In Arizona, voters on Tesday threw out of office in a recall election the author of the state’s harsh anti-immigrant law, Semate President Russell Pearce, and replaced him with a fellow Republican with more moderate views.
In Mississippi,voters unexpectly rejected an anti-abortion law that would granted “personhood” to human embryos at the moment of fertilization.
In Ohio, voters overwhelmingly repealed a tough law stripping public employees of many of the union bargaining rights just one year after putting conservative Republicans into control of the state houses and governor’s at least in part because they promised to reign in union power.
And in Los Angeles, voters in the special election to replace Congresswoman Janice Hahn (yes that Janice Hahn) in CD 15 once again did exactly what they were told to do by the big money from the Democratic Party, SEIU, IBEW, the firefighter and the police unions which together put up nearly all of the $600,000 in independent expenditures to make sure that ordinary citizens never stood a chance.
The No. 1 beneficiary of IE money was former firefighter union box Pat McOsker who raised $392,000 from the SEIU and from the IBEW”S front group Working Californians — money that comes on top of the $144,000 he got from $500 or less donors and the $100,000 we the taxpayers so generously bestowed upon him in a failed experiment in providing triple matching funds provided by taxpayers.
McOsker finished a pathetic fourth with 10 percent of the vote, running behind well-to-do San Pedro businessman Jayme
Wilson who spent a good chunk of his own money and was the only candidate to refuse public money. He got 12 percent of the vote.
Gordon Teuber, the first more or less ordinary citizen candidate as a Hahn Council staffer to meet the $25,000 minimum threshold to get matching funds, finished sixth in the field of 11 with 6 percent of the vote.
Runner-up in the election and in the runoff is long-time union servant Warrem Furutani who is seeking the best-paying job of his life after helping to wreck LAUSD as a school board president and bankrupt the state as an Assemblyman.
Furutani got IE help mainly from Democratic Party groups to the tune of $42,000 but raised $255,000 in contributions of less than $500 from a long list of special interests of various sorts. All that money and his long time disservice to the communion won him second place with 22 percent.
The primary winner with 29 percent of the vote was LAPD Officer Joe Buscaino who got $72,000 from his union, the Police Protective League, and $172,000 in direct contributions plus the city matching.
If he wins the runoff, Buscaino will give the cops two seats on the Council with the ever obedient Dennis Zine who hopes to move up to City Controller in 2013 where he would be in position to oversee how every dollar is spent or more likely look the other way as it is squandered and stolen.
The election with its 16 percent voter turnout doesn’t provide any evidence that expanded public financing will bring any kind of balance to city politics since all it seems to have assured is the unions, developers, corporations and special interests will have to cough up even more money to feed the system of consultants, lobbyists and political operatives.and put into office people who will do their bidding.
And then there’s Mike Trujillo who you might remember was the guy who worked for the mayor and other political machine figures, botched the $1.6 million IBEW campaign for the Measure B solar energy boondoggle, was fired by Jose Huizar amid an amateurish controversy and is now serving as an official of the City’s Redistricting Commission drawing new Council boundaries.that you can be 100 percent certain serve his masters and not the public.
Trujillo who ran Buscaino’s campaign despite his official city role sent out this email blast under the subject line: “My Best Day Ever!”
“Folks,
“Last night was my best professional day ever in my entire life. We showed that you dont need anything — the democratic party, the county federation of labor, seiu, ibew, park skelton, john shallman, eric hacopian, the speaker, the mayor, all of the city council, all of the assembly, all of the senate — years of making deals in city hall.
“The Buscaino campaign just followed some simple words and did what we had to do to be in first place tonight. And for those who were at Election Night — yes those were real tears — tonight was the most profound night in my entire professional career.
“Joe came in first— however, we wont stop — we have already received the endorsements of city-wide elected officials and those who came up short on election day.
“Tonight we released polling from Diane Feldman that shows Joe beating Warren by over 20 points — this is likely to stay consistent.
“So thank you for following us in the 15th — and who knew a boy from the SF Valley would make every consultant in the city look dumb. :) “
That’s all folks, you don’t stand a chance unless you think Mike Trujillo running a police union flunky’s campaign is your savior.
I heard Trujillo was not even officially the campaign manager for this campaign. God almighty. When will be free of this malaise that grips this City? It’s an utter cesspool of lies, deceit, fraud, cronyism, and theft in office.
Ron wrote: “…. and the $100,000 we the taxpayers so generously bestowed upon him in a failed experiment in providing triple matching funds provided by taxpayers.”
Campaign finance reform must take a big next step and prohibit any and all contributions. The only money used in campaigns should be the matching funds to cover a series of debates.
The Occupiers and the Tea Partiers complain about the same thing–politicians being bought off. Yet, I don’t hear anyone saying where that “bought off” money comes from.
It comes from campaign donations–those fund raisers, unions, other corporations, private, personal, etc.
Eliminate all venues of campaign donations and you will tackle one of the major causes of the corruption we see from both parties.
To get my mind off the CD 15 election, I stopped in, tonite, to watch and listen to the redistricting, ‘Dog and Pony Show’ meeting at City Hall. However, I wasn’t sure which group was more entertaining; the redistricting meeting, or the “stoned” LA Occupy Protesters, where I was getting “contact-high” as I walked by the tents.
On a serious note. Some City employees, like myself, are viewing our required “Ethics Training” video that we received today.
The key to an election is turnout. Less than 20% .. that is dismal. Something is missing and I would not pass up the idea of election fraud.. and if it’s just turn out, the Message should be to get voters to vote via internet. That would eliminate City Hall fraud.
