Westside White Guy at LA Observed doesn't have much nice to say about a great profile of Ron Kaye by Neon Tommy that ran yesterday. We read the profile, thought it did the-Ron-we-know justice, and wonder what Kevin's problem is this week [tm]. Nah, we don't really care what Kevin's problem is. We do like his in-house cartoonist, tho'.
The Mayor's "budget", such as it is, comes out next week. In anticipation of getting clobbered by a mayor no longer in bed with them, the local unions have published their own solution: $432 million in savings that don't destroy parks, libraries and the other things that make our neighborhoods livable. The $432 mill just about matches the anticipated deficit, too. Sounds good, but make up your own mind - read the whole document here, and OurLA's summary here.
Dick Alarcon and his daughter/Public Works commissioner stick it to the environment, the people, the County, open space, and the rule of law yesterday with a little help from the Mayor's hand-picked Planning Commission. Will there ever be a day in LA when cronyism isn't in charge? Yup - the day City Commissioners are elected by the people.
As MT pointed out yesterday, murder in Los Angeles is up up up. Meanwhile, with the E-RIPping this week of two of the last few remaining peace officer park rangers in Los Angeles, coupled with Rec and Parks' pulling of ten public officer park rangers from field work that they are fully qualified to perform (why?), expect crime in our parks to go up up up, too.
Oh yeah. More mayoral appointees approved the same DWP rate hike yesterday that they turned down just last week, costing the loss of a bond rating in the process. Assholes, the lot.
White supremist rally at City Hall, too. Looks like it's gonna be a long, hot summer in the City this year. Seems eerily familiar, like we're working on a flashback to the Darryl Gates' LAPD era. Full circle.
