Valeria Velasco Appointment
Much ado has already been said about the Velasco appointment, but Delgadillo is the newest voice to chime in per the Daily Breeze:..Delgadillo described plans for a broader legal review of Velasco, saying her involvement in a lawsuit against LAWA raises "a bunch of red flags" about whether she should be a commissioner. "We're going to start with whether or not she can be appointed, period," Delgadillo said in remarks made after he spoke to the Los Angeles Current Affairs Forum. Velasco would not comment Friday. But Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who nominated Velasco last month, voiced disappointment that Delgadillo is reviewing whether she should serve on the panel.
"I'm frankly a little concerned that my lawyer, because that's what he is, would say that," the mayor said. "But I hope that he was misquoted."
Blog Away!
Posted by Anonymous @ 8/15/2005 06:40:00 AM
25 Comments:
It took Rocky that long to figure this out. Well, this is what you get when you have a city attorney that has nearly no experience as a practicing lawyer. Way to go Rocky.
Tony says Rocky is "my lawyer". More like Rocky is "my road block" to the governor's office.
You go Rocky!!!!! This is going to be a test of powers. I say Rocky wins hands down. Steve Cooley said over weekend on Newsmakers Channel 7 that he's investigating donations that Antonio got from Florida. He said the contributors are the ones his office is looking into.
This issue of whether or not Val Velasco can serve on BOAC because her organization sued the city is bull.
Does anyone remember that Heal the Bay sued the city of LA to get Hyperion done? The attorney in that lawsuit, Felicia Marcus, went on to be a kickass BPW commissioner. The founder of Heal the Bay, Dorothy Green, served on the DWP board. And no one batted an eyelash last week when the council confirmed current Heal the Bay president Paula Daniels to the Board of Public Works.
People making an issue over Velasco either want to make trouble for the mayor, or are afraid of having a genuine community voice on the airport commission.
Rocky: it's nice to see you are belatedly doing your job. And, I agree with the 7:42 poster: this is what happens when you have a non-practicing attorney representing the City.
Rocky, I commend you for finally working on this issue. For Cooley, it is about time you began looking into the Floridagate.
This goes to the heart of Antonio's campaign words "clean up city hall." How could he be so dumb and appoint someone who is suing LA? Just because she dropper her lawsuit doesn't mean she has the same mentality. There is definitely a conflict of interest and Rocky I believe will state that.
You know, sometimes our elected officials are actually just performing their duties of office faithfully and not according to what is in their best interest politically or the reverse for someone else. This time, give Rocky credit for doing his job without an agenda.
As to the "bull" comment, it's not just about the lawsuit itself - you miss the point - it's also about the contributions solicited that put her in a significant conflict of interest when the interests of one of those contributors is affected by a decision before her as a commissioner.
This particular appointment just wasn't very well thought through. I am sure Ms. Velasco would make a fine commissioner - it's just that this is the one commission she really can't serve on.
Actually, 9:49, she has NOT dropped her lawsuit. ARSAC, the community group for which she was the president, is proceeding with the lawsuit. She has merely stepped down as their president, but still remains a member and the main force behind the ARSAC group. She is the glue which holds ARSAC together and is also part of the legal team suing the City on their behalf!
What's Tony's going to do next? Appoint the president of PETA to the Animal Commission? Perhaps we'll see Rodney King on the Police Commission? Never know the way Tony's running this burg.
"This time, give Rocky credit for doing his job without an agenda."
Without an agenda?!?! He doesn't cross the street if it's not on his political agenda.
Thank you 8:10 AM. Amen.
Val Velasco will make a great Airport Commissioner. The people in the communities around the airport desperately need someone on the Commission who will fight to protect and restore their quality of life. Val Velasco is that person.
The only conflict of interest is that people and corportations who stand to make money from airport growth don't want the communities to have an effective voice on the Commission.
Rocky has been legislating from his office for years. I hope Antonio smacks this one down.
Rocky has done a great job in LA. All those gang injunctions have been working keeping tabs on the most violent offenders in this city. He's gone after slum lords, gone after crack houses, gone after business owerners who have toxic wastes and much more. He went after those illegal cab drivers, towing companies taking advantage of poor people.
Many people support Rocky and all that he does. Antonio on the other hand still has to show what's he's done now 2 months in office accept be in front of a camera.
Note to Rocky: purchase a copy of the The California Municipal Law Handbook. You definitely need it. And while you are at it, bone up on the Political Reform Act and Government Code Section 1090 et seq.
When is the state suppose to release its audit of Rocky's use of private law firms?
The knocking of heads started when Antonio named his "own personal counsel" when he became mayor at our tax payer expense. Why was that? I believe so Rocky couldn't know the trouble he gets into and go after him.
"My lawyer"? Newsflash, Antonio: According to your dog-eared and coffee-stained copy of the city charter, Rocky represents the city, and you are meerly acting as its agent in representation. I'd bet Rocky's feeling slighted now that he's only "Antonio's lawyer" and is less inclined to find in Antonio's favor and clear Val of any conflict of interest.
Of which there clearly are many - conflicts, that is. However, Val is brilliant and will make a great commissioner. She'll represent Westchester well against the city's expansionist plans. I heard that after a few early meetings she had refused to even speak with Cindy Miscikowski or any of her staff, much less meet with them again, about Cindy's airport plan.
But now it's Val's turn, and she'll have to do something constructive this time, like vote for contracts for every little thing that the airport does, and not just kowtow to the Westchester people's million complaints about everything under the sun - or rather under the airplane wings. Otherwise, she can vote no on everything. That'll make the mayor look just great.
So good luck, Val. You're smart and Rocky won't be able to touch you. I'm looking forward to hearing your wisdom and insight at future BOAC's - and I say this with true sincerity. Just don't be surprised when Robert Acherman or Denny Schneider start to shut you out because you're "one of them" now.
One hopes that Rockard will soon get over his petty jealousy (remember when he used to be the highest ranking latino in the city) AV is the Man now and will be for some time to come. He can also make the race for the AG's office a rout in Jerry Brown's favor. Rockard knows it.
Exactly - which is why the fact that he's pointing out the "red flags" on this appointment is genuine - he has no need to cross swords with MAV over a simple commission appointment - unless there's really a significant conflict that can't be ignored!
He's still the higest ranking 1/2 white and 1/2 latino city official.
Rocky should know better than rendering a legal opinion in the newspapers. Everyone knows he was bluffing with his "bunch of red flags" comment. At the end of the day, he is going to write a grey non-answer
I've got a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the LAPD. Do you think Antonio will appoint my attorney to the Police Board?
$$$$$$$$
This is only the beginning unless Rocky becomes a party-pooper. We can clean out, uh.. clean UP city hall! There's money in them appointments.
Mayor Sam your deleting posts again that are negative on Antonio. Why was Antonio at Rocky's press conf. today on the Big Hazard gang injunction? Everyone knows Antonio supports gang bangers and defended them when he was ACLU rep. Hahn as city attorney went after a big gang in the Valley and Antonio defended the gangbangers and not the families in the Park. All of a sudden Antonio has changed his mind on gang injunctions. FLIP FLOP
Actually, 9:49, she has NOT dropped her lawsuit. ARSAC, the community group for which she was the president, is proceeding with the lawsuit. She has merely stepped down as their president, but still remains a member and the main force behind the ARSAC group. She is the glue which holds ARSAC together and is also part of the legal team suing the City on their behalf!
As long as she remains on the "legal team" she has a conflict of interest and it ain't perceived! It's genuine.
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