Especially, since Higby notes that he hasn't always agreed with me on "development" in Los Angeles. And if there is any single city issue that Michael digresses from ZD, it's this issue. So that's why it means so much to me that he not only remembered who's been showing up to address this issue, over and over, day in and day out; but for allowing himself to recognize the matter in a post. Because of course, now he's gonna get HAMMERED for it. THANKS FOR NOT HOLDING BACK OUT OF COWARDLINESS! (Because that's what it is when you hold back or compromise what you believe in because you are calculating the effect.)
Was Zuma Dogg Right About Infrastructure?
Are we seeing the tell-tale signs of this with twin water main breaks in Studio City and Valley Village this weekend?
Are these isolated incidents or perhaps was Zuma right about the impact of unchecked development on roadways, water pipes, the water supply and electric grid? Are we only seeing the very beginning of all hell breaking loose with the City under the weight of too many people?
This very well could be a game changer in the coming CD2 elections and beyond. In light of these recent incidents it will be interesting to hear what the candidates have to say. Stay tuned!
CLICK HERE FOR ENTIRE POST AND TO POST YOUR OWN COMMENT.
And now,I would like to go into campaign mode, or at least stick up for myself a little bit:
Over the past three years, when you add up all the comments I have made on, "there's not enough infrastructure to accommodate all your high density," it is probably my most commented issue and most urgent warning -- besides perhaps Special Event Fee Waiver abuse that is on the agenda at almost every meeting -- and HAS been addressed with a new motion last week, as prescribed by Zuma Dogg. But even then, I STILL have probably mentioned the old, outdated infrastructure more than anything else in the city, because it's just about the biggest issue.
How many times have I said on the record before council and before the public, "When the city's infrastructure was built, it was not mean to handle all of this density." I've warned that the DWP transformers and outdated pipes.
Phil Jennerjahn reminded me to mention my rantings that, "The DWP transformers are outdated and not meant to handle all this density and one good heatwave and it's gonna look like "Tropic Thunder" -- and then we won't have the water to put it out!
(To be fair, when the DWP transformers blow, they don't actually burst out into flames, but merely go out with a "puff." But the visual of the Tropic Thunder explosion scene is more fun to rant over. But the message that the pipes and transformers need to be replaced BEFORE you build New York City ontop of it.)
SO AT THIS POINT, MUCH TO THE HATERS DISMAY, I am going to say, I know a lot of people would like to see a Neighborhood Council member as Council member, and some people think that being good a good Neighborhood Council member automatically means you would be a good council member.
And that IS a big frustration for me to have to sit back and listen to people say at forums attended heavily by NC members. And I have said to both Daily News and LA Times that when I look through my cell phone and email contacts of all the people who provide me with the information and knowledge -- many, many, many of them (from all across the city) are also NC participants.
But I think I have dug deep and really spent three intense years, and YES...at the council meetings themselves, seeing what is happening on a day to day basis; what is going down and what is being done, and the stuff that comes through the agenda and the big picture stuff that affects jobs and constituent services and city services IS NOT NECESSARILY THE STUFF THAT MATTERS MOST AS COUNCILMEMBER.
So I would like to see, of all the candidates on the ballot, how many of them not only saw that this is among the most critical issues in the city, if not the most critical issue (besides overall budget problem that affects EVERYTHING else); and was concerned enough to do everything possible in your power to bring this to these helpless knucklehead's attention and at least put enough public pressure on them to do something about it.
In this case, it took this entire crisis of the old, outdated pipe bursting (which SHOULD have been re-enforced already) and having homes and businesses damaged and streets closed, and water shut off and fire trucks falling into sink holes to get their attention. Just like it took an earthquake to have council address emergency preparedness, even though they just "passed" on speaking on the topic, only MINUTES before Zuma Dogg put in a card on the item to address the fact that Laura Chick said the city HAS no emergency preparedness plan. THEY CHOSE TO PASS ON FURTHER DISCUSSION, then within the hour there was an earthquake (remember Zine on the radio, "Earthquake! Earthquake!") -- and the next week they had an item on the agenda to address the issue. THAT WAS INSTANT KARMA AT IT'S FULLEST ON THAT DAY!)
So of all the Neighborhood Council candidates on the ballot, who has made this there primary issue and showed up to address the issue where it counts: AT THE COUNCIL MEETING ON THE RECORD!
