Taxing Medical Marijuana

Are we surprised that Los Angeles has the highest concentration of medical marijauna shops in the nation?

It hit me when I met a couple who had moved here from Sweden. Pot is cheaper here, and better, they said. They pulled out their cards. "We came on student visas," said one. Really?

Now, with Measure M in place, the City requires dispensaries to pay a 5% business tax on gross receipts. With that kind of income, what the hell are they thinking when they are talking about a ban on pot shops?

Unless someone can come up with another plan to rake in that kind of money, that would be plain stupid. Tax marijauna shops. Leave the rest of us alone.

Prohibitive taxing on items perceived to be "bad" or "luxury" items is a favorite of legislators. Look at the tax on cigarettes and gasoline. It works. We pay. Why not pot shops?

The LA Times reports that the official number of pot shops is at 372. They spoke with assistant district attorney Asha Greenberg, who believes the number to be closer to 500. There have been several vain attempts to pin down these dispensaries, but with such a popular product selling itself, its like trying to hold on to light.

LA Times map of dispensaries

At the end of 2009, the LA Weekly made an exhaustive count of the shops operating in Los Angeles. Their count was 545. The numbers wax and wane with public opinion and new regulations.

Even illegal pot shops have to pay these taxes. That sounds like a win-win for me! 

A Rebuttal to The Concept of FREE, by Chris Anderson

Chris Anderson, Editor of Wired
(James Duncan Davidson, Flickr)

Chris Anderson is the celebrated author of two books and the editor-in-chief of Wired magazine. In his book, Free: the Future of a Radical Price, suggests a new paradigm for business: “FREE.” He believes that, in his terms,  "free" will always “win.” His vision is a world where all information is free.

While that is slightly thrilling ultimately, we all know, it is impossible. Money makes the world go 'round. Someone has to pay the bills, after all - and there are many ways that it can play out, conventional and otherwise.

Take for example the book, Free, which retails for $29.99. Content is only as free as it can be. We must also pay for the method of delivery, be it paper, electronic or DVD. 

In his paradigm, Anderson believes that “information wants to be free.” That adage especially applies to the world of journalism in the digital age, he says, and there are many examples that would seem to bear him out.

Truly the citizen journalist has made his debut and we all felt the impact. Anyone can blog or pontificate on any subject from any point of view. Sharp writers will understand the fundamentals of SEO. They may understand social media  and viral marketing. It may be possible that they are re-tweeted, shared on Facebook and found in StumbledUpon.

We don’t have to look for news. It assaults us – everywhere. It’s in buses and elevators, in our email and on our homepage. We will never go back to waiting for the evening news. That would be as archaic as waiting for the evening paper.

But there is an old adage that I rely on for reality checks – “You get what you pay for.” Another old saying rapidly follows: “There are no free lunches.”

Socialnomics, a film on the power of Social Media

#OWS - 1% Defined

UPDATE (4:15 pm, 11/17/11, PDT): On the 2-month anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street movement, protesters in New York City staged an allegedly peaceful march. It continues throughout the day with police in riot gear assisting occupiers to move out of Zuccotti Park; 400 arrests were made. Similar activity in Occupied Areas across the country are resulting in arrests and police activity throughout the country.

OWS protestors get invited to leave, November 17, 2011

At home, in Los Angeles, 23 Occupiers were arrested following a march that blocked traffic. The first arrest was 82-year-old Bertha Jordan, a union member.

One participant tweeted the following (watch the Colbert Report below):

@FrancisHerreroFrancis Herrero

@Hope_ful1980 @OccupyLA - I think it would be funny if we all claim to be #OLA 's leader. Singular.

1% DEFINED

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Colbert Super PAC - Stephen Colbert Occupies Occupy Wall Street Pt. 1
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive

Occupy Wall Street (OWS) sharpens class rhetoric and solidifies the us-against-them argument in the image of the “99%.” Most of us understand intuitively who that 1% is – like when Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart described pornography: "I know it when I see it."

Nancy Pelosi has a chat with
Christiane Amanpour about OWS (ABC)

Their rhetoric is rich with philosophy and conclusions that are supported by mind-numbing nit picking. Somehow, using the art of sound byte, the occupiers have forced us to deny our own instincts about sanitation. People around the occupation politely avoid discussions that may appear politically incorrect. Yet, after two months with limited facilities and in close quarters there are reports of scabies and ringworm at various sites throughout the country. Good thing they are practicing nit picking!

