March 2008 Archives

Chill out."

That's the advice former President Bill Clinton gave Democrats concerned about the extended nomination fight between Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in a speech Sunday at the state Democratic convention in San Jose. Mary Ann Ostrom in the Mercury News.

In a spirited defense of his wife's vow to go on despite lagging in pledged-delegate counts, Clinton argued that continuing to campaign in the remaining states to cast ballots is "strengthening the Democratic Party."

He made his comments to about 3,000 conventiongoers at San Jose McEnery Convention Center, most of whom gave the former president a loud and enthusiastic reception.

The bitter weekend divorce between two actors unions in upcoming contract talks with Hollywood producers mirrors a scene from a daytime soap opera - the genre where the whole spat started.AP in the Daily News.

The Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists have long sniped at each other over who better represents some 44,000 actors who are members of both groups.

The last straw, according to AFTRA President Roberta Reardon, was when the Screen Actors Guild leadership encouraged actors in the soap drama "The Bold and The Beautiful" to abandon the federation a month ago in "a relentless campaign of disinformation and disparagement."

TIPOFFS:
Controller Laura Chick and Councilman Tony Cardenas have differing ideas on how to solve the gang problems in the city.

It's 5 a.m. when a bleary-eyed Gary Orozco pulls away from his Fontana house and heads to Los Angeles to visit his grandmother. Sue Doyle in the Daily News.

Taking on the responsibility to check on her after his uncle died, the 21-year-old makes the weekly 50-mile drive before sunrise to beat the heaviest morning traffic.

And often, it's not before 8p.m. when Orozco dares to venture back on the freeway and return to his home in the Inland Empire.

"It's kind of a pain when I get to Hollywood," Orozco said. "But, still, it's to see my grandma."

In a region where the car is king, Orozco is among millions of Southland residents who plan their days around traffic virtually without a second thought.

State Attorney General Jerry Brown waxed nostalgic Saturday about his former days as governor and strongly suggested that he might run again – just as soon as he is done suing President Bush over global warming.
Sacramento Bee.
Brown joined four other rumored 2010 candidates – San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, former state Controller Steve Westly and state schools Superintendent Jack O'Connell in firing up party partisans at the state Democratic Convention in San Jose.

On an entertaining day of political preening for would-be gubernatorial contenders, Brown, 69, provided rhetorical flourishes.

- CSUN professor Aida Metzenberg has cherished more than a decade of teaching genetic counseling, a graduate-degree program available on only 30 campuses in North America. Conniei Llanos in the Daily News.

But amid continuing budget squeezes, California State University, Northridge, is cutting the program that melds the study of genetics and medical counseling.

"I was shocked," Metzenberg said, adding that she is hopeful a donor might come forward to save the program. "I never thought this would end."

The program's elimination is the latest casualty at colleges across the Southland that have been struggling with years of financial trimming - and bracing for more if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's $386 million proposed cut to the CSU system is approved.

Stepping up disagreements with Los Angeles City Controller Laura Chick over the future of anti-gang programs in the city, Councilman Tony Cárdenas on Thursday questioned the intent of Chick's proposal as well as its impact on existing programs. Daily News,

"We will not allow politics to infiltrate this process," Cá rdenas said at the end of a lengthy meeting examining Chick's "Blueprint for an Anti-Gang Strategy."

Among other things, the plan recommends most of the programs be transferred to the office of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Hoping the increased public interest in this year's election will carry over to the most politically wonkish of events, the California Democratic Party plans to webcast this weekend's convention, Party Chairman Art Torres announced.
Starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, the party will be streaming live events and have video available on workshops at its website, www.cadem.org/convention.
Among the planned events are speeched by former President Bill Clinton, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and a dinner presentation from Phil Donahue.

Hoping the increased public interest in this year's election will carry over to the most politically wonkish of events, the California Democratic Party plans to webcast this weekend's convention, Party Chairman Art Torres announced.
Starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, the party will be streaming live events and have video available on workshops at its website, www.cadem.org/convention.
Among the planned events are speeched by former President Bill Clinton, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and a dinner presentation from Phil Donahue.

