CD 2 Councilman Krekorian Wants To Transfer Money Into Neighborhood Council Fund....BUT HE HAS TO APPROVE EVERY EXPENDITURE! (DOH!)

11-0801

CD 2

MOTION (KREKORIAN - GARCETTI) relative to funding for the purpose of providing grants to Council District Two Neighborhood Council.

Recommendations for Council action, SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MAYOR:

1. TRANSFER/APPROPRIATE $22,000 in the Council District Two portion of the Cultural Affairs Fund No. 100/30, Account No. 9699 (Council Civic Fund, and the unallocated, unencumbered balances in all accounts in the Council District Two Real Property Trust Fund No. 684, and $56,175 in the Council District Two portion of the State AB 1290 Fund No. 53P/28, Account No. G304, to a new account in the Neighborhood Empowerment Trust Fund No. 44B/47 entitled: “Council District Two Neighborhood Council Grant Program,” for the purpose of providing grants to Neighborhood Councils, with the understanding that all expenditures from this account shall be authorized by the Councilmember representing Council District Two (PAUL KREKORIAN) and with the further understanding that any limitations currently existing on the purposes for which these funds can be expended shall continue to apply.

Forget about the fact that you are transferring money from all these other funds to shovel into Neighborhood Council (I wonder what the recipients of THOSE funds, despite what you think about those funds, have to say about this.)

But here's what caught my attention. Neighborhood Council is supposed to have money to spend on things they want to spend the money on. They are supposed to decide on how to spend their piece of the pie. THAT'S WHAT IT IS FOR. To do things council cannot do for you. BUT THIS SAYS THE EXPENDITURES shall be authorized by Councilman Krekorian? So what's the point? And I know he is Mr. Perfect Councilman, but doesn't this open it up for him to have his lap dog supporters come up with expenditures for Krekorian to approve that KREKORIAN wants approved. (Imagine if it was Huizar proposing this.) I know Paul Krekorian is PERFECT... but after ALL OF THE INDEPENDENCE AND AUTHORITY the NC system has been fighting for...NOW, you have to have Krekorian approve the expenditure? Again, what's the point. TOO MUCH POLITICAL LEVERAGE ON HIS PART.

A Message From Bong Water Kim of un-EMPOWER L.A. - UPDATE on Status of Neighborhood Council Roll Over Funds (They ain't rollin'!)

NUTTY WANNABEES UPDATE:

Update on the Status of Neighborhood Council Roll Over Funds

Date: January 27, 2010

To: Neighborhood Council Friends and Colleagues

From: BongHwan (BH) Kim, General Manager, Department of Neighborhood Empowerment

This is to update you on the status of NC roll over funds from prior fiscal years. As I stated in prior Eblasts (copies attached) the Department is in the midst of reconciling accounts for all 89 NCs since the beginning of the NC Funding Program. When the Program was first designed, there was no system in place which could accommodate for the subsequent implementation of the rollover policy and confirmation of roll over balances on annual basis. As you know, additional issues, including the transition from the Bank of America Stored Value card to the US Bank Purchasing Card, complicated the entire reconciliation process that we are facing today. We anticipate completing the accounting work and notifying NCs of their balances by mid March.

Reminder: NCs are not authorized to tap into what you believe to be your roll over balances until our Department has completed the accounting for each NC and given you formal written approval based upon the reconciliation with our financial records. Submission of a revised budget, including your roll over, does not constitute approval from our Department to spend more than the current fiscal year's allocation of $45,000. Because the City's accounting system maintains aggregate amounts by Fiscal Year and not by individual NC, we can only confirm balances after we have accomplished a complete reconciliation for each NC account for each Fiscal Year. We will establish an appeal process for those NCs who dispute our final balance determination.

I apologize for the delays in giving you access to the roll over funds. However, because the accounting system was not originally designed to accommodate this System, it is critical that we manually retrace the financial records for all NCs in order to establish an accurate, going-forward balance. As you know, the systemic deficiency is compounded by severe staff cutbacks and work furloughs that are affecting our entire Department, particularly the NC Funding Unit. Your patience and understanding is greatly appreciated.

Villaraigosa stumps for more cop hiring: Mayor who created the problem makes his case in meeting with neighborhood council

Villaraigosa stumps for more cop hiring
Mayor makes his case in meeting with neighborhood council
By Rick Orlov, Staff Writer from DailyNews.com
Updated: 10/10/2009

Appealing to the neighborhood activists who agreed to pay for a police buildup, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Saturday threw down a challenge to the City Council's plans to slow police hiring.

The council is scheduled to debate Tuesday whether to reduce police hiring because of the city's projected $400 million deficit.

But even as other city services face steep cuts, Villaraigosa vowed to maintain past commitments to build up the police force.

"Promises made, promises kept," Villaraigosa told more than 400 neighborhood council members gathered at City Hall for their annual meeting.

"You don't see me going on TV criticizing people," Villaraigosa said. [That better be a swipe at someone else, and not directed toward Zuma Dogg.]"I don't like fights. When I was a kid they called me Tony Rap because I would talk my way out of fights. [They should have called you "full of crap, liar," because that's what you are now.]

