Tomas O’Grady, District 4 City Council Challenger calls Shuttering Libraries “Biggest Scam” February 28, 2011

“Tomas O’Grady, the L.A. Times endorsed City Council District 4 challenger, told LA Weekly that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and City Council’s decision to shutter L.A. Libraries two days a week ‘was the biggest scam’.” Read more


To Change the City the L.A. City Council
February 27, 2011

“O’Grady’s background in business, devotion to environmental issues and hard work as an activist in L.A. Unified schools make him the most appealing alternative to LaBonge. The Times endorses O’Grady.” Read more
North hollywood patch

Q&A with Tomas O’Grady

March 2, 2011

“These are basic services that we’re lacking now because of the lack of foresight and political courage of our leaders in City Hall to plan ahead and exercise fiscal discipline. At least 300 workers whose job it is to repair and maintain our streets have been laid off due to city hall’s poor management of our resources of revenue. Beyond that, the lack of an overall, comprehensive plan for our transportation needs, which includes street maintenance, exacerbates the problem.” Read more

la ist
Meet the Candidates: Tomas O’Grady
March 2, 2011

 I am looking less to begin a career in politics and more to continue my career as a public servant. I simply want to make long-lasting changes that are fiscally responsible and improve the quality of life for people here….Above all, my focus will continually be on making strides in preparing for our future rather than trying to maintain the ways of our past. Read more
LA progressive
February 28, 2011
Rebuilding Trust…One Penny at a Time

“L.A. can’t let “business as usual” set the standard anymore. It’s not good enough. Until you, the voters, put people in City Hall who refuse to accept the status quo, then the problems we face today will look minuscule in comparison to five years from now.” Read more

February 2011.  O’ Grady Asks City Officials to Cut Pay in Light of Barnsdall Cuts.
“One of the latest cost-cutting ideas to gain traction with city officials – privatization – is the one option for Barnsdall that O’Grady and the other protesters said they won’t accept…”
park la brea news
Daggers Fly at 4th District Candidates Forum
February 24, 2011

Describing himself as no nonsense, direct, impatient, incorruptible, naïve and an idealist, O’Grady, who wants libraries open seven days a week, is willing to cut his salary in half if elected . Read more
hnn-tv
Hollywood Neighborhood News TV

“On Tuesday, March 8th, 2011 you’ll have an opportunity to let your voice be heard, but before you go to the voting polls, take a moment and get to know your choices.

We would like to take this opportunity to introduce the candidates who are vying for your vote.” Watch video

KPCC
February 3, 2011
THE SWEET LIFE OF LA CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS

“A new report by the Pew Charitable Trust finds LA City Council members have the highest salaries and among the best perks in the nation.” Read more
CIVIC INTERSECTION
2/2/2011
Tomas O’Grady support s governor’s plan
  
KPCC
Tomas O’Grady, businessman/environmentalist
February 12, 2011

“Some of the top priorities for O’Grady, according to his website, are the city’s infrastructure, the environment and education. He also wants more robust reporting from all City of Los Angeles agencies, including the Community Redevelopment Agency.” Read more
city maven
February 10, 2011
Silver Lake Gets a Peak at Personalities, Styles of Men in CD4 Race

“O’Grady’s involvement in local schools and energy conservation were clear in his responses to city questions.” Read more
LARCHMONT CHRONICLE
February 4, 2011
City Council Candidates Speak

