L.A. City Council candidate and people's champ favorite, Zuma Dogg, had a great time again meeting people and chatting with the other loser candidates at the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association Meeting on Wednesday evening. I think the crowd saw right through those phonies Paul Krackorian, Tamar "Goes Along" Galatzan and Christine "Everyone Loves" Essel and will be scanning the neighborhood collecting absentee ballots to fill in for "zUmA DOgG".
L.A. CITY ATTORNEY CARMEN TRUTANICH IMPROMPTU APPEARANCE AT SHERMAN OAKS HOMEOWNERS EVENT: On Wednesday evening, The Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association had a "meet and greet" with the CD 2 City Council Candidates. It wasn't a Q&A Forum like the others, but the candidates got to introduce themselves as part of the regular meeting that is a lot like a BIG Neighborhood Council meeting. The usual candidates were there. Also in attendance as guest speaker was Bob Hertzberg (who is part of the Trutanich Team, so I wonder if the City is still going to be giving Hertzberg's lawfirm all that outside work, now that Nuch has vowed to cut back on that). New City Council Machinemember (CD5 Jack Weiss Replacement) Paul Koretz stopped by (Paul is endorsing Assembly State-bankrupting machine candidate of choice Paul Krackorian.) Wendy Greuel was scheduled to speak (her name placard was on the speaker table next to Hertzberg's) but the card was pulled and the Queen didn't show up. Probably because her name is MUD in CD2 and it was probably too uncomfortable for her to show up with her gal Christine Essel in attendance who was schelpping it out with the rest of us low-life (non-shady money backed) grass roots candidates.
City Attorney Carmen Trutanich made an impromptu appearance. I hope that was the last time he goes through the "why I high fived after the Pena decision was announced" routine. He must REALLY feel that story hurt his image, cause he used it as the opener at his Town Hall forum last week, and went into the depressing tale of death and insidiousness AGAIN at the forum. I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER TO HAVE NOT GONE INTO THAT. No need to bring it up and retell the tale for all to remember. I personally understand why he was excited and he explained why to the crowd, but I sure as hell wouldn't have walked into a room with the energy he brought when he came in, then KILL THE ROOM with the Pena long winded story. (At least close with it if you feel it MUST be addressed, but again...)
But here's something interesting he mentioned that I'm sure people will like. Trutanich (Nuch) said that they are no longer just going after (specific ethnicity) of gangs. And Nuch left the perfect dramatic pause to allow time for me and the audience to run through our mind, "Hmm, what new ethnicity they be targeting?)
"TAGGERS," Nuch proclaimed. Don't just focus on this gang, or that gang. Nuch says that these taggers chat on the internet where and when they will be tagging. And when they catch that chatter the goal is to bust it before it happens. And if you are busting the taggers, I guess you will be busting the gang members. I think a lot of people who elected Nuch for this kinda stuff will be happy.
Another interesting item he mentioned was regarding Medical Marijuana. Nuch made the announcement that there was a recent case that will allow the city to redefine the definition of "primary caregiver." However, Zuma Dogg must go on the record to warn people that this will not affect the medical marijuana collectives themselves. A primary caregiver is NOT a dispensary/collective, but someone who may provide medical marijuana for a patient. For example, part of being a primary caregiver includes being able to go to a collective on behalf of the patient and pick up the medication and deliver it to the patient. HOWEVER, YOU WILL HAVE A TOUGH TIME IN COURT IF YOU ARE CLAIMING TO BE A PRIMARY CAREGIVER UNLESS YOU ALSO ARE PROVIDING;
a) Shelter
b) Health Care
or
c) Safety
So you can't just be a "weed runner" for 100 people and say you are their "primary caregivers." So I wouldn't expect this to be able to be used to shut down collectives.
AND SPEAKING OF THIS ISSUE, City Attorney Senior Advisor Jane Usher and CD2 City Council Candidate Tamar "LAUSD-PARENT BUS THROWER UNDERER" Galatzan have been running around the city saying that it is illegal to sell marijuana in the state of California.
I hope when they are saying that, I hope they are not inferring (or is it implying) that ALL MEDICAL MARIJUANA COLLECTIVES ARE OPERATING ILLEGALLY.
So let's see if Uncle Zuma Dogg (concerned citizen and candidate for city council in CD2) can add some clarity to the insanity:
Yes, it is illegal to sell marijuana in the state of California.
However, the state of California allows for a group of members (know as a collective) to grow and cultivate medical marijuana for it's patients. Under state law, a patient with a doctor recommendation may grow up to six plants. So if a collective has 100 patients, they should be able to have approximately enough medication on hand for about 600 plants worth.
AND, these collectives (that are private memberships) can collect donations; as in money to reimburse the membership for building space (rent), security cameras, employees to operate the collective for members, the cost of expense to grow (which includes water, lights if grown indoors, etc.).
The confusion on Jane and Tamar's part may have been over a decision the Attorney General made saying that these collectives have to pay State sales tax. So if you think the State should not be charging sales tax for something that you are not selling, but taking donations to cover the cost of operation, then contact Jerry Brown and ask him to repeal that decision.
