Seeking a Little Respect

It's not easy being a Los Angeles City Council member.

Sure, they each represent about 260,000 constituents and hold the strings of the city's $6.8 billion budget.

But, sometimes, department general managers and city commissioners don't even return their calls.

Faced with hundreds of urgent little problems, they struggle to make an impact on the big issues of Los Angeles - such as gangs and traffic. And when they do accomplish something, the public and the media don't seem to know or care much about their triumph. Kerry Cavanaugh in the Daily News.

Take, for example, the first-ever City Council retreat that kicked off Tuesday at the San Pedro Doubletree Hotel. The innovative session designed to help the 15-member council focus on priorities and improve its effectiveness drew exactly one television camera.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa had 10 cameras filming him Tuesday morning when he swept a street and announced a summer jobs program.

And while City Council members generally feel upbeat about their work, there is also a sense that they're not doing all they could be.