Park pic of the day

The most excellent Tesla coil at the Griffith Observatory doing its thing.
Twitpic'd by johnstrauss - dude - that is an excellent photo!

Where would science fiction be without the Tesla coil?

Major tree planting at Mineral Wells raises questions

Overnight, between 40 and 50 oak trees were mysteriously planted  throughout the Mineral Wells picnic area in Griffith Park early last week.

Mineral Wells picnic area is a heavily utilized picnic area on the north-east side of the park. It is located in a Very High Severity Fire Zone. Barbecues are not allowed there between April 1st and November 1st each year due to the fire danger and frequency of fires in the area.

During this time of fiscal difficulty and major layoffs in the parks maintenance workers, the additional trees don't make much sense. More trees mean more maintenance work, more water use, and more forestation in this heavily utilized high-fire-hazard area.

It is doubtful that the fire experts -- the LAFD or the Park Ranger fire corps -- were consulted in this major forestation project. Someone probably just did it. Other sightings at Crystal Springs picnic area this week indicate that someone just did it throughout Griffith Park, too.

Ultimately, this may not seem like a big deal, but it is indicative of some of the really poor planning and management happening throughout Los Angeles's parks system. Either that, or it indicates a complete inability to control certain members of the City government when they want instant gratification.

Whichever it it, these kinds of "improvements" only create issues that will eventually have to be dealt with, costing taxpayers -- you and me, as well as the health of the local environment  in the long run.

Views from the Verdugos

Images taken yesterday during a little three hour hiking trip in our local Verdugo mountains.

Click images to view full size.

Griffith Park at dusk as seen from the Verdugos.

Pink Currant bearing fruit.

Blue Ceanothus in bloom at dusk.

Verdugo Motorway with Station Fire hills in the background.

Multiples of y = a cosh(x/a), better known as a catenary, span Whiting Woods.

Downtown Los Angeles at dusk.

First-time homebuyer -- and totally screwed

Housing in Los Angeles is a challenge, putting it mildly. I've been a renter the entire two decades I've been here, mainly because I've never been in a financial situation that made purchasing realistic. SWF, one average income and no savings when I first landed in LA makes it pretty hard to purchase a home with the housing bubble insanity. So I've been renting.

During the first four years I was here, it was renters' hell. I moved five different times, mainly due to exciting living conditions like: mold in the walls, cigarette smoke from the neighbor's unit venting into mine, jet exhaust leaving an exciting black sludge all over my home, freaky landlord from outer space, and other fun things.

Finally, I landed in the northeast San Fernando Valley and found a reasonable place. Hell-hot, dusty, but quiet. Twelve years later, I'm still a renter, but the hot, dusty house has become my home now and the neighborhood is my community. Folks like Joe B. and the Sunland-Tujunga crowd are my peeps. I could certainly do worse.

Suddenly, I am presented with an opportunity to purchase the home I've been renting in one way or another for more than a decade. Hurray! But I must hurry - the time frame to purchase is short.

I really hadn't been planning to purchase, so I don't have much saved and the opportunity caught me completely by surprise. But this is my home. So what to do?

My well-meaning friends say to me "Why don't you go to those first-time buyer seminars and get one of those great deals?"

Those great deals?  Yeah - okay. Good idea.  They're all over the news, those great deals.



So I went to The Seminar.

What has it gotten me?  Well, I've learned that a lot of really great programs are out there. Four in particular.

And I qualify for absolutely none of them.

My home is 1 1/2 blocks outside CD 7, so I don't qualify for the City of Los Angeles's East Valley Home Ownership Program. No one from outside CD 6 or 7 need apply to this program. That means I cannot apply for what is basically a free $75,000 no-interest loan for a down payment.

My home is 2 blocks outside of an area that qualifies for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program run by the City of Los Angeles. That means I cannot apply for what is basically another free $75,000 no-interest loan for a down payment.

