Councilman Jack Weiss has gambled his political future by hanging out in the Antonio Villaraigosa's back pocket for years in hopes the mayor's coattails will carry him into the City Attorney's Office despite his lackluster record of achievement and public service.
The other day the Daily News editorialized on City Hall's "lack of political will" to get rapists behind bars because it hasn't found the money to clean up the "backlog on the lab work it needs to do on DNA samples from 7,100 rape victims."
The editorial said "saber-rattling from headline-attentive politicians" like Weiss are guilty of political posturing instead of getting the job done. "Weiss has the bully pulpit to push the issue, but he hasn't followed through" to get the $10 million needed for DNA testing.
Today, Weiss responds with a letter to the editor:
Re "Lack of will" (Our Opinions, Aug. 19):
It's disappointing that the Daily News' coverage of the DNA backlog has been limited to one story and one editorial, because DNA is a constant priority for me. As promised, every week I lead a discussion in the Public Safety Committee on the DNA backlog and cold hits, but like the rape-kit backlog, these hearings haven't gotten the attention they deserve. For six years, I've made DNA a priority. Just in the past year, I got crime lab staff and found funding for outsourcing 400 backlogged rape kits. Last year, I gave the LAPD $100,000 from my office staff budget to test 100 rape kits because this issue is and always will be a high priority for me. - JACK WEISS, Los Angeles City Council member
A feisty, frequent commenter, Louise Clarke Stone, called the letter to my attention and offered her own letter to the editor:
The other day the Daily News editorialized on City Hall's "lack of political will" to get rapists behind bars because it hasn't found the money to clean up the "backlog on the lab work it needs to do on DNA samples from 7,100 rape victims."
The editorial said "saber-rattling from headline-attentive politicians" like Weiss are guilty of political posturing instead of getting the job done. "Weiss has the bully pulpit to push the issue, but he hasn't followed through" to get the $10 million needed for DNA testing.
Today, Weiss responds with a letter to the editor:
Re "Lack of will" (Our Opinions, Aug. 19):
It's disappointing that the Daily News' coverage of the DNA backlog has been limited to one story and one editorial, because DNA is a constant priority for me. As promised, every week I lead a discussion in the Public Safety Committee on the DNA backlog and cold hits, but like the rape-kit backlog, these hearings haven't gotten the attention they deserve. For six years, I've made DNA a priority. Just in the past year, I got crime lab staff and found funding for outsourcing 400 backlogged rape kits. Last year, I gave the LAPD $100,000 from my office staff budget to test 100 rape kits because this issue is and always will be a high priority for me. - JACK WEISS, Los Angeles City Council member
A feisty, frequent commenter, Louise Clarke Stone, called the letter to my attention and offered her own letter to the editor:
I am shocked -- I tell you -- shocked.
Jack Weiss reads the newspaper and actually responds to something other
than his cell phone? Weiss must have actually attended a Council
meeting and, as usual, was bored with the public comment portion of the
meeting. I guess this is a demonstration of Jack Weiss throwing down
the gauntlet in his bid for the position of City Attorney. Well, Mr.
Weiss, as usual, I am underwhelmed with you. The City has put up with
Rocky for all these years and now you think you should get your chance
-- no way. You have been allowed to insult the "public" of the City of
Los Angeles for too long already. I vote "no on Weiss for LA City
Attorney" and encourage others to do the same.-- Louise Clarke Stone
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.
Was it legal (from an ethics standpoint) for Weiss to give $100,000 from his office holder account?
See LAMC 49.7.12
"Except for expenditures made for purposes pursuant to paragraphs (i), (n), (o), (p), (q), and (u) of Subdivision 2. of this subsection, no expenditure from the officeholder expense fund of an elected City officer shall be made which would cause cumulative expenditures of the fund during a fiscal year to exceed $75,000."
Carmen Trutanich for Los Angeles City Attorney !!
He said he moved it from his office staff budget, not from his office holder's account. Two different animals.
He could have moved it from Ft. Knox to Chief Bratton's desk, I'm not voting for him.
Who else is running for LA City Attorney?
[besides the above mentioned Carmen Trutanich...]
Anonymous 6:54 a.m.
Michael Armerian, the son of a former L.A. judge, whose name “Amerian” I remember, but nothing else, and whose mother who is the executive assistant to council president Eric Garcetti.
I agree with 12:41, Nuch would be an absolutely outstanding City Attorney. He is ethical, hard working and has extensive experience in prosecuting hard core gang members.
But most importantly to me is the fact that he is not part of the corrupt and morally bankrupt City Hall machine....he is not connected to Villar et al and will prove to be an independent prosecutor who will be responsive to the public he serves not the rich developers and politicians........
He is exactly what LA needs right now, a breath of fresh air, free of the current political stench.
To 6:54, From the tone of your question it sounds like you might have some reservations about supporting Nuch for City Attorney...What do you think about him...let's hear your opinions and discuss any concerns!
Looks like the Daily News is changing and much less likely to support GO NUCH as Republican pro-NRA conservative from outside the city. Kevin Roderick writes in LA Observed, 8/22/08, referencing "New Editors at Daily News:"
"An editor (Carolina Garcia) who signs her notes Gracias and promotes (disproportionely) Latinos must drive the old Daily News-niks (and the Ron Kayesians) a little nuts. That alone makes Garcia worth watching. Mariel Garza will, I expect, nudge the Daily News editorial page away from the angry suburbanite tone and mostly conservative position of ex-editor Weinkopf, but you never know." (In addition, Garcia named Oscar Garza, no relation, senior editor/content.)