But most of us agree that there is a huge discrepancy between the 1% and the rest of us. The deck is stacked and the house always wins. They own the cards, after all. The rest of us are out here hoping to make enough to pay for the trip. We get that. But what is not clear, especially in the wake of celebrity support of OWS – is the definition of who the 1% really is.

Strictly speaking, we can separate them by either their gross income or net worth.

Gross income, based on the figures available from the IRS in the latest year (2009), puts the top income earners at $343, 927 as among the top 1%, according to Kiplinger. The top 1% net worth is $9 million. 

Clearly, income is not the means testing. In fact, in a burst of hypocrisy, the movement has embraced its own "1%-ers" with complete abandon, suspending reality for the sake of a photo-op.

Georgia state Sen. Vincent Fort (D) at Occupy Atlanta,
proclaims,"This is the best day of my life!"(@mrwatkins)

Those income/worth figures would have to preclude the presence and support of politicians, actors and other glitterati supporting these events.

But noting the benign hypocrisy inherent in getting the public to focus on anything for more than a sound byte, it seems a lot of the 1%-ers aren’t 1%-ers anymore if they support the 99%.

Rather than a black-and-white definition, the only definition is liquid and capricious. As long as they can sleep in public spaces, have their yoga classes and meditation, set up their legal tables and libraries and have entertainment described as the General Assembly and attended by the erstwhile celebrity supporter, they don’t really seem to care about hypocrisy.

CEOs of large corporations have been targeted as the “1%.” Truth is that they make up only a fraction of the whole segment. Other 1%-ers include: union leaders, entertainment people, sports figures, CEOs of non-profits, politicians, special interest PACs, trust-funders and a few others.

The OWS movement has been thoroughly hijacked by everyone left of center who has ever had a bowel movement.  Whatever the original intention, they have suppressed any expression by malcontents from the OTHER side of center from ever happening in their sacred arenas.

OWS is a soapbox for every actor, union, Democratic politician or “progressive” special interest group on the planet.

Intuitively, anyone can understand Michael Moore ($50 million), Alec Baldwin ($65 million) and Susan Sarandon ($50 million). Could we find a better fit?

Alec Baldwin at Zuccotti Park (@firedogriver) Nov. 10, 2011

As the OWS are being swept out of public squares across the country, Democrats cry out in protest.  

It is difficult to gauge the net worth of any lawmaker because of their reporting rules. Some of the most supportive members are also among the wealthiest. Take for example Nancy Pelosi, whose worth is estimated to be between $58,436, 537 and $124,229,990. “I support the message to the Establishment,” she told ABC News, in typical ‘60’s lingo. She will return to California in her own jet, laughing all the way.

Who are the 1%? Whoever OWS says they are. It has nothing to do with facts. It’s a feeling. 

Tell me how you feel about it!

LA Budget Cuts Endanger Coral Trees and Residents in Brentwood

Coral trees on San Vicente median (Vicki Talbot)

LA City budget cuts for the famous coral trees on San Vicente Boulevard endanger their fragile health and can be very dangerous, says Brentwood Community Council president Nancy Freedman.

The trees are a Cultural Heritage Monument of the City of Los Angeles.  Joggers and pedestrians enjoy a grassy interlude in the busy urban landscape. But, without maintenance, their shallow root system cannot support the heavy, full green canopies. The trees have to be trimmed annually. And they are susceptible to overwatering, a condition that has toppled many trees in rainy years past.

"A limb could break on your head," said Freedman. "Last rain, everybody had their fingers crossed."

So local community members have mobilized a campaign to permanently take care of the precious trees.

Armed Robbery at a 7-11 in Brentwood?

The Brentwood 7-11 on Wilshire near Federal (Vicki Talbot)

Brentwood is a sleepy little LA burg that doesn't know from crime; just the occasional car thefts and small-time burglars looking for computers for drug money, a few white collar criminals and some neighborly feuds, divorces and custody battles. So the morning of October 6 was a wake up call.

What Happened?

First of all, yes, there is a 7-11 in Brentwood. Its located at 11656 Wilshire Boulevard, just west of Federal.

Thursday, October 6, at 5 a.m., two suspects entered the 7-11 store wearing hoodies, baseball caps, white plastic painter's suits and painter's masks. 