I make 20% more than the low income purchase assistance program run by the City, and they've canceled the median income City program that I would have qualified for... That also means I cannot apply for what is a third $75,000 no-interest loan for a down payment.

My home is a quarter mile from the City-County boundary. No homes in Los Angeles City qualify for the kick-ass 0% interest, $10,000 down payment HERO program that the County and State are offering.

Maybe I'll still get the tax credit. The County offers a 15% tax credit, the City has a 15% program, too but it may already be out of funding.  The Feds extended their tax credit offer of $8,000, but this ends next month. So I'll likely miss out on that, too.

This leaves me scrambling for cash, trying not to ask anyone for any help 'cause it isn't really appropriate, and fighting to try to keep what has become my home, while a few blocks away, some of my neighbors are walking away with 0% loans, $75,000 down payments, and tax credits, plus far lower monthly payments than I am facing.

And I am left wondering just how is it exactly that my wonderful elected officials are really helping me.

Richard Alarcon: Looking out for your best interests

Is Richard Alarcon looking out for your best interests, or is his tenure at CD 7 a reign of terror?

If you follow the links in the below excerpt from Alarcon's most recent e-mail blast, you will see that Councilman Alarcon has invented his own budget survey and that he is not directing his CD 7 denizens to the Mayor's official budget survey. The Mayor's survey is still open for business, by the way.

Such a rogue.

You can also follow the Zorro Marxist's escapades on Twitter, too.  En guarde! 

A MESSAGE FROM 

COUNCILMEMBER RICHARD ALARCON

------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

As you know, our country is experiencing one of the toughest economic times since the Great Depression.  Unemployment is over 13% in Los Angeles, block after block we see homes that are "for sale by bank" and we are all feeling the pinch in our own wallets.

As a Councilmember, I am faced daily with the realities of our slowed economy and a budget deficit of over $200 million dollars - with a projected shortfall of over $400 million dollars next year.

As we move forward in our budget process, I want your input on what services are of priority to you and ideas you have for increasing revenue to the City.  That is why I created a BUDGET SURVEY.  I hope you will take a moment to answer a few questions and give me your ideas on how to balance our budget.  The hard fact is, we will not get through this economic recession without eliminations of positions and cuts to service.  As we move forward, your continued input and engagement on the budget issues are welcomed and appreciated.

In this newsletter you'll find information on policy initiatives I'm working on, community events and news and other important information.  I hope you will continue to contact me and my office about upcoming events, ideas you have to help improve our communities or with concerns that we can help address.

Yours truly,

Richard Alarcón 
Councilmember, District Seven 

PS: You can now follow me on Twitter (@Richard_Alarcon) and on Facebook.  This is another great way to keep up with what's going on in CD 7.

Where is the outrage?

The DWP union gets pay raises for its employees. Meanwhile 4,000 City employees providing constituent services at recreation centers, parks, libraries, day care, and art programs are laid off.  And the #1 and #2 administrators at DWP are crooks previously fired by Riordan yet rehired by Villaraigosa to get the deed done.

Can you simply absorb paying another 1/3 to 1/2 more on your DWP bill?

Do you even care?

Where is your outrage?


From D-Zahn at the Times.
-------

DWP plans 37% rate hike over four years to cover cost increases

The L.A. utility's managers unveiled the plan 
as the council's Energy and Environment Committee 
debated the mayor's proposal to boost rates to pay for renewable energy.

Transmission towers at the foothills of the Inyo Mountains near the Owens Valley town of Lone Pine. (Brian Vander Brug, Los Angeles Times / January 12, 2010)

By David Zahniser
March 26, 2010

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is planning to boost the electricity bills of its customers by 37% over the next four years as part of its effort to cover steadily rising costs.

Officials with the city utility divulged their plans Thursday as the City Council's Energy and Environment Committee debated Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's plan for boosting rates to help pay for renewable energy. Villaraigosa is seeking a 21% increase over the next year. That effort will be followed by other rate hikes by 2014, however.

