Los Angeles Watch

Items Missing in Action: Audit Shows LA City Departments Cannot Find What Was Bought

Source: Los Angeles Times

With the city of Los Angeles facing severe spending cutbacks to balance a historic budget deficit, some city departments are having trouble accounting for money they've already spent, according to an auditto be released Monday.

The audit by Controller Wendy Greuel found that three city departments could not immediately find more than 100 items they had purchased over the last seven years at a cost of $5,000 or more each, according to a news release from Greuel's office.

Greuel conducted an audit of the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Bureau of Sanitation and the Information Technology Agency, asking officials to account for 254 randomly selected items. The audit found that 115 items were not where they should have been. Fifty-six were later found in the wrong location. Fifty-nine others, at combined cost of $938,000, have not been located. 

Among the missing items was a video recorder purchased by the information agency for nearly $60,000, the news release said. The audit is expected to be made public at a news conference at 10 a.m. Monday.

The GOP, Congressman Brian Bilray and Minorities (Video Included)

I have decided to post the following interview on this blog for two (2) reasons: (1) it is just as ridiculous as the Republican Party and (2) it impacts Los Angeles and the entire Southern California area (video after the jump). 

Once you have read Congressman Bilray's remarks, you will have a better and clearer understanding as to why minorities refuse to vote for and join the Republican Party.  As sad as it sounds, the GOP has become a regional party for those who are white, from the South and Christian.  

As someone else said on another blog, "the conservative point of view is 'I demand less government interference in my life unless it interferes with the rights of those who are not white!''  And unfortunately, it is and has become so true.  

Source: The Huffington Post

John McCain has no reason to fear illegal immigrants "intentionally causing accidents on the freeway" -- according to Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.), "trained professionals" can identify undocumented workers just by looking at their clothes.

Discussing Arizona's pending profiling bill on "Hardball," Chris Matthews challenged Bilbray to cite a "non-ethnic aspect" by which law enforcement agents could identify illegal immigrants. "They will look at the kind of dress you wear, there is different type of attire, there is different type of -- right down to the shoes, right down to the clothes," Bilbray replied.

Of course, law enforcement wouldn't detain people based solely on clothing, Bilbray said. They also know to look out for the ways in which illegal immigrants just act illegal.

"It's mostly behavior, just as the law enforcement people here in Washington, D.C. does it based on certain criminal activity," he told Matthews. "There is behavior things that professionals are trained in across the board, and this group shouldn't be exempt from those observations as much as anybody else [sic throughout]."

Story of Triumph and Inspiration: Despite a Life of Hardship, He's Headed for West Point

Read Whole Story at the Los Angeles Times:

Adversity has stalked 18-year-old Tyki Nelworth. His mother is in prison, his father is deceased, and for years he was bounced from home to home.

But the senior at Washington Preparatory High School in South Los Angeles kept focused on his academic goals. He took Advanced Placement classes in English, calculus, biology, chemistry and physics, and nailed a 4.23 grade-point average.

Last week, he got his wish: He was accepted and received a four-year scholarship to the United States Military Academy.

"For me to make it to West Point, that's a big statement," said Nelworth, who plans to study engineering at the academy in upstate New York. "It means the sky's the limit."

On Thursday, members of the high school's alumni association joined a group of current students, faculty, parents and other guests at a special "Principal's Breakfast" to honor Nelworth.

"We've watched you display amazing resilience, strength and determination," alumni board member LaQuitta Cole told Nelworth. "You have been an inspiration to everyone you come in contact with, and your efforts have not gone unnoticed."

KB Home CEO's Trial Reaches Closing Arguments

While people faced foreclosures and financial distress, this man was enjoying life in an illegal and unethical way.  

From CBS2 News:

Jurors in Los Angeles must decide whether the former head of KB Home illegally backdated stock options to line his own pockets. 

The prosecution and defense are giving closing arguments Friday in the federal trial of Bruce Karatz. 

Prosecutors claim Karatz made more than $6 million from illegal backdating while he was chairman and CEO of the homebuilding firm. 

Karatz retroactively dated his purchase of company stock to times when the share price was low, then sold it at profit. That's not illegal if it's disclosed to investors. But prosecutors claim Karatz tried to conceal it from shareholders. 

He's pleaded not guilty to 20 felony charges. 

His attorney, John Keker, told jurors on Friday that prosecution had not proven guilt. The prosecution will address jurors later Friday. 

Kim Kardashian Outs Air Marshall?

It appears that Kim Kardashian (who we still don't know why she famous) outed a federal air marshal on her flight back home from New York City by tweeting about him.  Let's take this from the top, folks.  

1.    It could be that the alleged air marshall was not a a real one.  He told Kim he was one     just to impress her.   Follow?

2.    It is my understanding and everyone else's in this country that the identity of air     marshals are supposed to be kept confidential and never revealed.  Not even the flight     crew knows who they are.  This is where it comes a bit hard and difficult to believe     what Kim is saying.  

3.    If we are to assume that the marshal did reveal his identity, then he needs face     consequences for putting national security at risk.  

