Results tagged “paulkoretz”

On the heels of West Hollywood and Santa Monica, Los Angeles councilmembers will consider banning the practice of declawing. "Declawing is not a simple cosmetic procedure akin to a manicure or a pedicure," says the motion, authored by Councilmember Paul Koretz and Bill Rosendahl.

Have a frank talk with an LADWP official this month and they'll tell you it's been a tough few weeks. The perception of the city-owned utility has gone downhill amid a series of water main breaks, the sudden resignation of David Nahai (however, with a comfy consulting gig) and one moderate rainstorm knocking out electricity service to nearly 50,000 customers.

Now that Wendy Greuel has officially vacated her seat as the 2nd District Councilmemember for her City Controller post, we're going to begin to hear more about those who are officially running. Councilman Jack Weiss' popular Valley field deputy Joan Pelico was rumored to be taking a stab at running, but it seems not any more. She's been re-hired by Weies' successor Paul Koretz at the satisfaction of a handful of neighborhood groups who urged him not to replace her. Following in the footsteps of Greuel's film industry to politics move, Chris Essel of Paramount has announced her campaign. Additionally, a local medical marijuana dispensary owner, Frank Sheftel, announced his intentions to run at various community meetings. While there's been no official announcement, Assemblymember Paul Krekorian is "still strongly considering stepping into the CD2 race," a spokesman told us. No official word yet from City Attorney and LAUSD School Board Member Tamar Galatzan or Director of Street Services Bill Robertson.

and City Attorney-elect Carmen Trutanich will also take part with Los Angeles Laker guard Derek Fisher serving as the Master of Ceremonies. Among the councilmembers, only one is new, but not new to politics. Paul Koretz will take the reigns of Council District 5 (parts of Westside, Bel Air, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Hollywood Hills, Hollywood, South Robertson) bringing his experience as a West Hollywood councilman and State Assemblymember. Others coming back for another city council term include Ed Reyes, Dennis Zine, Richard Alarcon, Jan Perry, Bill Rosendahl, Eric Garcetti and Janice Hahn.

That's according to Paul Kortez, who will be the next City Councilman for the 5th District, which spans from Hollywood to West LA and into the Valley. "It is my pleasure to announce that three weeks after Election Day, it appears that all of the votes have been counted and our campaign has won by over 700 votes. This hard-fought election is over, and my opponent David Vahedi has conceded," Koretz wrote in an e-mail this morning. "I will strive to serve in an atmosphere of integrity and transparency. No one will serve on my staff unless he or she is willing to embrace the mission of service to the public. I have no doubt that communication is the key to rebuilding trust between residents and their councilmember."

Residents of West LA, South Robertson, Hollywood, the Hills, Sherman Oaks and Encino, on July 1st, Paul Koretz will replace Jack Weiss as your city councilman. Last night, the County Clerk declared that he won the election by a tight margin of nearly two points, according to Jill Banks Barad, President of the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council. As listed on the County's website, last updated yesterday afternoon, Koretz received 18,547 (50.99%) votes while David T. Vahedi was less than a thousand behind at 17,825 votes (49.01%). Koretz is both a former West Hollywood Councilman and State Assemblymember. Vahedi, a community organizer and attorney, is expected to concede tomorrow. Don't know if you live in CD5? Check the embedded map below.

Former West Hollywood Councilman and Assemblyman Paul Koretz claimed victory for LA's 5th district seat late Tuesday night. Then an e-mail late yesterday afternoon came with some sobering news.

Although not officially announced by the County Registrar, Paul Koretz claimed victory last night in an e-mail blast: "The L.A. County Registrar of Voters has just posted an update on their website. Paul's lead in Council District 5 has jumped from 551 votes to 702 votes... Although we have been told that there are still approximately 100 ballots left to count, we can now safely claim victory." As for the reported incorrect ballots, the e-mail indicated there were only 50. The total posted was Koretz, 18,286 votes (50.98%), Vahedi 17,584 votes (49.02%). What does this mean for residents of CD5? When he was an Assemblymember, there were lots of community town halls. Lots (but will he have more than Tom LaBonge?). As for improving the area West Hollywood style like he did when he sat on that city's council? If he can do that, then, wow.

