Political Headlines From the Weekend
The LA Business Journal offers a special report: Economic Outlook 2006. The byline: Coming months will be crucial for Villaraigosa. Funny that they even start the story with this defense: It's been a busy six months for Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa - and not all of it has been photo ops. Anyways, it is a good article.For those of you who are worried about the bashing's Villaraigosa has been receiving as of late, here is the LA Times defense for him: Mayor Hangs Tough Amid Dissent - Villaraigosa has angered some city unions with recent decisions, but most observers agree that his ability to govern will not be affected.
If you've moved past the Mayor and are focused on the City Council, here is some blog fodder for you from the Daily News: The best job in America? - Council members say they're worth it. Beth Barrett notes that as the nation's best-rewarded City Council gets ready to unwrap yet another perk - a proposed 20 days time off from regular council sessions next year - some may wonder: Just how much is too much?
Wan to get them a gift to console their wounded egos? Here's some suggestions from the LA Times: GIFT GUIDE: Political favors. They aren't LA centric, but sure to get a giggle out of them.
Posted by Anonymous @ 12/19/2005 08:36:00 AM
26 Comments:
Yesterday's article in the "Daily News" concerning the City Council was great.
City councilmembers better consider their job the best in the world if they are making over $130,000 a year. The council need not wonder why, then, we can't afford more police officers or why the city is in a budget crunch. The same goes for the state legislators, who make around or over $100,000.
Padilla's comment was pretty lame. The guy claims to control the flow of the meeting when all the city councilmembers seem to do is bounce around during their council sessions. What a joke.
Geez, was someone saying all AV does is "photo ops"? Has the LABJ been reading the BLOGS?
Damn straight! Purely defensive.
Meanwhile, at the Times - someone upstairs said "hey, we endorsed this guy outright, and now our own reporting is making it look like that was a mistake. Someone pin back the reporters ears, so the editorial board doesn't look like the bunch of bootlicking, out-of-touch shills they really are.
Barrett's an idiot. The idea that "recess" is time for vacation is a joke. Sacramento (while less paid by a little--not really if you add per diem) meets about one-third the amount that council does, Congress has months and months off. I've worked in all three cities and LA City Councilmembers work the hardest, easily. When "recess" is happening, they are usually trying to get dollars from Sacramento or DC or they are working in the district, and often the committees meet when council is out (see Public Safety two weeks ago when many were at the National League of Cities Conference)
Historical note:
"During the whole 45 years of Elizabeth's reign the Commons sat for only 33 months."
--M.D.R. Leys, Catholics in England 1559-1829 a Social History, Sheed and Ward, New York, 1961
So it was SRO?
there are two major probs with barrett's article that undermine her credibility as a journalist reporting on this subject. first, just because council meets only three days a week does not mean these folks are not working the others. does she not know, for instance, that there is an entire ctte system supporting those final council acts? if not, that is just ignorant. if so, it is intellectually dishonest not to report how the full system works.
second, while the councilmembers are well-paid there is a sound public policy reason for it. in most other cities--and indeed in sacto and dc--electeds can receive income from other sources while serving in elected office. city councilmembers cannot and i for one prefer to keep it that way. good salaries and no permission to receive income from the private sector for say, delivering speeches, selling real estate, consulting on developments, offering legal opinions, teaching courses, whatever. if she is going to bother to compare this system to other cities, at least compare the whole system. her article is intellectually dishonest in this regard as well.
11:04 anon you must be a council member. I have spoken to friends all over the city and the biggest complaint is the unaccessibilty to their councilmembers. Many of them also have horrible staff members.
Why are the council members the highest paid in the country yet LAPD is far behind the other big cities for not having enough officers? Where are their priorities.
LA Times is NOT defending Antonio. Read today's Opinion piece on what they think of the whole Animal Terrorist group and how Antonio handled the situation.
You are joking, I hope. For one thing, Beth Barrett is without a doubt one of THE absolute best reporters in the city. I believe the problem is the opposite of you believe. She is intellectually honest.
You really think that councilmembers don't take money from land developers, real estate investors and various lobbyists? If you believe that, then you are part of the problem.
Do you believe that the councilmembers spend millions and millions of dollars to get elected because they care about the city? Or because they are power hungry and want the final say on their district with that huge paycheck and all of those perks?
Jack Weiss should be commended for not taking a car with that salary. Especially while we are encouraging the city to use public transportation.
