Remember those $1.3 million in public relations contracts the L.A. Harbor Commission approved to promote clean air efforts at the port?
Well, with the prudence of King Solomon, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa -- released while he's on his faraway hideaway vacation -- found a way to split the baby.
He wrote (here's the link to the letter portsletter.pdf) Harbor Commission President S. David Freeman that he believes "it is critical that the department take measures to develop internal staff capacity to direct and manage a more robust public communications effort. Consistent with this goal, I suggest you swiftly reconsider the public education and community outreach contracts" approved June 19.
At the same time, the mayor wrote: "The contractor's work should be viewed as a temporary supplement with a scope of one year ... should be project specific and prohibit services related to obtaining media coverage; and...should be limited to one firm."
In other words, he decided to defuse the P.R. time bomb created by the commission's approval of open-ended contracts with the Rogers Group and Hill & Knowlton.
The contracts were widely seen as a replication of the $3 million a year deal the Department of Water and Power cut with the Fleishman-Hillard that led to scandal, controversy and ultimately federal court convictions of three P.R. executives.
Approval of the contracts six weeks ago raised questions about what role would be played by Steve Sugerman, the Fleishman-Hillard P.R. executive who got probation after changing his story and admitting he engaged in falsifying DWP billings.
A big question now is whether either P.R. firm is appropriate to handle a community relations effort rather than media manipulation.
Well, with the prudence of King Solomon, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa -- released while he's on his faraway hideaway vacation -- found a way to split the baby.
He wrote (here's the link to the letter portsletter.pdf) Harbor Commission President S. David Freeman that he believes "it is critical that the department take measures to develop internal staff capacity to direct and manage a more robust public communications effort. Consistent with this goal, I suggest you swiftly reconsider the public education and community outreach contracts" approved June 19.
At the same time, the mayor wrote: "The contractor's work should be viewed as a temporary supplement with a scope of one year ... should be project specific and prohibit services related to obtaining media coverage; and...should be limited to one firm."
In other words, he decided to defuse the P.R. time bomb created by the commission's approval of open-ended contracts with the Rogers Group and Hill & Knowlton.
The contracts were widely seen as a replication of the $3 million a year deal the Department of Water and Power cut with the Fleishman-Hillard that led to scandal, controversy and ultimately federal court convictions of three P.R. executives.
Approval of the contracts six weeks ago raised questions about what role would be played by Steve Sugerman, the Fleishman-Hillard P.R. executive who got probation after changing his story and admitting he engaged in falsifying DWP billings.
A big question now is whether either P.R. firm is appropriate to handle a community relations effort rather than media manipulation.
Ron Kaye is the former editor of the Los Angeles Daily News where he spent 23 years helping to make the newspaper the voice of the San Fernando Valley and fighting for a city government that serves the people and not special interests.
Twice in recent years, Los Angeles Magazine listed Kaye among the city’s most influential people, specifically in the area of politics. Kaye has been variously described in the media as the “accidental anarchist,” “the Patrick Henry of the San Fernando Valley” and a “passionate populist.” He is now committed to
carrying on his crusade for a greater Los Angeles as an ordinary citizen. Previously, Ron worked at the Los Angeles Herald Examiner,
Associated Press, Cleveland Plain Dealer and The Australian as well as papers
in Fairbanks, Alaska and Yakima, Wash. He also wrote for Newsweek magazine, The Guardian in London and the National Enquirer.
The only reason Villaraigosa takes a dim view of the P.R. contract is because his envelopes of dollars have yet to arrive. Stand by, Tony -- they're in the mail.
There's a half dozen good community relations firms in town, but H&K and Rogers aren't on the list. They are PR firms and PR firms are hired to generate positive media. I doubt most staff at both those firms could find Wilmington on a map, let alone organize community meetings. And then there always be the question of what to wear when you're meeting with "those people." Since the Sugerman factor probably eliminates H&K, the folks from Rogers can now split their time between the Port and the LAUSD. Good Lord, what's this beginning to sound like?
Come on, you don't really think anyone from Rogers or H&K are that stupid, do you? Then again, Sugerman was hosting a fund raiser for the mayor's buddy Jack Weiss. Guess it's worth a look.