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.

Classic MayorSam: Doug McIntyre Schools Annoying Democrat on Mayor Villaraigosa

On the eve of Barack Obama's big convention speech, here's a piece by Red Spot from earlier in this year that shows Obama nor even his top lieutenant, Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, apparently didn't know what an embarrassment even LA Democrats think our Mayor is. On a Fox News segment, KABC talkradio host Doug McIntyre tries to explain it to Wasserman-Schultz, who will have none of it.

KABC 790 AM Morning Show Host Doug McIntyre's "political education" of DNC Chairperson Congresswoman Debbie "Blabbermouth" Schultz on the reigning "11% Mayor of Los Angeles" Antonio Ramon Villar, continues its viral national ascension. On Friday, Doug gave the above pre-dawn interview with "Fox and Friends" on DNC Chairperson's sought out interview to discuss the Democratic National Committee's selection of the "visionary" City Terrace native as the "chairperson" of its National Convention in September.

You can link here to hear the "borderline offensive" retort of Doug McIntyre to Congresswoman Blabbermouth-Schultz's attempt to spin revisionist facts on the achievements (or lack of) of Mayor Villar. One can ponder as we near the Democratic Convention in September, how many times McIntyre's exchange with the Florida Congresswoman will be replayed to a national audience?

Your thoughts ..............

Scott Johnson in CD 14

Classic MayorSam: The Anyone But Antonio Meme

More from the MayorSam archives as Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa leads Barack Obama's three day infomercial in Charlotte. Here's when even the left leaning bloggers turned on the Mayor prior to his re-election.

The Mayor and his minions have launched a "campaign" that is almost comical in it's lies, distortions and mistruths when it comes to representing his record over the last four years (or would that be acutally the 161 days he actually worked on City business?).

If you've read this blog you're familiar with all his mis-doings from Mirthala to toilets to more serious matters like the fiscal health of the city.  You know how big of a kleptocracy Los Angeles has become. So its not a surprise that blogs beyond this one are starting to call for rejection of this 11% mayor.

Not known for being a radical MetBlogs' David Markland gets the ball rolling asking voters to "head to the polls March 3rd and vote for anyone BUT Antonio."  Next Joseph Mailander at Street Hassle picks it up hat tipping to Markland and saying that the Mayor and his handlers have "denied democracy to Los Angeles" this election season.  Fishbowl LA is next to chime in offering that Markland's "reasoning is sound."

So who's next?

Image from Fishbowl LA

Villaraigosa: Always out and about!

Photo by Zach Behrens of LAist

Your Mayor, hard at work, showing up to the Oscars last night as chronicled by Zach Behrens at LAist.

An Intervention for Matt Szabo?

I am beginning to get concerned for Mayoral spokesman Matt Szabo (pictured here with co-spokesflack Janelle Erickson).  I first met Matt about six years ago when I was working as a volunteer for Wendy Greuel's first Council race. In addition to working phone banks, Matt's team sent me to canvass goats in Sunland-Tujunga.  

I digrees.  Matt seemed like a very nice young man and intelligent political operative - not unlike the character played by Michael J. Fox in Spin City or Rob Lowe in The West Wing. 

Sometime later Matt was hired as Mayor Villaraigosa's spokesman.  It seemed like a good idea at the time but considering everything he's been through - from Mirthala to toilets - one wonders if Matt wishes he could reconsider the decision.

The latest kerfuffle Matt was forced into involved the re-stating of his bosses boastful remarks about the LA Weekly, issued some months after the great Patrick Range McDonald story that made the case Mayor Villaraigosa spends about 11% of his time on actual city business.  You may remember the Mayor got a little too big for his britches when he claimed to Rick Orlov of the Daily News that they were upset because they never got to see his private schedule - something that would actually be illegal.  As PRM reported Matt had to come back and say the Mayor "misspoke." There was only one schedule and indeed The Weekly did have it - which means Patrick's calculations are correct.

So in the latest round Matt sat down with Patrick to parse the Mayor's statement to Orlov word for word.  However it must have been a near impossible task because all Szabo could do was to continue to assert that “Mayor Villaraigosa works harder and longer than any other big-city mayor in America, and everyone in Los Angeles knows it.”  Remember those two clauses because Pat deconstructs both of them.

Pat went to Fred Siegel, no, not the clothing store magnate, but professor of history at the Cooper Union for Science and Art in New York City, strongly.  Siegel - a recognized expert on municipal affairs - finds  Szabo's statement ridiciulous and descibles Villaraigosa as a “ceremonial mayor.”   Siegel grants the title of "hardest working mayor" to Richard Daley of Chicago, Thomas Menino of Boston and Cory Booker of Newark, New Jersey.  He probably doesn't know about South El Monte Mayor Blanca Figueroa who works so hard, statying in her office until 11:00 at night, that her City Council wants to take her keys away from her.

As far as "everyone" knowing and agreeing how hard the Mayor works, Patrick isn't sure about that one too. It appears that beside the usual suspects such as this blog and inflammatory talkradio host Doug McIntyre the story has been covered by decidely non-Villaraigosa haters such as Fishbowl LA and the LA Times.  150 readers commented on the Weekly's piece; most of which were highly critical of the Mayor.

If I was someone close to Szabo, I would perhaps direct him towards another job.  Remember the first part of conquering it is admitting it.

Antonio Villaraigosa: The Hardest Working Man in Politics? Yea, right.

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.

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