(L.A.) Mayor Villaraigosa ‘Didn’t Save Any Money,’ Casting ‘Really Wide Net’ For Job

“His friends are so concerned because he’s lived so flamboyantly and spent basically so much of other people’s money on a very, very costly lifestyle,” Stewart said, adding that Villaraigosa has lived “far better than Gov. Jerry Brown and far more flamboyantly than actual multi-millionaire mayor Richard Riordan.”


The report, entitled Antonio Villaraigosa’s Quest for Wall Street, Washington and Wealth, also cites mayoral associates and City Hall insiders in estimating Villaraigosa earns a salary of $232,735 a year, more than any of his mayoral counterparts nationwide.

And now, according to Stewart, Villaraigosa is broke.

“He didn’t save any money…we got his required economic interest reports where you see all their stocks and bonds and property,” Stewart said. “Nada.”

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Erod said:

Report: Mayor Villaraigosa ‘Didn’t Save Any Money,’ Casting ‘Really Wide Net’ For Jobs « CBS Los Angeles



Is this guy the personification of California, or what?

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Fishstyx said:

WTF did he do with all his money? The mayoral salary for LA is over $200k.

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Unitedwestand13 said:

no, jerry brown is.

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Erod said:

No, check out your state's bankrupt account, untenable budget, and lavish lifestyle. This guy is the poster child.

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A new study by State Budget Solutions places Texas third nationwide in total state debt with $287 billion, behind California and New York.

New Jersey and Illinois joined the top three, rounding out the same five states with the highest total debt from a year ago, the study states. The states with the lowest total state debt are Vermont, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Nebraska.

Texas’ third-place rank shouldn’t surprise taxpayers, given the state’s rapid growth in the past decade. The state had more than 25.1 million residents in 2010 compared to 20.9 million in 2000, according to Census data. Those extra 4 million people and change triggered the construction of roads, water and wastewater treatment plants, among other infrastructure.

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T
he Texas economy is one of the most important in America, but the state faces a huge budget crisis in 2011 — and no one is talking about it, say Joe Weisenthal and Gus Lubin in Business Insider. Texas is looking at a $25 billion shortfall on a $95 billion, two-year budget that doesn't have "much fat to cut." Think of it as "America's Ireland" — "pro-business, anti-tax, low-spending," and praised for being so, "right up until the moment before it blows up." Is the Lone Star State a fiscal time bomb?

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Perry is one of four members on the Bond Review Board, which ultimately approves most state debt transactions. And over the years, we found, he was a leading advocate for expanding state debts to pay for transportation projects and to combat cancer.

It turns out that transportation is responsible for most of the added debt load under Perry, increasing from basically nothing in 2000 to $11.8 billion outstanding as of Aug. 31 2009. That's because before 2001, the Texas Department of Transportation lacked the authority to borrow money to pay for road projects. Voters gave it that power in 2001 when they approved a constitutional amendment that Perry supported.

Addressing transportation in his 2001 state of the state speech, Perry said, "I would like for both chambers to pass a bonding program to jump-start construction across our state."

In 2007, voters also passed a constitutional amendment to create and fund the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas with $3 billion in bonds over 10 years, starting in January 2010. Perry had championed the cause with cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong and others.

Where does that leave us?

It's clear the amount of state debt has more than doubled since Perry became governor.

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Hatuey said:

Is he a poster child for Texas too? Or is your state debt free, spending less and with
no lavish lifestyle? Oh wait...

Texas third in total state debt, low by per-capita measure; across all the states, underfunded liability shoots to $3.5 trillion | Texas Watchdog



Debt crisis: Is Texas 'America's Ireland'? - The Week



And before you go blaming Democrats for it...

PolitiFact Texas | White says Texas debt has doubled under Perry

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Fenton said:

LOL !!!

Bill White ? The Liberal X-Houston Mayor that left Houston in massive amounts of debt.

Lol....what drek man. What a joke.

Don't worry about Texas, we're doing just fine.

Worry about that Liberal Blue Plague state that's been bankrupted by a corrupt ideology.

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Fisher said:

I really don't think $230K is an outlandish salary for some place like LA., but then
again, there are some who think our mayor's like $5K stipend is outlandish :shrug:

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Fenton said:

The guy is the personification of the saying " a fool and his money, are soon parted ".

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Hatuey said:

Is he a poster child for Texas too? Or is your state debt free, spending less and with no lavish lifestyle? Oh wait...

Texas third in total state debt, low by per-capita measure; across all the states, underfunded liability shoots to $3.5 trillion | Texas Watchdog

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Taylor said:

Of course, when you factor in the population, they're not really third at all, but 45th...

