Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Monday

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa does little work as mayor, spending his time bedding female reporters and scamming free Laker tickets.  The City of Bell - one of the poorest in LA County - pays it's officials Wall Street salaries. The Governor and State Legislature have driven the state into it's worst fiscal crisis ever. Approval ratings for local officials are in the toilet.  Yet, as noted by Bob Stern of the Center for Governmental Studies still "incumbents are getting elected."  And who are the dum dums?


Ethics Commissioner Marlene Canter is upset. "I took this seat to be relevant," Canter told the Daily News while accusing Commission staff of keeping the members in the dark on their investigation of Ticketgate.  "Ever since I've been here, I feel as if I've been kept in the dark," Canter said.

Speaking of the Mayor over the weekend he broke his elbow while bicycling.  The Mayor was riding on Venice Blvd when a taxi cut in front of him causing him to hit the pavement.  Many bicycle activists are saying perhaps the Mayor will now be more sympathetic to their cause.  Perhaps as well the Mayor will realize how wreckless taxi operators drive lately.  I've seen many around town speeding and often cut in front of other cars.  

Hopefully no one cried.  A truck carrying 12,000 pounds of onions flipped over Sunday morning on the transition roads between the 60 and 5 freeways.  The driver suffered minor injuries but did not require a hospital visit.  No one else was hurt.

Here in Van Nuys has a photo of the childhood home where superstar Betty White grew up in Los Angeles.  The Book Celebrities in the 1930 Census has a treasure trove of fascinating living information about various celebrities living here 80 years ago.