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Talk about pimping your ride. According to a story in the Daily News, dozens of L.A. County officials drive the kind of luxury cars the rest of us have to fake a test-drive in order to enjoy:
At a time when many Los Angeles County
residents are grappling with the squeeze of an economic downturn,
dozens of top county government officials are tooling around in
"unjustified luxury vehicles" costing taxpayers as much as $50,000
each.
More than 1,400 county workers are given take-home cars,
even though some don't have official authorization to drive them, and
at least 30 employees aren't paying the required taxes on the vehicles.
Meanwhile, county employees were involved in 1,852 accidents
in their take-home vehicles over the past few years -- with 830
accidents in 2005-06 alone that cost taxpayers $6.7 million.
The info comes from a grand jury report. The city's response?
"We are meeting with the CEO next week to go over all
the recommendations by the grand jury and then we'll develop a response
to those recommendations," Auditor-Controller Wendy Watanabe said.
Almost makes you want to run for office. The full story is here.
--Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Carlos Chavez / Los Angeles Times
 Police in El Segundo are handing out $35 parking tickets to scofflaws who dare park on their lawns instead of in their driveways, the Daily Breeze reports:
An orange pickup truck parked diagonally across a weeded side yard, a few feet from a pristine empty driveway Wednesday.
Up the street, a fifth-wheel trailer sat hitchless on a sad patch of green next to a cinder block wall.
And a few blocks east, a bright yellow truck rested atop sparse grass outside a house still festooned with faux boughs of Christmas holly.
These scenes might be typical in areas still on the border of gentrification, but in well-scrubbed El Segundo?
Yep, the tiny town affectionately known to some locals as Mayberry by the Sea has apparently seen an uptick in the last few weeks of folks parking their vehicles on front lawns, police say.
"For us, it's a lot," Lt. Tony de la Rambelje said. "We've had probably eight or 10 complaints."
Violations of the 11-year-old law are $35 a pop. Is it also illegal to grow grass in your driveway? Full story is here.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Carlos Chavez / Los Angeles Times
You read that right. Fabian Nuñez gave Daniel Eaton $100,000 on top of his $212,000 salary for "campaign consulting," our own Nancy Vogel reports: Former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez gave his chief of staff, who is
already the highest-paid employee in the Legislature, an additional
$100,000 this year for "campaign consulting."
The Los Angeles
Democrat in April transferred the money from a ballot-measure committee
he controls to Daniel Eaton, according to records filed this week with
the secretary of state.
Neat trick, considering Eaton never actually took any time off from his regular job. Here's what Nunez has to say about Eaton: "Danny's worth his weight in gold, and not only is there great
expertise there, there is a ton of weekend and after-hours' work, and
I've never been the kind to not reward exceptional effort."
Nancy's full story is here.
--Veronique de Turenne
 If owners of gas-guzzling motor homes think they can cut down on their gas bills by simply leaving their RVs parked on the street, they better think again. At least in Redondo Beach. The city is considering new restrictions on over-sized vehicles parked on public streets and lots, reports the Daily Breeze. One proposal would require that RVs be moved every four hours.
Other cities, such as Los Angeles, have toughened laws on RV parking as growing ranks of homeless take up permanent residence in the vehicles. In Redondo Beach, however, most of the complaints revolve around safety and aesthetics. RV owners, of course, argue that the new restrictions are not needed and costly, forcing many to pay for private storage. "This motor home's been sitting here since 1991," said Anita Mack, referring to her brown RV parked on Flagler Lane, across from the city's Dominguez Park. If the rules change, "I don't know what we'll do with it," she said, explaining it would be costly to pay for storage. "It never bothered anybody up until now."
The city's police department will hold a workshop tonight to go over the RV parking proposals.
-- Jesus Sanchez
Photo credit: Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times
 Remember the plan by L.A.'s mayor to pay for more police officers with the proceeds of a trash fee hike? Turns out the city collected twice as much money as it needed, then used the extra cash on other things, says David Zahniser, our man in City Hall:
The trash fees, imposed in 2006 as part of the mayor’s plan to expand the Los Angeles Police Department, have generated $137 million in new revenue, according to a four-page report released Tuesday by City Controller Laura Chick. But since the new officers have cost only $47.2 million, the remainder has been absorbed into other parts of the LAPD budget, Chick said.
