NAKED CITY, a daily news report

Tom LaBonge loves Griffith Park more than life itself but that doesn’t mean we should save it from development
That’s the extraordinary position taken by Councilman Tom LaBonge in the face of efforts to declare L.A.’s greatest urban asset an historic-cultural monument to provide legal protection against the many schemes to turn it into Disneyland.
The city’s Cultural Heritage Commission voted yesterday to move forward in considering the massive park for protection but not before LaBonge got to make his point that city officials have big plans to develop the park for commercial gain of their friends.
LaBonge supports the historic-cultural designation for the park’s
buildings “but not an entire park,” said Renee Weitzer, the
councilman’s chief of staff and chief planning deputy, according to the Times.
“There
are many unknowns that need to be researched,” she said, raising
concerns that the designation would make city projects in the park
“unnecessarily difficult, more time-consuming and costly.”

It’s safe for kids and old folks to walk the streets — L.A. ‘s pols are getting high in Colorado on luxuries provided by special interests
Stop complaining about all the meetings City Council members cancel and all the travel the mayor does to raise millions for himself — if they’re not here, they can’t hurt you.
Most of the city’s elected officials, formerly known as public servants, are heading off to the Democratic National Convention for an orgy of self-congratulations and enjoyment at some two dozen lavish parties and other entertainments paid for by unions, corporations and everyone else who wants to buy their votes.

The self-destruction of the Times’ reputation continues without any help from owner Sam Zell
Times’ insider-blogger Kevin Roderick at L.A. Observed got the scoop on the latest development in the tawdry story of fired Editorial Page Editor Andres Martinez and his love-hate obsession with PR flack Kelly Mullens.
He sued her, claiming she got him fired by lying about her role promoting Hollywood mogul Brian Grazer as guest editor of Martinez’s Opinion section. It was a crackpot idea and her lawyers says he is a crackpot who needed to be restrained by court order to stop him from stalking her after she dumped him.