Tony Agonistes
Note: "Samson Agonistes is the conversation of a manforced to labor in pain while in captivity as the result of his own foolishness."
After two years of union-busting, State lobbying, candidate-stuffing, and the expense of a small fortune of political capital, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has a few schools in pocket at last. Just a few. Not a District, not even a fragment of a District, and not even a specific plan, just a promise to tinker.
What could have been accomplished in the Villaraigosa Mayoralty---steps towards traffic abatement, planning control, checking of growth, reduction of homelessness, healing of race, of labor relations---has all been pushed to the side for the sake of this: an affair that led to a broken marriage, and a quixotic tilt towards taking over the schools that has ended in the ceding of the smallest of fragments of a District to the Mayor.
The second half of the Mayor's term will boil the Office of the Mayor down to something unseemly for a Mayor to be: the de facto superintendent of a small school district---call it the MAVSD---while the greater District itself continues to stand far more for bloated budgets and public relations farce than excellence, and while the City continues to overbuild, price, tax, and wound itself towards dystopia.
It seems an enormous waste of effort for a man who promised (and continues to promise) so much while delivery so very, very little. But we should have known that a man who is very good at promising is not likely to be good at much else.
After two years of union-busting, State lobbying, candidate-stuffing, and the expense of a small fortune of political capital, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has a few schools in pocket at last. Just a few. Not a District, not even a fragment of a District, and not even a specific plan, just a promise to tinker.
What could have been accomplished in the Villaraigosa Mayoralty---steps towards traffic abatement, planning control, checking of growth, reduction of homelessness, healing of race, of labor relations---has all been pushed to the side for the sake of this: an affair that led to a broken marriage, and a quixotic tilt towards taking over the schools that has ended in the ceding of the smallest of fragments of a District to the Mayor.
The second half of the Mayor's term will boil the Office of the Mayor down to something unseemly for a Mayor to be: the de facto superintendent of a small school district---call it the MAVSD---while the greater District itself continues to stand far more for bloated budgets and public relations farce than excellence, and while the City continues to overbuild, price, tax, and wound itself towards dystopia.
It seems an enormous waste of effort for a man who promised (and continues to promise) so much while delivery so very, very little. But we should have known that a man who is very good at promising is not likely to be good at much else.
Labels: a guy in la, los angeles politics, mayor antonio villaraigosa
Posted by Joseph F. Mailander @ 12/12/2007 05:38:00 AM
15 Comments:
Villar Education Reform:
To vote, a participant didn't need to be a citizen. And some got more than one vote.
Interesting that Villaraigosa was a councilman in CD 14 which has one of the most over crowded schools in the nation. Huizar was president of LAUSD for 4 years and yet both of them did absolutely nothing at the time to help the students. Now they are patting themselves on the back.
The purpose of all these antics has been for the Mayor to look good, to win votes to become a governor. He doesn’t have the personal experience to know what LAUSD students need and how to improve to do it. Huizar is no better, he never did anything for the benefit of the students, only preside as president of LAUSD and make himself look good for the cameras. The only reason the Mayor supported Huizar for his position as councilman is so he could find a way to bring down LAUSD, but Huizar failed he is good for nothing
Exercise in "Symbolism".
I guess starting the process of building enough schools to fix the over crowding problem = do nothing huh?
Over 50 schools built to date with another 100 opening up soon.
Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen (removes hat and bows low with flourish):
Now that His Nibbs has control of "a few" institutions of academic learning, I wonder how he'll get on with the likes of the Teacher's Union, the Bus Driver's Union, the Special Education Union, the Groundskeepers Union and the Cafeteria Lunch Ladies Union. (Whispers confidentially) And there there are the PTA Ladies, who are, if you will, can be quite ruthless. Imagine what His Nibbs will do when confronted by 60 angry mums who can do more than bake cookies and host the Teacher's Tea. He'll run away for that is what he does best, savvy?
The answer to solving LAUSD is the students themselves. But duh!!!! no one has asked them. All Villaraigosa and Huizar who both used their staffers again and were lucky that illegals were allowed to vote will say "Hey, look how great we are." Too bad LA doesn't have real investigative reporters that were really good could report the truth about this whole charade by asking a few questions. No, LA has kiss ass reporters who are afraid. Word at city hall is Antonio is asking all council members and anyone having a press conf. or photo op in the city to submit their list to his press office. Seems Antonio stalks other people's media time and just shows up without their ok. But one council member stated "I can't tell him NO."
Captain Jack,
Yer right about us PTA Wenches. We are a motley crew, and as ruthless as they come (she says with cheshire smile).
Don't worry, we won't suffer fools like his Nibbs for very long. The Wenches are paying very close attention to the current goings on and are quite ready to rise up when the moment is just right ...
xoxo
His goose is cooked in the eye of the public. When will the charade of "Antonio the Powerful" finally fizzle in the media and among the lackeys at City Hall?
MEMO TO CAPTAIN JACK,
Cut and run = "MAYOR POLLOVILLAR".
The PTA ladies could knock him into a freight container...
...because we're all as big as freight containers, doncha know. :)
xoxo
Good afternoon Prof. Spot (tips hat):
Memo received. (Calls to secretary who begins to write) Take this dictation for me. Dear Professor Spot, semi-colon(Secretary writes), thank you for your memo, period. Please be advised that we have already taken note of such moniker, comma, and, comma, if you will, comma, have yet to see another that is more fitting, period. Also, comma, please give our regards to the one of our Five who we have given the moniker of She-Who-Runs-A-Tight-Ship, comma, for you shall see the whites of her eyes tonight, period. She also has the information about the Green Elephant, comma, that our quartermaster borrowed and only recently returned, period. Thank you in advance, and I remain, comma, Yours Truly, comma, Captain Jack Sparrow, period. (Secretary gives note to Captain Sparrow who signs it with a flourish) Never let it be said that we are not well written pirates for we are, if you will, rather well written, savvy?
It's just a political diversion - It would take a decade to renuvate or re-invent the LAUSD, Tony knows it and will try to get as many sub-headlines he can get with it. Since he has nothing else in his poker hand, it's all he's got. He just needs everyone at the table to go all in to make him fold and go away.
People could go "all in" if they had anything to go all in with. But the public discourse is more bankrupt in this town than it is even in the fishwraps and City Hall.
All you have to do is spot check Mayor Sam periodically and you know that the likes of Villalagrossa still have this place wired. He probably will never be governor, however. Get used to having him around til 2013.
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