I agree we should pay their cell phone bills, but never for their car or gas. Never.
No one seemed to mention that staffers (field reps) also get cars to use from the motor pool, along with gas, a cell phone, two-way pager or a Blackberry that the city pays for.
Staffers have it good too. They can get into restaurants in their district without waiting, they don't have to pay bar tabs, and they get first hand notice when a house or apartment complex is being sold or being foreclosed on.
Not to mention they can park anywhere except for a handicapped space and not get a ticket. Council and mayor field reps get a lot of other "fringe" benefits that many of you don't even know about. It's the American (read L.A.) way.
Agreed poster that council members DO get money from people. Last year when the alarm policy was up it was amazing to see all the council members who got donations from them. Any issue on council agendas usually have council members who have taken money from the company.
I recommend giving 'em all 365 days off a year...permanently.
Man, I am so happy I moved out of this cesspool five years ago. As a political activist for years in L.A.n I can tell you that this bunch is the most corrupt regime this side of Mexico!!!!
Zev was a neighbor of mine (not that that is pertinent) but I heard stories from insiders that would make your head spin.
Now L.A. is just a cesspool of corruption and you guys have to live with millions of illegals.!!!!
My sympathies and condolences go out to you!!!!
When you guys get fed up like we did, come on up to Washington State!!!
It's beautiful up here...clean air, no traffic, beautiful topography, islands, lakes....AND NO ILLEGALS!!!
WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!!!! And, no, I don't work for the Chamber of Commerce (lol)
These guys (Av and his gang) are nothing but a bunch of 'pigs with earrings'.
They are so arrogant that they actually think no one sees what is really going on!!!! They must think they're in Mexico where over 40% of the population is illiterate and living way below the poverty level.
Hey, guys, you are in America now....wake up an smell the tacos.
don't worry folks, the day of reckoning is coming for these crooks. The L.A. economy will tank, housing mkt is already on the downside, and there was an article on American Patrol this morning about the coming downward spiral of the Los Angeles economy.
I used to care about my city but now I couldn't care less about what happens here. It's nothing but a third world Mexican cesspool.
I would suggest that we all just sit back, enjoy, and watch the downfall of these idiots.
I agree with 11:04 a.m. Anyone who's worked as a staffer to a city, state, or federal level elected knows the hours most of them keep. It is a pretty taxing job, because they have to play idiotic games with a typically ignorant public, while at the same time trying to juggle people who want to ruin their careers, and beyond that, some are actually trying to achieve something before their time is up.
It's a bullshit line that politicians are "lazy". Look at our august president. I hate the guy, but you'll notice how he looks a lot less spritely since he made it into office - because he is forced to work his ass off. Being in office taxes the hell out of people. If you want to get bright, and honest people, to throw away the best years of their lives to help govern you, you have to entice them with something. $130,000 seems like a good price to me.
Ubray shut up you commie bastard!
Ubray,
I have no idea who you are but your comments are about as useful as tits on a bull.
For you to say that politicians are not lazy because they keep busy schedules is just plain stupid. Just because they run around all day does not mean that they are not intellectually lazy and have not sold out to special interests. It does not mean that they are not completely useless. I don't know how long you have lived in LA but I have lived here for more than 30 years and watched the quality of life in this city steadily decline ... and it aint because of illegals. It's because LA City has allowed developers to over develop and has not invested in infrastructure such as roads and mass transit to make the city liveable (not to mention the disaster of a public school system). It is the electeds who have betrayed the public and don't forget it.
1. Beth - when are you doing a similar article about the County Supes?
2. Yes, the free cellphones that city staffers gets more than makes up for the $50,000-100,000/year less they are making than their similarly educated contempararies
3. the article only compares salaries with other cities, but doesn't look at job responsibilities, numbers of constituents or any any of the other factors of the jobs
Hey, 6:10 PM anon, there are tons of illegals in Washington State--they're just a lot less conspicuous than those in Los Angeles. Look in the back room of your local pizza parlor sometime, or on the crew of your local landscaper.
Amusing note: while most Asian restaurants down here have all-Mexican kitchen staffs, there is a burrito kiosk at the UW campus in Seattle that is run entirely by Asians.
December 9, 8:40 p.m.,
What the hell are you talking about?! "Developers over developing"?!! Give me a damn break! Did you just get off the Greyhound?