In the store's security video we see the first suspect enter the store. He runs up to the manager in the aisle, where he is training a new employee. The robber jabs the poor guy in the back of the neck with a handgun and forces him to the floor. Then he drags the guy across the floor to the cash registers and the safe, behind the counter. The suspect is in such a hurry that he doesn't see his friend enter the store. Like a scene out of the Keystone Cops, he bumps into him as the accomplice enters the aisle. They almost blew it right there.

The second guy grabs the employee, and forces him to the ground. "Stay on the ground," he yells. The employee lies still, face down on the floor, but the guy keeps yelling, "Stay on the f-ing ground." Then, he runs up to the counter and retrieves the firearm from the first guy and runs back down the aisle with the gun. That is simply ODD.

Mayor Villaraigosa, Councilman Rosendahl - Occupy LA Isn't Moving

Occupy LA was dealt a stunning blow one day after police action in Oakland left an Iraqi War veteran seriously injured. City Councilman, Bill Rosendahl and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa gave LA occupiers notice that, like a pushy relative, the group had worn out their welcome.

Meanwhile, 24-year old Scott Olsen suffered a fractured skull in a skirmish with police in Oakland, California, when demonstrators failed to leave the site where they were protesting. 

After 26 days of unrestrained and relatively peaceful occupation on the lawn at City Hall, Rosendahl told KABC TV, “It is time to move on. The trees are in the process of being impacted. The grass is being impacted. Other activities that we need to do on the lawns are being put on the back burner.

At Councilman Bill Rosendahl’s office, Communications Director Tony Arranago said, “We are working on a statement right now. Please check the councilman’s Twitter (@Bill_Rosendahl) and Facebook account.” Well, no more statements have been forthcoming, but Mayor Villaraigosa chimed in. “The protestors are welcome to stay, but they don’t have an open invitation to stay indefinitely,” said his spokesman, Peter Sanders.

OccupyLA protestors have vowed not to move in statements made at the open mike in their Wednesday evening General Assembly meeting. The group claims no leadership, so it’s hard to tell, but the unfiltered shares throughout the evening reflected a solid “hunker-down” attitude. Occupiers are gearing up for a fight that could get nasty on both sides.

The group did issue a statement on their “official” website in response to Villaraigosa’s remarks, saying this: “As for a time stamp on our departure, there is none.”

Some OLA supporters who are experts in different fields have been offering advice to the occupiers to help them avoid confrontations as in Oakland, Atlanta and New York. Live stream chatterers texted throughout the night, like this:

dave494: if we were to break camp every day,,then we would save the lawn, and it would push out the shiftless and lazy....

batsheva: we need a MOD in the morning.. freakazoids abound

ED335: Stand LA Stand LA stand LA

jk_la: i think it would be strategic to negotiate use of the vacant lot across the street

They also exchanged opinions about the tactics City Hall might use to move the occupations:

Republic1776: the city and LAPD want us to go down by ourselves. they dont want to have to evict us

Who are these guys, anyhow? 

Well, a New York Times/CBS poll finds that 43 percent of Americans agree with the Occupy Wall Street movement; there is too much money concentrated in the hands of too few people and they are dissatisfied with politicians and feel betrayed by government.

Charles, an OccupyLA protestor said, “You can’t understand what’s happening politically in our country unless you are aware that over the past 30 years the corporate elite, representing the top 20 percent of income earners in our country, have been able to cement their influence over our political process to such an extent that they have been able to capture virtually all of the increase in wealth that has occurred over that period of time. The attacks on public services and government in general, presently underway, must be viewed in this context.”

Negative Neal, a citizen journalist, tried to figure out who these guys really are. 

And to top off all the drama, there is an election coming up in Los Angeles. Villaraigosa is termed out, but Rosendahl? He’s up for re-election. The gauntlet is down:

@zumadoggZuma Dogg

BREAKING NEWS: L.A. City Councilman Bill Rosendahl is will be forced to endure MOST UNCOMFORTABLE REELECTION CAMPAIGN IN POLITICAL HISTORY.

25 Oct via yoonoFavorite Retweet Reply

Electric Daisy Carnival Riot in Hollywood-

Kaskade’s Block Party Reverberates Through Hollywood

Los Angeles Times Photo Essay of the Riot

June 27, 2011, Los Angeles

A near-riot broke out Wednesday night when a block party/publicity stunt got too big to handle on Hollywood Boulevard during rush-hour traffic. Partiers were tweeted to celebrate at the private screening of a documentary on the Electric Daisy Carnival with electronic music super-wizard Kaskade. They showed up in droves to dance to the music and crash the invitation-only screening.