Q&A with Tomas O’Grady and CD4 candidates.
Press
The Silverlake News Who's Who in Silver Lake
October 2010
Tomas O'Grady has ignited more enthusiasm with the teachers, parents, and students at T.S. King Middle School than I have seen in my ten year history as a teacher in the community. His passion is contagious, and his commitment is unparalleled. I am glad he is on our team!" -David Egeler, Special Education Teacher, Thomas Starr King Middle School 
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Angeleno Magazine Angeleno Magazine
August 2010
Green stars go to Los Feliz for its eco-friendly dry cleaners, spas and health food stores—but especially for local heroes like Tomás O'Grady, founder of nonprofit Farm Feliz...T.S. King Middle School is partnering with O'Grady and organizations like Tree People and Friends of the L.A. River to implement an environmental studies magnet program by the fall of 2011.
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Los Feliz Ledger Los Feliz Ledger
October 28, 2010
O'Grady's reach has also been felt at the local school level. Thomas Starr King Middle School's principal Kristin Murphy recently announced the school will have a new "eco" magnet starting in the fall, 2011, a project spearheaded by O'Grady. He additionally was behind King's makeover in June 2009, which included the creation of a garden for student use there.
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Mayor Sam's Sister City Mayor Sam
Education Activist Tomas O'Grady Fighting For Our Libraries October 26, 2010
We would ask that our elected officials set an example and for the good of their constituents, downsize their salaries by 25%. This would bring in a further approximately $630,000.
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The Sausage Factory Sausage Factory
November 10, 2010
Campaign 2011 officially landed on the steps of City Hall on Wednsday, with a potential City Council candidate taking off after an incumbent politician...
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Elsongeles Elsongeles
October 16, 2010
The real hero is Friends of King president Tomas O'Grady, who is also a board member of the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council...O'Grady pushed for community support in the letter-writing campaign and successfully got the LAUSD to approve the Green Magnet program at no cost to the District. He said that the nonprofit will guarantee $30,000 to implement the new magnet program...
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Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times
LA At Home October 21, 2010
One visit to Julia Russell's Eco-Home, pictured above, was all it took to inspire Tomas O'Grady to design and build his own green home.
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Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times
November 10, 2010
Standing with a group of people holding signs that said "Yellow Ribbon Vs. Red Tape," O'Grady said the rejection of the request showed how difficult it is for businesses and other individuals to get a fair hearing from City Hall.
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Los Feliz Ledger Los Feliz Ledger
King Gets a New "Green" Magnet October 28, 2010
Murphy said the idea for the new magnet grew from brainstorming sessions she held with a number of community and environmental groups, particularly Friends of King, a nonprofit parent-teacher organization that spearheaded development of the school's organic garden, Farm King. Tomas O'Grady, president of Friends of King who himself has backed several green initiatives throughout Los Angeles, says the magnet represents a "new way of learning at King" that will give LAUSD a chance to "attract students who would otherwise go to private schools or other entities."
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Los Feliz Ledger Los Feliz Ledger
Farm Feliz: Volunteers Pick Up the Funding Slack April 1, 2010
"Right now, it's entirely out of our own pockets, keeping up the garden...I spend fifty dollars here, fifty there. You just can't show up empty handed."
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Los Feliz Ledger Los Feliz Ledger
Going for Brogue July, 2009
It seems everywhere you go in Los Feliz these days, people are talking about Tomas O'Grady. From his recent attempts to challenge—and change—the way our local...
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Mayor Sam's Sister City Mayor Sam's Sister City
November 10, 2010
Tom LaBonge (CD-4) and the Los Angeles City Council have launched their latest obstructionist stunt. This time around, they're targeting Los Angeles' veteran community on Veterans Day.
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Sierra Club Sierra Club
August 18, 2010 (Los Angeles, CA)
"This is great example of thinking globally, acting locally," said Neighborhood Council member Tomás O'Grady.  "It is up to members of communities like Griffith Park and Los Feliz to speak up and urge the leaders we elected in this City to lead the nation in efforts to fight climate change.  Moving beyond coal helps a lot of people.  It will create jobs, protect us from big bill increases in the future and it is one of the most important ways we can combat the damage coal pollution is doing to our planet."
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Los Feliz Ledger Los Feliz Ledger
Editorial, GGPNC: Appointed Members Breed Cronyism
While growing up in Ireland, I dreamt of America, a place where limitations are based on talent and determination, and where everyone has a chance to try to be anything. America was "…life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" and "domestic tranquility" and a dozen other guiding principles placing freedom above all things. America was "Democracy."
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GGPNC Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council
June 2008
Tomas O'Grady was elected to the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council amid highest voter turnout ever for the neighborhood council election.
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Los Feliz Ledger Los Feliz Ledger
King Gets a Makeover June 2009
"This joint effort, with funds from the Griffith Park Neighborhood Council and hard work from Farm Feliz and Big Sunday, we did a lot with very little."
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Ecolution Ecolution, The Eco-Home Journal Fall 2009
The good life without the guilt. New home, designed and built by Tomas O'Grady in 2001-2005.
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Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times
September 2, 2009
"We wanted to do something that was bold and graphic and environmental," says architect Barbara Bestor, who volunteered her firm's services pro bono. O'Grady and a group of volunteers painted the mural. It all came together, she says, in a week's time...
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Los Feliz Ledger Los Feliz Ledger
Letter from the Publisher June 2009
Last summer, when reporting on the GGPNC ' s election, I learned that almost half of its board is not elected...I moved onto other issues— filing the concern away, perhaps a story for another day. It was interesting then for me to learn that Tomas O'Grady, a current GGPNC board member, also shared my concern. Getting no where with the City's Clerk's office on the issue—as was my experience- he sought out all of the 89 council's bylaws and discovered that indeed, our own GGPNC is a true anomaly.
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Los Feliz Ledger Los Feliz Ledger
'Selected, not Elected' Proposal to be Decided This Month May 2009
The Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council will vote in May if it should change how its appointed members are selected or to reduce the number of its appointed seats altogether, a proposal issued by council member Tomas O'Grady.
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Angeleno Magazine Los Feliz Ledger
June 2009
Neighborhood Councils, Tomas O'Grady said, "need to do our part to show the citizens that we can do more with less. That means, being stingy with [taxpayers' money] Past GGPNC decisions to pay for newsletters at a cost of $8,900, airline trips and hotel stays by board members and laptops must never happen again."
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