This is not freaking Oklahoma. This is a massive metropolis - and it is massively UNDER-developed. Do you want incontrovertible evidence? Try buying a freaking home right now!
The elected officials in this City have played along with NIMBYs and IGFUs (I Got mine, F**k yoU) for nearly 30 years. HPOZs, [Q] conditions, CRA/LA zones, D restrictions, parking limits - you freakin' name it.
Take five minutes out of your rigorous ESPN/Fox News regimine and do some freaking homework. Most of Los Angeles has ridiculous limits on the amount of construction you can do on your property. A lot of those restrictions force us all to live in single family homes - which suck up land, water, resources, energy, and money that could all be put to better uses. What this city needs is A LOT MORE DEVELOPMENT for the non-nuclear family market. Especially where those massive highways we've built intersect each other - and where we've seen fit to set our zoning codes to make mini-malls the most profitable use of that land.
Finally, after decades of "slow growth" (read "no growth"), with families literally stuffing themselves into any available structure (due to a massive lack of housing stock), elected officials are able to try and solve some of the problems this body politic has created for itself. And they're "selling out"? Get real!
Okay Ubray, I always did like you a lot, but now that statement about needing more development kind of blew it. I don't want to get married anymore.
We are over developed WITHOUT infrastructure. This land is not meant for more development. It's desert; not enough water, liquifiable land under us, mountains not meant to be developed.
If you want to have a "metropolis", then you need to plan it wisely. We have urban sprawl with no area that has density. We don't want density all over the entire city. We don't want mountains destroyed and green space built on. There is plenty of land that could be redeveloped and it all should be near public transportation.
We don't need to spot zone our single family homes to squish more density onto smaller pieces of land. It's not healthy living. We shouldn't be building 2 and 3 story buildings behind single family homes that have lived there for more than 20 years.
This can hardly be accomplished because of the greed of the developers in Los Angeles and the corruption of the planning department and the planning commissioners and the politicians who allow it and then move on after they are term limited out.
What a hard task. I don't know anyone in the city who is up to the task.
Hey Ubray
You must be freakin' nuts, blind, deaf and dumb!!!!You're the one who just got off the Greyhound!!!!You sound so stupid that you MUST belong to the AV gang.
This city needs to get rid of about 10,000,000 illegals. Fifty percent of them can't even read or write In THEIR OWN LANGUAGE AND they are stealing 2 BILLION a year from hospitals, schools, welfare, food stamps, etc. etc.
I am a landlord in the inner city and they are living piled up 10 to 20 in a single house in south central and elsewhere.
Why don't you get your DA "headful of rocks" aka Rocky to enforce the maximum tenancy laws!!!
This city is the poster child of every city in the country ON WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE NATION! L.A. is the place where NO ONE wants to live. L. A. is the cesspool of the nation!!!! Do you read anything other than LA OPINION???? Obviously not....
Thank God I live in Brentwood...you wouldn't dare mess with us, but you are hell bent on destroying the rest of the city.
Bring back Pete Wilson!!!! He's one hombre who would know how to take care of you guys.
Hopefully, the Immigration legislation will pass the Senate and there will be no amnesty, employers will be fined, and the city will lose about 10,000,000 deadbeats.
Have at it, Ubray
Hey Ubray
You must be freakin' nuts, blind, deaf and dumb!!!!You're the one who just got off the Greyhound!!!!You sound so stupid that you MUST belong to the AV gang.
This city needs to get rid of about 10,000,000 illegals. Fifty percent of them can't even read or write In THEIR OWN LANGUAGE AND they are stealing 2 BILLION a year from hospitals, schools, welfare, food stamps, etc. etc.
I am a landlord in the inner city and they are living piled up 10 to 20 in a single house in south central and elsewhere.
Why don't you get your DA "headful of rocks" aka Rocky to enforce the maximum tenancy laws!!!
This city is the poster child of every city in the country ON WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE NATION! L.A. is the place where NO ONE wants to live. L. A. is the cesspool of the nation!!!! Do you read anything other than LA OPINION???? Obviously not....
Thank God I live in Brentwood...you wouldn't dare mess with us, but you are hell bent on destroying the rest of the city.
Bring back Pete Wilson!!!! He's one hombre who would know how to take care of you guys.