As it stands right now, former West Hollywood Councilman and Assemblyman Paul Koretz leads lawyer and community organizer David Vahedi by a close 551 votes. Provisional and vote-by-mail ballots still need to be counted, but some problems have surfaced, earlier examined by the LA Times and highlighted by a Vahedi camp e-mail this weekend:

When all the ballots were counted from precincts early Wednesday morning, just hundreds votes separated the two candidates for Council District 5, now held by Jack Weiss, who lost a bid for City Attorney during the same election. Former West Hollywood Councimember and former Assembly Paul Koretz leads lawyer and community organizer David Vahedi by 335 votes. Around 3,000 ballots, a mix of mail-in and provisionals, remain to be counted and the LA County Recorder-Registrar predicts announcing the results as early as Friday. However, about 112 mail-in ballots may have been erroneous. Some allegedly did not include the council race and one reviewed by the LA Times seemed to be assembled incorrectly with contradictory information on the front cover and inside.

With 100% of precincts reporting, preliminary results for yesterday's special election are here. It's preliminary because an unknown number of provisional and vote-by-mail ballots still need to be counted. Here's a round up of what happened:

With all but two precincts reporting, only 316 votes separated candidates Paul Kortez and David Vahedi for the 5th district of Los Angeles, which covers the Hollywood Hills, Westside and Sherman Oaks/Encino. Koretz, a former West Hollywood councilman and state politician, led with 50.51% of the vote, over a point ahead of Vahedi, a community organizer and lawyer, according to the LA County Recorder-Registrar/County Clerk. The race is too close to call because provisional and some vote-by-mail ballots will still need to be counted. UPDATE: 335 votes separate the two with 100% of precincts reporting. Koretz still leads, but because these are preliminary results and the race is so close, the official outcome will probably come in the near future.

Other than Prop 1F, all the budget ballot props have failed, according to the Sacramento Bee: "With about a quarter of the state's precincts in as of 9:30 p.m., the Secretary of State's Office reported none of Propositions 1A through 1E were garnering more than 41 percent of the vote. Only Proposition F, which would freeze the salaries of state elected officials in bad budget years, was winning - and it was winning big." Contests for LA City Attorney and the 5th District are still up for grabs. As of 10:30 p.m., Carmen "Nuch" Trutanich is up 3 points over Jack Weiss for City Attorney with 22% of the precincts reporting. In the 5th District, Paul Koretz leads David Vahedi by 5 points. Only 10% of the precincts reporting in that race.

Signaling a cry for new blood in city politics, both major newspapers in town have endorsed David T. Vahedi for Council District 5 and Carmen "Nuch" Trutanich for City Attorney. Both face career track politicians, Paul Koretz and Jack Weiss, respectively, on next week's ballot.

The two most contested local battles on the May 19th ballot will be over City Attorney and the seat for Council District 5, which roams from the Westside to the Valley. In the latest reporting period for campaign contributions and expenses, which ended April 4th, the money races are neck and neck, found the LA Times.

In last week's primary election, six candidates ran for Council District 5, which spans through portions of the Valley, Hollywood Hills, Westside, Century City and Pico/Robertson (see a PDF map here). Two candidates, with a difference of 60 votes, made it to the May 19th runoff. The lesser known David Vahedi shot up to the top past longtime politician Paul Koretz, who over a 25 year career has been a West Hollywood Councilman and State Assemblyman.

The city's primary nominating election is hardly on the radar of voters because it's on March 3rd, months after what the nation is focusing on right now--the Presidential election. But earlier this month, in the only City Council race that's going to be a fight, a hacker attacked 5th District hopeful Paul Koretz's website (do you live in CD5? Check this map to see).

The upcoming race for city hall is not this next November, but in the winter of 2009. The only truly contested city district is Council District 5, currently represented by Jack Weiss who is now running for City Attorney. The district covers West Los Angeles to Sherman Oaks/Encino. Six people are currently running for the seat. At the top is Attorney/News Columnist/Community Activist Ron Galperin business executive Robyn Ritter Simon and former Assemblymember and West Hollywood member/mayor Paul Koretz.

Dr. Sharon Mitchell of Adult Industry Medical (AIM) Healthcare Foundation talks to audience members at Zócalo's Cocktail Hour With all the talk of the economy and morality (see Part 1) at last night's panel, Dirty Business: Should the Porn Industry Be Saved?, one subject prevailed during cocktail hour among the audience that as comprised of the curious, the perverts, health officials, and industry folks: sexually transmitted diseases. And that tone of that was set...