Monday, May 31, 2010
It's Over!
UPDATE (Non-related, but also relevant to an "It's Over" headline, too.): If you ever have a marketing budget and need to reach the masses with your message, hire me as a spokesperson. Otherwise, look for me on Santa Monica State Beach or Broad Beach. And look for my new book, "The Downgrading of Los Angeles." The name of my new book on strategically planning for the future of L.A. from a marketing viewpoint, based on looking at the crowd of people who showed up to Venice Beach, this weekend. The people showing up ain't what they used to be. And I'm not talking about the artists and vendors. Not much of a future based on the people I saw, all weekend. YIKES! Don't expect anything but words like, "lower" and "plummeting" regarding L.A. City. And property values?: How are they going to go UP, when we are becoming a ".99 Cent Store" society? DOWNGRADING! SELL! AIN'T GOING BACK UP! WE ARE IN A NEW ECONOMIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC ERA!
Call for a free consultation as to what "The Downgrading of Los Angeles" means to YOU as a business or property owner. And the marketing direction you should be taking for products and services in the future.
Ex: Become a high-fashion designer of XXX-Large products for the new generation of XXX-large people. (Cause it looked like a bunch of Veruca Salt's AFTER chewing the gum, walking down Venice Beach boardwalk this weekend. Which reminds me, health care is going to SKYROCKET in demand as more and more people will be suffering health problems at a much earlier age. So keep health care investments in mind.)
Create a software program to help keep better track of LAUSD truants and school-aged dropouts and sell it to the district.
A builder of housing?: Go small and cheap but make it look nice and fresh. Downtown should have gone with more 500 sq foot units for young people moving to L.A. to get started. If you are building apartments for families, again...nice and fresh...but scale down the sizing. KEEP IT SMALL, but nice. (That's the compromise the next generation will be accepting.)
FOOD TRUCKS are the future! But don't just think "food truck": Start operating RETAIL TRUCKS. (A rolling .99 cent/7-11 type store for staple goods and basic convenience products.)
YES, there will still be five star restaurants opening up that will be all the sensation, and rightfully so, if you can achieve that level of quality. And there will still be rich customers to cater to. But that is not the growing niche. When you look at the BIG PICTURE opportunities, it's stuff like a "second hand Best Buy" kind of store. Not a pawn shop with crappy, outdated junk. But there are good condition "previously owned" cars of luxury quality. There needs to be a "super store" of really good "previously owned" stuff you get at "Best Buy." Then, people can also bring their stuff to your store to sell. It can be a whole new market! I'd go BIG with the "previously owned" category of retail outlets.
Whatever it is you are looking at, if you have a 3-5 year outlook, make sure you look at it through a "How can we downgrade this," lens? YOU'LL HIT IT BIG! (Do they have an ETF that "shorts" L.A.? If so, BUY!)
Friday, May 28, 2010
Zuma Dogg 2010 Memorial Day Weekend Marathon...NOW STREAMING at http://ZumaSHOW.com
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Good Pre-Memorial Day Weekend Morning From Zuma Dogg - STP Week Kicks Off Summer 2010 in L.A.!
Weather reporters are saying it's gonna be a BE-UTIFUL Memorial Day Weekend. If ZD able to walk around, look for him on the Venice Beach Boardwalk this weekend, hopefully. But you should try to take a trip this weekend, anyway. Parking by Rose is a lot better than the main center area, people usually head toward. You can park at Rose & Navy for $8 bucks, anytime. And Rose and Main has an all day meter lot at a good rate. So come on down this weekend, since the weather is gonna be good.
STONE TEMPLE PILOTS WEEK!: And what better way to kick off summer, than with a great new Stone Temple Pilots album, released this week. (Listen to all tracks free on http://lala.com if you already have an account - or hear :30 clips if you don't have an account.) The band is back after a loooooooooooong breakup that you were just tapping your foot waiting for the inevitable triumphant reunion. And the sound is BACK! And some new heights on the songwriting, production and performance. I've known the guitarist, Dean Deleo, for years and he has really become much better as STP guitarist after working with and producing many other diverse artists while the group was on "hiatus." You can hear some of the new tracks now streaming on this blog. I'm TELLING you...Dean Deleo is the best songwriting, producer, guitarist in the business! You can tell a little bit more on this new album what he and his brother Robert can REALLY do! (Check Dean's solo on "Hickory Dichotomy." Best solo since Foghat's "Slow Ride." AND, the solo on "Maver" creates a cosmic-crunch tone that soars to the stars like something only George Harrison could create.) But I'm partial cause Dean's a friend and overall great guy. BUT I WOULD STILL THINK SO, ANYWAY!
