Ron Kaye: The Ugly Side of Los Angeles Politics Series #618-619

Preview:        (To Watch all 6 segments scroll down for each video)

[Preview Copy]

Segment #1: L A County Demands Media Retraction on Football & Frisbee Ban
L A County Board of Supervisors approve law without reading it first. Then they find out that they banned football and Frisbees on the beaches. Citizens complain they are loosing their freedoms. CBS news reported it right but the County backtracks claiming the news media did not check with them first and demanded a correction. Veteran news editor Ron Kaye says the media got it right and that is why the Supervisors ordered the measure to be re-written in clear language.

Segment #2: Four Kings & Queen Reign Over L A County
LA County is ruled by royalty, Four Kings and a Queen who are elected to the Board of Supervisors and are elected and re-elected year after year because they control so much money. Ron Kaye describes how the five Supervisors were humiliated by their own actions, when they approved a new Beach Ordinance unanimously that banned the public from playing ball on the beach. Kaye suggests the only way it will change is if an army of citizens rise up against the government abuse and stop the government manipulation of recreational activity, nudity and drinking on the beach.

Segment #3: Government Silences Ordinary Citizens, Deciding In Private
Veteran Newsman Ron Kaye describes how the L A City Council favors special interests over the citizens at council meetings. Their unanimous votes without public participation raises the issue that they are making decisions in private before the public meetings. The California Brown Act forbids closed meetings without public attendance and participation. There is rarely any enforcement and it almost always requires financing a lawsuit to force the government to be honest.

Segment #4
Ron Kaye long time veteran editor of the L A Daily News explains how the “new media” and the internet is causing the real news stories to go viral while Government is issuing “Press Passes” to control the main stream. By giving press credentials to favored reporters and news outlets government selects journalists who will give the write favorable spin on their stories.

Segment #5
Segment#5 Are citizens like helpless children, addicted to frivolous entertainment and mindless television…will they keep on taking it? Or is the state of the world in such a state that we have to face our responsibility? As a long time journalist and Editor of the Los Angeles Daily News Ron Kaye laments about the state of journalism, the how and why they miss the real story about what is happening in government. He is appalled by today’s journalists who simply report from the press release and the information given to them by government. Watch the entire series here:

Officials Favor Meetings in Secrecy

Full Segment #6
Ron Kaye, retired Editor of the L A Daily News describes how City and County Officials favor secretive meetings such as the recent “Investors Conference” held purportedly to reveal City finances on a proposed new football stadium called “Farmers Field”. Media coverage was non-existent and citizen journalists were barred. At the County level the Board of Supervisors attempted pass legislation to change the California’s Open Meeting Law, known as the Brown Act, so they can meet in private with the U S President and the Governor on official business.