ClassicMayorSam: The 11% Mayor

And finally as the Democratic National Convention, chaired by Antonio Villaraigosa, winds up, probably the most embarrassing thing for Los Angeles is that the Mayor reportedly spends about 11% of his day working on City business, while the rest of the time is spent on political fundraisers, concerts, parties, sitting for a wax dummy carving, dates and other productive events (Oh! Like the DNC!) This now legendary report by the LA Weekly's Patrick Range McDonald was a watershed in local reporting. From 2008...

One of the most delicious stories of 2008 was that of the LA Weekly's Patrick Range McDonald's excellent investigation into the schedule of Mayor Villaraigosa and the revelation that he only spends about 11% of his reported 16-18 hour days actually on any city related business.  The rest of the time is either related to fundraising for himself or other candidates, campaigning for candidates, appearing at photo opps and time spent traveling between all these non city-business related events. (One of the best items from McDonald's report: Villaraigosa's "sitting" for his wax dummy to be placed in Madame Tussaud's museum.)

"Everyone who knows me, knows I work hard. That's why both Sen. Clinton and Obama wanted me to campaign for them."
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa

Apparently Villaraigosa didn't really appreciate McDonald making it known how little work he actually does and threw a zinger against the Weekly in Rick Orlov's Daily News column telling Orlov "It didn't really go anywhere because it wasn't true. They were upset because we only gave them my public calendar. They didn't get to see what I was doing privately, with meetings here (at City Hall) or in other places. Everyone who knows me, knows I work hard. That's why both Sen. Clinton and Obama wanted me to campaign for them."

Yet if you look at the copy of Villaraigosa's schedule the Weekly posted online, you can see that the "private" (blacked out) portions really only account for a small portion of the Mayor's schedule and really don't add up to hours of "working hard."

The truth is the Mayor is an attention addicted photo opp junkie who makes himself look silly whether it's hanging out with Dr. Seuss characters  or playing the conga drums with celebrities  at a taxpayer financed hotspot.

I have a feeling the Mayor could come to regret his statements to Orlov.  Stay tuned.