Villaraigosa Commissions
We're getting some more information as to who Mayor Elect Antonio Villaraigosa is thinking about appointing to various city commissions, and some of it is quite interesting.What we're being told is that a lot of the union hacks James Hahn appointed are gone and more policy wonks such are coming into key posts.
Its a mixture of folks from around the City with some significant San Fernando Valley players being considered. For example Bruce Ackerman of the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley has been talked about for the Community Redevelopment Agency board. Valley business leader and candidate for San Fernando Valley Mayor Mel Wilson is being looked at for the DWP board.
There are also ideas for a few interesting picks floating around. Melissa Gilbert - Half Pint on Little House on the Prairie and current Screen Actors Guild president (pictured above) is on a long list of general picks. Former elected officials names are being tossed about such as former Councilman Mike Woo, former District Attorney Ira Reiner and past Community College Trustee Beth Garfield and her husband and past Assemblyman Wally Knox.
Another interesting note - lesbians outnumber gay men on the list.
EXTRA: Cindy Miscikowski airport staffer David Kissinger has taken a position of Project Manager for John Laing Homes. He will work on urban infill projects.
Posted by Mayor Sam @ 6/17/2005 01:02:00 PM
45 Comments:
Man - half pint grew up to have quite a rack!
Great Mayor Sam - put up a picture of a chick with big tits to get people to read your article about a bunch of hacks.
Isn't this what you say Kevin Roderick does?
I think you can see through Melissa's dress or maybe its just me
Is that Kevin Roderick posting?
Anon 1:51
That was John Kerry's daughter's dress that you can see through, this was is a no show.
Mike Woo??????????
And you guys think that Jack Weiss is an idiot!
No, please no, not Mike Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
I think Jim Hahn should be appointed to the Ethics Commission
My vote for Jim Hahn
Damn, Melissa grew up into a beautiful and sexy woman.
She's a MILF.
I agree, total MILF.
Definitely an oxymoron that she is president of SAG.
I saw her up close recently. She's not all that. I'll take Mary Carey instead.
I've seen here up close too and I'd have to differ. She's incredibly attractive and well-preserved.
Not bad for a 40 year old chick. Though Heather Locklear is hotter when you talk young 70s babes.
That's a new one "well-preserved" I say what does it matter...its only one night anyways.
I'd say she's hot no matter how old or young she is....and she does a great job for SAG.
She looks good but has had a few preservatives along the way. Maybe she's on www.goodplasticsurgery.com.
And what does Chris Rock say about 40 year-old titties?
Mayor Sam looks like you've got some teeny boppers posting. I'm waiting to see which of Antonio's friends end up where. You know the ones he owes for endorsements, campaign money, special interest. Antonio has been adamant stating that he will have a "clean" administration but let's see if he holds to that.
Kramer - COS
There's an e-mail going around citywide stating that Antonio got rid of one of the most successful programs Hahn's started TEAM WORKS LA. That was the best program for the residents. It was very popular. Now, first of all does anyone know if this is true? And why in the hell would Antonio get rid of a successful program?
Love the media questioning Antonio on his mayoral gala using LA's Best after school program to get people to donate. Seems just last week only $20,000 was collected.
Villaraigosa Appointments
Mayor-elect Announces Senior Team of New Administration
Eds: Elena Stern of Villaraigosa's transition office can be reached at
(213) 978-3804.
By ERIN PARK
City News Service
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Mayor-elect Antonio Villaraigosa today named several
City Hall veterans to the senior staff of his new administration, including
former Mayor Richard Riordan's second-in-command.
Robin Kramer, who has been heading Villaraigosa's transition office, will
be chief of staff to the mayor-elect. She served in the same post for Riordan
from 1995 to 1998 and is currently a senior director at The Broad Foundation,
which aims to increase student achievement in urban schools across the
country.
When she signed on to head the transition process, Kramer said she had no
intention of remaining on Villaraigosa's permanent staff.
