Thread: What in The World is Antonio (Villaraigosa) Doing for You?

You just have to love RON KAYE, former editor of the L.A. Daily News! He nailed the essence of this Reconquista mayor of L.A.!

Living large with flair at home and abroad --- What in the world is Antonio doing for you?

By Ron Kaye on August 9, 2008 8:59 AM

Out in the middle of nowhere along a river in faraway Iceland with the midnight sun shining down, Antonio Villaraigosa and his entourage were fly fishing for salmon and enjoying the life of the rich -- which some of them are -- at a private lodge with cooks and guides all around.

Some have found the rustic life a torture but to others, it's a grand party with great wine and great food and great fishing in the great outdoors.

Compliments of Keith Brackpool, the wealthy British bon vivant and wannabe California water king, the mayor and his entourage enjoyed a holiday real fisherman only dream of -- especially after a few days of luxury in London.

Money is the game and Brackpool and another smart operator, Ari Swiller, are raising a lot of it as the mayor's chief fund-raisers to make sure he doesn't face a difficult re-election challenge on his way to higher office. The goal of his fund-raisers and political consultants is a coronation befitting a king rather than and election battle that could wake up the citizenry to what's really going on.

Life is grand for Antonio Villaraigosa and money is the game, luxury is the payoff.

For truly ambitious politicians, the payoff is power and the glory. I know Antonio well enough to say I believe he could have been one of those who really changed L.A. for the better, or failed trying.

He offered himself as the punk from East L.A. with big dreams and high values, a guy who could stand up to gangs -- at least the gangs of special interests that feed off L.A.'s treasury, the developers, contractors and public employee unions. But he made his choice early on when he could have blocked the sweetheart contract negotiated under his predecessor's watch with the Department of Water and Power's all-powerful union.

Instead, he signed off on it.

And what's happened since has made his administration the most corrupt in modern LA. history. His charm and glibness, his easy way of smoothing over and obscuring the truth, his selling out the city's future to the highest bidder, his endless travel in search of self-importance and cash to fuel his campaigns for office, for higher taxes, for political advantage.

Most of all, there's the love of the high life: Gourmet food, $1,000 bottles of wine, beautiful young women, life in a mansion or hanging out with rich pals in theirs, bodyguards and drivers.

He is leading the life of the fabulously rich on a salary of $225,000 while supporting a wife he's separated from and their house in Mount Washington, a kid at Princeton and another at the exclusive Marlborough School.

Check out the list of his favorites eateries that he gave the L.A. Times: The foie gras.he "always" gets at Patina, the tuna tartare and oysters at the Water Grill, his preference to "entertain dignitaries" at Spago. the "really beautiful presentation" at La Serenada de Garibaldi, providence where he just lets " the chef kind of fix me up something great," and for dessert there's nothing like the tres leches cake at Frida in Beverly Hills.

But never forget, he's still a man of the people and drops by Pink's for a hot dog from time to time. "I love the atmosphere here and I don't mind waiting in line. Sometimes I like waiting in line just to work the line," he told the Times.

He told me once he'd rather be out in the world getting rich than in politics. But why bother when you can live like the rich and hang out with them and not do the work of earning the money yourself.

Why be rich when you can pal around with Bill and Hillary Clinton and when their dreams go bust, switch gears and jump aboard Barack Obama's bandwagon in the blink of an eye.

Why be rich when you can be entertained by Mayor Richard Daley in Chicago and Mayor Michael Bloomberg in New York as if you were royalty and come with oodles of cash to chase away challengers for mayor.

Why be rich when you can raise millions from special interests to salvage your reputation as a leader by making the working stiffs of the city pay for gang programs neither you nor your colleagues have done anything about for decades, for a "subway to the sea" that will do nothing to ease traffic congestion for decades to come, for a failed school system that is beyond salvation.

It's all just marketing, you see, like selling fat-laden Ultimate Cheeseburgers with bacon and Happy Meals to an obese nation.

This isn't meant to be an indictment of Antonio Villaraigosa. It's a plea for him to get to work and help save L.A., for him to aspire to greatness for himself and his city -- or to get out of the way and let those who care more about others than themselves get to work on the challenging task of creating a city that works for its people and not just the insiders in a corrupt political culture.



http://ronkayela.com/2008/08/out-in-the ... l#comments

Live Large Villar ought to be investigated for this. Are any laws being broken here?