Organizers were entirely unprepared for what happened when Kaskade tweeted:

@kaskadeKaskade 

Today@6pm in Hollywood @Mann's Chinese Theatre. ME+BIG SPEAKERS+MUSIC=BLOCK PARTY!!! RT!

The promoters seemed to think that the event would be a peaceful gathering on the sidewalk or something! But alas! The party quickly turned to a mob scene, blocking commuters from using the thoroughfare and severely tying up traffic in the area. Police came out to restore order, only to be met with an angry mob throwing bottles and debris until riot police were summoned to control the growing melee. Revelers turned uber-angry when the event was canceled and orders were given to disperse.

The “block party” was a permitted promotional event that was part of the screening of the documentary, Electronic Daisy Carnival Experience. Kaskade is one of the most popular electronic music artists around, with thousands of twitter followers. He arrived with his mobile DJ station and dozens of costumed dancers to get the action going. Like the Pied Piper, he tripped down the boulevard in mezzo forte, gathering followers by the dozens.

But his tweets went from defiant and happy - to cautious - to horrified:

 kaskade Kaskade  I am so close. Getting on the truck now. Mad traffic. On my way to the block party.  

kaskade Kaskade 



Funktion - One on a flatbed, that is what I am talking about.
4 hours ago 



kaskade Kaskade 

Not a semi truck BUT those speakers KNOCK! What's up Hollywood?!? http://twitpic.com/5wv92k
4 hours ago 

As events unfolded, his tweets registered Kaskade's increasing alarm:

@kaskade literally shutting down hollywood #flashcrowd”
Everybody CHILL OUT!!! The cops are freaking out. BE SAFE AND LET'S HAVE SOME FUN!


"I AM REALLY CONCERNED FOR EVERYONES SAFETY AT THIS POINT! PLEASE RELAX!"
EVERYONE CHILL NOW!!! The block party has officially been shut down! BUT THIS IS TOO CRAZY AND WE NEED TO BE SAFE!



The promo event began at the Jimmy Kimmel Theater and snaked down the street gathering followers. By the time they reached Grauman’s Chinese Theater, where the premier was held, revelers blocked the street. Things quickly turned ugly.

Riot police flooded the streets, firing pellet guns and swinging nightsticks. It was a scene right out of Los Angeles, ca. 1965! Kaskade tweeted from his mobile DJ station:

@kaskadeKaskade 

EVERYONE NEEDS TO GO HOME NOW! I DON'T WANT THIS TO REFLECT BADLY ON EDM OR WHAT WE ARE ABOUT. BE RESPECTFUL AND CHILL OUT!!!

No one heeded the call. Dozens were hauled off and booked, though it seems only two rioters were charged with vandalism for jumping on police cars. 

Meantime, bystanders were sealed inside Madame Tussaud's, retail stores and restaurants until the streets were cleared.

Comparison of LA Observed over a 3-day period, Oct-10-12

LAObserved, October 12, 2011

Now that I have had the opportunity to see the daily journal for three days in a row, I am getting the hang of it. I did not understand the layout to begin with.

The Front Page (above the fold)

Three columns – in a vertical format –

This blog doesn’t use the splash page well. I don’t see enough information on that page to make me want to go further. I would like to have more navigational clues to be able to pick what I would like to read from the front page first, without wasting time. Many of the navigational clues/tags are actually cross-referenced.

For example, what does an article on “Feds vow to prosecute media that advertise medical pot” have to do with the tab called “A Sense of Place”? I would expect an article about Los Angeles, very specifically, and maybe a historic or cultural perspective from that tab name. The same article appears on the front page and on the welcome page for subsequent tabs, including media, politics and LA Biz.

I found the tabs a little misleading, confusing and difficult. I may be too “old-school” to understand this, which is precisely what this class in general, and this exercise in particular, is about. I hope that it will help me to understand the navigational differences between the print-to-online websites and blog websites. I see a huge difference. The old way is hierarchical; there are sections and within the sections there are logical sub-sections, ie. Sports –football, baseball, horseracing, etc.

This webpage has cross-references beneath the tabs, probably for optimization.

I am unclear, even three days into it, what this website has to do with KCRW. There is a radio show and the host has this website. One of the reasons I may be so clueless is that I don’t listen to KCRW on Monday at 6:44 p.m. Evidently, there is a radio show entitled LA Observed that is hosted by editor Kevin Roderick. There is a bio link on the front page that is long and full of bona fides that explains three-quarters of the way down the page that he has a weekly radio program that earned the Golden Mike Award, entitled LA Observed.