"But I will fight for this," Villaraigosa said.

Several council members have argued the city cannot afford to have a 10,000-officer Los Angeles Police Department.

"We can't afford to hire more police now," said Councilwoman Jan Perry. "The idea of promises made doesn't deal with reality. We just can't afford to do it."

Councilman Bernard Parks, chairman of the council's Budget and Finance Committee and a former police chief, said the city is facing a problem with demands for services.

"Also, I don't think we ever agreed that the money would go only for the LAPD," Parks said. "Public safety involves more than police. It's fire service. It's the city attorneys. It's the anti-gang programs. That money went for all those programs."

But Villaraigosa, who won support from the neighborhood councils five years ago to increase the trash fee to pay for the LAPD expansion, said he would not give up on the issue.

"It cost us $174 million to build up the Los Angeles Police Department to where we are, with $158 million coming from the trash fee," Villaraigosa said. "If we do what the City Council wants, all that will be lost in one year."

Villaraigosa went through a series of charts with the group, showing how crime has dropped in each of the past five years as the department has grown.

The San Fernando Valley, Villaraigosa said, has seen two new police stations open in recent years because of the LAPD expansion.

Deputy Mayor Jeff Carr said the mayor hopes the neighborhood council leaders will communicate with their members and pressure City Council members to support Villaraigosa.

[SO LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT...DOUCHTONIO VILLARAIGOSA IRRESPONSIBLY CREATED THIS MESS AND NOW THE COWARD IS TRYING TO PRESSURE COUNCIL INTO DOING MORE IRRESPONSIBLE STUFF. Unfortunately, it shows shows how Antonio is out of juice and is reduced to being a gadfly at the council level like Zuma Dogg, trying to put pressure on them in the media. ANTONIO...you are SO over, it's passe. And the big plan is Jeff Carr asking Neighborhood Councils to pressure Council. IT'S A DIVERSIONARY TACTIC CAUSE VILLARAIGOSA'S ASS NEED TO BE RUN OUT OF TOWN AND HE KNOWS IT'S COMING. HANDCUFFS, BABY! GET READY FOR THEM. THERE IS NO WAY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT CAN ALLOW AN INEPT BAFFON LIKE YOU AROUND. COWARD, VILLARIAGOSA. Just gave away the city and now has to have Jeff Carr run around and beg Neighborhood Council to presure Council. WHAT A FUCKING LOSER COWARD THIS GUY IS. And an official "FAILURE" according to LOS ANGELES Magazine. (LOL! They're not even political.)

Neighborhood Council Participant Follows Up on LA Times Story on FELONY CHARGERS OVER PUBLIC MONEY PILFERING!!!

This post is in response to THIS post that you kinda have to read first or you won't understand the rest. And ERIC, didn't I TELL you during that recent council meeting things had gone WAY too far and ZD had enough and it was OVER! ;-)

Thursday, October 8, 2009

LA TIMES: Felony Charges Against Councilmembers...NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILMEMBERS, YOU DUMMIES!!! WAY TO GO!!! THE SYSTEM IS FINE AND YOUR NC IS PERFECT!

From: YQue4/Luiza

Date: Thu, 8 Oct 2009 13:33:30 EDT

Subject: NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS and L.A TIMES Article

NOTE FROM ZD: I was going to post this on one of my other side blogs and then just link to it, cause I didn't want to "bottle cap" my other stuff, but this blog gets the most views, automatically, just by posting here...so I want to punish the knuckleheads responsible for all of this as much as possible. So I'm posting it here. Thanks YQue4...if you are, who I think you are...you're crazier than Zuma Dogg, but again, didn't see any of the "regular" people saying anything or typing anything. Thanks. Y-QUE-4...SI SE PUEDE!

[Um...I was going to just post excerpts because some of this is explosive and so it is only being alleged, but I can tell you, I have been hearing about some of these battery and harassment issues from her and others regarding this for over a year. Not to say that means it happened. But...I don't want to edit it out, because perhaps others can clarify. AND, there is other interesting stuff in here, too.]

THANK YOU! FINALLY SOMEONE HAS OPENED THE DOOR TO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL FRAUD SITUATION.

Not only are they stealing our TAX-DOLLARS, they the NC's are also violating our civil rights, I currently have 12 complaints against The Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council, FOR: (ALLEGED) BATTERY ON MY PERSON AND FURTHER HARASSMENT LAST MONTH.

Also, another board member was (allegedly) hit and police report filed, He (allegedly) carries $500.00 dollars of NC petty cash on his person at all times as per his own admission during a public meeting (personally I do not understand why)?

Violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Numerous complaints on procedure and Brown Act violation, 1st amendment rights violations, a complaint went in also naming Bong Hwater Kim as not doing his job.

I'm tired of hearing oh this program is just a baby, it's growing, NO-NO<-NO, it's a MONSTER AND WILL NOT OBEY.

Our NC president works for Councilman Alarcon as his right hand man staffer and sits on the neighborhood council committee, this is conflict of interest, YET here is a man sits controlling our community funds, if he and the board like you, they fund your project. If they don't, they pencil rip you and tear apart your event, than come back next year, using your ideas to fund and do it there way and fund there friends.

