Hey, Los Angeles, Walter Moore For Mayor On Tuesday
A vote for Walter Moore makes sense for a whole lot of reasons -- check them out here.
Because not so many people turn out for this election (March 3), Moore, who wrote Jamiel's Law, actually has some chance of getting elected, or at least getting into a run-off with our four-time Bar-failing, junketing, self-promoting, press-one-for English loser of a mayor.
Please do vote, and please do vote for Walter Moore.
And if you need a little bitty thing that's near and dear to my heart to get your ass to the polls, I ended up sitting next to Moore and his wife at a dinner (long after I was already a supporter), and they said they'd decided not to use annoyance calling (those record-a-calls) as a campaign strategy.
What was kind of amusing and somewhat surprising was that I'd talked with Moore and his wife for probably half an hour before I thought to ask, "What do you do?" That's when he said, "Oh, I'm running for mayor."
And I said, "Oh, wait...you're...I'm voting for you!..." And he was that Walter Moore.
His platform is not only sensible, it's amusing in parts. For example:
6. Your Mayor Should Never Squander Your Money Villaraigosa and the City Council squander your money on ridiculous boondoggles, as detailed on my "Spreadsheet of Shame" page (e.g., classes for employees on sphincter-control and lactation). I won't waste your money. I know how hard you work for every dollar. I know you want a Mayor who spends your tax money as if you were there, looking over his shoulder.
In Moore's words, "You will not believe how City Hall squanders your money. It works out to at least $4,949 per voter." Here are a few choice boondoggles from his Spreadsheet of Shame:
Sphincter-control classes for civil servants Cost: $18,000 Cost per voter: $0.04Villaraigosa's airfare and hotels per year
Cost: $200,000
Cost per voter: $0.45Rental monkeys - 10 years' rent, 3 monkeys
Cost: $1,000,0000
Cost per voter: $2.24Rental monkeys - feng shui consultant
Cost: $4,500
Cost per voter: $0.01Rental monkeys - monkey pen
Cost: $7,400,000
Cost per voter: $16.60
Other important votes -- AGAINST Prop B. Per former Daily News editor and current activist and stand-up guy, Ron Kaye, it's "a fraud" -- "nothing but a payoff to the IBEW and not a plan for solar energy." More on it here at his site.
To Kaye's credit, he's been working his ass off for months and months straight (I'm pretty sure for zero pay), because he's one of those guys who can't bear scumbags and injustice and power grabs dressed up as beneficial programs. And you know what? Me, neither. I put a big black dot in the no spot (#243) on my absentee ballot for measure B.
The rest of my votes:
For Trutanich for City Attorney.
For Nick Patsaouras for Controller.
For Harry "Craig" Wilson for City Council Member.
For Mike Stryer for LAUSD Board of Ed Member.
For Measure A.
AGAINST Measure B.
For Measure C and D.
AGAINST measure E.
Since I agreed with the LA Times' assessment of the Measures, here's their piece explaining their reasoning...and pretty much, mine.
Unfortunately, the LAT seems to have fired too many people to publish recommendations for the City Council seats. David Bell, president of the East Hollywood Neighborhood Council, and Robert Blue, past chair of the Hollywood Studio District Neighborhood Council, take them to task for it here (for no pay from the cheapwads at the LAT for a "Blowback" piece, in case you're wondering).
Oh, and if I never, ever again have to hear Villaraigosa talking in Spanish when I call 311 (to get a pothole fixed), and telling me to "press one" for English...! Well, here it is in plain English: Whatever you were planning doing on Tuesday, please, please get your butt to the polls and vote for Walter Moore.
Rental monkeys - 10 years' rent, 3 monkeys
Cost: $1,000,0000
Cost per voter: $2.24
Rental monkeys - feng shui consultant
Cost: $4,500
Cost per voter: $0.01
Rental monkeys - monkey pen
Cost: $7,400,000
Cost per voter: $16.60
I don't live on the West Coast, so I really don't have a dog in this fight, but could you please explain the entries above? They sound like something out of Dave Letterman.
old rpm daddy at March 2, 2009 6:59 AM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2009/03/hey-los-angeles.html#comment-1636629">comment from old rpm daddyWe Los Angeles taxpayers have rented three rare monkeys from China, at the cost of a million dollars over 10 years, paid to the Chinese government. The rest are associated idiotic costs. Here's more from when it was supposed to cost slightly less:
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/SHOW+ME+THE+MONKEYS+$5+MILLION+ANIMAL-TRADE+DEAL+STILL+IN+LIMBO-a0112567678
Amy Alkon
at March 2, 2009 7:25 AM
Monkey feng shui consultant? No really, these tears in my eyes aren't from laughing so hard.
My apologies. To me, anything with monkeys in it is funny even when it shouldn't be.
old rpm daddy at March 2, 2009 8:20 AM
If we're spending that much to rent monkeys, I want the goddam things to at least dress up in human clothes and do something funny, like run for city council.
COOP at March 2, 2009 9:46 AM
... and maybe the sphincter control lessons are actually needed, since everyone at city hall is so full of shit.
COOP at March 2, 2009 9:47 AM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2009/03/hey-los-angeles.html#comment-1636650">comment from COOPIf we're spending that much to rent monkeys, I want the goddam things to at least dress up in human clothes and do something funny, like run for city council.
They're much cuter than the monkeys already running things!
Amy Alkon
at March 2, 2009 9:47 AM
... and better at rollerskating, I'll bet.
On the other hand, our elected officials still have monkeys all beat when it comes to flinging poo.
COOP at March 2, 2009 9:58 AM
I can't vote in CA, but I can vote with my wallet. Donation sent!
Dennis at March 2, 2009 11:13 AM
Thank you for reminding me to check for upcoming elections. I just put this on my calendar to vote against it.
4) Local School District
General Permanent Improvements
Income Tax (0.5%) 28 Years
Beginning January 1, 2010
This is about the fifth or sixth time this has been voted on. They want to raid the state's tobacco fund for matching dollars to upgrade three buildings and add one new one. The upgrades are on buildings that are 15 years old already. They want to do it as a 28 year 0.5% income tax to issue bonds. They already have a 1% income tax for operating expenses and still have to be subsidized with Pay to Play for sports.
My questions on this:
So far enough of us have been smart enough to vote it down. Usually only by 1-2%. I'm getting really tired of this superintendent.
Jim P. at March 2, 2009 2:35 PM
These aren't boondoggles. Imagine a world populated by monkeys with poorly-arranged furniture, and civil servants lacking sphincter control?
The flatulence and depression would be overpowering.
Maybe not as bad as standing in line at the DMV, but still, not good.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at March 4, 2009 5:31 PM
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