Late last month, the PAC made up of the LAPD union—the LAPPL-–and The California State Law Enforcement Assn, gave $450,000 to media buys for Meg Whitman.
Wednesday, post debate, the LA Times reports that the California Statewide Law Enforcement Assn. is now making another $800,000 in media buys for Whitman—totaling $1.25 million, to date.
Both organizations have the same political consultant, Don Novey, who was also the person who orchestrated the release of the now infamous accidental recording in which a Brown staffer calls Meg Whitman a political “whore.”
Novey was also reportedly responsible for the distribution of the error-filled “certified” transcript that attributed the remark to Brown.
The LA Times reports:
Brown spokesman Sterling Clifford said Whitman earned the endorsement by pandering to the group.
“Whitman began her campaign calling for the privatization of prisons and an end to the pension system as it now exists but conveniently went back on those pledges when asked about them by CSLEA,” Clifford told Capitol Weekly last month.”So the question now is, does Whitman believe she was wrong to propose privatizing prisons? Why the change of heart? How can voters trust that she won’t change her mind again?”
The endorsement by both organizations came after Whitman agreed to exempt law enforcement and firefighters from her proposed pension reform.
As a side note: Don Novey is the colorful fedora-wearing former president of the CCPOA, the prison guard’s union and is at present engaged in an exceptionally acrimonious fight with his successor at the union, Mike Jimenez, and with the union itself, which is suing him.
The CCPOA has endorsed Brown, whereas Novey has aligned himself strongly with Whitman.
Uh oh, I see indictments coming. The best thing about it is that we would finally get to see what Sure Fire looks like!
You’re the first blogger/ journalist I’ve seen actually make the explicit connection to how the PPL and Prison Guard Union have veered sharply right AND to anyone they see as benefiting them in the most narrow sense over civic, fiscal responsibility, since Don Novey became their “consultant.”
We saw it locally with how, most recently, the PPL spent almost this much if I recall correctly ($450,000) to elect novice Chris Essel over Democrat Paul Krekorian, who had a solid record supporting law enforcement, a record even the PPL couldn’t dispute. Ditto with how they shilled for the lawyer from Long Beach who hadn’t worked on the side of law enforcement in decades, in fact, spent his recent decades on “the other side.” Spent over a million bucks on him and flooded the talk radio airwaves with innuendo over facts. (The notorious City Attorney race which also exposed the Times’ blatant biases, how it’s veered sharpy pro-Teabagger as its readership has declined and become dominated by the older suburban types we used to associate with the Daily News. — Though it lurches this way and that, being unable to endorse Whitman despite what the PPL says about her; even they realize that she sold out for their endorsement, which comes at the expense of all other union employees and the taxpayers. The PPLs own blog post recently insisting that Whitman’s exempting them from her tough talk on pension reform having nothing to do with their endorsement clearly didn’t even persuade the Times.)
We’ve also seen, as you have commented here, fearmongering and distortions alleging that releasing some “non-violent offenders” due to having to comply with federal mandates re: overcrowding amidst our fiscal crisis means virtually ensured exponential increases in murder and mayhem in our streets. (I DO worry about some of those who have released but by now, anything the PPL alleges has to be taken with a HUGE grain/ ton of salt.)
The PPL under the Don also became blatantly anti-Chief Bratton especially by linking “Jack Dunphy/ PJ MEdia” to speak for it, and has even criticized Chf. Beck for doing the right thing and not declaring the cops who shot the immigrant in Boyle Heights a “guaranteed hero” before the investitation had even started — kind of reminds you WHY the Consent Decree was needed and how Beck has to remain really, really vigilant, despite the attacks. This last example is perhaps most troubling of all, about the PPL under Novey. Who at the most fundamental level, just doesn’t “get” the role of LAPD at all, how it went from most distrusted to perhaps a finest example, under Chief Bratton, for precisely the reasons PPL wants to undermine.
I’ve heard talk that the REAL rank & file is unhappy with how the union that purports to rep them has been on the wrong side of so many candidates and issues, and is considering joining the Teamsters even — surely at least some have to have noticed the change for the worse, with how their hard-earned bucks are spent.
The LAPPL is absolutely no different than any of the other unions. They are doing what every other union does, looking for a candidate who promises them exemptions from budget cuts….and then throwing their full support behind that candidate.
You’ll find sasquatch before you find a union leader who says “our members have to take a pay/benefits cut like everybody else to balance the budget”.
It’s dog eat dog. Step on evrybody else’s toes…but stay off mine. lol.
Can’t we all get along and share the pain? No we can’t.