I beg to defer with you Ron on this one. Police Officer Joe Buscaino had a tremendous amount of grass root support and had so many of the youth in the area helping it was refreshing to see. He’s not like the other candidates. Unfortunately, Ron in this City you need money and people aren’t so willing to give it up because of the bad economy. Warren Furutani is the Mayor’s lapdog. I hope he doesn’t get in.
Only a ballot measure will change of local campaigns are funded, because these guys certainly aren’t going to cut off the unwashed hands that feed them.
Pat McOsker now joins Forsecee Hogan-Rowles, Chris Essel, Jack Weiss, and Measure B as election losers funded by Union Bo$$ Brian d’Arcy. Of course, d’Arcy’s investment in McOsker failed CD 15 campaign may pay off big time when McOsker’s Union Firefighters backs d’Arcy’s outrageous demands from the DWP.
Speaking of special interest money, it’s nice to see Cary Brazeman trying to do the right thing in his Controller’s race by not taking corporate or union contributions. We’ll see if individuals step up as he is hopinig and help the guy out.
Speaking of special interest money, it’s nice to see Cary Brazeman trying to do the right thing in his Controller’s race by not taking corporate or union contributions. We’ll see if individuals step up as he is hopinig and help the guy out.
Speaking of special interest money, it’s nice to see Cary Brazeman trying to do the right thing in his Controller’s race by not taking corporate or union contributions. We’ll see if individuals step up as he is hopinig and help the guy out.
Speaking of special interest money, it’s nice to see Cary Brazeman trying to do the right thing in his Controller’s race by not taking corporate or union contributions. We’ll see if individuals step up as he is hopinig and help the guy out.
One reason to look out for one’s brother is that it forces people to think of others. In a city where voters only think about what they can stuff into their pockets or how they can hurt other people (i.e. blaming Mexicans and bashing unions), we end up with voters who are ignorant and selfish.
They don’t care if LaBonge was councilman while $1.5 Billion in tax dollars disappeared into the CRA/LA to be doled out the corrupt real estate developers as long as the sends them a nice picture calender or gives them a shout out at the Autry Museum during an LFIA meeting.
Very few Voters give two cents about the homeless who die on our streets. Their attitude is to lock ‘em up — which squanders millions of dollars each year.
In brief, most LA voters are self-centered and mean-spirited and they elect similar types to City Hall. The corruption and incompetence in city government is only a mirror of our collective consciousness.
One reason to look out for one’s brother is that it forces people to think of others. In a city where voters only think about what they can stuff into their pockets or how they can hurt other people (i.e. blaming Mexicans and bashing unions), we end up with voters who are ignorant and selfish.
They don’t care if LaBonge was councilman while $1.5 Billion in tax dollars disappeared into the CRA/LA to be doled out the corrupt real estate developers as long as the sends them a nice picture calender or gives them a shout out at the Autry Museum during an LFIA meeting.
Very few Voters give two cents about the homeless who die on our streets. Their attitude is to lock ‘em up — which squanders millions of dollars each year.
In brief, most LA voters are self-centered and mean-spirited and they elect similar types to City Hall. The corruption and incompetence in city government is only a mirror of our collective consciousness.
The Senate tonite voted for more PORKULUS spending which raises the point: WHY DO WE NEED A REPUBLICAN PARTY? Why give them the time of day? The CD15 race pits two paid off union controlled hacks in a “runoff.” At least McOskar got it handed to him, he’s a retard.
You have two choices in L.A: MOVE or STAY. If you stay, then you have to throw in the towel politically because these mindless schmucks won’t wake up and never will.
THEREFORE: I’M VOTING FOR OBAMA IN 2012 AND YES FOR EVERY TAX/FEE INCREASE TOO. I’m also going to vote as follows in 2013:
CONTROLLER: ZINE (he’s a corrupt fat fuck, perfect for the City, and he unregisted as a Republican, so he’s willing to sell his soul.)
CITY ATTORNEY: MIKE FEUER (But is he Liberal enough?:-)
MAYOR: GARCETTI (This was a tough one, Just hope he’ll raise the DWP rates high enough to “save” the city.)
I’ve decided to STAY, and I’ll witness enough PAIN and SUFFERING at the hands of the DWP, IBEW, SEUI, and of course the Jacko-Killers AEG to see if YOU the SCHMUCK HOMEOWNERS, BUSINESS OWNERS, AND RETIREES one day say “We have to stop these God Damn Freaks at City Hall…”
In Ohio, Tennessee, Arizona, and Mississippi: ALL VOTES WENT TO THE LEFT—THUS EVEN IF I WERE TO MOVE, YOU CAN’T ESCAPE THE SCHMUCK VOTER, he or she IS EVERYWHERE!
So might as well stay where the SNOW DON’T FALL.
One reason to look out for one’s brother is that it forces people to think of others. In a city where voters only think about what they can stuff into their pockets or how they can hurt other people (i.e. blaming Mexicans and bashing unions), we end up with voters who are ignorant and selfish.
They don’t care if LaBonge was councilman while $1.5 Billion in tax dollars disappeared into the CRA/LA to be doled out the corrupt real estate developers as long as the sends them a nice picture calender or gives them a shout out at the Autry Museum during an LFIA meeting.
Very few Voters give two cents about the homeless who die on our streets. Their attitude is to lock ‘em up — which squanders millions of dollars each year.
In brief, most LA voters are self-centered and mean-spirited and they elect similar types to City Hall. The corruption and incompetence in city government is only a mirror of our collective consciousness.
We hope and pray YOU get what YOU deserve.
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