October 2011 Archives

Tipoff: A Republican candidate make her case against Reps. Howard Berman and Brad Sherman.

VAN NUYS - Police nearly outnumbered a small group of protesters who marched down Van Nuys Boulevard on Saturday, railing against banks and corporate greed as part of the new Occupy San Fernando Valley movement. CJ Lin in the Daily News,

About 30 protesters made stops at branches of Chase Bank, CitiBank, Wells Fargo and Bank of America along the main throughway. Police positioned themselves between the bank entrances and the demonstrators as the group shouted, "Stop the banksters," and "Banks got bailed out, we got sold out."

"It's the banks that have their hands in politics and government," said Chris Palomino, a 24-year-old student from North Hollywood. "I just want to get as much information out to the population, try to get everyone educated out of the illusion that the corporations, that the banks are trying to put them in. We need to awaken the people."

At Columbus Avenue Elementary School in Van Nuys, the grab bars in the boys' restroom are slightly off, the stair handrails are half an inch too high, and the signs leading from the playground to the library aren't hung at the correct eye level.Susan Abram in the Daily News.

For most people, the fixtures pose no problem. But for students in wheelchairs or parents who need help walking, a steep ramp or a high handrail can make the difference between moving around campus and getting stuck.

Yet, despite Los Angeles Unified School District spending some $20 billion on its new construction program, hundreds of repairs are needed at the 80 new schools built over the past decade - at an additional cost of $30 million - because of failure to meet federal

oping to sharpen the city's competitive edge, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa called Tuesday for giving a three-year tax break to all companies opening or relocating to Los Angeles and phasing out business taxes for existing firms. Gregory J. Wilcox in the Daily News.

Speaking during the annual United Chambers of Commerce Mayor's Luncheon, Villaraigosa said he would ask the City Council to make permanent the business-tax "holiday" set to expire in 2012. It gives businesses a reprieve from paying taxes on gross receipts during their first three years in Los Angeles.

"There should be no expiration date on this common-sense, job-creating policy," the mayor told a crowd of about 400 business owners and civic leaders gathered at the Warner Center Marriott.

Everyone who lives on Deervale Drive in Sherman Oaks agrees the 7-foot cream-colored wall built in front of a residence in the 3900 block is illegal. Even the homeowners who put up the structure - now coined the "Great Wall" by frustrated neighbors - admit they never got permits.Dakota Smith in the Daily News,

But in a controversy that's highlighting the widespread problem of illegally erected walls and fences in the city, homeowners Joe and Orit Picker argue their illegally built wall should be allowed to stay so they can have privacy from paparazzi that target their celebrity neighbor, actor Shia LaBeouf.

Moreover, they say they should be able to keep the barrier for a simpler reason: Many other residences in the neighborhood have illegally built
One of the complaints about the wall in the 3900 block of Deervale Drive in Sherman Oaks is that it was built on the easement in front of the home, as seen here on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011. Here the wall was built around the meter by the street.
walls, too.

Bowing to pressure from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Los Angeles' budget director, the city's civilian pension board agreed Tuesday to phase in lower expectations of how much the retirement fund will earn from its investments.Daily News,

Acknowledging that the fund's long-term expected 8 percent return on its investments may be too rosy, the Los Angeles City Employees Retirement System voted to lower the projected return to 7.75 percent.

If the board had stuck to the original plan to lower the expected return in a single year, it would've cost the city between $26 million and $50 million.

Former Councilwomah Ruth Galanter on Monday announced her support of Councilwoman Jan Perry for mayor in 2013.
Galanter, who was termed out of office, said Perry had worked hard for her district adn the entire city.
"I've worked with Jan Perry and I know she works hard and gets results," Galanter said.
. "She has transformed blighted and vacant industrial lots into parks and gardens. By creating a wetland in a city park, she has simultaneously reduced wastewater pollution and restored natural habitat. Her campaign to make healthy food available throughout the city is an inspiration to us all."
Perry said she was proud of the endorsement.

Big developments in the San Fernando Valley almost always raise concern that the suburbs are becoming too dense, too urban. But the debate over the planned Village at Westfield Topanga has a new twist: Whether the proposed outdoor mall is urban enough. Dakota Smith in the Daily News,

A small but vocal group of neighbors have banded together to advocate for a more city-

like Village. Unlike most neighborhood councils and homeowners groups that fight to scale back development, these two West Valley neighborhood groups are saying: Build an urban-looking project. And build it bigger.

When Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and officials from Chinese electric-car company BYD America meet today to open its North American headquarters, it will mark the end of a lengthy courting period and the start of what both sides hope is a long marriage. Daily News,

The effort began with former First Deputy Mayor Austin Beutner who convinced the Chinese manufacturer to come to Los Angeles.

But the details to be worked out over the past year have involved talks on everything from possible locations for a factory to drawing on L.A.'s star power and the Academy Awards.

Tipoff: Mayor plannong trip to Asia.

An audit of guns and ammunition confiscated from city animal control officers found all were accounted for, despite initial reports of missing weapons, officials said Thursday.
Dana Bartholomew in the Daily News,
Still, the agency now plans to sharply limit the number of guns in an effort to reduce the killing of wildlife, a move that has upset some officers who say the weapons are needed to put down injured animals.

The Los Angeles Police Department tallied 122 guns seized two months ago from six Animal Services shelters after months of tabulating them by make and serial number.

The Los Angeles Unified School District's police force is adopting a more moderate truancy policy in an effort to reduce what was seen as unfair targeting of some students. Daily News.

Community groups had complained that the school police and the Los Angeles Police Department were going after students in poor and minority neighborhoods in disproportionate numbers, and writing them truancy tickets even if they were just late for class.

In addition, students became even later to class because they had to wait for the tickets to be written, and then had to miss more class to go to court for the $250 violations.

Los Angeles homeowners would see their sewer fees nearly double by 2017 under a plan approved Monday by a City Council committee.Daily News.

The proposal OK'd by the Budget and Finance Committee would raise fees by 4.5 percent a year from 2012-15 and by an additional 6.5 percent in 2016 and 2017. That top rate would remain in effect through 2022.

A look at passing on sidewalk cost

With walkways crumbling and the city short of cash, the City Council is weighing a plan to shift responsibility and legal liability for sidewalk damage to property owners. Daily News.

Under current city and state law, property owners are already responsible for some sidewalk damage, but the city takes care of tree roots - one of the biggest problems. One of the proposals before two council committees on Wednesday would close that loophole.

Disturbed by reports of deputies beating inmates at county jails, the Board of Supervisors urged Sheriff Lee Baca on Tuesday to install surveillance cameras and implement other reforms that had been proposed years ago but never implemented. Christina Villacorte in the Daily News,

It also voted to create a five-member Citizens Commission to review alleged abuse and recommend changes.

"I think it's fair to say accountability at the Sheriff's Department is long overdue," said Supervisor Gloria Molina, who listed a dozen changes she wanted to the sheriff to consider making in county jails.

"The very credibility of the Sheriff's Department is at stake."

With a series of scandals rocking a number of city departments, the Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday asked for a measure to require workers to report any instances of fraud, abuse or waste to the City Controller's office. Daily News

The 13-0 action came at the request of Controller Wendy Greuel and was carried by Councilman Dennis Zine, who has announced plans to run for controller in 2013.

"The city has seen a number of situations that are embarrassing to the city and we need a way to find out what is going on and punish the wrongdoers," Zine said. Wa

Facing a groundswell of anger and frustration, members of the Los Angeles Unified School board received an earful from two different groups Tuesday, one demanding a new contract for teachers and the other pushing the district to rehire laid-off employees. Susan Abram in the Daily News,

About 30 teachers, parents and others gathered at City Hall as part of Occupy LAUSD, calling themselves an offshoot of the Occupy Los Angeles movement.

Their message was to get more teachers back in the classroom, reopen libraries and add more nurses. They also opposed the district's Public School Choice, which allows outside groups to take over a failing school.

Los Angeles homeowners would see their sewer fees nearly double by 2017 under a plan approved Monday by a City Council committee. Daily News.

The proposal OK'd by the Budget and Finance Committee would raise fees by 4.5 percent a year from 2012-15 and by an additional 6.5 percent in 2016 and 2017. That top rate would remain in effect through 2022.

According to city estimates, the average monthly bill - currently about $30 - would total $53 a month at its peak after the increases.

A generation ago, an ambitious Los Angeles politician's career trajectory would often start with the City Council and move on to higher office in Sacramento. Daily News,

Now, the upcoming election season could illustrate more dramatically than ever before how the trend has reversed.

Already, at least three state legislators are lining up to run for city office in 2013, and a fourth is in the running for next month's special election for the seat representing the Harbor area.

Tipoff: LAPD Officer Joe Buscaino may offer up surprise.

