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 News from Around the Americas | April 2007 
Villaraigosa Should be Popular on Trip to Mexico, El Salvador
 Rick Orlov - DailyNews.com
| | Los Angeles mayoral candidate Antonio Villaraigosa acknowledges his cheering supporters in this May 17, 2005 file photo from the Studio City section of Los Angeles. Now approaching his second anniversary in office, his plan to take over schools is stalled and traffic congestion, homelessness and gang violence remain big problems. (AP/Ric Francis) |
Final details are being hammered out for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's trip next month to El Salvador and Mexico, and the planned jaunt is proving popular with local television stations.
Nearly every station has signed on to cover at least a portion of the trip, which will include meetings with Mexican President Felipe Calderon.
The trip, tentatively set May 2 to 9, will include talks with Salvadoran officials about international gang problems and Mexican officials about business and economic opportunities.
"This is a more focused trip than anything the mayor has done in the past," spokesman Matt Szabo said, noting Villaraigosa's previous trips to Asia and Washington, D.C., that involved large delegations.
Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton will accompany the mayor to a gang summit in El Salvador. And City Controller Laura Chick plans to participate in a group meeting with Calderon and to hold her own meetings with Mexican officials about transparency in government.
Several City Council members also have been invited to meet with Calderon, but it's not yet known how many will make the trip. A number of business leaders also are expected to join the mayor.
Sensitive to previous criticism about travel costs for the city delegation, the mayor will be accompanied by only a handful of staffers who will help coordinate the visit, Szabo said.
Los Angeles City Councilman Greig Smith, who volunteers as a reserve police officer, is taking up a cause advanced by the Los Angeles Police Protective League.
Unsuccessful in getting the City Council to allocate more money for police overtime to increase the number of officers on the street, Smith is taking his cause to the Neighborhood Councils.
In an open letter in the City Watch newsletter, Smith authored a "Citizens Bill of Rights" calling for more police staffing.
"Obviously I want to try to get their support," Smith said. "Every part of the city feels it doesn't have enough officers."
But, he acknowledged, the proposal is a long way from seeing the light of day. Smith said he is going to ask that $100,000 be set aside in the coming budget to determine the practicality of his proposal.
This past year the LAPD spent nearly $80 million on police overtime; the LAPD budget accounts for 46 percent of all city spending.
Next Sunday marks the 15th anniversary of the Los Angeles riots following not-guilty verdicts against four white LAPD officers charged with beating Rodney King.
A look at what happened - and developments since then - will begin today in a program sponsored by Operation Hope.
Local leaders will take a bus tour of the area to view changes since the riots - from the Magic Johnson Theatres to new churches and businesses.
Operation Hope was founded by John Bryant and includes Ambassador Andrew Young as its spokesman. The organization will salute several local officials - including state Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas, Supervisor Yvonne Burke and Rep. Maxine Walters - for their work in the area.
As state officials debate competing health-care proposals by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nu ez, local labor groups are trying to collect health-care horror stories.
Under the umbrella of a group called Having Our Say, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, is working with various coalitions to get people talking about their problems and the need for a universal health-care program.
"We haven't backed any one proposal yet," spokeswoman Mary Gutierrez said. "We just want to get information on how important this is."
The group has a special hotline, (800) 977-2067, and also can be reached on the Internet at www.itsyourhealthcare.org.
Write to Rick Orlov at P.O. Box 4200, Woodland Hills 91365, or email rick.orlov@dailynews.com. |
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