Nearly three years after the Los Angeles Unified School District launched efforts to implement tougher graduation requirements, the program has been plagued by disorganization and confusion with little accountability or oversight, according to an audit obtained by the Daily News. Naush Boghossian in the Daily News.

While the "A-G Resolution" requires all students to take college-prep courses in order to graduate, a scathing internal district analysis has found that so far the voluntary rollout has been ineffective and implementation has been spotty.

And the audit warns that without significant improvements, LAUSD students are not only at risk of failing to meet college eligibility requirements but also of failing to graduate from high school.

Six months after netting a $10million anonymous donation, leaders of the once-troubled Children's Museum of Los Angeles say the facility is on track to open in a year. Dana Bartholomew in the Daily News.

The museum, blasted in an audit last year for little oversight and few donations, has revamped its board and is raising funds, said Cecilia Aguilar Glassman, the museum's executive director.

"I would have to say that fundraising efforts since last summer are going extraordinary well," she said. "Everybody's goal is the same: to open in March 2009."

With fears that proposed bus cuts in rough neighborhoods - and in areas of the county with no other transit - could harm passengers, Metro authorities are moving to review plans that had been designed to save the agency $21million. Sue Doyle in the Daily News.

Metro's board voted this week to review the proposed changes, which would take place in June, and officials said they will coordinate changes in service with other city and municipal bus operators.

Twice a year, the transit agency evaluates its nearly 200 bus lines for efficiency and ridership and recommends service changes.

Stepping up disagreements with Los Angeles City Controller Laura Chick over the future of anti-gang programs in the city, Councilman Tony Cárdenas on Thursday questioned the intent of Chick's proposal as well as its impact on existing programs. Daily News.

"We will not allow politics to infiltrate this process," Cá rdenas said at the end of a lengthy meeting examining Chick's "Blueprint for an Anti-Gang Strategy."

Among other things, the plan recommends most of the programs be transferred to the office of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

California Democrats hold their annual state convention this weekend in San Jose and they are getting some star power to entertain the delegates.
Phil Donahue, who is the father of the modern talk show format, is scheduled to be the keynote speaker on Saturday night, talking about his new documentary, "Body of War."
On Sunday, former President Bill Clinton will be making the case for his wife at a morning speech to delegates. Clinton always has done will in California and Sen. Hillary Clinton won the February primary here by a 51-43 margin over Sen. Barack Obama.

Wading into the hot-button issue of immigration in the Southland, the Los Angeles City Council and a group of community leaders Wednesday denounced a federal measure that would require verifying that workers are in the country legally before being hired. Daily News.

Calling it mean-spirited and intentionally divisive, the council voted 11-1 to oppose the measure proposed by Rep. Heath Shuler, R-N.C., that would beef up border patrols and use a computerized system to verify job candidates' legal status.

"We have something more compassionate and humane from the National League of Cities that we would like to see implemented," Councilman Dennis Zine said.

Council President Eric Garcetti will be on the receiving end of orders this week when he reports for duty aboard the aircraft carrier USS Reagan in San Diego for a week-long tour as part of his Naval reserve duties.
Lt. Garcetti, who is a trained information officer, said he cannot divulge details of his assignment that is in addition to his annual two weeks of service in the reserve. Garcetti joined the reserve three years ago. In addition to the basic training, he also received specialized intelligence training last year.
"This will be a different experience," Garcetti said, adding he is not sure how he will adjust to an extended period at sea, even though it is only a week. "I'll be there in a support capacity and looking forward to taking and giving orders."

Fighting back against the rash of violence by street gangs, Watts residents are joining with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa this morning to create a walking school bus to accompany children through gang territory to Florence Griffith Joyner Elementary School, 1963 E. 103rd St.
It is part of the safe passage program the city has had in effect for some time to insure children walking to and from school lare proteced.
The area selected is near the Watts-Wilkmington Arm housing project.
Later in the day, Villaraigosa is meeting with U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey to discuss city-federal policies on dealing with gangs.

