May 2007 Archives

When the going gets tough, transparency and openness are always the first victims of political anxiety.

Unless someone like David Demerjian takes interest, public officials are fully aware no cops work the open-government beat, enforcing the 54-year-old state law known as the Brown Act.

In a reporter's calculations, it didn't seem unreasonable to expect a story about likely violations of state law would at least earn a call back from City Hall.

In my anxiety to offer full opportunities for response from the city, I went so far as to file an odd public records request on Thursday for a list of city-owned cell phone numbers for executive/cabinet-level staff. Nobody should want or be asked to work reporters' hours, but every other week is a three-day weekend for City Hall.

Being unavailable doesn't stop reporting from happening and it would seem reasonable to take a call from a reporter, even while off-duty. Now not returning calls during the work week? That's just weird. And telling.

Not sure how to feel about this. Last time I saw the POPS was at the Rose Bowl during last year's Conflagration of July, wincing beneath an uninspired fusillade of poppy anthems.

Richard "Richie Ramone" Reinhardt was a smoking fast drummer, but he technically stopped being a Ramone 20 years ago when he quit the band.

The Pasadena POPS Proud to Announce Richie Ramone of The Ramones Featured Artist with The Pasadena POPS

Legendary Ramones punk-rock drummer Richie Ramone drum solo of West Side Story.
WHERE: Descanso Gardens.
WHEN: Friday August 17, Saturday August 18, and Sunday August 19.

May 29, 2007 -- To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the musical West Side Story, Richie Ramone, acclaimed punk rock drummer from the Ramones, performs the WORLD PREMIERE of the "Suite for Drums and Orchestra based upon Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story arranged by Ron Abel under the direction of Richie Ramone".

The shows will delight music fans of all genres. For three sensational nights in August, the 17th, 18th and 19th, when classically trained Richie Ramone of the world famous Ramones takes the stage at Descanso Gardens, the styles of punk rock and classical will finally merge in a moment that will be nothing short of historical.

Hot off the DOJ news press:

PASADENA MAN WHO RAN DOWNTOWN SKID ROW STORES PLEADS GUILTY TO DEFRAUDING FOOD STAMP PROGRAM

A Pasadena man who owned several markets in the "skid row" area of downtown Los Angeles has pleaded guilty to defrauding the federal Food Stamp Program out of more than $6 million by purchasing benefits for 50 cents on the dollar.

Tigran Malkhasyan, 42, pleaded guilty to five criminal charges Tuesday morning before United States District Judge S. James Otero. Malkhasyan specifically pleaded guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud, food stamp fraud, money laundering and making false statements to the United States Department of Agriculture.

A second defendant who works at one of Malkhasyan's stores, Karine Atikyan, 39, of Pasadena, pleaded guilty on Monday, admitting that she committed conspiracy, wire fraud and food stamp fraud.

Oddly enough, the city's link to the video feed of last night's council meeting goes to footage of Councilman Chris Holden, city spokeswoman Ann Erdman and someone called up from Central Casting(?) talking about Heritage Square. Peculiar <.<

OK, the meeting starts ~5 minutes in. There's a lot of video missing.

Apparently the room wasn't big enough for both Elaine Adams and Danny Bakewell, Sr. Certainly not their legions of supporters. The next phase of the Desiderio Army Reserve debate was postponed Monday night.

The drama went as scripted. Danny Bakewell, Sr., kept his cool and didn't go on the hyper offensive again. Steve Madison mostly avoided speaking. The Bakewell Co. took the prize. Enormous political pressure was exerted. City staff looked bad; did a poor job explaining what happened.

Noon to 2 a.m. was enough for me -- and I still have to review the 90 minutes missed when I drove back to Lake Avenue to write the story, which I hope to have an addendum to posted online by noon(ish.)

In short: Union Station worked the political abacus and backed out, leaving the council with one developer with which to move forward.

Gamers rejoice: SC2

Really, I do. It's a cool, screwed up city (Recall the Bulletin's "Troubled Town" logo for Pomona stories) that -- during my two years at the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin -- seemed to suffer a chronic lack of leadership.

Pasadena and Pomona share some historical parallels, but whereas the Crown City rode a wave of gentrification to financial prosperity through effective development policies, Pomona has just kind of languished. Pasadena Denver Lane, the local Bloods gang franchise, even has a presence there.

This brings me to today's story by Frank Girardot (Dude, hands off me sources! D:<) about Foothill Cities blog getting a lawyer-gram from P-town's City Hall.

Given the blog's moxy, I was surprised when they immediately complied and pulled down the posts regarding rumors behind one city employee's departure. Everyone knows such things are to post and ridicule.

