With the DWP Commission calling a special meeting on rate hikes for 5 p.m. Thursday, Council President Eric Garcetti — apparently acting in concert with mayor who is expected to make a major announcement Thursday — pushed through approval of 5.7 percent increase on an 8-5 vote.
Read the story on OurLA.org
Here’s the video of Councilwoman Jan Perry, who has spearheaded efforts for dramatic reforms of the DWP, explaining why Garcetti’s action was premature.
The Council voted 8-5 to approve the rate hike in advance of the DWP Commission meeting where the agenda merely said it will discuss its decision for an ECAF increase.
The Council under an obscure rule took up the issue without any public notice. The vote was 8-5 but who voted on each side was not broadcast on Channel 35 and is not on the city website. The timing was clearly staged and it is being acknowledged that Herb Wesson was the intermediary of a backroom deal.
How Council members voted was not shown on Ch. 35 and is not posted on Council website.
Chastened from the intensity of attacks on him at a community meeting Tuesday, Councilman Tom LaBonge — who previously supported DWP rate hikes — flipped Wednesday and voted against without explanation. LaBonge, a former DWP executive and long-time supporter, got a pass because a bare majority was rigged to support the increase.
Here is the statement the mayor issue afterwards:
STATEMENT FROM MAYOR VILLARAIGOSA ON THE CITY COUNCIL’S COMPROMISE PLAN FOR DWP RATES
LOS ANGELES – Mayor Villaraigosa issued the following statement after the City
Council passed a compromise plan for rate increases at the Department of Water
and Power:
“I’d like to thank the members of the City Council who today offered a
reasonable compromise which protects ratepayers, the financial health of the
Department of Water and Power, and commits the DWP to renewable energy and I
urge the members of the Commission to adopt this reasonable plan.”
And the “major announcement,” you can bet, is that the DWP will graciously transfer millions to the City.
Why? Because the City Council just sold taxpayers down the river to secure same.
Each side gave the other MORE OF OUR MONEY!
You can fight back starting on April 20 by signing the petition to recall Villaraigosa, and you can fight back right now by starting your campaign for City Council.
Or you can sit around and whine and do nothing and continue to get screwed. Your call.
WTF????? How sneaky again of city council to vote on a rate hike increase AGAIN WITHOUT ANY NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL INPUT. I say get all the NCs to send at least two reps to that meeting tomorrow in protest. This is bullshit.
I didn’t see it on the agenda so how did they do this so quietly. THe media didn’t even know about it. This is just as deceiving as when they placed other measures on the ballot with no community input. They all bad mouthed DWP today and Zine said the Commissioners need to be recalled. We should all get t-shirts that say Mayor, Council, DWP in bed together, No on Mayor
No on City Council members, ANTI-INCUMBENT MOVEMENT. Don’t be fooled by Jan Perry queen bitch. Remember the LA Weekly article and all her baggage. She wants to be Mayor.
The city council just scammed the ratepayers at 2:55pm. Just five minutes before adjournment the vote was taken and passed 8 to 5. Can’t wait for April 20 to sign the recall petition.
RECAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL!!!!!!!!!!!
Ron, can they do that without the motion being on the agenda. If you go to lacity.org on today’s 3 part agenda there isn’t anything on there for DWP rate hike. Interestingly enough one of the DWP commissioners was in chambers but hid behind one of those huge pillars. No one knew why he was there but NOW WE DO. Doesn’t city council have to post the motion within so many hours? THis is as bad as the DWP commissioners calling their meeting within 48 hours and not telling NC’s. All corrupt assholes!!1
Ron, can they do that without the motion being on the agenda. If you go to lacity.org on today’s 3 part agenda there isn’t anything on there for DWP rate hike. Interestingly enough one of the DWP commissioners was in chambers but hid behind one of those huge pillars. No one knew why he was there but NOW WE DO. Doesn’t city council have to post the motion within so many hours? THis is as bad as the DWP commissioners calling their meeting within 48 hours and not telling NC’s. All corrupt assholes!!1
1. How was this item allowed to be heard and voted on without a notice per the Brown Act?
2. How can they not report the vote. Eventually the vote is normally listed on the City Clerk’s page, however it may take awhile. I assume that Ron Kaye can make a public records act request, or even before that just have a friendly conversation with the City Clerk’s office and ask her to read off the vote (or go in person).
