From an article published today:

It is not known who gave him the tickets, or the precise number of these events Villaraigosa actually attended, although it is known that he frequently did show up. The 80 events, which appear on the mayor’s private official schedule, were recently sent by Villaraigosa to the Ethics Commission amid an outcry from the public over his freebies. The Weekly obtained a copy of the list. Click here to see the Weekly’s exclusive ticket-price values of Mayor Villaraigosa’s 80 freebies.

According to L.A. Weekly’s calculations, Villaraigosa has taken tickets worth $50,000, and perhaps as much as $100,000 — a staggering amount for an American politician at any level, and more than he could cover with his $223,000 salary and extensive family obligations.

The top-end value of those tickets is impossible to determine because, as the mayor’s office admitted in a Los Angeles Times article June 12 by Phil Willon, Villaraigosa failed to keep track of his free tickets for the past five years. If true, there is no way to know whether he took single tickets or frequently received multiple tickets to also accommodate dates and family members.

If he did in fact take two or three tickets to events, the value could rise substantially, perhaps reaching or topping $100,000.

Without any records, the public can’t know how many tickets he took to events or what he was given in addition to the seating — such as free valet parking, expensive liquor and meals, all of which can add up to the price of a ticket. Those also must be reported under ethics laws…

The mayor’s $50,000 to $100,000-plus in freebies scooped up over five years is roughly the same amount as all 40 members of the California Senate accepted over an 18-month period…

The state and city prohibit elected officials from taking more than $420 in gifts annually from any single source

Make sure to read the whole thing.

Villaraigosa’s defense?  He’s exempt from gift limitations because in each instance, apparently, he was attending to “official business.”  We’re not sure if that will hold with the City Ethics Commission, but L.A. Weekly suggests the Commission would be advised to make an example out of Villaraigosa lest it set a horrible precedent for other politicians inclined to take advantage of their positions of power.

Also in the article, L.A. Weekly intimates the L.A. Times may have suppressed the release of information regarding gifts to Villaraigosa; the Times editorial page has defended Villaraigosa appearing at major city events for years.

In a followup, L.A. Weekly also published the full list of 80 events.

We’ll continue to track this story as news breaks on it.

Big props to the admittedly left but consistently honest L.A. Weekly for lowering the boom on a corrupt Democrat.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has always been an empty suit, a smirking, glad-handing fool of epic proportions with a history of questionable ethics.  Besides successfully lobbying President Clinton to commute the sentence of a convicted cocaine trafficker, Villaraigosa pulled a John Edwards by allegedly fooling around while his spouse was undergoing cancer treatment.  Add to this the L.A Times report that the Los Angeles Ethics Commission accused him of 31 violations of campaign finance and disclosure laws during his 2003 City Council campaign.  Toss in the report that Villaraigosa was a member of MECha, a Hispanic separatist organization, while at UCLA, and attended an unaccredited law school in Los Angeles that allegedly promoted illegal alien causes (He failed the bar exam four times).

This is the Mayor of Los Angeles, and Angelenos have gotten what they deserve.  They re-elected a man who has shown absolutely no leadership in times of crisis.  His inability to use the bully pulpit has contributed to the dismal record of the Los Angeles Unified School District.  LAUSD is falling apart, unable to manage its budget, unable to fire teachers due to outrageous union rules, and increasing class sizes.  This is not surprising.  A report by the LA Weekly, an alternative newspaper usually known for supporting left-wing causes, did some strong investigative work into Villaraigosa’s schedule.  During one period, the Mayor spent only 11% of his time working on city business.  He has refused to direct LAPD to repeal Special Order 40 – which does not permit officers from asking about someone’s immigration status.

So even in circumstances where an officer sees a KNOWN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT that he himself helped deport following a prior arrest, he cannot report this individual to I.C.E.   This outrageous policy by the Mayor and City Council resulted in the shooting death of a young man named Jamiel Shaw.

However, the most egregious lack of leadership Villaraigosa demonstrates is occurring right now.

The City is $500 million in the red.  Rather than do what is necessary – cut expenses and show leadership – Villaraigosa and the spineless City Council has taken to terrorizing the city’s residents by slamming them with fees.  This includes sharp increases in fines for parking and directives to the LAPD to “increase traffic enforcement”.

With respect to fees, in a recent controversy involving the LA Department of Water and Power (LADWP), Villaraigosa attempted to strong-arm the City Council into approving a 37% rate increase.  He has tripled the city’s trash collection fees, and supports ballot measures to increase other taxes on city residents, including additional property tax surcharges.

In another terrific piece by the L.A. Weekly, reporter Michael Goldstein notes that, despite 13% unemployment, Villaraigosa and his hacks have instituted these regressive taxes with no regard for the citizenry.  Rather than include his staff of 205 in budget cuts, Villaraigosa saw fit to raise parking ticket fines.  The city plans to double the number of red-light cameras by next year – despite mounting evidence that they contribute to accidents rather than prevent them.  This, while he and the City Council drive free cars with free gas, are exempt from parking tickets, and make 4 times the median income of LA residents, according to Mr. Goldstein.

