Veres Dogged by Independent Expenditures the Mayor's Got a Tip
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Los Feliz Ledger Read by 100,000+ Residents and Business Owners in Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Vol 10. No. 9 March 2015 Atwater Village, Echo Park & Hollywood Hills LaBonge [CD4 ELECTION] Election Math: Dodges Do The Numbers Records By Colin Stutz Request Ledger Contributing Writer “Until After With 14 candidates seek- ing to replace Tom LaBonge as Election” councilmember for Los Ange- By Julie Walmsley les’ Fourth District (CD4), the and Allison B. Cohen difference between making it past the March 3rd primary LOS ANGELES—Three sepa- election and into the May rate requests from soon-to- runoff could be the slimmest be-termed out City Coun- of margins. cilmember Tom LaBonge To best gauge how many detailing the use of city finan- votes a candidate will need to cial transfers to his office for pass to the next round, it’s help- the funding of general staff ful to look at the most recent salaries as well as travel and election of 2013 that saw a simi- lavish events related to his larly high number of candidates competing to replace a termed- out councilmember — that’s the neighboring 13th District. In that race, then-candi- CROWDED HOUSE—On March 3rd, Los Angeles voters will be casting ballots for a 57 candidates dates Mitch O’Farrell and John for city council districts, four Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education districts and Choi made it out of the 12-per- two Community College Board of Trustee seats. The largest candidate pool is for Los Angeles City son pack with just 18.8% and Council District 4, with 14 candidates vying to replace Councilmember Tom LaBonge who has 16.7% of the votes, respectively. served since 2001, but must leave office due to term limits. The photo is of the photographer’s O’Farrell secured 4,530 while home. He appears to be hedging his bet. Photo: Michael Locke. see MATH page 7 The Mayor’s Got A Tip For the [CD4 ELECTION] Veres Dogged by Independent LaBonge and CD4 staffer Kamilla Minimum Wage Increase Blanche at the January 2014 Los Angeles Art Show event. By Bridgette Webb, Ledger Contributor Writer Expenditures Council District 4’s (CD4) when the council will vote on While Ramsay’s Support Remains Strong “Sister Cities Initiative” had the issue. By Colin Stutz, Ledger Contributing Writer been unfilled with one staffer Los Angeles Mayor Eric replying the office would re- Gracetti first announced plans As the March 3 Council spond to one request but only last September to raise the District 4 election approaches, after the May election. minimum wage from the cur- more money in the form of LaBonge’s last month in rent $9 an hour to $13.25 by independent expenditures are office is June due to term lim- 2017. rolling in to pad candidates’ its. His former staffer, Carolyn At the time, he said doing war chests as they work to get Ramsay—whom he endors- so was necessary because the their names and messages out es—is in a tight March 3rd erosion of wages for low-and to the district’s voters. primary election with 13 other Mayor Eric Garcetti middle-wage workers threatens Of the 14 candidates vy- candidates. A run off will be the recovery of Los Angeles. ing to replace the termed-out held, May 19th, between the Local businesses are no- “I’m proposing to respon- Tom LaBonge, Community two highest vote getters. ticeably on edge as lawmakers sibly and gradually raise the College District Trustee and Steve Veres According to Ramsay, she consider a potential minimum minimum wage,” he said in a former Los Angeles Director has nothing to do with the Sis- wage increase to as high as press release, “because it’s de- to California State Assembly- $93,000 as of press time. ter Cities Initiative. $15.25. plorable and bad for our econ- member Sen. Kevin de Leon But this outside support “I left the council office Los Angeles City Council omy to have 1 million Ange- (D-Los Angeles) Steve Veres to Veres’ campaign has raised eight months ago,” she wrote members are still considering linos stuck in poverty, even has received the most money questions of how independent in a text message over the the increase in wage. Cur- when working full-time.” from independent expendi- these expenditures truly are. see LABONGE page 8 rently there is no date set on see MAYOR page 22 ture committees — more than see ELECTION page 5 CD4 Election: Who would the Politics: Park cell tower report still Community News: Dodgers still Lifestyles: Truly off-ramp. Band Online: Update on CD4 candidates vote for? page 6 pending, page 9 not pitching a shut-out, page 15 plays at 5 Freeway Los Feliz exit, Candidate Sheila Irani lawsuit, page 26 losfelizledger.com Los Feliz Ledger [LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER] By Allison B. Cohen Demmers