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THIS IS THE URBAN ISSUES PAGE
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IN THIS SITE
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Some links on these archived pages are not operative.
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This NONCOMMERCIAL site is a harmless hobby of George Garrigues, who has lived in the Westside Village district of Palms for 12 years. These pages have no connection with any organization.
Send him e-mail with corrections and comments.
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VILLARAIGOSA SAYS CITY DEPARTMENT HEADS WILL BE GIVEN A CHANCE
The new mayor is concentrating on forming his staff and replacing commissioners
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 <<< HAS MAYOR ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA GIVEN ANY THOUGHT to replacing Greg Nelson (left) as general manager of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment — the city agency that overseas the formation and care of neighborhood councils in L.A.?
The question was asked by the editor of The Sun at a meeting of neighborhood council representatives on Saturday, Sept. 17, in their regular bimonthly gathering at Los Angeles City College.
The answer from Mayor Villaraigosa was: No, not yet, and maybe never.
The EXACT response was:
"This answer is — no, look. (Sustained applause.) Let me tell you what I've done. Let me just say this — and I know you meant it, but to ask it in front of this [garbled]. Let me say a couple of things: I haven't — I have not replaced any general managers — yet. (Laughter.) Look, I will. . . ."
The mayor added:
"I have not focused right now on the general managers; that's the honest answer to the question. What I've said to [those] people is, 'Y'know, I'm going to give you an opportunity to succeed and if you're succeeding, why would I replace that?'"
But he told the assembled community leaders: "And so, y'know, we're going to be doing assessments of every department, not just this [neighborhood] department . . . "
He said: "We've had a good relationship. Greg and I. And I know he works very, very hard. (Applause.)"
Villaraigosa said he was concentrating on recruiting his own staff ("I think most people have commented that we've put together an incredible staff so far") and in replacing some of the members of boards and commissions.
"One of the criticisms of our commissions [under the Jim Hahn administration] was that there were lots of rich people, . . . you know, maybe givers but who didn't necessary have the expertise, they didn't reflect the diversity of this city, they didn't look like Los Angeles, they didn't come from more neighborhoods . . . when I'm finished I will have a broader group."
 <<< CLIFF CHENG OF PALMS (with Villaraigosa, left) attended the meeting, as did George Chung, Maritza Przekop and Tony Navarro of the Mar Vista Community Council (which covers the Westside Village area, west of Overland and north of Charnock).
Before the mayor arrived, Cliff Cheng joined in a wide-ranging give-and-take about a citywide study of the effectiveness of neighborhood councils, which will be done in 2006.
Cheng suggested that "the whole focus should be changed" to concentrate on the "people who live, and also work, in your districts — what you call stakeholders."
He called that a "customer-driven approach," with the stakeholders being the customers for the services provided by the local councils.
 >>> IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION ABOUT A PERCEIVED NEGATIVE ATTITITUDE of new City Councilman Bill Rosendahl (right) toward neighborhood councils [see the editorial on the Opinion Page], General Manager Nelson said:
"In my opinion, he has not changed his mind. . . . What you should do is to start working on him to change his mind. That's what you guys are here for. I'll help you do it."
Nelson added:
"I want to teach a class on how you get power and how you use it, and I want to get right into the heart of that very discussion about: Is it enough to sit in your meetings and pass motions on boards, and then go to the next item? Or are you willing to put action behind what it is that you do?
"Are you willing to do what organized labor does, and other action groups, where you flood 'em with phone calls and faxes and you show up at meetings and you make your voice known, and you become someone who can either help or hurt an elected official, cause that's the bottom line, and that's what gets their attention.
"You guys," he told the hundred or so men and women in the gathering, "because of the power and the votes that you control, can own this place."
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Beware of power-oriented board members
By Ken Marsh
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| Some number of [neighborhood council] boards, and it may not be an insignificant number, have adopted the behavior of elected officials’ endowing themselves with the power to act for instead of with the stakeholders in their council areas.
Power-, as opposed to people-, oriented board members who are driven by personal priorities stand in opposition to the City Charter [section] that mandates creation of grassroots voices, not mini city councils.
The reaction in the neighborhoods has been rejection of the council by stakeholders already turned off by government politicians at all levels who are only in it for themselves.
Emphasis supplied by the editor. Source: LANC Issues Group.
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Ken Marsh is a member of the Board of the Mar Vista Community Council, which includes Westside Village. Photo by MVCC.
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GREG NELSON
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The mayor invites you to take part in setting the city budget
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| Don’t forget that everyone is welcome to join Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Saturday, Oct. 1 as he kicks off the new mayor’s budget process.
On this day, neighborhood councils will learn how they will be able to take an active role in advising the mayor on one of the most important and complex responsibilities the mayor has to perform: preparing the annual city budget.
There will be plenty of time for questions and answers, and participants, whether they are neighborhood council members or not, will leave with a greater understanding and ownership of their government.
Free parking. Refreshments. Registration at 8 a.m. The activities will be from 9 a.m. to noon. Everyone should meet in the City Council Chamber in City Hall, 200 North Spring Street [entrance is on Main Street].
To RSVP, call our department at (213) 485-1360, toll-free at 3-1-1, or by e-mail at done@mailbox.lacity.org.
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| Nelson is general manager of the city Department of Neighborhood Empowerment. |
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