Like a Rottweiler with a
steak bone, Channel 11′s John Schwada has bit into the “Ticket-gate Scandal”
and he’s got our mayor running like a
with his tail between his legs.
The question - if I
can stretch this ad nauseum – is
whether our District Attorney and U.S. Attorney are bulldogs or lap dogs?
And The Dog Trainer?
Well, they’re just copy-cats., or maybe the overly abused word for feline females.
Certainly not up to the job of watch-dog.
For those of you in bed at
10 last night or watching the Dodgers lose – again!! – this time to the Angels,
Schwada provided yet more evidence Antonio has been playing fast and loose with
the facts concerning all the free tickets he’s been receiving to sporting
events, concerts and awards ceremonies.
Antonio has argued all this
was, well, work: that he was performing his official duties as mayor. But
Schwada went back over his schedule and found - surprise! - that many
of those events were blacked out as “personal.”
Oops! He was covering his
butt on one issue and got something else stuck in the wringer on another.
And when confronted with
the evidence — and the fact that DA Steve Cooley is now looking into the
matter along with the Ethics Commission — Antonio yelped that everything he
does is official and ran away from the cameras like a frightened puppy.
See Antonio run and hide for
yourself:
The Dog Trainer played up
the story up this morning, embarrassed that a TV guy -albeit a former print
slob - broke the story and has been ahead of them from Day One. The
best they’ve managed so far is a sarcastic, but relatively mild editorial.
Remember, Jimmy “Don’t Ever
Touch Me” Hahn paid for all his tickets and three PR guys close to his
administration got convicted of overbilling the DWP despite the fact their
company repaid the city 10 times what they were charged with overbilling — and
they weren’t even accused of getting a free tickets to a Little League game.
So, Antonio, what’s good
for the goose ….. (Yet another animal.) Just paying the city back doesn’t
work if you’ve committed a crime – and lots of smart people think you have.
Let’s see how smart Steve
Cooley is. After all, he thinks he’s smart and tough enough to be
Do you?
Woof!
Trouble for Antonio. Once investigations start one thing leads to another. Schwada is on a mission and he is VERY good in what he is doing. He is an old pro.
Good for John Schwada going after this story and keeping this story alive. There is so much bullshit going on in city hall its nice to see all of them on fence nervous. What about investigating that crook Richard Alatorre who is always in the Mayor’s office and doing deals. LA politicians are so lame they don’t fire employees who get busted. Jimmy Blackman arrested New Year’s Eve for domestic violence kept his over $145,000 job and city car. Janice Hahn’s staffer arrested for DUI still kept job. Jan Perry’s staffers in trouble with city car. Rosendahl’s staffer arrested for assault still kept job. Then there’s all the lawsuits that the media never exposes naming city council members, and why NOT? What about all those Nate Holden sexual harrassement lawsuits settled out of court. What about Huizar’s ex staffers settlements. Where’s the media on all of this?
I appreciate the story and as more evidence comes forth the soap opera shall continue. But the real damage is all the key positions the Mayor filled. They really want to take back California.
While the Mayor of Los Angeles is out having a fabulous time, by the way, I’m green-eyed over this, the budget is a mess and unemployment is 15% or higher. When these outings can’t be confirmed as LA City business, is this considered income-subject to taxes?
http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/antonio-pinocchiosa-and-his-police-tax.2352270.40.jpg
L.A. WEEKLY
UPDATE Exclusive: Antonio Villaraigosa free tickets are worth $50,000 to $100,000. Full list here of 80 free events; corruption laws ignored
Antonio Villaraigosa List of 80 Free Tickets
Date — Event — Venue — Single Ticket Cost (Far higher if mayor took multiple tix to event)
11/3/05 Lakers v. PH Suns Staples Center — up to $2,100
9/10/05 Aretha Franklin Concert — cost unknown
11/3/05 Latin Grammys Shrine — up to $500
4/3/06 Dodger’s Opening Day Dodgers Stadium — up to $400
11/28/06 Lakers vs. Bucks Staples — up to $2,100
2/6/06 Musi-Cares Pre-Grammy Concert — cost unknown
2/8/06 Grammy Awards — cost unknown
2/26/06 Jose Jose Concert — cost unknown
3/2/06 Carlos Santana Concert for D. Huerta — cost unknown
