Call me naive, call me stupid, slap me upside my head, but I somehow thought there was a mayoral ban on city agencies hiring outside public relations firms -- a prohibition put in place by Jim Hahn to cover his butt in the DWP/Fleishman-Hillard scandal and kept in place by Antonio Villaraigosa.
I guess when it comes to City Hall you just can't believe a word they say.
First, we learned in July that L.A. Harbor authorities were set to spend $1.6 million in public money for PR consultants to let the public and truckers know there's tougher air pollution rules at the port -- deals that were cut back to $350,000 after the mayor was embarrassed by the publicity.
Then, we exposed a series of PR contracts quietly awarded by airport authorities without competitive bidding to let international travelers know the Bradley Terminal is undergoing construction.
That led to somebody dropping a dime on the Animal Services Department's deal with Samson PR to let to the public and press know about the new spaying and neutering law. Animal Services Director Ed Boks told me it isn't costing taxpayers any money thanks to a combination of pro bono services and monetary contributions.
Now, I find out the Public Works Department's Bureau of Sanitation -- flush with cash from massive increases in trash fees recently imposed on homeowners -- miraculously found at least $1.735 million, half of it available now, to hire PR firms to let the world know about the city's recycling efforts and intends to spend a lot more for media and public opinion manipulation over the next six years.
Trash fees undoubtedly will have to keep rising to pay those bills.
Unlike the other examples PR abuses, the mayor and the City Council have no cover story for this deal.
They signed off on it in principle nearly 18 months ago. And now Public Works -- moving with bureaucratic swiftness -- has identified eight PR firms and several dozen minority subcontractors as potential recipients of this gift from homeowners and is ready to award the contracts
I guess when it comes to City Hall you just can't believe a word they say.
First, we learned in July that L.A. Harbor authorities were set to spend $1.6 million in public money for PR consultants to let the public and truckers know there's tougher air pollution rules at the port -- deals that were cut back to $350,000 after the mayor was embarrassed by the publicity.
Then, we exposed a series of PR contracts quietly awarded by airport authorities without competitive bidding to let international travelers know the Bradley Terminal is undergoing construction.
That led to somebody dropping a dime on the Animal Services Department's deal with Samson PR to let to the public and press know about the new spaying and neutering law. Animal Services Director Ed Boks told me it isn't costing taxpayers any money thanks to a combination of pro bono services and monetary contributions.
Now, I find out the Public Works Department's Bureau of Sanitation -- flush with cash from massive increases in trash fees recently imposed on homeowners -- miraculously found at least $1.735 million, half of it available now, to hire PR firms to let the world know about the city's recycling efforts and intends to spend a lot more for media and public opinion manipulation over the next six years.
Trash fees undoubtedly will have to keep rising to pay those bills.
Unlike the other examples PR abuses, the mayor and the City Council have no cover story for this deal.
They signed off on it in principle nearly 18 months ago. And now Public Works -- moving with bureaucratic swiftness -- has identified eight PR firms and several dozen minority subcontractors as potential recipients of this gift from homeowners and is ready to award the contracts
Last Wednesday, the Board of Public Works -- the sweetest patronage jobs in all of City Hall with salaries of $115,090.56 a year -- approved the finalized deal and sent it to the people who appointed them, the mayor and council. The qualified firms are Encite Marketing, Englander and Associates, Environmental Science Associates, Harris & Co., Ogilvy Public Relations
Worldwide, R3 Consulting, Strategy Workshop Inc. and Weber Shandwick.
How sweet is! Just at the moment the council and the mayor are scouring the culture of special interests to fund their re-elections and squeeze even higher taxes out of the public, they are finding a way to give the public's money to firms -- like notorious lobbyist Harvey Englander's -- who can in turn squeeze their client lists to provide millions in cash for these campaigns.
Call it pay-to-play, call it a giveaway, call it a sweetheart contract, corruption by any other name is still corruption.
Why else would CH2M Hill, of all companies, make the list of qualified sub-contractors just three months after the city sued the firm in federal court for allegedly conspiring to defraud the Department of Water and Power over a seven-year period by preparing and approving numerous invoices that "artificially inflated the value of the work performed by CH2M Hill and its subcontractors."
And how else to explain the inclusion of the Lee Andrews Group, the minority PR firm whose practice of overbilling the city led to the investigation of Fleishman-Hillard. The firm, run by Donna Andrews, was a subcontractor to Fleishman and was paid $4.8 million dollars for its work on something of questionable value called the "Green Power Hero" program.
Audits by Controller Laura Chick found unsubstantiated invoices, marking up of invoices to unreasonable amounts for what they actually did and in some cases overbilling by more than 100 percent.
Those accusations are pretty much what led to the conviction of three former Fleishman executives and prompted the PR firm to pay a $6 million settlement.
Andrews got off lighter, paying a $1 million settlement in 2006 -- and being given six years to pay the money. Presumably, Andrews' share of the Public Works contracts will help it pay its debt to the city.
