CD5 to Recall Paul Koretz?

As news of Koretz's ad hominem attack on District Attorney Steve Cooley and Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich is reaching stakeholders in Council District 5, rumor has it that there is a growing movement to launch a recall campaign to oust the Sacramento liberal from what many see as a carpet-bagged seat that he somehow managed to steal.

Few in CD5 realized exactly how responsible Koretz was for bringing hundreds of pot shops to the streets of Los Angeles while he was a Sacramento liberal democrat. in response to criticism from Melrose residents who have 14 pot shops in their neighborhood, Koretz blasted Cooley and Trutanich for upholding a law that does not allow pot shops to ply their trade on Los Angeles streets.

But Koretz failed to mention that he was the co-author of what legal experts agree was a poorly written and vague law that only allowed communist style 'collectives' to exist, not the main street marijuana shops that resulted from his law.

Instead of "fessing-up" and admitting that he wrote a bad law that has harmed the community, the self-proclaimed 'King of Pot' likened Trutanich and Cooley to George W. Bush rather than admit his close association with Americans for Safe Access, a pot shop funded lobbying group that not only funded Koretz's campaign, but co-opted Council Member Ed Reyes into proposing a law to regulate pot shops written by pot shop owners.

Koretz's remarks are reproduced here:



Koretz is going to have a hard time explaining why he not only caused the explosion of pot shops in Los Angeles, but why he thought that invoking the name of George W. Bush would somehow win him support in a council district that is largely supportive of their City Attorney, Carmen Trutanich, and District Attorney, Steve Cooley.

Mayor Sam Resigns - Will Spend More Time With Family

Political activists in Los Angeles will be lamenting the sudden (although not entirely unexpected) announcement from Michael Higby a.k.a. Mayor Sam, to shut down his Blog. Mayor Sam's Sister City has been, for many, their life-blood daily fix of angst, anger, frustration and retaliation at the elected officials who either don't do the job they promised to do, or become beholden to special interests.

The Mayor Sam Blog was vital to Los Angelenos for the way it regularly shone a 100,000W spotlight on the shenanigans that Los Angeles politicians would otherwise get away with, as, with the exception of LA Weekly and The Times' David Zahniser, local media is too scared or lazy to hold politicians' feet to the fire.

While the news of Mayor Sam's demise will be mourned by many, a select few will rejoice in again having the freedom to play business as usual at our expense. 

Councilwoman Jan Perry is probably top of the list of those popping champagne bottles at the demise of the blog that awarded her Political Ass Clown of the Year 2009 for an Acting Roll, based on her performance on behalf of AEG during the Michael Jackson Memorial in which she personally authorized $3.4M of taxpayer funds to be squandered on bolstering AEG's promotion of the value of their video footage of Jackson's rehearsals at Staples Center. 

Mayor Sam blogger Phil Jennerjahn also made Perry the target of a blistering attack in an interview with former City Attorney candidate David Berger focusing on Perry's special motion to give 18 billboards to, yes you guessed it, AEG. Rumor has it that Perry was furious at having her shenanigans exposed so blatantly.

Others who will be rejoicing at the wake for the Mayor Sam Blog include;

• Ed 'El Stupido' Reyes (winner, 2009 Mayor Sam Political Ass Clown Award for Density)
• Richard Alarcon 
• Carmen Trutanich 
• Eric Garcetti
• Wendy Greuel
• Janice Hahn

And a host of others who will breathe a little easier now that the Mayor Sam 4D Maglite has been removed from so far up their asses it lit up their tonsils.

Mayor Sam announced his departure from the world of Los Angeles politics with the simple word 'Adios' and no real reason for his withdrawal. Bloggers had noticed that Mayor Sam had recently been slow to post comments and sometimes, weekends especially, Friday's topic remained until Monday.

Nevertheless, the loss of Mayor Sam is a serious blow to Los Angelenos and it can only be hoped that other blogs will fill the void.

As for the reason for Mayor Sam's departure, speculation is guaranteed to follow...

Alarcon Says "It's All A Mistake"

Responding to reports that investigators from the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office had searched his house in Panorama City and his wife's house in Sun Valley, Los Angeles City Councilman, Richard Alarcon, made the classic mistake of those accused with criminal conduct; he gave a statement that makes the case against him stronger.

Alarcon is under investigation for voter fraud; being registered to vote at a house in Panorama City, which is in his council district (7), but actually living a house in Sun Valley which is in council district 2.

According to a report in the LA Times, Alarcon admitted living in his wife's house in Sun Valley, but explained his residence there was due to a break in at the Panorama City house.

Alarcon reportedly told the LA Times that 'in late October a mentally ill man broke into his house, changed the locks on at least three doors and destroyed his possessions, including many of his clothes. “We haven’t been there since then, that’s for sure,” he said.' In other words, the mental guy that broke in was a squatter.

The question that the jury will doubtless be faced with, is that if Alarcon was actually living in the Panaorama City house, how could a mentally ill man break in and establish a residence there? Where was Alarcon when that happened?

The LA Times had also reported that;
'Three neighbors, an employee at the school next door and a man who has been living in a motor home next to Alarcon's house said they had not seen anyone living in the home recently.

Steve Folden, who lives across the street and said he is the neighborhood watch block captain, said he had noticed no one living in the house for at least three years. Occasionally, he said, he sees workers mowing the lawn. He said he had seen Alarcon at the home "once in a blue moon" until this week.

"It's been vacant for a long time," Folden said.'

No doubt the DA will have searched both houses to get additional evidence to prove that Alarcon's true domicile, the place he actually lives, is not in his council district. That evidence will be bolstered by Alarcon's statement which proves that he wasn't living there when the mentally ill squatter moved in.

Further evidence that the Sun Valley house was Alarcon's domicile comes from a strange request Alarcon made. According to the LA Times, in 2007, Alarcon tried to get the boundary lines of his council district changed so that the Sun Valley house could be included in his council district.

Another fact that the LA Times uncovered is that Alarcon's wife, who apparently owns both houses, wanted to re-develop and sun-divide the Panorama City house into 'town homes.' Some might say that the Panorama City house was purely an investment property, conveniently within CD7, and never a true residence occupied by anyone.

One thing is for sure, Alarcon's got a lot of trouble on his hands, and his statements might satisfy his partisan voters, but may not impress a jury.

It is unfortunate for Alarcon that Los Angeles District Attorney, Steve Cooley, whose Public Integrity Division is investigating Alarcon, is not the kind of guy to make deals where political corruption is concerned. Equally troubling for Alarcon, is that his friend City Attorney Carmen Trutanich cannot defend him as ethical rules prevent the City Attorney from becoming involved in the case.

Alarcon's woes continue as famed criminal defense attorney Johnnie Cochran has been dead for 5 years, and it looks like Alarcon will have to hire a defense attorney with a comparable record and reputation. That costs a lot of money. Perhaps he'll have to sell the Panorama City house to pay his legal bills. It's not like he needs to live there, so it seems.