The Selling of Animal Services

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Just in line with the obvious selling of Commission seats to friends and donors, there is more about Boks using his friends to get favorable press in the LA Times. Boks also uses the City LAAS website to promote and sell his friends’ books, one of whom is Matthew Scully, a Washington columnist, who wanted $5,000 to write a favorable article about him in the LA Times. Boks then solicited friends for the $5,000. At least this is what Boks wrote to me or told me and others.

It is one thing to get the media to write something good about you, it is another thing for the subject to pay a “journalist” to do it. Actually, Scully is a great friend to animals, but still a Republican at heart; he sells his services to his friends. http://www.matthewscully.com/

Scully was living in Phoenix at the same time Boks was there and highly supported Ed in stories/editorials. This is how Boks got his start. Now Scully lives in LA.

Ed has been paying him back by advertising Scully’s books on the LAAS website: http://www.laanimalservices.com/news_recreading.htm

Ed also told people that ALL of the authors listed in the above site link to recommended reading were his friends.

Ed was told “It might not look good for you putting your friends’ books online." His response was, “Let's see if anyone does anything about it." He promoted his friends’ events. He promoted a music event that had nothing to do with animals at all. He told his webmaster to put it on the LAAS start page.

I rediscovered all this when going through my emails written during June of last year:

In a message dated 6/3/2006 6:48:14 PM Pacific Daylight Time, edboks@hotmail.com writes:

The New Yorker is asking about doing a story on me but they said it could take weeks or even months. Matthew Scully said he'd do an article but that he needs to get his regular fee as a Washington columnist. $5K. Bit out of the question I think. Maybe I'll approach him again.

A volunteer offered to write an oped piece about him, to which he replied:

In a message dated 6/4/2006 9:25:14 AM Pacific Daylight Time, edboks@hotmail.com writes:

My concern is "who" the article comes from. Someone like a Matthew Scully can easily get 1500 words in the LA Times. I'm scheduled to talk to him on Monday. If he is willing to edit and submit it under his name.

Now, this announcement came out today. Ed is going to hire two people to:

Communication from the Mayor, dated September 4, 2007, relative to the approval for the designation of two (2) exempt Director of Field Operations positions for the Department of animal Services, pursuant to Charter 1001 (b), for the employment of persons "to provide management services or render professional, scientific or expert services of an exceptional character."

Now which of Ed's many friends will be hired to provide scientific or expert services of an exceptional character? Pia? Ed Muzika? Brad Jensen? Marcia Mayeda? Marie Atake? Mary Cummins? (A lot of you don't get my humor, but this is sarcasm.) No, the positions will go to, as usual, Ed Boks' friends.
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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

People can pay "journalists" to write false and misleading "editorials" about them for print in major newspapers? Isn't that fraud? Is there any journalistic integrity left in this world? They're both cons.

Anonymous said...

Boks has a history of cronyism. He likes to have his friends in select job positions so they will support him. Here is a short list.

He fired an experienced shelter worker to hire his buddy Richard Gentles. Richard had a felony conviction and was fired from a NYC job. Gary Kaskel Boks best friend told Boks about the guy's history but he didn't care. Now there's a lawsuit.

Boks dated Sara Hobel who was on the Commission that oversaw him in New York. She's also a friend of Gentles. Boks lived at her house. It's in the deposition papers for the above lawsuit.

Boks dated then hired Pia Salk to do the Humane LA consulting program.

Boks suggested to the Mayor's office that Irene Ponce should be the commissioner. Irene is the new "Animal Lover." She attacks people online and calls them a "terrorist" if they disagree with Boks. Boks encourages her behavior.

In the Department website he advertises his friends books for sale.

In the Department website he advertised cartoonist Piraro and linked to his website until an employee said that his website was offensive. It was ultimately removed.

In the Department website he advertised Irene Ponce's blood drive. Nothing wrong with a blood drive but he took away the spay and neuter button to put the blood drive button. This drive was not to raise money or anything for the shelters. It was only to help the blood bank which takes this free blood and sells it to people at exorbitant prices.

Look in the department website and you can see him offering products and services of his friends. Years ago the shelter had this issue on the agenda. They have to let everyone advertise, not just select people. This had to do with flyers and papers like Pet Press in the shelters.

Jeff de la Rosa said...

This is all very shady. 2 weeks ago, the Board voted unanimously to move Stu to a private kennel, yet he still sits in the pen at North Central and no one will respond.

Now the LAAS site says the following re: Monday scheduled Commission Meeting: 1.
THE BOARD OF ANIMAL SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING SCHEDULED FOR 10:00 A.M. ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2007 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR LACK OF A QUORUM. THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING WILL BE HELD AT 10:00 A.M. ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2007.

How do they know there is no quorum 23 days before, unless someone suggested that there should be no quorum?

No matter how thinly veil the corruption, it doesn't seem to matter.