3/5/06 78th Academy Awards Kodak Theatre — $4,200 per seat
4/13/06 Luis Miguel Concert/Presentation — cost unknown
6/27/06 BET Awards Show Shrine Auditorium — cost unknown
7/8/06 Bebe, Reyli, Mexican Institiute Hollywood Bowl — up to $80
7/22/06 Grammy Foundation Dinner/Concert — cost unknown
7/29/06 Reventon Super Estrella Concert Coliseum — up to $150
8/15/06 Shakira Concert Staples Center — Tix started at $19.50
8/26/06 Smokey Robinson Concert Greek Theatre — up to $80
8/27/06 58th Emmy Awards Shrine Auditorium — (2) Tix at $1,300 each
9/30/06 Pepe Aguilar Concert — unknown, but cost in 2010 at Gibson was $135
11/11/06 Vicente Fernandez Concert — unknown, but cost in 2010 at Gibson was $300
12/22/06 George Lopez Concert — cost unknown
4/15/07 LA Dodgers Game Dodgers Stadium — up to $450
1/12/07 Lakers vs. Clippers Staples — up to $2,200 (floor seats)
1/28/07 13th Annual SAG Awards — cost unknown
2/3/07 Director’s Guild Awards — mayor presented Aldrich Award, seat cost $175
2/11/07 49th Annual Grammy Awards — cost unknown
2/17/07 Mana Concert — cost unknown
2/25/07 79th Annual Academy Awards $4,200 per seat — entire Villaraigosa family attended
6/26/07 BET Awards Show — cost unknown
9/16/07 59th Annual Prime Time Emmy Awards — 2 tix up to $1,300 each
10/3/07 AFI’s 40th Anniversary Celebration — cost unknown
11/18/07 American Music Awards — cost unknown
11/20/07 Mary J. Blige Concert Nokia Theatre — up to $95
3/29/08 LA Dodgers Game Dodgers Stadium — up to $500
3/31/08 Dodger’s Opening Day Dodgers Stadium — up to $500
10/13/08 LA Dodgers Game Dodgers Stadium — playoff prices N/A
10/15/08 LA Dodgers Game Dodgers Stadium — playoff prices N/A
3/28/08 Lakers vs. Grizzlies Staples Center — up to $2,300 (floor seats)
4/11/08 Lakers vs. New Orleans Staples — up to $2,000 (floor seats)
5/23/08 Lakers vs. Spurs Center — up to $3,400 (for courtside)
1/27/08 14th Annual SAG Awards — cost unknown
2/10/08 50th Annual Grammy Awards — cost unknown
2/15/08 Gloria Trevi Concert Gibson Amphitheatre — up to $94.75
2/24/08 80th Annual Academy Awards — $4,200 per seat (may have taken multiple tix)
4/18/08 Placido Domingo’s 40th Anniversary at LA Opera — up to $1,750
5/10/08 Juanes Concert Nokia Theatre — $125
6/24/08 BET Awards Show — cost unknown
7/16/08 ESPY Awards — cost unknown
9/6/08 Frankie Beverly and Maze Concert — cost unknown
9/6/08 LA Opera-Opening Weekend — up to $250
9/11/08 Alejandro Fernandez Concert — cost unknown
9/21/08 60th Primetime Emmy Awards — (2) tix at $1,300 each
9/28/08 Luis Miguel Concert — cost unknown
10/16/08 Tina Turner Concert — cost unknown
11/16/08 Vicente Fernandez Concert Gibson Amphitheatre — up to $200.50
4/13/09 Dodger’s Opening Day Dodgers Stadium — up to $500
6/28/09 LA Dodgers Game Dodgers Stadium — up to $500
7/21/09 LA Dodgers Game Dodgers Stadium — up to $500
10/7/09 LA Dodgers Game Dodgers Stadium — playoff prices N/A
10/16/09 LA Dodgers Game Dodgers Stadium — playoff prices N/A
3/16/09 Lakers vs. Minnesota Staples Center — up to $260 (possible suite)
3/17/09 Lakers vs. 76ers Staples Center — up to $2,500 (floor seats)
6/4/09 Lakers v. Orlando Playoffs Staples Center — up to $4,200 (courtside)
6/7/09 Lakers v. Orlando Playoffs Staples Center — up to $4,200 (courtside )
10/27/09 Lakers v. Clipper(opening night) Staples Center — more than $2,500 (floor)
1/11/09 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards — cost unknown
2/8/09 51st Annual Grammy Awards — cost unknown
2/22/09 81st Annual Academy Awards — $4,200 per seat
5/20/09 American Idol Finale — cost unknown
7/13/09 Beyonce Concert Staples Center — up to $200
9/12/09 Alejandro Fernandez — cost unknown
9/20/09 61st Primetime Emmy Awards — (2) tix $1,300 each
10/8/09 LA Philharmonic-Opening night Walt Disney Hall — cost unknown, scalper tix up to $15,000
10/25/09 U-2 Concert Rose Bowl ***Mayor paid for this one event
4/13/10 Dodger’s Opening Day Dodgers Stadium — up to $500
5/2/10 Lakers vs. Utah Staples Center — up to $4,100 (courtside)
1/17/10 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards — cost unknown
1/30/10 Director’s Guild of America 62nd Dinner — mayor scheduled, but didn’t attend
1/31/10 52nd Annual Grammy Awards Staples Center — cost unknown
3/7/10 82nd Academy Awards Kodak — $4,200 per seat
5/26/10 American Idol Finale Nokia — not avail to public, scalper tix $5,000
http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/politics/villaraigosa-free-ticket-list/
thank you for the info. I will definitly revisit this weblog once more.