Political Ass Kissing Since 1892

The meeting was short because though there were 30 items, only two were opened to the public, thanks to clever diabolical scheduling by the Chief Legislative Analyst, who is a civic engagement engineer.  Her specialty, Reductionism. 

The Council President took a few comments, before opening things up for praise. One commenter suggested a street banner program to include Taix French Restaurant.  Another, cited the shocking CIS from Jamie York of Reseda, noting that the city had bungled the spending for the recent election. 

Fauble tried to cut the speaker off, but he said, "Before you get your panties in a bunch...  "   The banners is not a winning civic engagement policy, he argued because of the catastrophic failure of the election. 

He said, there were over 3 million were eligible voters, but... only received 23000 ballots returned.  

At that point, Fauble brutally cut him off... but said he could call back.    

Next item?  Praise.  Cedillo, pushed right to the front, "Who knew," he said dramatically, "that a young girl from Pacoima would be the lead on this great... fight for equity, and environmental justice... ?"  

Madame President, "you took the lead. This is not a district issue, this is for the whole city, the state, the nation, and, as "Mr. DeLeon is fond of saying, "the world and universe."    Cedillo gathered steam and finally admitted, that his story was very personal, "I grew up in active an oil well," he said. 

He didn't say that, but he did say that there was an active well, "One block from my house,"  before resuming his praise for DeLeon and everyone from the Ex Officio, Herbert J. Wesson to ALL of the Neighborhood Councils. 

Bonin voted three times for emphasis, "Yes yes yes."  

The LA city Ethics Commission made a series of nasty but very late accusations against Mitchell Englander.  

Board not Bored:

The Tuesday Board of Supervisors meeting was a virtual plane crash.  The firm that handles meetings for them, AT&T were occupado, with stunning results: Analysts predicted 2022 earnings of $3.16 a share on revenue of $156.3 billion, up from $153.2 billion. 

Still, there were plenty of angry speakers who got off or re-routed to the exit by the trigger-happy Chair, Holly J Mitchell. 

Boy, did we have Mitchell wrong? She was so arrogant in the face of an astonishing presentation of anger from the districts.  

Why? 

Because people,  who had real points to make, were forced to wait for over 4 hrs, only to be told, we don't want your comments, only other comments.  

On item five for example, about extending legal tenant protection aid...  that was viewed as crucial to keeping the low income housed. 

One property manager who worked for a family for sixty years... helping them rent, since 2018.  

He said, their tenants collected, but had not heard from them in six months. 

He said, he knew they had over $4,000 per month coming in, but since the moratorium allows them to stay... 

"They've received $27,000 in rent relief, but are still refusing to pay the rent.  

These are Mom and Pop homeowners, and the lender has filed a notice of default he said.  The tenants, who have refused to pay or move,  got a public defender.

Now, the elderly woman is being asked to pay her, mortgage, the taxes... and the tenant's attorney's fees. 

He urged the board to reject item 5.  The board approved it, with Kathryn Barger of SD5 voting no.  

Another speaker called in to grieve about the county council who forced her to sign something that was not true, and because she wouldn't do that, had to hire an attorney.  Now, the county is causing her to go $15,000 out of pocket over a repair to her property caused by the county.   

Holly J. Mitchell, cut her right off... BRUTAL   Then, turned on staff, "We need a report... how can we prevent this... ?"  

She speculated, " maybe we need two different passcodes..."   

Because the public was shut out, we couldn't say out loud:  "The agenda does have two different passcodes."   

She said, the technical problems "Is absolutely ridiculous... AT&T was having an issue with the first line..." 

Then, she spoke real slowly and deliberately so the dim public would get it. 

She finally called another speaker, who said, "Let me spell it out. A lot of people have been on hold for four hours...."  

Mitchell, cut the speaker off, "Mr. Young, I am going to have the operator terminate the call... " 

A woman identifying as an immigrant woman of color complained about the public health order stating that "Dr. Ferrer is not a doctor, she is using the honorific title, as my kids are being destroyed..."   

"Why is the Superbowl happening," she railed, "But schools can't..?  Immunity--" 

"Let me interrupt you." said, the Chair.

