Tag Archives: chris essel

Abolish the CRA: End Nepotism, Favoritism and Welfare to the Rich

Posted on June 15, 2011 by

The last item on the Community Redevelopment Agency’s commission agenda for Thursday says a lot about how City Hall operates and why it is so badly manages the public’s money and bungles most of what it is supposed to do. … Continue reading →

Posted in City Hall, Community Activists, Development/CRA, Hot Topics, Los Angeles | Tagged , , , , , | 16 Comments

CRA’s ‘Poison Pill’ Conspiracy Exposed — Their Own Emails Make the Case for Abolition

Posted on March 2, 2011 by

Editor’s Note: Read the CRA emails obtained under the California Public Records Act here (CRA Email-1.rtf), (CRA Email – 2.doc), (CRA Email -3.rtf), and (CRA Email-4.doc). Note the CRA charged $19.70 for these documents and would only make them available … Continue reading →

Posted in City Hall, Community Activists, Development/CRA, Hot Topics, Los Angeles | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

This Is Why the CRA Must Be Abolished — The Story of 1601 N. Vine St. As Told By Chris Essel

Posted on January 19, 2011 by

For her sake, one can only hope that City Attorney Carmen Trutanich’s lawyers advised Chris Essel of her Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination before she put her name on this document as CEO of the Community Redevelopment Agency. Twelve times … Continue reading →

Posted in City Hall, Development/CRA, Hot Topics, Los Angeles | Tagged , , , , , | 13 Comments

Uncivil Disobedience: City Hall Defies the Law, the Public and the Governor

Posted on January 17, 2011 by

“There are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to … Continue reading →

Posted in City Hall, Community Activists, Development/CRA, DWP, Hot Topics, LA Clean Sweep, Los Angeles | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

CRA to LA and Gov. Brown: Go To Hell

Posted on January 14, 2011 by

Editor’s Note: CRA staff released a list of $884 million in projects just before Friday’s special meeting (CRA Projects–Short list.pdf) but then came up with an expanded list during the Board meeting with nearly $50 million more in projects (CRA … Continue reading →

Posted in City Hall, Development/CRA, Hot Topics, Los Angeles | Tagged , , , , , | 32 Comments

Silence and Secrecy at CRA — An Agency That Does Not Listen, Does Not Care, Does Not Explain

Posted on October 9, 2010 by

Hollywood activist Bob Blue has played the key role in raising questions about the Community Redevelopment Agency giveaway of millions of dollars in public money to fund an office building at 1601 N. Vine for a developer bedeviled by lawsuits … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The Art of the Deal: CRA, Molly’s Burgers, Hal Katersky — and Your Money

Posted on October 6, 2010 by

Happy days are here for Mrs. Kwok Yi, proprietor of Molly’s Burgers in Hollywood. She has shaken down the Community Redevelopment Agency and Hal Katersky, the self-styled mogul for “first-class, technologically advanced entertainment production facilities in the world” for a … Continue reading →

Posted in City Hall, Community Activists, Development/CRA, Hot Topics, Los Angeles | Tagged , , , , , , , | 40 Comments

CRA UPDATE: How Sweet It Is for Chris Essel — A Real “Bell” Ringer

Posted on September 22, 2010 by

In the wonderful world of City Hall’s corruption, the insiders win even when they lose. Take the case of Chris Essel, the secretary at Paramount Pictures who became the company’s lobbyist and head of the Central City Association which qualified … Continue reading →

Posted in City Hall, Hot Topics, Los Angeles | Tagged , , , , , , | 39 Comments

Antonio Strikes Out: Krekorian Trounces Essel

Posted on December 9, 2009 by

Councilman-elect Paul Krekorian: “The voters of CD2 demanded profound change and soundly rejected the domination of this city by Downtown insiders. This victory is the  beginning of a fundamental transformation of the government of Los Angeles, and it sends a … Continue reading →

Posted in City Hall, Community Activists, Hot Topics, Los Angeles | Tagged , , , , , | 40 Comments

The Million-Dollar Question: Why Is Chris Essel So Important to the City Hall Political Machine?

Posted on December 7, 2009 by

Few voters — 10 to 15 percent of the electorate — will actually cast ballots in the Council District 2 despite the lavish spending by Chris Essel and the explosive, if specious, charges her campaign has leveled against Paul Krekorian … Continue reading →

Posted in City Hall, Community Activists, Los Angeles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 35 Comments