Culver City’s only two 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. (Promises, promises, promises.)
http://www.thefrontpageonline.com/new/ItWasSeriousandProductiveWhenSchoolBoardandCityCouncilSatDownTogether
Fastforward:
(Excerpt) — I was at one Culver City Redevelopment Agency meeting 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. She had been there since the opening bell at 7 o’clock. Is this what they mean when they say love stinks?
http://www.thefrontpageonline.com/new/NoNeedtoLookFurtherIWillHelpYouOut
Cooperation Will Improve Chances
It was opined that there would be significant competition for these grant $$$$$$ (don’t forget the 4043 Irving Pl. developer), 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. (Psych, had my fingers crossed).
(Excerpt) But if the School District operates like City Hall, the grants received are minimal. Why doesn’t Culver City go after all of the federal grant money available?
The answer is accountability. (My momma didn’t raise no fool.) Federal grant money is strictly regulated on how you spend the money, and it must be properly accounted for.
Misuse of federal grant money is a federal crime. (Serve every day in jail.)
It has always surprised me how the City Council would blindly vote for federal grants and sign accounting forms without all of the facts.
It is much easier to raise the taxes on the citizens of Culver City because they don’t seem to care how the City Council spends their tax money. (It’s not entirely their fault. Most of them were educated in California schools).
http://www.thefrontpageonline.com/new/WhyCityHallIsReluctanttoChaseGrantMoney
All Bets Are Off
Recently, the city had wanted to utilize (use) the School District to alert parents about a public hearing regarding the oil-drilling company PXP.
Unreliable sources have it that the City Council, dba the Redevelopment Agency, is still mad because the School District was unable to completely assist due to the existing Board policy. (With all that legal brainpower over at the District Office, what did they expect?) A Board member vowed to have that policy changed. (Any word on it yet? Would be surprised.)
“We [the City Council and the School Board] work for the same people, the fine citizens of Culver City.”
“If there is some way that the School Board can assist the city, especially if it will save the city money, we should do everything we can to work together.” (City Council/Redevelopment Agency: Don’t call us we’ll call you). Let’s do lunch.
(Excerpt) — “I have a fiduciary duty to the citizens of Culver City to bring in the best superintendent at what we can afford to pay.” “Pretty much if you work for Culver City, you are going to be underpaid now. They agreed to our contract last night, which (the Board President) wrote and I reviewed.”
(The deal is for “a little over” $200,000, irrespective of the time it takes to land a super.) “This is the second time our Board has written contracts,” Mr. Zeidman said. “We don’t want to spend our District’s hard-earned money on lawyers if we don’t have to.” (Well you just missed another opportunity to fleece the willing lambs of Culver City.)
http://www.thefrontpageonline.co/GentlemenStartYourSearchEnginesfortheNextCulverCitySuper
(Excerpt) — Meanwhile, the price tag, so far, for fighting PXP, the oil drilling company, is $1 million, according to Mr. Weissman of the City Council. (Must have the Dream Team attorneys. Wait a minute. Are we paying for both the PBX and the B/P oil company side, too?)
More $$$$$$$$$ Saving Ideas
(Excerpt) — Councilman Andy Weissman, an attorney, provided financial contours for the potential lawsuit scenario. “However, if this thing goes all the way, you could be looking at $25,000 to $100,000.”
http://www.thefrontpageonline.com/new/TotinguptheCostsofTakingWestLACollegetoCourt
Shucks, since we are on the subject of saving money, what about the 4043 Irving Pl. $6 million Sting? Almost forgot about it. Twelve apartments for rent @$500K each.
$$$$$$ Uncle City Council and the Deep Pockets Redeveloping Agency members approved the original deal. (Oops, same gang-sters.)
It was recommended that the city refund to the developer and SAVE the city — oops, the Redevelopment Agency — $4 million in the process. (Are you crazy?) http://www.thefrontpageonline.com/new/TheBigSting4043Irving 08/02/10
Coming soon — The $$$$$$ Trail. Where does it come from? How does it vanish without a trace?
Mr. Abrams may be contacted at GAbrams@ca.rr.com
