Antonio Villaraigosa

Villaraigosa Goes to Harvard

For a minute there it was unclear what our none-too-camera-shy ex-Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was going to do with his bespoke-suited self after leaving office last month. Well, turns out he'll be taken care of by a $97,380-a-year pension for his years as a public servant, the folks at the Los Angel ... More >>

Antonio Villaraigosa Reflects On Mayoral Term, But Doesn't Want To Look Back

Antonio Villaraigosa is vacationing in Martha's Vineyard, where he may or may not be reflecting on his career in public office. In an exit interview posted today on the L.A. Times website, the former mayor was hazy on that point, and on most others."I definitely want to reflect on the last 20 years, ... More >>

LAX's New Tom Bradley International Terminal Is Better Than It Used To Be. But Our Airport Still Has Issues

Days before he hands the city over to Eric Garcetti, outgoing Mayor Villaraigosa thanked everyone for helping to open the renovated Tom Bradley International terminal at LAX before he stepped down. "I'm glad they did it now," said Villaraigosa at a morning press conference Thursday, confident in hi ... More >>

Is L.A. Pensions Chief Hiding Pension Costs for City Hall Politicians?

#See clarification below. During the reporting of the widely read L.A. Weekly cover story, "Antonio Villaraigosa's Quest for Wall Street, Washington and Wealth," Los Angeles City Employees' Retirement System (LACERS) chief Thomas Moutes refused* to tell the paper what kind of big bucks taxpayers wi ... More >>

Star Trek Spoilers and a Mayor With Baggage: Readers Respond

Villaraigosa Throws Massive Going Away Party, And You're Paying For It

Added at the bottom: We found out how much this thing's going to cost. See also: Antonio Villaraigosa's Quest for Wall Street, Washington and Wealth. For the man who has nothing, there's always party time. And partying is one thing outgoing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa got right, whether it was trav ... More >>

[Update] How L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Spent His 12-Hour Days in 2012

Updated below with Villaraigosa responding to the Weekly's coverage, saying "I live in a bubble, and I love that bubble." Please see today's L.A. Weekly cover story, "L.A. Mayor With Baggage Seeks Job: Antonio Villaraigosa's quest for Wall Street, Washington and wealth," and check out the mayor's ... More >>

Three Days Antonio Villaraigosa Slacked Off the Most in 2012

Read the scathing L.A. Weekly cover story "Antonio Villaraigosa's Quest for Wall Street, Washington and Wealth." Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa sure knows how to live it up on other people's money and the taxpayers' time. Elected in 2005 to be the chief executive officer of Los Angeles -- ... More >>

Antonio Villaraigosa's Quest for Wall Street, Washington and Wealth

First It Was Charlie Sheen. Now Antonio Villaraigosa Is Hanging With... Mitt Romney?

Remember the presidential campaign? Feels like forever ago, but you may recall that L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was out of town a lot rounding up votes for President Obama.Cable news bookers grew to rely on him whenever they needed someone to trash Mitt Romney's "extreme" views on immigration. A ... More >>

Antonio Villaraigosa Grabs the Third Rail; Embrace of Social Security Cuts May Complicate Future Campaigns

Who knows what Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa plans to do after he leaves office on July 1. Corporate board member? Professional speech-maker? Aspen festival goer?But if he intends ever to run for office again, his comments this week on the federal budget may come back to haunt him."We can strengthen th ... More >>

L.A. City Hall Finds New Way To Ignore You -- With MyLA311 App

Technology is just amazing. Besides providing new ways for you be embarrassed by your mom (Facebook), called out by your peers (Twitter) and dumped by your lesser half (texting), smartphones can now give you a whole new way to be ignored by your taxpayer-funded representatives at City Hall:

Los Angeles Wants 2024 Olympics

We've done it twice, we can do it again. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa today said he put our hat in the ring for the 2024 Olympics. "I am pleased to confirm our enthusiastic interest in bidding to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games," he wrote to the U.S. Olympic Committee. The bid ... More >>

Proposition A Los Angeles Sales Tax: Is This Another City Hall Scam?

