His policies may be bankrupting the city, driving away the middle class, enriching special interests and leaving us all with nothing but poverty-level "living wage" jobs, but this is one time I'm on the mayor's side.
The LA Weekly's Patrick Range McDonald raises this issue today:
"Was Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa napping at a Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board meeting in late October? Could all of that travel and nightlife be catching up to the 56-year-old mayor?"
McDonald throws in a paparazzi video of the mayor
out on the town with Ryan Seacrest from a while back and quotes gadfly and blogger John Walsh as evidence the mayor fell asleep at the last MTA board meeting where his grand plan for the subway-to-the-sea was getting the green light. He even throws in a picture that at first glance makes it look like the mayor is asleep.
"Walsh writes that Villaraigosa 'was out like a light for a few minutes' during the MTA board meeting, which prompted the activist to tell the mayor to wake up," McDonald writes.
"Walsh says "300 eyewitnesses" can back up this bizarre scene -- meaning all of the people who attended the meeting that day -- and he's now requesting MTA video and audio tapes of the incident through a California Public Records Act request."
For his part, Walsh blogged: "I POINTED AT THE SLEEPING MAYOR AND SHOUTED TO WAKE HIM UP. ANTONIO SLOWLY CAME TO HIS SENSES. HE WAS GROGGY AND SAID NOTHING. TOM LABONGE WHO WAS SITTING NEXT TO HIM ASKED THE MAYOR IF HE WAS ALRIGHT. THAT'S WHEN I CALLED THE MAYOR 'A JUNKIE' AND ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE."
This is all terribly unfair to the mayor. And not just because there's dozens of serious issues he deserves to be criticized over.
Nodding off in boring meetings is a God-given right of a busy executive. God knows I've done it dozens, no hundreds, of times in news meetings. You know exactly what's going to happen, what everybody is going to say, and you catch 40 winks.
It's just good use of your time -- at least that's what I've always told people like John Walsh who upbraided me for a few moments of inner peace and quiet.
The LA Weekly's Patrick Range McDonald raises this issue today:
"Was Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa napping at a Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board meeting in late October? Could all of that travel and nightlife be catching up to the 56-year-old mayor?"
McDonald throws in a paparazzi video of the mayor
out on the town with Ryan Seacrest from a while back and quotes gadfly and blogger John Walsh as evidence the mayor fell asleep at the last MTA board meeting where his grand plan for the subway-to-the-sea was getting the green light. He even throws in a picture that at first glance makes it look like the mayor is asleep."Walsh writes that Villaraigosa 'was out like a light for a few minutes' during the MTA board meeting, which prompted the activist to tell the mayor to wake up," McDonald writes.
"Walsh says "300 eyewitnesses" can back up this bizarre scene -- meaning all of the people who attended the meeting that day -- and he's now requesting MTA video and audio tapes of the incident through a California Public Records Act request."
For his part, Walsh blogged: "I POINTED AT THE SLEEPING MAYOR AND SHOUTED TO WAKE HIM UP. ANTONIO SLOWLY CAME TO HIS SENSES. HE WAS GROGGY AND SAID NOTHING. TOM LABONGE WHO WAS SITTING NEXT TO HIM ASKED THE MAYOR IF HE WAS ALRIGHT. THAT'S WHEN I CALLED THE MAYOR 'A JUNKIE' AND ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE."
This is all terribly unfair to the mayor. And not just because there's dozens of serious issues he deserves to be criticized over.
Nodding off in boring meetings is a God-given right of a busy executive. God knows I've done it dozens, no hundreds, of times in news meetings. You know exactly what's going to happen, what everybody is going to say, and you catch 40 winks.
It's just good use of your time -- at least that's what I've always told people like John Walsh who upbraided me for a few moments of inner peace and quiet.
Ron Kaye
Ron your link doesn't work.
http://blogs.laweekly.com/ladaily/politics/villaraigosa-john-walsh-mta/
People are picking on the weak ass Mayor because he's made a joke of our city to the entire nation. I don't know of any NC's who like him and at most meetings people are slamming him hard for his FAILURES.
I think we need to accept the fact that Beck is the new chief. We may not have liked how it went down but we should support him and continue to attack the Mayor for his failures and insist Beck be given the control of his own police dept. I'm already hearing the weak ass Mayor is having his staff organize the ceremony of Beck's swearing in. Antonio's own staffers have had it with him and as one guy said, "I wish someone had the balls to just KICK HIS ASS." LOL
Nodding off in boring meetings is a God-given right of a busy executive. God knows I've done it dozens, no hundreds, of times in news meetings. You know exactly what's going to happen, what everybody is going to say, and you catch 40 winks.
IT'S A GOD GIVEN RIGHT TO EVERYONE. AND GOD KNOWS, EVERYONE HAS DONE IT.
FURTHERMORE, EVERYONE KNOWS THAT IF SOMETHING IMPORTANT COMES UP THEN SOMEONE IS GOING TO KICK YOUR CHAIR.
11:19am Matt Szabo go fix your eyeliner now.
McDonald actually cites John Walsh as his authority? Has he totally lost his mind? Now that zuma dogg's mercifully absented himself from chambers daily, and is no longer doing the bidding of Zine and Nooch both of whom he's soured on, is Walsh the Weekly's new court jester? When you've got Ron saying McDonald went too far, that's quite something.