And if anyone can even find ONE Neighborhood Council motion ANYWHERE in the city addressing the infrastructure vs continued density, please email it to ZumaDogg@Gmail.com. Because I would like to see it.
So please elect David Saltsburg (Zuma Dogg) to the City Council seat in CD2 on Tuesday September 22nd. And please do everything you can to get the word out that there's an election on Tuesday September 22nd --- and that Zuma Dogg is on the ballot and please mark the calendar and vote for him.
He warned of:
* Special Event Fee Waiver abuse that Council just passed a motion addressing, much to the dismay of Janice Hahn and Richard Alarcon (which is a good sign it was the right thing to do -- AND IT WAS PASSED BY COUNCIL WHICH MEANS THEY AGREED WITH ME OR WOULDN'T HAVE CREATED THE MOTION)
* Predicted recession that was heading to L.A. City due to subprime on May 3,2007, six months before it hit L.A. Times front page news headlines. I warned the city needed to prepare for this recession.
* Discovered pension money was invested in Grand Ave Project which I deemed to be more than risky, but felt would never get off the ground. The money was pulled out, not too shortly after I started screaming about it on LIVE TV during the Council meetings ON THE RECORD and after I blogged about it enough.
* When I was forced to examine the global economy, because I had to investigate the viability of Wall Street due to family stock investments, I did not like what I saw, predicted a full-out doomsday economic scenario for the city, state, country and global economy and STOOD UP ON THE TABLE AND URGED THE CITY AND EVERYONE I KNEW TO GET OUT OF THE STOCK MARKET BEFORE OPENING BELL JAN 3, 2008. (The market opened to it's worse new year's opening ever, Bush had to immediately step in and take emergency measures, many people were wiped out or investments were cut in half since then.)
* During this time I predicted (warned) that the city would be big losers on Wall Street with the pension money; and overall revenue that the city would be taking in; and said this would be worse than the 80's recession and said it would be the most "pain" since the Great Depression itself and that they city would not be able to afford to provide basic services and they would have to fire everyone joking, "They're not going to have to lay people off, there just won't be any money, people won't be getting checks and they'll just stay home." (LOL! Maybe that's what they SHOULD do since they can't fire anyone.)
* All of these warnings toward the goal of "belt tightening" to put it in warm and fuzzy council terms.
So those are the big issues that I came across that I feel distinguishes me from not only anyone on the ballot, but anyone in the city. And now you have the chance to put me in the council seat, where I will be able to take it to a MUCH bigger level, because I've been figuring out all this stuff by poking around in the dark as a gadfly. IMAGINE IF I WAS SEEING IT AND SPEAKING WITH THE SAME INSIDERS AS AN INSIDER! AND THEN, when Richard Alarcon, Janice Hahn, Dennis Zine and Greg Smith are trying to bump Zuma Dogg to the end of the meeting to try and keep it from being exposed, I'll be able to create motions (with CM Parks, I guess) to start operating the city as a municipality and not a nursery school playground.
And I just don't see anyone on the ballot who you can look at, whether they are the BIG 3 LOSERS or Neighborhood Council members who have been like a hockey goalie with this stuff on the BIG stuff that matters most (while also addressing the day in and day out local backyard issues that come through the agenda) showing you I not only REFUSE to be bamboozled, I have dedicated my life toward this goal over the past three years; and at the end of the day...it's kinda of shocking how I have gone out on such big limbs, making such outrageous statements at the time; and have tried to shake the trees as hard as I possibly can, because that's what it takes;
AND I'VE BEEN RIGHT ABOUT ALL THE STUFF WE ARE IN A CRISIS OVER:
No time to take chances on an un-proven, un-tested prediction as to whether someone will be able to keep up at the city council pace and level once elected. Sorry to have to sell myself the way I try and sell other candidates I believed in.
I know what I have done throughout my corporate career; creatively as an artist (and the job DOES require MASSIVE creativity/innovation in these economic times); know what I have accomplished behind the scenes and in front of the cameras at Council; and know what I will be able to accomplish in the seat as an extension of what I have already been doing.
I really, really hope you vote for me and put me in the seat. I've shown you as much as I can from this side of the rope. Imagine how amazing it would be for everyone if I get to open the floodgates and do everything the people sent me to do, and each and every one of you will be calling me on my cell phone and sending me emails, as we have already been doing. Except now we'll have the council staff at our disposal working WITH us on everything, instead of against us!