I have a huge file of complaints yet NOTHING has been done to address my issues. NOTHING except to try and set up a MOCK GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE WHERE ONE BOARD MEMBER WAS GIVEN $5,000 FOR A PROJECT SOON AFTER THEY WHERE NAMED TO THE GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE, LOOKS MORE LIKE A PAY OFF TO ME, A BOUGHT VOTE,

I KNEW MY COMPLAINTS WHERE GOING TO BE BURIED, THIS WOMAN AND I HAVE A LONG AND WELL KNOWN HISTORY OF DISAGREEMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY, SHOULD SHE HAS BEEN NAMED TO THE GREVIENCE BOARD NO! SHE CAN NOT BE FAIR TO ME and is a personal friend to the President and his wife Jose and Lisa Sigala. SHE CAN AND HAS BEEN BOUGHT.

LET ME NOT FORGET HOW private businesses have been given hardship exceptions with community not in agreement, an example of that's wrong, I was part of a children event in 2007, I submitted a budget to the penny, when I asked for my receipt copies, an order for bags for $1000.000 for another event had been added to our receipts order, when we pointed it out to the president and to the rep who actually purchased the bags all kinds of excuses where made, to this day I do not see this expenditure(for private business) on the 2007 expenditure list and no one will answer my question of who ok'd these bags, no one voted for it.

This person is still part of the NC board and is actively involved in the KOOL-AID that I call "conceal the money."

I have been a member of this NC since it started and have seen it go from bad to WORSE, WHERE DOES IT STOP! I would love to do an interview to help stop this waste of tax-payer monies. The neighborhood council process has become a "GANG" it needs to be de-certified. un-charted, what ever it takes to get what we need.

Fire and Policing services, fixing of our city infrastructure, not funding for board members' son's events or as you wrote in your article monies from a Casino.

One of our board members did file an police report for embezzlement of funds with LAPD. To my knowledge there are 3 Police reports against this NC alone.

Thank You,

Luiza
yque4

P.S I hope you can help end this abuse of tax payers dollars before it becomes a huge lawsuit making Rampart payouts look like pennies.

Luiza aka YQue4
I'm only one person! I can't do everything, but I can do something.

LA TIMES: Felony Charges Against Councilmembers...NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILMEMBERS, YOU DUMMIES!!! WAY TO GO!!! THE SYSTEM IS FINE AND YOUR NC IS PERFECT!

SInce some people miss Zuma Dogg's public comments, here is a blast from the past that about all of you reading will remember: "Neighborhood Council was created to be an independent system, but if the system that created it is corrupt, then how can you expect their system to not be corrupt? The NC system has been taken over by City Hall, the mayor, councilmembers, their staffers, developers and family members and is nothing but one corrupt-racket." - Zuma Dogg (countless city council and committee and NC meetings.)

All I ever hear is how everyone's Neighborhood Council system is so perfect and every time I mention this type of corruption that the naive suckers have to be aware of, all I'm ever told is, "Oh no, Zuma Dogg...not OUR Neighborhood Council system. Mother Theresa is out treasurer from heaven above." (And they aren't spinning me...they BELIEVE IT TO BE THE CASE.

Zuma Dogg blogging, "blast from the past." One of MANY times I have blogged this -- and countless public comments, "on the record," before city council and in committee meetings:

Thursday, June 12, 2008

More Concerns Over Neighborhood Council Election Shadiness Under City Clerks Election Division)

Has the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council elections under the City Clerks Election Division become nothing more than a big racket? (As in RICO/Racketeering?) You be the judge. Or maybe a judge will be the judge?

This link isn't working, but this came off a Google search on a ZD article on this issue:

“zuma dogg fights ... 30 Jun 2007 by Aileen Ruth (repost of ZD's blog post.)

the system was not set up for developers, council staffers, and their activist “,llc” cronies to corrupt the system. again, part of ncs job is to generate more participation. but when you are running an international development racket ...

Plus this...and now...

Los Angeles neighborhood councils' cash tempts some
Felony charges against four treasurers have city rethinking oversight.

But now it looks like it's a different kind of "case," as in FELONY! I think this will do WONDERS for the NC system. I think the system is a success...has done WONDERS...and MORE MONEY should be funneled into the system. (OR, you could just build some giant, human hamster wheels for people to run around on. Or just get a treadmill and put the mayor's picture in front of you.

And besides the people who are alleged of outright stealing it, you have some who can't even show books as treasurers, not out of corruption, but out of irresponsibility or ability to even have complete accounting books. THEN, the NCs who use the money to funnel to their own friends and family businesses or charities. AND, the flat-out, irresponsible spending on things that the money has NO BUSINESS BEING USED FOR. (Some lady showed up crying that her kids needed new soccer uniforms and a check was written on the spot. Or food handed out at random with NC money on the streets to ANYONE (an line up they did) -- WITHOUT A SHRED OF IDENTIFICATION THAT IT WAS FROM THE NC...NO SHRED OF OUTREACH...Just a random act of unidentified kindness to a bunch of people lining up on the street.

