Where's Antonio?
11:07 AM July 8, 2009
There's now a cone of silence over L.A. Mayor Villaragosa's office concerning his 9-day trip to Africa.
The mayor's spokesman Matt Szabo won't respond to any questions about it. He won't release any details on the intinerary. Nor will he say whether any taxpayer dollars are being spent for an LAPD security detail, which usually travels with the mayor.
We also don't know who's travelling with the mayor.
Are we not entitled to know something when the top elected official in the city leaves town? This is not South Carolina, you know.
The LA Times recently reported:
A source familiar with the trip said the mayor will attend a summit in Cape Town and Johannesburg sponsored by the Academy of Achievement. The event will assemble graduate students from around the world to meet with "the greatest thinkers and achievers of the age," according to the group's website.
Villaraigosa was one of 25 recipients of the academy's Golden Plate award, recognizing people of "exceptional achievement," in 2006. Other recipients that year included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Nobel Prize-winning physicist John L. Hall and singer Sheryl Crow. The mayor also attended the academy summit last year in Hawaii.
The lead patron of the academy is the Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation. EduCap, a student loan charity founded by Catherine and Wayne Reynolds and affiliated with the academy, recently came under scrutiny by the Internal Revenue Service and Congress. The inquiries stemmed from allegations that EduCap may have abused its tax-exempt status by giving lavish perks to executives and providing non-foundation-related trips on a corporate jet to prominent Washington political figures, including former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.).
As with other invited guests attending the event, Villaraigosa's travel expenses are being paid by the academy, city officials said.
However, the city is paying the travel expenses incurred by the Los Angeles Police Department security detail that accompanies the mayor when he travels. When Villaraigosa vacationed in Reykjavik, Iceland, and London for 10 days last summer, the officers' travel costs were $10,650, according to city expense reports.
*******
It's extremely difficult to get much information about the "American Academy of Achievement". The group's website looks like it hasn't been updated in awhile. It doesn't list a phone number for the organization.
It does however list patrons. In addition to the Catherine Reynolds Foundation (referenced above), the group gets funding from Philip F. Anschutz, of AEG, owner of Staples Center.
Other patrons of the Academy (according to its website) include: His Highness Shaikh Salman Bin Hamad A-Khalifa, Crown Prince of Bahrain and David Rubenstein, Managing Director of the Carlyle Group.
Posted by Eric Spillman | Permalink | Comments (15) | TrackBack (0)
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Posted by: Jared | July 13, 2009 at 06:46 PM
Hey what's everyone knocking the mayor for? If a short Hispanic dude can get a babe like lu Parker, God bless him, there may be hope for me.
Posted by: Sammy Ruiz | July 09, 2009 at 07:57 PM
You've got to be kidding me. Your news department literally has an embedded reporter with the Mayor as we speak. Did you not notice Lu wasn't in the office this week? Quit whining, give her a call and get the scoop, and have Ms. Parker do some real reporting for a change!
Posted by: Steve B. | July 09, 2009 at 05:16 PM
I remember in the initial coverage about the relationship between Lu Parker and Mayor Tony V. there was a comment that she (they?) was looking at books on Kenya and that's when the "our trip" comment was made.
On the positive side, one does tend to "shake out" a relationship during vacations like this because a couple are "stuck" together for a somewhat extended length of time. Lu may change her mind...
Now, if he's divorced, does Tony V. resume his original surname of Villar?
Posted by: Idaho | July 09, 2009 at 04:13 PM
go points I'm Just Sayin'
If we have to live within our means because of the economy then those who are the elected public servants of the people should also...
Posted by: jared | July 09, 2009 at 12:47 PM
When you Lu Parker was first spotted with the Mayor at that bookstore, weren't they heard talking about "their trip coming up"? Is she, Lu Parker not with him? If she's with him, why can't you ask her those questions you all think you need to know, and get an "exclusive" as you all call it?
If he's on vacation, why do we pay for security for him when times are tough. Why doesn't he pay that himself, since HE'S ON VACATION.
If he's there on business, then we need to look into whether the benefits of "said" trip out way the expenses the city has to pay and tell him: NO MORE until we're out of debt.
Pay for it yourself or stay in town like the rest of us have to do.
Posted by: I'm Just Sayin' | July 09, 2009 at 07:22 AM
Who cares the men is an idiot.
Today the city of LA paid $ 48,000 to a grocery store in Wrighwood (80 miles from LA not even in LA county) for sandwiches to feed the police force for Michael Jackson's funeral.
Subway will had done the same for 17,000 and the sales tax would had staid in LA.
640 AM was interviewing the men responsible for that this afternoon and I couldn't believe the stupidity and his arrogance.
Posted by: chrisel | July 08, 2009 at 06:20 PM
nice one mike...
Posted by: jared | July 08, 2009 at 06:01 PM
Cone of silence - FUNNY! I miss great shows like "Get Smart!" I think our South Carolina governor may have corrupted our SC native Lu and the mayor as well. :)
Posted by: KTLAViewerInSouthCarolina | July 08, 2009 at 03:55 PM
just in case anybody cares...
today at 12:34 and 56 seconds, on this date July (07 month) the 8th of 2009..... it was 123456789. just found that kind of cool.
-m
Posted by: mike | July 08, 2009 at 03:17 PM
Who knows. He probably has a girlfreind over there and we are all paying for his trip to be with her. He is scum of the earth!
Posted by: Sandy | July 08, 2009 at 11:35 AM