HUFFPOST LIVE: Why Is Pat Sajak Trolling The Internet?

Too much has already been made of this silly Pat Sajak tweet, which seems like the kind of bonkers thing an ultra right-wing climate denier might say... but taking a quick look at his Twitter feed, it's clear Sajak is more just a goofball than a nutjob. He was trolling the Internet here, trying to make a joke (I say "trying") about how liberals call everyone racist... the joke didn't work, but it did erupt a bit of a firestorm. And yep, I'm just as much to blame for fanning the flames by participating in this HuffPost Live segment. But I did try to put it all in perspective. Watch below.

This Is Why Local TV News Is A Joke: No More Sacramento Reporting

As LA Observed reported last week, Nannette Miranda -- the last local L.A. reporter on the scene in Sacramento -- has been laid off. Miranda had reported from the state capital for KABC/Los Angeles, KGO/San Francisco and KFSN/Fresno. "Was last out-of-town TV bureau standing," Miranda tweeted last week.

The local stations, of course, suddenly cared about Sacramento again when Schwarzenegger took the governorship and began his campaign to destroy the state. He's gone, and apparently, so is any interest in... well, all that boring important stuff going on in the capital. Hey look, car chase!

Is it too much to ask that in exchange for the right to broadcast over the public airwaves, our local TV stations give us some sort of real news? I love a car chase as much as the next guy, but how about balancing things out? No?

Writes Kevin Roderick at LA Observed:

Miranda began in December, 2003 as the Sacramento bureau chief for the ABC-owned stations in California. Well, she has gotten the word that the ABC stations are closing the Sacto bureau by October. She's out of a job. There are no other TV reporters from Los Angeles based in Sacramento that I know. The LA Times still has a large bureau there, though smaller than it used to be, and KPCC has Julie Small reporting from Northern California.

A veteran of two of the opposing sides in Sacramento — media and political staff — tells me that Miranda was a respected pro. "She was the last of the army of reporters sent in when Schwarzenegger landed in the Capitol 10 years ago. They’re all gone now."

Taking Stock of Occupy LA at City Hall

While participating in CicLAvia on Sunday, the Blogger Toddler 2.0 and I also ventured to the City Hall lawn to see how Occupy LA, now in its second week, is doing. An offshoot of the Occupy Wall Street movement, the L.A. movement seems to have picked up steam in recent days. CicLAvia conveniently helped as well and likely helped recruit a few more regulars.

Some pics:

'Law & Order: LA' Takes on the City of Bell Scandal

They've been busy reading the Los Angeles newspapers at NBC's revamped Law & Order: LA. The show is relying on two of the year's biggest L.A.-centric news stories to fuel its narrative over the next two weeks. Tonight, Law & Order: LA will tackle local government corruption — motivated by the well-publicized mess in the City of Bell, a suburb of Los Angeles. Then, on April 25, the show airs its episode based loosely on the mysterious murder of Hollywood power publicist Ronni Chasen.

Read all about it here.

By the way, tonight's City of Bell-inspired LOLA episode comes as the L.A. Times awaits word this afternoon on a potential Pulitzer for its coverage of the scandal.

The Mortgage Deduction Debate, and How Angelenos May Get Screwed

This story is what sometimes drives me nuts about the Los Angeles Times. At the end of the day, the paper needs to be local first. Yet this piece, on the possibility that mortgage tax deductions may be erased, barely touches the unique circumstances faced by L.A. homeowners.

For starters, the story -- written by L.A. Times reporter Don Lee from Washington -- begins with an anecdote about Maryland homeowners:

Fifteen years ago, Carol Nietmann and her husband bought a spacious house in Maryland near Chesapeake Bay. And thanks to the time-honored tax deduction for mortgage interest, she said, their new place was a little bigger and a little nicer than they would otherwise have thought they could afford.

Much the same has been true for millions of Americans up and down the income scale. Perhaps the most sacred of all the sacred cows in the tax code, the home mortgage deduction has long been seen as crucial to a major element of the American dream — owning your own home.

