He continues to exercise that personal choice that belies his claim to care about the city. That commitment the city is simply overrulled by a terminal case of narcissism to make publicity opportunities a regular preference.
It's a choice made by the mayor in the midst of all that's happening with the city that means a lot for how L.A. residents will enjoy or suffer (as the case may be) living in L.A. including steep hikes in DWP rates, Sewer fees almost doubling, the budget still short, OccupyLA creating costs for L.A. (aside from demands), and all the FBI subjects of investigation as fraud, waste and abuse happen to be more the rule than the exception.
Here's a selection from The City Maven blog "Pressers" section today http://www.thecitymaven.com/ to give you an idea of how the elected "leader" (by a slim majority of the approximately 18% of the city's registered voters who came out to cast votes- so that's roughly 10% of the registered voters choosing this mayor) ostensibly "works" for the city of L.A.
"10:15 a.m. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will participate in the Great California ShakeOut at Target in Northridge.The L.A. Weekly's editor, Jill Stewart referred to Villaraigosa as "The Partyboy Mayor" in a radio interview a few months ago, and he surely seems to be that, as well as the subject of the L.A Weekly's "11% Mayor" - a reference to the time spent on real city business based on his official calendar records.. http://www.laweekly.com/2008-09-11/news/the-all-about-me-mayor/
11:30 a.m. Mayor Villaraigosa will recognize Domestic Violence Awareness month at LAPD Headquarters
7:30 p.m. Mayor Villaraigosa will attend the Safe Passage Domestic Violence Awareness Month event at L.A. Live.
8 p.m. Mayor Villaraigosa will speak at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Great Futures Gala at L.A. Live"
"The All-About-Me Mayor: Antonio Villaraigosa's Frenetic Self-Promotion-Hours of travel, fund-raising and PR leave little time for his job" By Patrick Range McDonald Wednesday, Sep 10 2008
http://www.laweekly.com/2008-09-11/news/the-all-about-me-mayor/
Not much seems to have changed aside from the mayor continuing his mission to find a new office to hold and maybe get better publicity photos from it. We might have been better served had Villaraigosa spent more time in his office, in the city and not be so busy involving himself in all that he manages to find that does not get the job done as mayor for L.A. residents and busineses.
There was a continuation of this L.A. Weekly story a few months later: "Villaraigosa, the All About Me Mayor, Is Still 11 Percent There," By Patrick Range McDonald, Wednesday, Dec 31 2008
http://www.laweekly.com/2009-01-01/news/villaraigosa-the-all-about-me-mayor-is-still-11-percent-there/
Well, he's the mayor until July 1, 2013 when the March 2013 election results will produce another mayor, one who might do better, let's hope.
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