Broken Pledges
Daniel Guss serves as a guest commentator penning an article entitled "Mayor's broken pledge hurting city's animals" in the Daily News. Here's a key section for those of you who missed it yesterday...Yet now as mayor, Villaraigosa seems to think that he doesn't need to honor his guarantee to fire Stuckey. Villaraigosa recently told local humane leaders that he had "made a lot of promises" on his campaign and, besides, Citizens for a Humane Los Angeles, which ended up endorsing Republican candidate Walter Moore, "didn't give me their support."Ouch! While I realize I'm setting the dogs loose on myself by including the portion on Jimmy Blackman, he seems to have a habit of getting in a bit over his head. The last thing he should do is get the animal activists targeting him.
That's not quite true. Plenty of people in that room that day still supported Villaraigosa with both donations and labor, because Hahn was considered Public Enemy No. 1 to the humane community. But what kind of mayor would Villaraigosa be if he didn't stretch the truth a little, right?
The problem is, Villaraigosa has been stretching the truth like Silly Putty, due in part to his blind reliance on Jimmy Blackman, a deputy mayor who has intimated that if you care too much about animals, you are "too close to the situation to help bring about a solution."
Getting back to the article, here is the closing...
Villaraigosa has quickly and clearly showed Angelenos one thing: Just because he says it doesn't mean anyone should believe it. Period.Very well said.
Posted by Anonymous @ 11/29/2005 08:12:00 AM
67 Comments:
Politicians breaking campaign promises, nothing worse. Besides that point, if this manager was appointed by the last Mayor and is not doing a good job, why keep him? What am I missing here?
Oh I don't know..... a stubborn mayor??
The Mayor should not succumb to terrorist threats that these animal folks use.
And for those that don't use it, their petty behavior leaves them no sympathizers in this city.
They are acting like little children who will hold their breathe until they are blue in the face and stomp on the ground until they get there way.
Sorry guys, ain't happening.
Have fun following the Mayor for the next 4 years. If he fires Stuckey, its on HIS terms not yours. And i am sure he'll hire whom he sees fit for the job, not you guys and crazy child-like antics.
The children "holding their breath" were promised something.
How about we hold AV to HIS promises until he turns "true blue."
He didn't have to make the promise -- probably didn't even need to to win, but once again, HE values his OWN word so little, he throws it around without any real intent to honor it.
So, why believe him about ANYTHING?
(Don't!)
There is nothing worse than a politican breaking pledges, but AV has made it his MO since for running for CM in LA.
Maybe he thinks he can't win based on telling the truth.
Maybe he can't.
9:57 anon is right. AV didn't need to make the promise, he just can't help himself. But so few people want to hold him accountable.
Antonio lied, puppies died!
What kind of suicidal left-wing politician butts heads with animal rights activists, when he doesn't even need to.
What's one GM. Cut him loose, right??
On the other hand, let's put the cards on the table and consider what AV's advisors are REALLY telling him RIGHT ABOUT now. . .
"C'mon AV, G. Stuckey is AFRICAN AMERICAN (and most of the screamers from the ADL etc. are NOT). Do you remember Hahn and Bernard Parks just about this time four years ago? That did more to make Jimmy a one-termer than ANYTHING you did running against him."
AV does NOT want to repeat that scenario!
"And here's a side benefit, AV, look tough to animal wackos, and you COULD have something to hang your hat on if you need to go more mainstream/moderate against the Guvernator."
Insane, Insane, Insane.
The Mayor never said he'd fire Stuckey on his first day.
And the animal crazies never said he should be fired on the first day.
So lets not claim any pledge has been broken.
The Mayor has pledged to hire 1,000 new cops and he's gotten 337 more so far. But not the 1,000 yet, does that mean he broke that pledge?
He has said he wants school accountability for the LAUSD before his first term is over and that hasn't occured yet, as he broken that pledge?
He wants to replace Stuckey and do his best to get the City towards a no-kill policy before his time as Mayor is over, as that happened yet? No. But neither has the ending of his term.
If animal zealouts would just speak with a rational voice and calm down a little bit, i think you'd find you go further with honey rather than vinegar.
