Steve Lopez, L.A. Times columnist comments in this morning's edition on the poor showing of the Mayor, a surprise to both him and to the mayor, as well. There are a number of things that are pointed out in the column to show some interesting conclusions taken from the election on Tuesday, including the fact that over 9,000 voters in the city elections did not cast a vote for ANYONE for mayor. "Villaraigosa's win might not be a victory," Steve Lopez, March 4, 2009. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lopezweb-2009mar05,0,3425143.column?track=rss
According to the news reports in the Times, there are about 4,000 absentee ballots that remain to be counted. Measure B, to Solar Energy proposal that had no certain price tag established, lost by a few hundred votes, and this was needed by the Mayor to be able to take credit for it.
Measure B still has a chance of passing but if we are lucky, it will not. A proper ballot measure can and should be presented before something of such huge financial impact is considered. The measure still had lots of information on costs ranging between a million to 3 million dollars, and we weres supposed to trust them while giving, essentially what amounts to a "blank check" for the costs, and making this a change to the City Charter. This was not done that way, and simply done so because it was a product of deceit and backroom deals. The mayor's interview on this is very revealing on the topic.
Measure B's Smoking Gun: Antonio Confesses Measure B Is a Payoff to the IBEW
"You say, 'We cut a deal with them.' Yeah, we did. We built a partnership with them...they didn't see any jobs." -- Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in an interview with the LA Business Journal published Monday March 2, 2009."
By Ron Kaye on March 2, 2009
http://ronkayela.com/2009/03/measure-bs-smoking-gun-antonio.html
Kaye starts of with, "That's what Charles Crumpley, the editor of the Business Journal, reports under the headline *Mayor and Business a Poor Union.* "
The IBEW involvement was genuinely responsible for adding in the DWP jobs training program and the provision to prohibit any others but the IBEW local from doing the installations. This was all what the mayor gave up in trying to get the union to give in on the Solar proposal. They had been against this for about 9 years according to other critics, and suddently "Measure B" pops up by the deadline to go on the ballot, and the union does a complete change in position, and is in full support now.
All these deals are too often the norm for political representatives, and they say something else- which is what fits the regular definition of a "lie." Not a complicated analysis at all.
But why the URGENCY to put in on March 3's ballot? (1.) so it can win in the traditionally low turnout election when most people are not aware of an election and even less aware of what it's for, and (2.) So Tony could add it as HIS baby, that HE got it passed in what he likes to say as a slogan, "L.A.'s the greenest large city in the country," taking the credit himself first and then tossing crumbs to a few others while he assembles a resume to run for Governor in 2010. At least that was the plan. He's gets the goods and we get the bills. He may be sticking around now for the entire term, but not by his choice.
Lopez gives his view of what Villaraigosa's actions mean and some opinion on what the Mayor could do.
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