Good morning, readers. Welcome to the Maven’s Morning Coffee — a listing of the important headlines, news conferences, public meetings and announcements you need to know to fuel up and tackle your day.
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Today is Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012, and here is what’s happening in Los Angeles:
Headlines
- Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is experiencing some sort of political comeback, according to The New York Times. Raphael Sonenshein with the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs tells The Times, “… I think his political skills are such that they sometimes cause less recognition for his substantive skills than is fair. If you see the politician all the time, you don’t see the mayor. I think that’s a source of frustration.”
- A Los Angeles Times editorial opposes the Ethics Commission‘s recommendation to double campaign contribution limits. “Today’s limits, however flawed, have helped to preserve a place for average citizens to pay for city politics; the proposed changes would substantially and abruptly alter that,” according to the newspaper.
- BlogDowntown chats with the chair of the city’s Redistricting Commission. “Redistricting is the most political element of our form of democracy,” Arturo Vargas tells the site.
Pressers
9:30 a.m. Los Angeles City Councilmen Tony Cardenas and Mitch Englander will hold a presser on changes to the city’s daytime curfew. Spring Street steps of City Hall.
10 a.m. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar will attend the opening of the new Lucky Brand headquarters at 540 S. Santa Fe Avenue.
Meetings
10 a.m. Los Angeles City Council, City Hall, Council Chamber
- Budget report on city’s contributions to employees’ pensions
- Review of the third financial status report
- Recommendation to approve LAX concessions agreement with Westfield
- Recommendation to amend the daytime juvenile curfew
- Presentation on street vacations
- Recommendation to approve new head of Bureau of Street Services
- Consideration of LADOT request not to enforce certain parking laws
- Report on security concerns at public libraries
- Verbal reports from general managers of Recreation and Parks, Cultural Affairs, El Pueblo, Library Department, Los Angeles Zoo, Department on Disability, and Department of Aging
- Recommendation to approve final map
Announcements
Rep. Howard Berman will speak to the Encino Neighborhood Council today at 7 p.m. at the Encino Community Center.
The Greater Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists will host a talk tonight on the Brown Act and how it is impacting the business of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. RSVP for the free event here.
Newly elected Councilman Joe Buscaino will host an inauguration ceremony on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro. A pre-inaugural reception will be at Macedonia Baptist Church in Watts at 10 a.m.
Vicki Curry and Amanda Parsons have joined Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa‘s press office.
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