Close to a month ago (November 22nd), I sent Jim Bickhart (a senior deputy for the Mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa) an email asking him why he had apparently made terrorist threats against the homeless on this website. Legally, I have to use the words “apparently” and “alleged”, as I was not in the room with him and I suppose he could always say his pet monkey did the posting … if in fact he has a pet monkey.
Bickhart hasn’t replied to my email.
On November 30th, The Venice Stakeholders Association asked the Mayor for an investigation into this matter.
On December 10th, The Venice Stakeholders Association Filed for City Records Regarding Jim Bickhart / SnakePliskin. (Yo! Venice! has no association at all with the Stakeholders.)
I find it very odd that close to a month later, the alleged “SnakePliskin” Jim Bickhart is still at Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s office. Does the Mayor not understand that terrorist threats against people are not acceptable in our society? Maybe Mayor Villaraigosa views this all as a joke, and fully supports unethical “joke” making alleged to be by one of his staff members?
Is it possible that what SnakePliskin (alleged to be Jim Bickhart) writes is true? That “Villa-la-grossa is just as big a coward as Rosendahl”? (As an aside, Yo! Venice! thinks SnakePliskin is out of line in saying this and that Rosendahl is doing a great job in Venice these days. Maybe Rosendahl should run for Mayor!)
I’d say this looks like a cover-up, as close to a month later, absolutely no one from the Mayor’s office has contacted Yo! Venice! in any way, shape or form. I’d say it looks like their “investigation” is pretty bogus, and they aren’t actually trying to do a thing about this. (I expect that the Mayor’s office “investigators” will now try and “save face” by contacting me … so here is my email: Yo@YoVenice.com). Then again, maybe they don’t need to contact me if Bickhart fessed up to being “SnakePliskin”… but if he fessed up why is he still at the Mayor’s office? Saying you are going to light RV’s in Venice on fire is about as funny as saying you are going to blow a plane up … it isn’t funny. Maybe a total lack of ethics is acceptable at the Mayor’s office?
From the original post:
On November 22, 2010 at 12:02:55 PM PST I sent an email with a list of questions to Jim Bickhart, a senior deputy for the Mayor of Los Angeles, in regard to his apparent postings on this website. I know that he has received my email, as he had an intermediary call me to try and get me to speak with him on the phone. After the call with the intermediary, I emailed Mr. Bickhart once again telling him that all communication would need to be by email.
My records indicate that Mr. Bickhart is likely the one responsible for posts on YoVenice under the user name SnakePliskin that include statements that if there was an RV in front of his home when he came home from work, he would light it on fire.
The posts that apparently (he has yet to take personal responsibility for these posts) were made by Mr. Bickhart/SnakePliskin have put my personal safety in Venice at risk, put RV resident’s personal safety at risk by trying to incite physical harm to both them and their property, damaged the reputation of my website and also damaged the reputations of each and every individual that posts and comments here in good faith.
Mr. Bickhart is considered by many to be the “inside man” at the Mayor’s office that helps fight against Overnight Parking Districts (OPD’s) and Overnight Vehicle Restrictions (OVO’s) in Venice. Bickhart is also the President of the Board of Directors of PVJobs, a group with professional ties to the (edit) Venice Community Housing Corporation of Venice.
While YoVenice has open user forms that promote free speech, the site does not condone nor allow calls to action promoting terrorist threats or physical harm to anyone. For this reason, the comment about lighting RV’s on fire was immediately deleted. The damage had been done against Yo! Venice! however, and other local websites began referencing this post and calling this site a “hate site” that had called for the burning of RV’s in Venice.
The apparent Bickhart/ SnakePliskin poster then moved on with an attack seemingly made to malign The Venice Stakeholders, writing:
“Who cares? Villa-la-grossa is just as big a coward as Rosendahl. Maybe the Stakeholders are right – if these folks won’t leave, we should get someone to come around with a semi, load the homeless scum into it like stinking sardines and drive them out to the Mojave. Dump ’em there in the dead of night blindfolded and drive away. Period. End of story.”
The Venice Stakeholders have vehemently denied that they made any statement or discussed any such idea as attributed to them by “SnakePliskin”.
(Added information: This website has no relationship whatsoever with The Venice Stakeholders, Venice WatchDawg or any other political group of any type. While members of those groups may post here, and we may run press releases by them, there is no relationship beyond that.)
While the apparent Mr. Bickhart/SnakePliskin has posted on this site today that these posts were an attempt at satire, his previous posts were apparently made to undermine specific members of this community that disagree with his politics as well as this website as a whole. “SnakePliskin”‘s claiming that it was satire does not excuse his totally unethical behavior, and it is my sincere hope that anyone associated with this will reexamine their values and understand that if anything happens as the result of their dirty tricks to me, any Residents of Venice, RV Dwellers, or individuals that have participated in these forums, they will be held responsible and accountable.
My email to Jim Bickhart which has gone unanswered:
Hi Jim,
I am doing an article which involves your posting on my website under the user name SnakePliskin.
Was this posting approved of by the Mayors Office? PV Jobs? Venice Action?
How do you explain your comments such as:
“We got what we wanted on the RVs and campers. Who do we go after next? We can’t stop until this place is all cleansed. Wash away the scum. ALL of it.”
“Who cares? Villa-la-grossa is just as big a coward as Rosendahl. Maybe the Stakeholders are right – if these folks won’t leave, we should get someone to come around with a semi, load the homeless scum into it like stinking sardines and drive them out to the Mojave. Dump ’em there in the dead of night blindfolded and drive away. Period. End of story.”
“Next time one of those wussies heckles you, just pop ’em one. No . They protect scum, they should be treated like scum. It doesn’t matter if they make money sucking on the goverment tit or if there Wolfgang frigging *#!%$!. Time is running short.”
and the one where you said something like “when i get home if there is an RV in front of my home I am going to light it on fire”
I’d like your comments on how you came to post these things on my website. I find them quite odd considering your job at the Mayor’s office and also at PV Jobs, as well as your association with Venice Action, Linda Lucks, and (edit) Venice Community Housing Corporation and Steve Clare and Susan Millman.
Anyway, you actually do make verifiable digital records when you register and use websites – there is no reason for you to try and now destroy the evidence by deleting your online posts, it has all been backed up.
If I do not receive comment from you, I will still be running the article .. just giving you a chance to comment on your internet postings on my website YoVenice.com
Looking forward to your explanation of these things.
The article will likely be up at the end of the day or tomorrow, so I will need your comments by then.
Thanks!
Bret@YoVenice.com
