Email Author Gene Maddaus

Awards

• 2012 - Best of the West/First Amendment Funding, Inc., published September 15, 2011

  "Secrets & Lies"

• 2011 - Southern California Journalism Awards/LA Press Club, published December 2, 2010

  "L.A.'s Light Rail Fiasco"

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2010 Stories by Gene Maddaus

• Beutner's Top Job Is To Find Someone to Replace Beutner

  published Apr 19, 2010

  Austin Beutner, who as deputy mayor already oversees 13 agencies at City Hall, now has one more in his portfolio: the DWP.Beutner, who just came on board three months ago, was introduced today as the ... More >>

• Lessons in Viability from the California Democratic Convention

  published Apr 18, 2010

  This is how you go around the state Democratic Convention if you are a viable candidate: briskly, stopping only long enough to shake hands, and surrounded by bright young things who carry your placard... More >>

• Arrest in NoHo Synagogue Shooting

  published Apr 15, 2010

  The suspect in last year's shooting at a North Hollywood synagogue was arrested today by the Beverly Hills P.D. SWAT team.The arrest of Christopher Littlejohn, 37, leaves several unanswered questions.... More >>

• Santana Returns Ahead of Big Budget Week

  published Apr 15, 2010

  L.A. City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana was back at work today for the first time since getting a DUI three weeks ago.For the city, his rehab stint was not unlike Manny Ramirez's 50-game suspe... More >>

• Janice Hahn Breaks Out the Hand Sanitizer for Dem Convention Weekend

  published Apr 14, 2010

  Back in December, Councilwoman Janice Hahn wrote an open letter to her opponent in the lieutenant governor's race, Sen. Dean Florez, urging him to "avoid a costly and divisive fight" by joining in a p... More >>

• In Arcadia, Pro-Density Hunger Strike Is Starved of Support (UPDATE: Tasting the Grilled Cheese of Defeat.)

  published Apr 14, 2010

  The votes have been tallied in Arcadia, and it didn't end up so well for pro-density developer Henry Nunez. (Updated below.)Nunez wants to increase the zoning in downtown Arcadia, which would allow hi... More >>

• On Eve of Arcadia Vote, Pro-Density Hunger Strike Goes On

  published Apr 12, 2010

  We've been telling you for a few days about Henry Nunez, the Arcadia developer whose nakedly self-interested hunger strike has entered its ninth day.Today we chatted with Councilman Robert Harbicht, w... More >>

• Pro-Density Developer Reaches Day 6 of Hunger Strike

  published Apr 09, 2010

  Arcadia developer Henry Nunez has still not eaten anything since Sunday, as he tries to draw attention to next week's Arcadia City Council election."I'm just hurting," he said by phone today. "It's a ... More >>

• Today in WTF: Arcadia Developer Goes on Hunger Strike For Looser Zoning Rules

  published Apr 07, 2010

  Henry Nunez, a 51-year-old real estate developer, has a dream for the city of Arcadia. A dream of a dense, urban downtown with five-story mixed-use developments around a light-rail station. Unfortunat... More >>

• Can Villaraigosa Furlough L.A. City Workersr In a Word, No

  published Apr 06, 2010

  Today the mayor announced a plan to furlough non-public safety employees two days a week, starting next Monday, in order to prevent the city from running out of cash.Sounds impressive, but it won't ha... More >>

• County Dogs Sniff for Illicit Produce

  published Apr 01, 2010

  Because practically nobody covers the county anymore, the job of writing light feature stories about the nation's largest local government has fallen to... Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky's press staff.Tod... More >>

• Real-life "Lost" Mystery: Crew T-shirt Found on Anonymous Corpse

  published Apr 01, 2010

  Attention cast and crew of the ABC show "Lost":The L.A. County Coroner's office is trying to identify a body found last month in a wooded area in Castaic. So far the biggest clue is that the young man... More >>

• McCourt trial set for Aug. 30, will run through stretch drive

  published Mar 30, 2010

  The Dodger divorce trial will begin on Aug. 30, a Superior Court commissioner ruled today. The divorce trial of Frank and Jamie McCourt is expected to run at least through the end of September, meanin... More >>

• Mayor: Santana could be out "weeks," or "longer than that"

  published Mar 29, 2010

  At a press conference this afternoon, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was asked about the city's top budget official, Miguel Santana, who entered treatment after being arrested for DUI last week."My heart ... More >>

• Getting It Wrong: The Budget Mess

  published March 25, 2010

  You know Los Angeles is in a fiscal crisis when TV crews show up at the budget hearings. The next few months are likely to be... More >>

• Meet Kristen Heather, L.A.'s First Layoff

  published Mar 11, 2010

  Kristen Heather is the curator at the historic Point Fermin Lighthouse in San Pedro. But not for long, as she got her two weeks' termination notice this week.Heather is the first of 4,000 city employe... More >>

• Mickey Kaus: An Irritating Candidate

  published March 11, 2010

  Mickey Kaus, the contrarian Slate blogger, launched his Senate campaign last week with a small gathering at his second-story... More >>

• Newsom Seeks Crackdown on Texting During Public Meetings

  published Mar 10, 2010

  San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, soon to take on Janice Hahn in the lieutenant governor's race, is proposing a crackdown on lobbyists texting the Board of Supervisors during public meetings.Apparentl... More >>

• Sen. Ashburn: "I am gay"

  published Mar 08, 2010

  Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield, who was arrested last week for drunk driving, has acknowledged that he is gay."I am gay and so those are the words that have been difficult for me for so long," he sai... More >>

• CBS 13: Sen. Roy Ashburn at Gay Nightclub Before DUI Arrest

  published Mar 04, 2010

  A Sacramento TV station is reporting that Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield, was arrested for drunk driving early Wednesday after leaving a gay nightclub.Ashburn, a father of four, has apologized for th... More >>

• The Wong Goodbye: Indicted Temple City Councilwoman Resigns

  published Mar 04, 2010

  Temple City Councilwoman Judy* Wong, under indictment for bribery, has resigned, the Pasadena Star-News reports.Wong is accused of taking $13,000 in bribes from the developer of the Temple City Piazza... More >>

• RFK's Son Horrified by Display of Assassination Relics

  published Mar 03, 2010

  In retrospect, maybe this wasn't such a hot idea. This week, District Attorney Steve Cooley and LAPD Chief Charlie Beck allowed evidence from L.A.'s most notorious murders to be displayed at a cop tra... More >>

• Karen Bass Secures Maxine Waters' Endorsement

  published Mar 02, 2010

  Former Speaker Karen Bass has won the endorsement of Rep. Maxine Waters. That makes it much harder for anyone to challenge her for the open seat in the 33rd Congressional District.Bass already had the... More >>

• Hahn: Don't Confirm Abel Maldonado [Updated]

  published Mar 01, 2010

  L.A. Councilwoman Janice Hahn touted her credentials for lieutenant governor at a forum on Sunday night at Olympic High School in Santa Monica.After the forum, Hahn said she is opposed to confirming S... More >>

• Louie Lujan, La Puente mayor, pleads guilty to perjury

  published Feb 25, 2010

  Louie Lujan, the boy mayor of La Puente, pleaded guilty today to perjury and agreed to pay a $1,000 fine, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune reports.Lujan admitted to failing to report contributions and e... More >>