Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Livin' Off Your Kids
Apparently that is what the Los Angeles Superior Court has told Katherine Jackson, you know--Michael's mother. The Michael Jackson estate will have to pay Katherine $26,804 a month to continue to support her as her son had done for years. And, according to the Court, the estate will have to pay her an additional $60K a month to pay for "food, clothing, education and entertainment" for Michael's children; Prince Michael Jr., Prince Michael II, and Paris Michael Katherine. But, that's not all. Additionally, the estate pays the mortgage on Katherine's Encino residence, gardeners, insurance and taxes.
Wow, I did not realize "entertainment" was so expensive in L.A.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Deserts, Pawns & Corruption
Just Deserts: Last week I told you about Wells Fargo Bank Senior Vice President, Cheronda Guyton that thought it was okay to keep a foreclosed
Is He a Pawn? My perspective is that this week Jay Leno allowed Kanye West to use Jay's new show for an amazing PR stunt. Let's face it, Kanye's insurrections have become common--nothing new there. And Jay allowed himself to be a pawn for another of Kanye's insincere public apologies. From a PR stunt perspective, Kanye really kicks ass!
Class Act: We lost Patrick Swayze this week, a true
In Hot Water with the Feds: L.A. Politician, Mark Ridley-Thomas is under Federal investigation for "improprieties" in
Have a great weekend, Ed
Friday, September 11, 2009
Dodgers, Wells Fargo & Cardinal Mahony
Let’s look at this week’s luminary:
The partners:
This one was a toss up between partners in crime and just plain clueless. How about the teacher that worked for a preschool in
The predators: This one is just too...well, you fill in the blank. Apparently, Wells Fargo Bank senior vice president, Cheronda Guyton, who works out of downtown L.A. and is responsible for foreclosed commercial properties, has been using (on weekends) a WFB held, $12-million Malibu Colony ocean front, beach-house since May 2009 when the owners (victims of Madoff’s fraud) surrendered the house to WFB. She was even able to procure for herself, a “homeowner’s parking pass for the gated community. While WFB says that its ethics code wouldn’t allow employees to make personal use of property that had been surrendered to satisfy debts, local residents observe a completely different story. Local real estate agent Irene Dazzan-Palmer has also been denied access while having credible buyers for the property. I sure whish I could keep a $12-million dollar beach front Malibu house in my back pocket for my family’s exclusive weekend use.
On the non-profit side; UCLA School of Medicine professor of cardiothoracic surgery, Dr. Gerald D. Buckberg, (and 5 of his fellow L.B. Research & Education Foundation officers) are being held accountable by California Attorney General (Gov. Moonbeam) Jerry Brown for using hundreds of thousands of dollars for personal gain activities.
Not to be outdone in the area of idiotic greed are the folks running the Tarzana Treatment Center, the largest publicly funded provider of drug rehabilitation in Los Angeles County seems to be over paying rent to its executives. Seems that Chief Executive Scott Taylor and Chief Operating Officer Albert Senella, and others, have been renting properties, owned by them, to the center for quit a bit (obscenely) over the prevailing market rate. Funny, the Los Angeles County Supervisors are expecting some sort of a return payment back into the county coffers. Yep, like that will happen.
The pariahs: traditionally the pariahs were the lower cast in
The stupid: has got to go to
Enjoy your weekend, Ed Rigsbee
Friday, September 4, 2009
Partners, Predators & Pariahs
Watching the
In
The partners:
This week Hollywood is in talks with
The predators:
In
While in the subject of predators, how about recently ousted and historically highest paid Screen Actors Guild (SAG) executive director, Doug Allen? Now Doug’s annual pay is nothing to sneeze at: $593,363…and who said that unions do not serve? When the guild is facing a $6-million deficit, he grants unprecedented pay raises to his senior staff, so apparently SAG is not serving, but rather ripping off the thousands of starving actors trying to build a career. Then there is SAG's rival, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists' executive director, Kim Roberts, who is the lowest paid in Hollywood at a mere $349,808 last year. But that’s not all; guess the 2008 income of Jay Roth, executive director, at the Directors Guild of America. Just as an FYI, it was $636,266. Henry, perhaps you should have worked for a union? The SEC doesn’t bother them.
The pariahs:
Traditionally the pariahs were the lower caste in India. However the term is broadly used for any group that has been shunned…like the illegal, I’m sorry—that’s undocumented, immigrants. Here in
Enjoy your holiday weekend, Ed Rigsbee