Recently in Los Angeles County Category
I saw the Social Network yesterday. Good film, if not wholly accurate. Aaron Sorkin's writing style - and the dialogue that follows - may not be for everyone, but I always enjoy it. Only a few more films to see before I got all the Oscar nominated films covered.
Anyway, you didn't come here for my film ramblings (oh, how I wish you did), but here are some weekend links you might have missed while watching "The Rite."
A 230-foot tower is getting planted next to some homes in Duarte. Naturally, they had a few concerns.
Glendora became another city trying to keep Gov. Jerry Brown and the state away from their redevelopment dollars.
No new taxes, is the familiar cry of many elected officials. But increased fees? That's totally different.
I fear I am going to hog some of the links today, but my ego has actually grown very little.
You may have seen Sunday's package in the newspaper regarding city car allowances. Two web links for you on that story. The more specific story about El Monte's car allowances and an overall picture of the Valley.
Then there is another story out of Rio Hondo's Police Academy. This one follows up on claims of ammunition abuse at the school while addressing some other issues at the academy.
Here is one to wet your appetite: Food trucks are gathering at SpeedZone in Industry.
Fran Delach, Azusa City Manager, called redevelopment funds "city life blood." Gov. Jerry Brown may pull the plug.
Those concerned about autism should take a look at today's display. A new study links freeways to autism. That story is coupled with the recent news that having children close together may increase the risk of autism. This also follows recent headlines debunking the doctor who is known for promoting a link between autism and vaccines.
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
I will get to week in review later, but for now I wanted to bring to your attention a story in the Orange County Register where Industry Stadium spokesman John Semcken took the battle between their plan and AEG's downtown plan to another level.
In particular, Semcken criticized AEG chief operating executive Tim Leiweke's credibility.
"Tim's a bad guy," Semcken said of the man he once worked side-by-side with to create Staples Center. "He can't build the building."
In the early stages of this battle, it appeared the two sides would jockey for an NFL team and may the best man win. Now, it would appear that Ed Roski's team is fightin' mad about AEG's downtown plan. It also points to the clear concern of Roski's team that a downtown stadium is, on the surface, more appealing to most people - and probably the NFL.
Semcken, and others, have legitimate concerns about AEG's plan that includes a skeptical look at AEG's alleged price tag of building a stadium and whether or not downtown can accommodate such a large scale production. But will his personal criticisms of Leiweke overshadow those concerns, and, possibly, serve to make them look petty?
In related news, did you see the collapse of the Metrodome over the weekend? If you haven't, watch the video. Amazing stuff.
The Vikings, along with the San Diego Chargers, are considered to be the top two teams most likely to move to Los Angeles. Both want new stadiums, and if they don't get them, could be prime candidates to move to swanky new digs in L.A.
But this may change things. With the roof collapse, this could ensure the Vikings their new stadium, and thus take them out of the running for the L.A. plan.
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
The League of California Cities (doesn't the name make it seem like a superhero group?) released a survey today of city manager compensation from cities across the state. Of the 468 cities asked to participate, about 90 percent responded, according to a statement from the League of California Cities.
If you want to see the survey, click here.
The survey includes notes on additional benefits, but nothing detailed. The salary totals are the total income for the manager from their 2009 taxes, rather than a base salary.
Some immediate things that jumped out at me was Daryl Parish's income from 2009, which was a whopping $328,830. That sum includes a cash payout of sick and vacation time from a "previous employer" (probably Colton) of about 1400 hours over an 18 month period.
The city manager of Glendale, Jim Starbird, manages a city of more than 200,000 people and made $251,000 in 2009. Duarte's City Manager Darrell George manages a city of about 22,000 people and made $215,440. Glendora's City Manager Chris Jeffers made $234,000 for a city of 52,000 people. Robert Griego, Irwindale's former city manager, oversees a city of 1,717 and made $235,502. Don Hannah, La Habra's city manager made $171,903 with a city population of 62,822. Fran Delach, Azusa's city manager, made $252,000 for a city of more than 48,000. Santa Ana's City Manager David Ream makes $240,000 in a city of 357,000 people.
I don't see West Covina or Whittier on the list. CORRECTION: Whittier is on the list. A gap on the list fooled me into thinking it was the end. I feel like I finished a school test before everyone else, turned it in, only to later realize there was a back side I never knew about. Anyway, Whittier is $283,346 for Stephen Helvey.