said publicly re- and the private sector. Debates cently it’s an extremely skilled for this race have organically We’ve been meeting infor- group we have to choose from differentiated the candidates Available at these locations: FOUNDED 2005 mally with and reporting on March 3rd to replace termed- as either “Insider” or “Outsid- Delivered the last Thursday of LOS FELIZ each month to 34,500 homes and the Los Angeles City Council out councilmember Tom La- er” and the topic comes up of- Citibank businesses in the Los Feliz, District 4 candidates since last Bonge. ten: which perspective is best 1965 Hillhurst Avenue Silver Lake, Atwater Village, August. I’ve personally gotten The Ledger is endorsing to administer the district espe- Echo Park and Hollywood Hills Dresden Restaurant communities. to know them well and agree Sheila Irani and Teddy Davis. cially since it has had the in- 1760 N. Vermont Avenue when Los Feliz Neighbor- Irani, 52, has proven track delible brand of LaBonge since House of Pies 1933 Hillhurst Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027 hood Council President Linda records in both public service 1869 N. Vermont see LETTER page 13 (323) 741-0019 Fax: (323) 741-0045 Los Feliz Public Library 1874 Hillhurst Avenue PUBLISHER/EDITOR Los Feliz 3 Theaters Allison B. Cohen 20% off 1822 N. Vermont ADVERTISING SALES purchase Newsstand Libby Butler-Gluck Vermont and Melbourne 323-644-5536 with coupon- expires 2/28/15 [email protected] good for coffee and tea only Palermo 1858 N. Vermont EDITORIal AssISTanT Skylight Books Bridgette Webb 1818 N. Vermont GRAPHIC DESIGN & LAYOUT Tiffany Sims SILVER LAKE BOOKKEEPER Casita del Campo FREE 1920 Hyperion Ave Geeta Badkar coffee cupping, every Friday at noon Silver Lake Chamber For more stories & updates: of Commerce • 1724 W. Silver Lake Drive LosFelizLedger.com LEARN home bru-ing classes • SEE local artwork • WATCH local short films every month 1866 N. VERMONT AVENUE CORNER OF FRANKLIN & VERMONT FREE PARKING AND WI-FI FOR BRU CUSTOMERS www.brucoffeebar.com A SILVER LAKE LEGEND SINCE 1962 Delicious Mexican Food Happy Hour 3pm-7pm Every Day Weekend Brunch “Best Margaritas in Town with Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice” Beautiful Patios • Gorgeous Artwork 1920 Hyperion Avenue, Silver Lake Open Daily from 11 am 323-662-4255 www.casitadelcampo.net AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE PARTIES Page 2 www.losfelizledger.com March 2015 Los Feliz Ledger [STREET LEVEL] Got the Vote? Compiled by Ameera Butt, Ledger Contributing Writer To date, a total of $4.3 Of course, be- million has been contributed cause if you to and $2.2 million spent vote, nobody on various Los Angeles City can choose for Council elections, four Los you. Even if the Angeles Unified School Dis- candidate you trict Board of Education races voted for loses, at least you and two charter amendments voted. that would change when elec- —Alex Meza, 55, Echo Park, tions occur in Los Angeles in on Glendale Boulevard next to the future. Echo Park Lake The election is March 3rd. Will you be voting? Maybe I got something I’m not sure in the mail. I whom I’m go- think there’s ing to vote for too many elec- because I’m not tions. What familiar with is this election for? I guess the candidates. I thought they already did —Bruce Quinn, Glendale, on one. I was thinking it was the Glendale Boulevard in Atwater county election. Village —Meagan Miller, 44, Enci- no, in Barnsdall Art Park with No, because I her 3-year-old daughter just don’t really stay informed I don’t want on that level of to vote. I don’t elections. I just have a reason. had a baby and —Albert Men- am out of the loop. dez, 19, Echo —Alex Seeley, 27, Highland Park, at Echo Park, on Kingswell Avenue in Park Lake Los Feliz Story ideas, submissions, & inquiries contact: Allison Cohen 1933 Hillhurst Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90027 Phone: 323-741-0019 Fax: 323-741-0045 [email protected] www. losfelizledger.com March 2015 www.losfelizledger.com COMMUNITY NEWS Page 3 Los Feliz Ledger CD4: NUMBER OF DONORS BY NEIGHBORHOOD More election graphs: losfelizledger.com Hancock Park/Mid Wilshire/ Koreatown 276 Los Feliz Hollywood TEDDY DAVIS SHEILA IRANI WALLY KNOX TOMAS O’GRADY Atwater/Elysian/Silver Lake JOAN PELICO CAROLYN RAMSAY DAVID RYU STEVE VERES Beverly Hills Source: Los Angeles City Ethics Commission through 2/14/15. Donors providing to more than one candidate extracted. Compiled by Griffin O. Cohen, Research Assistant, Georgetown University. The Valley Number of Donors 50 100 125 300 Page 4 COMMUNITY NEWS www.losfelizledger.com March 2015 Los Feliz Ledger ELECTION from page 1 not always say where your votes of the other candidates, you that were waiting to see how While Los Angeles elec- are going to come from… It’s probably have enough money the primaries played out.