NOW, FOR THE REAL LOW DOWN ON THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA COLLECTIVES AND THE ABUNDANCE OF THEM IN L.A. CITY:
Now that I have clarified the "illegal to sell" issue, here's the angle. Currently, there are no regulations in place since City Council waited until only recently to do anything about it. Now they are working on some rules and regualtions, but they will reach too far and make it too complicated and it will take a long time.
ZUMA DOGG AS CITY COUNCIL MEMBER SAYS: If you want to reduce the number of collectives immediately, put in the most basic, easy to pass ordinance. Because under State law, Zuma Dogg agrees that many, many, many of these collectives are not operating compliantly and will not be able to do so, because it's not that easy to run a medical marijuana collective as detailed under California State Law. SURE, anyone can open one up if you don't have to follow the rules. (Just buy as much weed as you can and try and sell as much as you can to as many people as you can.)
Then, various city departments (like Bldg & Safety and LAPD) can go around and bust the non-compliant ones.
For example, one of the co-ops busted last week was KNOWN to let anyone through the door who merely flashed any form of anything to the security guard without checking to see if they are verified as certified patients of the collective. YOU COULD LITERALLY FLASH YOUR BLANK PALM AND THE SECURITY WOULD LET YOU IN.
So if that is happening...ADIOS!
I heard they took the door off the 8th Floor City Attorney's office, so ZD will be stopping by with all the ins and out (angles) of how to shut down the bad guys without violating the spirit of the intent of voters. BUT I WILL TELL YOU THIS...IF YOU HAVE AN ISSUE WITH TOO MANY DISPENSARIES...YOU BETTER START CRACKING DOWN ON THE DOCTORS WHO ARE NOTHING MORE THAN PRESCRIPTION MILLS. START AT VENICE BEACH NEXT TO THE ICE CREAM STAND WHERE THEY ARE SIGNING PEOPLE UP 100s AT A TIME. THEY ARE CREATING THE DEMAND FOR ALL THE DISPENSARIES.
AND IT'S A REAL PROBLEM, BECAUSE STATE MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAW SAYS IT IS TO "PROVIDE RELIEF." That is a pretty low threshold and it's hard to refuse patients. It is not pharmaceutical medication and does not have to "cure" anything. Just "provide relief." So you have to have credible doctors writing medi-marijuana prescriptions, just like in the medical industry. NOT EVERY DOCTOR WILL WRITE YOU A SCRIPT FOR OXYCONTIN JUST BECAUSE YOU SAY YOU HAVE THE SYMPTOMS. So similarly, even though ZD says "relief" is a low threshold, CLEARLY, it is TOO LOW if you are recruiting patients off the Venice Beach boardwalk.
And finally regarding Trutanich...ZUMA DOGG IS PISSED OFF AS HELL THAT THE PEOPLE PUSHED AND RALLIED FOR NUCH...AND HE IS BEING UNDERMINED BY "VEGAS" VILLARAIOGSA. Antonio uses mafia-style THUG tactics to undermine the work of Trutanich and other department heads.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN A SEARCH WARRANT RELEASED SO QUICKLY AS I HAVE WITH THE BUILDING AND SAFETY HEAD (Adleman) AS RELEASED BY THAT PUNK MAYOR. Just because ZD ain't happy because Nuch thinks the Dogg ain't upscale enough to be seen associating with him POST-election, doesn't mean I don't like the way Nuch is operating as a litigator. The guy ain't the "regular guy" he tried to play himself off as. And I don't think anyone wants a "regular guy" in the office. Nuch IS a GREAT speaker when it comes to the legalease/litigation talk. He's BRILLIANT at assessing the picture and telling you thought process of these decisions. AND I THINK WE ARE GOING TO SEE EXCITING INNOVATIONS IN THE OFFICE.
Nuch may be as hopped up and excited as Zuma Dogg and he may be hollering more than he can deliver all at once, but at least it's all talk in the right direction. It's not like the previous City Attorney who was doing everything shady and pushing for the wrong team. I think Nuch's intent is as it appears to be. So I don't expect to find him being caught up in some corruption scandal or finding out he was pushing for the shady side. AND YOU MUST ALWAYS REMEMBER, NUCH IS ONLY CITY COUNCIL'S ATTORNEY. HE DOES NOT WRITE THE LAW. For example, someone asked about illegal food vendors on the street in their area. Nuch said if it is brought to his attention, he will go after them. The person let out a cheer and claps. HOWEVER, just because Nuch is City Attorney, does not mean that Reyes and Huizar (the CMs of her area) will do anything new about it today, that they didn't do before Nuch was sworn in. And then you have the mayor fighting for Lowery Mays and Sons and AEG instead of the legal side of the law. So all we can do is remember what a certain law enforcement elected official said, "If Trutanich is elected, the mayor and half of city council will be carried away in handcuffs."
In summary, although he can be overly ambitious in his premature exhortations sometimes (I blame his advisers), I think the people who voted for Nuch should be taking joy in it's all we had hoped for and he's gonna be sifting through everything, looking for ways to shake out the shadiness and the only challenge is that you are trying to capture Niagara Falls, and all you have is a Dixie cup.
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