Link: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to be sworn in at 11 a.m. - LA Daily News
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to be sworn in at 11 a.m.
By Rick Orlov, Staff Writer
Updated: 06/30/2009 06:06:36 PM PDT
With the city facing one of its worst economic crises, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will be sworn in today to his second term of office, with a more humble tone and promises of specific goals to get the city moving.
"You can call it a rededication to the job and a demand for accountability," spokesman Matt Szabo said. "Accountability from him and from others."
Villaraigosa, who was re-elected with 55 percent of the vote last March against a crowded field of relatively unknown and underfunded candidates, feels a sense of humility and appreciation in being re-elected to a second term, Szabo said.
At the same time, he recognizes the opportunity he faces as mayor of the nation's second-largest city.
The mayor's inauguration ceremony will be hosted by Los Angeles Lakers point guard Derek Fisher. The ceremony on the south lawn of City Hall will begin at 11 a.m. and will feature Grammy-winning singer Patti Austin performing the national anthem and a flyover from fire department helicopters.
The mayor's sister, Superior Court Judge Mary Lou Villar, will administer his oath of office.
Villaraigosa last week announced he was giving up plans to run for governor in 2010 to focus on his job as mayor. His primary goal for the next four years is to create jobs by retaining firms, helping them expand or bring in new business.
In particular, the mayor is looking to bring in more green and clean tech industries along the Clean Tech Corridor being created between downtown Los Angeles and the Harbor area as well as continued development of biomed and other industries.
"We are looking at everything," said Bud Ovrom, deputy mayor for business development. "Whether it is old-style manufacturing or new clean tech jobs."
Deputy Mayor David Freeman, who served as a harbor commissioner and the general manager of the Department of Water and Power, said he believes the city is in a unique position to take advantage of new technology.
"We have three universities - Cal Tech, USC and UCLA - that graduate more engineers than any other part of the country," Freeman said.
"We have more electric vehicle charging stations than any other part of the country... I think we can move Detroit to Los Angeles."
Szabo said Villaraigosa remains committed to his proposal to clean the Los Angeles environment with efforts such as the clean trucks program at the Harbor among others.
Also, he will continue to pursue those aspects of solar energy development agreed to by most of the public and as outlined in Measure B, the solar initiative rejected by voters.
On transportation, with the Measure R sales tax taking effect today, the mayor is looking at ways to either borrow against it or leverage it to get more federal stimulus money to speed construction on projects.
Szabo said the Orange Line extension to Chatsworth and the Expo Line in the Mid City Area are two of the top projects.
On education, Szabo said the mayor recognizes the role he plays - having helped elect a majority of the Los Angeles Unified school board and having his former top adviser, Ramon Cortines, named superintendent.
The final area to be emphasized by the mayor will be public safety with his continued support of an expanded Los Angeles Police Department while also extending anti-gang programs. The mayor this week launched the second year of the Summer Night Lights program at 16 parks devoted to keeping young people out of gangs.
Inaugural events this year will kick off at 8:30 a.m., with an interfaith breakfast at 1st AME Church with City Hall ceremonies beginning at 10:30 a.m., on the South Lawn. Tickets have been limited.
In addition to the mayor, City Attorney-elect Carmen Trutanich, Controller-elect Wendy Greuel and eight council members - Ed Reyes, Dennis Zine, Paul Koretz, Richard Alarcon, Jan Perry, Bill Rosendahl, Eric Garcetti and Janice Hahn - will be sworn in to office.
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