If Antonio did nod off, it was apparently only for a few minutes. Doesn't Greig Smith hold that record right in council chambers? Except he didn't have Walsh screaming at him to wake up - a wonder that didn't give him a heart attack, never mind the long hours and whatever else was stressing him out. If I nodded off for a moment of sweet thoughts to open my eyes and ears to John Walsh screaming at me, I'd be sure I'd entered a nightmare.
In the bit I heard of Public Comment on the councilphone audio line yesterday (Wednesday), Walsh said that "the Mayor passed out" and went on with the chastisement and I think he called him a "druggie", "addict" or some other term equivalent to partaking of substances, legal or otherwise, in excess.
By the way, I didn't hear anywone try to stop him from finishing.
In the bit I heard of Public Comment on the councilphone audio line yesterday (Wednesday), Walsh said that "the Mayor passed out" and went on with the chastisement and I think he called him a "druggie", "addict" or some other term equivalent to partaking of substances, legal or otherwise, in excess.
By the way, I didn't hear anywone try to stop him from finishing.
Its surprising the LANCC, SLAP, LA Coalition, NC Alliances etc. haven't posted on this issue. Come on guys, you're the ones who spend hours bitching and complaining about the Mayor and his lack of leadership, incompetence, spiral down the toliet administration, political incorrectness, narcissistic ego, corruptness with DWP and other commission boards and you stay silent!!#$^%^&. WTF???
Sorry Ron, have no sympathies with this Mayor who has completely mis-managed this city. He is in the wrong job. He should be working as a lobbyist for a developer, a low-production movie outfit, or selling used cars, that is more befitting for his skills, intellect and psyche.
Ron,how did you miss the explosive political bombshell exposed by Dante Atkins/Calitics in the CD2 race? He outlines in detail how Shallman/Greuel violated campaign finance laws on behalf of Essel. Somebody is going to jail. May be we will see the last of the Master sleazer, Shallman, and hopefully he will take along Greuel.
This is a big deal. When I watch or attend City Council meetings, the Council members may ignore the public comments, but they are awake and talking to others, reading emails, etc.
But a lot of people are watching the Board members at the MTA and any board member sleeping for extended periods of time, will stand out. This is not good behavior especially for the Mayor of the 2nd largest city in the nation.
Big money is at stake at the MTA and so are Federal Tax dollars that leave the State of CA and go to other States. The MTA board has to have their eye on the ball and focus on getting that hard earned taxpayer money back toward the Southland.
Maybe an 85 year old senior Senator from Virginia can be excused for this, but not a 56 year old Mayor attending a morning meeting.
With or without a sleeping Mayor, the ENTIRE MTA board has not been able to get their act together and has already lost Billions of Federal dollars that will go to other regions because they can't agree to a comprehensive plan.
Dear Anonymous on November 5, 2009 11:43 AM,
What will you do when the video of 'Sleepy' is posted? Will you just fade away or will you have the honor to admit you were wrong and take Ron Kaye, Patrick McDonald, and John Walsh out to dinner?
I think it is time for this Mayor to step down and let a focused, intelligent, and true leader take charge of the City - Eric Garcetti.
Eric is young and full of energy and would never all asleep on the job. Eric won't let you down.
Maybe it's better that he sleeps than make more deals with union bosses and other corporations when awake.
Robin Kramer takes exception to an opinion piece in the L.A.Times that argued that there is little difference between Villaraigosa and Hahn.
I don`t know whether to LOL or cry, considering she was part of this failed, do nothing Administation.
This group of clowncil members are the biggest joke in the city. Kudos to John Walsh when giving public comment on the AEG fiasco for saying it like it is. Walsh trashes the Mayor with facts and the likes of Garcetti. Walsh let it be known a huge marijuana fest was taking place in Hollywood and Garcetti waived the event permits. Walsh is good comedy but great points on the corruption going on with the Mayor and clowncil. Is it too much to ask for these overpaid, incompetent, leaderless, classless group of city council members to sit in their seats 3 times a week to actually get business done in the city? Hell Yes....too much to ask of them. But notice when they are wasting time giving out their political paybacks on Fridays to friends they all suddenly appear.
OMG!!!! I hope the video of this is posted soon but speaking of the Mayor, he was in the opening sequence of Project Runway last night. I LMAO when they showed the Mayor welcoming the group to the Getty. Makeup people screwed up putting the wrong color dark red lipstick on Antonio and it was way too shiny. He actually did look like a clown. Funny the one designer stated, "its nice the Mayor could take time out of his busy schedule to come meet us." LOL
The episode was the final called Art & Design but dont' think its posted yet.
John Walsh is such a loser. Right up there with the rest of the gadflies. How could Patrick even go there?
Might as well make a joke of it.
Eventually we shall have to get real.
We are in serious trouble.
Might as well make a joke of it.
Eventually we shall have to get real.
We are in serious trouble.
the mayor needs to take a sonbrero evry where so he can cover his face when taking a siesta
he works so hard helping the unions and his special interest
this chicano mayor says we are a"word class city "
even when is on othere word him self
what a joke of a mayor
To - Anonymous on November 6, 2009 7:42 AM
John Walsh is a PR genius.
You're reaction only adds to his mystique.
Thank you.