She abruptly cut her off.  "That General public comment is over. We are hearing items one through three, only." 

One more speaker came on, "I am an Ivy leaguer," he said, " and I can't figure out your agenda."  

Supervisor Mitchell cut him right off. 

"We've added thirty minutes to the ninety minutes... allotted, but at this time, we are inviting public comment on the three public hearing items, only."  

All I could think about was the poor overpaid AT&T guys.   

How embarrassing to set up a call in which the attendees who waited to speak, could not hear the meeting in progress.  

Was this really, the LA County Board of Supervisors, the most powerful body in California?  

After more squabbling, including complaints from Janice Hahn and Kathryn Barger, the chair finally asked "Are there any more speakers?" 

The AT&T guy replied, there are "No speakers... actually we have one." 

Sorry, Mitchell snapped, "Time is up."

Cats and Dogs and  (unarmed) Rangers

As of this week, additional funding has been secured for an $87 million one-acre bridge crossing on the 101 freeway in the west valley, including a final $10 million allocated by ⁦ the governor.   

Now, set to break ground this spring, and when completed in 2023, this will be the largest "non human" animal crossing in the world.  

As for domesticated dogs at the park. No. 

There was an egregious incident this week in which a longtime resident of Studio City was chased across the park on suspicion of walking his dogs through a darkened walkway enjoyed by leashed dogs on a routine basis.   

The alleged reason for the takedown was the 58-year-old male human who was walking alongside two healthy male canines, dba good boys.  One of the animals when he spotted the truck from a distance careening across the darkened field, bolted, wiggling out of his collar. Once the Ranger cornered the pedestrian with his vehicle, the member of the public said,  "what the hell are you doing? Why are you driving on our field? 

The Ranger got out of the large truck, real slow, and pointed at the door of the giant pickup truck?   

It read,  "City of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreations."  

He said, your dog is "off-leash" and cited 65.44 (B) 2. The resident was in disbelief and disagreed with his assessment but was happy to comply, as the one dog had run in fear. 

When the owner moved to click the dog's leash, the Ranger, said, "Sir, you are detained!" and held his hand up indicating STOP. 

The Ranger finally the cat out of the bag when he admitted, under pressure, that he had received 10 complaints during the daylight hours about dogs being off-leash. 

The dog owner pointed out that the Ranger had the wrong suspect.    And since there were no animals around, why was he offroading at our park?  

The Rangers, one of whom wore  a loose-fitting cloth mask, and one wore nothing, finally said,  "give us your name and date of birth, or we're going to handcuff you and take you to jail." 

The resident asked if the Rangers were making a recording of this delightfull interaction and the Ranger said, no.  

Finally, LAPD showed up and the longtime resident, asked the assembled: "Will you really arrest me for walking the dogs?"  

After forty-five minutes, three Ranger Trucks and an LAPD cruiser all idling, despite the owner's objections that Koretz would be upset about that, he was let go.   

The cat eventually went back in the bag. 

Bidding:

In California, public agencies are required to put major contracts out to bid... so when I saw, the department of AGING was seeking APPROVAL TO AWARD A SOLE-SOURCE CONTRACT for $10M to  @foreverytable  I listened carefully. 

I was the only public speaker attending the virtual budget and finance committee meeting and I'd learned that the company had previously  received $5.3M of investment from the brother of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and an entrepreneur in his own right, Kimbal Musk and other social impact investors, Acumen, Maria Shriver and TOMS Social Enterprise Fund  

Still, No bid is generally not a public benefit, even though the PBC in  Everytable, PBC stands for public benefit corporation. 

No matter how "Locally made every day with wholesome ingredients and big flavor."   

No bid, not so good.  Blumenfield reminded, that we could have gotten a better price… "with bidding."  

Curren Price suggested, maybe Aging could make a few agreements, rather than just one company?  He understood it was a lot of work to support invoices from thirty restaurants, but  "how about three?"    

Rodriguez reminded of the many jobs and restauranteurs, and jobs creation that would be ... missed by going with this one firm.  

So, why sole source?   

Apparently, Eric Garcetti had had some experience with the firm during his Great Plates, initiative. 

