Here's one Twitter account that is definitely not going to earn that blue "verified account" checkmark: A fake Eric Garcetti has been Tweeting since January 22, spreading mostly dopey messages of eco-friendliness and love of KCRW. more ›

Hooray for improvements in how we can work, live, and hang out in Hollywood. Right? The Hollywood Community Plan, which is about to go before the L.A. City Council for approval, has the support of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. more ›

Today was Eric Garcetti's last meeting as L.A. City Council President. He's stepping down from the position, so he can prepare for his mayoral bid. But today's meeting turned into what the City Maven called a "long, awkward goodbye." Comedian Jimmy Kimmel showed up and got things rolling. more ›

Tuesday, the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously in favor of a resolution declaring that corporations are not people, and consequently are not entitled to the same constitutional protections. The vote was taken following a discussion about money and politics in chambers during today's meeting. In the crowd were several participants of the Occupy LA movement. more ›

Since most of L.A.'s top officials have to head in and out of City Hall to get their work done, what they think of the current "occupation" of the area by protesters is surely worth noting. It took one of the Council's regular meeting speakers, John Walsh (L.A. Now generous calls him "a well-known political gadfly" to goad the Councilmembers to not only acknowledge the Occupy L.A. participants, but to go outside and tour their "tent city" and talk to the protesters. more ›

It's a well-known fact that tourists in L.A. are anxious to visit the Hollywood sign. But lately, with the aid of GPS devices and tour buses, an increasing number of out-of-towners have been finding their way to quiet residential streets in the Hollywood Hills.According to NBC Los Angeles, those who live in the area are split down the middle about the issue. more ›

Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti likes city politics, so he's putting a bid for the brass ring on it. He announced today he is officially running for Mayor in 2013. more ›

With the time suck that was the debt ceiling deal finally signed, it's time for President Obama to get back to raising money for his re-election campaign. Fortunately for the campaign, President Obama is celebrating his birthday today (the big 5-0), which provides ample opportunity to celebrate his accomplishments while collecting campaign cash. more ›

We can be certain the center would greatly benefit AEG, as it would serve as a great incentive and standing advertisement to its hundreds of overpriced condos and rental units in the area. But what is the benefit to taxpayers? more ›

Los Angeles City Council President (and possible Mayor hopeful) Eric Garcetti will take a second spin in primetime tonight as fictional L.A. Mayor Ramon Quintero on TNT's drama "The Closer." Garcetti last trod the TV boards in the fall in the same role. more ›

"This is the beginning of Gay Heritage month in the great city of Los Angeles. It's an historic first," bellowed Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl this morning in City Hall. "We have arrived in this city and we see ourselves with basic human and civil rights as our challenge we still have not met on a national level." Added Rosendahl, the first openly-gay man elected to L.A. City Council, "but we've come a long way in this great city." more ›

A reminder for pothole haters, it's time to get ready to get yours filled: Operation Pothole is returning next month to the oh-so-mean streets of Los Angeles. Operation Pothole was first launched in January by City Council President Eric Garcetti, who set the lofty goal of getting 10-15,000 potholes filled over the course of a couple of days. This time, as Streetsblog notes, the goal is double: 20,000 potholes to be filled by twice as many crews on June 4th and 5th. more ›

There's a new position opening up at City Hall for someone who doesn't mind getting tough about bills getting paid. It's what's being called the "Collections Czar," and the role was approved by a 9-1 vote this morning during today's regular City Council Meeting. more ›

Residents of the Eastside now have more green space in which to frolic -- Elysian Park has been expanded by five acres, and the new area is now open to the public. In a statement, Councilman Eric Garcetti announced that the addition of landscaped acreage would include two game courts, a playground, lawn areas, picnic tables, a walking path, an outdoor classroom area, and parking spaces. more ›

The Hollywood Farmers' Market has been given a 30-day extension on their street closure permit and can continue to operate until mid-May as negotiations with the Los Angeles Film School continue. The school challenged the long-running market late last year based on a need to have improved access to their parking facility while the market is in operation on Sundays. more ›

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is not the only elected official in the City of Los Angeles who will be ponying up some after-the-fact cash in the form of fines for accepting free tickets to events over the last few years. Now four City Council reps have agreed to pay a combined $13,000 in such fines for accepting free passes to events like awards shows and dinners, according to LA Now. more ›

