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Two years ago, newly elected Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa vowed to put 1,000 more cops on the city's dangerous streets and proposed to raise trash collection fees to provide the money. "Every new dollar residents pay for trash pickup," the mayor promised in a city news release, "will be used to put more officers on the streets." Residential trash collection was boosted from $11 a month to $26. The new fees generated $137 million, but the city hired only about 400 more cops, according to a recent report from City Controller Laura Chick, and they cost about $42 million....

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle spoke about the two gay mayoral candidates this morning on the radio. He said he thinks a "responsible homosexual'' could win the post. He defined that as one who rejects the idea that it's OK to take over public parks for gay sex, and who would "do something about the AIDS crisis here, recognizing promiscuous activity has a heavy cost on life and dollars.'' Asked on 850 WFTL how he feels about being remembered for his comments about gays, he said he was proud of a legacy against political correctness. Naugle caused a huge stir...

A jazz singer shocked some Denver residents after replacing the words to the national anthem with those of the "Black National Anthem" during the annual State of the City address this week. Rene Marie was asked to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" before Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper delivered the annual address on Tuesday. Instead, she sang the lyrics of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" — a hymn commonly referred to as the "Black National Anthem" — to the tune of the national anthem, MyFOXColorado.com reported. "If anyone has got a right to be angry it's probably me," Hickenlooper told the station....

He is incredibly compassionate.He is incredibly reticent when faced with making decisions. And as a result, his handling of the Deborah Edgerly affair was an incredible disaster.That's pretty much how Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums' aides, past aides, city department heads, politicos and longtime friends explained his apparent inability to deal with Edgerly after it came to light that the city administrator had possibly injected herself into a police investigation of her nephew."You have to understand, he's never fired anyone - that's not his style," said one friend who has worked with Dellums since his days as a congressman. "He always...

In officiating at the June 17 “marriage” of the same lesbian couple he had joined in dubious wedlock four years ago, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom beat Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to the punch. But Villaraigosa, like Newsom a potential contender for the Democratic nomination for governor, was not to be bested. On June 23, Villaraigosa united Hollywood producer Bruce Cohen with his five-year-long male companion, art consultant Gabriel Catone. And, the previous week, the Los Angeles mayor voiced his warm support for legalized same-sex marriage. "The California electorate is coming into a new age realizing that [gay] marriage...

D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty expressed disappointment today with the Supreme Court's decision striking down the city's gun law, warning that, "More handguns will lead to more handgun violence." At a news conference two hours after the court overturned the city's ban on handguns, Fenty (D) said he viewed today's ruling as narrowly tailored to guns in the home and not on the street, emphasizing that the city can still bar handguns from being carried outside of the home. The District now must create new regulations detailing the process for registering handguns, which the Supreme Court said can be kept...

WHEN IT comes to a city plan to keep concealed weapons from public places, Felix Arena, proud gun owner, has a few thoughts. First, he says, state law gives him the right to carry concealed firearms with a permit. So what gives Seattle the gumption to trump that? Second, he says, the plan would be hard to enforce unless the city wants airportlike security in parks and other properties. Wands and metal detectors cost money and are a hassle for crowds. Third: "It's just bulls - - -," Arena summed up during a break from his checker job at a...

Anti-gun Mayor Sheila Dixon (Baltimore) was awakened at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 17 by investigators with the state’s prosecutor’s office. Seven hours after the raid, they left carrying boxes, folders, and a blue cooler. For over two years, state prosecutors have been investigating Mayor Dixon’s questionable financial dealings during her time as the City Council’s President between 1999 and 2007. Mayor Dixon, who has called for broad restrictions on the rights of law-abiding gun owners, is a member of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s anti-gun group "Mayor’s Against Illegal Guns."

·11250 Waples Mill Road ·   Fairfax, Virginia 22030    ·800-392-8683   Washington State: Montesano Mayor Stands-Up and Vetoes Attack on Concealed Carry!   Friday, June 20, 2008   In a victory for Montesano’s law-abiding gun owners, Montesano Mayor Ron Schillinger vetoed an ordinance banning the carrying of concealed firearms in the city’s parks, even by licensed Right-to-Carry permit holders.  Please contact Mayor Schillinger, TODAY and thank him for opposing this violation of state law and unjust and unwarranted attack on our right to self-defense and Second Amendment freedoms.  Mayor Schillinger can be reached by phone at (360) 249-3021, ext. 102 or via email at mayor@montesano.us.  ...

