Now for something completely silly.

I often get copied on e-mails pertaining to back-and-forth disputes, from topics serious to insane.

Recently, my inbox has witnessed a quiet feud between Lisa Derderian and Ann Erdman, of the Pasadena Fire Department and City Hall, respectively.

Both women are heads of public information duties, and it's precisely their heads at stake -- at least what's on them.

From what I've been able to reconstruct, Lisa sent this photo to Ann to rub in just how awesome her PIO helmet is:

Gripped with jealousy, Ann put her leet crafting skills to work to forge a helm worthy of her station:

Maybe now that Measure D has passed, they can give that thing a proper retrofit.

Posted by Todd at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

"Just when I think I'm out, they keep pulling me back in."

Because I missed losing half of the most frenetic day in the newsroom ... and because Producer Stuart Johnson made with the puppy-dog eyes, I joined the fine people of KPAS to appear on the new City Beat with the inimitable likes of Tami DeVine, Barry Gordon and Steve Madison of District 6.

Topics included Pasadena Heritage's bid to designate the Central and Lower Arroyo a protected cultural landscape, the YAC and -- as much as I wished otherwise -- Measure D.

City Beat airs on cable channel 55 and streams throughout the week.

Posted by Todd at 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Apparently the Pasadena Bizarre News is a holiday tradition at City Hall. Too damn awesome. Most entries mock stories of mine from the past year, as well as the work of Janette Williams, Robert S. Hong and former reporter Mary Frances Gurton. I've opted to take it as homage. ((Erdman: You'll pay for this! >:D))

Click the image or here for the full version.

Posted by Todd at 11:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (32)

Copies of the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report are available at libraries and City Hall, but why not just warm up your Acrobats and visit the Rose Bowl's online repository.

Posted by Todd at 11:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here it is, the text of Mayor Bill Bogaard's 2008 State o' the City Address

Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard
State of the City Address
January 17, 2008

"VITAL CONNECTIONS"

This decade has been good to Pasadena. Each year since 2000 has been better than the last. Now, in 2008, we find ourselves in a period of transition and change. In my report, I want to go over the City’s economic condition, review public and private investment, and then talk about some of the challenges and initiatives that make up the City’s agenda for the new year.

Let’s begin with the City’s economic situation.

This fiscal year, the general fund budget is over $210 million, and the total operating budget—including the Water & Power utility—is $560 million. There are 2,400 City employees. At least through December 31, the local economy was strong and dynamic, with an estimated 110,000 jobs.

As our economy has transitioned from manufacturing to retail and service activities over the last 25 years, it has become stronger and more diversified. The economy benefits from a balance of retail, financial services, professional services, technology, and educational and cultural sectors. We have strong retail and restaurant sales and low unemployment, although it is this year higher than last. Our continuing low office vacancy has fueled rental rates in Pasadena that are now among the highest in L.A. County.

It should be noted that Pasadena’s performance was stronger than in many other California communities. For example, construction statewide is down 5%, while ours is slightly up. New auto sales in California are down over 5%, though Pasadena’s decrease is less than 2%.

Continue reading "SAHTSEE!" »

Posted by Todd at 8:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Speaking of Bill at the Bowl, it will be interesting to hear how the citizenry is (subtly) reminded to vote YES on Measure D during tonight's State of the City address.

In a true "Web first," the Yes on Measure D campaign site announced support Monday from the Pasadena Unified School District before the Board of Education had even voted on a resolution reportedly authored by board member Ed Honowitz. Ed is a member of the ACT political machine, which holds its share of influence on both the board and council.

Measure D's campaign was being managed by political consultant Fred Register, one of ACT's founders and the mayor's campaign manager.

Fred is Pasadena's antidote to Measure D opponent-in-chief Martin Truitt. They both roll their eyes at the arch-rival characterizations, but it's not the first time they've gone head-to-head.

But it could be the first such match with such a large financial disparity: Martin and CRaG-meister Wayne Lusvardi have next-to-nothing in their coffers.

Which made for a collective "Huh?" when Wayne turned down the potential free-publicity of his Doo-Dah spot, as chronicled in the paper and spilled over into a psychedelic diatribe from one detractor of the event's (de)merits here a few days ago.

Speaking of Molly R. Okeon, here she is soaking up some sun and some mayor at the Wednesday event in the Central Arroyo. I'd been looking forward to a nice plein air assignment, but was preoccupied with chronicling the depths of suffering.

