JUNE ELECTION - Carmen Trutanich got elected City Attorney because informed voters knew his opponent, then Councilman Jack Weiss, was nothing but a stooge of the political machine and not a very effective one at that.
The way things have turned out in the last three years, Trutanich has become just another stooge of the political machine and not a very effective one at that.
He started out as a bull in a china shop, threatening to lock up “Mr. Big,” AEG’s Tim Leiweke, and Councilwoman Jan Perry and throw away the keys. He ended up groveling for budgetary mercy from the mayor and signing off on every dirty deal City Hall’s minions concocted to rip off taxpayers and destroy the quality of residents’ lives.
He doesn’t stand a chance win re-election which may explain why he is betraying the solemn vow he made to his supporters that he would not jump ship and run for District Attorney.
He has been exposed time and again as liar about everything from his professional record to his political promises.
Fortunately, there are two solid candidates running for District Attorney in Chief Deputy DA Jackie Lacey and Deputy DA Alan Jackson.
“Either is a better choice than Trutanich,” said the Daily News in its “Anybody But Carmen” editorial. ”Both are distinguished and veteran deputy district attorneys. Both are well-respected members of their agency with proven management skills. Both have smart ideas about modernizing the agency and adapting to the governor’s realignment plan. And either would be a much, much better D.A. than Trutanich.”
In its endorsement, the LA Times said: “Jackie Lacey is the candidate best equipped to strike the proper balance. She has years of experience leading the office, as well as realistic goals and a well-thought-out program for delivering justice.”
As for Trutanich, the Times has opined that ‘he does not seem to grasp that voters took seriously his pledge not to run for another office before completing his job as city attorney. It may have been just a campaign gimmick to him, but it was a pledge to his constituents — and it was all too typical of the occasional gap between Trutanich’s statements and his actions.”
It is the same throughout the county: Trutanich has lost the public’s confidence by failing to protect the public as he promised, a blowhard who wanted to throw the book at Occupy LA protesters for exercising their democratic rights even as he stands up and salutes labor union bosses like Maria Elena Durazo.
As an early and passionate supporter, I can only say “Nuch” is a great disappointment and has turned out to be only marginally better than Jack Weiss would have been worse. I waited a long time before criticizing him in hopes that he would remember that it was the activist community that brought him to the dance.
Today, Trutanich is just another politician who has lost his way. Mike Feuer, Greg Smith and whoever else runs for City Attorney next year will eat Trutanich for lunch if he comes up short in the DA’s race and seeks re-election.
Maybe Lacey or Jackson will succumb to the same pressures of a corrupt political system but they both are career prosecutors with solid records of public service — not the kind of overly ambitious outsider like Trutanich who has put himself first and the public last.
No office in the county is more important than District Attorney especially at a time when bribery, theft and self-service are so rampant in the public sector.
LA simply cannot afford Carmen Trutanich in a position with so much power and so much at stake.
(REMINDER: Election is this Tuesday, June 5)
(Ron Kaye is the former editor of the Daily News. He now writes about politics on his blog ronkayela.com … where this piece was first posted.) –cw
Tags: Ron Kaye, Carmen Trutanich, Jackie Lacey, Alan Jackson, June election, District Attorney
CityWatch
Vol 10 Issue 44
Pub: June 1, 2012