In the first two months of this year, losing a home to foreclosure was almost as common for families as buying a home in the San Fernando Valley area. Gregory J. Wilcox in the Daily News.

During January and February, there were 1,084 foreclosures and 1,335 sales of houses and condos in Valley communities from Glendale to Calabasas, according to the San Fernando Valley Economic Research Center at California State University, Northridge.

By comparison, during the first two months of 2007 - also in a slumping market - there were just 235 foreclosures and 2,481 sales.

Naughty messages scrawled on school bathroom stalls have taken on a new cyber-twist with a Web site that promises college students "always anonymous ... always juicy" gossip. Connie Llanos in the Daily News.

But some of those posting on JuicyCampus.com have put up such nasty comments that a growing chorus of students and lawmakers is denouncing the site and calling for action.

On Tuesday, the California Attorney General's Office said it will review a request by state Assemblyman Alberto Torrico, D-Fremont, to investigate the site.

Armed with a laptop and the names of tens of thousands of police officers across the country, a Southland entrepreneur is raising the ire of law enforcement with an online, five-star rating system similar to those used for teachers. Rachel Uranga in the Daily News.

Less than a month old, RateMyCop.com has gotten 100,000 hits a day, with users leaving comments - good and bad - about their interactions with cops, founder Gino Sesto said.

He runs the site out of his two-bedroom home and said he thinks it's a fair way to hold law enforcement accountable.

Suicide rates among police officers in Los Angeles and San Diego are higher than their counterparts in other big cities cited in a report considered Tuesday by the Los Angeles Police Commission. AP in the Daily News.

The data was included in a study presented by Police Department psychologists who are in the process of retooling the agency's suicide prevention program.

The report said 19 Los Angeles police officers killed themselves between 1998 and 2007, while only seven died in the line of duty during that time.

Faced with a massive budget crunch, the Los Angeles City Council moved quickly Tuesday to raise zoo admission prices - by as much as 40 percent for children - but balked at boosting water and power rates amid widespread public opposition. Daily News.

The zoo hikes are expected to bring in $450,000 toward cutting a projected $20 million budget deficit this year, even as a city official called Tuesday for a review of dozens of other proposals designed to save money or raise revenue for the city.

But amid a campaign by neighborhood councils decrying proposed Department of Water and Power rate hikes, the council deferred any action until early next month.

A divided Los Angeles City Council delayed action on proposals to increase water and power rates charged by the Department of Water and Power. The matter is to return next week for a vote.
The council said it wanted more time to study the impact of the increase _ 6 percent over two years for ater and 9 percent over three years for power.
The money is to be used to rebuild the department's aging infrastructure. Included in the motions is creation of oversight committees to make sure the department spends the funds as promised.
Officials are considering a complete delay in the water rate action because of a pending court hearing challenging the transfer of water funds to the the city.

Councilman Jose Huizar, discussing how the Los Angeles school board won voter approval by providing specifics on what would be built.
DWP Commission President Nick Patsouras agreed.
"We will be able to show you every project in every district as it occurs," Patsouras said.
DWP General Manager David Nahai agreed, pointing to the massive amount of work to be done.
"We have 350,000 poles, 125,000 transformers and each one of those are a separate project," Nahai said.

Oversight became the buzzword among officials as they debated the proposed DWP rate increases.
Several oversight committees will be watching the agency if the various proposals go through.
First, there is the existing Neighborhood Council oversight committee.
Also proposed, is an oversight panel of city officials, to provide quarterly updates to the City Council on the progress of various projects.
A third oversight committee of citizens was proposed by Councilman Dennis Zine, with each of the 15 council members appointing someone from their district to look over the utility.
DWP General Manager David Nahai said he welcomed all the oversight.
"We welcome the chance to wash away doubt," Nahai said.

With Los Angeles City Council members beginning their debate, Councilwoman Jan Perry said part of the problem is the DWP's reputation.
"The need is clear, but there is hesitation," Perry said. "Some of it has to do with trust."
Councilwoman Wendy Greuel said the concern she and others have is whether it will improve reliability of service _ which has been hampered in the past two years with power outages.