(When I started my "Zuma Dogg Show" on public access in Malibu, in 2000, Dean was actually the first person to leave a message on the voice mail number I posted at the end of the show, but he didn't say his name, and I didn't know it was him, till I bumped into him at Starbuck's one day and he told me he left that message. And when I told him I was at an early STP show in NYC where the band wore KISS make-up, he was BLOWN AWAY, cause that was a tough ticket to get and proved to him I was a real fan. I ended up getting to hear exclusive demos on projects that were never released in his truck in the Starbuck's parking lot!!! Then he drove me up to his house and showed me a picture from the show he had hanging up on the wall! AND, he shouted me out from on-stage at an STP show, one time...BUT HE CALLED ME BY MY REAL NAME "DAVE," SO WHY BOTHER, BRO? ULTIMATE FAN STORIES, Y'ALL!!! But that's just cause Dean is so cool. His "Behind-The-Music" has it's share of ups and downs in between this triumphant new album. And it's very inspiring to see that you can't hold back such an immutable force.)
Click here for ZD's STP FM Style Radio Show featuring full new tracks & NEW STP LIVE tracks.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Zuma Dogg's Blog
LATEST FROM THE GREATEST: Zuma Dogg's LA City News Update for Tuesday May 25, 2010 - Don't have an accident, LA Council Panel Backs Ambulance Fee Hike
Zuma Dogg LA CITY NEWS Twitter Update for Saturday May 22, 2010 - ZD's PENSIONGATE PAL Andrew Cuomo Announces He's Running For NY Governor
BEST OF LA DAILY BLOG: Eric Garcetti's Affordable Housing Project Investigated by F.B.I. (Oops, Looks Like Mr. Perfect, ISN'T!)
L.A. City News for Friday May 21 2010
A Message From The Recall L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Organizers & Concerned Community Members
AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE to California Voters Regarding the FUTURE of the STATE (Important Voter Information Regarding 2010 Elections)
Welcome to ZumaShow.com - (Aka: LA Daily Blog) - Watch this FREE Introductory Video
Arizona Utility Commissioner HANDS L.A. MAYOR VILLARAIOGSA HIS ASS in this POLITICO.com Article (STOP DAMAGING L.A.'s REPUTATION, VILLARAIOGSA!)
Now Streaming - NEW Zuma Show for Thursday May 20, 2010 - Zuma Dogg Tells Most UN-Believable Story EVER, & L.A. Mayor Turns City Into National Joke
NEW Zuma Show NOW STREAMING (More City Hall Travel Expense Details) & L.A. City News Feed (News Aggregation) for Wed 5/19/20
Blog note from Zuma Dogg (No need to read this unless you are a nutty comment section reader of other nutty blogs)
NEW AUDIO: Zuma Dogg Breaks NEW DETAILS on KNBC 4 Investigation Into City Hall Trip Expenses on KEVIN JAMES KRLA Radio Show!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
LATEST FROM THE GREATEST: Zuma Dogg's LA City News Update for Tuesday May 25, 2010 - Don't have an accident, LA Council Panel Backs Ambulance Fee Hike
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Zuma Dogg LA CITY NEWS Twitter Update for Saturday May 22, 2010 - ZD's PENSIONGATE PAL Andrew Cuomo Announces He's Running For NY Governor
ZUMA DOGG TWITTER UPDATE FOR SATURDAY MAY 22, 2010:
- To the THOUSANDS of NEW ZD blog readers today, my #1 message as political activist is L.A. COUNTY MUST EMBRACE 14 PTS OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT!
- TO THE NEW ZD BLOG READERS THIS WEEK: If you EVER see the name, "JAN PERRY" on a ballot - VOTE FOR SOMEONE ELSE...ANYONE ELSE!
- YES, L.A. has STRUCTURAL pension problem, but FIRINGS & LOSS OF SERVICES, NOW, due to shady pension investments on Wall St, STILL OCCURRING!
- DON'T VOTE FOR JERRY BROWN: A lazy DO NOTHING so concerned with Corey Haim's dealers that L.A. just went under in pension corruption racket.
- THANKS TO NY GOV CANDIDATE ANDREW CUOMO for putting an END to Wetherly Captial FOREVER (PensionGate). JERRY BROWN didn't do a DAMN thing.
- ACTIVIST ALERT: Instead of selfishly whining over your NC discretionary funds, SHOULD BE DEMANDING END TO "ALTERNATIVE WALL ST INVESTMENTS!"
- A MESSAGE FROM ZUMA DOGG: #1 issue that CRIPPLED L.A. City, budgetarily, is "ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS" allowed on Wall St with PENSION MONEY!
- FULL EMBEDDED VIDEO of KNBC 4 Investigation into City Hall Travel Expenses & ZD's follow up segment on Kevin James Show - http://ow.ly/1OAXe
- VOMIT ALERT: RT @michaellinder: Chris Essel lost council election and $187K in council pay. Now makes $224K as new CRA CEO. (F*CK the CRA!)
