California's Worst Political "Journalist": The LA Weekly's Marc Cooper

"Sacramento Democrats had stopped fighting for the little guy."

You seem to be the only person left in California who thinks Cooper’s conclusion regarding the compacts was ’way off base.’ For example, responding to the speaker’s decision to rollover on workers:

"It's an unbelievable betrayal of cold, political calculation for campaign dough," --Jack Gribbon, the California political director of Unite Here

"We're certainly dismayed that he would abandon (what will be with the casino expansions) 100,000 low-wage workers. He came from modest beginnings himself and he should know better," --Art Pulaski, executive secretary-treasurer of California Labor Federation

Are Mr. Pulaski and Mr. Gribbon full of it? At last check, the two represent some rather well respected worker’s rights organizations.

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Maviglio, Stop your whining!! I agree with 'realliberaldem: "Where's the meat" in your flaming of Marc Cooper? Nunez obviously sold out to the rich anti-union gaming tribes. Which part of that isn't true?

I usually admire your aggressive takes on events in California politics, but in this case you need to just eat some shit here because your boss sold out. Don't blame Cooper for calling it out.

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IF you read the comment above, it wasn't so much what he wrote (I disagree with both of you on that), but how.

And excuse me, but tell me how fighting for an increase in the minimum wage, near-universal health care, resisting efforts to privatize public pensions (all of which are much higher priorities for labor), and fighting in the budget for the labor institutes means "selling out"? How is holding up the compacts for nearly a year "selling out"? How is getting tough provisions on deadbeat dads, more revenue for the state as a result of the compacts, and workers comp provisions "selling out"?

And remember: labor was NOT a monolith on this. Several unions wrote us urging us to support the compacts as is, just as the Senate did.

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Maviglio, When you find yourself going into a hole, stop digging!

Instead, you adopt the absurd position that labor wasn't unified in opposition to these deals. Over 150 international and California unions sent a letter to Nunez urging him to vote no. But instead you embody the sellout by joining the anti-union tribes in touting the two small California unions that supported the pacts. Hmmmm? Two small locals support the compacts; every major state and international union opposes the compacts. Geee labor is really divided! (Maviglio, Enjoy your free stay with your new friends at Pechanga Casino!) Second, maybe you're not a policy person, but those side agreements will make no real difference in the world, except to provide a fig leaf for your sellout boss. If you disagree, I challenge you to write an article showing the changes that will result from the MOAs. Here's why you'll fail: First, the MOAs aren't in the compacts, so they can't be enforced. Second, the MOAs don't change a thing on the existing broken system for deadbeat dads working at casinos; there will be no change in the lack of independent oversight of the casinos. As soon as you're ready, go ahead and post the new tribal ordinances on deadbeat dads here on your site. Otherwise, go crawl into a hole.

What you guys did was indefensible, as time will show. If I were you, I'd just hope it will go away soon.

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You say your problem with Cooper "wasn't so much what he wrote but how"?! That's pathetic--you offer no rebuttal to the claim that Cooper was right on the money--or excuse me, your boss was. And that's the essential truth that you can't slither away from. There was a clear choice: side with the powerful corporate gambling interests, or the low-wage workers. Your boss led the majority of dems to approve compacts that give absolutely everything to the corporations, nothing to the workers. He chose, as Cooper predicted, to appease big money to try and protect his feeble bid to extend term limits, and sold out poor people who had looked to him for support. There's just no spin to this one that can make Nunez look even halfway credible. So quit trying.

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He's a columnist, Steve. He doesn't have to talk to you.

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Those who have not ever worked for a newspaper don't understand the rules. They also don't understand the pressures of deadlines, working for a company that actually must turn a profit, etc.

You can tell who has real world experience from those who have been paid to spin.

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even columnists call me, daily, to get the facts. Even you, Bill.

"real world experience"? I worked for magazines and newspapers for a decade, FifthFloorScribe, but thanks for sharing.

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Cooper's not a beat reporter, he is a columnist. A columnist is paid to deliver informed opinions. He or she is under no obligation to check in with all sides before delivering those opinions, or to include the react of all sides in the copy.

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Steve: C'mon, pal. stop whining. I wrote a column based on publicly available information, much of which came from your own office so I hardly needed to phone you in order to regurgitate your spin. Your ad hominem does nothing to undermine the central facts of my story i.e. your boss greased the way for a deal that will benefit thr richest gambling concerns in the state while denying your labor allies the card check provisions that even grumpy old Pete Wilson was willing to concede in earlier compacts.

Further, while I did not bother to call you to collect your predictable spin for my original column, you in fact have NO idea of how many people I spoke to previous to writing. Just because they are not quoted doesnt mean they were not interviewed. I have been working on a book on this issue for the past several months have spoken to and continue to speak to dozens of sources on this issue. Indeed, as I write this response I am currently in Palm Springs and have spent much of this week speaking to principal sources.

As to my most current column, there are indeed three labor sources who are quoted blind. And you know exactly why that is the case. They have to continue to do business with powerful legislators like your boss and they are not about to burn themselves merely to please you.

I will offer one correction to this story. Your communication to me stated that Fabian has a 99% rating among labor. Wrong. make that 100%. Every labor person I spoke to this week, many more than four, without a single exception cursed him out. A perfect score.

I will be writing another column on this matter for next week's Weekly. Consider this my public offering for you and/or your office to make any argument you wouldlike to defend this recent decision and I will be happy to include it in my piece. Deadline is Monday noon.

With that, you can find me at the 1-3 table at the Spa Casino -- unless your pals get me 86ed out of there. Cheers.

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Marc Cooper, you mean man, you.

May you lose much money at poker!

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Well, Bill, I am clearly not the worst poker player in California! I won a nice chunk and then, out of pure malice, I went over to the 21 table and took down the tribe for about $300. Call it my personal "fair share." hehe.

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