The LAPPL doesn’t want to take a pay and benefits cut and they’re making political deals to try to avoid it. SHOCKING.
They are now playing ball like the UAW, SEIU, CTA and all the rest of them.
But now we need to go to IKEA and buy a few more fainting couches.
Thanks, SBL.
ATQ, I don’t think IKEA does fainting couches. They’re a Victorian thang. But this place has a rather pleasant one: http://www.victoriantradingco.com/store/catalogimages/2d/i9084.html
In CA. and the US, politicians can TALK all day everyday about balancing budgets.
Until you find a politician who says:
“Every public sector worker is going to have to take a pay cut, across the board, from the janitor in city hall who cleans the toilets to the teachers in the classrooms to the cops on the street to the meter readers”
IT’S ALL TALK. BULLSHIT.
The budget won’t get balanced.
Find a union leader who says they believe their members need to suffer like everyone else. You can’t. Find a union who doesn’t have a PAC. You can’t.
Same old same old.
sbl,
You think the cps are overpayed now? You aint seen shit if they join the Teamsters.
Everybody thinks the other guy is getting too much and they’re getting fucked.
Ask anybody who belongs to the teachers union.
Or any other union.
SEIU members work very hard for their money. But everybody else has it easy and gets paid too much.
Just ask one of their members.
UAW members deserve every cent they are paid. Just ask a member.
Etc, etc. You get the same story from any union member you talk to.
It’s funny as hell that it seems to be a big deal to some that the LAPPL is throwing money around to a political candidate and making endorsements.
Uh, folks, that’s what unions do. ALL of em’.
ATQ, any way you can splice all of your consecutive comments into one nicely written paragraph? I saw there were 7 comments and thought I would read an interesting discussion with 7 different viewpoints. Instead like 6 of them are you.
AQS, actually, the fact is that Novey has NOT panned out for the rank and file in PPL in terms of getting them better pay for the money they threw at the wrong candidates precisely because they thought they could better yank their chains.
So not only has the union been on the WRONG side of issues, like wanting in effect to return to the “don’t question us” days of pre-Consent Decree which would hurt cops bigtime down to their morale, but also, WASTING a ton of money on someone like Essel, or “buying” someone as uniquely unpopular and unable to forge consensus and get them what they want like Trutanich (who also seems to have set up some sort of competing private police force by “redirecting” money from programs, incl. to “police the police”) has just been wasted on the wrong candidates, INSTEAD of those who could have helped them. Novey is NOT effective in getting the cops better wages/ benefits, to the contrary, has played politics AND lost them money too. He’s basically just screwed them financially as well as blown their credibility on public safety issues.
Now with Whitman, Novey has the PPL gambling that someone like Whitman could wave a wand and exempt them from the pension reforms everyone else will face: again, this is overlooking the fact that it takes someone who knows their way around to actually achieve results. Whitman’s top-down management style at eBay is the opposite of what’s needed for effective politics. Jerry, for all his gaffs (that “back pocket” comment e.g.) is much more likely to be able to deliver what he promises.
Well well well. I went to their website and checked it out. How’s about that boys and girls. The LAPPL is a member of the AFL-CIO.
Like every other union out there.
ATQ, you didn’t follow that comment with like 10 more comments full of things you forgot to say in the first comment. Good job.
I said long ago SBL couldn’t get throgha conversation without attacking Trutanice or Cooley, I’m right again.
You know what’s pissing off all you lefties? The right is starting to do business like you guys. How’s it feel?
L.A. Times correction o’ the day:
http://lat.ms/96Igd p
FOR THE RECORD
Bell councilman: An article in Section A on Oct. 13 about Bell Councilman Lorenzo Velez referred to Bell as a city dominated by blue-color Mexican immigrants. It should have said blue-collar.
And all this time I thought Avatar was shot in the city of Bell.
I agree Sure Fire, it scares me that the right is now doing business like the lefties, instead of being fair and honest about everything. Karl Rove would be ashamed. He believed in no attacks, ever.
I’d hate to see the Republicans stoop down to the Democrats level and start mud slinging. How did we go from Ronald Reagain’s “welfare queens” to this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sce0TLA5UYE&feature=player_embedded
For reg. Thug president equals thug chief of staff equals thug reporters in his city,
Women like thugs.
You know what’s interesting. No one, not once, has even mentioned the firefighters union support of MW.
Fuck the cops. Make them take a pay cut.
The firefighters?
Hmmmmmm. Hard to hate those guys. lol.
ATQ, the California Professional Firefighters have endorsed Jerry Brown.
Answering The Question Says:
October 13th, 2010 at 8:23 pm
Fuck the cops.