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Hatuey said:

Third in debt... beaten by California and New York.... well... ummm alright. How does being 3rd place in debt feel? Better than being 2nd or 1st? Texas laughing at California's debt is like the kid with Down Syndrome laughing at the kid with encephalitis.

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Hatuey said:

Third in debt... beaten by California and New York.... well... ummm alright. How does being 3rd place in debt feel? Better than being 2nd or 1st? Texas laughing at California's debt is like the kid with Down Syndrome laughing at the kid with encephalitis.

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Erod said:

No, check out your state's bankrupt account, untenable budget, and lavish lifestyle. This guy is the poster child.

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Erod said:

And that includes a free house and most of his day on the taxpayer dole.

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Hatuey said:

Is he a poster child for Texas too? Or is your state debt free, spending less and with no lavish lifestyle? Oh wait...

Texas third in total state debt, low by per-capita measure; across all the states, underfunded liability shoots to $3.5 trillion | Texas Watchdog



Debt crisis: Is Texas 'America's Ireland'? - The Week



And before you go blaming Democrats for it...

PolitiFact Texas | White says Texas debt has doubled under Perry

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poweRob said:

You call Mr. Frugal Jerry Brown... living on a lavish lifestyle? You clearly don't know much about Jerry Brown.

Blunt and stingy, Jerry Brown suits California just fine this time around
Jerry Brown grated on many Californians when he was governor three decades ago, but his style seems to fit the state's mood well now, as he 'is making frugal fashionable, finally.'

He dismantled Arnold Schwarzenegger’s cigar-smoking tent that was ensconced on the Capitol grounds. He took the former Hollywood star’s giant “Conan the Barbarian” sword off the wall of the governor’s office, and replaced the polished walnut boardroom table with a pinewood picnic table.

“I want people when they come in my office to know they’re on a hard surface,” he says.

He has stood on a coffee table for news conferences, lives in a former Chevy dealership, walks to work, and not only flies commercial, but coach-class on the state’s least-expensive airline. And without an entourage.​

Not to mention the huge surpluses Jerry Brown is running following the crushing deficits left by AHHHnold.

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poweRob said:

You call Mr. Frugal Jerry Brown... living on
a lavish lifestyle? You clearly don't know much about Jerry Brown.

Blunt and stingy, Jerry Brown suits California just fine this time around
Jerry Brown grated on many Californians when he was governor three decades ago, but his style seems to fit the state's mood well now, as he 'is making frugal fashionable, finally.'

He dismantled Arnold Schwarzenegger’s cigar-smoking tent that was ensconced on the Capitol grounds. He took the former Hollywood star’s giant “Conan the Barbarian” sword off the wall of the governor’s office, and replaced the polished walnut boardroom table with a pinewood picnic table.

“I want people when they come in my office to know they’re on a hard surface,” he says.

He has stood on a coffee table for news conferences, lives in a former Chevy dealership, walks to work, and not only flies commercial, but coach-class on the state’s least-expensive airline. And without an entourage.​

Not to mention the huge surpluses Jerry Brown is running following the crushing deficits left by AHHHnold.

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poweRob said:

You call Mr. Frugal Jerry Brown... living on a lavish lifestyle? You clearly don't know much about Jerry Brown.

Blunt and stingy, Jerry Brown suits California just fine this time around
Jerry Brown grated on many Californians when he was governor three decades ago, but his style seems to fit the state's mood well now, as he 'is making frugal fashionable, finally.'

He dismantled Arnold Schwarzenegger’s cigar-smoking tent that was ensconced on the Capitol grounds. He took the former Hollywood star’s giant “Conan the Barbarian” sword off the wall of the governor’s office, and replaced the polished walnut boardroom table with a pinewood picnic table.

“I want people when they come in my office to know they’re on a hard surface,” he says.

He has stood on a coffee table for news conferences, lives in a former Chevy dealership, walks to work, and not only flies commercial, but coach-class on the state’s least-expensive airline. And without an entourage.​

Not to mention the huge surpluses Jerry Brown is running following the crushing deficits left by AHHHnold.

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ocean515 said:

Huge surpluses?

:lamo

Brown confiscated all Community Redevelopment Funds from around the state, crushing revitalization in cities around the state, pulling billions of local taxes from those cities. He has forced services back on Counties and Cities throughout the state causing major cutbacks in services to the poor and needy. He pushed California to have the highest income, sales, and corporate taxes in the nation.

Brown has done nothing to cure the existing massive liability on state employee pension pay and benefits. Brown is pushing the Browndoggle train to nowhere which will cost taxpayer $250 billion in it's first 20 year of operation.

And you mention surpluses?

:2rofll:

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