But after last Saturday, when Villaraigosa helped settle a 14-month-long
labor dispute between seven major hotel employers and 2,500 of their
employees, Kramer said she had a change of heart.
``I thought, `This is leadership,''' she said. ``A few days later when he
asked me, I was so honored, I honestly felt like I could not say no.''
Two deputy chiefs of staff were also named: Marcus Allen, chief of staff to
Controller Laura Chick, and Jimmy Blackman, who is Villaraigosa's City Council
chief of staff.
Allen has been with the controller's office since 2000 and has worked with
the Los Angeles County Probation Department and the city's Chief Legislative
Analyst's Office.
Blackman has worked with Villaraigosa since his early days as an
assemblyman, during his tenure as Assembly speaker and through the 2001
mayoral race. From 2002 to 2003, Blackman was chief of staff to Sen. Richard
Alarcon, D-Van Nuys.
Carolyn Webb de Macias will take a one-year sabbatical from her post as
vice president for external affairs at USC to be a senior adviser to
Villaraigosa.
Webb de Macias, who was chief of staff to former Assemblyman Mark Ridley-
Thomas, will provide counsel in various areas, including Villaraigosa's
education policy agenda.
Robert ``Bud'' Ovrom will become deputy mayor for community and economic
development. He has been chief executive officer for the Community
Redevelopment Agency since 2003. Before that, Ovrom was city manager of
Burbank.
Villaraigosa said his senior team ``establishes the gold standard.''
``Change is never easy, and we have a lot of rough waters ahead of us as we
seek to create a fresh start for the city,'' he said. ``I feel certain that
these leaders will skillfully help steer the ship toward a Los Angeles of
which we can all be proud.''
Villaraigosa takes office July 1, when a public swearing-in ceremony and
festivities will be held.
A little late on the announcement, excuse me, actually you never did post the announcement on the home page, rather the news release is buried by an annonymous poster. LA Observed had it live at 4 p.m.
What a bunch of bullshit! No one but Jimmy should be Chief of Staff. HE FUCKING DESERVED IT FOR ALL HE DID FOR AV!!!
Not a single damn Latino in the bunch. AV, the race is over and you can stop acting like your NOT Mexican.....que vendido
Jimmy hasn't paid his dues to be COS for the mayor. He's too young. It's pretty obvious that he will take over in AV's second term.
As for Latinos in the administration, I'm pretty sure Carolyn Webb de Macias is pretty important since she will shape education.
Kramer is a good choice for AV since she worked with Riordan. And, she's Jewish, which helps the coaltion-building theme.
Helps the coalition building theme? - you mean completes the total sell out. Que vendido, is it any wonder Tony the Liar is despised by Chicano nationalist.
Que vendido? Give me a break and quit complaining CD 14 protestor. I'm sure u would have liked that he lost the election, but he didn't, so live with it, amigo! Go read, "I am Joaquin."
Wasn't Robin Kramer an Alatorre COS? There's the connection with AV. I was wondering what happened to little Richard cause you know damn well AV owes him big time for consulting throughout race. I say guilt by association and AV better watch it.
11:10 PM ANON
No need to read "I Am Joaquin" - I memorized it, just like any other red blooded Chicano. And I'm not your "amigo". That's the term usually used by non-chicanos to refer to their bought and co-opted vendidos. As in Tony the Liar, the Jewish "amigo".
Now that Robin will be Chief of Staff, watch TELACU, Alatorre, Gastelum and Polanco get the lion's share of city contracts.
10:48 A.M. Anon:
Whover you may be, you clearly do not know Robin Kramer.
Robin is the most decent, honest, honorable human being that I know, and I have known and worked with her for over 30 years.
There is no way that she would insert herself into the process to influence it in any way, except to make sure that the people who are doing the decision making are absolutely free from outside influence and able to make decisions that best serve the City of LA.
I defy you to find anyone that knows her to say one word to the contrary.
So, put away the long knife you have for Antonio; Robin is there to watch his back. As long as she is there, there will be no monkey business.
You can take that to the bank.
