Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has removed Building and Safety Commission President Javier Nuqez following reports he was one of nine current and former city commissioners who received special treatment from building officials for construction projects.
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Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on a whirlwind tour of Asia, made a 24 hour stop in Hong Kong Sunday, October 15 to sign an agreement with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) to facilitate trade and production between the two “entertainment capitals and trade gateways.
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A protocol expert and an eight-page manual offer Los Angeles' mayor tips on how to avoid stepping on diplomatic toes.
By Duke Helfand, Times Staff Writer
October 16, 2006
GUANGZHOU, China — Let's say you're the mayor of Los Angeles on an official visit here and you crack a joke about politicians.
Bad move.
Or perhaps you bring a lovely crystal vase wrapped in white paper, the color for funerals.
Oops.
Luckily for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, his staff has compiled a protocol playbook for his East Asian trade mission to China, South Korea and Japan that contains enough do's and don'ts to give Emily Post a headache.
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THERE'S ONLY ONE thing worse than having to listen to canned political speeches and pretentious dignitary-speak. It's having to listen to them back-to-back in English and in Mandarin.
Accompanied by a coterie of business, labor and political allies, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is barnstorming through Asia as if it were Iowa before the caucuses and he were running for president. The trip is officially a trade mission, and it appears there are some real business connections and deals being made. But as is so often the case with Villaraigosa, it's ultimately all about him, all the time.
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What's a trip to the capital of China without running into Henry Kissinger?
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, in the midst of a 16-day trade mission to East Asia, has been staying in the same hotel as the former secretary of State — the St. Regis in Beijing's embassy district. A businessman in the mayors' delegation who has a connection to Kissinger arranged a meeting between the two.
Kissinger received Villaraigosa for 30 minutes in his suite Monday evening. The guest list was short. It included City Councilman Jack Weiss and former Ambassador to China J. Stapleton Roy.
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Good and bad day for the Mayor Tuesday.
First off, the City Council extended the term of the Mayor's interim General Manager of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment - Lisa Sarno - despite concerns from Neighborhood Council leaders.
Janice Hahn was one Council Member to express some concerns. "People are quitting neighborhood councils. They've decided they're burned out and there are too many rules and regulations," Councilwoman Janice Hahn said. "I hope I don't hear the same complaints and concerns that have been plaguing the committee about the turn the department is taking."
In the meantime, LA Voice stakes out a position that the Mayor's Asian junket is a good thing after all.
On the downside for the Mayor, Congresswoman Diane Watson - the first African American woman elected to the school board in 1975 - is part of a group who has filed suit to overturn the Mayor's legislation to take over the LA school district.
Mayor Villaraigosa continues his Asian junket, opening up a tourism office in Beijing, among other things.
The Mayor even took time to climb the Great Wall of China and assembled press:
"L.A. is the crossroads for the emerging economies of the East and the emerging markets of the South," Villaraigosa said in an interview after touring the fabled Forbidden City in central Beijing. "Our ability to connect our diverse city with those economies is the key to our future."Do you think the Mayor might make a deal to import fortune cookies from China?
Since Mayor V is in Asia right now, here's something else going on. Monday, on Patt Morrison's show on KPCC, she will provide a forum to third party candidates for California Governor. Among the scheduled guests: Peter Camejo, Candidate for Governor, Green Party, Art Olivier, Candidate for Governor, Libertarian, Edward Noonan, Candidate for Governor, American Independent Party. 2:00 p.m., KPCC 89.3 FM.
Or pick your own topic.
Friday Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will attend a grand opening for the Westfield Topanga shopping center. Later in the afternoon he will join LAPD Chief William Bratton to hold a news conference to discuss efforts to clean up downtown's Skid Row and efforts to recruit more police officers.
Thursday morning, Mayor Villaraigosa and other mayors within the LAUSD will hold a news conference to discuss the search for a new district superintendent. Later in the afternoon, the Mayor will deliver keynote remarks at the United Chamber of Commerce of San Fernando Valley's second annual Mayor's Luncheon. Wrapping up the day, he will deliver remarks at UCLA's Millennium Ball, honoring Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Eiger.
Wednesday, Mayor Villaraigosa will meet with Michael Wilson, the Canadian ambassador to the United States, to discuss trade and economic opportunities. Later in the evening, the Mayor will appear live on KCAL9's "Ask the Mayor'' segment.
Mayor Villaraigosa has named 37 year old Arif Alikhan as his new deputy mayor in charge of homeland security.
Alikhan, an attorney, worked for the US Justice Department for over eight years. He worked at Justice previously with City Councilman Jack Weiss.
The new deputy mayor cites his background as a Muslim as a benefit to help him in his work on the war on terror.
Martini Republic reports that Mayor Villaraigosa anticipates that the billion dollar housing to lose, and that power politics between the Mayor and Council President Eric Garcetti are behind it all.