After nearly 30 years of being on the cutting edge of campaign reform and political ethics issues, the Center for Governmental Studies announced Thursday it is closing its doors, a victim of the national economy.
"It's been coming for some time," said Bob Stern, president of the organization which has been involved in all major campaign reform issues in the past 30 years, including the city Ethics Commission, the California Commission on Campaign Financing, the California Channel and numerous other projects.
Stern and Tracy Westen began the center in 1983 and over the years worked to develop a number of reforms, with the goal of improving public awareness and knowledge of the political system.
Stern said the foundations they relied on for financial support were unable to continue to provide the funding needed to continue their work.
He said the staff at CGS will be completing their projects before closing down for good. The organization's website, cgs.org, will continue to be available with all its reports and information.
Stern said he will continue to work in the field as a consultant and expert witness. Weston plans to continue his work on government reform.

The 15200 block of Reyneta Drive was the lucky winner of the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council's "Pothole Lottery." Bob Strauss in the Daily News,

This was news to homeowner Shelley Kalvin.

Early Thursday, as smiling city officials donned work vests over their smart suits and raked fresh asphalt on the street in front of her garage, Kalvin came out on her front porch.

The Occupy L.A. protest may be gathering strength at City Hall, but one thing is fading: The lawn. Dakota Smith in the Daily News.

The grass surrounding the 1928 government building has turned from verdant green to yellow-brown, trampled by tents, bare feet and the regular arrival of heavy DJ equipment.

If the lawn needs to be replaced, the bill to taxpayers will be at least $50,000, said Regina Adams, executive officer of the Department of Recreation and Parks

Using a controversial method to analyze students' academic scores, Los Angeles Unified released a school-by-school report Wednesday that for the first time offers parents an in-depth look at how well teachers are educating their students. Susan Abram in the Daily News.

Posted at http://agt.lausd.net, the report gives parents access to information dubbed Academic Growth over Time, which compares test scores for 2010-11 with those from the previous year. The data includes a breakdown of various subjects as well as a comparison by gender, race, and for English-language learners.

The AGT also predicts the academic progress that students should make from year to year, based on their academic track record and that of similar students.

After a nearly decadelong ban on murals appearing on private property, Los Angeles is seeking to overhaul its rules so art can once again flourish on private walls. Dakota Smith in the Daily News.

The city, which has long looked to Portland, Ore., as a model for biking and street car transportation, is once again going north for inspiration on its mural ordinance.

L.A. has formed the Mural Task Force to craft a draft ordinance and is speaking to attorneys and planners in Portland to better understand that city's mural regulations.

Los Angeles would join a growing list of cities banning plastic and paper shopping bags under a measure approved Wednesday by the Board of Public Works over the objections of industry leaders. Daily News.

The board voted 4-0 in favor of the ban, which would require an environmental study and the approval of the City Council and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. If all goes according to plan, the ban would take effect next year.

"We conduct over 400 beach cleanups a year and the single biggest item we pick up are single-use bags," said Kristen James, water quality director of Heal the Bay, one of several environmental groups backing the measure

A female firefighter who said she was in charge of an engine company when a fire rig was used in a 2008 porn shoot defended the Los Angeles Fire Department on Tuesday, saying firefighters did nothing wrong and she was tired of hearing the agency's reputation attacked. Daily News.

Engineer Julie Wolfe said she was in charge of Fire Engine 263, assigned to Station 63 in Venice, when porn actress Charley Chase was filmed topless on the truck.

Wolfe, a 24-year-veteran of the Fire Department , said she was told by her supervisors not to discuss specifics of the incident, but felt she needed to defend the agency.

Looking to clamp down on some $23 million in lost revenue, the city on Tuesday moved forward with plans to force scofflaw parking lot owners to turn over city taxes paid by their customers.C.J. Lin in the Daily News.

The law, approved by the Police Commission and heading to City Council, would require parking lots and garages to install gates and ticket dispensers or buy portable credit card readers and ticket printers before applying for or renewing business permits, according to commission director Richard Tefank.

The move is aimed at clamping down on fraud and delinquent taxes by some parking lot owners at a time when the city is desperate for revenue.

The encounter between the neighbors came near dusk on Rosh Hashana, on what should have been a holy evening in Sherman Oaks. As the two men passed on the sidewalk, Jeff Gantman called out to Rabbi Aaron Abend. "Happy New Year," he offered. Dakota Smith in the Daily News.

"Why are you doing this?" Abend demanded, turning to confront his neighbor. "You're either doing this out of love or hate," he added, his eyes bright with anger. "And I don't think it's love."

