EDITORIAL TROJAN HORSE MAYOR SHOULD APPOINT PARKS COMMISSIONER WHO WILL VOTE FOR BEST GREEK THEATRE CONTRACT.THE contract to operate the Greek Theatre is turning into an odyssey the city can't resolve, which is odd considering Mayor Richard Riordan's new ``hands on'' management approach. In the same week that Riordan fired Police Commissioner Gerald Chaleff for being too slow to deal with critical LAPD 1. LAPD - Link Access Procedure on the D channel. 2. LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department. problems, he dawdled about replacing Recreation and Park President Steve Soboroff Steve Soboroff (born August 31, 1948) is a real estate developer and president of Playa Vista. Mr. Soboroff is the Chairperson of the Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University. with someone who will break the deadlock on rejuvenating the Greek - and replenishing the city treasury. Riordan should have forced Soboroff out earlier since his favorite mayoral candidate's conflict of interest on the historic theater contract prevented him from breaking the impasse over awarding a new contract. Instead, the commission kept voting 2-2 on a 10-year contract to upgrade the facility and add about $1 million to city revenue every year. Riordan promises to act quickly now to replace Soboroff. Yet he has indicated he won't ask how a potential replacement commissioner will vote on the bid between the House of Blues House of Blues (HOB) is a chain of music halls and restaurants founded in 1992 by Hard Rock Cafe founder Isaac Tigrett and his friend and investor Dan Aykroyd. It is a home for live music and southern-inspired cuisine, whose clubs celebrate African-American culture, specifically , which promised $11.1 million in capital improvements to the theater, and Nederlander, which has enjoyed a sweetheart deal Sweetheart Deal A merger or company sale where one company involved in the deal gives the other very attractive terms and conditions. Notes: In other words, a sweetheart deal is a transaction that a firm simply cannot pass-up. This is usually considered to be unethical. with the city and offered half as much in improvements. It makes no sense for Riordan to shirk shirk In Islam, idolatry and polytheism, both of which are regarded as heretical. The Qu'ran stresses that God does not share his powers with any partner (sharik) and warns that those who believe in idols will be harshly dealt with on the Day of Judgment. his duty and not appoint a commissioner who could break the deadlock and award the contract to the best bidder and to the company that will be best for the city. Staff members, an independent panel and outside consultants have all come to the same conclusion: House of Blues has the best offer. What has blocked House of Blues for more than a year now is that the insiders have the deal wired for Nederlander without regard to the public interest. As a favor to Council President John Ferraro John Ferraro (May 14 1924—April 17 2001) served as a Los Angeles City Councilman from 1966 until his death. Early life Ferraro was born in the working class suburb of Cudahy, California, just south of Los Angeles. , a longtime pal of the Nederlander Group's partner and prominent City Hall lobbyist Neil Papiano Neil Papiano was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1934. He played football and baseball at Stanford University , where he received his B.A. in 1956 and his M.A. in 1957. He received his LL.B. from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1961, and affiliated with Phi Delta Phi. , the City Council more than a year ago approved a sweetheart deal. It was forced to overturn that by a successful petition drive that would have given the voters a choice of giving away their money to influence peddlers, cronies and insiders or put it to work to benefit themselves and their neighbors. So the choice for Riordan should be clear: Give the city a better contract, improve a popular entertainment venue and break up the insider cabal that runs City Hall. The only valid question regarding the House of Blues was whether it was financially viable to fulfill the contract, and it answered that concern with a letter of credit from Bank of America
Bank of America (NYSE: BAC TYO: 8648 ) is the largest commercial bank in the United States in terms of deposits, and the largest company of its kind in the world. . Riordan wants to give the appearance of taking charge in his last few months in office. If he really means to leave a legacy, then he needs to take charge of all city departments and commissions, not just the one with the highest profile. |
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