A representative of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. voiced little surprise, saying he expected that much of the trash fee revenue would go toward other parts of the budget, including a three-year package of police raises. “Often what happens to tax increases in this city, instead of getting more employees, we just get better-paid employees,” he said.
Villaraigosa initiated the higher fees in 2006 as part of his LAPD expansion plan and is now more than halfway toward his goal of reaching 1,000 new officers. The trash fees went from $11 to $26 per month for homeowners between 2006 and June.
All of which leaved us wondering -- what's going to happen to the city's plan to hike fees by another $36.32 per month?
--Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Associated Press
 Back in March, Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa announced the city might have to eliminate 767 jobs to help balance the municipal budget -- a shocker since municipal layoffs are so rare. So, a few months later, how many city employees are actually headed to the unemployment line?
Four.
Yes, only four workers, and some of those may end up finding other jobs in L.A. city government, which still employs nearly 50,000 workers, reports the Daily News.
Turns out that nearly all of the workers whose positions were eliminated were moved into vacant city jobs. City leaders say eliminating the positions will help financially. But some taxpayer groups claim the city was never serious about cost-cutting and that Villaraigosa used the threat of layoffs to help justify a fee increase. "Government officials have perfected the art of crying wolf. We hear all the time that people are going to be laid off, and rarely do layoffs occur," said Jon Coupal of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. They're simply trying to scare the citizenry into either sympathizing with the government or laying the groundwork for future tax increases."
-- Jesus Sanchez
Photo: Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times
 All developer Michael Hanna wanted to do was to open a restaurant in Lawndale with an outdoor hookah lounge. But what he viewed as an ancient social custom across the Middle East -- where smoking tobacco through water pipes is popular in cafes and other gathering spots -- the planning commission of this South Bay suburb considered an unhealthy habit. Not only did the commissioners reject Hanna's proposal, they are also considering a proposal that would prevent the lounges from opening anywhere in the city, reports the Daily Breeze.
Hanna says the commissioners, who initially didn't know what a hookah was, are being culturally insensitive. Hookah lounges have popped up across Southern California -- Hanna already operates one in nearby Redondo Beach -- and have attracted many young patrons. "All they see is the smoke element," Hanna said. "They don't see the socializing, the cultural expression.... If the city were to go out and ban coffee because -- all of a sudden -- it thinks it's a health issue, that would upset a lot of people because Starbucks has become part of the culture in America."
The growing popularity of the lounges and the cultural significance of the hookah did not impress planning commissioners. They were concerned about lung cancer and other diseases related to tobacco use. Even though the smoke is filtered through water, the use of a hookah still poses health risks that have generated warnings from groups like the American Lung Assn. Lawndale Planning Commissioner Nancy Marthens said hookah lounges will only encourage smoking: "My stepdad died of lung cancer, and we have a member of the commission who is now battling lung cancer. So it's very hard to say we're going to aid and abet the tobacco industry."
A vote on the ban is scheduled for next month but there's little reason to expect the commissioners to vote against the ban. They are the ones who requested it.
-- Jesus Sanchez
Photo: Patrons at a Long Beach hookah lounge. Credit: Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times
 After urging Los Angeles residents to conserve water and energy, it turns out that H. David Nahai, general manager of the Department of Water & Power, has a lot to learn about conservation and life as a public official. A department audit of his nearly 6,000-square-foot home showed that Nahai's water consumption was higher than his neighbors -- thanks in part to garden sprinklers that ran every day even when it rained -- and that his family had not taken advantage of many energy-saving appliances and devices (such as florescent bulbs), said the Daily News.
"I'm opening up my private life and I'm saying, 'Here is what I've discovered and here's what I want to do to reduce both my usage and my expenditures. Can you do the same?' ''
But Nahai was far more protective of his water and electrical consumption earlier this month when asked to show a copy of his home DWP bill: "I don’t want to talk to you anymore. You’re harassing me."
