POLITICIANS ARE LIKE DIAPERS. THEY NEED TO BE CHANGED OFTEN and FOR the SAME REASONS reason.

By Gary Abrams

Culver City POLITICIANS are not unlike most other politicians. SELFISH IGNORANT and GREEDY, except that they bring STUPIDITY to the mix. Two FAMILIES influence the ELECTIONS

I am no longer amazed at the actions of Culver City's elected/selected politicians City Council dba the Community Redevelopment Agency (JUST SWITCHING HATS) and the Culver City Unified District School Board.

After exposing the City Council doing the dba CRA Switching Hat Thing during the 4043 Irving sham.

Attorney Council member Andy Weisman COMES CLEAN!

The Big Sting: 4043 Irving By My Opinion August 02, 2010 From Gary Abrams

Not long ago, a prime open space in Culver City, publicly owned property, quietly changed hands in a no-bid agreement to a private party.

Most Culver citizens gained their first knowledge of the $3.121 million. Rebated $550K to the private developer agreement, changing ownership of Culver City land, AFTER the FACT. I was one of those citizens

The developer told City Hall officials he needs about a 50 percent increase over the approximately $550,000 that the City Council already has agreed to hand back over to him. 1/23/2009.

REASON FOR SALE was to RAISE NEEDED CAPITAL, according to the Redevelopment Agency.

Fastforward 2010: (Excerpt) -- Council Member states CRA PROHIBITED by Law.

I was at one Culver City Redevelopment Agency meeting (the one where I was told by a city council member(with the others looking on) that the LAW prohibited the CRA from assisting the schools.

Friday, July 23, 2010 -Notice goes out for -

COUNCIL MEETING scheduled for Monday, July 26, 7 p.m., City Hall.

MILLION$$$ in QUESTION?? To BAIL OUT INEXPERIENCED DEVELOPER

PRIVATE Developers to get $6 million Tax payers LOAN and forgivable $2.4 million GRANT in addition to rebate of $550K to set aside 12 low- and moderate-income apartments, @$500K each.

The Mayor, the City Council and the Redeveloping Agency members approved the original deal. The same people. Hmm. What a difference a name makes.

First, the audience voices its concerns. It was again recommended that the city refund to the developer and save the city -- oops, the Redevelopment Agency -- $4 million in the process.

The big question was the $$$$$$$ NUMBERS?

I was the last public speaker. Followed by the Super. Asked why the City does not ASSIST the Schools?

ACTUALLY, I read a letter that I received from my son.

Dear Parents: (excerpt) As we all know, funding for education has been negatively impacted by the state of the economy.

Seventy thousand dollars has been cut in transportation funds from the CCHS Athletic budget for the 2010-2011 school year as well as $46,000 in coaching stipends.

We currently offer 23 sports and 60 teams at CCHS. We need your help more than ever.

WITHOUT your FINANCIAL SUPPORT, we will have no other option but to discontinue the lower levels of some athletic programs and eliminate other athletic programs entirely

We simply cannot afford to continue to support all of our current CCHS athletic teams to the degree we do unless we FIND AN ADDITIONAL source of FUNDING.

REASON: The money is already here for low- and moderate- income housing. As one Councilman took the time to single out my question stated, the FUNDS RESTRICTED can only be used by law for that purpose. If we do not use it, the money will be taken back.

The Council was ready to vote on the $6 million even though the public had only a two-day notice over the weekend.

It was voted to postpone vote for two weeks. Same results- a DONE DEAL$$$$$$!

Early on, my position on 4043 was established, and it is legendary around the Irving Place neighborhood. "Give `em their money back." Hasn't changed. It was officially memorialized on Dec. 8, 2008.

City property sold $$$$$$ to go to the restrictive CRA fund.

THREE QUESTIONS- that any public official can to address.

1. Redevelopment Agency: Is that the same as Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)?

2. City Council (CC): Is that the same as Culver City Council (CCC)?

3. Same members switching hats. What is the difference? For simplicity, I will just call them CCRA.

I am still baffled about the non-relationship between the City Council and the School Board. Strange phenomenon. Has anyone ever heard of any other relations like that?

I was at the CCRA meeting (4043 Irving Place)when the School Superintendent was presented as the very last item, 11:52 p.m., 8 minutes before midnight, for a request that took less than five minutes from presentation to resolution.

Is this any way to treat a lady?

She had been there since the opening bell at 7 o'clock. Maybe they did not recognize her. At least she got the okay to start having School Board meetings in the CCRA chambers.