It has also been a boon to home builders, construction workers, the financial services industry and local governments that benefited from fatter real estate tax revenue.

But nearly a century after coming into existence, the mortgage deduction may face a day of reckoning. Although out of the spotlight while the lame-duck Congress thrashes to an end, the mortgage deduction issue is likely to resurface next year when the new Congress — including a lot more deficit-hawk Republicans — takes over.

So here's my problem: Out here in L.A., at least since the home price escalation in 2003, homeowners have paid a little more than they can afford... in order to squeeze into a tiny home they could have easily handled in another part of the country. It's the price of living in a city like L.A., San Francisco or New York. And it's those mortgage tax deductions that allow us to pay for these homes, period.

Lee finally touches on the plight of Angelenos -- you know, the people reading his story -- but much further down, and only briefly:

On the other hand, younger homeowners in wealthier areas are likely to feel the biggest pinch. Take Hyun K. Chung of Orange County.

The 37-year-old occupational therapist has a mortgage of about $500,000 on her house, which she bought at the peak of the market in 2006. Her loan carried an interest rate of 6.4% last year, putting her interest payments at about $32,000.

Chung doesn't remember how much her mortgage deductions saved her in taxes, but based on rough estimates, it was probably about $6,600, said James Nunns of the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center.

The deficit commission's plan would slice that to about $3,800, though Nunns said the difference could be significantly offset by lower tax rates and other changes under the commission's proposal. The possible tax changes are still too imprecise to calculate exactly how they would affect people.

So in other words, no one knows how much most of us young Southern California homeowners are about to get screwed. THAT is something you oughta play up.

It's not enough, by the way, that my generation was screwed over by Prop 13 (you know, the California law that means I pay triple the taxes on my little shack than many folks do on their Hancock Park mansions) -- now our mortgage deduction lifeline is threatened as well.

Pat Boone's Beverly Hills Tea Party

Pat Boone, who's convinced that Barack Obama is a Kenyan Muslim Socialist Terrorist, is having a Tea Party -- and you're invited!


I don’t know where to begin on this! A Tea Party rally… but you must be “upscale” and “connected.” Isn’t that the opposite of what the “tea party” claims to be?

And an afternoon with Pat Boone, Victoria Jackson and Ben Stein. With bag pipes. Why do they hate America?

Pic of the Day: Dreaming of a White-Haired Politico

Total Recall: City Council president Eric Garcetti must have sat behind former Gov. Gray Davis during Obama's recent visit. He posted this pic via Twitter, and wrote: "Can't miss Gov. Gray's awesome head of hair!"

The Brutal, Year-Long Campaign for the State Assembly District 43 Chair

"It's A Girl!" the birth announcement read.

"Hey, do we know anyone who just had a baby? I don't know who this is," I asked Maria.

I flipped the card over. Oh. Mike Gatto strikes again.

Mike Gatto is running for California State Assembly in the 43rd district (replacing Paul Krekorian, who was recently elected to Los Angeles City Council).

Since we reside in the district, we've been bombarded for days by Mike Gatto. At least two mailings a day. Phone calls from volunteers. Folks knocking on our door, asking for our vote. Gatto's got some money to spend, and quite a few people helping him as he spends it.

Gatto's from the area, and is now an attorney for Mayer Brown LLP. There's a good chance we'll vote for him on April 13, when the special election is held to fill out the rest of Krekorian's term -- which expires this fall. But we're not committed to anyone just yet.

Besides, this may not be the end of it. Even if he wins on April 13, Gatto will nonetheless have to once again campaign for the seat in mere months. That's a lotta Gatto.

As the Mad Professah notes, the campaign to take the AD-43 chair is brutal:

1) On April 13th, 2010 there will be a special election to fill the seat.
2) If no one gets more than 50% of the vote then there will be a run-off election on June 8, 2010 for the right to serve out the rest of Krekorian's term.
3) However, also on June 8, 2010 will be a primary election for the right to be on the ballot to represent the 43rd district for a full 2-year term.
4) November 2, 2010 will be the statewide general election for 43rd District

Our district leans heavily Democrat, so once Gatto wins that first election, he's a shoo-in to hold on to the seat in the fall. That's why we're now experiencing the brunt of the Gatto machine. (Gatto is facing off against Glendale school boardmember Nayiri Nahabedian and two other, lesser-known candidates.)



