Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Friday

 My brothers  and sisters in labor are to blame for this economic mess

In the City of Los Angeles, pink slips mean relocation to DWP at 25-50% more pay.

Since the start of the 21st Century, there have been those in the City of Los Angeles political circles who have never bought into the Parke Skelton crafted Antonio Villaraigosa Political Persona. The leader that could bring a diverse city together is really an angry man who lies about his own father. A loving family man is nothing more than a telebimbo-chasing Tonto. A progressive brother for labor in reality is an union buster when its come to reinventing his political image for the next run for public office. Make no doubt, there are countless examples that highlight the current political incarnation of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa,, as someone who's only core value, is the self-preservation of Antonio Ramon Villar.

That said, we highlight the latest person or group to await betrayal via the "double-face Villar". City unions must of feign indignation at Mayor Villar's threat of massive layoffs in the upcoming 2012/2013 Budget (any layoffs planned for the mayor's staff? Stupid question). Labor leaders cringed at Mayor Villar assigning blame to his brothers and sisters for the current economic state of the city. Yet, some of those labor leaders knew back in 2001 that a Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Administration could be a bad thing for Los Angeles and its labor friends.

Yet, when Antonio Villaraigosa became mayor in 2005, the potential for contract riches made many in the City of Los Angeles collective community, forget those issues of character that many had with the now current mayor. Six plus years later, as a city drifts endlessly in an ocean of economic stagnation in search of a land mass of economic renewal. A former labor brother turns on the latest group or person that stands in the way of his own latest political reincarnation that benefits only a former City Terrace resident named Antonoi Ramon Villar 

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14   

Open thread for Wednesday

Open thread Wednesday, folks. Suggested topics include the Mayor's sweatheart deal on early retirement for City employees, groundbreaking on the Orange Line extension being 4 years ahead of schedule, and whether or not highly-paid Public Works commisioner Ernesto Cardenas is Tony's brother. So what do Ed McMahon and Phil J have in common? And oh yeah - the Mayor's Tweeter seems to have sprung to life again. What gives?

Blog away, dum dums.

The Answer To The Light Bulb Question

Sometimes a Mayor Sam reader gets a guest shot at blogging when their comment is just too good. RSS and blog aggregation fame is assured.

Earlier today I asked "How Many DWP Employees Does it Take to Pass Out a Light Bulb?" Manhattan Beach Mongrel (no relation to Zuma Dogg I presume) has the definitive answer:

It takes one if they're non-union.

If they're unionized, it takes a lot more. Here's the breakdown:

1 Teamster to transport the bulb to DWP.

1 AFSCME (American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees) to process the accompanying paperwork.

1 EAA (Engineers, Architects, and Accountants) to process the purchase order for the bulb from the manufacturer.

1 SEIU (Service Employees International Union) to clean the bulb.

1 AFSCME to print installation instructions (including warnings to not swallow the bulb, disposal instructions, and compliance instructions).

1 Teamster to drive the printed instructions to the warehouse.

1 SEIU to package the bulb, and include the installation instructions with the packaging.

1 SEIU to warehouse the bulb.

1 Teamster to operate a forklift inside the warehouse, both for storage and for transport to the loading dock.

1 Teamster to load the DWP vehicle with the bulb.

1 Teamster to drive the DWP vehicle to its destination.

1 EAA to install the bulb if the resident is a special-needs person.

1 EAA to process fuel expenses.

Total DWP Employees: 13

For the record, all DWP employees are paid a higher salary than City employees with the same job classification. According to the DWP, their employees are paid higher due to hazards not encountered by City employees.

Business to Fight Back

After taking it lying down from unions, NIMBYs and liberal politicians for some time, local business may fight back.

Tuesday, with politicians such as Bitter Bernie, Sleeping Smith and Leather Denny tagging along, a coalition of business organizations will announce the formation of the Los Angeles County Business Federation. They already have a cutesy name for it, "Biz Fed."