Read L.A. Weekly's news story "L.A. Sales Tax Hike: Will $211 Million Increase Fix City's Problems?" Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and City Council president Herb Wesson say they need to raise the city's sales tax by one-half percent to close a looming $216 million budget deficit, but can ... More >>

Villaraigosa Endorses Half-Cent Sales Tax You'll Vote On In March

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has been on the fence, or at least noticeably quiet, about a proposed sales-tax hike that will come before L.A. city voters March 5. Today the Yes on A campaign revealed that our leader is giving Proposition A his support. According to a statement from the camp Villaraig ... More >>

Antonio Villaraigosa Withdraws From Consideration For Cabinet Post

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced this evening that he will serve out the last five months of his term, closing the door on speculation that he would be appointed to a position in the Obama cabinet."I am flattered and humbled by the speculation that has included my name for a possible Cabinet sec ... More >>

Antonio Villaraigosa Countdown: In 2009, Vandals Attack Villaraigosa Mural at Susy's Meat Market in East Hollywood

After nearly eight years at helm, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is leaving office on June 30, 2013. That puts today's Villaraigosa Countdown at 156 days. Some people love him, others hate him -- and many others probably still can't pronounce his name. In a tribute of sorts, L.A. Weekly is ... More >>

Antonio Villaraigosa's Gun Buyback Sees Long Lines, Not Enough Gift Cards

Hundreds of people showed up at the Sports Arena this morning to turn in their guns in exchange for grocery store gift cards. But they faced a very long wait -- and the possibility that they would walk away empty-handed.A man who gave his name as "Monster" said he wanted to turn in a handgun. He had ... More >>

Villaraigosa And Eva Longoria?

Like a walking stereotype, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, once accused of cheating on his wife with a Spanish-language TV news reporter, is a man of many women. The latest? Star magazine says he's going out with none other than Eva Longoria:

Protesters Deliver Petition Urging Antonio Villaraigosa To Quit Fix the Debt

Protesters delivered a petition to City Hall today calling on Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to step down from the Committee to Fix the Debt.Angela Garcia Combs, who launched the petition last week through MoveOn.org, printed out about 14,000 signatures and dropped them off at the mayor's office at ... More >>

Umami Burger and More Coming to LAX Villaraigosa Comes Out As a "Foodie"

You might have already heard the news: LAX's Tom Bradley Terminal is getting a huge $80-million retail makeover in 2014, with over 60 new restaurants and shops being added. International travelers will be able to sample the flavors of L.A. with out ever leaving the international terminal (reminisce ... More >>

Barack Obama Doesn't Give Antonio Villaraigosa Democratic National Committee Job

One Washington D.C. job can now be marked off the list for Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who appears to have his eyes on a major gig in the national's capital after he leaves office on June 30, 2013. Last month, Politico columnist Alexander Burns wrote that Villaraigosa was "high on some ... More >>

Antonio Villaraigosa Joins Committee to Fix the Debt, Completing Plutocratic Conversion

Update below: Online petition calls for mayor to resign from Fix the Debt. Villaraigosa responds.Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has joined the Committee to Fix the Debt, thus completing his transformation from firebrand Chicano organizer to servant of the plutocracy.Fix the Debt wants lawmakers to addre ... More >>

Measure J Transit Tax -- Too Soon?

