Every election, much is made about candidate endorsements. Well, my campaign is built from the bottom up, and the most meaningful endorsement is the one that comes from the people of the City of Los Angeles.
As the LA Times said, “Voters could assemble a fairly good city attorney using parts from the five candidates who are running to succeed Rocky Delgadillo in the March 3 election….From Noel Weiss they could glean a much-needed passion and ability to advocate for average Angelenos against the machinations of City Hall.”
Help me win by leaving a comment about why you support my campaign – why you will vote for Noel – # 44 – on March 3, 2009.
Noel Weiss For Los Angeles City Attorney 
IT’S LIKE THEY HELD AN ELECTION AND NOBODY CAME
I feel honored that I am able to say that I actually know that there is an election on March 3rd. I have my Permanent Absentee Ballot, so I do know that there is one. I have yet to receive my “Voter Information Pamphlet” – 16 days before the election. City Councilman Greig Smith sent an email blast out stating that he had complaints from others about this problem.
So I am grateful for the Neighborhood Council system. In Encino, they had a candidates forum on the candidates for CD 5 – Jack Weiss’s seat. One of the questions was on “What one thing do you like about Jack Weiss” – this was to the six CD 5 candidates. And I do not remember one candidate saying anything nice about Jack Weiss. And they live in his district.
Last Thursday, I had the good fortune to attend the Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Council’s candidate forum. I introduced myself to Councilman Weiss and the other City Attorney candidates.
At the end of the evening, I left with this feeling – there was just nothing that inspired me about Councilman Weiss.
I told all four other candidates that I was impressed with what I had heard. I agree with the Times that having experience from the inside like Michael Amerian would be a benefit. I found David Berger to be a powerful speaker who is not afraid to say what he is thinking.
Carmen Trutanich has recent experience running a large attorney’s office – there was a question on what made the candidate capable to handle the large 650? plus City Attorney’s office.
But my favorite to date has been Noel Weiss. Noel has captured my attention as the people’s advocate.
Noel represented the “Solar 8” on Measure B / Proposition B – when no other attorney would step up to the plate.
Because of Measure B, I have gotten to know Noel a little better – I have had the time to read about his efforts as a people’s advocate. Since this is what the Neighborhood Council system is about – advocating for the people, I find that I lean towards someone that knows the City Council system, knows the problems that the communities have had with working towards a better resolution with the City Council on their problems, and who knows how to mediate between the groups.
For this reason, I support Noel Weiss for City Attorney.
Chris Rowe
West Hills, CA
My personal choice for the City Attorney’s office is Noel Weiss (no relation to Jack Weiss, whom I agree must be prevented from gaining this office no matter what!).
Noel Weiss has been indispensable to the efforts of our Studio City Neighborhood Council over the years, especially regarding Land Use issues and individual stakeholders’ rights.
Noel Weiss has attended many of our board meetings and committee meetings and has always given us expert advice which is rock solid.
Noel Weiss understands the corruption of the machine at City Hall and is the best prepared to oppose that corruption from our City Attorney’s office.
Noel Weiss will bring transparency and integrity to our city attorney’s office like we haven’t seen in decades.
Noel Weiss will fight for us!
I do not speak for the SCNC board….
This is my personal endorsement for every voter out there who cares about the future of the City of Los Angeles…
Vote for Noel Weiss for City Attorney on March 3rd!
Best Regards,
Michael McCue Board Member-Studio City Neighborhood Council
Chair-Environmental & Cultural Affairs Committee
Keep Studio City Green
I am supporting Noel Weiss for City Attorney. He is the attorney who helped me with my “fight” against the city regarding condominium development on Orange Grove. He is running for City Attorney to help get the city back on a more positive course so that we, the citizens of this city, have more of an input into what happens to our neighborhoods as well as many other very important issues. My experience with Noel has shown me that he is an honest, hard working individual who can help get our local government back on a positive path.
From April 2006 to June 2007, I went through a no-fault eviction on behalf of the State of California’s ‘Ellis Act’. On the downside, this law enables Real Estate developers to evict tenants from rent-controlled buildings that were recently purchased for the goal of new Condominium construction. None of the tenants received any real assistance from the developers in locating comparable housing and many of us were left to fend for ourselves. This resulted in moving into worse living conditions or out of state.
