It's 10 a.m., Wednesday at City Hall in downtown Los Angeles. David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsburg is taking the microphone at the City Council meeting.  Dressed in a baseball shirt, black skull cap, wearing shades and finger wagging, Saltsburg is on a tirade about the latest issue that plagues Los Angeles: the auto sensors for left turns at intersections.  

"The city of Los Angeles went and installed all these left-hand turn signal auto-sensors -- and since the city has failed to implement Deming's 14 Points ... the auto-sensors are not working properly, and traffic is becoming worse, not better, and pedistrians and motorists are at risk," Saltsburg said at the meeting.

Saltsburg's indiscernible tirades have become as normal as the meetings itself.  He rants, goes off on tangents about himself and doesn't tie his arguments together in a coherent manner.

Just an average Wednesday at the Los Angeles city council meeting.  However what makes this meeting different is that Zuma Dogg is running for the highest office in the city.  

Saltsburg does what it takes to self-promote, constantly refers to himself in the third person and appears better suited as an extra in a rap video than to be in attendance at city council meetings.

"His screaming tirades and non-stop self-promotion at City Hall are not examples of the leadership that Los Angeles needs at the Chief Executive position" states the Web site of mayoral candidate and opponent Phil Jennerjahn.

 

Saltsburg's interruptions and outbursts are part of the norm at city council meetings.  In fact, one of his favorites target is councilman Eric Garcetti.   He cites Garcetti of one of the chief examples of what is wrong with city government.

"Garcetti is everything I'm not," Saltsburg said.  "He's a slick, polished politicians that doesn't know what's going on with the real people.  He and Mayor V sit in their ivory towers and don't get what's really going on like I do."

By attending nearly all city council meetings over the past three years, Saltsburg has become a thorn in the side of city hall, with no seeming end to his outrageous behavior.  These events have culminated in Saltsburg seeking the Mayor's office in the upcoming election.

A self-proclaimed community activist based in Venice Beach, Saltsburg first became entrenched in city politics about three years ago when the city shut down his stand on Venice Beach. This event sparked Saltsburg's grudge against the city of Los Angeles.  Now for better or worse, he is here to stay.

"The city was messing with the wrong guy when they took down my stand," Saltsburg said.   

"I have been to every city council meeting the past three years and I know what is going on in the city," Saltsburg said. "People feel confident telling me things because they know I will push to get things done." 

David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsburg's name from a combination of Los Angeles' Zuma Beach and rapper Snoop Dogg. He had a program on Public Access television rapping and talking about issues.   Saltsburg said he uses public access and hip-hop music "to entertain and make people aware of issues," since he doesn't have the finances to run political commercials.

Saltsburg was briefly arrested following a candidates' debate last week when he threatened to cut fellow-candidate Craig Rubin's throat after Rubin laughed while Saltsburg was speaking.

Not everyone thinks as highly of Saltsburg as he does himself. 

"It is very difficult to take someone seriously who doesn't have a form of income or any financial support to hold the most important position in the city," said Phil Jennerjahn.  "Though he is a nice guy and means well, he's just not cut out for the position that needs someone with serious and attainable goals."