Could this boondoggle come back to bite Mr. Garcettil, who went all out to get it on the ballot? Time will tell.
The bigger elephant in the living room, according to MR - labor is not stepping up to fund the Yes on H campaign.
Attorney named new executive director of LAHSA
Los Angeles Daily News - Los Angeles,CA,USA
... Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said a strong homeless services agency is critical to city and county efforts to address homelessness. ...
Villaraigosa Names Public Safety Deputy
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
... Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa named a senior official from the US Department of Justice on Friday to serve as his new deputy mayor in charge of counter-terrorism ...
LA School Board Rebuffs Mayor's Request on Superintendent Search
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
... Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa had sought "all relevant information about all applicants" both for himself and for other members of a new "council of mayors" that ...
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Villaraigosa emphasizes integrity, ethics to commissioners
Los Angeles Daily News - Los Angeles,CA,USA
To help head off the "pay-to-play" concerns that followed his predecessor's appointees, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa gathered more than 200 city commissioners ...
Mayor Mike's Western Coast Swing
Gothamist - NY,USA
... The previous day, Mayor Bloomberg met with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to discuss education, but of course the talk turned to 2008. ...
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Chamber Turns From Foe to Friend of Villaraigosa
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
... Burying the hatchet from last year's election, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa greeted a group of Los Angeles business leaders at City Hall on Thursday ...
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School-safety plan starts with a hug
Los Angeles Daily News - Los Angeles,CA,USA
Like members of a feuding family trying to prove to the world they really do get along, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and school officials shared a hug Wednesday ...
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Success for SBIA not sealed
San Bernardino Sun - San Bernardino,CA,USA
Just one day after a summit in Los Angeles between Mayor Pat Morris and his LA counterpart, Antonio Villaraigosa, in which the two leaders discussed the future ...
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Villaraigosa Wants More Businesses, Jobs In LA
CBS 2 - Los Angeles,CA,USA
(CBS) LOS ANGELES Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Thursday asked 500 business leaders to work with city officials as "partners" to attract companies and create more ...
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Antonio's triumph
Los Angeles Daily News - Los Angeles,CA,USA
Arnold Schwarzenegger to Los Angeles on Monday was an amazing illustration of how Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's school-reform efforts have turned the political ...
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Come Home, Wayward Angelenos
LA Weekly - Los Angeles,CA,USA
... That was the lesson from this week’s love fest at the Los Angeles Central Library, where Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa welcomed, yet again, Governor Arnold ...
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Mayor Bloomberg Stumps For Governor Schwarzenegger
NY1 - NY,USA
... Yesterday, the mayor met with his Los Angeles counterpart, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to talk about school reform. Following Bloomberg's ...
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News briefs from Southern California
San Jose Mercury News - CA, USA
... Mayor Pat Morris and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa discussed the San Bernardino air field's future as a prime location to take overflow from crowded ...
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Fujioka Resigning as LA's City Administrative Officer
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
... "I have total support on the council, and I have total support and an exceptional relationship with the mayor," Fujioka said of Antonio Villaraigosa, whom he ...
High-Tech Plan Targets Crime Near Two LA Schools
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
Enlisting cutting-edge technology to reduce violence near Los Angeles high schools, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced plans Wednesday to bring together ...
Attempt to Settle Skid Row Suit Fails
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
Rebuffing Villaraigosa, the council rejects a plan to let the homeless sleep on sidewalks at night. By Steve Hymon and Richard Winton. ...
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House of Representatives Repeals Tunneling Ban
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
... tunneling possible. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and others are in the process of seeking funding for the multibillion-dollar project.
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Bloomberg Finds Warm Reception in California
New York Sun - New York,NY,USA
... as his potential presidential bid won public votes of confidence from two powerful Californians, the mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa, and the local ...
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Villaraigosa's trip to Asia will focus on port, air travel
Daily Breeze - Torrance,CA,USA
... Los Angeles and spreading the impacts of Los Angeles International Airport around the region will be on the agenda when Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa travels to ...
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City takeover talk irks school officials
San Bernardino Sun - San Bernardino,CA,USA
Morris, following a Tuesday meeting with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, said he would be watching with "intense interest" Villaraigosa's quest to ...
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For Bloomberg, in Los Angeles to Discuss Education, Admiration and ...
New York Times - United States
... And both Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, who has cited New York City’s educational reforms as a model for Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles police chief ...
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In boost to LA subway extension, House lifts tunneling ban
San Francisco Chronicle - CA, USA
... election. Obstacles still would exist to building the 13.2 mile extension, a priority of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. ...
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House approves 'subway to the sea' bill
Los Angeles Daily News - Los Angeles,CA,USA
WASHINGTON - The House of Representatives lifted a major barrier to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's "subway to the sea," today, ending a longstanding ...
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Congress May Lift Ban On Wilshire Blvd. Tunneling
CBS 2 - Los Angeles,CA,USA
... LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa praised the legislation to lift the ban as a step toward reducing traffic congestion in the city. ...