Are any other local cities missing?
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
I am asking for trouble writing about this, so here is a warning:
This post is Vulcan related.
The first speaker was Margaret Finlay, mayor of Duarte, who compared the issue of the dispensary to that of her city's battle against Vulcan Materials Co.'s Azusa Rock Quarry mining plan.
"People that are for this are those who are doing to make money off of it," Finlay said of the mining plan. "I think this (dispensary plan) is a similar situation."
Leon San Blas, the applicant for the dispensary, said he was opening the business not to make money, but out of the goodness of his heart. San Blas, wheel chair bound himself, uses medical marijuana to relief pain.
I don't think too many people bought the "it's marijuana to help the community" business plan.
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
Did you enjoy those three long days off? So did I. Although, the catch-22 is that it always makes that first day back that much more difficult.
Anyway, if you are struggling to get into that work mode, here are a few stories from the weekend to pass the time (oh, and make you a better, informed citizen of the republic and all that).
Reporter Thomas Himes did a long researched piece on city attorney fees that showed cities with their own police departments often pay more in legal fees, according to city documents and records for the last fiscal year.
Covina's police chief made his position known on the a proposition to legalize marijuana. (SPOILER: He is not a fan)
Well, despite a huge push this year for the Census - including hundreds of millions of dollars spent - it looks like national participation is down. The good news? San Gabriel Valley participation is better than the national average. The bad news? It also dipped below 2000 Census totals.
Finally, as a recent post alluded too, Glendora goes for the trifecta in asking the Supreme Court to hear its case after the county won two court cases regarding a redevelopment area designation.
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
The last time we looked at how many cities posted their salaries online in the wake of the Bell salary scandal and state government officials calling for more transparency, we had just a few that had fallen in line.
As the days have worn on, more cities are jumping on board. To date, here is a list of San Gabriel Valley cities who post salaries online and links to those pages.
Walnut
Diamond Bar
San Dimas
La Verne
West Covina
Baldwin Park
Pasadena
Monrovia
Arcadia
Sierra Madre
Whittier
La Mirada
UPDATED: Lucky 13 is San Marino
UPDATED: Monterey Park joins in. (Note: I couldn't get some of the files to download. Let me know if you can.)
UPDATED: Karen Herrera, Assistant City Manager in Duarte, left me a message while I was away informing me that some city salaries were posted online here.
Only cities with a quick link on the city's homepage directly to a city salary page or document have been included in this list.
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
I'm convinced bed bugs are trying to take over the world.
OK, my general fear of bugs mixed with the paranoia I have had about bedbugs for the last four years probably contributes to my earlier exaggeration. They aren't out for world domination. Just our blood. That's not so bad, blood is only MY LIFE FORCE!
Seriously though, the bedbug problem seems to be getting out of hand. Ben Baeder's story today say calls about bedbugs have ballooned and that the bugs have become immune to certain pesticides.
One expert went as far as to say it is an "epidemic" of bugs. I won't sleep for a week.
Let's switch to a happy hero story. Remember Carl Harstine, the WWII veteran who had his American Flag stolen twice? Well, following that initial story, the community rallied behind Harstine.
An event at his home turned into a community block party. Seriously, it was like something out of a Disney film. People walked out of their homes, children rode their skateboards, people generally flocked to see Harstine presented with new flags and a pole for an overall tribute to the man. It was awe-inspiring.
Also over the weekend, we continued to look at how cities pay their executives, this time at city councils.
No councils are making outlandish pay, generally speaking. But many do receive benefits that are more common with executives: $600 car allowance, executive health benefits, reimbursement stipends.
Finally, everyone should take the time to read Rebecca Kimitch's two-part series about how a doctor shortage could cause a health care crisis. Read the first part here and the second part here.
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
I can hardly believe the recent events in Baldwin Park.
Last night the council unanimously agreed to suspect all DUI checkpoints due to protesting residents who felt local police were abusing their power.
This is unheard of (by me) to see a council suspend DUI checkpoints and for such protesting to occur.
DUI checkpoints, for most people, have just become a fact of life. Busy weekends, neighborhoods with bars, etc. all bring on the checkpoints proposed to help prevent or catch drunk drivers. Most of the checkpoints are run by local police departments, but are funded by the state through a grant program from the Office of Traffic Safety.
But the reality is most checkpoints don't catch drunk drivers and while they are hailed as a deterrent, there really is no empirical data to support that assertion.