Hey little animal folks wanna know a secret? You are being used by those petty enemies of the Mayor to make their point that you can't trust the Mayor blah, blah, blah.
So now not only does your petty childish behavior annoy me and the City, you are being co-opted by those who are jealous and are haters of the Mayor.
So if you were hoping to put in place a good strategy for change, acting like petty children and being co-opted by the opposition doesn't give you a position of strength to bargain with. Oh and neither does terrorist activity.
tsk tsk tsk
Terorists my ass. One smoke bomb and a couple of protestors hardly makes them terrorists. The only bad guy is that Vlasak creep.
Antonio should not have told them he would fire the GM and then LIED about it. He simply shouldn't have done it. He LIED.
Now he is calling them terrorists and is refusing to succumb to their threats.
It doesn't even matter who he hires to replace Stuckey. The animal whack jobs will do the same things they did/do to Stuckey and Greenawalt.
That is not the point. The point is that the mayor lied and is now trying to back down.
How many "petty enemies" does it take before a politician is in real trouble.
Anyone want to check with Hahn or Pacheco on that?
(They do add up fast, when you can't keep a single promise in nearly 3 years in city life).
Any chance the animal activists have real concerns, and really do feel betrayed?
600-800 animals nuked per week... 100 per day, non-stop... meanwhile, major and mid-sized cities all over the country are now in an "import" mode for pets because their own "no-kill" policies have worked so well.
MAYBE, the GM is just plain bad at his job, and AV not only can't keep his word, but he has no spine. Better to risk alienating a group that can be "profiled" as wackos because of the misdeeds of one or two, than risk getting on the bad side of a potential racial issue.
AV will go down as one of the most panderingly paralyzed mayors in the history of Los Angeles. Frozen in his tracks by making too many conflicting and contradictory promises to get into the job, thathe couldn't move an inch one way or the other.
That's one way to build consensus... piss EVERYONE off.
AV breaks promises.
They're not holding any presses in CD14 for that "news" update.
SSDD
Oh please soup poster...
How DARE you insult the intelligence of the freaking city by saying "he didn't say when" he would fire Stuckey. That is the biggest crock of shit. You must work for him. Get off the internet and get back to work.
But you are right about one thing, there are many of us who could not care less about the animal activists. We do use them because they were lied to. That's it. The only reason. We won't deny it.
To paraphrase Groucho Marx...
AV gave his word.
That, and about $3, will buy you a cup of coffee at Starbucks.
What?? Firing Stuckey has become a racial issue? This is surely some kind of joke. Jesus Christ. That's about the dumbest thing I've ever heard.
The "animal" people were all over the AV campaign... One local Pet publication ran house ads to get him elected, for crying out loud.
What's this "they didn't support him" shit.
(Is that how this works, anyway? I don't have to keep my word unless I get 80-90 percent of your group's vote?)
10:46
That's what they said about Bernard Parks.
HA! Hoisted on your own spitoon!
10:46
AV ADVISORS have been caught, now. That is what's really behind this reluctance, isn't it. I'll bet AV walked into those animal activist meetings and didn't even have a clue who (or WHAT) Stuckey was, then his advisors told him afterwards.
SHIT, AV you can't do that? You already waffled on your own "Parks, live or die" campaign blather.
The day I'll believe AV or any other far-left liberal in power has gone colorblind and ins't looking, specifically at the RACE of someone they're thinking of hiring or firing is the day I personally nominate Villaraigosa for president, on the GOP SIDE!
About time the media woke up on this. This is a BLACK GM, being called down by primarily WHITE stretch-limo liberal Westsiders, and ALL that means.
AV not only won't keep his promise, it would be political suicide.
Parks being fired had nothing to do with him being black. It had to do with bad leadership. He was a really bad leader. You can't lead your troops if your troops hate your guts.
It's 2005 - get with it. We live in Los Angeles where, believe it or not, black people can have any job they want. Keeping bad managers because they are black is despicable. What about all the black people that haven't been fired?
Word up - we are also gay friendly and Asians are employable. We even vote for Hispanics for mayor.
I bet you think the Crips gang banger who is really just a low life, scum sucking murderer should be free too.