'Temporary' hike would last to 2068, after most current voters are dead

Wendy Greuel And Eric Garcetti Endorse Train Tunnel Through Sepulveda Pass, But Funding Is An Open Question

When Antonio Villaraigosa ran for mayor, one of his big proposals was the Subway to the Sea. Now that the Westside subway extension is finally, however slowly, moving toward reality, the candidates for mayor are looking for the next big challenge.They seem to have settled on building a train through ... More >>

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Absent From TV Ad For Transit Ballot Measure

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has a chance to end his term on a high note by securing passage of Measure J, the half-cent sales tax extension to fund transportation projects.The measure needs a 2/3 vote, and internal polling shows it very close to that threshold. The mayor is the key figure behind the ... More >>

Los Angeles Rich People (Soboroff, Kanton, Toebben, Fleming, Miscikowski) Say to the Debt-Ridden City Council: We Like You

By Hillel Aron Nineteen big-time L.A. machers, including Steve Soboroff (rich Westside guy), Mickey Kantor (longtime Democratic consultant), Gary Toebben (Chamber of Commerce guy) and David Fleming (rich Valley guy), led by George Kieffer (Manatt, Phelps power broker), sent an open letter to City Co ... More >>

Antonio '11 Percent' Villaraigosa Needs Time to 'Reflect' About Running For President in 2016?

Alice Walton (a.k.a. The City Maven) reminded us that Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa continues living on his own planet these days, discussing with a radio host in Iowa how he may or may not run for U.S. president in 2016. With only nine months or so until he leaves office in 2013, Villara ... More >>

L.A. Public Libraries Restore Hours After Voters Rose Against Villaraigosa Budget Cuts

While Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the L.A. City Council continue to deal with lingering budget deficits, there's one bright spot amid the darkness -- L.A. public libraries are now open longer. Starting today, the added hours at the city's 73 libraries is the second phase of returning the public ... More >>

Villaraigosa Spins Presidential Debate, Calls Romney 'Chipper' (VIDEO)

See, we told you Antonio Villaraigosa was a good Democrat. Despite a faux pas reported by the New Yorker magazine in which our mayor is said to have given his personal phone number to a billionaire enemy of the Obama campaign, Villaraigosa is earning his stripes with the White House. What many desc ... More >>

The Villaraigosa Hangover

Thanks to the mayor's $700 million union deal, L.A. faces a $216 million deficit next year. Here's what happened

Why Antonio Villaraigosa, Barack Obama's Top Cheerleader, Has Been Deemed a 'Failure' in Los Angeles

With the Democratic National Convention now over, it's clear that President Barack Obama has chosen, of all people, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to be a high-profile cheerleader for his 2012 re-election campaign. That decision has caused a lot of head scratching in Los Angeles. He was, a ... More >>

Villaraigosa Changes Democratic Platform to Include God, Jerusalem

When L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa accepted chair duties at the Democratic National Convention, he probably didn't realize it would turn into an actual hot seat. A few gavels here, a nice speech there and -- boom -- you have a new job in the Obama White House. Not so fast:

Antonio Villaraigosa for Governor? What Voters Need to Know About the 11 percent Mayor

We were away from L.A. a few days and came back to see numerous articles about Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wanting the job of California governor. Yahoo! News even made a strange case for why Villaraigosa could run for president. That news isn't surprising -- Villaraigosa always has big ... More >>

Villaraigosa Wants to be Governor of California

As mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa gets a D. Maybe a C. Blame constant multimillion-dollar deficits, a do-nothing City Council, the specter of municipal bankruptcy, corruption in Building and Safety, increased taxation through parking and traffic tickets, and the worst roads in America. ... More >>

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Awkwardly Defends Push For Westside Subway in New York Times

This past Monday, the New York Times ran a story about the brewing controversy in Beverly Hills over the Westside subway. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who's pushing hard for the underground rail line, awkwardly defended his position to the paper. A little background: Beverly Hills commun ... More >>

Rusty Hicks, L.A. Labor Official, Trades Political Battles For War In Afghanistan

The L.A. County Federation of Labor has some major election battles coming up. There's the mayor's race in March, but even more important is the November campaign against Prop. 32, the "paycheck protection" initiative that threatens labor's ability to fund elections.But the Fed will be fighting thos ... More >>

Mayor Villaraigosa: Only Person in Los Angeles to Miss the L.A. Kings Parade

By all accounts, today's march down Figueroa and rally at Staples Center to honor the L.A. Kings -- our Stanley Cup champions -- was an epic affair. As has been much joked about, every last Angeleno has become a temporary hockey fan during this joyous time. City News Service put the downtown parad ... More >>

