It seems fitting somehow that on an election day that saw the triumph of sleazy career politicians and $40 million in mostly dirty money from special interests, voters soundly rejected a tax hike that solved nothing — and news arrived that the centerpiece of City Hall corruption, Farmer’s Field, is all but dead.
First the news: Yahoo Sports’ Rick Cole who has been on top of the story all along while the local writers were bought off by Tim Leiweke reported the NFL has decided AEG’s numbers for a downtown stadium don’t work: Either the team goes broke or whoever buys the entertainment/sports company goes broke.
On the issue of going broke, the 292,760 voters who cast ballots — 16.11 percent of the 1,817,107 who are registered — showed a wisdom rarely found in L.A. elections by rejecting the regressive, job-killing Measure A tax increase that solved nothing 55 to 45 percent. Unions, developers and others who live off of City Hall or were blackmailed into contributing because they need city approval put up $1.5 million for Measure A versus ZERO for opponents led by civic activist Jack Humphreville.
The defeat leaves City Hall in fiscal quicksand without a rope, a $200 million hole this year that gets deeper year after year.
For No. 1 mayoral candidate Eric Garcetti ($5.5 million campaign, including $667,000 in taxpayer money) and runner-up Wendy Greuel ($7.2 million, including $667,000 in taxpayer money), the failure of money and threats to fire cops to frighten the electorate provides an opportunity to immediately call a summit meeting of community, civic, business and labor leaders to find a permanent solution to the unending fiscal crisis.
Full Election Results here. Full Campaign Funding reports here.
For Dennis Zine, the $300,000 traffic-cop-pensioner-turned Councilman, and Carmen Trutanich, the outsider who became City Attorney, the election results suggests they will be looking for new careers come July 1.
Zine, who has utterly no qualifications to serve as Controller, finished a fraction of a point behind attorney-businessman Ron Galperin, both at 37 percent, heading into the runoff. Politicians like Zine who have name recognition advantages and more money — $1.1 million vs. Galperin’s $600,000 — in the primary generally lose runoffs.
Trutanich ($900,000)has a different problem in a runoff against knee-jerk liberal Assemblyman-former Council Mike Feuer($1.3 million). Feuer won the primary 44 to 30 percent so he doesn’t need many votes to win although turnout seven weeks from now will be even worse.
In the Council races, failed legislators had a great night.
2JobBob Blumenfield, the state budget disaster creator, and “California’s worst legislator” Felipe Fuentes in Valley district 3 and 7 both won election outright — barely with 51.6 and 51.3 percent of the votes.
Blumenfield had nearly as much money at his disposal as the five other candidates combined and an unlimited reserve if he needed it while Fuentes had $300,000 to spend, a fifth of it from taxpayer matching funds that his three challengers didn’t even qualify for with barely $30,000 between them.
Elsewhere, Paul Koretz ($200,000) easily won re-election in CD5 against Mark Herd ($217.98, see his ad in the upper right corner) as so did ex-cop Joe Buscaino ($350,000) to challenger James T. Law’s ZERO in CD 15.
Mike Bonin, chief of staff to Bill Rosendahl, with three times as much money ($500,000) as his three opponents, won easily in CD11.
In Ed Reyes’ CD1, long-time legislator Gil Cedillo ($800,000) came up just short of a majority and faces a runoff against Council staffer Jose Gardea ($500,000).
In Jan Perry’s CD9, state Sen. Curren Price ($650,000) faces a runoff against Council staffer Ana Cubas ($300,000) in a closely contested race that left Assemblyman Mike Davis out in the cold.
In Eric Garcetti’s CD13, with a dozen candidates, Council staffer Mitch O’Farrell ($160,000) with 18.4 percent of the vote faces a runoff against labor union darling John Choi ($675,000) who got 16.5 percent of the vote.
What (else) is there to say?
After reading your report on the election, for which I thank you, I
can only say: ” Congratulations, LA. you got what you deserve.
You are now on your own. Shame on all the people who did not bother
to vote!~!!! You disgust me.
With the exception of Measure A, L.A. voters did their usual dumb-bunny voting.
Now we have a choice of worse & worser for mayor, and a bunch of political retreads for council offices.