Nobody said Parks being fired had to DO with race. It was the AFTERMATH of the firing that did. Hahn lost his African-American support group, and killed off his own coalition.
This form of political suicidemay become known as Parks-tricide.
AV has an even worse dilemma now.
Wake up and smell the reality of life in a predominantly segregated major city. You're insane if you don't think race is an issue in 2005 in L.A. -- it decided the last mayor's race -- or else you belong on what's left of the Hahn for Mayor committee.
To 10:50 from 10:46
I have no idea what you are talking about. You've lost me.
I'll try to follow you.
AV advisors went into a meeting and AV didn't know who Stuckey was and he told the animal activists he would fire them.
Am I with you so far?
Then I'm not sure what you think happened.
Nor do I know what the Parks "live or die" blather is.
So why is AV reluctant?
Well thank you very much 11:00 for bursting my bubble.
I think I'll just stay in my integrated, assimilated corner of the world.
Hahn still has a committee?
Don't you know he's busy man. Why crap all over him? He's does his best, learning the ropes.
Mayor Frank,
Why are you "setting the dogs loose" (nice) on yourself by including Jimmy Blackman's name?
Just curious
How many of Alarcon's ex staffers work for Villaraigosa?
1) Jimmy Blackman, Villaraigosa's current City Council Chief of Staff. Allen has been with the Controller's office since 2000, in both his current capacity as Chief Deputy Controller and prior, as Director of Financial Analysis and Reporting. He has also worked with the Los Angeles County Probation Department and the Chief Legislative Analyst's Office for the City. Blackman has worked with Villaraigosa since his early days as a State Assemblymember, during his tenure as Speaker of the Assembly and through the 2001 mayoral race. He served as Chief of Staff to State Senator Richard Alarcon from 2002-2003.
2)Can you name others?
RE: PACHECO INTERVIEW
Is District 14 in as good a shape as you left it?
There’s a general sense of it not being as clean. I don’t think it’s in as good a condition as I left it. There was a general transition, and things just got behind. I think there’s widespread concern in the district about what’s gonna happen to them now. If Antonio wins, there’s concern about what’s going to happen to all the work that’s required. And if he loses, what kind of relationship are we going to have with someone who doesn’t want to be the councilmember? It wasn’t really necessary to knock me out so that he could be mayor. In the two years, he hasn’t really spent time doing that job. He didn’t really use the office to form a platform.
You and Jimmy Blackman, Villaraigosa’s chief of staff, had a harsh paper fight about some unfinished community projects – the Garvanza Skateboard Park, District 14’s dog park, and the Moon Canyon Land Acquisition, among other things. Why haven’t they been completed?
The common thread among them is that the council office keeps representing to people that they don’t have money to finish projects, or they’re looking for money to finish projects. The council office’s standard response is that we don’t have the money.
FOUND AT LA CITY BEAT
OLD RELEVANT POST
At April 06, 2005 12:11 PM, Anonymous said...
I know who I don't want as Mayor. A racist asshole like Antonio is will open the flood gates for illegal immigration like he has in his own district. A guy who supports gangbangers and will let all of them reign the communities in terror and protect them instead of the families. A guy who disrespects his constituents and ignores their issues. A guy who beats and has affairs on his wife. A guy who has kids out of wedlock and threatened women to have abortions. A guy arrested in 1977 for assault because he wasn't mature enough then or now to hold his temper. Antonio is a vindictive asshole who has threatened good people in the community and afraid to come out. Look this up CHief Parker, Jimmy Blackman campaigning 24/7 on our tax dollars with Antonio. There has to be ethics violation there and his moronic staff who took paid leaves of absence
Perhaps PeTA should avail themselves of Mr. Winograd's expertise. After all, PeTA kills roughly 80% of the animals they take in — and with PeTA having received $29 million in contributions last year alone, I'll bet they'd jump at the chance to reduce the number of animals they kill (which is far higher than other shelters in their vicinity).
Others involved in the talks with the mayor said they also are hopeful.
So far, the mayor has had one of his top aides, Jim Bickhart, serving as liaison to the department and to those in the animal-rights movement. And he also assigned Deputy Mayor Jimmy Blackman to work on the issue in coming weeks.