THEN, there are the developers and Villaraigosa and Council cronies and family members who sit on the NC board, right under your noses -- to help jam through their agenda. (You demanded this system, but it is given to you by a corrupt system, so how could it be anything else. You have only forced them to have their family and own staff take over these councils, right out from under you.

In Westwood, a new NC was trying to be created by a life long community member who wanted to help revitalize the Westwood Village area. What happened. Some developer insiders hijacked the process with secret meetings and took over the process and the guy is as out of the DONE start-up process as someone who lives in the Ukraine. So you try to do something good for your community and start up an NC, and before you have the bylaws written it is already overtaken by the developer community powers that be.

BUT, it IS a nice way for everyone to get together and have a nice social occasion and it almost FEELS like something that one day may TOUCH upon the feeling of being a real NC meeting.

Now I know there are a lot of hard-fighting, brilliant, knowlegeable and profoundly intelligent people who participate on these NCs for the right reasons and probably feel some progress is being made.

But the system as a whole...see you in three years. Meanwhile, at least take some NC money and build some giant human hamster wheels. At least you'll feel great and look great in three years!

Los Angeles neighborhood councils' cash tempts some
Felony charges against four treasurers have city rethinking oversight.
By Maeve Reston

October 8, 2009

Los Angeles police are investigating a community activist and convicted felon accused of misusing tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars while serving as chairman of his neighborhood council.

The case of James Harris is just one of six involving neighborhood council treasurers or chairmen who are believed to have misspent as much as $250,000 in city money.

The investigations have raised questions about the city's financial oversight of the volunteer community groups -- for example, none of the treasurers were subject to credit or background checks. And the probes have drawn attention to what some activists view as a system that poses challenges for even the most well-meaning participants.

Although the neighborhood council system was created in 1999 as a way to give residents a greater voice in community affairs, some members say they have been distracted by difficulties resolving internal quarrels, confusion over the laws governing their meetings and burdensome financial paperwork. Four councils are currently unable to hold meetings because of internal disputes, according to city officials.

To pay for projects in their communities, each of the city's 89 groups has historically been allotted $50,000, which can be spent through city checks or a credit card issued to each treasurer. Although every expenditure is supposed to be approved by the full neighborhood council, investigators have found that some were not.

So far the Los Angeles County district attorney has filed felony charges against four treasurers. In addition to Harris', at least one other case is still under investigation. Tips about misconduct have trickled in to the city's Department of Neighborhood Empowerment ever since officials there began posting neighborhood council transactions on the Internet in 2007 to enhance transparency.

Two treasurers pleaded guilty to felonies involving misuse of public funds this summer, one faces her next court hearing later this month and one case was dismissed because the defendant died before trial.

Michele Siqueiros, president of the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners, said "the majority of [neighborhood council] money has been spent to do great things" such as graffiti cleanups, community events and beautification projects.

[ZD: AND THAT'S THE PREMISE THE SHADY HIDE BEHIND. (Not saying that Michele is...I'm saying that's the line I hear from KNOWN shadiants. And it isn't o.k. ot say "the majority." How about if a nurse delivering babies does a good job "a majority" of the time. But the other times they are dropping the babies on their heads. (Majority is not acceptable. It's not target practice or a game. Well, 60% of the time, the money isn't stolen. Hey, we're trying!)

"There are powerful things that neighborhoods are doing with these funds, and we want to them to continue," she said. [TOO BAD, IF THIS WHERE AT THE CITY HALL/COUNCIL LEVEL IMAGINE WHAT YOU PEOPLE WOULD BE SAYING. YOU SOUND LIKE A BUNCH OF LITTLE NURSERY SCHOOL CRYBABIES. DON'T YOU GET IT...IT'S OVER!!! They are going to use this to neuter NCs to complete nursery school sandbox status. YOU CAN'T WANT THINGS TO CONTINUE WHEN THIS IS HOW IT GOES. YOU PEOPLE ARE UNREALISTIC SPOILED BRAT CRYBABIES..."Boo hoo hoo, a lot of good things are happening...we want to keep this experimental dream alive." TOO BAD...you wanted the responsibility and be treated like professionals...but you clearly can't handle it as a system as a whole. SORRY TO THE GOOD APPLES.]

In a memo to police, DONE's Bong Water Kim said Harris submitted what appeared to be fraudulent invoices and event sign-in sheets with fictitious names. Officials were also concerned about Harris' "possible self-dealing with another community organization and gift cards purchased for questionable purposes." The neighborhood council paid $6,784 to Harris' employer, a South Los Angeles economic development and anti-drug-abuse group known as the Community Coalition. The group was founded by Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles), and its board includes the Rev. Leonard Jackson, a senior advisor to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

HELLO!!!! HELLO!!!! IT'S ZUMA DOGG HERE!!!! I WANT APPOLOGIZES FROM EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU WHO ARGUED WITH ME THAT THIS WASN'T HAPPENING AND THAT I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND!!! START CALLING NOW, PLEASE!!!

City officials also asked police to look into what they described as excessive payments for two administrative assistants that totaled more than $53,000 between June 2006 and January of this year.