Opponents often look at the checkpoints as more of a "papers" check, a place where police can happen upon unlicensed, uninsured, unregistered drivers, parolees, people with warrants for arrest, etc.
In fact, most people arrested or that have their cars impounded at checkpoints are of that variety than of the drunk driving group. Vastly.
Here is an editorial from a police Lieutenant defending checkpoints that makes a similar point that even without much DUI arrests, checkpoints serve the health and safety of society.
But is it constitutional?
At a recent Baldwin Park checkpoint leading up to the suspension, 150 cars were impounded but a source said the majority were unrelated to issues of sobriety.
Prior to that, Tom Himes reported about a woman suing the Baldwin Park Police Department for unlawfully impounding her car.
In El Monte last month, police checked more than 2,000 cars, impounded 27 vehicles and made one arrest for driving under the influence.
Those numbers are contradictory to the purpose of checkpoints. In 2005, the 9th U.S. Court of Appeals decision in Miranda v. City of Cornelius established that many impounds are "unreasonable seizures" that don't jive with the Fourth Amendment.
Still, police departments don't seem to be listening too closely to the appeals court decision, but this newspaper is.
Editor Frank Girardot took the practice to task in his column here.
The paper's editorial board also took a stance against the checkpoint structure and system.
More background on the issues in Baldwin Park here.
I think it is safe to say, that in Los Angeles Courty, a system of checkpoints that worked relatively under the radar without critique or oversight is finally getting a dash of its medicine.
What are your thoughts? Is using sobriety as a reason for checkpoints misleading? Should they no longer use the guise of DUI deterrent if they continue checkpoints? Are police officers stepping on the rights of citizens? Or, despite the contradiction between their name and the outcome, do the results of the checkpoints, (i.e. arrests of wanted individuals, impounding vehicles of unlicensed drivers, etc.) outweigh the potential infringement of the Fourth amendment?
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
Celebrity attorney Gloria Allred is going hungry.
Allred, who has represented alleged Tiger Woods' mistress Rachel Uchitel
and Moe the Chimp's owners St. James and LaDonna Davis, as well as being heavily critical of Octomom Nadya Suleman, is going on a hunger strike to put a focus on the Equal Rights Amendment.
So, while Allred may not have her meals, she sure is getting her filling of media attention - again.
As a side note, I hope I don't melt down the Internets with this post that includes tags/keywords for Moe the Chimp, a Tiger Woods mistress, Octomom and Gloria Allred. Hat trick!
Oh, and not to forget equal rights for women.
Here is Allred's statement:
Attorney Gloria Allred announced today that she has begun a 90 meal solid food fast to draw attention to the need to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution which would provide a constitutional guarantee of equal rights for women.
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was first proposed by Alice Paul in 1923. Although it was previously introduced into Congress, passed by the U.S. Senate and House of Representative and sent to the states in 1972 for ratification, a time limit was placed on the Amendment and ultimately it was not ratified by enough states before the time limit expired in 1979 or within the time later extended by Congress to 1982. (35 states ratified and 3 more were needed.)
The ERA has since been reintroduced into Congress (HJ.Res.61) but is still in the process of gathering co-sponsors.
Ms. Allred's 90 meal hunger strike fast, in which she will give up solid food for 30 days, will end on August 26, 2010, Women's Equality Day. That day marks the 90th anniversary of women's winning the right to vote in the U.S. by the addition of the 19th Amendment suffrage to the U.S. Constitution.
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
This just in, a U.S. District Judge has blocked all the important parts of Arizona's immigration law.
This, most assuredly, isn't the end of this fight that may end up in the Supreme Court.
Will this end Los Angeles County's boycott of Arizona?
The story from the Associated Press is below:
PHOENIX - A judge has blocked the most controversial sections of Arizona's new immigration law from taking effect Thursday, handing a major legal victory to opponents of the crackdown.
The law will still take effect Thursday, but without many of the provisions that angered opponents - including sections that required officers to check a person's immigration status while enforcing other laws. The judge also put on hold a part of the law that required immigrants to carry their papers at all times, and made it illegal for undocumented workers to solicit employment in public places.
U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton put those controversial sections on hold until the courts resolve the issues.
Opponents say the law will lead to racial profiling and is trumped by federal immigration law.
