Downtown LA will have several street closures tomorrow (7-7-09) due to the massive crowds expected to turn out for Michael Jacksons Memorial at the Staples Center.  Please plan accordingly.

Map of Street Closures

One thing that I would like to say however is I do not like double standards.  A couple of weeks ago the City was outraged at the thought, possibility and eventual reality of having to front the cost of police and security for a Lakers Victory Parade.  Today, I hardly hear anybody complain about having to front the cost of police and security for Michael Jacksons Memorial.  Maybe the Staples Center needs to help front the cost of this event and not have Councilwoman Jan Perry hustle on the phone trying to get donations.

I just received a Press Release from Jay Handal the Chair of the WLANC and West Area Budget Representative saying:

Budget and Finance Committee Agree

This just in!  We did it!  Now we need 8 votes on Friday.

$45,000, no sweeps, clerk does elections. Dollars are coming from clerks election budget. No mail-in voting. NCs will help with elections.

No I’m not talking about the weather.

Bernard Parks introduced a motion in the Budget and Finance Committee (which he chairs) to increase the Mayors recommended $5,000 cut in neighborhood council funding to a drastic $38,800 per NC!  This is just plain stupid.

I’ve always said Councilman Parks is a bitter old man who has never forgiven the City for allowing Mayor Jim Hahn to fire him.  Not only did he vow revenge by running for City Council but he has run for every open seat available to him since and lost.  This of course makes him and even more bitter man and decides he’s going to take it out on his constituents who voted him City Councilman in the first place!  Smooth move Bernie, smooth move.

Today, at the Budget and Finance Committee meeting over a hundred Neighborhood Council representatives came out to speak on why this funding should remain.  Two hours of Neighborhood Council testimony ranging from people representing the Harbor all the way to West Hills and everything in between still was not enough to persuade Councilman Grieg Smith (how is Grieg pronounced Greg? I don’t know) to side with the NC’s saying he cant lay city workers off.  I’m a city worker! I should be happy!

Not!  WTF Bernie? WTF Grieg?  You guys suck.

Neighborhood Councils do all the dirty work that City Council should be doing but don’t want to get their hands dirty by shaking our hands and thanking us.  Neighborhood Councils are what truly make this city great and for the past seven years they have been doing a formidable job with inadequate funds.

Neighborhood Councils came under attack and they responded today.  I hope this doesn’t get too ugly.  I plan on getting my hands dirty for this one.

In the end, the committee voted on $35,000 in annual funding, no sweeps of any kind and the City Clerk does the elections with reduced amount of funding from the budget.

We need no less than $45,000.  I urge you all to call your councilmember and ask them to push the $45,000 annual neighbrohood council budget but you can forget about Parks and Smith since they dont support the NC’s.

Greuel, Rosendahl and Hahn support us already so call these guys:

Reyes 213-473-7001
Zine 213-473-7003
LaBonge  213-473-7004
Weiss 213-473-7005
Cardenes  213-473-7006
Alarcon  213-473-7007
Perry  213-473-7009
Wesson  213-473-7010
Garcetti  213-473-7013
Huizar  213-473-7014