The public hearing on the proposed rate hikes has begun, with a number of representatives from different neighborhood councils voicing protests to the increases.
"We need to listen to what the neighborhood councils are saying...we don't know how the money is being spent," one speaker said.
Another, Humberto Camacho, complianed there are no guarantees all the money from the increases will be spent on the DWP's aging infrastructure.

The public hearing on the proposed rate hikes has begun, with a number of representatives from different neighborhood councils voicing protests to the increases.
"We need to listen to what the neighborhood councils are saying...we don't know how the money is being spent," one speaker said.
Another, Humberto Camacho, complianed there are no guarantees all the money from the increases will be spent on the DWP's aging infrastructure.

The Los Angeles City Council this morning is set to debate increases to both the water and electric rates charged by the Department of Water and Power.
We will be posting updates through the debate here. As always, comments are welcome.

Even as homicides have spiked this year in Los Angeles, more than 400 police officers are unable to fight crime on the streets because they are filling in on a backlog of administrative and other tasks that should instead be performed by civilians, according to an audit released Monday. Daily News.

Renewing a call to hire more civilians for the LAPD, City Controller Laura Chick said that amid funding cuts and attrition, the department has more than 600 vacant civilian posts - from clerks and typists to analysts - and that many of the jobs are now being performed by sworn officers.

"There is no question that Los Angeles is one of the most under-policed big cities in America," Chick said in releasing the audit with LAPD Chief William Bratton.

A long-sought effort to install cameras in police cars moved a step closer Monday when a Los Angeles panel recommended approving a $5 million pilot program with IBM. Daily News.

In a 3-1 vote, the City Council's Public Safety Committee urged adoption of the contract despite questions about how IBM's contract could be $10 million to $15 million less than the next-lowest bidders.

"It seems to me it should raise some questions about the (request for proposals) when you have such a disparity," Councilman Bernard Parks said.

Councilma

The median price of a Los Angeles County home plunged a record 20 percent, or $117,010, in February from a year ago as sales continued their free fall as foreclosures increased, a trade association said Monday. Gregory J. Wilcox in the Daily News.

During February the county's median price fell to $467,200 from $584,210 last year, said the California Association of Realtors. It's the second consecutive record drop, percentage wise.

Sales in the county fell 42 percent from February 2007 and slipped 10.5 percent from January, the association said.

City officials broke ground Monday on the third and final phase of the $375 million NoHo Commons project, designed to transform the heart of town into an upscale commercial development with retail, entertainment and residential space.Sue Doyle in the Daily News.

Spanning three acres at the corner of Lankershim Boulevard and Weddington Street, the final part of the project will cost $79.4 million and will include a seven-screen Laemmle movie theater, a 700-space parking garage, an 182,000 square-foot office building with retail and the relocation of the historic Phil's Diner from Chandler Boulevard.

"NoHo Commons is nothing less than a blockbuster hit," said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at the groundbreaking ceremony Monday morning.

During the past two decades, state officials have thrown billions of dollars in tax credits and other incentives at a program designed to revitalize poor areas such as Pacoima with little way of measuring its effectiveness.

Earlier this year, budget- strapped California extended the nearly $400 million-a-year program through 2021 - and the governor even expanded it by adding eight enterprise zones designed to create jobs and boost the economy. Brandon Lowery in the Daily News.

The zones provide tax credits for businesses that hire eligible employees - including the disabled, veterans, American Indians, those laid off in a poor economy and those with criminal records. The money also can be used to buy machinery and machine parts.

But while business leaders and politicians defend the 42 enterprise zones as economic boosters, experts concede there is no definitive way to calculate how many jobs they actually have created or how effective they have been.

TIPOFFS::Rumors, concerns at Neighborhood Councils; Controller Laura Chick and Councilman Tony Cardenas headed for round two in gang dispute.

For Cindy Neal, last week's stunning meltdown of a top Wall Street investment bank and continuing stock market turmoil were just the latest reminders of today's grim economic realities.