Posted by Todd at 1:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Many refuse to believe reporters have no say in the headlines selected (page designers and copy editors do their best to make something fit the space on deadlines of their own) but I'll take fault for the sub-hed "White won suit against city in 2004." She was terminated previously in 2004 and won the suit in 2007.

Kept rewriting the second paragraph, the "nut graf" which tells the reader "this is what this story is about."

Never too shy to pile on the appositives and dependent clauses at the expense of clarity, I'd left it at:

City officials said Wednesday they were reviewing a claim filed by Karin White alleging she was let go Aug. 30 in retaliation after a jury determined the department violated her privacy by illegally using wiretap evidence to justify a previous termination in 2004.

Which can be read several ways: Was the termination or the legal victory in 2004? Through no fault of an editor, it was streamlined to the latter:

City officials said Wednesday they were reviewing a claim filed by Officer Karin White in which she alleged she was wrongfully terminated on Aug. 30 in retaliation for prevailing against the city in a lawsuit in 2004.

Here's the story:

Officer claims wrongful firing White won suit against city in 2004 By Kenneth Todd Ruiz, Staff Writer Article Launched: 01/10/2008 12:36:30 AM PST

PASADENA -- One year after taking a bullet in the face from her own gun during a struggle with her son, a Pasadena police officer claims she has been wrongfully terminated by the department.

City officials said Wednesday they were reviewing a claim filed by Officer Karin White in which she alleged she was wrongfully terminated on Aug. 30 in retaliation for prevailing against the city in a lawsuit in 2004.

In that suit, a jury determined the Pasadena Police Department violated White's privacy by illegally using wiretap evidence to justify a previous termination in 2004.

Since hiring White in 1996, the department never disciplined White, according to the claim received Monday by the City Council.

Continue reading "Karin White" »

Posted by Todd at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Proposed contract for Police Chief Bernard Melekian goes before the council Monday for his new duties as acting city manager.

Posted by Todd at 1:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Thus ends my resistance to making easy reference to my favorite film.

I passed on ACT's mock caucus at Mijares but thought of the real thing taking place just as Councilwoman Margaret McAustin spoke her comments about City Manager Cynthia Kurtz at last night's deliberately low-key send off for the latter.

"Cynthia Kurtz is, quite simply, the most powerful woman in the history of Pasadena," said Councilwoman Margaret McAustin.

Decisive wins for Huckabee and Obama in Iowa, with a considerable margins of loss by Clinton and Romney, and Giuliani hardly showing.

Democrats
Obama 38%
Edwards 30%
Clinton 29%
Richardson 2%

Republicans
Huckabee 34%
Romney 25%
Thompson 13%

Kurtz feted at Pasadena farewell
By Kenneth Todd Ruiz, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 01/03/2008 10:43:38 PM PST

PASADENA -- After a decade of professional cool in public, the city's unflappable chief executive wasn't going to come unglued when it came time to say goodbye.

No sentimental presentations or long-winded speeches were permitted Thursday night at Brookside Golf Club, where politicos, city staff, community elders and other wielders of influence said farewell to City Manager Cynthia Kurtz.

"Cynthia Kurtz is, quite simply, the most powerful woman in the history of Pasadena," said Councilwoman Margaret McAustin before reading a proclamation by Mayor Bill Bogaard in her most "Bogaardesque" voice.

Continue reading "Kurtz leaves the boat" »

Posted by Todd at 12:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

After several painful hours of debate, the City Council -did- award exclusive negotiating rights for Heritage Square to Retirement Housing Foundation.

Voting in support was Bill Bogaard, Victor Gordo, Steve Madison, Margaret McAustin and Sid Tyler.

Steve Haderliein was MIA. Chris Holden left the room before the vote.

Jacque Robinson voted yes, but then left the room, came back, and changed her vote to an abstention.

Posted by Todd at 2:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

A staff writer at our sister paper picks up where Saturday's story left off:

Measure S phone tax could tap Internet usage
By Kerry Cavanaugh, Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 12/10/2007 11:10:20 PM PST

Despite assurances that a telephone-users tax on the February ballot is simply aimed at modernizing how Los Angeles taxes communications systems, wording in the measure opens the door to also taxing Internet access.