Does anybody think that the new mayor will keep his campaign promise about initiating action to stop the horrendous murder rate in Philly? Follow this link: http://www.thebulletin.us/site/news.cfm?newsid=19779492&BRD=2737&PAG=461&dept_id=580169&rfi=6

OAKLAND, Calif. -- A 2-month investigation into the expenses of Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums has found a pattern of what appears to be extravagant spending at taxpayer expense, even as the mayor suggests shutting down City Hall for a dozen days and raising taxes. The expenses include stays at 5-star hotels in Washington D.C. such as the Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton, on his many travels away from Oakland, although Dellums owns a luxurious home in the nearby exclusive enclave of Georgetown. The data obtained though the California Public Records Act also shows expensive meals, limousine services and even hundreds...

It will start with warning signs and bureaucratic policy reviews. Or pat-downs and bag searches at park entrances, festival gates and holiday events? Although resorting to such measures would be a "shame," Nickels said, he would not rule them out during a Monday news conference to announce his prohibition of concealed weapons on city property. "We do hope that our parks and our Seattle Center events remain open and accessible and welcoming to all," Nickels said. "But we will also make sure that they're safe." Nor is it yet clear whether Nickels' move will land the city in court --...

The Minneapolis City Council and Mayor R.T. Rybak approved changes Friday, to the city’s vehicle idling ordinance that aims to reduce air pollution. The ordinance limits most vehicle idling to three minutes, except in traffic. "Most of the air pollution in Minneapolis comes from vehicles and cutting down in idling is one easy thing we can all do for our environment, our health, and the health of our neighbors," said Mayor R.T. Rybak. Vehicle motors release particulate matter, dirt, nitrous oxides, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide into the air. These chemicals are linked to increased rates of cancer, heart...

Gay Pride Parade to Bring Out Hundreds of Thousands June 7, 2008, 12:42 PM PDT WEST HOLLYWOOD -- More than 400,000 people are expected to line Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood Sunday for the 38th annual LA Pride Parade, which celebrates the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. The parade will begin at 11 a.m. at Crescent Heights Boulevard and head west to Robertson Boulevard. It will feature more than 125 entries, including floats, bands, marching community advocacy groups and convertibles with honored guests, including Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Radio talk show host Stephanie Miller will serve as grand marshal....

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels wants to review city rules regulating firearms on city-owned property, try to tighten those rules, and continue pushing for state legislation to strengthen gun laws,

RABBIT HASH, Ky. -- The dog mayor of Rabbit Hash has passed away. The Rabbit Hash General Store confirmed Thursday that Junior Cochran died two days before his 13th birthday, Cincinnati television station WLWT reported. Junior Cochran was elected mayor with more than 3,000 votes in November 2004. A documentary aired on Animal Planet about the black Labrador in 2006. The store could not say what would happen next, but said that word on the street indicated that previous contenders Marty the mule and Charlie the chicken would have a runoff.

Inquirer Photo Mayor Nutter this morning said the National Rifle Association owed an apology to the family of slain police officer Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski. Nutter recently signed five local gun bills into law, including one that would outlaw the possession and sale of certain assault weapons. The NRA immediately sued the city on the grounds that the city does not have the authority to enact local gun control. They obtained a temporary restraining order to keep the city from enforcing the new laws. Liczbinski was killed with a Chinese-made assault weapon. "I think it's insane," Nutter said. "The fact that...

A day after a judge lashed out upon learning Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick had skipped a court hearing and taken a trip to Texas, the mayor tells WXYZ the uproar "had nothing to do with me."

Muskogee's teen mayor 19-year-old ready for mayoral challenge, bipartisan politics and new gal The Associated Press updated 5:25 p.m. CT, Fri., May. 16, 2008 MUSKOGEE, Okla. - Nineteen-year-old John Tyler Hammons has a lot on his plate as he prepares to take over as mayor of this eastern Oklahoma city, but he's trying to keep his priorities straight. Juggling calls from people around the country Thursday, he took an important one from his mother. She wanted to know what time he would be home for dinner.

