BLOG NET NEWS WEEKLY UPDATE: Not to bore you with the same old details, but ZD's LA Daily Blog is in the Top 5, again, this week on BlogNetNews STATEWIDE Ranker of 100 blogs.
Here's the 12 week average (Top 5):
1. Caltics
2. OC Progressive
3. Orange Juice
4. LA Daily Blog
5. Political Blogger
So over the past 12 weeks, ZD's LA Daily Blog has consistenly ranked TOP 5 -- and is the only local L.A. blog in the "Top 5" 12-week survey. [BlogNetNews/August 2, 2009]
(and under the Top 5 wire, rounding out the Top 10)
6. LA Observered, 7. Politicos in the Zero, 8. California Progress Report, 9. Liberal OC, 10. Patterico's Pontifications [Mayor Sam's blog didn't make the Top 10 for the past 12 week period, just for comparison's sake.]
Thanks for rollin' with the BIG Dogg!
As I hope you know by now, there is a Los Angeles City Council election for the District 2 seat (CD2) this Tuesday September 22, 2009. Zuma Dogg and nine other candidates are on the ballot. There are three "politically connected" money candidates and seven "community/grassroots" candidates (Zuma Dogg being one of those seven).
And as a gadfly, who has attended more council meetings in the past year, than any councilmember, I am told, I have spoken on the gamete of item, across the board as they roll through the agenda three times a week.
So, I consider myself to be a "broad" and "general" issue activist. As opposed to "specialized," one issue activist, like the people who stick to one topic like SW Museum, Animal Services, No Home Depot, Neighborhood Council/DONE, DWP, Parks & Rec, ...there's the LAUSD guy who tutored me when I first showed up on the scene; the Planning and Land Use guy who drilled me on all those issues the first couple years/whatever.
I am not being critical of the specialists who focus on one topic...THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO GRABBED ZUMA DOGG AT ONE POINT TO TRY AND MAKE ME AWARE OF THE ISSUE...the legalese experts who's knowledge goes deep. And I did my best over the past three years (plus) to soak up and comprehend as much of it as possible. Then I would try to take the top stuff each day, and put it into my public comments.
So as I am heading into the election season, and am thinking about the issues to be discussed in the forums and in questionnaires and for my TV 35 three minute campaign spot...and as I try to put it all together in my head...
I THINK I REALLY WANT TO PUSH THE LAUSD ISSUE! I do not have kids...BUT AS AN ACTIVIST WHO LOOKS AT THE BIG PICTURE, BECAUSE THE CITY HAS BIG PROBLEMS...
THE DISTRICT AND THE CITY CANNOT...AND WILL NOT EVER BE ABLE TO MOVE ON UNTIL THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IS REPAIRED!
It's an issue for parents and kids, of course. But even if you don't have kids in the area, the lousy school system brings down the property value of the entire district.
A 50% dropout rate (and not all the grads do so hot, either) is a HUGE burden on the city because they end up turning to a life of crime (gangs) and then we have to spend money fighting that...and we lose productivity because the city can't find qualified teachers, police, fire, engineers and overall city workers from the area.
AND THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A SENSE OF URGENCY ON THE SCHOOL BOARD'S PART OR ON THE TEACHERS UNION PART.
And I have already gotten a sense from people in the district that you are NEVER going to get people to agree on anything, because it is so splintered; and bumps up against three other districts...and the people from Studio City couldn't care less about the people in Sunland-Tujunga. And the first thing someone from S-T will ask you is, "Where do you live." As in, "You gotta be a candidate from S-T, or forget it." And all anyone seems to care about is whatever is 1000 feet, or less, away from their door.
So when you combine the fact that LAUSD is the biggest plauge and blight ACROSS the district; and I truly feel the district and city CANNOT move forward and will NEVER re-bound WITH THE CURRENT CONDITION OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. (It's a graffiti artist factory!)
SO THIS ELECTION SEASON...ZUMA DOGG WILL REALLY BE HAMMERING HOME THE NEW CONCEPT THAT IS AVAILABLE TO THE DISTRICT, WHERE PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, IN GENERAL -- CAN START A PETITION DRIVE TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE LAUSD SCHOOL...and literally take it out of the hands of LAUSD for all intents and purposes.
THERE ARE TWO SCHOOLS IN THE CITY WHO HAVE KICKED THIS OFF ALREADY AND HAVE ALREADY GATHERED SIGNATURES AND PRESENTED THEM TO THE LASUD BOARD! One in East L.A. (un-incorporated area) and one in Venice.
So Zuma Dogg for City Council will be taking this idea to the parents and community...and helping to spread this "Parents Revolution"/LAUSD "community takeover" idea throughout the district for the people who want to get this started at their own school.
There are many issues to be discussed this CD2 election season, and I am ready to discuss those, as well. But to set the stage and help cut through the clutter of issues into SOMETHING the entire district can hopefully get behind together...IS GETTING INVOLVED IN FIXING (TAKING OVER) THE LAUSD SCHOOLS!!! Whether you care about kids...or just your neighborhood!
Zuma Dogg
Candidate, City Council District 2
213-785-7272
Mark down Thursday September 17th on your calendar for ZD's LIVE event where all of this will be discussed!
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