Boondoggle Struggles To Survive
Lame duck Mayor Jim Hahn may be working his Republican buddies to get last minute Bush Administration buy-in to his $13 billion LAX boondoggle, but he's going to find that the recent election results have something to say about that.
In what seems like strange coincidence, just three days after Hahn's landslide drubbing, federal officials are giving intial approval to aspects of the plan. However, Mayor-Elect Antonio Villaraigosa plans to vigorously oppose.
While the LAX boondoggle may be on its way to being denied boarding, lets hope we can recapture the $500 million in greenmail Jim Hahn offered up to the labor unions and other special interests as part of the airport plan.
In what seems like strange coincidence, just three days after Hahn's landslide drubbing, federal officials are giving intial approval to aspects of the plan. However, Mayor-Elect Antonio Villaraigosa plans to vigorously oppose.
"My position is still clear. I believe we need to develop a regional approach to expanding airport capacity in this region."Though another lame duck politician - termed out Councilwoman Cindy Miscicowski - cheered the feds' actions, it has little impact. Her successor Bill Rosendahl - who trounced Miscicowski's hand picked successor Flora Gil Kristoff in a landslide of his own - plans to also oppose the airport plan.
Mayor-Elect Antonio Villaraigosa
While the LAX boondoggle may be on its way to being denied boarding, lets hope we can recapture the $500 million in greenmail Jim Hahn offered up to the labor unions and other special interests as part of the airport plan.
Posted by Mayor Sam @ 5/21/2005 10:48:00 AM
8 Comments:
First Sunday after the historic election and ADV is gone from the front page of the A section, Regional, and relegated to the back end of Opinion.
The "invisible mayor" has become the non-existent one.
Read about him on the pages of the MIAMI HERALD!
I'd love to see how Antonio is going to make that 12-3 vote from city council approval go away.
Also, interesting Antonio has been all over the city especially Westside but not even once to his own Eastside district.
Antonio does not have to make the 12-3 council vote go away. He would simply put his own commissioners at the airport and ask them to draw up and implement his vision. Good thing the councilmember-elect in the airport district seem to share Antonio's vision. Unlike Mr. Hahn, the mayor-elect has relationships with and appears committed to working with Maxine and Jane Harman. He will turn this clumsy ship (boondagle) around. He has to. Lest he wants to be a one term mayor like Mr. Hahn.
LAX expansion is not all bad; many parts are workable.
The problem is that several parts are nothing more than greenmail paid to Miguel and Julie Butch in return for Labor support. We all know how that helped our about to be Ex-Mayor.
The remote checkin was never favored by the Feds and will go easily.
A final plan has to be approved by the Council and signed by the Mayor. It will feature enhanced plans for Palmdale and Ontario to bear a larger portion of the MAP for the future.
With a Veto, the old plan will need 10 to override.
They no longer have 10 to do so.
End of game unless they go with Antonio; no one wold dare try to run it through before July 1 and face his wrath.
Even our councilmemebers are not that dumb.
It will be modified dramatically and passed.
Ted Stein will get a good view of it all from the new Airport Courthouse holding cells...
High level indictments are coming down right? Soon?
Get real. It was all leaks and placements from ADV hacks, who are on to their next assignment.
You fell for it. Shame on you. But stop believing in that and the tooth fairy.
Grow up. Tony's opponents are ALWAYS dirty just before and during the campaign. Then... nothing!
You guys actually think Tony will kill Miguel Contreras' last major public policy victory?
For the right money, sure!
Got $119K
Westsider,
The county's broke - at least that's the way they operate - the state, Schwarzeneggar, is gearing up for Tony - the feds, Bush Jr., would like nothing more than a Latino Republican movement which will be sped along by a catastrophic Tony failure, what cooperation are you talking about?
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home