Posts
When I spoke with Joe B., last night, the thing I liked best about the conversation was that Joe was telling me that when he talks to people in the community, what THEY want to hear is, "What is your 'vision' for the district?" Don't just tell what the problems are or what you have done, but explain what you are going to do for the first two years. (Because it is just under a two year term.) And I remembered from getting signatures, when I would try to explain the problems and urgency of the matter, they would cut me off and say, "Well, what are YOU going to do?"
SO, the FIRST thing that popped up is Neighborhood Council and their involvement with the council office.
Because by attending these recent forums, the issue DOES continue to come up with ways to MANDATE or REQUIRE more NC involvement and say at the council level.
So the first thing I will commit to, and spit back at Joe B., is that over the past three years, my biggest asset and resource has been the people who have tutored and mentored me and bring me the info and how they are being screwed by the city/Wendy.
And be it Cindy, Joe, Mike S, Patricia, Lydia, Dr. Wiseman, Higby, Candido, All the NC people I've met these past few weeks...it seems they have ALL been NC participants.
AND, everyone says I am informed and look good from the podium as the "front man" presenting this voice at the City Council level at the meetings.
And as Councilmember, I am going to want to continue to look good and outperform and outshine every other CM in the horseshoe, and then THEY'LL be forced to follow:
WHY WOULD I WANT TO STOP USING MY SECRET WEAPON? Why would I NOT want to take the musicians and singers who were in my band on the road with me? I WOULDN'T?
As a matter of fact, we all know the staff is overwhelmed and budgets are tight; AND I WOULD BE NEEDING ALL OF THESE PEOPLE HELPING MY OFFICE AS MUCH AS THEY WANT TO AND ARE ABLE TO.
So first of all, if Zuma Dogg is elected City Councilmember; right after the brief swearing in ceremony, EVERYONE SHOW UP IN THE ROTUNDA (cause the office won't be big enough) AND WE'LL START GOING TO WORK.
First thing; each Neighborhood Council Boardmembers/Leaders list the top priority/priorities -- AND, AS USUAL, let me know what the answer is, or what you are looking for. Because again, ZD is known for reflecting the voice of the community, and I haven't hopped on the wrong side of the bandwagon yet. NOT because I'm so smart...but because it's OBVIOUS how SHADY the stuff being done is; and there is plenty of OBVIOUS stuff to start with.
So again, not only will the NC members (and of course any one else in the community who wants to be involved in this process/but it usually ends up being mostly NC members, anyway), who will be bringing the problems to the forefront, but will be giving ZD the answers to the homework for him, which always save a lot of time in the vetting process.
AND THEN, Councilmember Zuma Dogg will show up to each NC meeting and let you know what is going to be done.
And we'll just keep that process rolling.
SO THAT'S THE FIRST THING I WILL DO, OR AT LEAST THE FIRST THING I THOUGHT OF.
But beyond that, here is what I initially said to Joe B. when I was talking about NC:
YOU CANNOT MANDATE OR REQUIRE NC INVOLVEMENT. You can, but it doesn't work if the CM doesn't WANT to do it. Because then they just run their own people, or put up hurdles.
My initial comment to Joe was, "As soon as I'm sworn in, I'll just be on the phone with all the same people. You won't HAVE to mandate it, because I have already been networking with all these people, just out of my own interest and challenge to always get to the bottom of these issues. (Hey, some people like trying to solve the "Wheel of Fortune" puzzle.)
So then Joe was asking me if I would let the NC leaders present me with the slate of priorities, and if I would let them know what I would do, then work with them on it until it was ready to show up and tell the NC members in person at their meeting.
And if that's what they want, that sounds good to me. It sure helps me because the NC members present all the stuff at the meeting and they decide what they want addressed FIRST, which filters everything down...and then I have no problem showing up to the meetings, unless becoming CM totally goes to my head, or something. I mean, I show up to them anyway all across the city and other committee meetings and if I stopped doing that, I lose the street level knowledge that has made me in radio as a market researcher AND as a public advocate.
BUT, I wanna make sure it doesn't get too bureaucratic and I hope I can still just call people on my cell phone at any time and don't have to wait for meetings and appointments to talk to my own constituents.