How will the Outcome in the CD 2 Special Election, "Affect the Legacies" of these Two-Term Mayors?
A former and current mayor in search of their "floundering vessel" in CD 2.Reading this, I could not help but to think back to former Mayor Richard Riordan's comments, some time back on KFI's John and Ken Show, in which he called out Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's fiscal policies and administrated acumens, or lack of.
Riordan, who served two-terms as Mayor from 1993-2001, cited that during his time in office, the city saw an increase of revenue to city coffers of $1 Billion dollars, that was achieved without raising taxes or fees.
The irony here is that Riordan endorsed Villaraigosa over Mayor James Hahn in the 2005 Mayoral Runoff. Many observers saw this union as one crafted by pro-development interests, who saw a Mayor Villaraigosa administration as the vessel to forward their plans to "remake" Los Angeles into the west coast version of Manhattan, New York.
Now in late 2009, with the economy in the dump, increases in trash fees, DWP rates, phone taxes a reality, Chief Bill Bratton now history, and Mayor Villaraiogosa building upon his "legacy of foreign travel" with hizzoner's latest trip to Mexico, is it time to start the Mayor Villaraigosa's legacy watch? How would the legacy of former Mayor Riordan be affected by his past and current collaborations with Villaraigosa?
One only need to look at the upcoming CD 2 Special Election to see how the outcome will effect the legacies of both. Local political observers were of the opinion that the relationship between both Riordan and Villaraigosa had cool after the fallout of Villaraigosa's affair with Mirthala Salinas. Further, Riordan's appearance on the "John and Ken Show", help to fuel the speculation that the rift between Villaraigosa and "Riordan's Posse" of Eli Broad, Bill Wardlaw and Steve Soboroff, had become more pronounced.
But one can surmise that the needs of both parties to reinvigorate revenues to their respective developer friends, had brought the groups together again to forward the cause of electing Chris Essel to City Council in CD 2.
This reunion of these two pro-development factions, joined by the likes of IBEW, unions, the Police Protective League and ACORN, mixed in with $One Million + of cash, can be viewed as an expensive endeavor to maintain the alliance of unions, developers, affordable housing advocates, and other temporary allies, who want to maintain their stranglehold on City Hall and thus, continue their quest to remake Los Angeles into "Manhattan West", with its version of "Tammany Hall", to dispense the "spoils".
One can agree that some sort of development, whether it is redevelopment of blighted areas, transportation improvements, business recruitment, is needed to recharge the flow of revenue to City Hall. But unlike Riordan, who reinvigorated the local economy after the disastrous 1992 riots by removing onerous regulations, creating one stop permit centers and not raising taxes. Mayor Villaraigosa has chased business and the middle class away from the city in droves, with his pursuit of a progressive agenda (affordable housing, environmental regulations, rampant development, costly union contracts and higher taxes), that has had an regressive affect on the cities tax base and quality of living.
One can look back upon the past Mayor Riordan Administration as being a time of urban renewal and economic growth, after the 1992 riots. Most will agree that Los Angeles was in a better state after Riordan left office in 2001. But in the subsequent years, Riordan's success as Mayor, has not transfare to success in other political pursuits, losing a race for governor in 2002 and endorsing the likes of Steve Soboroff and Bob Hertzberg for mayor only to see them lose to James Hahn in 2001 and Antonio Villaraigosa in 2005, respectively. His support for City Council candidates has met with only one, Bill Rosendahl 2005, being elected to a seat on the "horseshoe", while the likes of Monica Rodriguez in 2007 and Adeena Bleich this year, losing to Richard Alarcon and Paul Koretz.
Now the legacy of these two-term mayors are intertwined again, reunited in their joint pursuit of maintaining the "status quo" at City Hall that benefits the "exclusive few" at the expense of an dwindling middle class that once was the foundation, to paraphrase the late actor Jack Webb's Dragnet Sgt. Friday character, of "seven suburbs in search of a voice on Spring Street".
In closing, will the support of ex. Mayor Riordan and Mayor Villaraigosa and their Special Interest "monetary splurge", pay off in victory for Chris Essel in CD 2 on December 8? Or will the voters trigger a "political earthquake" at City Hall by supporting Paul Krekorian, thus causing long-term damage to the legacies of Riordan and Villaraigosa? One may want to have their "political seismographs" on standby on the evening of December 8.
Your thoughts.................
Labels: cd2 special election runoff, Chris Essel, mayor antonio villaraigosa, richard riordan
Posted by Red Spot in CD 14 @ 11/27/2009 11:03:00 AM
16 Comments:
Essel must go down and go down hard.