Federal law currently prohibits taxes on Internet access and e-mail - but that law sunsets in 2014, and some watchdogs said Monday that if the broadly written Measure S telephone tax passes it could allow the city to tax Internet access without additional voter approval.

"How do you say you're not taxing the Internet when the statute specifically says it's covering DSL, Voice-Over-Internet protocol, text messaging, instant messaging and PCS?" said Walter Moore, who is writing the opposition to the measure for the Feb. 5 ballot. You don't need a law degree to realize this is a tax on the Internet and wireless and all that."

Continue reading "Ripple effect" »

Posted by Todd at 1:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Truth takes many forms and guises. So does legal language.

Since the city's own attorney cleared up any confusion about what Measure D's scope on Friday, members of the City Council are straining to contrast legislative "intent" and legislative "outcome," a distinction that might convince Immanuel Kant.

And I don't think they were happy with Michael Colantuono's rather clear explanation -- he wrote a ballot measure that could be applied to the Internet, if the council chose to do so at a future date when the current federal moratorium expired.

By the time other's got around to doing what one reader described as "re-reporting" the news, the spin had taken hold.

Measure D back in spotlight
Lawyers: Proposal would allow Internet tax
By Kenneth Todd Ruiz, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 12/08/2007 12:07:03 AM PST

PASADENA - Approving Measure D would allow City Hall to enact an Internet-access tax at a future time without a vote of the people, according to the legal team that wrote the ballot measure.

Seeking to challenge "misleading" ballot statements filed by Measure D opponents, the law firm of Colantuono & Levin filed a motion in court Friday arguing the City Council-endorsed ballot measure would "allow," not "force," a tax on Internet access.

"Our basic point is Measure D authorizes an Internet tax, but it doesn't require it," Colantuono said in a telephone interview.

The measure is designed that way, he said, because technological strides might render telephone use unrecognizable in time.

Continue reading "Categorical imperative" »

Posted by Todd at 1:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Wayne Lusvardi says Colantuono and Levin, the law firm responsible for Pasadena's Measure D, has notified him they are suing to remove certain items in the Rebuttal to the Argument FOR Measure D that Wayne submitted last week.

UPDATED: See, it all comes together. All the disparate narrative threads and one-liners, like good sketch comedy, converge into something discernible. Ragnarök? Or just a lot of talk?

I've been waiting for things to gel beyond speculation for a print story about the lawsuit but yes, Rene Amy's first case? Defending Wayne Lusvardi's Citizens for Responsible Government (which he insists on pronouncing as "CRAG") in court.

Here's the city press release from Spokeslegend Ann Erdman:

LAWSUIT FILED TO CORRECT FALSE AND MISLEADING STATEMENTS
IN REBUTTAL BALLOT ARGUMENT ON LOCAL MEASURE “D”

On Dec. 7, a lawsuit will be filed on behalf of the Elections Official for the City of Pasadena to correct a misleading ballot argument that was submitted for the voter pamphlet against local Measure “D.”

Measure “D” will be considered by the voters of the City of Pasadena at a Feb. 5, 2008, election; the Measure itself is titled “Pasadena Utility Users Tax Continuation Measure.” The Measure is intended to clarify the application of the City’s Utility Users Tax on telephone services, first imposed in 1969, to new telephone technologies like wireless and voice over the internet protocol.

(More below)

Continue reading "And litigation ensues" »

Posted by Todd at 6:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

-- Margaret McAustin went off-script by asking why the council should approve $220,000 to print glossier promo materials for the Rose Bowl renovation when there wasn't an actual renovation plan. But then, as a new member, Margaret isn't beholden to the political debt incurred when most of the previous council aligned against the NFL.

RBOC chairman Bill Thompson said some people have asked to see such, and to not approve it now would be sound the "death-knell" for the renovation plan, which is either just getting started or was dead-on-arrival, depending on whom you ask.

Council action: Approval.

-- Mayor Bill Bogaard should have defined "succinct" before every speaker re: Historic Highlands designation read from their prepared comments without any effort at self-editing. This next woman has a Powerpoint? Council should vote no on principal. Wait, she has it on the display, she must be city staff, because were it someone else I'd wonder why they were afforded such access. Maybe Ann Lau or John Li will bring a presentation. Leslie Levy playing music along with her next poem. These people know the council is going to give them what they want, imagine if they used this organization for something that made the world a better place?