- THE CORRUPTION INSPECTOR WAS CORRUPT: State inspector for drug, alcohol clinics pleads guilty to corruption charges http://lat.ms/cbCaJJ
- MAKES JERRY BROWN LOOK LIKE A BLIND, LAZY DUMMY: NY AG ANDREW CUOMO running for NY Gov. Unlike Jerry, he DID something about PensionGate.
- AP: New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announces candidacy for governor. http://bit.ly/ag7zId (Andrew is PENSIONGATE Buster!)
- RT @michaellinder: Mayor Villaraigosa canceled Harvey Milk public observance on City Hall steps yesterday. Not enough cameras say aides.
- LA Weekly Blog covers Zuma Dogg's blogging on KNBC 4 Investigation on City Hall Shady Travel Expenses: http://ow.ly/1OAIX
- BEST OF LA DAILY BLOG: Eric Garcetti's Affordable Housing Project Investigated by F.B.I. (Oops, Looks Like Mr. Perf... http://ow.ly/17sKkj
- #1 UNCOVERED ISSUE: L.A.'s financial future (entire future) is tied to Wall Street. If Wall Street has a "down" year, IT IS OVER for L.A.!
- MORE PEOPLE are reading my blog than EVER before. Yesterday, another RECORD day of viewers, topping the previous day. GOTTA HAMMER GARCETTI!
- L.A. City News for Friday May 21 2010 http://ow.ly/17ss5s
Press Release From New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo on GUILTY AS CHARGED, Elliot "Not So Untouchable" Broidy
AND THIS:WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTS: PENSION FUNDS Now U.S. Dept of Justice CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION...IN LOS ANGELES!!! (Took ya long enough!)
PREVIOUS POSTS:- BEST OF LA DAILY BLOG: Eric Garcetti's Affordable ...
- L.A. City News for Friday May 21 2010
- A Message From The Recall L.A. Mayor Antonio Villa...
- AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE to California Voters Regardin...
- Welcome to ZumaShow.com - (Aka: LA Daily Blog) - ...
- Arizona Utility Commissioner HANDS L.A. MAYOR VILL...
- Now Streaming - NEW Zuma Show for Thursday May 20,...
- NEW Zuma Show NOW STREAMING (More City Hall Travel...
- NEW AUDIO: Zuma Dogg Breaks NEW DETAILS on KNBC 4 ...
- Interesting Evening...Will Blog ALL NEW Posts & Vi...
- Greetings From The Mayor & Zuma Dogg - Do NOT Be B...
- READER MAIL: L.A. City Councilman Jose Huizar May ...
BEST OF LA DAILY BLOG: Eric Garcetti's Affordable Housing Project Investigated by F.B.I. (Oops, Looks Like Mr. Perfect, ISN'T!)
Since this blog is experiencing it's largest viewership ever, and it is a lot of NEW readers...Zuma Dogg wanted to make sure everyone knows about THIS little ditty about Mr. Perfect, Eric Garcetti. He's the L.A. CIty Council President who presided as "leader?" of council as the city just slid into the toilet.
ORIGINALLY POSTED: SATURDAY, APRIL 10, 2010
PIECES COMING TOGETHER ON FBI INVESTIGATION Into Affordable Housing in Former Mayoral Hopeful Eric Garcetti's District
Will do a more detailed update later, but here's how it all unfolded last night (Friday 4.9.10) while Kevin James discussed the issue and ZD called in to discuss and it unraveled for Eric, from there. While Kevin was discussing it, I remembered Prop 1C money was to be used for Emergency Shelter for Senior Disabled and their children...so I hit the BatComputer...and YES, OF COURSE Prop 1C money was used for this. But here is some speculation on why FBI might have hopped on the city controller's audit so quickly. David Rubin, developer of the Bonnie Brae Village project in Eric Garcetti's district is also President of CDR Financial Products, LLC (David Rubin/President) - UNDER INVESTIGATION from FBI and there was an SEC - Settlement Enforcement Action. CDR specializes in municipal-busting products such as credit swaps and municipal reinvestment. So the good thing about attending the most miserable streak of city council meetings ever is that when little tid bits are thrown out there, like the surface story in L.A. Times, all the old meetings and agendas start scanning in my brain and the pieces come together, y'all! So I remember when the LACERS team said the BIG reason the city lost BIG pension money was and I quote, "a big reason was Henry Cisneros Workforce Housing." Mr. Cisneros swore in Mr. Garcetti when the voter made the tragic mistake of re-electing him this past year. So maybe Mr. Rubin's connections as President of a municipal investment company specializing in credit swaps, allowed him to funnel pension money into some stuff and in return, maybe this project gets approved and bamboozled.