"There is a lot of suspicion in the animal community," said Michael Bell of Citizens for a Humane Los Angeles. "The mayor said all the right things in private, but we are waiting to see what he will do."
I do hope His Honor comes to understand what he's dealing with . . . Animal Rights people are not Animal Welfare people . . . the two — AR and AW — are founded on entirely different, mutually exclusive, premises (op cit).
POST LOCATED: ANIMAL CRACKERS
We should--every one of us--remain aloof, in heart and in mind, in words and in deeds, from the political affairs and disputes of the Nations and of Governments. Baha'is should be very careful in their public utterance not to mention any political figures...either side with them or denounce them. We should keep ourselves away from such thoughts. Otherwise they will involve the friends in political matters, which is definitely dangerous for the Cause. We should have no political connection with any of the parties. Baha'is are in no way allowed to enter into political affairs under any pretense of excuse; since such an action brings about disastrous results and ends in hurting the Cause of God and its intimate friends.
We should--every one of us--remain aloof, in heart and in mind, in words and in deeds, from the political affairs and disputes of the Nations and of Governments. Baha'is should be very careful in their public utterance not to mention any political figures...either side with them or denounce them. We should keep ourselves away from such thoughts. Otherwise they will involve the friends in political matters, which is definitely dangerous for the Cause. We should have no political connection with any of the parties. Baha'is are in no way allowed to enter into political affairs under any pretense of excuse; since such an action brings about disastrous results and ends in hurting the Cause of God and its intimate friends.
11:01 a.m.
PAY ATTENTON... AV PROMISED TO FIRE STUCKEY, before HE HAD A MEETING with STUCKEY, EVEN BEFORE HE WAS MAYOR.
Drink coffee, breathe deep. The world didn't begin July 1, except for koolaid-drinking AV-lovers.
AV told people in one part of the city he would keep Parks on if HE became mayor. Then told ANOTHER group in another part of the city, he wouldn't (live of die).
Badda bing!
Bickhart is the biggest dope that ever cruised through CD14.
If he's AV's liaison to the animal rights community, we'll be done with AV much sooner than expected.
Send him over to LAUSD, as well.
He makes Alvin Parra look bright!
It's about campaign contributions. If your group gave mucho money, you are now protected by Villaraigosa/Huizar thugs. If you did not, you are screwed! Poor animals, politicians don't care!
---------------------------------Do Campaign Contributions Corrupt Politics?
The most commonly stated purpose of campaign reform is to limit the corrupting influence of money in politics. It has become conventional wisdom that campaign contributions are bribes and that elective offices are for sale to the highest bidder. Consequently, many Americans are willing to sacrifice some freedom of speech or association in order to restore integrity to our democratic system. However, the courts have consistently stymied the most ambitious attempts at regulating campaign finance. In response, some reformers have even proposed amending the Constitution to permit more stringent regulation of political activity. To be sure, no one is eager to police political speech, but it is understood to be a necessary evil.
Leave Alvin Alone! He is a good man. A little looney. That's it, I swear, a little looney in the noodle.
Your chipmunk art is getting old, dead mayors.
Work harder on that if you're going to post animal spots 4X a week.
Bickhart occasionally makes a good point in meetings - when you can hear him speak over his own labored heavy breathing.
It may actually be time to put him "down" at one of the shelters... he sounds likes he's about 5 steps away from needing a respirator.
Other Alarcon staffers who work with AV: Sophia Heller, Maria Armoudian (commission appoitment), David Rahimian, Jennie Carrieon. Probably others as well...
Are they field staffers, except for the appointed officers? Do they work directly for the Mayor's office.
Sophia Radcliffe from Harvard
Maria Armoudian Legislative Consultant
David Rahimian ?
Jennie Carrieon ?
In my experience Bickhart's the brightest of the bunch. Most residents in CD 14 would agree.
12:17
i'm guessing your one of those pasty white animal rights terrorists. nobody else would talk such shit about staffers who aren't even in the public eye. if you are one, i hope bickhart turns on you. he's helped you crazies enough. go paint someone's garage door. or picket the airport. did you see where antonio is going to boston? if it's true that he lied to you then i'm glad.