"That's an extraordinary burden on our homeowners and businesses," said Councilman Paul Krekorian, who called the four-year plan "unacceptable."

The numbers were provided as the council committee reviewed the first of four rate hikes planned by Villaraigosa, which would increase residential electric bills by 9% to 28%. The panel postponed a vote until Tuesday, the same day that the full council is now scheduled to decide whether to uphold the first increase or send it back to the DWP board for revision.

Thursday's meeting took place an hour after former Vice President Al Gore appeared with Villaraigosa via satellite in support of the mayor's plan, which would help the mayor meet his goal of ensuring that the DWP secures at least 20% of its energy from renewable sources by Dec. 31.

Villaraigosa has warned that the DWP would renege on a promise to have the utility send $73 million to the city's troubled general fund, which pays for basic services, if the first increase is not approved by March 31. That money is enough to pay for 1,000 jobs in a year when the city is pondering layoffs.

Read the rest at the LA Times.

[Ron Kaye LA] Fire these men!

Fire These Men or Not One Cent More for DWP

David Freeman and Raman Raj -- agents of the IBEW, far more than public servants -- were fired once before from top jobs at the Department of Water and Power and must be fired again before the City Council gives them even one cent in rate increases.

They have both been accused of lying and deceit this week by Tony Cardenas, who has suddenly emerged as the City Council's lone voice standing up for the public interest with penetrating questions and passionate statements of principle:

Both Freeman and Raj were put into the No.1 and No. 2 jobs at the DWP by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa -- a failed leader who has engineered spectacular raises for already overpaid IBEW members under contracts that run from 2005 to 2014.

Read the rest at Ron Kaye LA.

SHS: Save the Hollywood Sign

There are only three weeks left for the Trust for Public Land to come up with the $12.5 million to purchase Cahuenga Peak from a group of Chicago extortionists bent on bilking Los Angeles and Tom LaBonge for every penny they can get their hands on. Their original price was $21 million, so we suppose you could consider the current $12.5 million price a steal. Lucky us.

Where is the fundraising effort at so far?

Total collected to date: $9.5 million.  Time remaining: 3 weeks (April 14th)

Three weeks - three million dollars.

Come on parks folks - Save the Pood! Give till it hurts! Click here to give online.



Note to the BBC and whoever else is publishing this press release:

The Hollywood sign is not in Beverly Hills. Not even close. It is in Los Angeles. Unless you live in the UK. To those folks, all of California is just one big happy Hollywood-TVLand neighborhood.

Waving a big hi-ya neighbor! to our homies in Humboldt County! How's the weather in the 'pood?

Happy Birthday to CD 2 Councilman Paul Krekorian

"Best wishes to my favorite Grass-Roots Councilman"

For the sake of privacy, we will not disclose the age of our "birthday boy" (Obamacare may ration care in his advance age :) ).

But in genuine "Red Spot Fashion", I like to wish my favorite "Liberal Democrat Refugee from Sacramento", a most joyest birthday.

As "Joe B." will agree with, Conservatives and Liberals can set aside their "political give and takes" and share in the genuine moment of friendship.

Thus, in honor of City Councilman Paul Krekorian's Birthday, I call upon the "BUTTHUGGERS R US" franchise in Sunland-Tujunga, to ofer a "two for one special" on the purchese of new under garments at its new S.T. location.

After all, is it CD 2 that has two councilmans residing in its boundries??

In addition, maybe Councilman Krekorian will suspend Sales Tax, on this special day. ( maybe I am exceeding my expectations/dreams).

Best of wishes to Paul, Tamar and the Krekorian Family.

Scott Johnson in CD 14

Your thoughts........

Tony V utters the "B" word

Threat threat threat, goes the Mayor. Although, we do like the idea of the "B" word because the decisions these city leaders are making are not proving to be terribly educated, enlightened, or show any real plan for fiscal recovery.

