The City Council election for Valley's CD 2 is TUESDAY and we may have reached the tipping point.
After more than three years of "The Zuma Dogg Era" at L.A. City Hall, Tuesday represents a pivitol moment in time, the way I see it.
If you are reading this blog, by now you know all about the past three and a half years of Zuma Dogg at the City Council meetings where I researched, predicted then warned of all the major crisis issues we face as we head into the election to choose our next Councilmember. (I warned of the economic downturn ahead and predicted the city was headed for bankruptcy, pension money was at HUGE risk on Wall Street and in shady, crony real estate projects and called for extreme belt tightening measures starting with "Special Event Fee Waiver" abuse (what SHOULD be the lowest hanging fruit).
A few weeks ago, they passed a motion that cracks down on this Special Event fee abuse and will save the city millions. And after more comments on the record warning that the city could not accomadate all this added density "Smart Growth" on top of all this aging DWP infrastructure and we are now seeing the effects. I'm not saying Council should have had all the pipes replaced, already. But time and time again, Zuma Dogg has been threre discovering, uncovering and detailing on the record, before council where the problems are and what is ahead...and they have a history of being caught with their pants down, after the fact. And then everyone says, "Wow, Zuma Dogg said that." (A two year jump on the problem would have been nice, and COULD be nice, come Tuesday!)
At the end of this three year phase, they now say no one has ever gotten to the bottom of the fraud, waste and abuse and stood up to it, face to face, on a relentless, unprecidented basis and now the whole city is buzzing about everything I have been saying all along and we all know that the People notice.
Other candidates can go around to the Neighborhood Council meetings and ask people for supportive comments for a campaign flier. I'VE HAD HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF UNSOLICITED EMAILS FROM PEOPLE AND I'M STOPPED ON THE STREET ON A DAILY BASIS BY PEOPLE. MY LIFE HAS BEEN CHANGED FOREVER BY THE OVERWHELMING AVALANCE OF REAL AND REGULAR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UNSOLICITED. DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO GET A RANDOM STRANGER TO STOP ON THE STREET TO THANK YOU?
Do I really need to ask a few people to formally type something up.
Doug McIntyre introduced me as, "Local Legend" on his show a couple weeks ago. So maybe he was just having some fun, but I think it says I've GOTTA have the biggest name recognition out there of any of the candidates. How would it have sounded if Doug said, "Mary Benson, local legend."
But besides trying to convince you that Zuma Dogg not only probably has the biggest name recognition out there, but it's for being known as the person who has been showing up and standing up and uncovering and exposing it. And after three years of predictions, warnings and calls for action (belt tightening, changes) -- we are seeing all of the biggest things I have said most, playing out in real time.
Don't think too hard about this people. I'm not going to try and reach all the new people who know nothing about me, at this point, with the election in less than two days, but to everyone reading this who already knows about "The Zuma Dogg Era" at City Council, then you know what it would mean to have me in the seat as Councilmember. There's a lot of talk about being Neighborhood Council participant. I'm a CITY COUNCIL participant. I attended many NC meetings, across the city, and just don't see it as translating, AT ALL, to the day to day realities of CITY council meetings. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THERE CANNOT BE A GOOD NC MEMBER WHO CAN ALSO MAKE A GOOD COUNCIL MEMBER. I'm just saying the argument itself that, "I have Neighborhood Council experience, so I should be councilmember," IS A JOKE! (Again, as the fundamental argument.) If I felt NC was where the leverage was, I WOULD BE AT EACH AND EVERY MEETING TO PUNISH CITY HALL AND ADD AS MUCH PRESSURE. I just think it's a big diversion sent to the community by City Hall to keep them happy and busy and managed and contained and kept an eye on.
THE MEMBERS OF NC ARE GREAT. IT IS THE INDIVIDUALS OF THE NC SYSTEM WHO HAVE BROUGHT ZD SO MUCH GOOD INFORMATION. But that's not a result of the NC system itself, but the individuals of the system.
So I don't feel being an NC member translates, at all, as Councilmember and I think it's laughable and wannabee thinking to think it translates. (But again, I'm not saying you cannot have an NC member who could become the best CM ever.)