Paul Krekorian on Dec 8th!
The "political earthquake" caused by electing a sitting member of the State Assembly who is backed by the Democratic Party? Unheard of! One for the record books, I tell you! (BTW, that's sarcasm; from reading this site, it is clear that many posters will not get that).
Red Spot,
Why don't you post my critique of your wasting space, and let the other readers determine if my point is valid.
If you continue to self-edit our comments, I will email Higby and show him what I wrote, and see if he cares that you're editing or not posting fair, non-vulgar commentaries.
Higby? I was criticizing RS for putting a huge part, if not all, of an article, instead of posting his comments and the link. RS is taking it upon himself to not post those comments that are critical of him, even though there was no vulgarity or insults in it.
If you're going to have that kind of policy, you might as well not have a blog altogether.
Hate to be picky, but while reading this long post, I see you used "effect" as in "to cause something to happen," instead of
"affect" (having an impact on something)as the the context here implies.
Either winnner still leaves L.A. in jeopardy of being being a more expensive place for living with development still the goal, trying to pack in more people in the same space now occupied by fewer.
Is that for a tax base to be seeded for future fund? If so, it's looking like we still are importing less-well off here, i.e., poor and un- or less- educated, from other countries.
The ADU- Accessory Dwelling Unit- looks like its right down Ed Reyes' alley in making legal much of what has already been done- converting single family homes to multi-units. That approach will work to achieve the populaation "densification" that Reyes and other CMs have been facilitating for years. Development moving way ahead of the creation of any matching level of infrastructure? Why not?
Well, by the time that that entire situation becomes fully known as the worsening calamity that it is for us, the "leaders" will all be in some other office.
The impact that CD-2's election will have will probably include more of the same as before, with some new players doing the same things and with a batch of new stories to coverup the real reasons for the problems.
The "legacies" Riordan and Tony will not mean anything- they will be gone.
Tony will still use the bodies of taxpayers in another effort to climb the political ladder and any short term "solution" will be tried. He did it with the DWP and the trash fees for an attempt to instantly bump up LAPD to 10,000 officers.
As will all Tony does, if it happens to spell long-term disaster, too bad, Tony will be away from the blast zone, as usual for most politicians, trying to share his surplus of self-admiration to get to the next rung.
It would be some item of real justice if there was some "accountability" that was made "unavoidable" as a consequence for all the ills politicians leave in their wake as the move from one office to another.
Essel is the best choice for change. We don't need another cookie cutter assembly man named Paul K added to the horseshoe. He's still got the job in Sacramento. Let's send him back there to finish the job.
For the record, I do not moderate comments.
Very insightful.
I don't people have the slightest idea the shattering effect that a Krekorian victory will have on the political leadership in this town.
It is not really about the Krekorian that started this campaign, it is really about what they forced Krekorian to be by the end of this campaign.
They took an effective guy who could have been part of their team, and hand delivered him to their worst enemies.
This will be for more relevant to the city hall politicos than Nuch's victory. Because Nuch did not/does not have effective political operatives around him, Krekorian does.
I'm not for either candidate and would just assume write someone in than vote for Krekorian or Essel.
Looking at Krekorian's voting record, the man is a tax and spend kind of dude. 'Not good. He has voted to water down prop 13 and make it easier for legislators to increase taxes.
Will that carry over in his Council votes (rate increases, etc)? Probably.
Unfortunately, the same probably applies to Ms Essel.
I suppose a Krekorian win might ensure he won't keep voting against the tax payers at the state level. Is that a good reason to vote for him? Perhaps. How sad.
Either way, we're screwed. We need to cut our losses and focus on who will replace the winner in a couple of years. We cannot dilute this over a few individuals for we'll lose if we do that.
We need to agree on one person and push that person through.
It's going to be Krekorian in a walk.
Wonder what AV and Dick will have to say about that on December 9th.
Do you really believe that Richard Riordan even knows who Chris Essel is at this point?
He is six months away from not being able to pee and stand up at the same time.
November 27, 2009 @ 6:51 PM, you make a good point.
Will that carry over into his Council votes?
On one hand, only two Council
members "invested" in him, so maybe he'll actually vote his mind. On the other hand, his State voting record indicates he'll continue to vote for fee increases and the like.
No doubt Essel will too.
Haven't we learned that what gets a person into office and what they do in office is often different?
No doubt Krekorian is wise to cater to those who do not buy into the status quo; he had no choice. So, a vote for him is a symbolic "screw u" to the city's political machinery. 'Can't blame anyone for that. Just don't expect it to translate into something good once in office. Once in, he'll probably do what he can to ensure solid footing with those who sit on either side of him in Council chambers.
