Antonio, Wendy, Carmen: Hold Them to Their Words

Put aside your skepticism, forgive the past and move forward -- that's my advice for the start of the next four years of city government.

But never forget what they've done to you and our LA and take their inauguration day.promises as gospel.  Hold them to their words.

The mayor's speech outlined his achievements -- as he measures them -- in jobs, environment, public transit, cimgreen energy, transportation, public safety -- and set them as his priorities for his second term.

Astonishingly, as commentator Shirley Bebitch Jeffe notes at the end of the video, he makes only an oblique reference to the city budget catastrophe he's overseen -- something he blamed on forces beyond his control. And he promised to hit residents hard with DWP rate increases to pay for his green energy at any cost program and to subsidize companies' utility costs to get them to locate here.



In her speech after being sworn in as City Controller, Wendy Greuel echoed the themes of her predecessor, Laura Chick, by pledging to be an independent watchdog on how the public's money is spent.

In a strong, straightforward speech, Greuel acknowledged the serious money problems facing the city now and in coming years and promised her first project will be to provide the public with a clear and detailed picture of city finances.

Those are big promises and you can be sure the public will be watching.

For her part, Chick is making a splash in Sacramento as Inspector General overseeing spending of billions of dollars in federal stimulus money. She's on the cover of a national magazine, Governing.

I'm quoted as saying, "She was something like a Joan of Arc standing in the way and calling attention to the greater excesses of the system. At City Hall they hate her guts. But out in the community, she's never been more popular."