In the meantime, as I am editing this, council is discussing whether to assert control over this rate increase. They likely will do so, only to later pass the rate increase themselves since they do need the funds.

Can you afford to pay much more for your DWP bill?

Article by D-Zahn at the former fishwrap of record.
-----

Villaraigosa warns of bankruptcy if L.A. City Council blocks electricity rate hike

     Facing resistance from the City Council over his renewable-energy plans, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has warned that any attempt to overturn higher electricity rates approved last week by the Department of Water and Power board would throw the city’s finances into disarray, causing it to run out of money in the next four months. In a briefing paper sent to council members Monday night, Villaraigosa’s office said the DWP would renege on a promise to transfer $73 million to the city’s general fund budget if its rate proposal is rejected.
     Such a move would cause the general fund, which pays for public safety, libraries and other basic services, to “run out of cash” before the end of the fiscal year on June 30, Villaraigosa’s briefing paper said. “Council rejection of the DWP board’s action [to increase rates] would be the most immediate and direct route to bankruptcy the city could pursue,” the report said. The council is scheduled to decide on Tuesday whether to conduct its own review of the DWP increase. Villaraigosa’s appointees on the DWP board voted last week to approve the first of four rate hikes between now and April 2011.Once all four increases are in place, households across the city will see electricity cost increases ranging from 9% to 28%, depending on where they live and how much power they consume. Businesses would experience increases in their bills of 21% to 22%, according to the utility.

     Councilman Herb Wesson criticized Villaraigosa for using the possibility of bankruptcy to build support for his plan for installing solar panels. “I don’t think you hold people hostage that way,” he said. The DWP was scheduled to provide at least $220 million to the general fund for the 2009-10 fiscal year. So far, however, the utility has sent only a portion of that money. Last week, DWP Interim General Manager S. David Freeman warned that the utility would think twice about sending the rest of the money to the city’s budget accounts if the rate hikes are rejected. At the same time, Freeman said that if the hikes were approved, his agency would come up with an extra $20 million in budget contributions by reducing its travel costs and other expenditures. Once all of the rate hikes are in place, the city budget would see an additional $38.4 million per year, the mayor’s office said. Without the planned increases, the general fund would lose out on $93 million and have trouble paying its bills, Villaraigosa warned council members. “Failure to meet basic obligations would send the city into a financial tailspin, leading to further downgrades and an inability to borrow to meet future financial obligations,” his report said.
-- David Zahniser at Los Angeles City Hall

Mayor's Budget Survey results

"Tell us (politicians) what we can take from you (citizens)" - the 2010 Edition  - is essentially over, and preliminary results are in.

Here are two results that we at GPWist who believe in healthy, strong neighborhoods can't quite stop chuckling at.... it's not exactly the result the Mayor wanted.

Looks like the majority of the rest of the City also believe in healthy, strong neighborhoods.

Antonio must simply hate the fact that parks and libraries are charter-mandated, charter-protected, and charter-funded.

The full results are here, if you can stomach the hypocrisy of the entire process.

GGPNC election results are in

GGPNC election results are now available here.

The Los Feliz Forward slate was successful by approximately 300 votes in each district.

Now come the election challenges.

LA Marathon in Silverlake

Leave it to friend-of-the-blog WildBell to set a video camera up on his roof and record the LA Marathon as it ebbed and flowed through Silverlake on Sunday.

Morning tidbits

Tom LaBonge and his election friends?

Rumor has it that the Mayor's layoff list of an additional 3,000 City employees is due out this week. If the insanity caused by trying to lay off 1,000 employees is any indication, stay tuned for a complete and utter meltdown of City Hall leadership shortly after the list is released.


City councilmembers are making noise about reviewing the Mayor's bogus Carbon Reduction Surcharge to your DWP bill.  Expect lots of indignant smoke-blowing followed ultimately by a unanimous passage of the rate hike.... cause they need the cash. Bad.