The last posting was right. Robin has tremendous respect and intergrity, as many CH observers and former colleagues will attest to. Be that as it may, Jimmy still deserved it. Let's hope he gets his chance in a few years or when AV starts winning statewide races.
In today's Times:
Villaraigosa said in a statement. "As I set out to bring the best and the brightest to City Hall, this senior team establishes the gold standard."
Well definitely not the brown standard - where are the Latinos?
Regarding Robin, yes, I do know her and she is a very nice and intelligent person. Definitely a person that Tony needs. But as for watching Tony's back, is she going to watch Tony's back just like she did Alatorre's. She was Richard's chief of staff at the height of his cocaine addiction. Integrity filters from the top down. And eventhough Robin has much integrity, she will never be able to wash that Alatorre position away from her resume.
Robin was not hs COS when he was at his zenith in coke; she was long gone.
Robin konws the job, thus she can help Antonio hit the ground running.
Jimmy is smart and young; if he plays it right, he'll learn a lot and be there to pick it up when she's gone back to the private sector.
Her husband is a teacher in private schools; she can provide the difference in income in the private sector; this is a sacrifice for her, but she sees the value in being part of a real movement here.
They are aperfect combination, and she can provide the buffer to allow him to be the Mayor he can be.
A brilliant choice; in fact the entire senior staff is the best.
Go Antonio.
Alatorre had a $1,000 a day cocaine habit from 1986 to 1993. Only after marrying Angie did he clean up a bit - but not enough to keep his sister in-law's daughter in his house.
Yes, Robin is a nice person, but she can't work miracles. And it will take a miracle to keep Alatorre, Gastelum, Camacho, Polanco and the rest of the TELACU gang from rushing through that Mayor's office door - no matter how much she tries to barricade it and protect Tony.
Don't worry about Gastelum; he and Leland Wong will be sharing a cell somewhere.
Polanco was a part of the Pacheco/Padilla/Ricardo Torres, Jr. sliming of Antonio from the first election. Don't worry about him either.
Antonio has a long memory. Only Hertzberg says "The partnership is back". Haven't heard his "partner" say it, have you?
Alatorre is close. Camacho already has what he wants he's harmless.
But Robin knows all of them, and knows how to be COS. I'll bet on her to keep Antonio moving forward.
Only worry if she leaves without explanation.
9:36 anon. You have no idea of what you speak - so you are in good company here!
9:36 ANON states
"Polanco was a part of the Pacheco/Padilla/Ricardo Torres, Jr."
Boy are you clueless. Pacheco introduced Ed Reyes to the Prison Guard Union, they come out with Polanco's love child's birth certificate, and Polanco drops out of the city council race - remember that 500 pound gorilla article in the L.A. Times. Thanks to Acevedo, Padilla thinks the world of Polanco and Ricardo Torres Jr. is despised by both Polanco and Padilla.
The only thing you got right is to only worry if Robin leaves without an explanation. After she can't fend off Ron Matinez, Art Gastelum, Jaime Acevedo and Richard Alatorre - that is just what she will do. Given the sliming that Parke and Tony gave Hahn this past election, nothing will escape scrutiny at the Mayor's office now. But so long as this "Latino Old boy network" get their commissions, they don't care what political carcasses they leave in their wake. This is what happens when you make deals with the devil, for Tony to think otherwise is very naive - he knows who is dealing with.
Ron Martinez supported Hahn.
Maybe none of you have seen Jimmy Blackman, but he is latino.
Jim Blackman is about Latino as Rocky Delgadillo -- which ain't much.
Jimmy Blackman is Native American - so he claims. And Ron Martinez, who was Tony's best man at his wedding, supported Tony. Gloria Molina would make him have sex with her if he did otherwise.
Mel Wilson! Too, Too funny! He's been absent from the Valley for years -- ever since his unsuccessful run for Mayor of the Valley. He's a joke, a loser, a has-been. No one would appoint him to anything, let alone the DWP board! Now I know that Mayor Sam has been dead so long he's totally out of touch.
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