Mayor at Guadalajara Book Fair-
The Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade (ICEX) and the Spanish Association of Publishers Guilds (FGEE) have developed the campaign "America Reads Spanish," and the "News" section on that web site reports on this event.
http://www.americareadsspanish.org/industrynewsdet.aspx?id=2141
"L.A. an 'example to the world' says its mayor at int'l book fair in Mexico,"
Date: Dec 10, 2009
The mayor's presence is used to promote the event that further validates it as a cause for Los Angeles to spend money from a federal grant, $2.1 million, and from its own funds for other items not covered by the grant. In the times of the ongoing budget crisis, the usual reason that is recited to justify this is that it promotes business for Los Angeles. This is getting to be a tired claim.
The costs and really the function of this event don't appear to be a wise expenditure of tax dollars at this time, even if $2.1 million is from the federal level and not the city level. It still demonstrates that current economic conditions aren't recognized to any degree as the government at all levels continues to dwell in the red from a budget standpoint, with politician grasping at any and all opportunities to tax and charge to try to offset the conditions. There will be a cut in services, and it will be done more drastically as the deficit continues to rise. That is the itme that the city will feel the consequences of the poor management by elected and appointed officials.
Last year as this Book Fair grant was awarded to Los Angeles, the woman in the cultural affairs department was besider herself with joy, defending the costs for participating as being paid for by "federal" money, as if such money was free instead of being other taxpayer dollars collected from us. I recall that she made an accusation against critics on talk radio over the planned expenditure at that time, yet she did not hear first hand the criticism itself. I did, and her comments were themselves perfect examples of painting with a broad brush and applying stereotypical characterization instead of facts to the matters raised by those talk show hosts and audience members. This is what happens when people have considered the impact based simply and only on their view from their own world, in this case, the "cultural" aspect of that city department.
This year, city budget conditions are undeniably bleak, much more critical than recognized last year, but nevertheless, there's no real acknowledgment on the one hand that spend money in a business-as-usual level.
The fact is that then and now, spending such huge sums makes little sense but filtered through the way that government operates, any logical analysis of the fiscal truth is entirely rejected in favor of the less tangible and very subjective values of the artistic impact that may be present.
"Cultural affairs" as a representation of the arts by city government continues with a very defensive posture that continues to anticipate criticism for reasons stated above. The locale of the book fair, Mexico, seems to color the defensive treatment at Tuesday's meeting by council members, especially Latino members. The fact is that there is a lot of money spent that originated as tax dollars and it is spent out of the country, outside of our economy and it takes people away from doing their regular jobs that are becoming more critical to be performed now.
City council and staff need to be working on the immediate matters, becoming more urgent with each passing day. But the distractions of other events that are not of the same level of urgency, and more of a discretionary nature in comparison, continues to divert time and work from needed city actions. I think it was CM Ed Reyes and CM Jose Huizar sent out for this event, something that I am sure they enjoyed but I think I would have felt a better level of attention to city business as a factual and symbolic matter would be demonstrated by staying in L.A. and getting progress on the issues of budget, public safety and planning. But to criticize this event as imprudent fiscally gets turned around to some sort of anti-Latino or anti-Mexican comment that is "racist" which totally serves the purpose of quelling lots of criticism before it's even expressed. Turning a discussion around like that based on nationality and ethicity is itself racist and further serves to avoid any fair discussion while sensitivities are raised unfairly.
The statements about the majority of Los Angeles being of Mexican ancestry and interested in further cultural enlightenment may be true but it does not address the financial aspects of such a choice of expenditure. The personal, the emotional and the recreational travel influences connected to this event seem to sway any opportunity for objectivity, and Cardenas delved into a lot of "fact-finding" as something anticipatory of further criticism.
It looks like the Mayor is their role model, already having left the country on several trips since July's swearing in for his second term of office. And has anyone noticed that while the Mayor is gone, statements and announcements continue to be made in by his office and appearing in the news as, "The Mayor has announced ..." or "The Mayor said ..." but he's not even here and it comes from his office to give the illusion and soften the appearance of his absence. A daily log of his whereabouts since July's inauguration could show the actual travel activity that's led to Villariagosa as being named "the 11% Mayor," spending that much actual time doing his job.
The city council spent a lot of meeting time yesterday and what I heard of that session was a demonstation of a pre-emptive strike that addressed the "positive" points of the event and expenditure. What one public commenter said about the naming by the Guadalajara Book Fair of Mayor Villaraigosa as a the honored guest was that it better named a self-promotion for Antonio Villaraigosa. That's a foregone assessment for most of the international travels by this Mayor, especially that done in the last 6 months. Well, one thing you can say for the City Council and their minions is that obfuscation of anything, be it issues, motive, facts, is a skill that they continue to hone and they are very good at that. It's unfortunatelfor the general public who too often, gets taken in by it as L.A. continues it's change away from being an affordable place to live.
Posts