- LACERS said BIG pension loss was H Cisneros project. Cisneros tied to Garcetti. Garcetti approved housing project by D Rubin, Pres of CDR. 3 minutes ago via HootSuite
- DAVID RUBIN is President of a Financial Products firm (Municipal Reinvestment/Credit Swaps) under FBI investigation. Eric did deal with him! 8 minutes ago via HootSuite
- David Rubin is Pres of CDR Financial Products. Specializing in CREDIT SWAPS AND MUNICIPAL REINVESTMENT. LACERS lost BIG in CIsneros project. 10 minutes ago via HootSuite
- Maybe FBI jumped on L.A. Controller's audit of Housing in @EricGarcetti's district is cause CDR Finacials under investigation: D Rubin/Pres. 15 minutes ago via HootSuite
- $6.4 mil Prop 1C $ used for FBI investigated housing in Garcetti's district. Company D Rubin is President of also under FBI investigation. about 1 hour ago via HootSuite
- LACERS panel said "a BIG reason" city lost big pension money was over Henry C HUD workforce housing. Was only example specifically cited. about 1 hour ago via HootSuite
- CDR Financial Products, LLC (David Rubin/President) - UNDER INVESTIGATION from FBI and there was an SEC - Settlement Enforcement Action. about 1 hour ago via HootSuite
- NOW STREAMING: Zuma Dogg FRIDAY NIGHT FOLLOW UP CALL to KRLA Kevin James Show on FBI Investigation into @EricGarcetti's Housing Project. about 2 hours ago viaHootSuite
- KEVIN JAMES asking if L.A. City Council President ERIC GARCETTI has been question by FBI over disabled senior housing investigation. about 4 hours ago via HootSuite
Enhanced Affordable’s principals stand to collect a $2.4 million developer fee, city records show. ZRS Construction Management Inc., which built the project, would receive $1.3 million.
David Rubin, accused of rigging hundreds of investment contracts for local governments across the U.S., is at the center of investigations by city and federal authorities into a Los Angeles housing development.
The $31 million subsidized project for the poor and homeless was put on hold by local officials after the Oct. 29 federal criminal indictment of Rubin, 47. He is the founder of Los Angeles-based CDR Financial Products Inc. and one of the first targets charged in a three-year Justice Department probe of alleged anti-competitive practices in the $2.8 trillion municipal bond market.
Former city Housing Department General Manager Mercedes Marquez, who headed the agency when it recommended Enhanced Affordable and Bonnie Brae Village for city council approval in 2008, is now an assistant secretary of the federal department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD.
E-Mail Chain
The Federal Bureau of Investigation got involved in January and is examining whether a city employee leaked information about the audit to Enhanced Affordable, according to people with knowledge of the inquiry who spoke on condition of anonymity.
City officials and the FBI are examining an e-mail chain that began on Nov. 25, when Timothy Elliott, the acting manager of the department’s major projects division (Affordable Housing Trust Fund/AHTF), forwarded Greuel’s memo authorizing the audit to Gelman at Enhanced Affordable. A copy of the e-mail was among the records released by the city.
“That would be inappropriate to be sharing that sort of information,” Los Angeles Housing Department General Manager Doug Guthrie said in an interview. Guthrie was appointed to the job in November. Elliott declined to comment for this story.
Gelman forwarded the memo to Sarah Dusseault, a senior policy aide in City Council President Eric Garcetti’s office, asking for help, the e-mail chain shows. Gelman declined to comment.
Dusseault, a former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor for housing from 2002 to 2004, received $3,500 from Enhanced Affordable for consulting work in 2006, three months before she went to work for Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti, city records show. [ZD: Must have been a really rough three months, while unemployed. Hope you filed for benefits!]
Dusseault said in an e-mail to Bloomberg that she reported the payment in an October 2006 filing with the city Ethics Commission. She wrote that she doesn’t recall receiving the memo. [ZD: HUH...HUH...HUH...you get a memo about an audit of this nature, but you don't remember receiving it? If she didn't work for city hall, I almost wouldn't believe it.]
READ MORE ABOUT DAVID RUBIN: The person Eric Garcetti and City Hall did an affordable housing deal with, now under FBI:http://ow.ly/1wMof
FBI probes L.A. Housing Department’s actions in apartment project for homeless seniors
April 8, 2010 | 2:29 pm - latimes.com
The FBI is investigating an affordable-housing deal in which Los Angeles officials channeled $26 million to a developer who they knew was under criminal investigation for alleged misuse of public funds, city officials said Thursday.
The developer, David Rubin, was indicted last fall in New York for alleged bid-rigging and fraud, charges unconnected to the L.A. project