Amid a slumping housing market, the 32-year-old Santa Clarita resident recently quit her job in the real estate industry and is studying veterinary medicine. To save money with soaring gas prices, she has cut back on day care for her son, shops at less-pricey stores and has reined in spending on eating out.. Harrison Sheppard in the Daily News.

And she's watching the unfolding turbulence in the nation's financial system with a wary eye.

"It's so unpredictable to have any money in the market," she said. "I almost think it would be better to pull all your money out and put it under a mattress. At least you can't lose anything that way. ... Right now, I don't know there's any answer out there other than just try to cope."

Just three months into the job, the new head of L.A.'s Department of Water and Power has reshuffled top management with new and promoted personnel who will rake in $2.2 million a year in combined salaries. Beth Barrett in the Daily News/

The management shift comes even as the City Council next week is scheduled to vote on the utility's request to hike power rates 9 percent over the next three years and water rates 6 percent over the next two years.

But General Manager H. David Nahai, who replaced career bureaucrat Ron Deaton on Dec. 1 as head of the $4.5 billion utility, said that by eliminating some top positions and not filling several others, the DWP ultimately will save $920,000 a year in high-level salaries.

And he said

It's an idea that grips at the heart of every Los Angeles politician: Get rid of the city-paid calligraphers who write those exquisite proclamations that are handed out like candy at City Hall and instead computerize the work. Daily News.

Estimated savings: $500,000.

Or cut all the specialized training programs for city workers, including the use of a Zen master to teach employees how to "center" themselves.

Estimated savings: $18,000.

Or end all those "fee waivers" City Council members grant constituents for special events.

Estimated savings: $2million to $4million.

Even as Los Angeles tries to trim its expenses amid a budget crisis, new data show that the city spends $3.6million a year on cell phones - up 26percent from five years ago. Kerry Cavanaugh in the Daily News.

And costs have tripled and quadrupled in some departments as city workers have switched to more expensive PDAs and BlackBerrys to stay connected.

But with Los Angeles facing a $400million to $500million deficit next year, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has pushed city managers to cut cell-phone expenditures.

Due to significant drops in Los Angeles County home values, Assessor Rick Auerbach said Thursday that he's in the process of reassessing the values of 310,000 homes. Troy Anderson in the Daily News.

So far, he said, he has reduced the assessed value of 41,000 homes by an average of $66,000 each. That means a typical property-tax savings of about $660.

Auerbach said not all of the revaluations have come at the request of homeowners. Market conditions - and the growing likelihood that some properties are overassessed - have spurred him to review recent sales.

From Barstow to Beverly Hills, city leaders across the Southland met Thursday to discuss ways of improving transit for the region's 25 million residents - and how to pay for it. Sue Doyle in the Daily News.

Roadway tolls and public-private partnerships took center stage as reliable revenue sources, as support fell for a half-cent sales tax increase for Los Angeles County.

Over the past two months, county politicians have not mustered much enthusiasm for the half-cent hike and Metro's board members have not yet decided whether to put the issue on the November ballot.

"It's on the horizon," said Pam O'Connor, Metro board chairwoman, who supports the sales-tax hike. "It's a serious option to be considered."

Taking his own advice, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will take a furlough day today.

Villaraigosa, who makes $223,142 a year, will give up $858.26 in gross pay as a way to encourage other city employees to take unpaid vacation days. Daily News.

The city is facing a multimillion-dollar deficit in the next fiscal year.

"Tough budget times require that we all step up to the plate," Villaraigosa said.

"The buck stops with me, and I am absolutely committed to making the hard choices necessary to protect public safety and other critical services."

Citing concerns about potential traffic and overdevelopment, the Los Angeles City Council ended a bitter years-long battle over the controversial Las Lomas mini-city Wednesday and voted to kill the entire proposed 5,553-home project. Kerry Cavanaugh in the Daily News.

In its 10-5 decision, the council ordered the Planning Department to stop processing Las Lomas' annexation and development applications and return all studies and paperwork to the company.

The decision comes after six years of work and a $20 million investment by developer Dan S. Palmer Jr., who sought to build a 555-acre self-contained community of homes, offices and shops on the last stretch of open space between the city of Los Angeles and Santa Clarita.