Returning to the Kids

Anyway, the school kids are the farthest thing from the minds of Councilmen.

OVER A YEAR AGO, I COMPLAINED at a CCRA meeting about the sidewalks on Braddock directly leading to and from Linwood Howe Elementary School.

SIDEWALKS are still in DISREPAIR. There have been a couple of incidents, trip-and-fall episodes of elementary school kids bumping their heads.

How much can that COST? Hospital bills should more than cover it, easily.

Now that it is MEMORIALIZED, there is no more claiming that we did not know.

Mr. Developer, I would feel at least the kids got something out of this deal.

WAS IT SERIOUS and PRODUCTIVE when the School Board and City Council dba CRA Sat Down Together in 2008?

Culver City's ONLY TWO SELECTED/elected bodies, who seem to regard each other as RIVALS, have talked about meeting far more frequently than they ever convene.

For REASONS that NEVER have been completely clear,for much of the past decade the City Council and School Board RARELY COMMUNICATED or COOPERATED with one another.

ACKNOWLEDGING that whatever historical differences existed between prior Councils and Boards were now in the PAST, they pledged mutual cooperation from this point forward.

COOPERATION WILL IMPROVE CHANCES FOR $$$$$$$$ FUNDS!

It was opined that there would be significant competition for grant $$$$$$ money and that if the city and the School District could work together, the chances of success would be greater.

While city and School Board COOPERATION in the PAST was virtually NON-Existent, all elected officials in attendance AGREED to give their BEST EFFORTS to work cohesively to obtain these grant monies.

TWO FAMILIES INFLUENCE Culver City POLITICS?

In Culver City, there are, basically, two power player families. They are not on par with the Mafia, but they wield considerable influence on who is selected in the local elections through funding and printed newspaper coverage.

Only about 10 percent of the population votes, these two families control about 50-60 percent of these votes. Power shifts between each family. If you look at the last City Council and School Board selections, you will note that the difference between the two top vote getters were close (exclude incumbents). http://www5.smartvoter.org/2009/11/03/ca/la/school.html

• Karlo Silbiger .......... 3,064 votes 26.51%
• Kathy Paspalis .......... 2,979 votes 25.77%

One candidate campaign co-chair pegged $20,000 as their fund-raising goal in the three months leading up to Election Day. (Mentioned that when he ran for office 37 years ago, spent a modest $2,500).

Last School Board election in 2009, winning contenders approached that $20,000 figure.

Karlo Silbiger topped $19,000-plus. Contributions received.

Cash Equivalents/Outstanding Debts: $-0-
Ending cash balance $6,627.06

Attorney Kathy Paspalis, $17,400-plus.Contributions received.

Cash Equivalents/Outstanding Debts: $0.
Ending cash balance: $4,195.06

NOT QUITE THERE YET- Prof. Patricia Siever, $13,500-plus. Contributions received.

Votes 1,809 (15.65 percent each
$ 9,000. LOANS
Cash Equivalents/Outstanding Debts: $10,015.25
Ending cash balance: $1,180.59

ENDORSEMENTS + Unions, Clubs, Bureaus, former Public Officials

Does it really matter who wins the school board race?

Citizens and selected/elected officials like each other Ignorant.

Districts Property (similar to the City's) neglected. Cultural or Heredity?

Natatorium Indoor Swimming Pool long forgotten (19 years now). No one's talking.

American Investment Recovery Act 2009

Public Schools the Farm System for the Military and Prisons.

When time outs and counseling do not work do we medicate our students?

Reaffirming the Bounds of Public Civility at the School Board public meetings.

AWARD WINNING? Anti-Bullying Task Force missing in action.

Self +Taxing-Fading Fade: $6 million Parcel Tax Measure EE and the Districts problems still keep on growing and now the latest C.C.E.F. $million campaign.

http://www.thefrontpageonline.com/articles1-5358/PuzzledtheFirstTimeby4043IrvingWilltheCouncilMakeupItsMindTonight http://www.thefrontpageonline.com/articles1-5519/BuilderUpstheAnteon4043IsThistheEndorJustAnotherWrinkle http://www.thefrontpageonline.com/articles1-7923/TheBigSting4043Irving http://www.thefrontpageonline.com/articles1-7994/NoNeedtoLookFurtherIWillHelpYou Outofthe4043Mess http://www.thefrontpageonline.com/articles1-9665/TheHighCostofRunningforOffice http://www.thefrontpageonline.com/articles1-9601/20000AGoldbergCampaignGoal