Posted on 05/23/2005 9:08:29 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
As he begins to put together his administration, Mayor-elect Antonio Villaraigosa has a broad mandate from his landslide victory and surprisingly few commitments to City Hall's insiders and major power players. Mayor James Hahn had worked hard over the past four years to cultivate business, labor and civic leaders -- many of them former Villaraigosa backers -- and had gone into the campaign with most of the city's power brokers on his team. But as Hahn appeared headed for defeat in the campaign's closing weeks, many of those same people reached out to the challenger.
And since Villaraigosa's election Tuesday, neither he nor any of his top advisers can walk down a hallway at City Hall without being stopped by someone who wants to offer congratulations or pitch an issue.
"I know there are people out there who did not vote for me, and I know it's up to me to reach out to them," Villaraigosa said last week. "I am not going to be the mayor just for the people who voted for me. I have to be the mayor for all the people of Los Angeles."
To that end, he has been on a tour of the city to thank those who voted for him and try to convince those who opposed him that he will try to serve everyone.
But the hardest work to get close to Villaraigosa is coming from the power players who endorsed Hahn -- including business leaders, union bosses and the majority of the City Council members.
"I think we're in for an exciting time," said Councilman Eric Garcetti, an active Hahn supporter. "I talked with (Villaraigosa) throughout the campaign, and he understood where I was coming from. In the end, we both agree on most of the issues and have the same goals in mind of improving the quality of life in the city.
"And he does have a lot of independence. He is coming into office with the largest vote in years, and it seems like people want to see some change."
Villaraigosa was honored when Newsweek Magazine made his election its cover story this week, but his spokesman Joe Romallo said the mayor-elect's only goal is serving as mayor of Los Angeles. "It's more important what happens in Sherman Oaks than New York."
Political analyst Sherry Bebitch Jeffe said the size of his victory over an incumbent -- a 59-41 percent rout -- gives him freedom in which to operate and develop an overall policy agenda.
"You would have to say he was given a broad mandate by the voters, one he can use to move his agenda," Jeffe said. "And he won this election without owing anything to labor leaders or business. He can define who he wants to be as he goes forward."
Jeffe, who once worked for former state Treasurer Jesse "Big Daddy" Unruh, said Villaraigosa will be able to apply one of Unruh's principles of state politics.
"Unruh used to say that he sold 125 percent of himself, so that no one could own him," Jeffe said.
"I think Villaraigosa is in that spot, where everyone has to come to him, and he has a great opportunity to use that political capital. His victory was so broad that you can't say any one group owns him, so he can work to develop his own agenda with all parts of the city."
Jeffe compared Villaraigosa's popularity at this point with that of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's when he took office after winning the 2003 recall election.
Few doubt that organized labor would have embraced Villaraigosa quickly under Miguel Contreras' leadership. The powerful head of the union movement died of a heart attack in the closing days of the campaign, but he had a long, close personal relationship with Villaraigosa.
Still, Charles Lester, the interim secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFl-CIO, said unions can work with Villaraigosa.
"All of his history is helping working families," Lester said. "And, even though he didn't get the endorsement this time, we have worked with him over the years. For labor, it was good and bad because we had two candidates that most labor unions in most cities would kill to have as their mayor."
Exit polls showed that rank-and-file union members continued to support Villaraigosa this year although the union leaders stayed with Hahn.
City employees unions benefited greatly under Hahn, and most of their leaders threw their support heavily behind the incumbent. Now, they will try to mend their relationship with Villaraigosa.
Julie Butcher, general manager of Service Employees International Union, Local 347, said she believes any differences will be overcome.
"Our people have the same goal as he does -- to provide service to the residents of Los Angeles," Butcher said. "To the extent we can work together, we can build a solid relationship."
Likewise, the Los Angeles Police Protective League, which endorsed Hahn, said it expects to work well with the new mayor.
"We have been talking to him throughout the election, and we think we agree that the top job is public safety," union head Bob Baker said. "His top issue was adding more police officers, and that's what we want to see. We think we can work together."
Business leaders also voiced confidence.
"Antonio Villaraigosa always has been fair-minded, and he has shown he is open to working with business," said Carol Schatz of the Central City Association. "We both want to see projects developed and people working."
Schatz said she has sent a message to Villaraigosa to try to meet with him, as have many others.
Rusty Hammer of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, which endorsed Hahn, said Villaraigosa has a history of reaching out to those who opposed him.
"Politics is one thing. Governing is another," Hammer said. "We recognize he is coming in to office with a huge mandate, but he prides himself on being a bridge builder. We look forward to working with him."
In the May 30 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, May 23): "Latino Power: LA's new Mayor and How Hispanics Will Change American Politics." Newsweek looks at how the election of Antonio Villaraigosa as mayor of Los Angeles will impact national politics and energizing the Latino vote. Plus: the debate over Judge Owen; Jon Alter on the media and sources; the stalled hunt for Osama bin Laden; an interview with Jordan's King Abdullah and wildlife safaris in the U.S.(PRNewsFoto)
"how Hispanics will change American politics?"
Well they've sure done a bangup(pun intended) job in Mexico now haven't they! ROFLMAO
Another Latino doing a job Americans don't want?
C'mon! We're promoting Newsweek now? Couldn't find some other magazine cover for Post #1?
I don't wish ill upon anyone or any city but, with all the hype from the left-wing MSM, I can virtually guarantee that this guy will be out of office within 24 months. He'll commit felonies and get involved in such corruption that he'll make Mayor Street look like a choir boy. Mark my words.
Well, the Republicans were doing a fair imitation of people who didn't want the job...
LOL.. Nahh.
Just reinforcing what a losing POS NewBleak is these days.
Testify!
The CA GOP is all but invisible.
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