That's what he told Alan Mittelstaedt, former City Beat news editor and now guest blogger at Witness LA, who has been seeking (some would say hounding) Nahai and his staff to see a copy of the general manager's DWP bill to find out if the executive's conservation talk was just that. Mittelstaedt actually stopped by Nahai's home to see the bill and later ended up filing a request for copies under the California Public Records Act. After the agency turned down his request, Mittelstaedt threatened to sue to get the information (we are still waiting to hear if the DWP ever did supply the bills).
Nahai's new willingness to admit to his water and power-wasting ways and share his lessons with the public seems more PR savvy than his previous comments or lack thereof. When asked back in May what his monthly water bill was, Nahai, head of the nation's largest municipal utility, said he had no idea. "I don’t know," he said. "You’d have to ask my wife."
-- Jesus Sanchez
Photo: DWP
 Talk about a tough act to follow. It was up to Pastor Larry Enriquez to deliver the invocation at the Ontario City Council meeting Tuesday one day after Mayor Paul Leon (pictured) issued an public apology for "errors in his private life" amid allegations that he was having an affair with a woman, not his wife, who also works for a city agency. So, what does Pastor Enriquez talk about? Adultery.
During the invocation, Pastor Larry Enriguez spoke at length about Jesus' words to a mob prepared to lynch an adulteress: "He who is without sin, cast the first stone."
We are not sure if the pastor's remarks, reported by the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, were coincidence or not. But they have become part of the ongoing drama at Ontario City Hall that started earlier this month when a private investigator showed up with photos in hand to prove the mayor was involved in a relationship with a convention center employee. The investigator is not saying who hired her and the mayor (who is also a pastor) is not saying much about the incident except for his apology.
-- Jesus Sanchez
Photo: City of Ontario website
 The suit filed today by the Las Lomas Land Co. alleges that the City Council's decision in March to halt review of the 5,553-home project near the junction of Interstate 5 and the Antelope Valley Freeway was illegal.
Click on the link below to read a full story by The Times' Jennifer Oldham.
Photo: Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times
Read on »
 If you can stand to read about how the Lakers blew the biggest first-quarter lead in NBA Finals history, then wrote their names in the record books with the biggest breakdown in the NBA Finals in the last 37 years, and how Kobe Bryant walked off the court with time on the clock, then by all means, read our coverage. Bill Plaschke's righteous rage will actually make you feel better. T.J. Simers blames Phil Jackson. The game story pulls no punches. The photos, well, they'll just break your heart. Thank God it's Friday.
And now onto the real world:
L.A.'s top cops have a turf war of their own going. L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca says race plays a big role in gang violence, while LAPD Chief Bill Bratton says it's actually about drugs and money.
Manson acolyte Susan Atkins may be released from prison because she has brain cancer.
Judge Alex Kozinski wants you to look at some porn -- his own. Specifically, he's called for an investigation into the fact that he kept hard-core images on his website to determine whether he's considered fit to judge obscenity cases.
The Japanese gangster who wanted a liver transplant at UCLA tried to pay $1 million for a U.S. visa.
Got a Q about same-sex marriage in California? Chances are, we've got the A.
Meanwhile, the Kern County clerk says she's hurt by the criticism at her decision to halt all civil marriage ceremonies.
Feeling a particularly vicious pinch in your wallet? You're not dreaming: May's jump in inflation was the biggest in six months.
Check out our coverage of the "Georgia O'Keeffe and the Women of the Stieglitz Circle" exhibit now in the San Diego Museum of Art. What's Hillary Clinton got to do with it? Ironic, in light of today's piece in the NYT.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times
 The creation of a 150-acre reef to anchor a forest of giant kelp is taking shape in San Clemente.
An interview with "Weeds" creator Jenji Kohan in LAist.
Those reservoir balls the DWP dumped in Silver Lake might not be so safe after all, says Donna Barstow.