Sources have informed me that the LAPD has been told to increase traffic enforcement.  While never overtly stated, this is obviously intended to help bridge Villaraigosa’s irresponsible budget gap.   Last week, I observed four times as many traffic stops in the San Fernando Valley than I normally do.   I won’t fault LAPD for this.  I support LAPD in their community service.  However, they have been made pawns in this budget nightmare. If they don’t do their part to close the budget gap, guess whose budget gets cut?   There are many purposes to traffic tickets. However, citing my 72-year-old mother, who allegedly slow-rolled a stop sign at an empty intersection, does not seem to serve much purpose.   Deterrence and education can be valuable tools.  Adding a monetary component to some traffic stops is simply unnecessary.

Now, however, the City has moved to illegal means in which to reap additional revenue.  This past week, I observed three separate Parking Enforcement Officers videotaping cars parked in 15-minute or loading zones, around three elementary schools.  This videotaping occurred during school pick-up hours, as kids leave to be reunited with their parents – who will receive tickets by mail in a few days.

This, however, is an illegal method under California law by which parking tickets may be delivered.  The 2010 California Vehicle Code, Division 17, Article 3.5, Sec. 40202(a,b,d) explicitly states: “40202.  (a) If a vehicle is unattended during the time of the violation, the peace officer or person authorized to enforce parking laws and regulations shall securely attach to the vehicle a notice of parking violation setting forth the violation… (b) The notice of parking violation shall be served by attaching it to the vehicle either under the windshield wiper or in another conspicuous place… (d) If…the vehicle is driven away prior to attaching the notice to the vehicle, the issuing officer shall file the notice with the processing agency…and mail a copy of the notice to the registered owner.”

The Code says nothing about videotaping a parked car and serving the notice by mail at a later date.  A retired traffic court judge I spoke to said any ticket issued in this manner should be “dismissed unconditionally…the City should be ashamed of itself”.

Take heed, Angelenos.  If you are a victim of this scam, the law is on your side. Here’s how you can fight it.

At some point, I can only hope that Angelenos wise up and toss the bums out.  They’ve willingly handed their city, and pocketbooks, over to a group of circus freaks who are not acting in their interest.   If you are a voter, and you vote for an idiot, then don’t complain about those fines and fees.

(Transcript here.)

“We never declared because we have to be non-partisan – our national organization.  But, it was sort of like under the grapevine we knew we were going to put in Obama.”

When asked if she worked for ACORN, our ever loquacious friend said “No, I am just a member, I am ACORN… No, I don’t work.  I’m an organizer.”  This suggests that she was just one of those “Rent-a-protestor” who ACORN famously pays less than minimum age for (often, ironically to protest in favor of a living wage).  We captioned her picture at Big Government with the amusing phrase:  “Have You Seen This Organizer?”

Well, we now know who she is.  And we have a clearer understanding of her role with ACORN.  And the truth is startling and disturbing, especially in light of her infamous boast:  “We never declared because we have to be non-partisan – our national organization.  But, it was sort of like under the grapevine we knew we were going to put in Obama.”

This memorable community organizer is named Alvivon Hurd, but she goes by the delightful nickname:  “Bon Bon”.  Ms. Hurd has been identified over the years as an ACORN Board Member, Chairwoman of ACORN’s Housing Commission, Head of ACORN’s Los Angeles Chapter, ACORN Volunteer, Wal-Mart Opponent.. you get the picture.  But, that first title, ACORN Board Member raises some serious questions.

It’s one thing when a volunteer and random protestor says the odd and revealing things that Ms. Hurd said to us on November 12^th, it’s another when it is a former Board Member.   How much weight should be given to Ms. Hurd’s boast:  “we didn’t never say who we were going to run for but it sort of undercover that we were going to put Obama in.”?  A lot more, now that we know she has held various positions of influence at the troubled organization.

It seems Ms. Hurd is nothing if not active and influential in California.  She has been at the table with the Mayor of Los Angeles when discussing plans for public housing projects.  She has been in the forefront of protests in Sacramento blocking a housing auction of foreclosed properties.  She has been quoted in major publications about affordable housing and zoning issues.  She has been seen on Los Angeles Television protesting the Federal Bail-out bill.  She was even honored by a Los Angeles charity with something called the “Faith Award”.  “Bon Bon” gets around all right.  And she is not short on opinions.

Ms. Hurd also has a disturbing tendency to make racially charged statements in the press, like this quote from the LA Weekly:

Hurd said outside a housing summit at UCLA. “Suddenly, everyone wants to live downtown. All these young white people want to be there instead of in the suburbs. They’re building all these new places, Medici, Orsini. Do you think any of us can afford to live there? These people” — she pointed to her companions in the yellow shirts — “they clean up after these rich people, they wash their cars and take care of their children. But when they go home, they don’t want us around. Now what would you call that? I don’t want to call it racist. But what would you call it?”