    Should these revelations turn out to be true, then this young lady also has to face     serious consequences for risking people's lives and security.  It is too bad that it is no     crime to be stupid and clueless.  If it were, this young woman would be sitting in a     cell somewhere.

All in all we still need to find an answer to a question that has puzzled people for some time now: Why are this girl and his sister famous?  

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L.A. County Gets New Guidelines On Armed Suspects

Image via Wikipedia

VIA CBS2:

Faced with a string of shootings by deputies, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department disclosed new guidelines Wednesday telling officers it's often better to contain armed suspects and wait for backup than give chase to arrest them. 

Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for Sheriff Lee Baca, believes it's the first such policy in the nation. 

"The sheriff saw a need for the department to re-examine how it handles deputy-involved shootings," he said, noting there were 16 fatal shootings by deputies last year compared to nine in 2008. 

The new guidelines are detailed in a 30-page booklet compiled by a panel of senior officers convened by Baca in September to study procedures involving foot pursuits by the nation's largest sheriff's department. 

Baca said the recommendations would minimize the potential for "officer-created jeopardy," where officers unnecessarily place themselves in harm's way. 

"The practice of chasing to apprehend was a department culture that needed to be addressed," the booklet states. "In many cases, it may be safer to chase to contain rather than chase to apprehend." 

A representative for the union representing deputies was not immediately available for comment. 

Jim Denney, executive director of the California State Sheriffs Association, said pursuit policies vary widely by county. He did not know if there was a policy exactly like the one in Los Angeles. 

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to Unions: Take a Pay Cut or Face Lay-Offs

Image via Wikipedia

Story at MSNBC

In the wake of last weeks order to cut 1,000 jobs, Villaraigosa said unless unions agree to pay cuts, he may have to slash another 1,200 to 2,000 jobs for the following year, according to KPCC radio.

"I know that in the past, the history of the city is that our employee unions have never taken a cut. They maybe defer, but not a cut. They've taken zeroes, not a cut. It's time to take a cut. ‘Cause that will minimize layoffs," the mayor told KPCC.

The mayor says he's opposed to cutting officers from the police department saying public safety is a top priority.

The city faces a $200 million deficit and an even larger one next year.

Philippe Shut Down Due to Cockroaches

Image by LA Wad via Flickr

VIA NBC-Los Angeles:

After complaints by people who went to eat at the restaurant, Health Department officials confirmed the problem after an inspection on Wednesday morning.

Health department officials told the Los Angeles Times that the restaurant, a Los Angeles institution that claims to have invented the French dip sandwich, typically receives high schores during inspections. During Wednesday's inspection, the restaurant received a 90 -- a high score -- but had to close anyway due to the cockroach problem.

"When you have a violation like a live cockroach infestation, it doesn't matter how good the score is," Angelo Bellomo, director of enviromental health for the county's Public Health Department, told the Times.

The restaurant was closed that morning after the discovery. However, an employee said the restaurant will be open on Friday.  

The Health Department said that all depends on a followup inspection Friday morning. The department's ruling is expected at about 11 a.m.

Hey, that's just in time for lunch.

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Republicans locked in fierce debate about allegations by Poizner

Image via Wikipedia

Anyone surprised?

Read Rest of Story Courtesy of Mercury News:

California Republicans are locked in a fierce debate over whether gubernatorial hopeful Steve Poizner this week made a fool of himself — or a name for himself.

But they agree on one thing: The GOP primary took a dramatic, critical turn Monday when Poizner publicly accused a top adviser to opponent Meg Whitman of trying to strong-arm him out of the race and offering him a political bribe.

Some GOP stalwarts said Tuesday that Poizner's performance at a Sacramento news conference — which some described as an embarrassing "meltdown" — spelled the end of his bid to become governor. Others said he came across as a scrappy and principled fighter who won't easily be squashed by the former eBay CEO's lavishly funded campaign.

"Steve now has an opportunity to play the victim and talk about being bullied," said Hoover Institution senior fellow Bill Whalen, former chief speechwriter for Republican Gov. Pete Wilson. "But it also starts the drumbeat about whether he should stay in the race."

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Muslim Advocates Decry Lancaster Councilwoman Facebook Post. Still Wondering Why So Much Hatred Between The Two Faiths?

And this coming from a public official.  Why is it so hard for some politicians to understand that what they post or say usually ends up becoming fodder for discussion and arguments?  Then they claim to be victims of the "right-wing" or left-wing" media.

CBS2.com is reporting that "Muslim advocates are demanding a California city councilwoman apologize for posting anti-Muslim comments on her Facebook page. 

Muslim organizations in California on Friday called on Lancaster Councilwoman Sherry Marquez to apologize for a posting last weekend about the 2008 beheading of 37-year-old Aasiya Hassan in New York. It included the comment, "This is what the Muslim religion is all about."

Kamal Al-Khatib, president of the American Islamic Institute of Antelope Valley, denounced the remarks as bigoted and divisive to the community 50 miles north of Los Angeles. 

A message was left for Marquez. This week, she told the City Council she was horrified by the killing and apologized for the effect her comments had on the city."