Mayor Villaraigosa: "Washington's failure is criminal"

MayorTV is a challenge from America's Mayors to 2008 candidates: start talking about cities! MayorTV asked Mayor Villaraigosa what he thought a national agenda for cities should look like.

When asked how the federal government is treating his city, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa had no hesitation.

"Whether it's poverty, work and opportunity, bolstering the middle class, housing or infrastructure," Mayor Villaraigosa said, "it is absolutely criminal that the federal government has failed to address these issues."

Villaraigosa has long been associated with policies that strengthen the middle class. He's insistent that the government, both local and federal, help people move up from poverty. Not exactly the Bush administration's primary agenda; so no shock that Villaraigosa doesn't get the funding or support he'd like.

But even on homeland security -- the Bush administration's signature issue -- Villaraigosa says the feds have fallen flat. "The federal government talks a good game about homeland security. And yet cities, like Los Angeles, are constantly struggling to get the resources we need to provide that security."

Villaraigosa is endorsing Senator Hillary Clinton for president, in part because "she understands the need to invest in infrastructure in cities across the nation." Will her relationships with mayors across the country encourage her to discuss that investment strategy on the campaign trail?

(More interviews and your comments at MayorTV.com)

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[wittynameguy]

this man is a embarrasment to the city, spends all his time posing for pics, and photo ops, to manipulate media. Has his daughter on payroll making 68k, "field rep" , changed his name from Tony Villar to sound more hispanic for votes, cheated on wife i dont care about, but dont be campaigning about being a family guy, or using her last name just to get votes.

[hookalakah]

"In the new century, Los Angeles has begun to fade... The unemployment rate is one of the highest among the nation’s largest urban areas. Streets are potholed. Businesses and residents are fleeing. In virtually every category of urban success, from migration of educated workers to growth of airport travel, Los Angeles lags behind not only such fast-growth regions as Dallas, Houston, and Raleigh-Durham, but also historical rivals like New York." --Joel Kotkin, CityJournal

[dalecampbl5]

but I am more of an Illegal-Immigrationist

[dalecampbl5]

illegal immigration has NOTHING TO DO WITH RACISM. I'm against all illegals, white, black, mexican, asian, arabs I don't think you understand the definition of racism....but that's understandable, it's an emotional topic and when people get emotional, they aren't so logical anymore.

[aguafinatv]

@dalecampbl5 Youre just a straight racist PIG.

[lerob312]

Typical blame someone else lowlife. This guy is an embarrassment. I hate to admit that I am from L.A. and that this is the moron that we elected. The guy has a hard time spitting out a sentance without about ten uhhhhhhhh, ummmmmm, uhhhhhhh, uhhhhhh, ummmmmm, duuuuuuhhh. The one thing he is good at is spending our money on encouraging and supporting illegal immigration.

[lerob312]

This guy is an embarrassment. I hate to admit that I am from L.A. and that this is the moron that we elected. The guy has a hard time spitting out a sentance without about ten uhhhhhhhh, ummmmmm, uhhhhhhh, uhhhhhh, ummmmmm, duuuuuuhhh. The one thing he is good at is spending our money on encouraging and supporting illegal immigration.

[ThisEducation]

Open borders and mass third world immigration has been so good for America!!! Look at the wonders its done for Los Angelos and California! Ya, California once was number 1 in education and now it has the worst schools in the nation and the highest unemployment.

[mizzoulibertarian]

ALL WHITE PEOPLE IN CALIFORNIA COME TO THE NORTHWEST MIDWEST AND SOUTH. LEAVE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TO THE BEANERS. IT WILL COLLPASE AND THEY WILL STARVE.

[RandomShellAccount]

Los Angeles fell apart since I was a kid growing up here. Most of us who were born in the 70s and saw it's decline know EXACTLY why. We've witnessed it first hand, sat by while our MAYORS announce "Sanctuary", we share the tax burden, our public schools have gone to shit, many hospitals closed. California has gone from broke to FUCKING BROKE.

And shit stains like Villaraigosa will walk away with a great pension and smile about the whole thing.

How's political correctness working for us now?