I'm white and so what! Do you have an issue with my race. I can't be white and love animals? It's all about color with you morons. Don't you get it? We are beyond that shit in the 21st century. No color, here you are not white, black, brown, yellow, or red! You are GREEN!
1:56
Most residents of CD14 have no idea who you are (Bickhart) except a wheezing sloppy looking fat man at the back of the room that's taking names and handing AV crib notes.
You're a little Karl-Rove-ette wannabe that never stops scribbling long enough to even make your presence known.
Is Bickhart (posting here to praise himself) the "brightest of the bunch" -- maybe, but the "bunch" as a whole doesn't have enough wattage to perk up a penlight, so that's not saying much, now is it, Jim.
2:50
Tell that to Jim Hahn, Bernard Parks, Tony Muhammad, and Tuckee Williams.... (yeah, you're green; like out-of-touch inexperienced, GREEN)
Is it green, money green av takes from IE's, green with greed mayor av?
A few replies to a few anons.
1. AV said he would fire the GM WHEN he was Mayor. He did say when. Hertzberg said AV would not do it during the first 100 days. I kind of assumed that meant he'd do it soon after the first 100 days. That would be right about now.
2. AV did not know the GMs name before he went to the animal convention. At that convention he said he'd fire "Gerald Stuckey." Gerald Greenwalt was the last GM, Guerdon Stuckey is the new one. He was not prepared for that convention.
3. Quit bashing Bickhart. The personal attacks are not needed. He's been following the city animal issues since he was with Gallanter. I think that's like 12 years or something. He knows the issues, the people and the solution to the problems. AV just needs to listen to him.
4. A lot of animal people campaigned for and contributed to AV for Mayor. Big deal one extreme animal group packed the small convention which biased the vote at the convention. Trust me, no sane animal person backed Walter Moore. He just got the lunatic fringe vote at the convention.
"...no sane animal person..."
Oxymoron?
Hello...I'm the author of the Daily News piece, Daniel Guss.
Thank you to -- who is it Mayor Frank? -- for posting my Op-Ed with comments.
I am a journalist (and former gameshow writer) and have never been prouder of a piece. What matters is what we do with this piece NOW. I'm preparing to post the DNC (Democrats') and RNC (Republicans') fax numbers so that they BOTH know that Villaraigosa is without credibility.
Don't blame this on the activists; blame on a guy who promised everything; made insensitive comments; and is trying to deliver nothing. But he will deliver nothing, at a cost of his credibility.
And BRAVO to the LA Daily News for giving me the platform to expose what many of us have already concluded: Just because Antonio says it, doesn't mean that you should believe it. Period.
I don't support A.V., but I can assure you that members of groups like the Animal Defense League ARE in fact terrorists with radical groups like the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). Smoke bombs are bullhorns might not make them terrorists, but know that many of the members of these groups are felons (who just haven't been caught yet.)
2:50
i said pasty white. it had nada to do with your race. it had to do with your vegetarian/vegan skin tone where y'all look anemic. if you are bashing staffers calling some people morons and others fat you get what you deserve.
why am i green? with envy? i got money? an environmentalist? too new to politics to go to a political blog? what do you mean.
i think he/she means caca green
you're caca green
you're caca green
you're caca green %(
Daniel, you're not a journalist. You are a moron. Your activist buddies are psycho. The animal problem in LA is way more complicated than you weirdos would portray it.
In your world, everyone is given a free puppy or kitten and a year's supply of dog/cat food to boot. The reality is that irresponsible LA residents allow their animals to roam freely, reproduce and have offspring that will not get a decent home. Consequently, many are euthanized.
You nuts protest by setting cars on fire and setting off smoke bombs in multi-family residences. Face it. You people are freaks who focus more attention on dogs and cats than your fellow human beings.
10:52 Right on!
That weather girl Jillian Barbieri once mentioned on TV she prefers animals over children.
She values animals more than children!
She's nasty & stupid! Maybe she can't have kids, and she's MAAAADDDDDDDD!!!