My housing research concluded that I had to move out of state because of the high market-rate CA rents. I took an interest in standing up for my rights and in doing so, learned of Noel Weiss. I witnessed Noel working with tenants through fair representation to advocate for better solutions to LA’s ongoing housing crisis. Every week we testified at neighborhood and LA City Council hearings, hoping to change the laws to secure higher relocation monies and a smoother transition to new living conditions.
I can say firsthand that Noel is a prolific and eloquent attorney who goes out of his way to represent fair and honest lawmaking. He intimately knows the workings of LA politics and keeps a watchful eye on unjust policy and wrongful civil litigation. He values open communication to fortify fair results for both sides of an issue.
It’s up to the citizens to put in power those who have the right intention to keep Los Angeles a great place to live, and therefore it is my belief that Noel Weiss would make a superior City Attorney.
I don’t get to vote in elections dealing with Los Angeles City government. But that doesn’t mean I can’t have opinions on who I would like to see win in the March 3 election.
I have two ‘slam dunks’ for different reasons.
For City Attorney, Mr. Noel Weiss: https://electnoel.wordpress.com/2009/
Mr. Weiss is a clear choice for San Pedro, its residents and the OUR community on the whole.
Mr. Weiss continues to work with members of OUR community and is intelligent, interesting, innovative, and involved.
My choice for City Attorney is Noel Weiss. Not “jack” Weiss the current city council member. Noel is a common sense community advocate and attorney. I’ve spoken with Noel and he is for real. Read his own words on City Watch Column at http://www.citywatchla.com/content/view/1851/
Vote for Noel Weiss
Noel is the only candidate who understands and wil support the need for decent planning and reasonable standards in developers EIR’s. He understands what is wrong with City planning, the lack of infrastructure studies, and all the other aspects of proper growth in Los Angeles. Anyone who is concerned about living in Los Angeles should be supporting Noel.
Standing silent or otherwise finding excuses to do nothing in the face of clear political challenges is nothing short of political malpractice.
Times change – But it is our individual and collective perception that controls. These are times when it is imperative that government be proactive to the needs of the People.
A clear consensus exists in favor of action.
The City Council is arrogant, out of step, and out of touch.
Noel is in step and in touch, and; has fought for us in many venues. He speaks & manages clearly, and confidently with conviction, & shows a clear understanding. He will be a City Attorney of the people
Noel Weiss is an optimistic individual who strives to help his fellow Angelenos with integrity, rationality, and effort. He knows land use and dares to take on the established political machine.
Noel promises to become a check and balance to the City Council. He will produce legal decisions that support the law not the politicians and the developers. He has been there for us in the past and he will be there for us in the future.
The following is a copy of the letter to the Los Angeles Times that I submitted on February 21, 2009.
“In Trutanich, you endorse a man who has been on the wrong side of the issues you identify as his strengths. Shame, shame, shame. LA needs a City Attorney who understands the machinations of City Hall, yet functions independently of them. A City Attorney who is comfortable working with the powers that be, but does not cozy up to them. Someone who will stick his neck out for the people and not for the many special interests who seem currently to be in the pockets of City Hall. Someone who is ready to negotiate and, when necessary litigate, solutions with an eye strongly on the welfare of the voters. Someone who is ready to shine light on the backroom wheeling and dealing that produces rather than resolves so many of our great city’s challenges. Someone with talent, enthusiasm, and, perhaps most important…integrity. For my money, that someone would be Noel Weiss.”
As posted on Issues to Ponder (2/19/2009):
http://sanpedroissuestoponder.blogspot.com/2009/02/pondering-candidates-forum-for-march-3.html
“Noel Weiss is the only candidate who is not currently employed in any government agency.
It may be time for a true outsider to take the helm of the City Attorney’s office. Noel Weiss has spent many years advocating and serving regular citizens against developers and even government entities who attempt to over-govern the people.
Noel Weiss has provided guidance, information, assistance, and resources when many of us are dealing with the Ponte Vista at San Pedro project and Noel Weiss is very leery of developers who attempt to change the nature of communities and Noel Weiss has demonstrated that he serves all of us even without being employed by a government agency.
If I could vote for a candidate for the office of Los Angeles City Attorney….I would mark by ballot by the name of Noel Weiss.”
Friday, February 20, 2009
Dear Sirs and Madams,
I met Noel Weiss almost three years ago in the spring of 2006. He spoke at a town hall-style meeting at Colfax Elementary School during the peak of the grab for Valley real estate by speculative developers. The hall was over-filled, full of anxious tenants like myself who had been or were about to be served with eviction notices.