The cause of the dispute loomed directly behind the men: Steel beams, concrete walls, and a faded drawing of what Chabad of North Hollywood's new compound will look like - if it's completed as planned.

A legal adviser with the American Civil Liberties Union is dismissing Sheriff Lee Baca's call to reinvestigate cases of alleged brutality at Los Angeles County jails as mere "political damage control" and questioned Monday whether Sheriff's Department "insiders" could be trusted to conduct an impartial investigation. Christina Villacorte in the Daily News.

After initially bristling at accusations that deputies abuse inmates, Baca ordered his top commanders to reinvestigate the cases.

In a statement posted on the department website Sunday, Baca said he takes the allegations of misconduct by jail staff "very seriously," and said he had appointed 35 full-time investigators to thoroughly review each allegation of abuse by jailers.

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan will be in Los Angeles today to announce the results of a yearlong federal investigation into possible civil rights violations of English-language learners and African-American students in LAUSD. Susan Abram in the Daily News.

Duncan will share details of the investigation during today's regularly scheduled meeting of the Los Angeles Unified School District board. Superintendent John Deasy and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa are slated to attend the meeting and explain how they intend to fix problems that were discovered through the probe.

The investigation launched in March 2010 was aimed at determining whether the the nation's second-largest school district was providing English-

For the past decade, a growing number of San Fernando Valley residents have complained about unruly helicopter noise from the city-owned Van Nuys Airport. Dana Bartholomew in the Daily HNews.

Now the city is seeking public comment for its long-range plan to handle the overhead rumble of helicopters, jets and piston aircraft.

Comments will be factored into the so-called Part 150 Noise Exposure Maps report, a federal program that sets guidelines for airport operations through 2016. Comments are due by Nov. 9.

The union representing Los Angeles County prosecutors took a big round this week in its battle with District Attorney Steve Cooley, with a tentative settlement granting it a permanent injunction and $575,000 in penalties. Daily News

The deal calls for the county to pay $125,000 to the Association for Deputy District Attorneys and $450,000 to Deputy District Attorney Marc Debbaudt, who had alleged retaliation for his union activities.

The settlement, still subject to Board of Supervisors' approval, also made permanent a temporary court injunction ordering Cooley to refrain from harassing or intimidating ADDA members based on their union membership.

Their occupations range from law to teaching, law enforcement to weather forecasting, but the recipients of the annual Justice Armand Arabian Awards are united by their commitment to public service. Gregory J. Wilcox in the Daily News,

Named for a retired associate justice of the California Supreme Court, the award was presented Thursday to six local residents for their contributions to improving life in the San Fernando Valley.

Fifty years ago, Nebraska-born Henry Comstock beat Taco Bell to the crunch by launching one of the world's first gringo taco stands. Now, his Henry's Tacos of Studio City will be considered as a potential Los Angeles landmark. Dana Bartholomew in the Daily News.

"It's the only thing around here that so many of us remember from our childhood that hasn't changed," said Janis Hood, Henry's third-generation owner who nominated her late grandfather's Googie- style stand to be a Historic- Cultural Monument. "It is all original.

"Nothing's changed, except the prices."

In 2008, an on-duty traffic officer appeared in a pornographic video, spanking and groping a blond adult actress near a parking meter. The same year, a buxom brunette actress posed on a Los Angeles Fire Department firetruck during an X-rated video shoot, an incident now being investigated by the department. Dakota Smith in the Daily News.

While the traffic officer was fired earlier this year, the firefighters responsible for the truck will likely never face suspension or dismissal.

The disparity in punishment between city departments is causing some city officials to call for reform at the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The agenda was jobs. How to create them and how to keep them in the city of Los Angeles. Daily News.

The annual Los Angeles City Hall Access Day by the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce brought more than 300 business leaders to meet with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Controller Wendy Greuel, City Attorney Carmen Trutanich and the City Council to discuss the need to cut red tape and reduce taxes.

"We know there have been economic challenges," Chamber President Gary Toebben said at the start of the meeting in the City Council chambers. "Our goal is to make sure Los Angeles is competitive and that we see the city create more jobs.

Pounding rain could not keep protesters from their make-shift tent city in front of City Hall on Wednesday, while city officials discussed how to make life easier for the Occupy L.A. participants. Daily News.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa provided 100 ponchos for the protesters, who are part of the nationwide movement that began several weeks ago with the Occupy Wall Street protests.

"We're going to be here as long as we have to," said Gia Trimble, a spokeswoman for the group that has been camped out on the North Lawn of City Hall this week as the protest has spread across the country. She estimated the group now had 300 members.