Hopefully, the Immigration legislation will pass the Senate and there will be no amnesty, employers will be fined, and the city will lose about 10,000,000 deadbeats.
Have at it, Ubray
Hey Ubray
You must be freakin' nuts, blind, deaf and dumb!!!!You're the one who just got off the Greyhound!!!!You sound so stupid that you MUST belong to the AV gang.
This city needs to get rid of about 10,000,000 illegals. Fifty percent of them can't even read or write In THEIR OWN LANGUAGE AND they are stealing 2 BILLION a year from hospitals, schools, welfare, food stamps, etc. etc.
I am a landlord in the inner city and they are living piled up 10 to 20 in a single house in south central and elsewhere.
Why don't you get your DA "headful of rocks" aka Rocky to enforce the maximum tenancy laws!!!
This city is the poster child of every city in the country ON WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE NATION! L.A. is the place where NO ONE wants to live. L. A. is the cesspool of the nation!!!! Do you read anything other than LA OPINION???? Obviously not....
Thank God I live in Brentwood...you wouldn't dare mess with us, but you are hell bent on destroying the rest of the city.
Bring back Pete Wilson!!!! He's one hombre who would know how to take care of you guys.
Hopefully, the Immigration legislation will pass the Senate and there will be no amnesty, employers will be fined, and the city will lose about 10,000,000 deadbeats.
Have at it, Ubray
Its about time cities are beginning to have their police officers go after the illegals. Just last week Costa Mesa council passed such a item. Many of us are well educated Latinos and are against the illegals in this city. Go downtown and you would think you were in Mexico. They cause blight to neighborhoods, their garage sales are an embarrassement and don't give me that BS that they're just trying to make a living. Do it legally like the rest of the hard working people. Antonio will never clean up the illegals in this city. We're beginning to look like a 3rd world country.
Los Angeles is a paved over metropolis - and it was not done for charity. Every step of the way, investors, banks, builders, and yes, politicians, found a way to turn vacant land into cash and political power. If they helped people find homes while they were doing it - all the better.
We don't have enough places for people to live, and the current market reflects that. Development needs to occur that makes more efficient use of our existing infrastructure. This is supply side economics with respect to housing, and demand side economics with respect to water, energy, road use, etc.
I have grown up hearing middle aged adults at public hearings whine and complain like babies about some one trying to build a bigger house, or a multi-family building, in their neighborhood because, "It would destroy the character of the neighborhood." But what viable options are there?
The "grown-ups" have shot their children in the foot. Where will my generation go to find housing in Los Angeles? How will the next generation grow wealth? We've got this whole federal system rigged to turn people into home-buyers, and allow them to become members of the middle class - but in Los Angeles, the people in charge have fought for years to shut down the next bunch of people struggling to do what they did.
I say, f**k that. We need more places for people to live. It is my opinion that your neighborhood can't claim to even have "character" until it's got a couple thousand people doing their thing within walking distance of where they live.
UBRAY
GO BACK TO MEXICO PLEASE!!!!!!!!!
Tiajuana is where you can have 2000 people living on your street and you can sit on the sidewalk drinking your corona's, walk to foyour local Taco Bell, through your litter on the dirt roads, steal a few hub caps, turn up the boombox, and walk to the neighborhood welfare office to get your subsistance check.
HERE,. WE CALL IT A GHETTO !!!!
Tell you what, why don't you take your 'generation', all 11,000,000 back to Mexico. They have affordable housing, so I hear.
All you illegals do is whine because you want to live like those of us who were born, educated, and worked for everything we have. That's the American way/
If you all leave, we can tear down the shacks that you are occupying and put in some decent housing. Our city would be clean again. Traffic would be normal, schools could educate instead of being a holding cell for gang members, children would all be speaking the official language of California - English, and what a wonderful world it would be again.
Comprende?
7:45 a.m.
You just made my day!!! You don't know how great it is to hear one of our Mexican American citizens actually address the problem of illegal immigration and its affect on this city.
You came here legally in search of a better life, and now you feel like you are living in a third world country.
I was born in Los Angeles decades ago and I have watched it turn into a cesspool. It's heartbreaking. Add to the mix the crime from illegals and it is unbearable.
YOU ARE SO RIGHT....ANTONIO WILL NEVER DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!!!!. HE IS THE PROBLEM...NOT THE SOLUTION.,
Again, you have my respect and admiration. Hope you run for office...we need people like you.
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