"The Mayor Misspoke"
Separated at birthMayoral Spokeholes Matt Szabo and Janelle Erickson
That's what Villaraigosa spokeshole Matt "I can't believe I took this job" Szabo told Patrick Range McDonald of the LA Weekly when the paper challenged statements made by the Mayor in response to McDonald's September article that in-depth probed the Mayor's schedule over a period of time; that discovered the Mayor spends most of his time on campaign events, photo opportunties, press events and social occasions with little relation to actual city business and that about only 11% of the Mayor's working day was actually spent on Mayoral duties.
"The Mayor mispoke."
Matt Szabo
It took a while for the Mayor to respond to the Weekly's story, since he was busy with Dr. Seuess events, dancing at the Conga Room and holding press conferences in Men's Rooms, but a few days ago Villaraigosa told the Daily News' Rick Orlov of "It didn't really go anywhere because it wasn't true. They were upset because we only gave them my public calendar."
Of course inherent in that statement that the Mayor - who said that much of his City work is conducted in "private" meetings - was keeping two calendars. One for public view and one for his own. If true, that would be a big no-no under California's public records laws. Not so however, according to Szabo who backpeddled from the Mayor's previous statments and who told McDonald that there is only one calendar and the Weekly has it. That being said, McDonald's calculation stands, and the Mayor is only clocking in at 11%.
The most delicious part of Villaraigosa's whine to Orlov was the example he gave to show how hard he does work. "Everyone who knows me, knows I work hard," the Mayor protested, "That's why both Senators Clinton and Obama wanted me to campaign for them." Funny Antonio, I wasn't aware that was a Mayoral duty.
The Weekly scribe McDonald conculded following his analysis of the Mayor's schedule was that it had "revealed a mayoralty unlike anything Los Angeles has seen in the modern era." No doubt when the Mayor spends his time taking Hillary Clinton to King Taco, installing waterless urinals and appearing in parades with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Tommy Lasorda.
Labels: la weekly, matt szabo, mayor antonio villaraigosa, patrick range mcdonald
Posted by Michael Higby @ 12/31/2008 06:52:00 PM
16 Comments:
Well, let's stop all this fooling around and clear the air on what' the Mayor "really meant to say" and let Tony engage in a debate with the challengers.
Of course, Tony doesn't intend to do this; that would be his downfall. Speaking through the filters of Szabo and attorney Tom Saenz has the upside of allowing him cover in case he wants to backpedal from something they say.
Another upside of this style is an even more noticeable difference. Even if his mouthpieces are the ones that "misspeak", they are at least giving verbal communications that are coherent and intelligible- something of which that Tony has slowly been losing his already tenuous grip.
The real problem is that what is coming out is the truth. Tony and his cohorts in the city council (and most of them are his cohorts) try to spin and rely on misinterpretations created by having too many cooks in the kitchen. Their problem is that no one ever tastes the food that's coming out of it.
They are having a hard time because the "lie" part of most stories and events rests with them, and the "truth" does not. Most notably, Eric Garcetti, U.S. Navy (reserve), has been up to some practical applications of his military intelligence training to further undermine what little credibility he has.
Garcetti is very well spoken when it comes time to rally behind a cause. He may misstate facts, apply personal agendas, and use "the ends justify the means" rationales in his verbal creations, but to most people, he seems to be a cool guy up there in his seat. Too bad cool doesn't mean telling the truth.
I speak now specifically of the Prop. B solar energy mish-mosh that he wants to drag the city into by getting city voter approval at the polls. Eric is a "go-green-at-all-costs (to you)" kind of guy. If it's green, it's o.k.- if a few select people, unions, agencies or nations happen to prosper at the expense of the "rate-payers," so be it. We are going green, folks, no matter what.
I can only wait for the next council meeting to see what Eric has in store to deal with untangling his custom woven web. And you can bet there will be something coming from the Council President, maybe some more whoppers, if he's not cautious.
In CD-14
Once a liar always a liar.
Parke, do you recognize the sickness now?
Sorry, higby, but having to dredge up an article from last SEpt. as best you can do to "prove" the Mayor is doing nada just shows you've got nothing/ and I say this without any bias towards him.
The weekly's on a vendetta to "get him" and as far as I'm concerned, Patrick Range McDonald who you highlight with this weekly hit piece (and his puppetmaster Jill Stewart) using the Dogg as their example for why we should all bemoan the loss of public access, do more to damage their creds than anything Matt Szabo could ever do.
Though what do you expect from a paid "spokeshole," criticism of his boss?
"Mispoke" should have 2 s's by the way. Misspelled, Red Spot, anyone?