Apparently anonyscribes Publius and Centinel were getting lawyered-up as well.

Pasadena Councilman Victor Gordo likes columnist Robert Rector's suggestion we outsource Pasadena's council. (link is to Bob's blog, where his print columns are archived)

As long as it means taking his $1,270.52/mo to India, where it will keep him lousy with samosas.

"I think we need to establish a task force to review the idea," he says. "That's the Pasadena way."

Weekly Kevin Uhrich spares nuance in his obligatory take on outsourcing Pasadena reporting:

Are rewritten press releases really news? Are two people who happen to live in another country and can apparently write in English better than native-speaking Macpherson really reporters? For that matter, is Macpherson actually a journalist?

The answer to all of those questions is no.

Kevin makes the case for why Pasadena Now isn't journalism, but did anyone ever confuse it with such? It's a community bulletin board where everyone can sound and look as good as they'd like. Which is fine.

James has made it clear he isn't interested in publishing things that might get him "in trouble" and gives the impression he once removed an article after receiving a complaint from the Old Pasadena Merchants Association.

Someday I'm going to publish a coffee-table book of all the outrageous, furious demands that hit my inbox.

My favorite, emergent argument is that long-distance reporting will be "more objective." And it's true, given that self-styled media critics -- the red-faced and sweaty kind that fume about our bias when we don't just reprint The Official Reckoning -- have turned 'objectivity' into a euphimism for superficial and not insightful.

By that logic, I should consider a career as a sports writer, given my complete ignorance of any and all things athletic. But, damn, I'd be objective!

Councilwoman Margaret McAustin was kind enough to soften her rejection of my immodest proposal with a funny. She told me at Monday night's joint meeting that preserving the endangered lap dance came in as a close second when considering campaign themes.

The medieval malady that has left me stupid-sleepy with the off-brand Nyquil is the chief reason I didn't make mention yesterday of James Macpherson's implausible plan to improve Pasadena journalism..

But I'll confess to other distractions. I spend too much time on the phone, talking to people I have established relationships with in the city I've lived in or near all of my 32 years. From residents and police officers to municipal staff and politicians, I try to construct an an idea of not only what is going on, but why.

Personally, I welcome the participation of two Sahib scribes from the subcontinent. I can't wait to read their dispatches. Jamie's free post on Craigslist has bought millions worth of international publicity, but we'll see if Pasadenans take the bait.

Altogether, I've spent the better part of a year in India. From Lucknow's colonial relics, to Varanasi's mystical ghats, Agra's tourist ghettos, Delhi's choke of Mughal/colonial alienist architecture, Mumbai's cultural surrealism, Rajasthan's fading splendor and innumerable points in between. Shouldered a cherrywood sitar across many longitudes before it made it back to Pasadena. In fact, I've still got time left on my 10-year visa.

I've even written in the past about India's interesting collisions between ancient norms and contemporary culture, the significance of the rise of the BJP/Vajpayee, the inveterate/beloved angst with little brother Pakistan and the open wound that is Ayodhya.

But could I cover the Punjab's Vidhan Sabha? Would Chief Minister Sardar Parkash Singh Badal go off-the-record with me over a carafe of wine? (From my experience in Amritsar -- he might -- but only in his parents' attic with the shades drawn)

Perhaps we've been going about it all wrong. Maybe I've been wrong to think Editor Larry Wilson would write me up if I tried to cover council meetings over the Internet. Maybe ... I can have my cake and eat it to. Get that little studio flat off Soi 7 I've always wanted in Bangkok -and- write for the Pasadena Star-News.

For now, I wish Jamie luck. It seems he's poured all of his time and energy into Pasadena Now. I just hope he understands the critical concept of baksheesh.

For more, read: Foothill Cities' take.

Larry Wilson's column

Members of the Pasadena City Council and city staff recently received a special invitation from an unlikely source.

Peppermint Gardens, the adult cabaret which opened at a former Shakey's Pizza on Foothill Boulevard and prompted a moratorium, hasty code revisions and a slew of lawsuits, apparently wants to say "no hard feelings" to City Hall by offering free entry.

As a former Planning Commissioner and newly elected Councilwoman, maybe Margaret McAustin will get me in as her date? (John will totally understand, right?)

The complete flyer -- just a little too hot for the 1950s-era values of our printing press -- is posted below the fold.

Perry Bennett not only seems like a cool guy, but he makes a tasty veggie sandwich at Perry's Joint.