Chris Holden is suggesting that perhaps it won't be destroyed home apocalypse if no action is taken.
"it's not just the size, but the compatibility, "Victor Gordo tells Chris.

Chris Sutton: This is an attack on our home and ability to make improvements. Cites law.

Council action: Approval

Steve Madison wants the council to take back a hearing officer's approval of selling hard alcohol and -- gasp -- video games at Hooters.

Concerned man says, no there have been no complaints, BUT, "we all know" it's a problem that is ruining Old Pas.

Owner asks why Hooters keeps getting called up?

Council action: Approval.

Posted by Todd at 7:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Saturday's Measure D story the other day ended with this line:

Also on Monday, the city plans, without a council vote, to change the threshold for low-income seniors to apply for exemption of the utility-user tax so that more seniors can qualify by linking it to economic indicators, City Manager Cynthia Kurtz said.

Problem is I never wrote that. I did write the "city plans to ..." but where "Also Monday" and "without a council vote" came from escapes me entirely.

Posted by Todd at 1:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The PUSD & Altadena Town Council Joint Meeting:

Pasadena Unified School District and Altadena Town Council will participate in a joint meeting to be held on December 4 at 7 p.m. in the Eliot Middle School Auditorium, 2184 N. Lake Avenue in Altadena. Issues regarding Altadena and its schools will be discussed. Also, representatives from the County of Los Angeles will be on hand to discuss joint use of green space. The public are welcome to attend.

I love Altadena. With more crazies per square mile, it's one of the best things about Pasadena. When my cell phone signal cuts out just above New York Drive, I feel like I'm back in Jalalabad. Altadenastan?

The boys (and girl) on the PUSD board will be grasping for breath up in that rarified, oxygen-deprived atmosphere when they head up to absorb a decade's worth of pent-up angst and rage over the school district many Altadenans feel they have no voice in.

Posted by Todd at 3:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Stories slated for the "B1" local page have to be filed by 2:30 p.m.

This is a problem when that source or sources you've been hounding all day finally calls back at a not-unreasonable time of day -- but too late to make it into the story. Do I write that they didn't return calls? Refused to comment? Were unavailable?

When it's not clear-cut either way, the best practice would be to print what actually happened, however awkward:

"By 3 p.m., Jane Doe had not returned five messages left on her voicemail, a text message, two pages, three e-mails and two verbal messages her assistant swore up and down to deliver."

Case in point: Tomorrow's story re: Measure D will contain a line referencing that Mayor Bill Bogaard "couldn't be reached for comment" by late afternoon. He did call at 4:30 p.m., and we talked about the ballot measure and other things.

Posted by Todd at 5:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Stopped by City Hall before last night's council meeting to see if the ballot statements were in re: Measure D and was told they were -- and would be shared in the morning. Came back in a few minutes later when Principal opponent Wayne Lusvardi showed up to demand they be presented because he suspected the statement in support was NOT submitted by the 5:30 p.m. deadline.

Wish I had a camera as City Clerk Jane Rodriguez came back and held them up to show proof they'd been received. Story in tomorrow's paper.

Posted by Todd at 3:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

* East Pas Councilman Steve Haderlein wrote back too late Friday for me to change his title from "Strip Club Killer" to "Strip Club Assassin" for the Pleasures story.

As of January 25, residents can sleep soundly knowing the very last of Pasadena's problems have ceased to exist because no women will be taking their shirts off in a bar somewhere.

* Production problems result in Saturday's story slugged "DUMPFOLO" NOT ACTUALLY JUMPING anywhere! Yay!

* Some e-mails related to the Measure D story are posted below. I've been meaning to check Wayne Lusvardi's blog, where he's on occasion referred to me as an "ace reporter." For some reason I've never taken it as a compliment. :D

Continue reading "Monday morning roundup" »

Posted by Todd at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

None of the voluminous plenitude of furnishings will end up in a landfill, man-of-all-works-public Martin Pastucha just called to say. It will all be "salvaged or recycled." He's been getting calls all day. So have I.

Apparently "government waste" stories rank on the outrage-o-meter somewhere above neglected children and below abused animals.

Posted by Todd at 4:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

* If you didn't get your paper this morning ... we're sorry? Apparently our transition to a new manufacturing plant hit a "snag." This is one of two calls I'm getting this morning. The other is blaming me for throwing out furniture.