..."The weekly's on a vendetta to "get him"
Poster you must be in LA LA Land. There are thousands of people who now know thanks to LA Weekly what a lazy, loser the Mayor is. All he cares about is getting in front of a camera. Matt Szabo looks like he's had one too many botox shots, over whitened teeth like Antonio and too much blush. Fact is Antonio is getting slammed at many community meetings all over the city. We know he's been a failure as Mayor no matter how Ace Smith, Parke, Trujill, and Szabo want to spin. All Antonio has are his groupies like the moron council members, his Latino, racist croonies and all the developers and business people he's given favors too. If the FEds think Chicago has corruption I'm waiting for them to make their way to LA
it was just Monday that this blog discussed an Inspector General for LA Fire Dept. check this video I shot Sunday nite at Venice,. It tends to highlight at least one aspect of this dept. i.e. the unnecessary waste of resources in this crippled economic season.
click my name to go straight to the clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7qnBTNw7-o
I work at City Hall and that's the first time I've ever seen Matt smile. Usually, he walks around like someone who truly doesn't enjoy his job.
Sorry, higby, but having to dredge up an article from last SEpt.
Trujillo,
The article was from yesterday shit for brains.
-Chad
Time for Mayor Lazy Bones to get voted out. ASAP. Another low-life loser, liar, schmoozing narcissistic self-interested scumbag. What a shock.
I'm surpised to even be thinking this: Bring back Riordan -- or maybe even that arrogant asshole wonk Mike Woo. Save LA before it's too late. And it's verging on too late pretty damn soon.
Hey, "chad" shit for brains, Higby even references the article as "McDonald's September article." Seeing as "correcting" that is your one sole contribution to this blog, you might learn to read first.
Heather, you certainly have interesting misspellings, a la Red Spot, like "bafoons" and "croonies" (which conjures up thoughts of singing cohorts, kind of an interesting image) -- but in fact McDonald/ Stewart and gang are on an admitted mission to "get the Mayor and his (sic) croonies" and if there were more substance behind it - as with one of Patrick McDonald's earlier pieces on what's lacking with planning decisions -- I'd pay attention.
This whole notion of the 11% Mayor is catchy-sounding, but in fact the business of politics includes photo-ops, so while I don't support much of what he stands for I don't think you can discount that from "work time." It doesn't mean he shouldn't show more interest in and attention to detail, but his job is to promote "the big ideas" that other people do the detail work on. Kind of like a studio or corporate head, who puts teams in place and motivates them but doesn't get down and do the nitty-gritty work -- did Riordan? Maybe Hahn did more of that but then he had no personality or charisma; being able to do both may be ideal but hard to come by.
Right now he seems to be zeroing in on a few big issues like "green energy" and hiring more cops, and pushing for a mass transit/ subway system that finally begins to go where it should have decades ago.
Frankly I agree with those goals, although people can and do disagree on the details -- and much as I don't like to think of a political "machine" out there, for decades nothing has gotten done because the eastside Latino bloc/ South L A blacks/ westside-valley single- family dwelling-favoring homeowners/ Hollywood-Silverlake- Echo Park hipsters, etc. etc. could never agree on anything.
They've got to get momentum going somehow, and if everyone gets some of what they want while heading toward a broad common objective, isn't that what politics is at any level? And call me a bafoonish croonie, but I actually think there is more "transparency" and fiscal responsibility now than there has been for decades -- I think of the bad old days under Alarcon/Jackie Goldberg, Alatorre and the rest to start.
That is the creepiest photo I've seen in a long time.
How ironic that these plastic faces work for the most plastic politician in America!
What's with Michael Woo's voice?
It's like three octaves too low for that face.
Thanks for dredging up another forgettable wonk.
Long life Zuma Dog and Matt Dowd. You are shining lights of entertainment and usually decent information.
Trujillo -
Get Antonio's dick out of your mouth.
The September article was updated yesterday because your boys lied.
Fuck you.
-Chad
Nothing is worse than when anonymous bloggers can't defend their views so when a blogger posts views that oppose theirs, especially about the mayor - the first thing the [unable to defend themselves] bloggers do is start with the Trujillo, then they start name-calling, then they claim the WHOLE CITY hates the mayor, then they go on to botox, blush, etc.
It is so easy to pick the intelligentsia from the dumb shits here. Even if someone hates someone else or some issue, AT LEAST be able to defend it with facts and arguments rather than name-calling.
I wish it were Trujillo posting here. At least we would get some fun, intelligent and humorous posts. I've come to realize why so many of you seem to dislike him. Methinks he is too smart for you.
6:51 and 2:02 am definitely Antonio people. Hey moron any physchologist will tell you the most intelligent people DON'T KNOW HOW TO SPELL CORRECTLY.
6:51 wants us to believe no one is saying what we're posting here. I say go out into the "real world" of LA and hear for yourself. Villaraigosa has gotten BOOED at events he's attended. IN fact he got booed at the MTA Board meeting not long ago by the public. He got booed at the Classic Football Rival in November by the public. Its bullshit saying he should be out in front of the cameras. The Mayor is a clown in this city and people who supported him are now disappointed they did.
2:02am,
WHO THE HELL IN THE WORLD WOULD PUBLISH SOMETHING LIKE THAT OTHER THAN MICHAEL TRUJILLO?
I mean PUH-lease. Have some dignity, Michael.
There is something wrong with the man in that picture.
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