The election of either Greuel or Garcetti might be the best thing for L.A. The city will go bankrupt and the courts will take away all the unions’ toys and maybe the people will wake up and start to be more thoughtful voters.
I figured this out–you want to be Detroit. After all the jokes in practically every movie, you felt bad and sorry about Detroit. So you think by becoming one, people will lay off the other Detroit. Plus you do have better weather. And unlike the real Detroit, LA will not get depopulated. For every person moving out of state, there is no shortage across the border.
But what is the best way to become Detroit – yes to get the worst, most incompetant crooks politicians. And where to find these? Ca legislature of course. So you fill the city council with as many of these Sacramento retreads as possible. And pick the two most corrupt and inept candidates for mayor. Too bad the former motorcycle cop may not make the controller.
And of course — do not even bother to vote. Voting is like hard.
Does this mean we get the Lions to move to City of Industry?
Can’t wait until someone appoints a former Moderedstate ex-gov like Romney to return and save the day…”I’llnold be back” to save the day from a robocoptopian future!
Come on MissAnthrope, don`t you know Greuel has found $160mm to balance the budget?
Yeah, of course she found 160Mil.
That’s like saying Columbus found America — after the ancient Russians, Vikings and others discovered it first.
But then we could take her creative auditing and call it an Ode to Laura Chick.
Congatulations to our true leader, Jack Humphreville, who almost single-handedly defeated Prop A. That goes to Ron too.
Yes, we should all be thanking Jack. Well well well funny how the politicians like Zine, Trutanich and Cedillo couldn’t take it last night. Did you see Huizar and John Perez with Wendy. That’s the word to spread all over the City that Wendy is a a Villaraigosa person. For Huizar and Perez who are always touting the Latino race card many find it very weird they are supporting a white woman (Wendy) instead of Garcetti who is part Mexican American?
Our condolences to the district 7 “horse community”…just remember the
corrupted, rigged Redistricting Commission and false leaders who misguided you…
united in Alarcon’s district or split into Alarcon/Cardenas districts…
and you fell for the ruse…
Felipe Fuentes…as bad as Alarcon and Cardenas combined…
our sympathies…
and pity district 6…their future will be ugly, painful…no joy, much despair…
prepare to suffer…
District 7…
total population approx 259,000
Latino population approx 178,500/69%
total voting age population approx 132,300
Latino voting age population approx 72,000/54.5%
total voter registration approx 98,300
Spanish surname registration approx 48,600/49.5%
so…Felipe Fuentes will rule over the lives of
a quarter of a million les miserables by a mere 7,700 votes…
it makes you want to weep…
Interesting point about Zine & Nuch, but maybe they’ll prove to enough people to be the lesser of four evils.
As for Bob & Felix, while they dodged run-offs (though 51…50…is crazy enough), I can’t help thinking of Villaraigoso’s 55%…flagged from the start as a final four years years of Failure, one hopes that their opponents’ showings will have enboldened future challengers, and motivate us watchdogs to try to keep them honest.
I agree with everyone – especially giving Jack the lion’s share of credit for slaying the sales tax measure, almost single-handedly.
As for the disappointing candidates who prevailed, I am reminded of a comment from former New York City Mayor Ed Koch, who after finally losing an election, said: “The people have spoken, and now the people must be punished!”
Steve Presberg
Former Candidate for City Council, 3rd District
Who has dibs on Bob’s old seat?
It will be interesting to see if the 90,000 ballots not yet counted ( 24,000 late vote-by-mail ballots, 27,000 vote-by-mail ballots that were turned in at polling places, 24,000 provisional ballots, and more than 14,000 questioned ballots) make a difference in the May plans for Members Fuentes and Blumenfield…
http://www.kcet.org/news/ballotbrief/election-results/la-election-uncounted-ballots-could-change-initial-results.html
(Blumenfield…311 votes over 50% threshold…)
Only 16% bothered to vote and have ensured a dismal future for the city. Garcetti is promising the same “revitalization” ie. extreme density in all areas same as Hollywood. Gruel has endorsed the Hollywood Community Plan ie. same density in the Valley. Additionally, she was endorsed by the last remaining city union, SEIU who all want their raises. This is our choice. Let’s join the 84% and let the city go to hell.