Detroit City Council Votes to Begin Removal Process of Mayor Kilpatrick. In a 5 to 4 vote, however one Council Women thinks the Mayor may be making overtures in regards to resigning

KEN Livingstone’s defeat at the hands of Boris Johnson in the elections for the Mayor of Greater London, last week, was the end of an era. It was a development bigger than the city of London or UK with ominous implications for Muslim communities across Europe. Yet few of us in the Muslim media, across the world, so easily carried away with the nonsense of Geert Wilders, paused to reflect on the enormity of what happened. Some events help to understand ourselves. Living all those years in London I never felt it was part of my identity. Yet suffering the...

Boris Johnson has been elected Mayor of London, adding to Labour's misery after disastrous local elections. The Conservative candidate beat Ken Livingstone with Liberal Democrat Brian Paddick in third place. Mr Johnson polled 1,168,738 votes to Mr Livingstone's 1,028,966. After second preferences were allocated, Mr Johnson achieved around 53% to Mr Livingstone's 47%. The result put further pressure on Prime Minister Gordon Brown after his party suffered its worst council election results in four decades. After the result was announced, the new mayor thanked his team and praised his opponents, particularly Mr Livingstone who he described as a "very considerable...

Elections: U.K. voters resoundingly rejected the Labour Party in local elections last week. It was no capricious shift, but a citizen revolt against trendy carbon and nanny-state taxes that empower only bad government.For Labour, it was the worst election in 40 years. In a massive turnout, the Conservative Party took 256 seats in parliament, along with control of 12 town councils and 44% of the vote. Labour and moderate Liberal Democrats got to split the remains, and even the Liberal Democrats ,with 25%, won more than Labour. Best of all, London's 5.5 million voters threw out Labour's biggest bum: Marxist...

Boris Johnson has won the race to become the next mayor of London - ending Ken Livingstone's eight-year reign at City Hall.

Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, nearly 18 months in office, still reacts like a rookie to the most important events that affect the lives of city residents. When major breaking news has occurred while he was away, Dellums' office has issued generic, one-paragraph statements that are not only vague but leave the impression that he doesn't understand the city and the impact that such events have on the people who live there. His dispatches from afar no doubt are intended to convey a sense that the mayor is on the case, but they have the opposite effect - highlighting his emotional,...

Boris Johnson is the new Mayor of London, his rivals conceded tonight. The Tory MP scored a stunning election victory to end Ken Livingstone's eight-year reign and round off a disastrous 24 hours for the Labour Party. After a nailbiting count, Mr Johnson was so far ahead on first-preference votes he could not be caught by Mr Livingstone, even after second preferences were taken into account. Labour officials conceded privately that the Conservative was too far ahead. At 5pm, Mr Livingstone's campaign chief Tessa Jowell said: "The reports I'm getting suggest Boris Johnson is ahead. "If Ken has not won,...

Boris Johnson poised to become London Mayor as Tories seal local election success By Robert Winnett Last updated: 6:27 PM BST 02/05/2008 Boris Johnson is preparing to be unveiled as the new mayor of London later today following Labour’s collapse across Britain in the local elections. Senior Conservative sources said they would be “gobsmacked” if Mr Johnson did not win the mayoral contest and even Downing Street aides appear to have conceded that Ken Livingstone has lost. Confidence of a Tory win was boosted after one bookmaker announced it was paying out on a Boris Johnson victory hours before the...

Denver—Mayor John Hickenlooper urged Democrats and “Operation Chaos” operatives to remain calm while waiting for the Democratic National Convention in August. However, Hickenlooper warned that he was ready for a bloodbath if the masses marched on Denver. Since “Operation Chaos” began, Democratic Senators, surrogates and the Democrat Super delegates have been preparing for a liberal showdown in the Mile High city, ensuring that blood could be spilled if the wrong candidate is selected. Recently, Representative Corrine Brown, D-FL, led protestors in Washington, D.C., screaming, “We will shut down the convention! Nobody goes in until Florida goes in!” Luis Rivera, the...

Polling stations are now closing... Based on a wide range of conversations we've had throughout the day with people in the field and with senior Tory and other insiders we are very confident that on the basis of patterns of turnout, postal votes and canvass returns Boris Johnson has been elected Mayor of London.

My column last weekend, "What I'd do as president," received more responses than any other column I've written to date. In that piece, I believe I struck a poignant chord with the American people, as well as with people as far away as Brazil, China, Israel, Africa, Australia and other lands. Therefore, I will continue this theme and apply it to Detroit, the city of my birth. What would I do if I were mayor of Detroit?

