The governor and legislators are going back to normal today with their posturing and pretenses as if voters hadn't just slapped them in the face and kicked them in the groin over their pathetic ballot propositions.
In LA, the City Council will operate n its business-as-usual mode as it steals $27 million more from the Department of Water and Power's electricity revenue while pretending the $120 million hit LA is expected to feel from the state ballot propositions defeat isn't really going to happen.
Poor Jack Weiss, the political machine's favorite gofer, lost badly despite the mayor's and Police Chief Bill Bratton's increasingly irrelavant efforts to defeat outsider Carmen "Nuch" Trutanich, who chatted with KABC's Doug McIntyre this morning (Trutanich-McIntyre.mp3)
Even more stunning was the victory of the smart and capable Tina Park who knocked off LA Community College Board incumbent Angela Reddock.
Community activist David "Ty" Vahedi came within 300 votes of beating professional politician and machine-backed candidate Paul Koretz on election day with the outcome still uncertain with many absentee and provisional ballots still to be counted.
Democracy lives in LA, finally.
Just as the defeat of Measure B in March signaled a groundswell of grassroots support for change, the results of Tuesday's election shows the depth of discontent with our politicians is growing.
The public is fed up and waking up.
The political machine is oblivious even as it creaks and breaks down. It lives off of special interest money and smear politics of consultants like Ace Smith.
The council adopts the failed mayor's fictitious budget with just a few quibbles, whines but goes along with a blank check for hiring more cops the city can't afford and gears up to mask the financial catastrophe with cash buyouts, enhanced retirement benefits and furloughs and pay hike deferrals -- not layoffs and pay cuts like businesses all over the country have been forced to impose.
The big battles are yet to come but momentum is on the people's side.
And the bills are already coming due as the state's elected officials learned today when a state commission declared they must share the pain of the fiscal crisis and slashed their pay by 18 percent pay.
In LA, the City Council will operate n its business-as-usual mode as it steals $27 million more from the Department of Water and Power's electricity revenue while pretending the $120 million hit LA is expected to feel from the state ballot propositions defeat isn't really going to happen.
Poor Jack Weiss, the political machine's favorite gofer, lost badly despite the mayor's and Police Chief Bill Bratton's increasingly irrelavant efforts to defeat outsider Carmen "Nuch" Trutanich, who chatted with KABC's Doug McIntyre this morning (Trutanich-McIntyre.mp3)
Even more stunning was the victory of the smart and capable Tina Park who knocked off LA Community College Board incumbent Angela Reddock.
Community activist David "Ty" Vahedi came within 300 votes of beating professional politician and machine-backed candidate Paul Koretz on election day with the outcome still uncertain with many absentee and provisional ballots still to be counted.
Democracy lives in LA, finally.
Just as the defeat of Measure B in March signaled a groundswell of grassroots support for change, the results of Tuesday's election shows the depth of discontent with our politicians is growing.
The public is fed up and waking up.
The political machine is oblivious even as it creaks and breaks down. It lives off of special interest money and smear politics of consultants like Ace Smith.
The council adopts the failed mayor's fictitious budget with just a few quibbles, whines but goes along with a blank check for hiring more cops the city can't afford and gears up to mask the financial catastrophe with cash buyouts, enhanced retirement benefits and furloughs and pay hike deferrals -- not layoffs and pay cuts like businesses all over the country have been forced to impose.
The big battles are yet to come but momentum is on the people's side.
And the bills are already coming due as the state's elected officials learned today when a state commission declared they must share the pain of the fiscal crisis and slashed their pay by 18 percent pay.
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.
Los Angeles Magazine got it right.
Antonio Villaraigosa = FAILURE.
The Mayor's little yapping lapdog just got rolled over by the People's steamroller.
Antonio is left looking at the remains of Jack Weiss's political career flattened into the steaming hot asphalt on the road to City Hall.
Jack Weiss = Antonio's roadkill.
Measure B = Antonio's deceit.
Measure R = Antonio's boondoogle.
Measure S = Antonio's betrayal.
We need a credible candidate to take out Antonio's lapdog at City Council: Jose Huizar. If he does something really outrageous, let's work on a recall. If not, then let's find an honest person with integrity to run against him in the next municipal election.
The big story with the municipal election is that again Antonio's people went down HARD. The manner in which opponents and even just average organizations tied Weiss and Reddock to him is akin to the way every Republican was tied to Bush in '06.
"Antonio is toxic" should be on the lips of every City Hall reformer.
How far the man has fallen since just 4 years ago.
Ron, now that you have the bully pulpit, we're looking forward to the "Ron Kaye Budget for Los Angeles." I guess it should be coming as soon as you finish the "Ron Kaye Energy Plan for Los Angeles." How's that going, by the way? Meanwhile, we'll occupy ourselves by watching you dance on the grave of L.A. as you congratulate yourself on "saving our city." Hogwash.
