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ERIC PREVEN’S NOTEBOOK - FIFA selected its 2026 World Cup hosts, landing all eleven U.S. cities—New York, L.A., Dallas, San Francisco, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle, Houston, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Boston—in Democratic territory. Every kickoff on blue turf. The President’s eyeing the coin toss for campaign optics, sidelining issues like housing or healthcare. FIFA’s no stranger to scandal; the DOJ uncovered $150M in bribes, and their reforms—term limits, hotlines, ethics czars—feel like a glossy PowerPoint. The games will dazzle, speeches will grate, and the real contest is FIFA vs. the IOC for corruption’s crown, with the President aiming for the halftime spotlight.
An apex predator spotted in Studio City. Link.
The Broken Clock
Every week, the Los Angeles City Council and County – who are on extended leave this week – grind through meetings like a grandfather clock with a busted pendulum—predictable, yet somehow always off. The agendas are stage-managed, the public is treated like an afterthought, and the President’s “Arite! What’s next?” lands before anyone’s actually done talking. This Notebook catches the highlights, the hypocrisies, and the verbal tics that tell the real story. Last week ended with a shallow Friday. This week lines up a lease-heavy Tuesday, a monster Wednesday, and a possible Van Nuys roadshow by week’s end. Buckle up.
Friday, Aug. 22 (Recap): Shallow Pool, Deep Sighs
Twelve items, all closed hearings. Zero open business. If you blinked, you missed it—and even if you didn’t, you might wish you had. Instead of policy, we got presentations. Tim McOsker rolled out Reggie the Alligator, San Pedro’s reptilian mascot, like it was 1988 and pep rallies were back in style. Marqueece Harris-Dawson, never one to miss a line, teased that McOsker was “going full Koretz”—a nod to Paul Koretz’s long love affair with animal causes, from cats to Billy the elephant.
Public comment supplied the only unscripted honesty. Katie demanded attention—“Don’t roll your eyes at me. I see you.”—and was hustled off by Deputy City Attorney Jonathan Groat and President Harris-Dawson. Herman followed, getting bounced for a banned word.
Tally: 11 “Arites” vs. 22 “Thank you so much.”
"Shocked! I tell you."
Tuesday, Aug. 26 (Preview): Ports, Pets, and Banner(s)
Open for comment: Items 14–23 (10 votes needed). Item 1, renaming Miner Street to Dave Arian Way, also will allow testimony. Items 2–13 already have had hearings; comment will occur only if they’re called special.
Airports: At LAX, Southwest is set to secure a 10-year Terminal 1 extension worth ~$482M. Jet Pets Inc. is slated to land a 10-year, $88M kennel/quarantine lease. Hensel Phelps will add $37.4M to baggage handling, and Johnson Controls has lined up a 3-year, $6.06M maintenance deal.
Port of LA: Neptune Foods’ permit reinstatement projects ~$6.35M over five years. Pacific Harbor Line will keep rolling with CPI-indexed fees, and Phillips 66 gets an environmental cost reimbursement extension. Item 13 asks for a Port Police report on federal immigration enforcement.
Nickel & Dime Winner (Item 9): Five Port contracts worth up to $175k/year ($875k max) for PR coaching, speech polish, and promo videos.
Banners, lights, dues (14–22): CD1’s Música y Poemas, Eagle Rock NC year-long banners, and Korean Liberation Day banners ($17,670, CD10). El Grito will be front-funded $232k, UCLA women’s hoops will get a City Hall lighting, and CD14 Skid Row toilets are slated to keep $204k in maintenance. South Bay Cities COG dues: $59k. Also: motion to hold Friday’s meeting in Van Nuys.
Homelessness metrics (23): Housing Dept. is proposing 35 performance measures plus LAHSA/HACLA data-sharing.
Closed session (24–30): Six lawsuits, including Stephen Paper v. City (LAPD crash, 80 mph, no lights/sirens) and a Vista Del Mar parking/Coastal Act case. Expect the refrain: “no reportable action.”
Tally (projected): 9 “Arites” vs. 27 “Thank you so much.”
Stalwarts united...
Wednesday, Aug. 27 (Preview): Monster Agenda
Item 1 (nuisance lien, CD14) will allow public comment; items 2–34 need special calls, 35–39 are open with 10 votes. The City Attorney’s $1.8M Gibson Dunn request for the LA Alliance homelessness lawsuit is expected to spark cost concerns, with added scrutiny on Katy Yaroslavsky.
Other items: $675K for captioning/translation, a Cultural Heritage amendment, Development Services overhaul, alley repairs, a Chinese Massacre memorial, refunds, interactive kiosks, and AB 770 sign district. Expect “Arite, what’s next?” to rush public input.
Tally (projected): 14 “Arites” vs. 31 “Thank you so much.”
Friday, Aug. 29 (Preview): Van Nuys Roadshow
If approved, Friday’s meeting will shift to Van Nuys—light agenda, heavy self-praise, no public call-in. Suggested banner: “Let Them Call In.”
Tally (projected): At least 5 “Arites” vs. 10 “Thank you so much.”
Civic Static: PR Over Priorities
The Port spends $875K on PR coaching and videos, while Mi SELA, an LGBTQ center hit by vandals, gets a $2.5K security grant. LA Family Housing cuts rental aid for 300+ families, dropping from 360 to 54 supported. The City funds polished talking points but shortchanges housing and safety.
Reggie rides again, so Koretz will soon follow...
A Poem for the Road Dogs
Sand-worn paws, ocean’s kiss,
Sunsets stitched on their backs, a hundredfold.
Little one darts after middle, middle hunts the big.
Road Dogs, bound by tide’s pulse,
Gulls’ shrieks, pelicans’ silent glide.
They read the egret’s still gaze,
The pigeon’s frantic hustle.
One pack, one heart.
Kimba, steady leader, nose to the gate,
“This is it,” she hums. “Sand. Sun. The chase.”
Pickles, dreamer, weaves Chumash tales—
Rainbow bridges, humans to dolphins,
Dogs to sea lions, past lives in the waves’ roar.
Winston, once snagged by a fisherman’s hook,
Snorts, “Crazy. Crickets evolve. Just be you.”
Montana, orca in white socks, picnic-bound,
Grins wide. Pickles ducks low,
Snooping secrets buried under the house.
Just shy of five,
Montana sprawls on cool stone,
Winston, one eye cracked, spins his yarn.
Kimba stirs for her cocktail,
Waves pound louder.
Pickles emerges—from under the sofa—
“I’m a crab, if I choose.”
Laughter erupts, barks cascade.
Road Dogs are ready.
Let’s go.
(Eric Preven is a Studio City-based television writer-producer, award-winning journalist, and longtime community activist. He is known for his sharp commentary on transparency and accountability in local government. Eric successfully brought and won two landmark open government cases in California, reinforcing the public’s right to know. A regular contributor to CityWatch, he combines investigative insight with grassroots advocacy to shine a light on civic issues across Los Angeles.)