OK, I may be stupid but I'm not naive and it's not me who needs a slap upside his head.
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.
This is an outrageous scheme. We should not have to wait until after the November 4 election is history to start bringing suits public vs city hall. How does that work?
Is there a formal precedent? Can Laura Chick's office help?
I'm almost sorry I read this. Now I'm really figuratively nausiated, and I didn't feel all that well to begin with.
Now we know why there aren't the promised 1,000 new cops on the streets. They all got better, higher paying, safer jobs with PR firms.
I've always believed that pretty much nothing is impossible. There must be a way to get these crooks out of office and into jail.
We have an easy remedy. It's to vote for a new Mayor on March 3, 2009, and to replace eight of the 15 City Council Members in the same election. It is that simple.
Right, Walter. As long as no one votes for your sorry butt. We need a new mayor who is actually honest and forthright. NOT a phoney self-aggrandizing wanna-be politician like you. Go away, Walter Less.
The Council approved Ordinance Number 180155 authorizing Neighborhood Councils to make monetary grants to nonprofit corporations (EXCLUDING RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS) organized under United States Code Section 501(c)3 and to public schools in Los Angeles.
It appears Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency is authorizing monetary grants to nonprofit/RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION?
FAME Renaissance
Los Angeles
FAME Renaissance is committed to improving the economic livelihood of communities. This mission is accomplished through community, PUBLIC, and private sector collaborations, and through the enabling power of the One who calls all things into being. The funding vehicle is FAME Assistance Corporation (FAC), a California nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation, an affiliate of First AME Church of Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency Links:
http://www.lacity.org/cra/REGION_QUARTERLY_REPORTS/South_LA/WATTS_CORRIDOR/GrantAme_ImaneFe_WC_SLA.pdf
Watts Corridors Proposed Budget 2007-08 ($3,015,200)
http://www.lacity.org/cra/upload/budget/budget08/FY08BUDGET_SLA.pdf
First of all, young staffer, it's "phony," not "phoney."
Second, "Less?" That's the best you've got? "Less" vs. "Moore?" Could there be a less original or imaginative attempt at a play on words? Wow.
You are in a duel of wits with an unloaded weapon.
Go Google "insults" or "dirty dozens" and try again. I know you can come up with better insults if you'll just apply yourself. Strive for excellence. That you got hired for being someone's cousin or nephew does not excuse your lackluster attempts at spin.
Anon 8:09 p.m.: The regular readers at ronkayela recognize you for the City Hall paid troll that you are.
So here's a plan for you. Listening?
Take Walter Moore up on his suggestion that people run against the incumbents.
That way you can stop being a d'head who only criticizes, name calls and doesn't ever have an original or useful alternative suggestion.
If you ran for a council seat you'd have to exert some brain power and come up with ideas to make this a better city instead of sitting at your computer and running off at the mouth.
While you're contemplating giving up your lucrative City Hall salary and doing something constructive, you'd be well-advised to take some remedial English classes.
Commas go between your misspelled phoney, self-aggrandizing, wanna-be.
Debate classes wouldn't hurt either. You see, when you make accusations like those and "We need a new mayor who is actually "honest" and "forthright", you must back them up with facts.
Walter: It cheapens you to accuse every critic of being a staffer of someone you imagine is threatened by your pathetic bid for fame. You decided to start your political career by running for mayor of the nation's second largest city. You're not Dick Riordan, with the ability to self finance. You've never been elected to anything. You're an amateur with absolutely no chance of winning. And when you call anonymous commenters names like some child, well, it just proves the point.
Ouch! I'm "not Dick Riordan." Gee, that really cuts to the quick. Not.
Dude, seriously, you've GOT to come up with better material. This is pathetic.
See, when you use a line like that, you need more of a set-up, like when Quayle compared himself to JFK in the Vice Presidential debates. It's not effective if you just blurt out "You're no ______________ [fill in the blank.]"
But at least you're showing us why you're so committed to keeping your "job." I mean, without nepotism, you might actually have to get a REAL job.
We need to throw all the bums out of their ivory tower! In actuality, they should ALL be facing RICO charges, indicted, and thrown into prison! The corruption is palpable and visceral...it literally makes me ill!
Why can't we find a mayoral candidate with the moxie, fearlessness, and moral authority of someone like Sarah??? We need ACTION...not WORDS! How difficult would it be to get a wrecking crew elected to clean up the corruption in City Hall??? There MUST be a few good people out there! Please come forward...ASAP! Only AMERICANS need applly!!!
Attn: 8:35 am Beating us over the head with your mayoral candidacy is really past its expiration date. Moore for May is okay but I want MORE (as in more candidates so that I actually feel that I have a choice). I am not a city hall staffer nor am I related to any (that I know of). I am just so sick of the mediocrity; plus there are too many lawyers running things.
Walter, you're moving into the Zuma Dogg delusional zone.