Read more: http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_15621503#ixzz0v01HAJWe
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
The reporting staff here at the Tribune came together like the A Team ... no wait ... The Justice League (way more fitting) to check in on local cities to see what the City Managers and City Councils are making in the wake of news reports about the city of Bell's City Manager making something like $800,000.
Here is the rundown. (Note: most of us had this information on hand as we regularly check on these things. In cases we didn't, the city handed over the information readily)
Glendora City Manager Chris Jeffers makes $201,816 annually.
La Verne's (soon to be retired) City Manager Martin Lomeli makes $194,580 annually. (Side note: La Verne City Council just passed an ordinance for City Manager pay with $160,600 as the base pay with $195,000 at the peak)
San Dimas City Manager Blaine Michaelis makes $196,452 a year.
Azusa City Manager Fran Delach is paid $212,483 annually. (He got a 5 percent raise at the beginning of this year)
Rosemead City Manager Jeffrey Allred gets $175,000 a year.
El Monte City Manager Rene Bobadilla makes $170,000 a year.
South El Monte City Manager Tony Ybarra takes in $120,000 a year.
Covina's Daryl Parrish's annual salary is $199,500.
West Covina's Andrew Pasmant gets $223,656 a year. (UPDATE: Councilman Mike Touhey called to tell me that Pasmant took the equivalent of a 5-percent pay cut on his deferred comp. That saves the city about $11,000, Touhey said.)
Walnut's Rob Wishner is paid $196,650 a year.
La Puente's Josi Kenline gets $160,000 a year.
Industry City Manager Kevin Radecki takes in $158,133 a year.
Diamond Bar's James DeStefano's salary is about $194,000 a year.
Baldwin Park's Chief Executive Officer made $152,000 a year in 2006, up to $800 a month in lodging, $1,200 a month in health and dental - reimbursed in cash if not all spent - and $300 a month in vehicle expenses or a city car.
As for City Council stipends, San Dimas councilmen make $620 a month while Mayor Curt Morris earns $830 a month.
In La Verne, the city council brings in $519 a month and is entitled to the same benefits as executive management employees. Council woman Robin Carder and Mayor Don Kendrick waived those benefits. In addition, the redevelopment agency pays $30 per meeting. City Clerk Evelyn Clark said they meet about four time per year.
Glendora council members bring in $700 a month.
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
For those of you busy watching the World Cup over the weekend, I got your local news for you right here.
How the free environmental pass to the Industry Stadium is affecting others.
As for what's to come this week, San Dimas and Glendora both have city council meetings tomorrow.
On Glendora's agenda is a request to change the City Clerk's administrative assistant position to Deputy City Clerk and increasing the position's salary by about $11,000 a year. The city hopes this can help to innovate and better services from the department.
The San Dimas City Council and Planning Commission are having a joint meeting to discuss the ongoing City Hall renovation project and the potential NJD Project Development in the northern foothills.
Two final items of note. Congratulations to my all time favorite baseball player Tim Salmon. Salmon, who has the most career home runs at 299 without ever appearing in an All-Star game, was the MVP of the All-Star Celebrity Softball Game in Anaheim Sunday.
Secondly, for your viewing pleasure and to stay fresh on Internet lingo, this is so double rainbow.
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
Working on a story about how the economy has affected cities' ability to produce fireworks and Fourth of July celebration events.
In the process, I spoke with the president of fireworks company Pyro Spectacular, Jim Souza.
Jim said the average fireworks show starts at about $25,000 and goes up from there. At a place like the Rose Bowl's Americafest in Pasadena, the cost can be as much as $200,000, Souza said.
(Souza said the Rose Bowl show is his favorite show to produce and his favorite firework is the Golden Eagle, which he described as being like a weeping willow that stretches nearly to the ground and lasts for about 12 seconds)
Pyro Spectacular does the fireworks for shows in Monterey Park, Whittier, Irwindale, Pomona, South Pasadena, Monrovia, and San Marino, among others, Souza said.
The average show has a 24 foot rent-a-truck full of a ton of hardware, several hundred pounds of fireworks, has mortars, launching equipment, and a crew of 8 to 12 people that work on one show all day.
Each show lasts about 20 minutes, with the exception of the larger shows, he said.
As for some cities, Pico Rivera is spending $25,000 on fireworks and Monterey Park is spending about $35,000 for weekend events.
More to come in tomorrow's story.
I know it doesn't seem like anything else matters after the U.S. lost its FIFA World Cup match against new soccer (futbol for those speaking the Queen's English) nemesis Ghana, but there was some news over the weekend, believe it or not.