But it's the hot dogs which earn four references in a press release honoring Perry's Joint as 44th Assembly District Small Business of the Year by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino. The last of which concedes the source of Anthony's affection:

Assemblymember Portantino is a frequent Perry’s customer and enjoys a hot dog with sour kraut every chance he gets.

A couple weeks back, I was surprised by an emotional reaction to attending my final meeting of Pasadena Unified's Board of Education.

Although I may not be on everyone in the district's list for Christmas/Ramadan/Festivus cards, there was the realization I'd actually miss talking to these people several times a week and observing their eternal angst.

But a new superintendent and school board is matched with a new beat for Star-News reporter Cortney Fielding. And Cortney has jumped in head first.

It would have been interesting to be at Monday's reorganization meeting, similar to what the City Council did an hour or so later.

It was universally assumed the school board would pick for its president member Scott Phelps, who was named vice president some months back when Peter Soelter appeared to game the system to ascend to that position.

Apparently newly elected member Renatta Cooper had something different in mind, as she nominated Esteban Lizardo when the question was brought. And with what had to be uneasy unanimity, everyone accepted that.
Hint: Most of them loathe public disagreement.

Why does this matter? Esteban has long wanted the board to conduct it's business differently. Now, as board president, he's driving the agenda with Superintendent Edwin Diaz. So definitely something to watch.

Former Councilman Paul Little wasn't his usual jocular self after last night's meeting of the Pasadena City Council.

"Put that back," he said after I'd picked up one of his mixed CDs to look at. Said he didn't have time to comment on its contents. Gosh, one would think I was a RIAA enforcer.

One thing pols and their staffers don't seem to get: Telling a reporter they can't have something is the best way to guarantee they will. Especially something distributed to elected officials during a public meeting.

Scholars will puzzle over the significance of the 20 tracks Paul selected -- at least for a few minutes. Below I've listed the track titles and the ostensibly corresponding topics/themes he printed on the CD label. (More below the fold)

A little inside baseball perhaps, but political editor and former Star-News reporter Gary Scott untethers himself from the San Gabriel Valley (specifically the sake samplers at Japon Bistro) and takes a job for another daily journal of news as their man in Sacramento.

I once thought Gary's chops for journalism could be melded with the obvious international savvy of CNN's Anderson Cooper to make some kind of super-reporter. But then I remembered Anderson Cooper is a hack.

At least we'd get someone with a complete name.

From car wrecks to cute kids and sweet rides, we want your pictures for our new community photo album.

The albums are moderated so ...

Found this video of the Angriest Political Candidate in the World on Boing Boing.

Seems Kouichi is trying to channel a bit of one of my fave authors, just without the education or eloquence.

And people thought Jim Lomako was kinda intense.

After spending the day catching up with what Parsons Corp. has busy with in Iraq, my mission parameters for Monday night's council meeting was scaled back to a take on their return to their Seats of Power at City Hall.

That said, the meeting ultimately ran seven hours long and turned into a total blow-up I've only now had the opportunity to digest. I'd recommend clearing 2.5 hours and checking out .

Every Wednesday, the Constitution of the United Kingdom requires the sitting Prime Minister to face 30 minutes of questions from ministers in the House of Commons. No subpoenas required.

So like the BBC's PM Wednesdays, call this CM Tuesday.

While talking with Pasadena Councilman Chris Holden about arguably less important matters, I took the opportunity to put him on the spot regarding his positions on some serious issues.

Airwolf or Blue Thunder?

"Blue Thunder," Chris says, admitting he doesn't remember Airwolf. "I thought it was pretty good. I like Roy Scheider."

Pirates or Ninjas?

"I think that pirates have been popularized in our culure a little bit more so than ninjas," he muses. "But ninjas are cool. A pirate, you see coming; a ninja you don't. I want people to see me coming so i'm going to go with pirate."

The Mission was Accomplished four years ago, today?

Editor & Publisher has a nice roundup of the media's coverage in those heady days.

WASHINGTON, May 1 -- President Bush's made-for-television address tonight on the carrier Abraham Lincoln was a powerful, Reaganesque finale to a six-week war. But beneath the golden images of a president steaming home with his troops toward the California coast lay the cold political and military realities that drove Mr. Bush's advisers to create the moment.

The president declared an end to major combat operations, White House, Pentagon and State Department officials said, for three crucial reasons: to signify the shift of American soldiers from the role of conquerors to police, to open the way for aid from countries that refused to help militarily and -- above all -- to signal to voters that Mr. Bush is shifting his focus from Baghdad to concerns at home….

''This is the formalization that tells everybody we're not engaged in combat anymore, we're prepared for getting out,'' a senior administration official said….