Eric Garcetti is one of the 15 highest paid City Council members in America.
But here in Los Angeles, it is the unwritten policy of the City Council to pay themselves in full whether they show up to a Council meeting or not.
Not even an excuse for non-attendance is now necessary to get paid by the city.
I am dumbfounded. When was the policy changed so Council members need no excuse to miss any L.A. City Council meeting. (See City Clerk letter below.)
This email is the L.A. City Clerk's quick, inadequate response to the Walsh Confidential's Wednesday 3/6/13 request for all public documents related to Mayoral Candidate/City Councilman Eric Garcetti's official excuse for absence on 3-6-13,the day being the after Election Day LA City Council Meeting.
At the Tuesday night Garcetti Victory Party at the Hollywood Avalon Night Club, Councilman Garcetti, microphone in hand while on stage, had issued an open invitation to the 300 well-wishers assembled there to attend his next-day Mayoral Campaign kick-off event at the charter school that now occupies the former Van De Kamp's Bakery building.
We in the Avalon audience on Tuesday night were told by Eric that his partisan kickoff event would take place at 11 a.m. Wednesday.
This scheduling for a Garcetti for Mayor campaign event was in conflict with his duty to attend City Council meetings three times a week, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, starting at 10 a.m.
Not that Eric gave a damn.
Walsh Confidential was startled later that same day to receive an email from Ms. Hoppes, who works under City Clerk June Lagmay, advising me that the Office of City Clerk is no longer responsible for keeping attendance records or approving absences that are within the Board's or the Office of City Clerk's apparently unwritten policy guidelines.
Then in her email, Ms. Hoppes at the City Clerk's office passes the buck to Council President Herb Wesson who has decided not to answer any questions pertaining to the matter.
The mainstream media couldn't care less. It should be noted that Councilman Dennis Zine, himself in a runoff, did the right thing. He attended the Wednesday City Council meeting the day after Election Day.
Mr. Zine is in the same position as Garcetti (He is a citywide runoff candidate and has an equal obligation to attend Council meetings with the other Council members while he is campaigning for City Controller.) Zine is fulfilling his obligation at City Council. Garcetti is shirking his duty.
From the City Clerk:
Mr. Walsh, this email is in response to your request dated, March 6, 2013. Please be advised that the City Clerk's office is not responsible for keeping the attendance of Councilmembers, nor are we responsible for approving requests for absences. You may wish to contact the Council President's office for this information. In addition, there are no penalties that the City Clerk's office can impose on a Councilmember for a “fraudulent excuse.”
If you need additional assistance, please feel free to contact me.
—
Shannon Hoppes
Council and Public Services
Office of the City Clerk
200 N. Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-978-1050
213-978-1079 (Fax)
Mr.Walsh may be contacted at hollywoodhighlands.org
