Remember Jaime de la Vega, L.A.’s deputy mayor for transportation — who gained notoriety for his Hummer-driving ways? Back in 2007, L.A. Times columnist Steve Lopez named and shamed Jaime for getting to work in his gas-guzzler, then poked fun at him again in 2008:
Not only is Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s transportation deputy shelling out a small fortune to fuel his Hummer, but he’s got the added pressure of setting an embarrassingly bad example. Even as people switch to smaller cars and public transportation in droves, he’s sticking with a monster.
Jaime still has the Hummer — but has made a few changes. Writes Steve Lopez in last week’s column:
[Jaime] finally got the message and recently stopped driving the Hummer to work, instead carpooling with his wife in an Acura or using public transit. De la Vega says he made the decision on his own, but I hear that Mayor Villaraigosa finally got tired of the embarrassment and one of his minions gave De la Vega a nudge.
Steve and Jaime also tried racing from the Universal City train station to City Hall, with Steve driving Jaime’s Hummer and Jaime taking the Red line. Jaime won by 10 minutes!
Steve says he’s offered to buy Jaime’s Hummer to “donate it to charity or the National Guard” — but Jaime doesn’t sound like he’s ready to let go of the gas guzzler just yet.
Earlier: Hummer humping and Hummer bummer
This is just one of the examples of hypocrisy in the Villaraigosa administration: A Transportation Deputy who drives a gas guzzling symbol of wretched excess; A Chief Deputy with no significant political experience; A Community Service Deputy who works to carry out projects without consulting the community; A Public Relations flack in charge of the disastrous budget.
And then there is the Mayor. He called a press conference to ask for privacy about his affair with the First Television New Reader. He told the public that he values his family as he spent years disrespecting his wife and children with a sordid set of affairs.
The mayor says he works so hard to protect the poor. Then he essentially mocks them as he sips expensive wine, wears extravagant clothing, and runs around town with the Second Television News Reader. (“I am no longer one of you”is his implicit message.)
The Mayor and his administration is Marie Antoinette in male drag.
Comment by Doris G. — February 8, 2010 @ 11:08 am
There was a somewhat recent article in a car magazine comparing the how the lifetime of a Hummer and Prius are to the environment. Over a certain period of time, I think 5-10 years a Hummer is less toxic to the environment.
So driving a Hummer isn’t necessarily so bad. Of course driving a 40mpg Civic would make more sense for the local government that should be setting the example. But then again I don’t really understand who voted for the majority of people in office for LA City.
Comment by Brandon Lee — February 8, 2010 @ 5:20 pm