12 years of 2PENSIONdennis and 1 term of backstabber Trutanich is FAR TOO LONG FOR THESE TWO RATS! I WENT TO CITY HALL’S CLOWNMEETING TODAY and watched 2PensionDennis vote YES on a City Agreement to give 47 lawfirms “outside legal contracts” for their indirect payoff (Item 12-1966, 3/6/13 Zine-Yes vote.) IS THIS DIRTBAG YOUR CHOICE FOR CONTROLLER? No F’ing way!
Jews will rule L.A. come May: Garcetti-mayor, Galperin–controller, Feuer–City Attorney + many City Clownmen! Ex-Valley would find this fascinating as the so-called “Majority” of L.A. is “Latino”–thus Goyam. (Zine isn’t a jew, but a JUDE-ASS!)
KEVIN JAMES finished 3rd ahead of Hamburger Jan Perry, which is a sound defeat and insult given James should of had no problem finishing 2nd. Too many stoopid Valley Terds voted for Wendy the “Valley-Girl” when in fact she is not.
As for Prop A—I attended the final “community meeting” on that one in Reseda and asked Miguel Santana in front of everyone to “ONE TIME TELL THE TRUTH IN HIS PATHETIC LIFE—ADMIT THE SALES TAX HIKE WAS NOT NEEDED AND BAD.”
JACK HUMPHREYVILLE, your supposed crusader, CHIDED ME FOR THIS!!!! He should of applauded, but no one in the room said a word. BUT THEY VOTED—AND VOTED NO.
The new Clowncil is SCREWED. Too many office staffers and Sacramento thieves there to destroy L.A. THAT’S WHY FARMER’S FIELD IS DOOMED. I assure you—if the Council had a fresh new look and James won mayor—they’d break ground tomorrow and give us a team and 2 superbowls. The NFL knows about City Hall and won’t come here until THEY GET THE HELL OUT OF KILLING JOBS AND BANKRUPTING HOMEOWNERS. One day that will happen. The Question is when, not if at this point…
Wayne from Encino!
Once I heard you announce at the microphone at Cleveland, I hoped to give a formal hello…I was the guy shivering behind you with the last (barely asnwered) questions. Sorry I missed you as you dodged the drops en route to warmth, ahead of me.
You may not have heard me clap or yell huzzah, but I was smiling.
But when it rains, it pours, so maybe since Jack, ever merciful, didn’t have to press the point too hard with real facts and figures, showing how their plans don’t add up, he decided not to let the scapegoat get skewered too much.
First thing I tweated about Santana’s lukewarm justification for this half-baked, half-cent sales tax increase, was that he was half-hearted in glossing the half-witted talking points; citing the watered down half-measures of the past half dozen years, derizzle with kool-aid to snow voters.
I don’t expect the new crew to heed the reality check, too late to save, we’re well past the rainy day, but at least they might start to realize we’re not going to bail them out!
Since there is really no difference between the remaining candidates for Mayor can we just start calling them “Greucetti”?
Congratulations to Jack and Ron for working together to get out the word on the horrible sales tax that Council thought it could use to cover employee raises and pension bumps. I have a feeling that the “polling results” that came out in the press just before the election (you remember, the one that said Measure A was garnering support by a strong margin…) was a false release by Harvey Englander in order to try to create a “positive buzz”. It’s like an endorsement by the people who supposedly said that they would vote in favor by “a wide margin.” Perhaps the real poll looked bad and the Council released the misleading information of “high support” in order to swing undecided voters to support it. Oops. That did not work.
“May you live in interesting times”. In your case it’s becoming true
How about you vote for neither garcetti or gruel ?
Let one of them with very few votes.
(checking rules for write-ins…)
It’s true having Feuer as C.A. will SUCK because he’s a left wing dummy Sacramento dirtbag, ex-clownmember. But Nuch the Douche LIED to my face that he “would not run for D.A. and serve 2 terms as C.A.” THAT’S THE REASON I FOUGHT FOR HIS WIN. Carmen’s a LYING DOUCHEBAG which clearly shows he’s either got Alzheimer’s or he’s just a con-man/crony/fool/pig all in one. Feuer picked the one chance in history he’d be elected to serve in an office we all he’s going to SUCK at. But, broken promises like Nuch-Douche must be PUNISHED AT THE POLLS! We got him a 3rd place finish for D.A. and I’m very disappointed he got 2nd place (I hoped Smith would run off vs. Feuer.) I’ll hold my nose and vote for Feuer UNLESS NUCH DOES ONE THING—ADMITS HE LIED, ADMITS HE FAILED THE LAST 4 YEARS AND ASKS THE VOTERS FOR ONE MORE CHANCE. Now if he did those 3 things OVER AND OVER AGAIN saying it—then I’d vote for him. But the fool keeps saying he DIDN’T mislead us—thus he’s headed for 1 term and out.