Reporter James Wagner and I combined to become something of a super group with this piece on crime in the Valinda corridor.
The Glendora City Council had a special meeting last week where they decided to lay off five city employees and combine two engineering departments. An attorney for the employee's association is not pleased.
And while we have chronicled the problems La Puente is having in dealing with its marijuana dispensaries, Monrovia has the seeds of a developing controversy of their own. (My apologies for the pun. I couldn't resist.)
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
Just grabbed this from Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich's twitter feed:
"@mikeantonovich: If Mexico continues with this frivolous lawsuit, then Arizona ought to counter-sue for the cost of services to illegal aliens"
Mexico's legal brief doesn't make them a party to the lawsuits, but argues in favor of the lawsuit's position.
Apparently, though, Antonovich is none to pleased with the Mexico's government getting involved with Arizona's bill.
Thoughts?
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
Politicians receive gifts from a number of sources. Some are more interesting (such as overseas trips) than others (say, a basket of fruit). One local supervisor received a small, but nonetheless, intriguing one.
Of the three gifts (pictured) Supervisor Michael Antonovich, 70, reported receiving gifts last year, one of them was a $100 juicer from the "godfather of fitness," 95-year old Jack LaLanne, according to the supervisor's disclosure forms.
Has anyone tried one of them?
Email: james.wagner@sgvn.com | Twitter: @jmswgnr @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
Jobs are hard to come by these days, and residents are being laid off left and right.
But at least you can rest assured that your L.A. County Supervisors and County Sheriff won't starve in this flatlining economy.
It seems everyone's got an opinion on the state budget these days -- our local pols included.
Here are some quotes from conversations I had last week with mayors in three local cities:
"I'm pleased that it has passed, which will help free up some of the cash flow that has been held back by the state controller. However, I'm not happy about the tax increases and the fact that taxes are being raised in the middle of one of the worst recessions we have had in decades." -- Joe Vinatieri, Whittier mayor
"I think there are going to be serious repercussions. Without a doubt, solving the budget by increasing taxes is not the way to go and I'm very disappointed. "
-- Frank Venti, Monterey Park mayor
"I'm cautiously optimistic about the future. I know California still has a tremendous deficit. We have a lot of problems pending. We have the clouds of recession hanging over us. Passing the budget is the necessary first step on the path to a brighter future, economically speaking. But we still have a lot of work ahead of us."
-- Louie Lujan, La Puente mayor
Lujan went on to question the two-thirds majority needed to pass California's budget. Ever since the drawn-out process to get the state's budget approved began, lawmakers have been mulling the requirement, and whether its time for voters to dump it.
In fact the Associated Press had this story today about the issue:
"We have to do something," said Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael. "I think anybody who's watched this slow-motion train wreck over the last three months ought to agree that this system no longer works, if it ever did."
California is one of only a handful of states that require more than a simple majority to pass budget bills. Rhode Island, like California, requires a two-thirds vote. Arkansas requires three-fourths votes to pass most appropriation bills and simple majorities to approve a separate bill that sets the state's spending priorities.
Lujan said he didn't know what the solution was, but "something less than two-thirds has to seriously be considered."
He also said he found it out odd that among Republican Sen. Abel Maldonado's demands in exchange for his "yes" vote, Maldonado asked for ballot measures that would create an open primary system.
"Maldonado's proposal in changing the California elections code has nothing to do with budgetary process," Lujan said. "It surprises me ... it's an odd forum to discuss (that)."
On the Los Angeles County supervisor front, Michael Antonovich released this statement last week about his thoughts on the state budget:
"What was missing was a comprehensive package of structural reforms including eliminating or consolidating overlapping departments and high-paying political commissions ... Imposing one of the highest tax rates in the nation is a tax-and-spend orgy that further drives businesses, individuals and jobs out of state."
Emmy- and Tony Award-winning actor James Whitmore -- who was also the father of Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore -- died Friday at his Malibu home.
Whitmore appeared in many films, including "The Asphalt Jungle," "Planet of the Apes" and "The Shawshank Redemption" (one of my most favorite movies).
He was 87.
Steve Whitmore was quoted in an Associated Press article that moved late Friday night:
"My father was a great man and it gives me great joy to speak about a father that always had my back," said Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
"He always said the most important thing in life was family. He loved his work, but he always saw it as a way to provide for the most important thing, and that's family."
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