Just a reminder - rattlesnake season is full-on in Griffith Park, and any other park where a self-respecting snake might have a food supply and enough territory to subsist. Rattlesnake bites are now being regularly reported by local veterinary offices. Keep your kids and dogs out of all long grass, and keep your eyes peeled everywhere else.


Speaking of snakes in the grass, eyewitnesses state that the CORBA-LaBonge backed slate "Los Feliz Forward" bussed in kids to vote in the GGPNC election this past Saturday in a school bus someone must have paid for. Wonder who?  Also according to eyewitnesses, Los Feliz Forward set up a confusing, if not outright fraudulent "Information Booth" just outside the no-electioneering perimeter, and funneled voters inside.

One voter confided to GPWist just how angry and misleading she found this action to be. She entered the faux general information booth assuming it was general information on the entire election and instead found herself on the receiving end of what she called "the hard sell" for Los Feliz Forward.


Move over Canada - we in the U.S. of A. have apparently achieved National Healthcare. Or so I'm told. Looking forward to seeing just how this works in practice, and what effect it has on the next national election. Like most everyone who is not a politician or in the medical field, I'm kinda tired of hearing all the verbal blah-blah-blah about it. Now DO somthing, so we can see what it is you are actually doing.


Ron Kaye has the ERIP midterm report up on his blog listing the employment class and retirement pension amount for the almost 1200 employees processed through the Early Retirement plan as of Feb 28th.  Average annual retirement pension payout is $52,000.  One item caught our park-sensitive eye:

SR PARK RANGER I, II
11/01/09
$2,680.39 monthly
$32,164.68 annual

Seriously - retiring Senior Park Rangers are making $20,000 less than the average? What is wrong with this picture?

Park pic of the day

A baby beechey ground squirrel makes his first trip out of his Griffith Park nest on St. Patrick's Day.

Click image to view full size.

Send us your Griffith Park images:  GriffithParkWayist@gmail.com

Big bloom is on at Amir's Garden

The big bloom is underway at Amir's Garden in Griffith Park and should be going for the next week. If you needed an excuse to get out to the park, here it is!

Click on the ice plants to view them in full glory.

Directions to Amir's Garden can be found on the web site.

Conservative Libertarian

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Mountain bike lobby in bed with LaBonge in GGPNC election

Councilman Tom LaBonge has  sunk to an all-time new low in his effort to control the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council election.

LaBonge through his support of Los Feliz Forward is now in bed and spooning with CORBA - the mountain bike lobby who is trying to put mountain bikes on Griffith Park trails. 

CORBA is hustling to get out the vote for Los Feliz Forward, the LaBonge-backed slate running in tomorrow's election.

Remember CORBA and what they, along with IMBA, want to do on Griffith Park trails?

Here's a refresher:

Tom LaBonge has previously sworn up, down and sideways that he is against mountain bikes off-trail in Griffith Park. Quote: "...over my dead body" or similar. Until now, apparently.

When we didn't think he could go any lower, this really is an all-time new low in LaBonge's tenure as representative for CD 4.  If it is inadvertent, LaBonge needs to distance himself from CORBA and Los Feliz Forward right now. 

Assuming karma is real and the councilman fails to distance himself from Los Feliz Forward and CORBA, this screw-up should come back to haunt LaBonge every waking moment during his re-election attempt next March.

What's it gonna be, Tom?


Well, if it isn't obvious by now, anyone who truly cares about Griffith Park needs to get out the vote for the real pro-park candidates.

• DISTRICT A:  Laura Howe    and   Jeff Gardner
• DISTRICT B:  David Uebersax       and   John F. John 
• DISTRICT C:                     - no endorsements -  
• DISTRICT D:  Sara Latier Napier   and   Tom Wilson
• DISTRICT E:  Charley Mims           and   James McEwen

All users of Griffith Park are stakeholders in the GGPNC and are therefore eligible to vote.

