No one covers the grimy details of local politics in LA as in-depth as Kevin James.
Whether you love him or hate him, he has done a tremendous service for citizens by focusing on issues that are inadequately covered in most of the mainstream media. He does so responsibly and without rancor.
I was particularly grateful for his coverage of the CD2 election. By contrast, KPCC (the local public radio affiliate) completely ignored the grass-roots candidates.
Kevin is moving to the 11PM to 1AM time slot, with former SNL and Monday Night Football personality Dennis Miller taking the 8PM to 1AM shift.
The moves were triggered by KRLA’s decision to bring Glenn Beck to the morning drive time segment.
I am not a fan of Mr. Beck. I rank him with such other unbalanced broadcasters as Keith Olberman and Chris Matthews of MSNBC and Sean Hannity of Fox and KABC. Besides, the last thing LA needs is a rehash of Beck’s views as heard on his Fox TV broadcast. What we need is more debate over the local issues threatening our city.
There is a positive element to this schedule change – James plans on attending as many Neighborhood Council meetings in order to deliver a real grass-roots view of politics in Los Angeles.
I will certainly invite Kevin to attend a Neighborhood Council Valley Village meeting.
“He does so responsibly and without rancor,” you say about James’ coverage of local politics. ARE YOU KIDDING OR JUST SO BLINDED BY THE SAME BIASES HE IS???
He was nasty to Chriss Essel, then when of course she didn’t show for the initial debates on his show, he always had the chicken music… but worse, what he’s done and said about Villaraigosa for the longest time. His regular guests like Zine, David Berger among others made comments during the CA race (where he shamelessly shilled for Trutanich, giving him ENDLESS free airtime which probably violated FCC rules, had the other side challenged it) which were shocking slanderous – I oculd quote some but won’t resurrect them. David Berger and Kevin James vowed to flood the mayor’s office with calls and emails to make sure Jack Weiss never got any public service job again – they did so when he was allegedly up for the LAX Deputy of Security job, even noted by Orlov – though we don’t know if he ever wanted it anyway. Even Cooley weighed in pompously calling it “a battle of good vs. evil,” as though anyone who knew Trutanich’s background before or follows him since, sees Trutanich as anything more than a a carpetbagging opportunist, Cooley tool.
BUT the point is, we have a top aide/ campaigner for Trutanich and James joined forces to behave explicitly vindictively, vowed on air to join forces to do so again should an opportunity arise.
Like him or not, nothing ever came up to substantiate the endless allegations and character assassinations hurled at Weiss from James or Berger OR Zine – lord knows the Ethics Committee received their complaints as well as many frivolous ones from the Trutanich camp throughout. Best they could come up with was that he went to some fundraiser arranged by someone else, and someone was there who shouldn’t have been, as though ANY candidate vets those things themselves…He just didn’t roll over for the group that funded Trutanich from Long Beach. Then there was James’ cynically pushing for Trutanich with Zine, in front of Weiss’s office, claiming he was responsible for releasing the killer of Jamiel Shaw, Jr., when as a lawyer, James like lawyer Trutanich, KNEW that grievous oversight was committed by the DA’s and Sheriff’s depts. who always oversee the county prison system.
That entire Shallman campaign was so stunningly nasty and without basis, with another weekly James guest, “Republican Party Strategist John Thomas” who did the Cooley campaign too, using his friends at the L A Times, like former scribe for Met-News Enterprise Rob Greene, in a way that came to the attention of the entire city. Kevin James not only gave the campaign endless free airtime, but personally joined in and supported the viciousness. Even Doug McIntyre, who shamelessly gave Trutanich’s campaign endless hours of free airtime as well, at least admitted his bias when he offered Weiss a measy “free 5 minute rebuttal time.” Really. But then McIntyre realized Truanich had duped him over the Laura Chick-Controller case and other matters, and at least has said so, unlike James who is nothing but a bigoted shill for rightwingers.
So it’s especially ironic that when the NEXT Shallman candidate was Chris Essel, who maybe lacking Thomas’ Republican party backing, earned her a similar vitriol until she did eventually come on the show, allegedly pressured by Shallman himself. (Who’s now embroiled in a financial dispute with Councilman Parks, which seems to touch on whether or not he was effective and earned the money, as we know.)
Other cases are, of course, his treatment of the Mayor including the offensive name he calls him; “birdbrain Janice Hahn,” his endless personal attacks on Jan Perry, because she had the audacity to speak her mind to Trutanich, who of course, therefore threatened to throw her in jail, too. (Trutanich never did prove “criminal aspects” and there was NO legal basis for him to demand the $6 million shakedown of AEG, as he’s since admitted; also, the signage dispute was legit – like it or not, it’s something Staples was guaranteed some dozen years earlier.) OF course he never stopped bashing “Chief Ratton,” nastily making door noises whacking him as he left town.
On and on.
Paul, appreciate your perspective as an accountant, and comments most of the time – like the latest piece on how in its simplistic, ideological boycott of Arizona, the Council missed out on urging California to cash in on the $2 Billion for Alternate Energy and 2,000 jobs. (Yes, “birdbrain Janice” was behind that – but we can criticize her policies/ behavior without descending to Kevin James territory.) Sorry, but he is NOTHING BUT irresponsible and rancorous.
I appreciate your remarks.
Is James biased in his views? No more or less than most commentators on cable or radio.
He was generous in offering quality time for the candidates to express their views during the CD2 race. By contrast, McIntyre offered limited segments and Larry Mantle excluded all but the big three.
Essel made a big mistake by not participating in the first round of debates, further alienating herself from many of the voters. When she did appear and debated Paul Krekorian, James treated her with respect, as he did all the other candidates.
Does he resort to invectives at times? Yes, but by and large he is more responsible than what passes for commentary – present or past, national, state or local. For better or worse, his antics reflect the utter frustration of many residents in the city.
The bottom line, James’ program is about the only local radio outlet where you can have an honest debate. You won’t see that on Ken and John or anywhere else on talk radio.
I would like to see him put some pressure on Zine and Trutanich. Zine, in particular; some of his votes, especially his support for the last IBEW package, defy common sense. Trutanich was over the top with his remarks and he should have been challenged.
I would like McIntyre to take Greuel to task; it probably won’t happen.
I would like Keith Olberman, Sean Hannity, Glen Beck and Chris Matthews get off their ideological horses and encourage open debate on their programs. Wishful thinking on my part.
Perhaps when our elected officials get serious about managing the city, the rhetoric will get toned down.