But back to that mailer. Let's face it, it was a little odd -- although, hey, kudos to him for finding a way to turn the expense of a typical newborn announcement into a campaign mailer. But it assumed a familiarity that I'm not quite comfortable with just yet. (I also wonder if it rubbed some voters the wrong way -- like, "Hey, you just had a baby -- perhaps you oughta be focusing on that instead of this race!") Mike Gatto, we're just getting to know you.

The View from Schwarzenegger's Desk

The Governator tweeted this photo this other day, I guess to help his poll numbers among Flat Stanley fans. But the interesting parts of this (obviously staged) photo come from what else is on his desk: A sheet of Schwarzenegger's talking points IN A VERY LARGE FONT SIZE... and, of course, the copy of what appears to be some sort of muscle magazine (with what I assume is his photo on the front, of course, under the cover blurb "Train Like An Icon").

Hey So Cal Tires, Politics Are Not Your Strength

Spotted in Burbank. Just a thought: Maybe So Cal Tires oughta spend a little less time making political comments and more time fixing my damn tire.

Gavin Newsom's Twitter Account Still Running For Governor

Looks like Gavin Newsom's Twitter feed is having a hard time saying goodbye to the gubernatorial race.

Retro Friday: Then-Gov. Jerry Brown Addresses Prop. 13

Ahh, Prop. 13. Great for the folks back then. Not so much for our generation. Those of us who bought homes this decade pay extraordinarily more in property taxes than people with much bigger homes and lot sizes -- but who were old enough to be able to buy their land years earlier.

Here's audio from then-Gov. Jerry Brown, soon after Prop. 13 passed in 1978, discussing the fiscal belt-tightening that would now have to take place in California.

Was Assemblyman Mike Duvall's Scandal-Led Resignation Foretold on His Website?

Perhaps we should've known all along that California Republican Mike Duvall would wind up resigning in disgrace. (Check out all the lurid details of Duvall's affair with a lobbyist here -- and read how this idiot bragged about his conquests near a live, open microphone. Smart dude.)

Why? Check out the banner photo on his website, as also seen above. Look at the prominently displayed presidential seal in front of Duvall. Here's a closer glimpse:



Yep, Duvall's main web photo features him speaking at a podium emblazoned with Richard Nixon's name. Ahh, two scandal-ridden, forced-to-resign politicos in a pod!

Glendale's New Turf War

In an effort to save water, Montrose resident David Wood spent thousands of dollars to install artificial turf on his front lawn.

The city of Glendale, however, forbids artificial turf. Yet it also has instituted new, strict lawn watering rules. The Glendale News-Press reports:

Wood’s self-described “Catch-22” situation began with an effort to conserve water in light of Crescenta Valley Water District conservation measures and to keep maintenance low by installing artificial turf in front of the house he built on Piedmont Avenue.

But in recent weeks he learned that in order to receive final approval from a Glendale Design Review Board and adhere to required landscaping plan, he would have to replace the artificial turf with live grass, which would have required daily watering to take root. And if the grass died because of the water restrictions, he could be cited by code enforcement for dead landscaping in a frontyard setback.

Wood’s situation is an example of potential conflicts between existing city codes caused by recent mandatory water conservation rules that were approved by the City Council this week.

Glendale residents can now only water their yards on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Meanwhile, after all the attention Wood has received over his dilemma, the City Council has agreed to revisit its artificial turf ban -- and city officials have agreed not to enforce the ordinance until the matter is resolved.

SPEAKING of the Glendale News-Press, the newspaper is currently asking its readers whether its name should be downsized to just the "News-Press." The excuse: Now that the paper has expanded its coverage of the Crescenta Valley, "Glendale" may be too limiting in the masthead.