…………
I knew I’d rub off on you eventually big guy.
Whitman also has one acting credit. In Fast Times At Ridgemont High she was a stunt double for Forrest Whittaker in the football scene.
Well Sure Fire/ Nikki (you’ve acquired an alter-ego since I’ve stopped reading your comments, can only wonder why), I’m truly impressed with the variety of your comments, proving I haven’t missed a beat in the weeks I’ve ignored you: “Thug president equals thug Chief of staff equals thug reporters,” the “Obama is a thug” theme.
I’ve heard all I needed to from you about Harris and Brown long ago, while of course, all Republicans – especially if they’re very large and pasty white and soft in the flesh and bellow in favor of the death penalty and embark on fake moral crusades – are really, really good.
Kind of gives me a mental image of you, these people being in your own image. Or anyway as you like to see yourself.
Script nails Whitman, a female linebacker: why she fits in just fine with the “old boy’s club” described above, the one that Sure Fire’s heroes all exemplify, the large pasty white soft in the flesh with fake moral crusades thumping the Bible as they scream for the death penalty and cynically say and do anything to get elected then throw them under the bus without a look back crowd. Yes, Trutanich and Cooley lead the pack, but add Zine, Antonovich and Knabe to a lesser extent (they’re consistent at least), Weber of the PPL, Newton who heads editorial and the Cooley/ certain downtown interests Spin Dept. at the Times, Whitman and whaddaya wanna bet, the Don Novey himself, and wanna-be Sure Fire? All separated at birth, maybe?
Forgot another one, Lou Dobbs, who also hired an illegal housekeeper, after ranting and railing about the crimes of doing same. “Married to Meg Whitman?” wondered Bill Maher tonight. Adding, something funny ‘cuz it’s generally true: if Republican pols come out really strongly AGAINST something, chances are good they’re secretly doing it: like bashing gays and secretly chasing same sex in public bathrooms or among jr. staff; being super-Christian and “dabbling in witchcraft,” and then there’s the illegal hiring thing.
sbl Says:
October 13th, 2010 at 11:17 pm
Republican pols come out really strongly AGAINST something, chances are good they’re secretly doing it:
………
Aint that the truth.
And I think that’s what sunk Whitman, to be honest. It’s not that serious of a charge. A lot of rich people employ undocumented immigrants. It’s just the hypocrisy in it all. It’s almost like when a friend tells you a small, white lie, and you find out about it. It’s harmless, it doesn’t exactly hurt you. But you lose trust. The Republican party has become that shifty friend to Americans.
Typical bigotry of far left feminazis with nothing in their lives is all I’m hearing SBL. Be sure to call Randy, Reg or Rob if you need a cop.
Whitman hasn’t been sunk, the race is up for grabs. What planet you on tonhight Rob?
if Republican pols come out really strongly AGAINST something, chances are good they’re secretly doing it:
*************************
I am really, really strongly against sexual contact with Angelina Jolie !!!!!
For the record, calling someone a “feminazi” with “nothing in their lives” is anti-woman in my book—way more so that “political whore,” which while, crude, it not necessarily gender specific.
“Feminanizis” is purely hateful—and all of it directed toward women.
I am presuming you don’t mean it that way, Sure Fire. But deconstruct the word. It carries only poison as its freight.
# Sure Fire/Nikki Says:
October 14th, 2010 at 12:10 am
Be sure to call Randy, Reg or Rob if you need a cop.
………….
Be sure to call ATQ or WTF if you need a paycheck. As it stands, we’re all paying your salary.
# Sure Fire/Nikki Says:
October 14th, 2010 at 12:10 am
Whitman hasn’t been sunk, the race is up for grabs.
………..
Oh, I get it. Whitman supporters are now basically in that same mode as when cheering for their kids in a little league game where they’re down 30-0. Your optimism is tear jerking. Well, because it’s funny.
“Pasty white soft in the flesh white guys” meets your standard of rebuttal Celeste? Of course I didn’t mean NAZI as in the Third Reich but the implied racism that weak minded leftists like SBL uses deserves a strong response.
Be sure to call Randy, Reg or Rob if you need a cop.
Disagreeing with your political positions does not make anyone anti-cop and there is not a statement I have written on my own blog or this one that could be interpreted as being anti-cop without engaging in fabrications.
When you paint those who oppose some of your views with a broad brush, you tend to smear.
Is there anything you won’t whine about Randy? I never said you were anti-cop, sorry to hurt your feelings.
You don’t pay my salary Script. Lame ass tired old b.s. from a one trick pony.
I’m not whining. I’m trying to elevate the discussion here. Mopre’s the pity that you don’t seem able to.