If you've read my blog over the past few days, you know I have had enough of LAPD shenanigans and wasting resources as the hostile, vindictive, retaliatory arm of LAUSD and L.A. City Hall.
As the city faces devastating budget cuts that are about to bring the city to all but a halt, over the next two years...there is NO WAY to "Save Our Services" (S.O.S.) -- WITHOUT reducing LAPD payroll and pensions. Villaraiogsa and City Council are closing down EMS, Fire & Hazmat units to keep LAPD's payroll and pensions pumping. (Let alone all the park, library and department closures. Along with reduction of general services, citywide.)
And I have come to the conclusion, that a reduction or freeze or cut of LAPD budget will not really reduce or affect public safety. Because there is SO MUCH waste on dumb, nutty, petty, vindictive stuff...THERE IS PLENTY OF LAPD, ALREADY, OBVIOUSLY! And maybe they'll just have to stop worrying about Zuma Dogg and Matt Dowd at Venice Beach. Or maybe they'll have to stop arresting LAUSD kids who are dragging down the state test scores by harassing students with tickets for being even one minute late to class (after having to get there on MTA.)
So I went to the Police Commission meeting, today, to discuss the matter with LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, John Mack, et al.
SO THEN, I walked over to City Hall for the council meeting...but they were in some long agenda item that was gonna take forever, so Matt Dowd and I took off to head back to the beach.
BUT, we DID spend a moment speaking to one councilmember, briefly. (NO, not Rosendahl.) And we expressed our frustration in the delay of settlement with the City Attorney's office. And the Councilmember said, "I will vote to approve the settlement, when it comes to chambers. You won the lawsuit in Federal Court, twice now, fair and square. We just haven't had anything put in front of us, yet."
WOW! That is noteworthy. Because most people reading would probably think it is up to the Councilmember to decide how much to settle a lawsuit with someone like Dowd/Dogg; and at what point.
BUT, as ZD has learned through this process, it is the CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE that works it all out and puts a recommendation together and presents it to the council office (Rosendahl's in our case) -- and then the council office takes it to "Budget & Finance," then the full city council for a "closed session" discussion on the matter.
NOW, THE KEY PHRASE OF THIS POST IS: "We just haven't had anything put in front of us, yet."
AND YOU ARE CORRECT. So maybe Zuma Dogg is punishing the wrong people. (L.A. Council and now LAPD.) BUT...the L.A. City Attorney's Office doesn't have televised public comments...SO I WILL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO TAKE IT OUT ON YOU!
SO THE POINT IS: If you haven't had anything put in front of you by the City Attorney's office...perhaps you are at the point where you would LIKE to see something put in front of you. (March Elections coming up at Council; and ZD now BLASTING about LAPD dumb-waste and calling for budget cuts.)
It's real easy, see...you just say, "Call Zuma Dogg and tell him we're thinking $XXX,XXX amount." (BEFORE it's $X,XXX,XXX amount.)
Posts