The idea is to coalesce many local and regional Chambers of Commerce, business organizations and other groups under one umbrella along the same model as the LA County Federation of Labor. Indeed, the plan has caused Maria Elena Durazo, executive secretary-treasurer of the County Fed to get her panties in a bunch. Durazo fears the organization could be a "another tool to defeat reasonable proposals made on behalf of workers in Los Angeles."

The organization could be an effective resource for business to fight back against job and business killing proposals here in Los Angeles. For too long, business has rolled over and played dead as unions and other special interests took control of City Hall.

The fear I have is that the organization - though having some 40,000 businesses under its umbrella - is too close to a number of the "usual suspects" such as the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce who have often times put their desire for a cozy interest with the Downtown power payers ahead of their members as a whole citywide. Indeed, politically connected attorney and outgoing LA Chamber Chairman David Fleming will be Chairman of the new group.

However "BizFed" for now is worth a shot. Only time will tell if the organization will be a true advocate for business or a lapdog for the hoi paloi.

Estolano Grinches CRA's Xmas

Joseph Mailander a guy in la • elsewhere • email

After the City Council voted City rank-and-file workers a pay raise earlier this week, CRA CEO Cecilia Estolano invalidated the pay raises for CRA employees, MayorSam has learned.

CEO Estolano also took the extra measure of sending CRA employees a union-rustling memo yesterday reminding union workers not to add any hours devoted to union activities to their time cards.

Sunday Morning Mimosa

Our expectation as citizens is that the City operate better on less money. But do the math and the City has been trending in the opposite direction, the Daily News says this morning.

Since 2000, Los Angeles workers' costs have surged 53 percent - to $4 billion a year - rising an average 7.5 percent every year.

General fund revenues also grew strongly but only at an average 5.7 percent a year.

The result is a swing of almost $1 billion, pushing the city from a surplus to an anticipated shortfall of $300 million next year.

The article blames the influence on unions. But don't you get the feeling that unions are digging in deeper because of the missing rungs in LA's housing ladder---something every City Council member and especially the Mayor's office and Planning Department shares blame for? If we were incentivizing the construction of more workforce housing for cops rather than million dollar condos for out-of-towners, the unions might be able to loosen their death-grip on the City a little.

Don't give the City an affordable housing bond. You already give it enough money. Give it better leadership.

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Uniquely tone-deaf to such matters, the former fishwrap of record brings you an unsigned left rail ed this morning stating that the City's pay-raise system works.

For real. Almost wickedly insane, here's part of the ed's lamentable laughingstock of a conclusion:

Every penny of these new pay raises, whether they are accepted or not, must buy a recommitment by City Hall watchdogs and L.A. residents to break the system that too often keeps elected officials focused on fundraising and political advancement rather than the best interests of the city.

Oh, sure. The seven percent of City voters who voted in the last school board election aren't just committed, they're anxious to recommit.

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Zuma last night took on Jan Perry's fast food restaruant moratorium proposal for South LA. So did Tony Pierce at LAist. But fast food zoning has already hit tonier parts of the country (York County, Maine, and Calistoga, for a couple) and a more Republican incarnation of the debate (liability) hit the House of Representatives in 2004.

As fast and fatty food has been abundantly available South LA for more than two generations, it seems more logical to blame sedentary lifestyles (Internet, dvd, etc.) and an ironic health trend---far less smoking---than diet for spiking obesity trends. If something must be blamed---other than human frailty---at all.

Unions Win Key Victory

After tactics by the City Council a year ago to rush through discussions on city employee contracts without following state rules or allowing public input, representatives of the unions that represent municipal employees announced a key victory Tuesday.

"Negotiations are moving forward with the city," said Bob Schoonover, President of the LA & OC Cities Regional Board, as well as VP of the the SEIU Local 721 Interim Board and leader of the LA City bargaining team.

Employees will continue to work with the City's Executive Employee Relations Committee to win cost-of-living raises. In the meantime, the contract will be extended to September 30th. At that time - assuming a contract is signed - the employees will receive the raises retroactively through July 1st of this year.