I HATE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU NAIVE DUMMIES WHO ARGUED WITH ME THAT THIS WAS NOT SO IN YOUR FUCKING PERFECT LITTLE NC SYSTEM THAT IS COMING SO FAR...YEAH, COMING SO FAR IN WAYS TO BE CORRUPT AND ASSIST CITY HALL!!!

YOU KNOW WHAT...I think someone heard all my public comments on this...AND I WILL BE RE-POSTING THEM....I WANT APPOLOGIES FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS!!!

Harris' work with ex-offenders, gangs and substance abuse organizations was praised by both by Deputy Mayor Larry "IN ALONG FOR THE RIDE, YOU PHONY" Frank, who oversees community affairs, and the Community Coalition's executive director, Marqueece Harris-Dawson.

"We have tremendous respect for James; we really hope this matter can be resolved where James can continue his work in the community," Harris-Dawson said. "Losing someone like James in a community like ours can be devastating."

[YEAH, LARRY...YOU MEAN BECAUSE HIS ROLLING OVER AND SINGING WOULD BE DEVASTATING...TO YOU AND YOUR BOSS!]

Officials would not comment on Harris' background, but court records show that he was convicted in 1990 of disorderly conduct involving prostitution and of illegal possession of a firearm in 1996. [LET'S PUT HIM IN CHARGE...NO DISCLOSURE, EITHER...REMEMBER...YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO DISENFRANCHISE ANYONE OR HURT THEIR FEELINGS.]

In the summer of 2007, members of the Central Alameda Neighborhood Council noticed curious charges by their treasurer, Genia Jackson, who did not turn in her financial reports.

[IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW SOME OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS THAT ARE NOT ABLE TO TURN IN FINANCIAL REPORTS BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THEM (OR THE MONEY ANYMORE) CALL ZUMA DOGG. It isn't really hard to find out. People will tend to call and email you the problems without even asking or looking. They HAMMERED ZD, at least with this info.]

Records show that she withdrew $5,000 in cash over two months alone and made more than 30 purchases at clothing, thrift and shoe stores and a school uniform shop after assuming the post in September 2006. There were also purchases at Hertz Rent-A-Car, the Premier Inn, New Wave Beauty Supply, New Fashion Wigs and L.A. Nails. [IT WAS "FOR THE KIDS!"]

At Jackson's preliminary hearing this year on charges of misuse of funds by a public official, her fellow neighborhood council member, Jimena Toscano, testified that council members never asked Jackson how the money was being spent "because we always assumed it was for our neighborhood projects." After being alerted to the suspicious charges, it was three months before city officials took away Jackson's city credit card. After entering a guilty plea in August, Jackson is now on a plan to repay the city more than $18,000.

[All you NC members who told me none of this stuff was happening sound like the sweet, naive parent of every gang member killer..."Not MY kid!" MEANWHILE...I can see why NC members want MORE responsibility...look how they all stood there like Hellen Keller and just assumed all is well. "WHY ask WHY?" Hey, we're havin' FUN! It almost FEELS like something real!]

Her lawyer, Louisa Pensanti, said there was no excuse for Jackson's actions, but she noted that her client had cancer. Pensanti added that she was shocked by the city's lack of oversight: "It was unlimited credit. It was like somebody handing you a credit card and saying: 'Go ahead.' "

[OK...SHUT THE FUCK UP WHOEVER YOU ARE...THAT IS THE SINGLE DUMBEST THING I HAVE EVER HEARD! I THINK THIS IS ONE BIG ATTEMPT TO COMPLETELY DISCREDIT THE NC SYSTEM BY MAKING PEOPLE OUTRAGED IN THE RESPONSES THESE INFERIOR AND DEFECTIVE CHARACTERS ARE ACTUALLY SAYING. THIS STUFF SOUNDS LIKE THE SAME "BOO HOO HOO CRYBABY" STUFF CITY COUNCIL HIDES BEHIND. WE HAVE A CITY OF "BOO HOO HOO CRYBABIES." (It's not even a political moniker of "bleeding heart liberal." It's not about politics. It's about lack of discipline and desperation.]

IT'S JUST AN AVALANCHE FROM HERE...HAVE FUN READING...I HAVE TO SWITCH TO INDICA FROM SATIVA...I CAN'T TAKE IT...WILL SOME OF YOU SHADY FUCKS WHO STOLE THIS MONEY CALL ZD AND BUY HIM SOME LUNCH TODAY AND MAYBE PUT A WEEK'S WORTH OF HOTEL ROOM ON YOUR CREDIT CARD. Common...most of you thieves LOVE ZD and we've had some laughs and good discussions, together.

Similarly, Chris Elwell, former president of the Olympic Park Neighborhood Council said "it took an astonishing amount of time" for city officials to suspend treasurer Verna Jones, who is alleged to have withdrawn $15,000 in cash, according to a city memo, and used the council's credit card for car rentals, gas, mailing charges and trips to restaurants across the city.

Elwell said the problems with Jones inflamed already fractious relations among the neighborhood council's members who could not agree on how to handle the matter. "When the board did meet, it was 'The Ricki Lake Show,' " Elwell said.

Advice from the neighborhood empowerment department was continually changing, Elwell said: "They kept trying to put it back on us to somehow review the expenses -- we were not capable of having a meeting."