3. Walter Moore is pretty darn good business attorney, can he or a contact of his write a cure and correct letter to the City Attorney to reverse this vote and at least delay it a week?
4. If the City did violate the State Brown Act, they will get away with it, if it goes unchallenged.
The mayor’s Anointed DWP Commission overruled the city councils rate increase that was due to take effect April 1, 2010. The LACK of LEADERSHP LOS ANGELES COUNCIL had three months to fully vet this issue in open public forum as rate increases can not take effect until July 1, 2010. Why the rush now from the LACK of LEADERSHIP LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL to SECRETLY rush and vote for the rate increase? Who were the EIGHT LOS ANGELES LACK of LEADERSHIP CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS who voted in the secret meeting?
“The Council voted 8-5 to approve the rate hike in advance of the DWP Commission meeting where the GENDA MERELY SAID IT WILL DISCUSS ITS DECISION FOR AN ECAF INCREASE.
The Council under an obscure rule took up the issue without any public notice. The vote was 8-5 but who voted on each side was not broadcast on Channel 35 and is not on the city website. The timing was clearly staged and it is being acknowledged that Herb Wesson was the intermediary of a backroom deal.”
When there is a Brown Act violation against any member of the public, the public as a whole becomes a victim. Therefore, Angelenos need to start reporting any violation or PERCEIVED VIOLATION of the Brown Act to Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley who is responsible with investigating all Brown Act violations. The complaints can be submitted anonymously.
• Brown Act Violations
The District Attorney’s Office has the authority to prosecute individual members of the legislative body criminally and to initiate civil actions to prevent or nullify actions taken in violation of the Brown Act. The Public Integrity Division has the responsibility of investigating and prosecuting allegations of Brown Act violations.
Public Integrity Division
Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office
320 West Temple St., Rm. 766
Los Angeles, CA. 90012
Phone: (213) 974-6501
http://da.co.la.ca.us/pid.htm
LOS ANGELES BOARD OF WATER AND POWER COMMISSIONERS
DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES
Room 1555-H, 111 North Hope Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA
THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2010
5:00 P.M.
LEE KANON ALPERT, President
VACANT, Vice-President
FORESCEE HOGAN-ROWLES, Commissioner
JONATHAN PARFREY, Commissioner
THOMAS S. SAYLES, Commissioner
1. Discussion and possible action authorizing the modification of the ECAF of the Electric Rate Ordinance, General Provision G.7, effective July 1, 2010.
LADWP AGENDA
http://www.ladwp.com/ladwp/cms/ladwp005134.pdf
Welcome to “LA” “LA” NEVERLAND!
TICK-TOCK…TICK TOCK…I hear the CROC….Time’s up! TOTAL RECALL!
HOOK says:”What would the world be like without Captain Hook?
We can only imagine, because it will never happen…
PURE B.S.
los angele rate payers , tax payers ,voters ,we have become the cash cow for ladwp city hall this crooks and liars have no remorese they dont care of what we think , you see is what they can gain for them selfs not los angeles for them.
and they all the same even if they voted agains the rate increse in there mind they belive come election time we all have forgot about this.
in my mind they can all go to hell i will not forget , i just wonder where is the federal goverment where is jerry brown where is cooly where the hell is any one protecting us the rate payers for ladwp , i am mad ,dam it.
The Los Angeles City DWP mayor should consider Council member Zine suggestion to remove all LADWP Board members as stated in the Council meeting on April 14.
How about them toxic cigars and their traveling guitars…?
Councilman Zine is a phony who is trying to work both sides. By voting in favor of the findings on Special 1 on April 14, 2010, he allowed this to go through. They needed 10 votes to support the findings, ironically and in a rare instant against the City Attorney’s advise.
Even if the City Council motion is overturned, they can either avoid jurisdiction and let DWP Commission action go through be default.
However, its worth pushing action by the District Attorney (LA County) because the City Council violates the Brown Act habitually and has been called on it in the past vis-a-vis land use decisions. And then all City Council members can be called to task by the angry public.
Call Attorney Dan Wright who just wrote a column in OurLA.org about Van de Kamps.