Then there is this little beauty:

Alvivon Hurd remembers when no one with means lived in downtown Los Angeles. Especially not white people. “For 30 years you only saw [white people] during the day in the week,” says the life-long L.A. resident, who can see downtown from her apartment.

Every time the subject seems to be about affordable housing she finds the need to take note of her opponents’ skin pigment.  Interesting.

Alvivon Hurd lives in LA’s Pico Aliso housing project. One of the most gang-infested projects In LA. Yet I find nothing about her organizing or protesting the real plague of her neighborhood: the horrific and violent crime terrorizing the low-income families she purports to champion.  No, it is all about the rich white real estate investors.

But as we know, housing is only part of ACORN’s mission.  Remember, they also champion voter registration efforts.  How does “Bon Bon” fit into that picture.  You’ll be surprised.. maybe even shocked.  “Bon Bon” told Big Government that “it was sort of like under the grapevine we knew we were going to put in Obama.”  Remember, in that statement, “we” refers to ACORN.  But that is just a silly meaningless boast, right.  I mean ACORN is only responsible for voter registration efforts; they have no influence over actual voting practices and aren’t in any position to actually handle ballots or communicate with voters at the polling place, right?

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Alvivon “Bon Bon” Hurd, Precinct Inspector for the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder’s office:

The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder describes a Precinct Inspector as:  “supervising poll workers in charge at each voting location”.  In various polling procedures detailed by the city and county, these inspectors are responsible for delivering ballot boxes to Central Precinct Inspectors, depositing voters’ ballots into ballot boxes, setting up polling locations, supervising the voting process including verifying each voter and their legitimate registration status.  Yes, that was “Bon Bon’s” job on Election Day. Feel better now?

And, when Ms. Hurd is not protesting or organizing or receiving awards or serving on the Housing Trust Fund Advisory Committee or getting a “shout-out” from former Mayor of Los Angeles Jim Hahn during his State of the City Address in 2003, she has another impressive hobby:  She wrote an op-ed piece for the LA Times with none other than ACORN apologist oops, Professor of Politics at Occidental College, Peter Dreier.  Peter Dreier is the oft-cited, “objective” political analyst who has lately been critical of the news coverage of ACORN scandals.  You might remember him best from his op-ed piece that the LA Times was forced to issue a correction and update for thanks to the tireless efforts of LA Times watchdog Patrick Frye (Patterico).  How interesting to see “Bon Bon’s” name alongside “Objective Political Observer” Dreier’s right there in the LA Times.  Our “Bon Bon” really gets around.

Who knew that auspicious day when Andrew Breitbart ventured into the thicket of that ACORN protest in West Los Angeles we’d be rubbing elbows and interviewing one of ACORNS real movers and shakers?  That’s what we love about Los Angeles, there are important celebrities everywhere.  And you never know what you’re going to hear on the street.  Maybe even a tacit admission of misuse of Federal Funds or Federal Election Commission violations?  I love this town.

Last week in San Francisco, Obama headlined a three million dollar fundraiser at the Westin St. Francis Hotel. The San Francisco Chronicle reports about 160 people paid $30,400 or more per couple for a private dinner with Obama followed by a reception costing $500 to $1000 that drew over 900 attendees. Among those at the dinner was the leftist, so-called antiwar group Code Pink co-founder, Jodie Evans.

The Chronicle reports Jodie Evans had a several minutes long conversation with Obama at the fundraiser.

Why does Jodie Evans merit such face time with the president even though she acts as an agent of influence for the anti-American governments of Iran, Cuba and Venezuela, as well as Middle Eastern terrorists?

Over the life of the campaign, Jodie Evans became one of Obama’s top donors, giving the maximum $2300 to his respective primary and general election funds and tens of thousands of dollars more to the Obama Victory Fund, a joint Obama-Democratic National Committee fund.

Jodie Evans and Code Pink are also allied with the anti-American governments of Venezuela and Cuba. She met with Venezuelan tyrant Hugo Chavez in 2006 and has declared him a “sweetheart.” Jodie Evans traveled to Cuba in 2007 and worked with the Castro government to propagandize against the U.S.

In September 2008, just a couple of weeks after meeting Obama at a big money Hollywood fundraiser at the historic Greystone mansion in Beverly Hills, Jodie Evans met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in New York City. Afterward, Jodie Evans proclaimed him to be “really about peace and human rights and respecting justice.”

Jodie Evans told the Chronicle she delivered a petition to Obama last night from Afghan women urging him to not send more troops to Afghanistan to give women a place at the table for the reconciliation process. Jodie Evans didn’t say that the petition was actually Code Pink’s idea, and not the Afghan women’s initiative.