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Villaraigosa to visit England, Asia
KESQ - Palm Desert,CA,USA
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa visits London and Manchester next week at the invitation of British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Villaraigosa's ...
Villaraigosa to visit England, Asia
San Jose Mercury News - CA, USA
LOS ANGELES - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will visit England next week followed by a 16-day trade mission to Asia, officials said. ...
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Housing Voucher Program Revived
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced the revival of a program Monday to give homeless people federal vouchers that would pay most of the rent for apartments. ...
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Mayors talk flights
San Bernardino Sun - San Bernardino,CA,USA
The news emerged following a 75-minute meeting between San Bernardino Mayor Pat Morris and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, in which they chatted about ...
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Villaraigosa to Travel to England, Then Visit Asia for a 16-Day ...
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
... Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, embarking on the first international forays of his year-old administration, will pay a short visit to England next week ...
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LA to End Faster Permits for the Favored
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
... Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa requested the action in response to a Times report that dozens of construction projects sought by political insiders had been ...
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa plans to jet to the United Kingdom and Asia in the next several weeks. The purpose of the trip is to boost tourism, attract business and support a bid for the 2016 Olympics.
Villaraigosa will travel to London and Manchester next week at the request of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who recently visited California.
Villaraigosa will provide details of the trips during a City Hall news conference Wednesdsay afternoon.
Like the bag in the picture to the left? You can get your own by clicking here.
Mayor Will Go To UK, Asia To Boost Tourism
CBS 2 - Los Angeles,CA,USA
(CBS) LOS ANGELES Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will travel to the United Kingdom and Asia in the next several weeks to boost tourism, attract business and ...
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Gov. Signs Mayor's Dream Into Law
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
In a bill-signing ceremony at the Central Library, Villaraigosa fulfills a hard-fought goal: gaining clout over the city's public schools. ...
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Mayor: He'll have veto over schools chiefs
Sacramento Bee - CA, USA
... its operations. It was also a great day for the Republican governor and Los Angeles' Democratic mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa. Even ...
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Rental subsidy program gets millions more
Los Angeles Daily News - Los Angeles,CA,USA
... financial help to find permanent housing under a $29 million expansion of the Section 8 rental-subsidy program, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced Monday. ...
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It's Done: Villaraigosa OK'd to Help Steer LAUSD
LAVoice.org - Los Angeles,CA,USA
... For example, the new district superintendent must be a consensus choice by Villaraigosa, a school board majority and the mayors of cities that constitute at ...
LA events point to battle for Democratic votes in governor's race
San Jose Mercury News - CA, USA
... Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a landmark school bill flanked by two leading Democrats, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez. ...
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Homeless to get more help from Section 8
Los Angeles Daily News - Los Angeles,CA,USA
City officials will find the money to house more than 2,000 homeless people, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is expected to announce today. ...
Lesson lost
Los Angeles Daily News - Los Angeles,CA,USA
... of Education had heeded the warnings of parent discontent, they might not have spent the past year in a futile power struggle with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. ...
Villaraigosa wants credit for what he is trying to accomplish
Los Angeles Daily News - Los Angeles,CA,USA
It was a low-key trip for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to Washington, DC, last week, with no major announcements - just a series of meetings that he said laid ...
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When Mayor Villaraigosa takes over the LAUSD, one of his biggest challenges may be an ever-growing, overly bloated District payroll.
The LA Times is reporting that a state audit claims the District "has more central-office staff than ever, and top administrators also cost more than in other large urban school districts."
Of course, the District says these expenses are more than justified.
Honeymoon is over
Los Angeles Daily News - Los Angeles,CA,USA
THE next city budget isn't due for nearly a year, but Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa can already see a political struggle ahead. ...
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Mayor Villaraigosa is joining with a number of civil rights leaders who are calling real estate companies "racist" for not allowing mostly African-American security guards to unionize.
Of course, its primarily illegal immigration that has hurt Blacks and other legal Americans who have lost their jobs to lower paid illegal immigrants.
But they won't mention that!
So, what's your take today on our Mayor?
Zuma Dogg covered the story where our media mayor took the opportunity at a Spanish language media awards to bash local talkradio hosts, John and Ken, for their position on illegal immigration.
This was probably the dumbest move of his career.
Not since Dan Quayle jumped all over "Murphy Brown" has a politician shamelessly used a media straw man to attempt to advance his own position.
Certainly, the Mayor has much larger issues to address than two guys on the radio. What the Mayor does know is 1) Draw more attention and greater listernship to the KFI program, 2) Inflame the hosts even more who will focus all firepower on him, 3) Once again divert the attention from the true issues facing the city.
Like the Academia Semillas del Pueblo crowd who think they have some kind of legal right to censor Doug McIntyre, the Mayor has drawn himself into a war he will surely lose.
Good going Mr. Mayor.
