“Folks, we can’t just complain about the traffic,” Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa told a Palisades Democratic Club gathering last Sunday. “We all have to be part of the solution.” Although the mayor realized that virtually every person in his audience of about 250 people is wedded to a car 24/7, he earnestly tried to promote his campaign for lessening that dependence. “Traffic congestion is everywhere, not just here on the Westside,” Villaraigosa said, “and the only way out is to change our patterns of living. We’ve got to get more people to carpool, to walk, to get on a bus. As you ride buses, you’ll realize, ‘Hey, this is okay, it works.’ ” Spotting County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky in the audience, the mayor said: “I see Zev as an important ally in my efforts to expand our rapid-transit system in the city, with buses and light rail.” He noted that funding is back on track for Phase I of the Expo light-rail line from downtown L.A. to Culver City, a project that will be completed “by 2009, because it already has a dedicated right of way.” Phase II will extend the line to Santa Monica. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Villaraigosa reiterated his commitment to address widespread poverty in Los Angeles. “If we had had this tragedy in Los Angeles, the world would have seen the poverty capital of the United States,” Villaraigosa said. “We have more poor people and more uninsured people than any other city. Just go downtown, to Pico Union, to South L.A., and you see the dilapidated houses, the schools where so many kids are dropping out.” “A great city, a healthy city, has to be a place where people are growing and prospering together,” the mayor said. “That’s what I’m going to be working on.” Earlier, City Councilwoman Bill Rosendahl reiterated many of the goals he outlined during this past spring’s campaign, and he praised the 22-person staff he has hired. They include Palisadians Norman Kulla, his district director and senior counsel; Laurie Sale, his arts, education and cultural deputy; and Reza Ahef, a constituent advocate. “I’m only as good as my staff, and hopefully my staff is better than me so we will have a sm smooth-functioning District,” Rosendahl said. “My number job is constituent services.” He noted that his staff is “a hybrid blend of folks’young and old, men and women, gay and straight,” and that residents should always remember: “My number one job is constituent services.” Among those attending Sunday’s event were four early candidates for Assemblywoman Fran Pavley’s termed-out seat in 2006: Julia Brownley, Barry Groveman, Kelly Hayes-Raitt and Louise Rishoff. The primary election will be held next June 6.
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