The mayor's terms are the people's terms. He represents the city. This GM has no follow through with city policy, supports his staff violating State laws, and fires staff that attempt to abide by these rules. He issues a gag order on staff, violating their First Amendment rights, by threatening to fire them if they speak to city officials. This gag order enabled him to spread lies about the commission, Council, and the public. This dysfunctional and unprofessional approach to management only served to create chaos and animosity. Under the guise of supporting his staff he uses them as bullet shields while attacking others for his failures. He encourages his staff to break ethics' rules by coming to meetings on city time and in uniforms to shout obscenities at city officials. Not only is the GM a lousy manager, this mayor is a poor leader if he continues to empower such behavior. If that is the mayor's terms, and if this mayor does nothing to rectify the situation, I pray the next four years goes fast.
It seems LA politics, Mad Cow, and inbreeding have a lot in common. In LA politics it is the same people moved around. Other than Hahn was a recluse and Villaraigosa is an exhibitionist, there really is no change on the political perspective.
Similar to Mad Cow, in LA politics there is a recycling of body parts (politicians). After awhile the mutuations, politics, and madness have much in common.
the cure for all this is similar, too. Let's minimize the "Garbage in" and maximize the "Garbage out."
Referring to a large quantity of folks who care about the welfare of animals and the public safety (news flash....many animal advocates like people too) as children or, worse, as terrorists is inaccurate. This group of children voted in a mayor that gave them hope that he would change an antiquated good ol' boy network known as LA Animal Services. These children are not a part of a small faction of militant extremists. They are Los Angeles. They are 75% of a vote for a shelter bond measure. To lump 75% of a voting public with a group of crazies is a smokescreen for those resistant to change.
Forget the promise. What politician has ever kept one? How about firing the man because it is the right thing to do?
Antonio should watch what he says in front of cameras and reporters....
He wouldn't be mine, and I guarantee you, when I'm mayor of the city of Los Angeles, Gerald (sic) Stuckey will not be the head of Animal Services. Period." The event - including Villaraigosa's guarantee - was videotaped.
Didn't Antonio keep saying repeatedly throughout his campaign he wouldn't be like Hahn and keep his promises. Let's see how many has he forgotten already and not even in office a year.
4:03
I agree with everything you said. Especially number 3. Quit bashing Bickhart.
When I vote again in Los Angeles, Alfred Villaraigosa will not be mayor.
eddiesimba,
"ANIMALS WERE CREATED EQUAL TO MAN.
THEY SHOULD HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS AS MAN. THEY SHOULD BE FREE. HUMANS DO NOT HAVE A RIGHT TO TAKE AN ANIMALS FREEDOM AWAY. CITY OF LOS ANGELES VIOLATES THAT LAW."
1. Animals are equal to people? I'll remember that the next time I need a physical. I just make an appointment with my dog's vet.
2. City of Los Angeles violates that Law? To which law are you referring City, County, State or Federal? Honestly, I'm not questioning the law itself. I tell my dog everyday he can leave whenever he likes and regain his freedom. He says he prefers lounging around the house while I'm at work, enjoys the meals I prepare for him, and actually gets a kick outa' me cleaning up his shit.
your friend, pongo
I hate my dog, he leaves hairs on every piece of furniture. Shits on my floor and won't bark when a stranger approaches. The asshole starts licking hands.
Prev anon.......you have one of the welfare recipient dogs. My pet is active, barks, and works hard for his keep (room & board, food, toys, playtime with humans)
Hey Pongo-There are State laws LAAS does not follow. Whether they are equal to humans could only be answered by Dr Kevorkian. Here's how it goes: The only allowance for euthanasia is irremediable suffering; otherwise the animal must be treated for whatever ails him. LAAS defines irremediable suffering as anything over fifty dollars.
I agree with LAAS. $50 is a lot to spend on a single animal when there are thousands for which to care. And there lies the rub.
No money. No care.
LA needs to require pet owners to neuter their animals. To avoid neutering, you pay a hefty annual fee that would cover the costs associated with animals getting loose, mating and having unwanted offspring.
Pongo
In case you check this one more time - you'll now I think you're hot hot hot.
From You Know Who
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