L.A. Parking Tickets Would Cost Between $80 and $100 Under Mayor's New Proposal

Let's see. What's the most unpopular budget solution that L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa could possibly propose during his city's disastrous $238 million shortfall? Aside from reinstate that evil fleet of red-light cameras, the clear consensus (between, uh, us and everyone we know) would be to up ... More >>

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Vows To Build Sepulveda Pass Rail Link, Complete Wilshire Subway 13 Years Early

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wants to build a rail link over the Sepulveda Pass -- part of a proposed expansion of the city's transit network that would form a key part of his legacy.The mayor is unveiling his plans in his annual State of the City speech. which is posted after the jump. The centerpiec ... More >>

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Puts Another Leg Into National Politics

By Andra Lim Antonio Villaraigosa continues to get cozy with the Obama Administration. Tomorrow, Villaraigosa and White House big shots -- including U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar -- will meet in Los Angeles with hundreds of local leaders to talk about issues significant to the Hisp ... More >>

'April Fools,' Says L.A. Weekly

If you visited L.A. Weekly's home page yesterday, you might have noticed a few stories that seemed a little off -- our contribution to April Fool's Day. For those of you who want to relive the moment, click on the image above to see it bigger, and links to all the stories are here:

Sacramento Press Joins Washington on Love Train for L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (Barf)

Well, it looks like L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will get what he wanted all along: a ticket out of this place. Everyone seems to love this guy but the people who elected him (and who've been dealing with that decision for the past half-decade). The New York Times ran a glowing piece last month ... More >>

L.A. Mayor Villaraigosa Hires Two Former Journos Onto His Huge PR Team

We just lost two soldiers to L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's bulging press office. Whoever predicted that L.A.'s best journalists might all soon be working for the enemy, tempted by a secure job and cush benefits amid this Great Recession and death o' journalism: You were right. "Two new communi ... More >>

Villaraigosa's Washington Aspirations Noted by New York Times

If you're a lame-duck mayor who has pretty much accomplished only disappointment in Los Angeles, we wouldn't blame you for wanting out. And it's clear to just about anyone within earshot of Antonio Villaraigosa that he's been angling for a job in President Obama's cabinet. As the newly appointed ch ... More >>

Villaraigosa to Chair Democratic National Convention: First L.A. Mayor To Do So

Mayor V.​If President Obama is reelected, he might have to put L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on his list of people to thank. Villaraigosa is taking the high-profile position of chair of the Democratic National Convention this summer, which will take place in Charlotte, North Carolina, accor ... More >>

Villaraigosa's SOTU Response for U.S. Conference of Mayors: We Interpret for You

L.A.'s own Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa gave the official response to President Obama's State of the Union address last night for the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Mayor V. is the president of the group. (And we know he didn't use his sizable staff of taxpayer-funded public relations advisers to write t ... More >>

Should China Own the L.A. Subway?

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is getting desperate. His ambitious plan to squeeze 30 years of public-transit construction into a mere 10 -- by borrowing $10 billion or so from the federal government -- has been scoffed at and dismissed by Congressmembers for a few years now. But seeing as ... More >>

Occupy L.A.'s Octopus Mural Declared an 'Artifact,' Auctioned off by City

Los Angeles city officials are so weird and flip-floppy about graffiti. On the one hand, they act all precious about our status as "mural capital of the world"; on the other, it's taken them over a decade (and counting) to come up with a mural ordinance that doesn't restrict all new public art in L. ... More >>

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Screws Over L.A. With $100 Million Credit Bubble That Could Burst Once He Leaves Office

Los Angeles city leaders are apparently no more responsible or accountable than the self-serving Wall Street banksters who set up America to fall with an impossible Jenga tower of home loans. A new Los Angeles Times expose outlines a series of politically motivated, built-to-fail budget decisions b ... More >>