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Sunday, June 29, 2008

"TROLL FOR DOUGH A-THON DAY" in Los Angeles.....and some "Looking Ahead"

Dawn rises on "thee day" in Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's "TROLL FOR DOUGH A-THON", that being his effort to raise $1.5 million dollars, thus scaring off any other protential opponants to his re-election campaign besides Walter Moore.

With LA Times Reporter David Zahniser's reports at L.A. Now taking the weekend off, we turn to the Valley's "Fishwrap of Choice" the Daily News and political scribe duo of Rick Orlov and Kerry Cavanaugh for background on the Mayor's "TROLL FOR DOUGH A-THON DAY" festivities.

"Villaraigosa really hits his stride on Sunday, with four back-to-back fundraisers. He starts at 11:30 a.m. at the Brentwood home of private equity manager Frank Biondi ( Former head of Universal). Then it's off to a 1:30 p.m. reception at the Beverly Hills home of real estate investor Simon Mani (Republican Donor). At 4 p.m., the mayor will schmooze in Westwood with businessman Sim Farar (Big time democratic donor), and then he ends the day with a 6 p.m. Beverly Hills reception hosted by the Persian-American community (H. David Nahai aka, "E. Pluribus Waterwaster" and friends).

Villaraigosa has already held three out-of-state fundraisers. One in Florida, another hosted by Mayor Richard Daley in Chicago and another at the New York City pad of Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Villaraigosa is racing to raise as much money as he can as early as he can to scare off potential challengers for. Political observers are keeping an eye on mall mogul Rick Caruso, who has toyed with the idea of running. But it's unlikely that multi-millionaire Caruso would be intimidated by Villaraigosa's war chest."

Rick Orlov also has a extensive front page missive on the Mayor "looking forward" to his last year of his four year term on the "Third Floor", some comments should cause Mayor "AnVil" some consternation and concern.

But David Diaz, an urban studies professor at California State University, Los Angeles, said he would give Villaraigosa average marks.

"Given the excitement of his election and when he first came in, I think he's just been average," Diaz said

From Joel Kotkin,

Still, Villaraigosa's economic strategies are not without critics as he grapples with the budget shortfall and the prospect of layoffs if property tax and other revenues don't pick up soon.

"The economy is pretty much dead in the water and his strategy is all smoke and mirrors," said Joel Kotkin, presidential fellow in Urban Futures at Chapman University.

"It's all based on real estate, and I think the city is in the worst shape it has been since the riots. Los Angeles has no real economic-development strategy."

From Gerald Silver, President of Homeowners of Encino,

Silver said he and others have long been concerned about overdevelopment and the resulting impacts.

"When it comes to issues like that, I would give him a D," Silver said. "What he has failed to do is link growth and development to consumption at a time when he is asking the rest of us to conserve.

"We can't wash our driveway down, yet a big new development that will use more water and power sails through."

Silver was among a key group of Valley homeowners who backed Villaraigosa four years ago against former Mayor James Hahn. Now, he said, he's not sure if he would support him for re-election. It depends on his opponents, and whether he makes additional improvements in the Valley.

........and the obvious observation,

Jaime Regalado, director of the Pat Brown Institute of Politics at California State University, Los Angeles, said it is such political matters that Villaraigosa has to address.

"I think he has done a reasonably good job in recovering from his problems last year. Maybe he's two-thirds recovered," Regalado said.

"But there certainly isn't the shine he had two years ago."

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7 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said:

www.Mayor09.com

June 29, 2008 10:41 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

The center of LA politics isn't in CD14, it's in Red Spot's fervid imagination, where it's tangled up with his myopia and out-of-control ego.

June 29, 2008 12:07 PM  

Blogger Red Spot in CD 14 said:

Ego? We need no stinkin ego, just the facts.

June 29, 2008 12:10 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Are you suggesting that Nahai is either contributing, or raising money for the mayor?

June 29, 2008 12:11 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

"Given the excitement of his election and when he first came in, I think he's just been average," Diaz said

Wow, such a below average commentary from such a below average acadamecian. It was only yesterday that David was kissing Tony's ass and it will only take a phone call from Tony to start that ass kissing again. Such is the state of our esteemed "elite" Latinos who hide behind their pretend ivory towers - Fernando Guerra, David Ayon, and don't forget that Gloria Romero Ph.D. was once one of these enlightened individuals before jumping in to bed with them - literally.

June 29, 2008 3:33 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Silver was one of several cranky Valley homeowners who supported AV because they were mad at Hahn for defeating secession. As if AV wouldn't have done the same thing as Mayor.

Nobody is going to make Silver happy unless they can take us back to the 50's and everyone is living the Happy Days life.

Honestly, what did Silver expect AV's position on growth would be?

June 29, 2008 4:48 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Silver is typical of the most active bunch at the Cheviott HIlls, Tract 7360 (which is headed by a really loud, obnoxious New Yorker with control issues, to boot), etc. They're mostly over 60-70 and believe their communities should be islands. NO traffic allowed to come through, but they fight mass transit and surface fixes, too. Too bad, because some of what they want is desirable, but they don't work WITH the city, they fight it and make themselves the problem. Pit themselves against newer people and those who're comparing L A to other major cities, not some town in Idaho. They will always complain and be miserable because "that's who they are."

June 29, 2008 8:38 PM  

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