Villaraigosa: ‘Time To Stop Talking And Start Acting’ On Debt, Jobs

June 20, 2011 7:14 AM

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LOS ANGELES (CBS) — The mayor of Los Angeles on Monday will be everywhere but the city over which he presides on his way to a meeting at the White House.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will first be in Baltimore to be sworn in as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, after which he will travel to Washington, D.C., to meet with President Barack Obama.

Villaraigosa told KNX 1070′s Dick Helton that he wants to lead the mayors of the nation in an effort to pressure lawmakers in Washington to step up reinvestment in the American workforce.

“It’s time to stop talking and start acting,” said Villaraigosa. “We can’t continue to dither with the full faith and credit of the United States of America maybe going to default, set back our economy and not do what we should be doing, and that is putting people back to work.”

Villaraigosa pointed to the critical funding shortages facing community colleges and its ripple effect on preventing workers to get the training necessary to keep up with the changing jobs market.

“One of the most important things we could do to jump-start the economy right now is help to retrain those displaced workers for the jobs that are growing,” said Villaraigosa.

When asked about how these programs would be funded as the city, state and federal governments are all facing crippling debt loads, the mayor suggested that changes are in store for the “broken” entitlement system.

“We are going to have to cut back on defense spending so that we can invest in people again,” said Villaraigosa. “We have to address this deficit and debt, but we have to do it in a way that doesn’t set us back and doesn’t increase our unemployment.”

The mayors on Friday introduced a resolution calling for Congress to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and to use war funding to instead boost jobs and infrastructure in struggling U.S. cities.

Villaraigosa: Time To Stop Talking And Start Acting On Debt, Jobs

Really

I find it interesting that Mayor Villaraigosa goes to Washington about jobs when in Los Angeles he is looking to outsource the Information Technology Agency’s infrastructure which will most likely go to the cloud in another country giving them jobs and laying off workers in Los Angeles….hmmmmmm
jkaang

Americans are not working in CA because companies are fleeing the state due to high taxes on business. It has nothing to do with our education system, CA has the highest budget on schools even with the cuts and it still production low level students. CA is dominated with people on some kind of social assistance from the state. No one wants to work here, go to Disneyland throughout the year it’s jam packed monday threw sunday not with vacationers but locals. and we have traffic jam 24 hours a day. does that look like the people are out of work.
PeteM

If this a$$hole had half a brain he’d be extremely dangerous! You do NOT cut defense spending. You cut wasteful jobs, ie, mayoral positions, politicians, union workers, cut welfare etc. Then you CUT taxes to generate the economy.

I keep forgetting that he’s just another stupid DimmocRAT!

PeterL

Agreed! And look at where his cuts have put Los Angeles…In the dumps!

hho

one should ask the mayor this question.

How about fixing City of Los Angeles problems first?

Ron

Mayor V. finds it easier to run away from his problems at home(L.A.), then to stay here and handle the tough job, that he was elected to do.

With ALL the CORRUPTION that has been EXPOSED here in L.A., under his watch, what does that say about him leading the mayors of other cities and who appointed him, president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors anyway? They must be an INCOMPETENT group.

Mary

Do I smell a presidential hopefull?

James Granfield

Doubt if remember he has a mistress, not good for President or is it, then again he can get a job paying a few milllion on Telemundo., CNN, Fox etc. Seems that’s were all those guys who can’t keep ii in their pants wind up.making millions on talk shows, just look at the Kardanisan Sisters, $5,000,000.00 for a lousy porno, al least she could have made it with a good looking Armenian Guy,. Every one strat making pornos and get rich.
Ann

Shut up mexican

Steve Fisher

Maybe our Mayor should stay at home and concentrate on things here. He’s not going to solve L.A.’s problems by running around the country. Does everyone have ADHD now?
Sam Sindaha

Villaraigosa’s union buddies are finally afraid for their jobs in this economy, so he runs to Washington for help, if he gets DC money they’ll be taring up more perfectly good streets in LA and repaving them again .
ts stukey

Villaraigosa is simply the punchline to an endless stream of really bad jokes. Unfortunately the biggest joke of all is on us, the taxpayers. He has turned Los Angeles into a toilet.
Steve Goodelle

What’s with the intitlement comment? Social security is not an intitlement since we pay into it. He sounds like the republicans he’s been hanging out with.
jose rich

I don’t think he knows what he is talking about. He can’t even to the job right in Los Angeles. He is truly not the right person for this. He greatly lacks intelligence and competence for this position.
Regg

Pot calling the kettle black…..
ES

Does this guy spend any actual time in LA?
Mr. Black

This idiot should fix the gang problem in his own city first, how can a person work in Los Angeles if they are being killed every ten minutes by a gang members bullet?
Thomas Bleming

Face it folks, we’re at the end of the road. The bridge is washed away and the boogieman is right behind us.
Too late in the game to be thinkin’ that some guy on a white horse is going to come o the rescue.
Face up to the facts that it was fun while it lasted and get ready to duke it out in the streets once it all comes apart at the seams.
Have any of you wondered why gold and silver are selling at the prices they’re quoting or why gasoline costs what it sells for?
Our currency is no longer wanted nor is it coveted by the rest of the world. It is nearly worthless in value.
You all can blame yourselves for what’s happening in this country.
Each and everyone of you are either a part of the problem or you are part of the solution.
When I look back at the way this country used to be (as a teenager) and what’s going on now, it’s just turned 180 degrees in the wrong direction.
The young people growing up aren’t going to have much of a life.
All these politicians have done their dirty work, to make sure that this nation collapses.
They all should be tried for treason and then done away with.
Farsky

Dude, you’re whole mayorship is all talk and no act!

Seriously, the media follows this idiot around like he’s the President!
Walter Garcia

He can’t even get the STREETS PAVED. Have you TRIED driving down Wilshire Blvd? WORST MAYOR IN LA HISTORY, and yes, that includes the 20′s.
http://news.voterfactory.com/los-angeles_ca/villaraigosa-%e2%80%98time-to-stop-talking-and-start-acting%e2%80%99-on-debt-jobs/ Villaraigosa: ‘Time To Stop Talking And Start Acting’ On Debt, Jobs | Local Voter News

[...] Mayors, right after which he will journey to Washington, D.C., to meet with President Barack Obama. CBS Los Angeles Tags: Acting’, debt, jobs, start, stop, talking, Villaraigosa, ‘Time Posted in Los [...]
sheriff joe

he’s going to washington to get more jobs for the illegal mexicans, and the obomo/demo clan will do thier best to get his wish.

Ron

He is most likely there to get more of OUR taxpayer money, to put the illegals’ kids through college. And to figure out how he and Obama can GIVE the UNIONS more support and LEVERAGE.