He immediately stood out as the most informed, well-spoken and courageous person in the packed auditorium. He gave the impression that he really cared about the renters who were being displaced. He asked the councilperson, Wendy Greuel, not to hide behind the city attorney’s office, but instead to take a stand in support of tenants and homeowners alike, who were concerned about displacement and density, both of which seemed to be increasing on a weekly basis.
In October that year, I received a notice of eviction from a developer who had recently bought the apartment complex where I lived, along with two other complexes right next to it. The developer presented all of us renters with a 90-day eviction notice, but also with a contract: in exchange for signing his document promising that we would never return if the developer decided to re-rent rather than build, we would receive approximately $3,000 more than the current legally-mandated “tenant relocation fee” and would also be allowed to stay longer than 90 days, since he was not immediately ready to tear down and develop. I refused to sign away the right to return. Noel took the case, and we reached a settlement with the developer – I was not forced to sign away my right to re-rent in the case that the developer did not develop condos (he never did although he swore up and down to the neighborhood council that he would), the developer still paid me the additional $3,000, and we reached an agreement that he would also donate $5,000 to People Assisting The Homeless, which he did.
Noel proved to be an excellent, never-say-die negotiator, who also had a great feel for the lay of the land in this instance. He bet that I would not end up with an eviction on my record if I chose to take a stand, and he was more than correct. He also helped get the developer to perform a great mitzvah for displaced people, in the form of the charitable donation.
During the next month, Noel, a citizen advocate with absolutely no ties to City Hall or City Hall politicians, succeeded in convincing Janice Hahn to introduce the “9&17” law to Council, where her political skills were instrumental in doubling and tripling relocation fees for tenants evicted without cause. The new law was passed unanimously by the City Council, thanks to Janice Hahn, to Noel, and to Jane Usher (who was then heading the Planning Commission).
This past Wednesday, while some candidates were presumably raising even more money in a lovely Hancock Park home, Noel was talking to community groups- he attended a United Chamber of Commerce Meeting on Measure B, for which he helped write the opposition argument, a West Valley Democratic Club Meeting, and a North Valley/Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council meeting. Additionally, he had wanted to attend this month’s very significant Studio City Neighborhood Council Meeting, which addressed the latest, high-density concept in the Universal City “Metro-Universal” project, but found that he had already committed to too many neighborhood groups.
The contrast between the campaign styles of Noel Weiss and those of the other candidates should tell us all we need to know about which leader would support the average citizen as the Los Angeles City Attorney.
Vote for Noel – # 44 on your ballot.
I would like to strongly encourage you to vote for Noel Weiss as the next Los Angeles City Attorney.
Throughout the years Noel has been on top of all important issues, working very closely with tenants pushed away from their homes due to condo conversions, or helping with legal advice to curb density bonuses and inappropriate overbuilding in our neighborhoods. We need a City Attorney who stands on the side of the little people and fights for their rights. He has proven it over and over again.
Please vote for Noel Weiss for City Attorney on March 3
I support NOEL Weiss for Los Angeles City Attorney.
Wanda Hargrove
40th AD representative to DP/SFV
I support and endorse NOEL Weiss for Los Angeles City Attorney.
Leah Herzberg
41st AD Los Angeles County Committee
I endorse and support NOEL Weiss for Los Angeles City Attorney.
Annette Saint John Lawrence
Secretary, Valley Democrats United
I support and endorse NOEL WEISS for City Attorney of Los Angeles.
To me, this is a No-Brainer, since Noel has been assential to various communities throughout the city of Los Angeles.
I am a community activist in Hollywood and Noel has been very helpful with advice, support and direction in regard to some issues my community faced.
Noel is one of the very few people you can contact with any question in regard to city matters. Not only is he very knowledgeable in city laws, he also has the right people skills to lead the one office in the city that most city politicians take for granted. As City Attorney for the Los Angeles I believe Noel will keep not only our streets safe, but also our city council in check.
My household will vote for Noel on March 3, 2009 and I hope you can and will do the same.
Ziggy Kruse
Hollywood Community Activist
Noel is one of the most ethical, honorable, authentic and knowledgeable candidates I have met in years. I was so impressed with him when I first heard him speak, I opened my house to him so my neighbors could meet him. Needless to say, they were equally impressed.
Noel Weiss is a man of integrity, honor whom I believe will keep his word about protecting the interests of Los Angelenos.