* The anonymous tip that led me to check out yesterday's dumping behind Armory NW has apparently led to Public Works Boss Martin Pastucha being cast as villain. Folks, he just returned the call. I've got to admit however there was a lot of very usable stuff, and somehow I'm not surprised the school district wasn't interested in much of it. My lede wasn't "Out with the old, in with the new" ... I don't take the cliche route unless it's at least a mashup. I think it was something like "In with the new City Hall meant out with the old blah blah ..." but perhaps it lacked clarity.

* A victory for decent-thinking, like-minded people everywhere, breasts and booze will no longer be visible or consumable -- not necessarily in that order -- at Pleasures Gentlemen's Club:

Pleasures to stop serving, stripping

By Kenneth Todd Ruiz
Staff Writer
PASADENA -- Pleasures Gentleman’s Club has agreed to stop serving and stripping in January, City Hall announced this morning.
Four years of legal wrangling that began after the club held a series of so-called “lust parties,” City Attorney Michele Bagneris said its owners Wednesday in court to stop selling alcohol and topless dancing on January 25.

Posted by Todd at 9:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Couldn't find my quote from City Manager Cynthia Kurtz for today's story, where having always worked in public service, she's accustomed to her salary not being a secret.

OK I found it while closing the 20-something documents open on my desktop: "My whole contract is a public document and I've handed it out many times. You just kind of get over it. When people look at my contract, some are going to say 'Man she makes a lot of money' and others are going to say 'For the work you do, that's all you get?!' "

Anyhoo, here's the web widget of city salaries that runs with today's story:

Posted by Todd at 10:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So we had a reporter en route to Paseo Colorado, which is reportedly locked down (how?)

Was talking to Cynthia Kurtz who mentioned she just got off the phone with Brian Williams, who could now be locked-down in said mall while the po-po looks for a bank robber. According to a third source near the mall (Martin Truitt) it was Citibank that done got robbered.

Now w/Lots o' Cops photo.

Posted by Todd at 1:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The inimitable Miss Havisham calls attention to the fact that the last sentence in today's story re: Melekian as interim CM was cut for space.

"With the Melekian now working as the chief at City Hall, the Police Department will be led by Deputy Chief Chris Vicino."

One could make a strong argument it should have been higher up, maybe before the fourth paragraph of exposition on the Brown Act violation. Which was violated. Like a Burmese monk, or Pakistani lawyer. :P

Full story in the full post. Do I need to keep repeating this? My already grossly undercompensated work, served up for free! Woots!

Continue reading "Vicino is interim boss cop" »

Posted by Todd at 1:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Strange ... Council came out of closed session tonight without a report on any action taken in said closed session. No report given throughout the entire proceeding, as required under the Brown Act. What's that?

Updated: I was expecting the appointment to be made last night, as it was. A news release was sent out just before midnight with the news. There was no disclosure of the closed-session action taken at any point during the meeting.

Adhering to the law can be inconvenient, and in the case of hiring situations, it may even be impolite. But as with many small-to-mid cities, Pasadena lawyer-politicians take it upon themselves to decide when the law does and does not apply to them. Is breaking the law OK when there are no consequences?

Perhaps as interim City Manager, Chief Melekian can encourage adherence to the law.

Posted by Todd at 1:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

Organized opposition emerged today to the proposed Measure D the council will again consider declaring an "emergency" tonight to rush a ballot measure designed to insulate $10 million from the Utility User Tax from potential legal challenge.

Below is the letter from Wayne "Pasadena Pundit" Lusvardi:

November 5, 2007

Mayor William Bogaard and City Councilmembers
City of Pasadena
100 North Garfield Ave
Pasadena, California 91109

RE: Measure D

Dear Mayor Bogaard and City Councilmembers,

We demand that Measure D be delayed until the next regularly scheduled municipal election in March 2009 as there is no justifiable emergency that would allow a special election to be held in February 2008.

The city has more than adequate reserves to fully fund its general fund budget appropriations at current levels through March 2009 even without a single penny of UUT revenue, therefore there is no financial emergency. The claim that there is an emergency because Federal law might one day somehow preclude the City from implementing a future Utility Users Tax if the City does not do so before March 2009 is sheer speculation and does not rise to the level of a currently occurring emergency.