OMG!!!! What a bunch of corrupt, sleazy, sneaky council members we have. They are the most hypocritical, classless bunch of imbeciles this city has ever had. Yesterday Janice Hahn and her croonies were name calling the DWP because they refused to take 51 empoloyees transferred. Even the Mexican Mafia thug Cardenas has bad mouthed DWP and all of them grand standing as if they cared about the people. Then quietly when everyone left council chambers they sneakily like rats in the dark pushed this rate hike. The media is in bed with these fools because not one report is saying how “sneakily” and deceitfully this was done. Yesterday it was stated they found another $100 million. Jan Perry is hitting DWP hard because she found out their union is supporting another candidate for Mayor. So don’t be fooled. They’re all corrupt. The Mayor today will say the city is in the black now with that $100 million found and the transfer of $73 mil from DWP. DWP BLACKMAILED COUNCIL. Council proved to the city they have no self respect and are nothing but whores to DWP. Where are those RECALL papers???
BREAKING NEWS!!!!! Got a text saying Herb Wesson is on KFI and stated the DWP deal was made at the Mayors mansion late into the previous night. In other words a “back room deal” Let’s get that audio and go after his sorry ass.
I was going to file a Brown Act Violation complaint based on the information above, but I decided to research it a bit and ran across this:
WHAT ARE SLAPP’s?
Generally, a “SLAPP” is a (1) civil complaint or counterclaim; (2) filed against individuals or organizations; (3) arising from their communications to government or speech on an issue of public interest or concern. SLAPPs are often brought by corporations, real estate developers, government officials and others against individuals and community groups who oppose them on issues of public concern. SLAPP filers frequently use lawsuits based on ordinary civil claims such as defamation, conspiracy, malicious prosecution, nuisance, interference with contract and/or economic advantage, as a means of transforming public debate into lawsuits.
Most SLAPPs are ultimately legally unsuccessful. While most SLAPPs lose in court, they “succeed” in the public arena. This is because defending a SLAPP, even when the legal defense is strong, requires a substantial investment of money, time, and resources. The resulting effect is a “chill” on public participation in, and open debate on, important public issues. This “chilling” effect is not limited to the SLAPP target(s): fearful of being the target of future litigation, others refrain from speaking on, or participating in, issues of public concern.
The filing of a SLAPP also impedes resolution of the public matter at issue, by removing the parties from the public decision-making forum, where the both cause and resolution of the dispute can be determined, and placing them before a court, where only the alleged “effects” of the public controversy may be determined. For example, imagine a company asks for a zoning variance to place an incinerator in a residential area. When local residents object to the city council, the company sues them for “interference with contract.” The judge hearing the suit cannot decide the real issues — the location of the incinerator — but will have to spend considerable judicial resources to decide the side issues of the alleged “damages” or other consequences of the public debate on the real issues. Every year, thousands of people are sued for participating in government or for speaking out on public issues. SLAPP targets have been sued for engaging in a wide variety of protected speech and protected expression activities, including:
* writing a letter to the editor
* circulating petitions
* calling a public official
* reporting police misconduct
* erecting a sign or displaying a banner on their property
* complaining to school officials about teacher misconduct or unsafe conditions in the school
* speaking at a public meeting
* reporting unlawful activities
* testifying before Congress or state legislatures
* speaking as an officer of an active public interest group
* filing a public interest lawsuit
They can go after anyone that files a Brown Act Violation complaint. Should I be concerned?
April 15, 2010 11:21 AM -
“They can go after anyone that files a Brown Act Violation complaint. Should I be concerned?”
The Brown Act violations or perceived violations can be submitted anonymously to Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley who is also responsible with investigating ALL Brown Act violations, including anonymous violations.
• Brown Act Violations
The District Attorney’s Office has the authority to prosecute individual members of the legislative body criminally and to initiate civil actions to prevent or nullify actions taken in violation of the Brown Act. The Public Integrity Division has the responsibility of investigating and prosecuting allegations of Brown Act violations.
Public Integrity Division
Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office
320 West Temple St., Rm. 766
Los Angeles, CA. 90012
Phone: (213) 974-6501
http://da.co.la.ca.us/pid.htm
Steve Cooley has not shown any interest in going after public officials. Don’t hold your breath for any resolution there.