Is this city sick or what? Let the Times lede tell the story:

A paraplegic man wearing a soiled hospital gown and a broken colostomy bag was found crawling in a gutter in skid row in Los Angeles on Thursday after allegedly being dumped in the street by a Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center van, police said.

The incident, witnessed by more than two dozen people, was described by police as a particularly outrageous case of "homeless dumping" that has plagued the downtown area.

"I can't think of anything colder than that," said LAPD Det. Russ Long, who called the case the most egregious of its kind that he has seen in his career. "There was no mission around, no services. It's the worst area of skid row."

Supposedly, the driver of the van applied her makeup and perfume before driving away while the street people at Gladys Park yelled "Where's his wheelchair, where's his walker?"

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Politics

Latino Dems finally retort Arnold

Under prodding by La Opinión and others, some electeds take exception to Gov. Schwarzenegger's latest musings on Mexicans.

Details of living wage plan for LAX

Incentives to win over business are detailed.

Media

Judgment call

Anna Nicole Smith was not an important actress, model or American pop icon, but she was big in tabloid celebrity culture. Foul play is not suspected. So where do you play her death? The LAT puts Smith's story prominently on page one, apparently after some internal discussion. So does the Washington Post. The New York Times gives her a small mention in the front page refer box. The WSJ takes a pass [* Nope: The WSJ print version has her in the briefs column.]

Look who's not watching network morning shows

The women aged 25 to 54 who the shows have always been for. LAT

Editor leaves California Lawyer

Peter Allen, editor of California Lawyer magazine for ten years, is leaving for the state Judicial Council to manage communications at the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Police beat

Most violent gangs

The anointed 11, per the LAT. Also, Chief Bratton explains why he will no longer hold back naming specific gangs. DN, KPCC

Noted

Gretchen Carr is back — sort of

For some reason, former CBS 2 reporter Gretchen Carr is showing up in the LA Observed search logs again. Just this month, 54 visitors have come to LAO via a Google search on her name. Like old times: in 2004 and '05 she used to regularly appear in the top 10 search terms. Why interest in her would recur now I have no idea. The last item about her here was the birth of her daughter in 2004. With the freaks who develop fixations about TV news women, I suppose all 54 searches could be from one lonely obsessive type.

LACMA trustees

Barbra Streisand, Willow Bay, Chris DeWolfe and Anthony N. Pritzker join the LACMA board of trustees. There are now 57 of them.

Plea for Dutton's

The daughter of the architect who designed the Brentwood courtyard where Dutton's bookstore (and other shops) are located argues in a Times op-ed that "authentic landmarks are not built; they grow over time."