I hope Angelenos wake up to what a fraud this character is.

And to top it off, he has a kid at the "exclusive" Marlborough school. I guess he knows what a disaster LAUSD is, and it will still be a disaster after he is through using LA for his crass political goals.

More like what is Antonio doing TO you?

I am personally surprised that there are any Americans left in LA, after the wise leadership of Mr. V. The guy is beginning to sound a little like one of those despots that fiddles while Rome burns and his people starve.

Originally Posted by Populist

I hope Angelenos wake up to what a fraud this character is.

And to top it off, he has a kid at the "exclusive" Marlborough school. I guess he knows what a disaster LAUSD is, and it will still be a disaster after he is through using LA for his crass political goals.

When I read about his kid being at Marlborough, I wanted to CHOKE! I am furious!!! I hope the parents are shunning him!

We had to send our daughter to Marlborough because LAUSD was so full of MEXICANS and gangbangers, and now the ex-gangbanger-in-chief is sending his daughter to private school! Thankfully, my daughter has graduated!!! I would be out there picketing if we were still at the school!

I just HATE it that this cholo is living in the old, stately Getty Mansion in Hancock Park...and sending his kid to Marlborough a few blocks away! I HATE it that he is living like a Pasha on our dime...it's OBSCENE! He will NEVER be able to erase the stain of his 30 year career as a Mechista, Reconquista, illegal-loving, traitor to this country! He is NOT an American, and NEVER will be!

What in the world is Antonio doing for you?

He is making me wonder who on earth was stupid enough to vote this moron into office. Villaraiagosa is one of the most corrupt shifty eyed thugs I've seen in a long time.

Originally Posted by AmericanMe

Originally Posted by Populist

I hope Angelenos wake up to what a fraud this character is.

And to top it off, he has a kid at the "exclusive" Marlborough school. I guess he knows what a disaster LAUSD is, and it will still be a disaster after he is through using LA for his crass political goals.

When I read about his kid being at Marlborough, I wanted to CHOKE! I am furious!!! I hope the parents are shunning him!

We had to send our daughter to Marlborough because LAUSD was so full of MEXICANS and gangbangers, and now the ex-gangbanger-in-chief is sending his daughter to private school! Thankfully, my daughter has graduated!!! I would be out there picketing if we were still at the school!

I just HATE it that this cholo is living in the old, stately Getty Mansion in Hancock Park...and sending his kid to Marlborough a few blocks away! I HATE it that he is living like a Pasha on our dime...it's OBSCENE! He will NEVER be able to erase the stain of his 30 year career as a Mechista, Reconquista, illegal-loving, traitor to this country! He is NOT an American, and NEVER will be!

Amen AM! What's worse is he has a kid at Princeton! I wonder that one's agenda is going to be...

Originally Posted by NoBueno

Originally Posted by AmericanMe

Originally Posted by Populist

I hope Angelenos wake up to what a fraud this character is.

And to top it off, he has a kid at the "exclusive" Marlborough school. I guess he knows what a disaster LAUSD is, and it will still be a disaster after he is through using LA for his crass political goals.

When I read about his kid being at Marlborough, I wanted to CHOKE! I am furious!!! I hope the parents are shunning him!

We had to send our daughter to Marlborough because LAUSD was so full of MEXICANS and gangbangers, and now the ex-gangbanger-in-chief is sending his daughter to private school! Thankfully, my daughter has graduated!!! I would be out there picketing if we were still at the school!

I just HATE it that this cholo is living in the old, stately Getty Mansion in Hancock Park...and sending his kid to Marlborough a few blocks away! I HATE it that he is living like a Pasha on our dime...it's OBSCENE! He will NEVER be able to erase the stain of his 30 year career as a Mechista, Reconquista, illegal-loving, traitor to this country! He is NOT an American, and NEVER will be!

Amen AM! What's worse is he has a kid at Princeton! I wonder that one's agenda is going to be...

I've heard through the grapevine that BOTH of his kids are not very bright...no surpise there, LOL! But no one ever said you have to be smart to be a Reconquista! Actually, they should be ASHAMED of their father...I hope they change their last name!

Someone with 'puter expertise should send these comments to Mr.V. It will show him that we from all over the country are onto his Reconquista plans, and if the kids are not that bright for Marlborough or Princeton, what do you want to wager that somewhere these institutions will get a Villagairosa library or scholarship fund, courtesy of all those campaign contributors who want something in return.