Continue reading "On tap tonight: Measure D" »

Posted by Todd at 3:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The man responsible for Proctor-esque Top-10 lists on the City Manager's infamous Green Sheet dispatches, Brian WIlliams, announced this morning he will resign and take a job with SCAG.

Posted by Todd at 3:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I'm occasionally floored by the mug shots we dust off and put in the paper. In this year alone we've had a yearbook-worthy Steve Haderlein mug and a Chris Holden mug that looked like it was taken at the height of Lando Calrissian fever.

Not that Planning and Development Director Richard Bruckner called to complain this morning.

Police Chief Bernard Melekian didn't call either, unless there's something to my theory that Janet Pope Givens is really the chief in falsetto.

Pasadena eyes 2 for interim manager
Council interviews police chief, city's director of planning
By Kenneth Todd Ruiz, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 11/01/2007 11:10:41 PM PDT

PASADENA -- Two department heads will be considered for the interim city manager job on Monday by the City Council, which could decide to expand the search to outside candidates.

Before it gets serious about finding a new CEO for Pasadena Incorporated, the council wants to secure transitional leadership it can depend on for up to six months in that job, Mayor Bill Bogaard said Thursday.

"Our intention is to hire an interim until a permanent person takes office as city manager," Bogaard said. "The tremendous benefit of an internal appointment would be the person would know the city and know its current priorities, and know the people involved both on the city staff and in the community."

Richard Bruckner, director of planning and development, and Bernard Melekian, police chief, both confirmed Thursday they were interviewed by the council on Monday and would take the interim position if asked.

Continue reading "Two directors enter ..." »

Posted by Todd at 9:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

I'm posting a bounty for any and all City Hall costume pictures sent my way.

A bounty of delicious candy. Full-size for department heads and up.

Posted by Todd at 9:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

So the city hired a communications consultant to advise its strategy and message for the UUT emergency/special-election, and even posted a slick "Frequently Asked Questions" PDF on the city home page.

That material was created under the $45,000 "voter information" portion of the anticipated $432,000 special election cost -- to be paid for from the $7 million set aside for Utility User Tax contingencies.

Some time between Monday and today, the links to that content was removed from the "Hot Topics" on the city homepage -- here's the FAQ.

Posted by Todd at 4:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Mmmmm, just like my hickory-injected Gouda; I love that authentic, smoke-flavored air wafting across our side of the Valley. Smells like the end of the world.

Posted by Todd at 4:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Caught in a growing shadow? Is the sky falling?

It's not a meteor streaking toward Pasadena -- it's the potential loss of $10 million in revenue from a portion of the Utility User Tax that has members of the City Council set to declare an "emergency to the public welfare" as per my weekend story (posted after the jump below).

The telecommunications portion could go away if someone sues the city and if they prevail in court. Not exactly an Armageddon scenario, but no emergency declaration means a ballot measure to change the tax code to insulate it from litigation would have to wait until the next general election in March, 2009.

There's been a lot of misinformation flying over this, including an editorial in our sister newspaper, the L.A. Daily News, which repeated the false assertion that declaring an emergency lowers the threshold of votes needed to pass from 66 percent to 50 percent.

It's 50 percent (+ 1 vote) because the money collected goes into the General Fund -- if it went toward any specific program/department/etc Proposition 218 would require a two-thirds threshold.

Continue reading "Red Alert!" »

Posted by Todd at 3:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

The Proctor has a blow-by-blow account of most everything from last night's council meeting, except he missed Manny Shakefell's entrance.

Posted by Todd at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Since moving in mid-August into my new place one block from the Dee-Oh, I'd been meaning to make fun of the PUSD's 6-month-old "Welcome Superintendent Edwin Diaz!" banner. But they've taken it down.

Posted by Todd at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A little busy at the moment, but the headline of Monday's blog entry, "Change(s?) at City Hall," should make more sense now.

"Kurtz to resign as city manager"

Updated with tomorrow's story in the full post.

Continue reading "The only constant is change" »

Posted by Todd at 4:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Employee Appreciation Day was reportedly A Good Time Had by All ...

Except this year a mere meal ticket was insufficient to score your tray of chow, city employees also had to endure an indelible, felt-tipped mark of the beast smeared on their hands ... to make sure no one scored a second round of eats? The mark apparently doesn't wash off. Ever.

