There was a surprise presentation at the GA yesterday evening. Instead of continuing the discussion on the Press Release regarding transparency, the GA was beaten to the punch as apparently certain unappointed, self-important "liaisons" have been working in secret with the city for over a week to shape an exit plan for OLA from the City Hall encampment. The GA was not told about the "liaisons" involvement in developing the plan nor were we allowed to see it. Instead, someone had the bright idea to use Mario Brito, of all people, to sell it to us sight unseen. One might as well have lobbed a firebomb into the GA. WTF did the "liaisons" expect the reaction to be? People are rightly furious.

As usual, the L.A. Times knows more about what was going on than the GA did http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-1122-occupy-la-move-20111122,0,1592348.story (Although I don't know where the "farmland" angle came from, at the GA all that was mentioned was a 10 sq. ft. "garden".) Mario gets two mentions in the Times article (one a quote) and a pic. More for his clipping file as he already dominates almost every press report on Occupy LA. Using the Movement as a springboard for anyone's political ambitions or whatever is despicable. Mario kept bleating that he'd been "elected".  No one's been "elected" to anything.  He knows, as well as anyone, that a city liaison was tried in the planning stages before the encampment ever happened and was meant to be temporary. It was never, in any case, an invitation to an abuse of power.

The "liaisons" should have admitted their involvement & posted the offer online & in camp 24 hours before it was even discussed (as per a proposal already passed) instead of trying to railroad us with a sales pitch. But, in actuality they should never have engaged in this behavior at all. The GA is the ONLY decision-making body. Period. No one should have to put up with lies, backroom deals and secondhand information that others have had for more than a week.

The city apparently expects a reply by 28 November. Why should the GA respond to this offer at all (assuming we ever see it)? Throw the damn offer in the bin where it belongs. Disabuse the city of the notion that these "liasons" represent OLA and tell them to start all over again, with the GA, where they should have started to begin with.

And BTW, I am disgusted with the city government for attempting to use the homeless as pawns in some deal. The city is supposed to be looking after everyone who needs services, not using them as leverage to get what the Mayor wants. WTF is wrong with people? The city government has been hanging with 1%er Eli Broad so long they've got no sense of decency left. That, plus the "liaisons" devotion to the status quo is breathtaking. There's so much corruption in just this one deal, it's like our own private "L.A. Confidential". No thanks.