Rome's new mayor promises purge of migrants By Malcolm Moore in Rome Last Updated: 10:51PM BST 30/04/2008 The new mayor of Rome has promised to purge the Italian capital of 20,000 illegal immigrants and to raze 85 gipsy camps. Mayor Gianni Alemanno waves an Italian flag from Rome city hall Gianni Alemanno, 50, a firebrand neo-fascist and the first Right-wing mayor of the city since the Second World War, vowed to make Rome "secure" as he was sworn into office after his election at the weekend. The election of Mr Alemanno confirmed a strong shift to the Right by Italians,...

guardian.co.uk 6.30pm BST Cries of 'Duce! Duce!' salute Rome's new mayor John Hooper in Rome Tuesday April 29 2008 Italy's new parliament met for the first time today with applause for Rome's mayor-elect, Gianni Alemanno, a day after followers celebrated his triumph with straight-arm salutes and fascist-era chants. Alemanno, a former neo-fascist youth leader, took 54% of the vote in a run-off on Sunday and Monday, crushing his rival, Francesco Rutelli, a deputy prime minister in the last, centre-left government. Silvio Berlusconi, who won a general election earlier this month, welcomed the latest evidence of Italy's leap to the right...

A judge on Tuesday allowed the release of raunchy text messages that a lawyer allegedly used to get Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to shell out $8 million in city money to make a police whistle-blower lawsuit go away.

Please read the article from the link. Also check out the blocked from the Freerepublic postings at the Detroit News and The Freep.

In the first two advertisements of their kind, Republicans seeking an advantage in a Mississippi special election are invoking Barack Obama in arguing that a Democratic Congressional candidate is too liberal for his district. That flies in the face of what has been conventional wisdom for months among national Democratic strategists who have not publicly taken sides in the presidential contest; many privately express more hope in Obama's potential coattails than in rival Hillary Clinton's. But while Hillary Clinton and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have made appearances in Republican advertisements before, the GOP is now taking on Obama, reflecting both...

Mayoral Elections   .....    Campaigning: Ken Livingstone on the trail at Northolt mosque in Ealing over the weekend Pro-Ken Muslim group claims Boris 'would scrap the Koran' Andrew Gilligan 28.04.08 Ken Livingstone supporters are claiming that Boris Johnson would ban the Koran in adverts in the capital's Bengali-language press. The claim is one of a number of last-minute tactics - condemned by Mr Johnson today as "poison" and "desperate" - being used by Mr Livingstone's backers to sway crucial votes. The "dirty tricks" were uncovered in a Standard investigation which also found that: • Bengali-language leaflets are being handed...

Frustrated by the state and federal gridlock on solving Seattle's transportation problems, Mayor Greg Nickels suggested secession at a Thursday luncheon.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Thursday called on the U.S. government to pay $150 million a year to cover medical bills for workers and residents whose health suffered due to the September 11, 2001, attacks. The federal government created a $1 billion insurance fund to help ground zero workers sickened by the toxic fumes and dust released when the World Trade Center was destroyed. The fund, however, has been hobbled by lawsuits and criticized for a lack of payments to sick workers. The request for the health payments was among the top priorities for the mayor, who provided...

A federal jury today convicted former Newark Mayor Sharpe James of fraud for conspiring to rig the sale of nine city lots to his mistress, who quickly resold them for hundreds of thousands of dollars in profit. Ending a five-week trial, the jury returned its verdict in a courtroom just a block from the City Hall office that James occupied for two decades. Less than an hour into its sixth day of deliberations, the jury found James guilty on all 13 counts in the indictment. James' co-defendant and former girlfriend, Tamika Riley, was also found guilty on all counts. Both...

Nutter defiantly signs five gun laws Council's measures appear to fly in the face of state law and legal precedent. The NRA says it will sue. By Jeff Shields Inquirer Staff Writer Mayor Nutter likened himself and City Council members yesterday to the band of rebels who formed this country as he signed five new gun-control laws that defy the state legislature and legal precedent. "Almost 232 years ago, a group of concerned Americans took matters in their own hands and did what they needed to do by declaring that the time had come for a change," Nutter said as...

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is asking federal officials to rethink their policy on workplace immigration crackdowns that involve established businesses and to focus on employers that mistreat workers instead. Villaraigosa accused federal officials of targeting "established, responsible employers" in industries that rely on "workforces that include undocumented immigrants." "In these industries, including most areas of manufacturing, even the most scrupulous and responsible employers have no choice but to rely on workers whose documentation, while facially valid, may raise questions about their lawful presence," he wrote in the March 27 letter.

