Mayor Richard Riordan has long had trouble lining up the eight votes on the Los Angeles City Council he needs to push his programs.
But it still created a buzz at City Hall this week when Riordan couldn't attract a majority of members to his annual Christmas breakfast for the City Council.
Ten of the 15 council members skipped the breakfast at Getty House last Friday, and each one had an excuse.
All said prior obligations, not a political rift with the mayor, were responsible for their inability to attend.
Several council offices complained that the invitation didn't arrive until the day before the event, making it difficult to reschedule appointments.
Others cited bad timing.
"The problem is, the last week before recess is really busy and Councilwoman Walters was trying to cram for that last council meeting," said Delpha Flad, a spokeswoman for Rita Walters.
City Councilwoman Laura Chick of Tarzana gave the same excuse.
"She had scheduled meetings with city staff at City Hall," said Gary Boze, a spokesman. "It was a matter of her being focused for the council meeting."
Councilman Hal Bernson was attending a meeting of a rapid-rail-authority committee on which he sits.
Ruth Galanter and Mike Hernandez were sick with the flu.
Joel Wachs of Studio City begged off for emergency dental surgery, but said he would have attended otherwise.
Some no-shows, including Councilman Nate Holden, sent top aides.
Newly elected council members Alex Padilla and Nick Pacheco, who were both endorsed by Riordan, attended, as did council members John Ferraro, Mike Feuer and Cindy Miscikowski.
Ann D'Amato, a spokeswoman for the mayor, said Riordan did not feel slighted.
"It's fun and it's social and it's away from City Hall," D'Amato said. "It was a nice gathering."
GOING BANANAS: What does it mean when a city bureaucrat says "DOT needs a CO to deal with the LULU and is using GAAP in the GASP?"
Or, "WIGO with the SLO working with the HITMAN?"
For those who need an interpreter, San Fernando Valley resident Francine Oschin has just released her millennial issue of "Alphabet Soup," an informal dictionary of City Hall lingo she sends out to friends and co-workers every couple of years.
"A lot of people find it extremely helpful," said Oschin, an aide to Councilman Bernson of Granada Hills. "There is no way you can keep up with all of the acronyms."