And if you say, "Candidate X KNOWS the Neighborhood Council system," that does not mean Zuma Dogg does not know as much about the NC system as any other candidate, including the NC members themselves. I'm not saying I do, or don't; but personally I know I've spent a heck of a lot of time speaking with the people of BONC and DONE and have attened meetings citywide and in CD 2 -- and see more NC motions and info than I feel is necessary for any one individual to know about. (YOU PEOPLE KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN HAMMERING ME FOR THREE YEARS WITH NC ISSUES...I GUESS I THINK I PROBABLY DO KNOW AS MUCH ABOUT THE NC SYSTEM AS ANYONE ELSE ON THE BALLOT -- AND, from my side as well as an insider who speaks with the City Hall insiders who laugh at the NC system and it's members who I defend and go to bat for with comments like, "Yeah, we'll they are the ones who just told me the stuff you are trying to spin me on, you shady Councilmember." (When Councilmembers first started wondering how I knew everything and was hitting them up on the hardest stuff, I would say, "You see that person you wouldn't talk to? Well after you refused to speak with them, they came up to me to complain, and they told me EVERYTHING!" So as Councilmember, I have already mentioned some ways I will make sure NC is taken more seriously and not stiff armed, because IT MAKES THE COUNCILMEMBERS JOB EASIER -- BECAUSE THE CUSTOMER (CONSTITUENT) IS TELLING YOU THE PROBLEMS! (It's a quality management/customer service method. A NO BRAINER as a Councilmember likes to say.)
So bottom line, Tuesday is a day many people have been waiting years, some their whole lifetime for: A CHANCE TO DEFEAT THE MACHINE AND PUT THE PERSON WHO HAS FIGURED IT OUT, WARNED ABOUT IT, WAS RIGHT AND STOOD UP IN THE MOST RELENTLESS WAY THAT NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN IN HISTORY! (Yes, that's me!)
Forget these other people. They all have good qualities, but seriously...under these crisis circumstances and the type of councilmember that is needed, YOU GOTTA GO WITH ZUMA DOGG. These other people will get eaten alive during the council meetings. Like a lost kid at the GIANT OVERWHELMING amusement park looking for their mommy to take them back to the more comortable playground.
Some people out there are not basing who they support on the benefits of the candidate, but how it plays out strategically, or "electabiltiy" or "chances" or "She isn't as bad as Essel" or whatever reason you are using to lose your freedom of expression when you vote out of fear and political calculations.
HOW ABOUT THIS: Ask yourself, "Do you want Zuma to be Councilmember if you could automatically press a button and magically make it happen." If the answer is "Yes, in a perfect world I DO want Zuma to be CM," remember...YOU CAN PRESS THE BUTTON, on Tuesday. It's called an election and it's the foundation of everything and if everyone who WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO SEE ZUMA DOGG BE THE NEW COUNCILMEMBER WOULD VOTE THAT WAY...I WILL BE!
As someone who refuses to compromise my integrity and values and don't base on what I say on polling stragegy, I really feel sorry for a lot of confused people out there who are not voting with their hearts and minds. I don't think you have freedom. Not because it doesn't exist, but because you are too scared and don't have the courage to express it.
But hey, maybe that's why I have the reputation I have with the masses for having heart, integrity, courage -- and just as importantly...RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN WARNING ABOUT!
I WIN!
Hopefully you will win, too on Tuesday by electing the person you would most like to see as councilmember. And if you don't think I am the grass roots candidate that has been sent to deliver this David vs Goliath defeat to city hall and feel someone else has such favorable name recognition (not talking about nutty bloggers or a list of Neighborhood Council participants they solicited for). I'm talking the kind of favorable recognition that causes random strangers to stop you on the street, or call into a radio station to commend and praise you for your efforts.
So that's my final pitch (for now)! TUESDAY YOU COULD HAVE ZUMA DOGG IN THE SEAT STARTING TO DO ALL THE THINGS WE NEED TO DO AS A COMMUNITY (A LOT OF OUTREACH AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZING -- A LOT OF PEOPLE NEEDED) -- WHILE I START TAKING MEASURES TO ACCOMPLISH THE MEASURES I HAVE BEEN CALLING FOR, EXCEPT AS COUNCILMEMBER INSTEAD OF BACKSEAT DRIVING WITH A GAG IN MY MOUTH!
Personally, I know I'm saying it myself as a candidate...but I'm know for calling a talk show or going to public comment in EMPHATIC SUPPORT of other candidates or measures...
So, all I gotta say is, FORGET anyone else! ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? YOU ARE THINKING TOO MUCH ABOUT THIS. ZUMA DOGG FOR CITY COUNCIL!
"Zuma Dogg has done a lot of good for the people of Los Angeles. He's a good man." - Dennis Zine
"Local legend, Zuma Dogg. Zuma speaks the truth. He's on TV more than Regis Philbin." - Doug McIntyre/KABC radio
"Zuma Dogg is a good candidate. Zuma Dogg understands City Hall. Zuma Dogg is passionate. Zuma Dogg would be a good representative. It would be great to have the tenacity and bravery of Zuma Dogg in the horseshoe." - Kevin James
"I think your synthesis is fabulous." -Anthony Robbins (on Zuma's writings on "management quality and productivity.")
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