After 15 years of litigation and protests over the 21,000-home development, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors gave its blessing Tuesday for the first phase of the Newhall Ranch project to break ground.Dakota Smith in the Daily News,

The board's decision marks a major step forward for the Santa Clarita-area master planned community that has survived bankruptcy and legal challenges since it was first proposed in the mid-1990s.

In a 3-0 vote, the board endorsed the environmental impact report and tract map for Landmark Village, the first of four "villages" that will make up Newhall Ranch. Supervisors Zev Yaroslavsky and Mark Ridley-Thomas were absent

The city of Los Angeles faces dire consequences -- including delayed responses to 911 calls and an uptick in crime -- unless the state provides millions of dollars to help pay for Gov. Jerry Brown's prison and parolee realignment plan, city officials warned Monday. Christina Villacorte in the Daily News.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Police Chief Charlie Beck said it will cost at least $20 million to $25 million to supervise some 4,200 parolees that are being released within city boundaries, plus additional funds to expand anti-gang programs.

Supervising the parolees had originally been intended as a responsibility of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, but Beck said it appears that agency does not have adequate personnel.

A protest movement that began weeks ago on the cobblestone streets of New York City continued to take root in downtown Los Angeles on Monday.
Dakota Smith in the Daily News.

Some 200 people camped on the lawn outside City Hall, marking the third day of Occupy LA, a protest largely directed at the influence of large corporations on government.

Cars honked their horns in support at the protesters, who carried signs declaring, "RIP My House & My Job. It was fun while it lasted"; "Stop Corporate Greed" and "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention."

Former Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke announced today her endorsement of Councilwoman Jan Perry for mayor in 2013.
Burke cited Perry's longtime work as a champion for women and families.
"If elected, Jan will make history by breaking through one more glass ceiling by becoming the first woman to serve as mayor of Los Angeles.
"Jan has a long record of fighting to provide opportunities for all women. She championed the Downtown Women's Center project which has led to safe housing, support services, and job development to help women reclaim their lives."
Burke knows about breaking through glass ceilings with her elections to the state Assembly, Congress and the Board of Supervisors.

After suffering a financial battering during the recession, Mission Community Hospital is in the midst of a multimillion-dollar upgrade as its new owner launches a major overhaul. Gregory J Wilcox in the Daily News.

Deanco Healthcare LLC of Beverly Hills is paying about $35 million for the Panorama City hospital in a three-stage process launched last year. Deanco started as a consultant, is now managing the hospital and will assume ownership in 2013 from San Fernando Community Hospital Inc.

Deanco has already added about 100 physicians and is spending nearly $5 million for high-tech equipment and capital improvements. When the sale is finalized the hospital will also switch from a nonprofit to for-profit status, which gives it more flexibility in accessing capital.

Now that Los Angeles County has wrapped up the first round in its redrawing of political boundaries, the redistricting battle shifts to the city, where issues ranging from Latino power to San Fernando Valley representation will dominate the debate.Daily News,

Two of the questions officials will wrestle with are whether to create a sixth City Council district wholly in the Valley and, separately, a third Latino-dominated district in the Valley.

The Northeast Valley's 7th District already has the highest Latino population in the entire city, at 79.5 percent -- up from 73.7 percent a decade ago. But some experts say that demographic's growth over the last decade merits expanded representation, which would only take some slight reconfiguring of existing districts.

Tipoff:; Gov. Jewrry Brown says he's having fun, but will he seek a second term?

Big-name politicians aren't the only ones suffering from the Kinde Durkee scandal. Dozens of small Democratic groups throughout Los Angeles are now scrambling to survive after their bank accounts were frozen amid accusations of embezzlement by the Burbank-based campaign treasurer.Dakota Smith in the Daily News.

First California Bank has blocked access to hundreds of accounts handled by Durkee while she is being investigated for allegedly stealing millions from her political clients.

Unable to tap its $6,000 bank account that had been managed by Durkee, the Ventura County Democratic Central Committee can't pay monthly rent on its Camarillo office. Nor can it send out mailers, hold fundraisers or contribute to local politicians.

Polytechnic High Principal Gerardo Loera is a big fan of social media, posting everything from football scores to schoolwide test results on Facebook and Twitter for students, parents and the world to see. Connie Llanos in the Daily News.

He even includes a live feed of his tweets, usually typed from his cellphone, on the school's website.

"It's just such a useful and immediate way to disseminate information to my school community in a very quick way," Loera said.