Short takes on a busy day:
Struggling to raise money to buy votes for its tax-and-spend ballot measures, City Hall has suddenly awakened to the fact these are tough economic times for most people and the wrong time to be picking their pockets. What a year of foreclosures, job losses, high prices, long lines at food pantries couldn't do, sharp declines in their own rich stock portfolios seems to have achieved. David Zahniser in a terrific piece in the Times quotes Councilwoman Janice Hahn on her discovery people are scared: "They're nervous about whether or not they're even going to be able to hang on to their homes, and property taxes add to that anxiety."
One down, 10,999 to go: The city's gang injunction policy has scored its first victory with an unnamed ex-gang member winning his appeal to be removed from the list of those under court-ordered restrictions. At this rate of winning conversions from the gang life, it could take a really long time to solve the problem.
More in the Times on Ted Stein, the former ubiquitous city commissioner, and his demand for reimbursement of $143,000 in legal fees for successfully fending off prosecution in connection with investigations of wrongdoing during the Hahn Administration.
Struggling to raise money to buy votes for its tax-and-spend ballot measures, City Hall has suddenly awakened to the fact these are tough economic times for most people and the wrong time to be picking their pockets. What a year of foreclosures, job losses, high prices, long lines at food pantries couldn't do, sharp declines in their own rich stock portfolios seems to have achieved. David Zahniser in a terrific piece in the Times quotes Councilwoman Janice Hahn on her discovery people are scared: "They're nervous about whether or not they're even going to be able to hang on to their homes, and property taxes add to that anxiety."
One down, 10,999 to go: The city's gang injunction policy has scored its first victory with an unnamed ex-gang member winning his appeal to be removed from the list of those under court-ordered restrictions. At this rate of winning conversions from the gang life, it could take a really long time to solve the problem.
More in the Times on Ted Stein, the former ubiquitous city commissioner, and his demand for reimbursement of $143,000 in legal fees for successfully fending off prosecution in connection with investigations of wrongdoing during the Hahn Administration.
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.
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