Dinner parties gone very, very wrong. Jacket Copy
MTA ridership just keeps going up. Bottleneck Blog
The Olsen twins incur the wrath of PETA. LA Unleashed
Kid fails driving test five times in one day -- video! YouTube via Fishbowl LA
Ride your bike to work in LA -- a how-to guide from LA MetBlogs.
Start planning for the L.A. Film Festival next week.
Compton will get a new skateboard park in September. Curbed LA
--Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Los Angeles Times
 The Board of Supervisors selected Sandra Hutchens, a retired Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department division chief, to lead the law enforcement agency still reeling from the resignation of Sheriff Michael S. Carona after he was charged with corruption. The board picked Hutchens over Santa Ana Police Chief Paul Walters.
Three supervisors voted for Hutchens, while two voted for Walters.
Times staff is gathering more details on the decision.
-- Jesus Sanchez
Just hours after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proclaimed a statewide drought, the DWP laid out a plan to ding water-wasting residents and business owners with pricey tickets, David Zahniser reports. Under the plan, residents and business owners who hose down the driveway, wash their cars without a hose nozzle or run their lawn sprinklers between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. risk getting fined.
The five-member DWP commission unanimously approved the package, which will prohibit restaurants from serving water unless customers specifically asked for it. The plan will allow residents to keep watering driveways and sidewalks if they use certain water-saving equipment, according to DWP spokesman Joe Ramallo.
DWP officials said they expect to have as many as 18 "drought busters" to patrol neighborhoods, up from the estimate of roughly a dozen from earlier this week.
Next step: The LA City Council votes yea or nay.
--Veronique de Turenne
 We've put together a great election guide with info on everything from finding your polling place (they can change) or your district, to everything you need to know about the primary.
You'll find candidate profiles for races for county supervisor and L.A. County district attorney, voting info for other SoCal counties, breakdowns of Props. 98 and 99 and lots more.
Check out the full election guide here.
--Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times
 Even as retirement benefits from those of us working in the private sector evaporate, the ones California taxpayers shell out for to sweeten the golden years of the Golden State's public servants just keep growing. Such a heavy load is a big problem, says George Skelton:
Highly educated teachers who labored for decades in depressing, dilapidated classrooms -- confession: my wife is one -- receive only modest pensions and aren't entitled to Social Security. Medical insurance varies by school district.
State workers get pensions plus Social Security and generous lifelong health benefits.
Many law enforcement officers and firefighters can retire at age 50 after 30 years on the job and receive 90% of pay for life.
Cop unions are among the most powerful lobbies at the state Capitol or any city hall. The unions endorse politicians ostensibly because they stand up against crime, but really it's because they're soft touches for higher pay and pensions.
Can we expect change? Check out the full column here.
--Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Los Angeles Times
 Though no one's nailed down the cause of that catastrophic fire at Universal Studios, the reason it got out of hand is pretty clear: Water pressure at the site was so low, firefighters reported water streams of just 10 feet, laughably inadequate against the towering flames. Add in a failed sprinkler system and two city blocks of sets built from what amounts to kindling and you're looking at the disaster that was yesterday's blaze.
We've got lots of info: main story here (including the news the studio's re-opening to the public toay)... what, exactly, burned ... the yes-no-yes-no saga as studio heads couldn't decide whether or not to open the park ... some video, of course ... and news that despite the damage, cameras will still roll.
Meanwhile, there's actually other news out there:
Four of the weekend's five homicides are blamed on gangs.
Iconic fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent has died.
 With some prime tourist attractions now in cinders, maybe Universal should look into the gay marriage business. Ever since the state Supremes gave same-sex marriage the nod, all corners of the wedding industry have seen an uptick in business.
I'm sorry to report that the Dodgers lost to the Mets.
And if the long wait for the Lakers-Celtics match-up is getting to you, Kareem Abdul-Jabar's got lots to say about the 1985 Boston-L.A. series.
As long as we're having a fire, why not a couple of earthquakes as well? Two small ones rattled through last night, one in the Salton Sea, the other in San Bernardino County.