I’d like to spend a lot of time saying nice things about Noel Weiss, but I only have a moment on this computer, so here is a quick response to someone I think is a very compassionate and effective leader:
What is your relationship with Noel Weiss?
I know Noel Weiss from when I met him, and continued to see him, at the Los Angeles city council meetings, that Noel and I were both attending regarding our different issues.
Noel started seeing me speak on a day in and day out basis, and was one of the first people to lend encouraging comments and he helped teach me so much about what I now know about the city’s housing and planning departments. And I’ve learned a lot about compassion by knowing Noel.
-Why do you think Noel Weiss would make a good city attorney? What does he offer that other candidates don’t?
There are other good candidates, so I don’t want to appear to be going “negative” on them, as I answer the question you asked me about Noel. So regarding Noel, I think he is the most knowledgeable on the day in and day out operations of City Hall. He has also done a lot as a private citizen regarding the city’s housing policy. He’s the only private citizen that I know of who has helped to cause actual legislative change at City Hall.
-What do you think his chances are of winning?
I know there is so much dis-satisfaction with JACK Weiss, that Noel could pull a lot of those votes. And there are a lot of people out there in the city who are supporting Noel for all that he has done for them over the years.
– David “Zuma Dogg” Saltsburg
Candidate for Los Angeles City Mayor 2009
Mr. Noel Weiss is an advocate for the PEOPLE of Los Angeles! He will enforce the law upon everyone. I welcome his promise to permanently assign members of his staff to the neighborhood councils. We need this to ensure our neighborhoods are not taken over by developers by day, and gangsters by night.
An unpretentious man who when he greets you or speaks, tells you everything you need
to know about him. He is a MAN OF AND FOR THE PEOPLE! A clear and passionate communicator Noel actually knows what he is talking about. And after you have heard him, you will know too. No walking away head scratching here.
Annette Saint John Lawrence, Corr. Secretary, Valley Democrats United
During the past 3 years I have had the opportunity to work with Noel on Valley Village development issues involving tenant rights and eviction and relocation benefit improvements. Noel has done an outstanding job representing tenants and working to prevent abusive development. Noel has my support for City Attorney. Tom Paterson, Board Member Neighborhood Council Valley Village.
In the race for City Attorney, I can honestly tell you that I’ve only met four of the candidates – NOEL Weiss, Carmen Trutanich, David Berger and Michael Amerian. Conflicts have kept the other candidate from participating in community forums I’ve attended.
Among these four, I believe our city would be well-served by any of these fine candidates. Mr. NOEL Weiss has been very active in our community and his hard work has helped make Valley Village a much better neighborhood. Our family felt comfortable with each of these candidates, and hearing them speak on several occasions helped us realize the great luxury we have of choosing among these outstanding lawyers.
I support Mr. NOEL Weiss in acknowledgement of the great work he has done on behalf of Valley Village.
It is very important that you vote on March 3 – I look forward to seeing you all at the ballot box.
-Tony Braswell
Jane Usher’s endorsement is a tactic to defeat Jack Weiss. I guess it’s more important to her to use her influence to strike a blow against Villaraigosa than to support someone she worked with standing up for the people. I mean Noel Weiss.
If you truly want a more open and honorable City Hall, Trutanich doesn’t hold a candle to Noel. It was Noel who legally represented those against Measure B, though the other candidates were also approached.
Even the LA Times noted that of all the candidates “Noel Weiss [has] a much-needed passion and ability to advocate for average Angelenos against the machinations of City Hall.”
Nobody owns Noel, he has no cronies and by his own efforts working with community activists he’s won wide support among NC folks throughout the city.
All these guys will prosecute the law; what we don’t know is if the laws that protect the public interest will be prosecuted.
You probably saw the article on developers’ attorney Reznick in today’s LAT. There is nothing about Trutanich that says he will stand up to the likes of the Reznicks of the city. We can reasonably expect Jack Weiss not to.
But with Noel, we know he will. He has been a tenacious bulldog about this kind of stuff.
This is an opportunity to really have our voice heard; we shouldn’t pass it up.
-Ken Marsh
Mar Vista
Not really a comment, but an inquiry, and I couldn’t find another way to communicate on the site – Please forward to Noel – I want to know if he is Bob Weiss’ brother- the Bob Weiss that worked for De Anza Corporation in the 1980’s? If so, just wanted to say that I’m glad a “real” person is running for City Attorney. You will definitely get my vote (I used to work for brother Bob, you may recall – or not).