Please keep it up. You've done a wonderful job of focusing--and giving people a place with focused discussion. God knows we never got it in the Times.
Jack Weiss going down makes the city smell better already (I'll never get over the patheticly misplaced effort to repaint his name on all the "Another Project Brought To You By..." signs). The billboard companies must be worried sick: the pliant Delgadillo moving out; the accomodating Weiss rejected? Now who'll help them annoy LA's citizens?
Love it. Please keep it up! And Thanks!!!
Ron, now that your "no" on everything wish has come true, sit back, relax and watch the corporate tax rate for CA go through the roof.
Ron, yesterday the people held a great election
and scored big. After the very many absentee ballots are counted, it will be even more proof on how right we are to support SLAP L.A.. Rome was not built in a day. And now the City Council and the State Legislature have something really interesting to take care of. It bored them silly but also showed them up for how useless they all are.
Remember the story about the man who went about with his lamp looking for an honest man? When he finally found some one - he shouted "Eureka".
We are living in that kind of country right now.
There are more smart alecs than honest people and they are so very proficient - at expressing their disatisfaction when they lose. Too bad, anons aplenty - why not join us instead of complaining?
Yes! Join US in the complaining! Join Kaye's Lame-Ass Politics (KLAP) today! Together, we can KLAP opposing points of view with no reasonable solutions of our own!
I love how everyone is celebrating yet where the hell were all of you when we campaigned hard against Antonio? I don't remember not one of you speaking out, going to council, speaking to the media and now you are all cheering each other. Its like the blind leading the blind. Trutanich won because he had a good campaign manager and the Los Angeles Police Protective League's over $700,000 check to air negative commercials. He had David Z from Times who wrote at least 6 hit pieces on Weiss. I don't remember any big news articles about any of you campaigning. I will give credit to Ron and Jose Aguilar. The rest of you lame brains did nothing to help.
"The rest of you lame brains did nothing to help"
Really? Exactly then how did 1.6 million dollars outside of the Police Protective League end up in Nuch's treasury? Newsflash: people campaigning hard for a candidate don't exactly make news. Sounds like you were one of the candidates that ran against AV. Sorry you didn't make it, but don't complain about the people who really did help Nuch get elected. Maybe, he was a much better candidate than you.
Hey KLAP: I understand that Weiss is looking for a PR rep. You seem to fit him perfectly.
KK, even though you'd fit in, KLAP has no friends.
4:49 who thanks David Z (Zahnizer) from the Times "who had at least 6 hit pieces on Weiss" is correct about the outlandish bias in both the city and OpEd sections of the paper, now affiliated with Fox News, BUT a statement like that is nothing to celebrate by anyone who values objective reporting.
Clearly the Times has become little better than blogs like this when it comes to objectivity, so there goes one of the last reasons for even trying to save the former MSM.
Today, a stakeholder spoke the truth related to politicians stating, “POLITICIANS LOVE TO TALK AND DO NOTHING” during agenda item 9. This is an excellent slogan for T-shirts.
ALL THE CUTS
TEACHERS WHY IS VILLAR BUILDING NEW SCHOOLS WHY WHY WHY
Here and elsewhere I’ve read ludicrous references to David Zahniser “hit pieces” against Jack Weiss.
If anything, Zahniser and the Los Angeles Times were overly even-handed and went easy on Weiss. Had they been looking to seriously damage Weiss, Zahniser and the Times would have devoted coverage to: (1) Weiss’ attendance at the Michael Rosenberg (convicted felon) fundraiser; (2) why a prominent attorney attended the David Berger-Kevin James-Dennis Zine press conference requesting that Weiss’ fundraising be investigated; and (3) whether the Weiss campaign properly returned (as promised) campaign contributions from the Rosenberg fundraiser and the illegal Kelly Candaele fundraiser, and properly reported such returns.
As far as I can tell, the Los Angeles Times addressed none of the above to any major degree. That said, Weiss and his campaign were engaged in so many shenanigans during the last days of his campaign, it would be somewhat difficult for an understaffed paper like the Times to keep up.
Nooch’s excellence as an attorney and ability to inspire and motivate should not be given short shrift. The fact that a defense attorney could obtain so many law enforcement endorsements as did Nooch demonstrates that Nooch is a defense attorney whose integrity inspires confidence amongst a wide array of groups in numerous courts.
These traits led to many volunteers devoting a tremendous number of hours to his campaign. The passion and energy displayed by Jane Usher, David Berger, and several behind-the-scene volunteers was very impressive.
John Thomas, of course, once again showed his worth as a campaign manager. Kevin James was the leader, by far, in the world of radio.
And one should not underestimate Jack Weiss’ ability to generate such strong loathing in so many voters and potential voters.
Good lord, why are you of of all people Ron, against hiring MORE cops?
Too many squad cars in your neighborhood? This city has been low on police for 30 years. I can't believe you don't support hiring more police.