I would rather see the spot entitled “Quick Scan” with all the tabs to one side or at the top – for the front page. At least that way I can get some idea of what is going to be there when I leaf through the website. I can make an informed decision about what I want to read because there are more than tags, there is a short dek-to describe what is in the article.

I am much more comfortable, to my horror, with the old-style newspaper-type of website. I find it easier to get it when there are clear headings, deks and sections. I find it easier to understand when I am not hampered by colloquialisms and hipster language. I love the shortcutting and the creativity, but in the end, most of the time, I spend a fair amount of time trying to look cool while I am deciphering a word grafted together from two other words. (I was also slow to using a mouse – I had worked hard to learn DOS and I didn’t want to admit there was another way.  So things can change.)

In addition, I found that the pages were not all refreshed like a daily. Monday and Tuesday had the same “if you missed it,” articles. Wednesday was better. That may have had something to do with Monday being Columbus Day, I don’t know.

I am still a bit confused. For example there is a big photo today (Wednesday) of “Mark Lacter on business and money.” This is not an attractive or recognizable fellow. I wouldn’t buy a used car from him, I think. The article is entitled, “Universal dumps plan for early video release of ‘Tower Heist’

I don’t know what that is, but I guess it is Universal Studios. I guess that Tower Heist is a movie. I would have to be a media insider to understand what that is about. And for that, there is the Variety and the Reporter. 

LA Observed October 11, 2011

LA Observed

October 11, 2011

Having reviewed my overall impression of the “Above the Fold” section yesterday, I now better understand what this website is about.

I think this blog is for ‘Tweeners – neither the very young nor the very traditional. It’s for busy people who want their news shortened, aggregated and localized-but not TOO local. Their model is to include many articles that will be picked up by out-of-towners. They do not have the same constrictions as, say, the Patch.com – on hyper-local.

It is also kind of insider and hip news, not necessarily the most important. There is, for example, an emphasis on the medical marijuana situation in Los Angeles these past two days. That speaks to a certain group of people who use it, believe it is a good business, or wish it to be legalized for other reasons. I don’t think the tone of the articles is militant legalization. So it is not aimed to those leftover hippies and potheads who are Johnny-one-notes on this thing. This is a more sophisticated crowd of educated professionals who have really developed their opinions through other means.

It is not the snarky tone that is evident in Gawker, which is definitely a gossip rag. This is geared with the young, hip professional or savvy businessperson or media person in mind. This pot issue may be something that affects their business, their clients or their neighborhoods.

There are also articles – a lot, actually, on Bay Area stuff – like Steve Job’s life and death. But they are articles that give us a rare inside view into the man, like what kind of car he drove (2007 MB) and that the license plate was not on it. I think that speaks to the awe that most of us feel naturally for this very private man and his creative genius. Jobs persona is inspirational to all of us, not just the techy crowd. But a lot of techy business professionals may be targeted.

Otherwise, there is an article on the Elizabeth Taylor jewelry, something most of us are curious about. Once again it is the spotlight on the private life of someone who iconic and rarified. It is human nature to want to look in to their private world. I don’t think this is a gossip rag; I think it is optimization to use Jobs and Taylor on the front page and subsequently under other headings.

There is a media-savvy component to this audience. These are people who are interested in the pop culture. That would explain the article combining surfing with the aerospace industry. The combination would seem way off base were it not for the fact that truly, Southern California insiders know that a lot of these aerospace companies were created by surfers and began at the beach. RAND is still in Malibu, although it is more of a think tank now. 

On the other hand, there is an article on kicking hybrids out of he carpool lanes in the Bay Area. I gather that this is to generalize that how it affects San Francisco is how it affects Los Angeles. I am not sure if that is a legitimate conclusion or assumption. The idea is that having hybrids in the carpool lane was good for traffic. Then again, that business of rewarding people who have extra money to buy these expensive vehicles puts the onus on those of us who cannot afford them. So it leads the reader to question what kind of car the author drives, and how he got that one in there about the Bay Area drivers.

Blogging is quite informal and broad-spectrum. It is immediate, which doesn’t always mean the best judgment is applied. But blogs can be corrected or removed or moved down the queue. It is liquid, not static. And it responds with the events of the day, rather than the events of yesterday and last night. It has a tremendous potential with breaking news and developing stories.

I still don’t get LA Observed yet, though.