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July 28, 2006
Facing the music--briefly
L.A. mayor Antonio Villaraigosa made a less than pleasant appearance before parents to talk about the takeover:
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's school reform plan received its first and only local public vetting Thursday evening in a sometimes raucous hearing where Los Angeles residents addressed state lawmakers, who will have the final say.
Perhaps the most significant blow was landed by officials from neighboring cities, who announced their opposition to legislation that would give Villaraigosa substantial authority over the Los Angeles Unified School District. Parts or all of the cities fall within the boundaries of the Los Angeles school system.
For those who have been on the fence regarding the takeover, this sort of stuff will probably only sour them on the idea. If it's true that this was the mayor's first and last appearance before the public to discuss the takeover, it's obvious that, in the words of one city councilwoman, this thing "is so clearly about money and ego and not education." And of course, this sort of thing doesn't exactly help either:
A special meeting of the San Fernando City Council was scheduled for this past Friday with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to discuss reform for the LAUSD. The council, of which I am a member, had agreed to meet with Villaraigosa before taking a formal position on his reform plan, otherwise known as Assembly Bill 1381.
But the meeting was never to take place. The Mayor's Office called three hours before the scheduled start to cancel. Apparently Villaraigosa and his staff were unprepared to host a meeting that would be open to the public, as San Fernando City Council meetings must be to be in accordance with state open-meetings laws.
The image of this thing being hashed out in smoke-filled rooms likely won't sit well with Los Angeles voters.
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