GO NUCH at 11:22: his brief stint with the DA was 20 years ago, when the city existing in a different world, so much for his "experience prosecuting hard core gang members." His major client that he boasts about now is the NRA. The guy has no chance outside of Antonovich/Knabe/Cooley country, and would be at odds with the police chief, mayor, city council and anyone else he'd have to work with, except his sponsor DA Cooley -- but it will be an interesting contrast to watch.
1:59, I think that the fact that he would be at odds with the people you have identified is a plus. Considering the problems the City is experiencing, someone who is not simply a yes man for the existing cabal is exactly what we need, someone who will challenge the status quo. Perhaps the existing group will have to modify their positions to be able to work with the "outsider" !
As far as his curremt or past client base, whould it be more "honorable" if he defended murderers, rapists or child molesters? Attorneys do not necessarily subscribe to the politics of their clients, nor do they have the luxury of always representing the "good guy". Every person, group and association has a right to legal representation, and frankly his former representation of the NRA will have nothing to do with his job as City Attorney...the issue is a red herring!!
We see how successful Rocky's been, unable to get along with anyone he has to work with, starting with the controller, and in endless power battles with her, the Mayor, etc. It's been a stalemate, until very recently when he's had to try to put aside his control issues and cooperate to deal with the gang issue; all of a sudden he's put into place some gang injunctions, cooperated on Glassell Park, etc.
Of course, this is only one of Rocky's many failings, but having a City Attorney beholden to the DA, whose links to Mexican Mafia are so deep, and who is in his own ego battles with the Police Chief and everyone at City, would be a nightmare. Interesting that Nuch admits on his website that he's only running because Cooley urged him to -- he's been out of public life for 20 years so would never have thought of it. WHAT is Cooley's obsession, exactly? Someone who does HIS bidding at city level, and acts as a surrogate to battle Chief Bratton, the Mayor, Council, etc.?
The City Attorney works for the city and Council and Mayor and must work cooperatively with them -- it's not his place to "be independent" of their directives or go against their directives, like Rocky has on the billboard issue. He must counsel about legal issues and adhere to them himself (unlike Rocky) and defend the city against lawsuits -- how you think that makes him a "yes man for the cabal" is your problem. Sowing dissension and actively serving as a thorn in everyone's side is not his role or place.
The very idea of him as City Attorney is absurd, he doesn't have a chance -- your Doug McIntyre and other screaming heads and your sages Michael Higby and Walter Moore (who've made fools of themselves in this blog and anywhere they turn up) aren't picking this one. Just watching and listening to that bunch of bozos and how clueless and obnoxious they are is enough to make me want to do the opposite of whatever they advocate.
Obviously you work for Weiss and Villar.
Where in the world did you get your information, Mr. Cooley's "links to Mexican Mafia are so deep"?
What a crock.
If you'd paid any attention to the recent elections and Cooley's opponents, one of whom, Ipsen, is head of the 1000-member Assn. of Asst. DA's, you'd know what you're talking about instead of spouting PR for him and his puppet. That's just the tip of the iceberg -- Ipsen said Cooley uses his hundreds of investigators to intimidate DA's who disagree with him or get too close to his friends, and it's happened to him, but he felt he had to take a risk to expose the truth on behalf of his colleagues.
Why does he want to put his guy in office, dragging him out of public retirement decades later? Naturally I work for Villar, just like anyone who;s going to have different views at the new Daily News does. Everyone either is "an angry suburban conservative" or they work for City Hall. You sound paid by Nuch and Cooley -- I've noticed you people even using that poor homeless vagrant whose blog is referenced here to post long-winded rants too libelous for any of you to say yourselves, sad you people have to get so low right off the bat. Just like Walter Moore hurls wild accusations at anyone as soon as they disagree with him. Whatever.
So your info is coming from a "POLITICAL OPPONENT" of Cooley? Well of course there won't be any puffing, untruthful or biased statements about Cooley coming from one of his opponents...only the truth and nothing but the truth....
As far as working for Nuch trutanich, I do not work for him, I have meet his a few times and simply believe he has the qualities needed to run the City Attorney's Office efficiently, honestly and openly......Mr. Weiss has already clearly demonstrated what he is and is not capable of and who he is in bed wioth....it is time for a change.
However, let's get back to your earlier statement about Cooley having ties to the Mexican Mafia....You dodged my question, where is your proof, cite your sources, or is it simply manure like the rest of your statements...put up or shut up friend!
In response to 2:11, your command of the English language, your spelling, and most of all, your STUPIDITY says it all . . . you should support Nuch Trutanich!
Weiss NEVER worked in state court and barely did anything as a US Attorney. (look him up) His district hates him for bein a career politician and he is a joke
Nuch is much better
The venomous words of a trouble, bizarre woman. Psychologist call this "projecting" Projection is a defense mechanism that involves taking our own unacceptable qualities or feelings and ascribing them to other people.
This speaks to the type of campaign Mr. Weiss is running. Mr. Weiss who is now running a commercial quoting the LA Times and says that Nuch is misleading and dishonest…...He fails to mention the fact that the LA Times endorsed Mr. Trutanich over him ……now that is TRUly misleading and dishonest. Liars and trouble minds seem to find each other in our society. No doubt this is why Weiss and Pam Trutanich found each other.
This is all the more reason to support an honest, well respected lawyer with the best qualifications for city attorney…. Carmen “Nuch” Trutanich.
ahhh pammy grow up