Essel will too.
Then again, maybe Krekorian will throw a bone our way because of who he had to cater to. That might translate into one or two good votes. I don't anticipate any more than that.
I suppose that's better than none.
5:36 is a comedian!
Essel is a Vessel as in Receptacle for every special interest that wants the taxpayers to support them. From IBEW/ D'Arcy and his workers that suck the money out of DWP's infrastructure improvements, to PPL which wants to maintain the current high pensions even as a BIG national report today is slamming LA for having failed to realize that its pensions are driving us bankrupt and are a big part of downgrading us to AA-.
They are being advised by the "political advisor" to the State Prison Guard Union, which helped drive the State into bankruptcy, and prison overcrowding that's making a fed judge order parolees released early onto our streets. THEY not Paul K are doing that. Meanwhile the PPL fought Bratton and will fight Beck and the City, AGAINST hiring enough cops. It's them OVER public safety in the city and what do they care, Weber and his clique don't live here.
Eli Broad, Riordan's other half, and his Broad Performing Arts center downtown catering to Latino immigrants - actively discriminating against others even IF they could or would get bused downtown to a BAD location chosen because it's making Broad MONEY to have sold it to LAUSD - is just one example of billionaires getting richer while the middle class bleeds and leaves. They've got Mrs. Doubtfire Smith, Zine, the Nooch though he's useless for all the million$ they paid for him. They want and NEED Ve$$el.
When you have Tony V, the Nooch AND these Republican billionaires AND ACORN AND IBEW AND Police Political League on the same side, and filing a lawsuit against the Ethics Commission for not being able to throw MORE than a million bucks her way, you know it's BAD. "Essel the best chance for change?" YOU SO FUNNY.
5:36 is a comedian!
Essel is a Vessel as in Receptacle for every special interest that wants the taxpayers to support them. From IBEW/ D'Arcy and his workers that suck the money out of DWP's infrastructure improvements, to PPL which wants to maintain the current high pensions even as a BIG national report today is slamming LA for having failed to realize that its pensions are driving us bankrupt and are a big part of downgrading us to AA-.
They are being advised by the "political advisor" to the State Prison Guard Union, which helped drive the State into bankruptcy, and prison overcrowding that's making a fed judge order parolees released early onto our streets. THEY not Paul K are doing that. Meanwhile the PPL fought Bratton and will fight Beck and the City, AGAINST hiring enough cops. It's them OVER public safety in the city and what do they care, Weber and his clique don't live here.
Eli Broad, Riordan's other half, and his Broad Performing Arts center downtown catering to Latino immigrants - actively discriminating against others even IF they could or would get bused downtown to a BAD location chosen because it's making Broad MONEY to have sold it to LAUSD - is just one example of billionaires getting richer while the middle class bleeds and leaves.
When you have Tony V, the Nooch AND these Republican billionaires AND ACORN AND IBEW AND Police Political League on the same side, and filing a lawsuit against the Ethics Commission for not being able to throw MORE than a million bucks her way, you know it's BAD.
6:51, you're right about how the war they waged against Krekorian MADE him into a fiercely independent man, a potential enemy. AND you're right he has an effective staff around him AND unlike Nooch, who's an idiot and crude bully and admitted to Daily News, "I wasn't prepared for the politics of the job," Krekorian DOES know the "politics" and how to get things done. Nooch's crude thuggish behavior and working for himself in his job instead of giving the Council unbiased, balanced legal advice has made him the most hated man in city hall AND by the public which he fooled into voting for him. Paul isn't a liar, what you see is what you get, he's effective, he's smart, he's the antithesis of the Nooch.
That's WHY they're afraid of him. Because the PPL or D'Arcy can't buy him. A BIG plus for incumbents that has been minimized in the anti-incumbent mania lately is that when you have someone who HAS a public service track record, he has his reputation on the line and you KNOW what you're getting. Say one thing, mean and do Another Nooch is Shallman's one-trick pony whose backfiring on their Edsel.
Benson first round and Krekorian the second round.
That is the story up here in Sunland Tujunga.
There is nothing that a mayor can do to affect the economy of the city. Those forces are national and well beyond the control of a mayor. Riordan, who I supported, may have changed business taxes, etc., but those costs are a drop in the bucket to the other factors that affect the economy, such as state and federal taxes, the buying power of dollar, inflation, health care, and housing.
As soon as Riordan left office, the national economy began dipping downward and Hahn inherited that. He didn't cause it.
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