In his first month as mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa has confronted some of the city's most polarizing issues with pronouncements that seem designed to please everyone.
At his first meeting as chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority -- where the choice between spending more on buses or trains is fraught with class tensions -- Villaraigosa stated his support for both.
When an armed man and his 19-month-old daughter were slain by a police SWAT team in Watts, Villaraigosa offered his condolences to both the family and the traumatized police, including an officer wounded in the crossfire.
And in his first major education speech, Villaraigosa reiterated his belief that the mayor should have control over the ailing Los Angeles Unified School District, an idea popular with many parents looking for dramatic improvements. But he also said he would delay a mayoral takeover indefinitely, reassuring the powerful teachers union.
Taken together, those actions hint at a leadership style that has won Villaraigosa both plaudits and criticism in his 11 years of public service. Supporters say his ability to finesse complicated issues is what makes him a skilled negotiator -- able to keep warring parties at the table until they compromise. Detractors knock him as a slick pol with a habit of talking out of both sides of his mouth.
That, in essence, was the message of his opponent in the mayoral election, former Mayor James K. Hahn, whose campaign ads warned that "Los Angeles Can't Trust Antonio Villaraigosa."
And today, longtime Villaraigosa critics, such as Victoria Torres, are not surprised that the mayor hasn't made many tough decisions yet.
"He looks like he's still campaigning," said Torres, a resident of the Eastside district that Villaraigosa represented on the City Council. "When's he going to get down to business?"
Sooner or later, of course, Villaraigosa will have to make difficult choices. And he will inevitably make enemies. As a result, some observers say, it makes sense for the mayor to extend his honeymoon with the city's factions as long as possible.
"He should enjoy the good vibes while he can, because they're not going to last forever," said John J. Pitney Jr., a government professor at Claremont McKenna College.
Political scientist Raphael Sonenshein commended the mayor for his handling of the issues that he has confronted in his first month.