Posted by Todd at 2:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Gregory Robinson is no longer Pasadena's top housing official after being reassigned last week to a housing-related position in City Manager Cynthia Kurtz' office.

Short story "after the jump."

Continue reading "Change(s?) at City Hall" »

Posted by Todd at 4:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There's something medieval about a dunk tank. There will be a little humiliation served cold along with the appreciation at next Wednesday's City Employee Appreciation Picnic (And Karaoke).

Public Affairs estimates 1,600 employees will be at the event, which could provide for a lot of dunks for Jack Becker and Arlington Rodgers of Public Works, PWP's Eric Klinkner, Safety Officer Tom Lopez and Public Health Director Takashi Wada.

They'd generate much more interest if they'd gotten some electeds up there. Or the pols might have come if they'd brought out the Aaron Proctor Spanking Machine.

But Dr. Takashi? He's just too cute to want to heap abuse upon. And I don't know much of anything about Jack Becker, but perhaps he's the scourge of many a Public Works crew. Hmmmm ... I might be able to channel my latent rage over gross overbilling by PWP ~five years ago to gun for some Klinkner.

Who else should be on this list?

Posted by Todd at 11:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

New episode of City Beat taped today up at Hens Teeth Square and will be broadcast on KPAS 55 and streamed over the Internet at 1:30 p.m. today and at varying times each day throughout the week.

City spokeswoman Ann Erdman did her best to keep Mayor Bill Bogaard and myself in-line and on-topic for the 30 minute discussion of the City Council's new anti-violence committee, John Muir High School, frustrations in the African-American community, and even brought up the idea of discussing the Non-Discussables. (Hint: They're not easy to discuss.)

I usually permit the mayor one Pasadena bragging point, but I don't think we got to staff writer Robert Hong's story today re: just how awesome Old Pas is.

Posted by Todd at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

So I'm sitting here at my desk trying to write about last night's meeting, but entirely distracted by reporter Cortney Fielding, who has been on the phone having a protracted conversation with someone angry at her for Muir's Mustang spirit 'lost.'

PASADENA -- John Muir High School is mired in a "collective culture of low expectations and apathy," according to a consultant's report detailing test scores and extensive interviews with students, parents and teachers.

Consultant Richard Owen, a former associate superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified School District, spent two months interviewing students, parents, teachers and administrators at Muir. He ticked off a litany of dysfunction - from low test scores to poor student attendance to a general distrust of district administrators.

There's nothing new to being blamed for the reality we report. If the city was burning to the ground and we posted a web update, some would ask why we lit the match.

Instead of debating the role of journalism here and the need to report what's going on fearlessly in the face of those who would prefer not to know, but I'll post an excerpt from the report released Tuesday night by Consultant Richard Owen, a former associate superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified School District:

Page 3:

School Culture: The Non-Discussables

1. Non-discussables are subjects that are rarely talked about openly.


2. It is the elephant in the room.


3. The health of a school or a District is proportional to the number of non-discussables


4. Intentionally not talking openly about issues creates a culture of neglect


5. To change we must name, acknowledge, and address the non-discussables - especially those that impede learning.


6. This could mean race, it could mean underperformint teachers, it could mean apathetic parents, students and teachers, and it could mean a dysfunctional district or failed leadership.


7. We must have courageous conversations.

Strip out the specifics and what else could this be applied to?

Posted by Todd at 3:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

As per the business page the other day, Earthlink's contraction means it's back to the drawing board for bringing for-profit wireless to Pasadena's light poles.

From my Aug. 2, 2006 story:

PASADENA - Saturating the entirety of Pasadena with an invisible stream of data came closer to reality Monday with the selection of a native-born company to build a municipal wireless network.

By this time next year - and at no cost to the city - EarthLink Inc. plans to install wireless transmission points in hundreds of street lights to offer paid access to the Internet for business, residents and city government.
...

Given the volatile metabolism of wireless technology, where the life-span of products and industry standards can be counted in months, Pratt said EarthLink was important to the longevity of the network.

EarthLink has promised to fold 12 percent of its future revenues from the network into maintaining and improving it, he added.

And according to Gordo, the city wanted to pick a viable company that would likely remain in business to operate the network.

The company's 12 years of operation make it practically an elder among the flare and fade of Internet technology companies.

Posted by Todd at 1:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)