After discovering unauthorized charges online, members of the Empowerment Congress Central Area Neighborhood Development Council also had trouble getting answers from Chairman Frank Prater, who was later charged with illegally spending $30,797.

When Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas served on the City Council and later in the California Assembly, Prater was on his staff. City Councilman Bernard C. Parks subsequently appointed Prater to the Neighborhood Council Review Commission.

Prosecutors alleged that Prater, who died before his case went to trial, made cash withdrawals at the Normandie Casino, and spent $8,315 at Jimmy Jam's T-Shirt business, $4,500 in food purchases, close to $2,000 on vehicle expenses and nearly $250 at a jewelry shop.

Former North Hollywood Northeast Neighborhood Council Treasurer Jeffrey Brooks admitted to using his group's city credit card for household expenses, including his cable bill, after losing his job, according to court papers. He was ordered to pay the city $28,637 in restitution.

The neighborhood empowerment department is considering tighter limits on cash withdrawals, a formalized system for councils to approve each transaction and a requirement that treasurers submit fingerprints.

Siqueiros said "there has to be a balance between providing support and adequate training for the neighborhood councils" while preserving their autonomy.

But with deep budget cuts over the last two years, Kim said that his staff struggles to stay abreast even of the quarterly audits they perform of each neighborhood council.

The 43-position department currently has just one auditor, who is assisted by two accountants, doing that work.

maeve.reston@latimes.com

Maeve, love ya! Thanks for writing a great horror-comedy. Not an easy genre to write. But when you stick to non-fiction it's always easier. Because you couldn't make this stuff up. If I DID, people would say no one could be that stupid (to try all of this stealing) because there are too many checks and balances and there are books and everything is hunky-dory and not my kids and not my NC. And, Zuma...common...NO WAY! THANKS MAEVE FOR TELLING THESE LIVING IN DENIAL DUMMIES WHAT THEY NEEDED TO HEAR. THEY ARE STILL SAYING, "Well, not at MY NC...not realizing it is a system as a whole and DONE is CLEARLY DONE! (Good luck rebounding from this one. Good luck sorting THIS one out. You can't even pick between "plain" or "peanut" M&Ms if it were on the agenda. Good luck navigating this one. BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS...THERE IS NOW...A FRESH...NEW....BATTLE!!!

Yahoooooooooooooooooooooo! Community activists, start your engines....these are isolated incidents...the measures that the city will want to take may disenfranchise some people...it's going to be too restrictive....AND THERE WILL BE ENDLESS MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS FOR YEARS!!!! YIPPIE!!!! LET'S HAVE A MEETING ABOUT HAVING A MEETING! THERE! That's 2 meetings,already!

Neighborhood Council Summit To Address A Host of Wide Ranging Issues at "Action Summit"

HERE'S AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT JUST CAME THROUGH:

Dear Friends:

The Neighborhood Councils Action Summit on October 3 is shaping up to be an interesting, unique, and productive event.

All of the information about the Summit can be found on the wiki at http://NCActionSummit.wetpaint.com

It will start at 8:00 a.m in the Faculty/Staff Center at Los Angeles City College, 855 N. Vermont Ave. in East Hollywood, and last until 3:30 p.m. Free parking and food will be available. The wiki includes maps to Lot 4 at the school, a campus map to the Center, the program, and information about each of the issues to be discussed and voted on.

This will be a bold grass-roots attempt to find out if the traditional Congress of Neighborhoods could be organized in a way that gives a stronger and more meaningful voice to the councils.

Do not confuse this event with the October 10th Congress of Neighborhoods that is organized by City Hall, and which has now been blended with the initial meeting of the Mayor’s Community Budget Day process at City Hall. Information about that event can be found at http://www.lacityneighborhoods.com/nccongress_10_09.htm.

The Neighborhood Council Action Summit promises less talk and more action. It also gives you a chance to speak out on real city issues that are too controversial to be on the program at the Congress of Neighborhoods. These are, in many ways, the issues that City Hall doesn't want you to discuss.

The major issues include:

1. Purising a City Charter Amendment for the ballot that would cut the salaries of city elected officials in half. [ZD: This is the most shallow, nutty, do-nothing, waste of crybaby loser effort imaginable. All that time and effort to save $1.2 million? It will cost more than that to get the signatures for the Charter Amendment. Why not just take the money and put it into the general fund? Just admit it: You are mad at the shady-losers who are doing a terrible job and you want to poke them in the eye. But if you are going for reform, go for billions, or you are just clowns, yourself. More on this later.]

2. Creating more accountability and transparency at the Department of Water and Power by creating an independent ratepayers’ advocate.

3. Medical marijuana shops.

4. Asking the mayor and City Council to act in a more fiscally responsible way by adopting balanced budgets into future years as many other cities do.

5. Giving the City Council the responses it is requesting from neighborhood councils on a variety of options for cutting into the 83-year backlog of sidewalk repairs. We will be joined by the popular Director of the Bureau of Street Services, Bill Robertson.

6. Supporting the Cyclists' Bill of Rights.

Additionally, you will have an opportunity to vote on several polling questions that will be asked throughout the day, including: how you feel about the City Council motion that would move Public Comment time to the end of the City Council's agendas; involving neighborhood councils in the selection and performance evaluation of general managers; once again printing Community Impact Statements on the city's agendas; making public the attendance records of City Council members; and whether or not City Hall should require neighborhood council bylaws to all be the same.

SO IN OTHER WORDS, YOU ARE ONCE AGAIN GOING TO TAKE A ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE WITH A ROOM FULL OPINIONS AND TRY TO TAKE ON JUST ABOUT EVERY ISSUE IN THE CITY. WAY TO FOCUS!

MEANWHILE...I don't think the Summit should talk about ANYTHING other than ONE issue: How the people in the room better organize and create the community advocate infrastructure to make their voice heard in an effecitive way and become competitive with the political machine that is pushing against them.

AGAIN...I see a list of way too many goals unless it's a weekend retreat. AND, I do not think the community or NC system is prepared to take on all of these goals. I don't think they are prepared to take on any two of them.

I SPOKE ABOUT SOME OF THE METHODS DURING THE RECENT CAMPAIGN. A LOT OF IT CAME FROM RON KAYE AND MICHAEL COHEN. (All of it, actually. I just liked it and rolled with it.)

So please...stop banging your collective heads against the wall. I know a lot of good comes out of these meetings, but I am so certain, in my opinion that there is only ONE issue to be addressed. But there is NO WAY you are going be able to resist anything other than addressing a host of issues when you don't have the lines of commuication and infrastructure up and running yet.

LA Daily Blog CD 2 City Council Thread:

Go to http://LACityNews.com for updates.

SHOCKER!!!...CityWatch Reports: 9 Neighborhood Councils May Face Charges on Finances (Was $100.000 Embezzled?)

9 Neighborhood Councils May Face Charges on Finances

$100,000 Embezzled?
This special report posted first in the Chatsworth Roundup

Members of as many as nine Neighborhood Councils may be subject to criminal sanctions for misuse of taxpayer money, a city auditor told the treasurer of the Chatsworth Neighborhood Council Wednesday.

The Chatsworth Neighborhood Council (CNC) is not under suspicion.

Chatsworth is one of 14 councils selected at random during an examination of the functions of EmpowerLA, formerly known as the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE). There are 89 councils in the Neighborhood Council system. Each has $45,000 in taxpayer money to spend on projects in their local communities.

DONE supervises the councils. Following a recent meeting of the Board of Neighborhood Council Commissioners held in Chatsworth, DONE General Manager BongHwan Kim commented that there might be as much as $100,000 embezzled from the Council system. CNC President Judith Daniels had just excoriated the department for its "make up the rules as you go along" method of overseeing finances and paying bills.

In 2008, a South Los Angeles Neighborhood Council chairman/treasurer was arrested for stealing $30,000, in part by making withdrawals of city funds at the Normandie Casino ATM over a three-year period. For details, click here .

Click here for full story.

MUCH MORE (speculation, I'm sure) to come. I know people will say DONE/Un-EmpoweLA is doing this as a retaliatory move against Neighborhood Council members of the community. But if this is able to be uncovered, then it's going to be a REAL uphill battle for the decent community members. Of course people will be wishing the same investigation into City Councilmember uses of taxpayer money.

But, you have the CMs fighting to prevent performance audits of themselves. I guess you can't expect them to vote for more transparency of themselves, so it's probably going to have to go to the ballot; and I doubt any of the CMs who don't vote in favor of more transparency will never be re-elected again.

But for now, let's hope these embezzlers are the City Hall insiders who infiltrate these councils and this may expose some racketeering...OTHERWISE...looks like some other community folks just blew it for everyone else.

BONUS STORY FOR THE BLOG RECORD:

OOPS, big lender to L.A. Downtown Development goes BANKRUPT!

The U.S. added two more banks to its growing list of bank failures Friday, bringing the tally for the year to 91.

Regulators shut down Chicago-based Corus Bank (CORS: 0.26, -0.0702, -21.26%) – the second largest bank to fail this year – and turned most of its assets over to MB Financial (MBFI: 17.03, 0.52, 3.15%).

The bank, which did much of its business in commercial real-estate loans, had $7 billion in assets and $7 billion in deposits as of June 30, according to a statement issued by the FDIC. The cost to the FDIC’s Deposit Insurance Fund is estimated to be $1.7 billion.

Regulators also closed Woodbury, Minn.-based Brickwell Community Bank on Friday. CorTrust Bank of Mitchell, S.D. will assume virtually all of its assets.

Brickwell Community Bank had $72 million in assets and about $63 million in deposits as of July 24. The cost to the FDIC’s Deposit Insurance Fund is estimated to be $22 million.

Zuma Dogg's Commitment to CD 2 Voters on FIRST 3 Things I'll Need To Do As City Councilmember To Give Back The Community to the Community

A MESSAGE FROM DAVID SALTSBURG (Zuma Dogg): Here are the first things I want to do when I walk in the door as YOUR Los Angeles City Councilmember:

1. I will hire a full time staff member that the Neighborhood Council system chooses to work with Neighborhood Councils in my district. Will also move to have one member from NC system on each city commission (DWP, Planning, etc.) as stated in City Charter.

2. Will hire full time investigator to go start digging and researching and coming up with all the documentation showing what exactly is going on in the city regarding its operations and expose the fraud, waste and abuse and call for reform measures. The first person who comes to mind for this position is Beth Barrett who worked as an investigative journalist for Daily News and has a lot of knowledge and historic perspective already. (Thanks to Ron Kaye for that great idea!)

3. Will find money in places like "office holder account" to create a "Town Hall" TV show to be broadcast on TV 35 where the community can show up for REAL public comment to bring the fraud, waste, abuse and local issues that need attention to my attention and to the forefront of the city, exposing it -- and my staffers and I will engage in the debate and dialogue toward the goal of getting to the bottom of the bureaucracy that plagues the neighborhood.

These first three items will be the infrastructure that needs to be put in place so that Zuma Dogg as City Council member can open up the flood gates to the community and really, really give the people of CD 2 the platform to create change and true reform. This is how we can accomplish all the other goals like parking meter time rollbacks (8 is too late...6 is the fix!), planning issues the community fights against, placing ballot measures when needed.

Thanks to Ron Kaye of http://OurLA.org who I called to help think of some real specifics that I should do when I walk in the door as Councilmember. And Ron really went into his most inspiring "rant" (dare I call it) where these ideas came out. It's great to read Ron's writing, but when he went into full "take it back and here's how" mode, it was Ron at his best and was extremely inspiring and it really helped me see a vision of things from a different angle.

So those are the first three things I would do, right away, as YOUR Los Angeles City Council member. Although I was going to list some specifics like roll back parking meter hours, or address a DWP issue (issues...MASSIVE ISSUES), and all the other specific issues, Ron really sold me on the value of installing these types of measures, right off the bat to basically dust off the sports car, fill the tank, change the oil and get this community activism machine ROLLING...with the Dogg at the wheel and foot on the pedal.

AND ALL THE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OTHER COMMUNITY LEADERS TELLING ME WHAT YOU NEED DONE...AND I'LL DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO MAKE IT HAPPEN! Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Councilmember is a JOB and the JOB is working for you and doing what you need done in the community.

CLICK HERE to see video of my comments at various CD 2 City Council candidate forums. And please vote David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsburg so we can make this all happen.

What else should I do? Email: ZumaDogg@Gmail.com Tell everyone you know there is a City Council election on Tuesday, September 22nd and "Zuma Dogg" is on the ballot!

Official website: electZuma.com

ATTEND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL MEETING OVER THE PARKING METER INCREASES!

The City of Los Angeles Wants More Money From You!

The city is in the process of increasing the cost, and restricting the time, of parking in the Business and Theatre District of NoHo.

“It will ruin the flow of business, church services and theatre performances in the area. . .”

If this issue concerns you, come to your Neighborhood Council Meeting

Mid-Town NoHo NC Meeting
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
6:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Sendak Elementary School
11414 Tiara St.
B

etween Lankershim and Tujunga -- 1 block south of Oxnard

MidTownNoHo.org

Pull The Plug on LA City's Neighborhood Council Experiment (It's easier to build a new TV from scratch than it is to repair a broken TV)

A friend of mine is doing an article and aksed me to submit any ideas I have for ways to improve the Los Angeles City Neighborhood Council system. The NC system was started over five years ago as an experiment. At the five year mark, it was to be decided whether to continue with the experiment, or pull the plug. It was decided to move ahead with the Neighborhood Council system. This past month, the NC system had its first round of elections under the City Clerks Office. You may have heard it was quite a disaster. But you've already heard and read all about that.

HERE IS THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION, "WAYS TO IMPROVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL SYSTEM":

Zuma Dogg said: I have already given it a lot of thought over the past two years. And after the latest round of elections, now more than ever the only thing I say needs to be done is pull the plug on the whole NC experiment.

It IS an experiment. And I say the petri dish developed into a corrupt racket of a
culture.

If City Hall (the Mayor and City Council is corrupt); and the NC system is an extension of City Hall...then what do you expect? It is not an independent system as it is touted to be.

You will NEVER be able to have an independent system, in the spirit in which the NC
system was intended if it is an extension of a corrupt City Hall.

And in my opinion, this NC type of corruption (a sheep in wolf clothing) is the SCARIEST kind. What good does it do to attend an NC meeting thinking it is independent of City Hall, if the Mayor/Huizar/Reyes/Garcetti/Rosendahl/etc are really in control of the NC Boards using their political influence as Councilmembers (political pressure in the community) to back their own slate of candidates (RICO/Racketeering)?

At least at a Council meeting you know who your are dealing with. AND AS A DEMING FAN, IF I FELT IT WAS FIXABLE, I WOULD LOVE THE CHALLENGE. BUT I FEEL ANY COMMENTS TOWARD IMPROVEMENT ARE ONLY A WASTE OF TIME.

My only suggestion, if I were to apply Deming to the NC system would be: Create a new system. It is cheaper and easier to build a new TV from scratch than it is to repair a broken television. And in this example, the NC system is the broken television.

ZumaTimes.com

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