Parsing the Alarcón Move
As predicted by this blog last week, Richard Alarcón resigned his State Assembly seat prior to the certification of the vote that elected him to return to the City Council. He was then appointed by Council President Eric Garcetti to serve as the "caretaker" for the Council seat vacated by Alex Padilla when he was elected to the California State Senate.A Daily News article and an LA Observed post covered the news yet both failed miserably to get the story right.
From the Daily News article:
State Assemblyman Richard Alarcón was named caretaker Friday for the 7th Council District as he immediately resigned his state post to concentrate on the council seat he won in the March 6 election.Truthfully insiders tell the Sister City that Alarcón resigned his state post to effect a May 15th special Assembly election (see below for why this was important). Allegedly he was appointed caretaker so he'd have a paycheck until he is eventually sworn in as Councilman.
Additionally from the Daily News:
"This will save the taxpayers more than $100,000 and assure a greater voter turnout for the election," Alarcón said. "By taking over as the district caretaker in advance of being sworn in, I can immediately begin to tackle the issues that are important to our neighborhoods."Our tipsters tell us the truth is that Assembly Democratic leaders wanted the post filled in the election on May 15th so that a new Assembly Member would be duly installed in time for the all important budget vote in June, where every Democrat counts.
This gives an advantage to former Padilla staffer and heir apparent Felipe Fuentes who has already started fundraising for the spot. As you may remember, when Alarcón entered the 7th District race a deal was made to get both Fuentes and former 39th District Assemblywoman Cindy Montanez out of the race. Fuentes would get the Assembly seat and Mayor Villaraigosa would get Montanez an important post. That's about to happen. The Mayor has appointed former Montanez foe and Alarcón staffer Yolanda Fuentes to be his new Valley Liasion. That frees up Montanez would get the coveted and highly paid spot Yolanda currently has on the City Board of Public Works. Fun huh?
When Alarcón won the 7th District Council race two weeks ago, speculation turned to his primary opponent, Monica Rodriguez running for the Assembly post. However with Fuentes waiting in the wings for Alarcón to take the Council seat he's had a significant amount of time to garner endorsements and money, something not possible for Rodriguez to focus on while she was in the throes of her Council campaign. It remains to be seen if Rodriguez will seek the Assembly seat, but this old, dead Republican Mayor doesn't expect the mother of two to want to spend four days a week in Sacramento. Rodriguez will wait until 2009 when she may be able to seek Julie Korenstein's school board seat, or - should David Hernandez's Measure R appeal be succesful and Alarcón be blocked from seeking re-election - the 7th District seat again.
And finally:
"By appointing him caretaker and bringing him to City Hall now, the residents of the 7th District will be assured that their voices will continue to be heard on city issues," Garcetti said.Yup and we wonder why the voters are turned off.
When voters approved Measure R last November, giving council members a third four-year term, he decided to seek the council office even though he had just been elected to the Assembly.
Labels: proposition r
Posted by Mayor Sam @ 3/20/2007 12:10:00 AM
26 Comments:
Aren't there any Irishmen running for this seat?
No only Mexicans live there.
And, what of Cindy Montanez, you may ask?
She has been appointed to the only Commission that pays a salary, the Los Angeles Public Works Commission.
Why "caretaker", you may ask? because to be appointed Councilman now would give him too many days on the Council to serve another term.
Ain't politics fun?
So, where is that idiot gadfly Dave Elliot to scream "The fix is on"?
He's begging gas, food and coffee money down at City Hall and pretending to know what's going on...
Montanez will be a good Public Works boardmember. The city is lucky to get her one way or the other. Lighten up.
2:58
You can't be appointed Councilman....IDIOTA
Are you quite sure that ten members cannot appoint one to be the councilmember until the next election?
It used to be possible, but the new charter may have changed that. I'll check it out.
Mayor Sam I am posting this here because Wacko Walter probably only reads his own blogs but he keeps deleting reader comments he doesn't like. Please do something.
Monica Rodriguez will run for State Assembly, watch out Felipe Fuentes.
So far, the only appt. that has been announced for Cindy Montanez is to the City Planning Commission. This is on today's PLUM Cmte. agenda....
This is far more interesting than anything posted by Wacko.
Will someone tell ZORRO Richard Alarcon to get rid of the black look. He looks like a cartoon with that black dyed hair and mustache. As bad in fact as Antonio's dyed hair and too white fake looking teeth. God, these men are so vain and no matter how they try if you ain't got the looks you're doomed. Give it UP!!!
Mayor Sam- Yolanda Fuentes was NEVER an Alarcon staffer. She was a Tony Cardenas staffer. As for Monica Rodriguez how dare you act so condescending and try to package her as some mommy waiting for a small time constellation prize of a school board seat. It is clear you do not know this strong intelligent woman with the balls of a bull!!
Balls of a bull? Is that a compliment?
Pendejo I believe Sam is right that Yolanda interned for Richard before she worked for Tony.
And Monica I doubt too she would want to leave her kids behind that's also why a lot of guys don't want to be state legislature.
Montanez would be great on Public Works and Yolanda would be a great improvement over that horrible former AV Valley Rep Fortuna somethingorother. She had the carisma of a a rabbid dog and totally pissed off most of the Valleys established leaders by ignoring them. What a dud! Yolanda has great people skills and it would be a smart move.
Was AlarCON sworn in yet? The DC 7 Council office door on the fourth floor says, "Councildouchebag Richard AlarCON" already.
Ah yes, LA City political wheeling and dealing at its best. But sadly very few people seem to care as evidenced by the low voter turnout.
3:37
You stupid bitter bitch, why don't you shut up? If Fortuna had pissed off so many people, why does she have a job now and you DONT?
Yolanda Fuentes has great people skills? Not in this lifetime. You mean she plays to those who support her interests.
5:44
Yolanda does have great people skills and she also has a hot ass body!!!
Alarcon and Cardenas and Acevedo and Padilla (and, by extension, Fuentes) used to all be buddies. Until they all got mad at Richard and became "former" friends. That is, until the deal that Antonio helped to cut with all of them -- to get Felipe out of the council race in exchange for supporting him for the Alarcon assembly seat.
And who says politics ain't grand!???
9:18 - Actually, I don't read only my own posts. And this one, by Mayor Sam, is exceptionally good.
Walter:
All of Mayor Sam's posts are interesting. asare most of yours.
We're just all sick and tired of ZD and his encylopediac posts that bore us all to tears.
Let's get back to inside baseball, not begging for coffee and gas
money. He wastes everyone's time at Council and on this blog. From just how many people do you guys have to hear this same thing?
Doesn't a city commissioner have to live in L.A.. Doesn't Cindy still live with her parents or Steve Veres, both homes being in San Fernando? Didn't that commissioner that worked for Kaiser get busted for this while he was living in San Marino?
Sorry, Cindy lives in Sylmar, near the former Super 8 Motel--where she fought to keep the paroled sex offenders from being sent. At least if you're going to try to report on San Fernando gossip, be current within the last, oh, year...
Complaints, complaints.
Complaints about Walter deleting comments as being contrary to open posting ideas. "Don't cut."
Then there are MORE complaints because of ZD's posts being too long or the merit of his substance is questioned. "Need to cut."
Deleting is option of blog administrator(s) just like any other blog.
As for postings of ZD, like them or not, nobody is forced to read them. Just like the radio dial, you can tune in elsewhere when you don't like the program.
If ZD didn't post, all the non-issue personality-critical posters would be left without another big target to criticize.
Sometimes ISSUES are important but then going off on tangents is always everyone's option. Both can happen.
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