--Veronique de Turenne
Photos: AP; Biggayweddings.com
 The department still has a way to go on upgrading its disciplinary process, but the new audit released this morning by city controller Laura Chick finds considerable progress under Fire Chief Douglas L. Barry (pictured), who took over the job in January 2007. An audit more than two years ago found evidence of workplace harassment, fear of retaliation and poorly documented investigation procedures. Taxpayers have paid millions of dollars during that period to settle lawsuits against the department that alleged harassment, discrimination and retaliation.
Times staff writer Robert J. Lopez is at the news conference and will file a full story later.
-- Jesus Sanchez
Photo: Los Angeles Times
The Legislature couldn't muster the two-thirds majority needed to pass the urgency bill to cobble together the funds the feds say we need to fix the prison healthcare system. Republicans blocked the measure this afternoon -- the second time in two days -- even though the bill has the backing of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Now the ball is in the federal receiver's court -- literally -- as he goes for a court order that'll let him raid the state coffers.
Everyone who's surprised, please raise your hands. Yeah, didn't think so.
-- Veronique de Turenne
 L.A. is the second-greenest big city in the U.S.? Depends on whether you believe the Brookings Institution, which delivers this startling bit of news, or the naysayers who scoff at fuzzy data. Margot Roosevelt tries to clear things up.
Does L.A. lead in school sex scandals, too? Another teacher suspected of having sex with a student is arrested. Andrew Blankstein has the story.
Ever since the new owner took over Centinela Hospital Medical Center in South L.A., services have been shrinking. Most private insurance contracts have been canceled and 13% of the staff laid off. Is this the way to serve a community? Daniel Costello looks for answers.
A first in the O.C. -- all the candidates running for office in the 1st District are Vietnamese. My-Thuan Tran reports on the new political landscape.
Too many hands-off caches of cash are a big reason for California's current money crisis. Plain speaking from George Skelton.
 It wouldn't be a playoff series without a brouhaha, and ours is here. The NBA says the Lakers' Derek Fisher fouled the Spurs' Brent Barry in the last seconds of the game, and the Spurs should have gotten two free throws. (Hey, didn't NBA honchos read Plaschke's great two-fouls means no-fouls column yesterday?) Yeah, the Lakers won Game 4 by 2 points. Commiserate with Steve Springer.
The B of A/Countrywide deal is still on, but the players are changing. E. Scott Reckard and Kathy M. Kristof explain.
Mary McNamara takes her kids to the Hollywood Bowl to see the Police. Shares her music, learns some lessons, makes you laugh.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Photos: Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News; cgee / Your Scene
GOP senators say no to the $7-billion plan to improve healthcare in state prisons. Just one problem -- the feds might take that $7 billion from the state anyway. More on this latest impasse from Michael Rothfeld.
The biggest drop in home prices in 20 years, with L.A. County and the O.C. really taking it on the chin. Peter Y. Hong has the latest numbers.
There's a bounty on teen popster Miley Cyrus' first kiss. Rachel Abramowitz explains.
Done deal: The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the studios agree on a new three-year contract. AP via LAT.
The Lakers win! The best-of-seven series is now 3-1 and moves to Staples Center on Thursday night. Mike Bresnahan's game story, plus lots of pix and links to more Lakers stories here.
They like him, they really like him. David Beckham's critics sing a different tune.
A new James Bond novel is out and ... wait, isn't Ian Fleming dead? Yeah, and his impersonators don't exactly bring the Bond legacy back to life. Read along with Tim Rutten.
 Earle H. Hagen, the Emmy Award-winning TV composer who wrote -- and whistled -- the theme song for “The Andy Griffith Show” has died. Dennis McLellan writes about his life.
Remember the Olympic skater who was slipped a date-rape drug during dinner? An arrest in the case has been made, Kim Christensen reports.
A teensy bit of good news amid the housing debacle -- lower property tax bills for some of us. Garrett Therolf explains.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Photos: Associated Press, BMI
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Talk about pimping your ride. According to a story in the Daily News, dozens of L.A. County officials drive the kind of luxury cars the rest of us have to fake a test-drive in order to enjoy:
