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September 04, 2006
Villaraigosa wants mayoral control of Roy Romer
Satire: Only to be believed by the extremely gullible.
LOS ANGELES - In a dramatic escalation of his controversial school-takeover plan, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has asked state Democratic assemblymen to begin drafting legislation granting him increased authority over the day-to-day life of LAUSD Superintendent Roy Romer.
"As Mr. Romer heads into retirement, I want to make sure he continues to live up to his full potential. We're impressed with what he's done so far, but to reach the next level, it's clear that outside authority will be needed," the mayor said at a Monday press conference.
Reached by telephone, Romer could be heard taking a drag off a cigarette, and then growling, "This time, it's personal."
The two men have been at odds since Villaraigosa began a campaign to wrest control of the troubled LAUSD from the district. The two could often be seen exchanging dirty looks, and some suspect Romer was behind the infamous "Night of 1,000 Pizza Deliveries" at City Hall in June.
"This is unprecedented in Los Angeles politics," said USC professor Herbert Jones, who has written extensively on the local political scene. "Some are thinking it's less about Roy Romer and more about a holiday photo-op for the mayor."
The mayor balked at this suggestion, noting, "I didn't even flash my pearly whites at that conference. This is all about what's best for Roy Romer."
Posted by Greg Sidor at September 4, 2006 10:32 PM