council actually treats it’s LEGAL constituents with SCORN! It’s beneath them to acknowledge us and our concerns! Well, we are going to end this corrupt cronyism and criminal game of musical chairs that is destroying this city! It’s intolerable and unacceptable!
This city is now officially 50% ILLITERATE, which is the intended goal of the Mexican mafia in city hall. How else would they be able to get away with their unprecedented, bad behavior?
Unfortunately, they have overlooked the fact that 50% of the legal citizenry is still here…and WE ARE FULLY AWAKE…thanks to heroes like Ron Kaye! I truly feel that we will have CHANGE next year…starting with the mayor’s office!
Doug McIntyre held a powerful event today refuting Special Order 40 and Jack Weiss; Mr. Shaw, Sr., Mrs. Shaw, Officer March’s mother, and Danielle Bolgna and her brother-in-law were powerful in their sorrow!
Ron, thank you a millions times over…for starting the ball rolling! We are gathering incredible momentum, and for the first time…I see HOPE! Thanks again!
There’s even danger from what City Council decides to do FOR their constituents in this manner:
Where there are proposals that will cost us more money, as with the MTA plans and those of others for raising money, the city council does not want to act to end things then and there, but say, “I want to be fair to the voters…” or “If the people WANT it, I think that they should decide…” So then they add, “…so we should give them the opportunity to vote on it themselves.”
Who are they kidding? Instead of shooting the taxpayers with the equivalent of the taxation gun themselves, they want to give a spin of the cylinder to the tax-gun, and hand it over to us for a Russian Roulette chance that maybe enough people can be found who will intentionally or unintentionally apply enough pressure on the trigger with “Yes” votes and hit upon a loaded chamber to fire more taxes into us.
The beauty of this for them is that they don’t even have to take the blame. The really BRAVE and RIGHT thing to do is to stop things as they find them. All this “Let’s have the voters decide” idea is their second chance to get it passed, another deception.
Prop. S and Prop. R were crafted to deceive and they passed, so it gives hope to them on these measures now.
Honesty is a scarce commodity in City Council chambers.
Every council person that is not doing their job needs to be held accountable and exposed. Good job exposing Jack Weiss. What a sham he is. This city is in dire need of some true leadership and not what we currently have.