California Faultline

The controversy plagued Glassell Park Neighborhood Council’s next stakeholder meeting will be held next Tuesday at 7pm, and according to the agenda I just received, this item could prove from some drama:

Status report on grievances filed with/against the GPNC – Mark Quiroz
Mo Oxford grievance requesting removal of a Board Member (Bradley)

For the uninitiated, over the past year Mo Oxford had been video taping GPNC meetings on a regular basis. For some reason, then GPNC Chair “Bradley” (just one name, like Cher) began telling her she couldn’t tape the public meetings, and insisted she needed to not only obtain prior permission from all board members, but needed to provide copies for them to review.

His logic was boggling, not only because there is no law forbidding taping it, but California’s Brown Act specifically makes such taping by the public totally legal… and it should be assumed that Neighborhood Council members (let alone Chairs) be somewhat familiar with the Brown Act. (you can read my summary of these events on LA Metblogs)

Regardless, this was only one of a number of Bradley’s antics, recorded on camera, that may be up for discussion on Tuesday night. But even if the issue is “tabled” for one reason or another, it seems some other drama could unfold.

At February’s stakeholder meeting, GPNC Vice-Chair Mark Quiroz and Secretary Maggie Darett-Quiroz called for the removal of boardmember Paula Bagasao for making racially divisive statements. Per Darett-Quiroz, “Paula said that she was tired of the Hispanics and the whites in the community and she needed to put the Filipinos on the map.” [Video]

Since the Glassel Park Neighborhood Council hasn’t posted the minutes from its stakeholder or executive committee meetings online since last October, its difficult to find out how this all played out. However, a cursory glance at the GPNC website still lists Bagasao as a board member, and, interestingly, shows that Bradley is no longer the GPNC Chair, remaining only as an area representative (a move that apparently occured sometime in February or earlier).

So on Tuesday bring popcorn, maybe a video camera, and a copy of the GPNC’s bylaws for easy reference to the Glassell Park Community Senior Center at 3750 Verdugo Road. And please save me a seat.

Two more items on Bradley after the jump… (more…)

There’s nothing more fun than a little drama at typically boring city or neighborhood council meetings, which is why I have a soft spots for some the fringe elements that partake in local government.

Whether they’re “gadflies” like Zuma Dogg, who has spoken to LA City Council wearing a Kiss mask, overzealous and underinformed neighborhood council people like Bradley in Glassell Park, or other city reps, such as Jan Schaeffer of Carson who screamed in pain after she was smacked with a paper by an old lady, at the very least spruce up the usual monotony of politics.

Unfortunately, for Burbank City Council, comments from one outspoken resident aren’t making for good fun.

On Tuesday night during public comments, resident Edward Guerrero ranted about the city’s alleged corruption, and made what the city is considering a threat: “Thank God I am a Godly man or you have no idea.” And later, when Guerrero was asked to clarify what he meant, he said:

“It would be very easy for someone to come in here and overpower the guards and the council,” he said outside the council chambers. “I know where they live, they don’t understand that these measures aren’t enough.”

(more…)