Polls are open from 10 am until 4 pm

Hollywood Lutheran Church
1733 North New Hampshire  
(just North of Hollywood Blvd.)  
Los Angeles, CA 90027
--------------------------------------------------

From: CORBA eNews <corbanews@gmail.com>
Subject: Griffith Park Neighborhood Council Elections
Date: Thursday, March 18, 2010, 9:24 PM

This coming weekend, on March 20th the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council will be holding elections for their 10 available seats. The other nine seats are appointed by those elected (the highest proportion of appointed seats of any Neighborhood Council in Los Angeles, and one of the reasons change has been so difficult to make). Anyone who is a Griffith Park stakeholder is eligible to vote. That includes anyone at least 13 years old who lives or works near, or visits Griffith Park. You’ll be required to declare your eligibility by making a written affirmation that you are a stakeholder, i.e. somebody who uses or would use Griffith Park. You don’t have to be registered to vote.

As many CORBA members and other off-road cycling advocates know, all of our past dealings with GGPNC and other groups with an interest in Griffith Park have been met with a complete anti-mountain bike sentiment that verged on hostility. In many ways the management of Griffith Park, LA park system’s crown jewel, has affected the management of every other park in the City and bicycles remain banned in all LA City Parks.

The current GGPNC lacks transparency and is vehemently opposed to new ideas or any compromise. While it may not lead to any immediate gains or concessions for mountain bikers, change is good, and it starts with making your voice heard by voting. There is one group who, according to their candidate statements and web site, are also frustrated with the lack of forward thinking and openness to new ideas for Griffith Park. That group calls themselves Los Feliz Forward (http://www.losfelizforward.org). They are running as a ticket on a platform of openness, change, and moving forward, ideas which CORBA welcomes.

We encourages anyone who has an interest in Griffith Park to visit the GGPNC web site and the Los Feliz Forward web site to evaluate the candidates’ statements, and vote in the neighborhood council elections. Polling will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 20th, 2010, at Hollywood Lutheran Church, 1733 N. New Hampshire, just north of Hollywood Boulevard. Get out and vote!

GPWist endorses the real pro-park candidates in Saturday's GGPNC election

Griffith Park Wayist is proud to endorse the following real  pro-park candidates for tomorrow's Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council election.

• DISTRICT A:  Laura Howe    and   Jeff Gardner
(District A  contains Griffith Park)

• DISTRICT B:  David Uebersax       and   John F. John 
• DISTRICT C:                     - no endorsements -  
• DISTRICT D:  Sara Latier Napier   and   Tom Wilson
• DISTRICT E:  Charley Mims           and   James McEwen

To a person, these individuals have always fought the good fight on behalf of our park and our community. They're also terribly brave to step up in light of the ugliness brought forth by certain individuals.

PRO-PARK
VOTING INFORMATION

Vote pro-park! 
All users of Griffith Park are stakeholders in the GGPNC and are therefore eligible to vote.

Vote for two candidates per district.

Polls are open from 10 am until 4 pm
Saturday March 20th.

LOCATION
Hollywood Lutheran Church
1733 North New Hampshire (just North of Hollywood Blvd.)  

View Larger Map

Print out this article and take it with you when you go to vote tomorrow.
Bring your friends, too.

Carbon Reduction Surcharge is pure horse sh--

We knew Ron Kaye would say it, but we absolutely must chime in:

The Mayor's Carbon Reduction Surcharge announced yesterday  is pure, unadulterated  horse shit.


Without the surcharge, the Bank of DWP, as PetraFried likes to call it, is fresh out of dough to launder and return to the City's cash-strapped General Fund come May 2010.

Simple as that.


Pretty clever to use the word "reduction" before the word "surcharge", though. Which of the Mayor's 173 personal staffers thought that one up? Tony should keep that one.