NEWARK, N.J. - The fate of a former Newark mayor and his ex-mistress on charges of corruption in the sale of city-owned land went to a federal jury Wednesday after five weeks of testimony. Prosecutors alleged that Sharpe James abused his office and betrayed his constituents by arranging for the sale of nine city-owned properties at a discounted rate of $46,000 to former girlfriend Tamika Riley from 2001 to 2005. Riley, 39, who admits to having an affair with the 72-year-old James, quickly sold the properties for $665,000 without starting required rehabilitation work on most of them, prosecutors said. The...

NEWARK, N.J. - Newark Mayor Sharpe James betrayed his city by using his influence to help his one-time mistress rake in more than half a million dollars through shady real-estate deals, a prosecutor said in closing arguments Monday. James is accused of arranging for the sale of nine city-owned properties at a discounted rate of $46,000 to Tamika Riley from 2001 to 2005. Riley quickly sold them for $665,000 without ever starting required rehabilitation work on most of them, prosecutors said. The 41 witnesses heard during the five-week trial did not include James, 72, or Riley, 39, a publicist who...

WILSON: Kilpatrick's Secret SpendingLast Update: 12:23 am Under strong pressure to resign, vowing never to quit, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is holding fast to his penchant for hiding information the law says taxpayers have a right to see. Wilson: You might think now that he’s facing multiple felony charges for his alleged misconduct linked to hiding his secret deal in the text message scandal, the mayor would be ready now to support the transparency he’s always promised…but here’s another example, law or no law, this mayor is still just not interested in that. Wilson approaching mayor: Mr. Mayor? Mr. Mayor?...

On September 27, 2007, the head of the Michigan office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Michigan), Dawud Walid, was presented with a "special recognition" award by the Mayor of Lansing, Michigan, Virg Bernero. This took place only two months after Walid publicly defended two terror-related charities and during a federal trial against leaders of another terror charity, for which CAIR was named a co-conspirator. Michigan is home to a significant radical Islamist community. One of its shining stars is an individual by the name of Dawud Walid. His activity within extremist Muslim groups is a matter of record."

It's hard to imagine how Detroit's liberal populace can charge hip-hop Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick for perjury. After all, doesn't everyone lie about sex? I'm not certain that Kilpatrick should be charged or convicted either. Those of us who live in cities like Detroit or Los Angeles accepted that kind of political double standard long ago. Detroit clearly needs to loosen up a little -- maybe create its own ethics commission. That's what works for us. In LA, our Ethics Commission makes it unnecessary for police to investigate messy corruption scandals or other embarrassing felonies. Our Commission would issue a warning...

Mathis: I Do Not Support Mayor Judge Mathis Denies Heading Up Defense FundPOSTED: 12:57 pm EDT March 27, 2008 UPDATED: 1:11 pm EDT March 27, 2008 DETROIT -- Embattled Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is establishing a legal defense fund called The Detroit Justice Fund to pay his mounting legal bills. "Of course, all fundraising requirements will be met," said an official from the Mayor's office. "There will be no set donation amounts." One of the names tied to heading up this defense fund committee was Detroit native Judge Greg Mathis. On Thursday, Mathis sent out a statement denying his involvement....

DETROIT - Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his former top aide have pleaded not guilty to charges they lied under oath about having an affair. The mayor and former Chief of Staff Christine Beatty were arraigned Tuesday. Not guilty pleas were entered for them on charges of perjury, conspiracy, obstruction of justice and misconduct in office. Both are accused of lying under oath about an affair and their roles in the firing of a top police official. Steamy text messages first reported by the Detroit Free Press revealed a flirty, sometimes explicit, dialogue between the two. Attorneys for both say...

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, a one-time rising star and as Detroit's youngest elected leader, was charged Monday with perjury and other counts after sexually explicit text messages surfaced that appear to contradict his sworn denials of an affair with a top aide. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy also charged the popular yet polarizing 37-year-old mayor with obstruction of justice and misconduct in office. Former Chief of Staff Christine Beatty, 37, who also denied under oath that she and Kilpatrick shared a romantic relationship in 2002 and was charged with perjury and obstruction of justice. In all, Worthy authorized a 12-count criminal...

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