The problem: The Glendale News-Press had already altered its name to just "News-Press" at the end of the 1990s and early part of the 2000s, before restoring "Glendale" to its title a few years ago, in order to better promote its civic identity. To switch it again seems awfully wishy-washy -- and would diminish its primary mission as Glendale's daily newspaper.

"Maybe It's Time California Got Over Itself"

Tough love from Hoover Institution research fellow Bill Whalen, who writes in the San Francisco Chronicle that we Californians have got to stop thinking of ourselves as anything special:

For too long, the Golden State - and by this I'd include both its elected officials and the people who put them in office - has failed to cope with the present, hasn't adequately planned for the future, and has obsessed far too much over its gilded past. Because we're a nation-state, with one-eighth the nation's population and a world-class economy, the assumption is California is "special."

Granted, we have qualities many other states lack: Silicon Valley's instant wealth, Hollywood's instant celebrity. But in many other respects, we're no different than the rest of America. At least 38 other states have imposed budget cuts that severely impact vulnerable citizens, according to the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Nationwide, 14 states are facing 2010 budget gaps that exceed 20 percent of their gross domestic product. California was one of eight states that had an unemployment rate of more than 11 percent in June.

So much for California dreamin'.

The Wednesday Poll: Who Caused California's Economic Collapse?

Blago's Not a Celebrity, But He's Definitely Out There

This job sometimes brings me face to face with some interesting people -- and yep, there's something interesting in how embattled former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich keeps running toward the cameras and microphones, instead of away from them.

And seemingly without any real self-awareness of how it looks to the rest of the world. I know why NBC and Granada America went after him to compete on this summer's "I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!" -- just look at all of the free publicity the show has been getting. But Blago's excuse? He says he would have done it to support his family; but really, is he hurting for money that bad? Aren't there other job opportunities that aren't as, well... if you're heading down the same career path as Spencer and Heidi, you might wanna get in touch with a career counselor.

We'll never get to see how Blago might have fared, as a federal judge nixed the politco's plans to fly to Costa Rica and take part in the production. (The judge thought it might be better if, oh, I dunno, Blago actually focused on the corruption charges against him instead.)



I was actually attending Northwestern back when Blago first began his political career in the early 1990s... hell, I think I remember voting for him (that name wasn't hard to forget). Now, all these years later, I'm interviewing him for Variety... and he's on the same stage as Sanjaya.



Check out my write-up of NBC's "I'm a Celebrity" press conference -- with Blago front and center -- here.

Retro Friday: L.A. Mayor Edition

In honor of this week's L.A. election, a few clips. Above, Mayor Sam Yorty loses his seat.

Also, check out the collection of clips from the 1969 election, in which Tom Bradley won the primary -- but lost the election to Yorty. By 1973, however, Angelenos had tired of Yorty's racist campaigning -- and Bradley won.

15% Turnout

(Photo by Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

239,374 ballots were cast Tuesday (or via absentee ballot) out of 1,596,165 registered voters in Los Angeles. But I guess that's what happens when people don't really feel invested in any race. I'm sure there are some voters who expressed their dislike of Antonio Villaraigosa -- and their dislike of any of his challengers, none of which could really be taken seriously -- by not showing up to the polls.

There's also the possibility that a majority of Angelenos didn't even realize there was a city vote yesterday. As far as I can tell, the local newscasts opened their 11 p.m. shows with an update on the votes... but were already on to stories such as "The Botox Bandit" by 11:06.

Strangely enough, Villaraigosa took the stage at the Westin Bonaventure before 11 p.m. to give his acceptance speech. That means the 11 p.m. newscasts didn't have to go live, and just carried a clip or two of him. I wonder: Did channels 2, 4 and 7 alert Villaraigosa's team that they had no intention of carrying his speech live? Did his people decide it would be better to go during the 10 p.m. hour, when channels 5, 9 and 11 might go live (I have no idea if they did). Or did the TV coverage not factor into when he gave his speech?

Los Angeles Election Day: Have You Voted Yet?

(Photo by Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times.)

Methinks this will be the scene at polling places all over L.A.: No lines and plenty of room for the few, the proud, the voting public.

Not sure what's going on? LAist has a handy guide on today's vote.