The Los Angeles City Council has voted to file a lawsuit against Jeffrey Stenroos, the LAUSD police officer who pretended he was shot by an on-the-loose-assailant when he really wasn't, according to LA Now. The council, led by a proposal from council member and former police officer Dennis Zine, was unanimous in their decision to demand that Stenroos reimburse the city for the costs of the extensive police manhunt. more ›

City Council President Eric Garcetti (CD 13) has admitted on record that, as many suspected, he is considering running for mayor, says Hollywood Patch. Garcetti says right now he's "seriously leaning" towards the bid, and will go public with his decision in about six to eight months from now, once he's talked it over with his family. "The earlier I say yes, the harder it will be for me to govern in my current role," he explained to an audience in Westwood. Patch notes Garcetti is "the longest-serving councilmember, with 10 years on the panel." Maybe the Mayorship is in the stars: Last year he played one on TV. more ›

It took 50 crews two days to respond to thousands of phone calls from concerned citizens to tackle more than 16,000 repairs to our streets as part of the city-wide "Operation Pothole," this past weekend. more ›

It's our ever-active City Council President, Eric Garcetti, getting down and dirty this morning for all us Angelenos on an inspection of the city's now rain-taxed sewer system. This is Garcetti's way of kicking off his Shorty Awards campaign for excellence in social media on the subject of--gasp!--politics. You can give him a nomination via Twitter and see that LA defeats the equally Tweet-a-licious, snow shovel-wielding Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker. Let the West Coast/East Coast battle begin! more ›

And they're off!! WIth a goal of filling and fixing up to 15,000 road hazards this weekend, approximately 50 city road repair crews have been deployed across Los Angeles repairing potholes and pavement deterioration caused by recent, heavy hitting rain. more ›

It can't be "one of the most widespread and strongest wind episodes in recent years" without some fallout--or, more appropriately, some fallen trees and power outages. There is, of course, already the requisite Foursquare Windpocalypse 2010 venue for your check-in entertainment (a moving target, if ever there was one). more ›

City Council President Eric Garcetti hates potholes, and chances are, you do too. If you've got a loathsome pothole that is ruining your commute (not to mention your vehicle) Garcetti says don't hesitate to phone it in to 3-1-1 so crews can come fill it. more ›

It seems the Los Angeles Film School and the Hollywood Farmers' Market have come to a peaceful and long-awaited temporary agreement to the parking access and street closure controversy that has rocked the community for the past few weeks. Last Thursday, a meeting held between the market and its operator, nonprofit Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles (SEE-LA), the school and Councilman Eric Garcetti's office produced "an agreement that would keep the market open until April 12 while its organizers and the film school seek a permanent solution to the parking problem," according to an AP report published by the Huffington Post. more ›

While organizers negotiate terms of a possible compromise with the Los Angeles Film School over access to a parking garage, the Hollywood Farmers' Market has been given the green beans green light to continue operation for at least another 90 days. more ›

Zipcar, the largest car sharing service in the world, announced yesterday they are expanding their Los Angeles fleet by adding 10 new cars, which will be parked and available for use in Hollywood. The company's partnership with Los Angeles began back in September 2009, and with yesterday's addition, Zipcar now has 75 cars operating in Los Angeles... more ›

If you are a shopper or supporter of the Hollywood Farmers' Market, and have been following their permit problems and want to help lend your voice to the fight to keep the full market open, there's one thing you can do right now that could help. The HFM is asking people to email or call City Councilmember Eric Garcetti to respectfully ask he "do all he can to assist the market with the following principles in mind: 1) The market not be reduced in size; 2) The safety of the vendors and customers not be compromised; and 3) That the market remains fully accessible to the community." more ›

It turns out it was only wishful thinking: The Hollywood Farmers' Market's ability to operate at full-scale is not as secure as previously reported. Following a meeting attended Monday afternoon by concerned parties in the still-unresolved matter of street closures and property access on Ivar Avenue south of Selma, City Council President Eric Garcetti's office believed that a temporary solution was reached that brought hope to what appeared to be a dire situation for the cherished weekly market. more ›