The company is high-tech...  "Everytable has to leverage software and data analytics at every turn. It tracks data about which meals it sold and where, obsessively, to be able to forecast demand and avoid wasting food.  Instead of housing a commercial kitchen at each location, Everytable sends prepared meals out from a central kitchen to its smaller storefronts."  

As for the Waitlisted seniors with food insecurity who were isolated at home during the surge in Omicron cases throughout the city...  they'll love it!  

One idea would be for the "Los Angeles Foundation on Aging" who gave more than $5,000 to Eric Garcetti's Mayor's Fund, to put something together from all of the generous folks who gave to the mayor's fund.  

For starters, the great land-use instrument, PSOMAS, is a mayor's fund donor.  

And, I thought I read it wrong, at first, but apparently, PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) and the PwC Charitable Foundation each gave separately to the mayor's fund.  

For those, who forgot, Thomas Peters, who worked as chief of the civil litigation branch in Mike Feuer's office, helped oversee the city’s lawsuit against PwC, the consulting firm that the city blamed for the 2013 billing problems. 

And last month prosecutors announced that former DWP general manager David H. Wright agreed to plead guilty to bribery, admitting that he pushed the DWP board in 2017 to award a $30-million no-bid contract to an attorney hired by the office of City Atty. Mike Feuer. 

Doh!  

Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse is excellent.  They gave more than $5,000 to the mayor's fund.   

Who knew that, Insomniac, the rave producer, also dumped money into the mayor's fund. 

We all know what the Mayor did for George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, so no surprise that the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation provided the love. 

AECOM and Tutor Perini/O&G and the Gordian group join, AEG Worldwide among the many helpful companies with business before the mayor, like Athens Services, Management 360, and of course, Brookfield Properties Development.    

And thanks to the banks:  Axos Bank | BofA Federal Bank, IDB Bank, Union Bank, Bank of America, California, Bank of the West,  Citizens Business Bank,  City National Bank, and obviously, the Confidence Foundation.  Without you, we are nothing.  

The creme de la creme, though, is the fact that Eric Garcetti and Amy Elaine Wakeland themselves, gave more than $5,000 to the mayor's fund.   

And who knew, Dale Goldsmith, was such a mensch?    Armbruster and Delvac missed an opportunity.  

When foundations like  The Caruso Family Foundation and the Marilyn & Jeffrey Katzenberg Foundation step up and give money to the mayor's fund, it gives others the confidence to do the same.  

Like, Gilead Sciences and the white-shoe law firm, Jones Day and the self-driving google company, Waymo LLC (and the Wasserman Foundation (Thx, Casey), The Weingart Foundation (Thx, Miguel), and how about a round of applause for Steven Spielberg's, Wunderkinder Foundation.  

County Closer: 

I was hoping to ask, "Who is going to do the DCFS assessment?"   

The Board was discussing hiring a consultant. 

Sheila Kuehl, who is a longtime DCFS enabler, said she would be voting no. 

Janice Hahn, said she wants assessment… which will be comprised of an inventory and analysis with recommendations. 

But Sheila and MItchell tried to argue that a search for a new,  DCFS topper was already underway.  

The trio of Barger, Solis and Hahn felt that the DCFS consultant expenditure, would helpful to any new director, once they find one.  

The Driector of Children and Family Services is a thankless job. "Since the bureaucracy… is so complex, It will be a gift, to the new director." Supervisor Hahn said.  

Kathryn Barger said it was real opportunity ..  and reminded that SEIU was in.  "We need this consultant to talk to our stakeholders… 

Go Deeper." 

They suggested in 90 days this report would be done.  Do you know who was allegedly wheeling and dealing in the social worker space? 

MRT.  It's been a little more than ninety days since the supes said they would hire an outside law firm to look over the Mark Ridley-Thomas edition of creepy social work shenanigans.   

Still nothing.  

Could this consultant be brought in to ... clean things up?   Yes.  

"Let's not rush to judgment, we don't want to put the cart before the horse," said the Chair, Holly J. Mitchell.

(Eric Preven is a longtime community activist and is a contributor to CityWatch. The opinions expressed by Eric Preven are solely his and not the opinions of CityWatch)