As for Garcetti—he needs to ENDORSE GALPERIN for Controller, then if that is done he gets my vote. Gruel is Zine’s little B.F.F. so she’s a Zine-Ho.
As for Zine—-Fat, useless, PIG with 12 years of Six figure salaries ON TOP OF six figure pension payouts. ENOUGH—OUT OUT OUT Galperin looks like he’s capable of being a useless fool if elected. BUT WE KNOW FOR SURE ZINE IS a useless fool and tool for DWP. Galperin for Controller.
As for the Clownseat runoffs—what a DAMN SHAME! It’s a bunch of Sacramento hacks and Clownmember staffers—we don’t have a damn one of them that’s for the HOMEOWNERS, so we’re screwed.
His Royal Majesty, King Herb I. had problems today being overly arrogant and pompous—seems he LOST $200,000,000 of annual payoff cash for City Hall on Tues’ failure of Prop A. Could the 75 major campaign donors of L.A. (the power in L.A.) be ready to HAVE KING HERB ABDICATE HIS THRONE come July 1, 2013???
Believe me, a new Clowncil President is already being looked for! THEY HAVE THE MAN FOR THE JOB: MEET SULTAN BIGHEAD V. of CD5!!!!!!!!!!
HA HA HA HA!!!!!! Koretz’ is going to de-throne King Herb! HE HE HE HE!!!!
At least after 2,000 years of displacement, the Jews have a new City state where they’ll be the majority control group–L.A. City Hall! (At least one good thing comes out of all this corruption and graft.)
I cannot feel anything except betrayal by the poor voting record of
people I thought would make a difference. Thank you to all
who valiantly tried to help the rest of us Angelenos.
If people put out the fact that Wendy is a Villaraigosa person, Feuer was endorsed by Villaraigosa then I think they would all vote differently. To get people engaged and angry everyone should email their groups and get the word out that Wendy and Feuer are Villaraigosa lapdogs and trouble for our city. Wendy is bought and paid for by the unions.
Villaraigosa fundraisers, appointees coalescing around Greuel
http://articles.latimes.com/print/2013/jan/25/local/la-me-wendy-villaraigosa-20130123
Don’t push for a City tax during a City Mayoral election–hah, hah, hah.
But, really, save that footage ’cause I’m sure you have something else up your sleeve. We know how vindictive you are.
PS Thank you Jack for keeping us informed and the candidates on the right side of this issue.
I would like to thank the Los Angeles Times for its incisive analysis of the City’s budget woes. Most city dailies run the same tedious stories on gay marriage, celebs, weather, food, gun control and the pregnant Duchess. They ignore the insolvency of the cities, the cratered roads, the dilapidated schools and waste. But the Times gave us hard-hitting analysis of the waste in its own city, as any big paper should do. They got rid of the hectoring 3rd rate pundits, Skelton, Hiltzik et al., and gave us news.
Eschewing the tired “sky is falling” warnings of cuts to services, the Times blasted the city for elevating the inflated pensions of its clerks over the needs of its citizens. Voters for the first time in decades, were told where the money si going, why its wasted and what had to be done to stop it.
Wait..its time to get up? Oh, OK.
Prop A tax hike was popular in South LA, the poorest area in the city. Why? Because they have been fed that all tax hikes for the rich. Poor suckers.
Since these fools like to vote for imperial level taxation on the backs of Jewish homeowners in the Valley and Westside, it’s time to carve off that part of L.A. and SELL IT TO THE CHINESE FOR A BILLION BUCKS OR SO. Then we get 2 benefits: 1/ no more of these scumbag voters killing our City’s taxpayers and 2/ Maybe they’ll take Jan Perry off our hands for FREE at close of escrow.
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