Villaraigosa Won’t Keep Contested Donations
Hoping to end a growing controversy over out-of-state campaign contributions, mayoral candidate Antonio Villaraigosa said Thursday he will give back $47,000 in donations from employees and other contributors linked to a Miami-based hotel gift company, Copley News Service reported. One day after he flatly rejected calls from Mayor James Hahn to return the money, Villaraigosa’s campaign put out a statement saying he decided to send back the contributions “out of an abundance of caution.”
MTA Votes $640 million to Light Rail Line
The MTA board voted Thursday to spend $640 million to build the Exposition Light Rail line from downtown to Culver City but continued its discussion on how to pay for court-ordered buses, the Daily News of Los Angeles reported. The funding will go toward the first phase of construction of the Exposition Line, ultimately expected to extend to Santa Monica. The project includes the use of local rather than federal funding, keeping the project on an accelerated schedule for a June 2010 finish. The board also postponed a decision on whether to appeal the court-ordered purchase of 134 additional Metro Rapid buses, which run express routes.
AFL-CIO President Proposes Shake-Up
Hoping to blunt criticism from dissidents in the labor movement, AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney on Thursday proposed pouring additional funding into organizing and politics, the Los Angeles Times reported. The federation would pay for it by laying off as many as one-fourth of its 420 staff members and eliminating some departments, he said. The plan wasn’t enough to satisfy the presidents of five major unions that have openly challenged Sweeney’s leadership.
Best Buy Revisions Challenged
The Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association, backed by Councilwoman Wendy Greuel, asked city planners on Thursday to explain why restrictions on a big-box store proposed for the area were revised without a public hearing or explanation of the change, the Daily News of Los Angeles reported. The homeowners’ group filed a formal complaint alleging the South Valley Planning Commission made “illegal, behind-the-scenes changes” they said could allow Best Buy to build a taller store than would otherwise be allowed under the Ventura Boulevard Specific Plan. Planning Deputy Bob Sutton said the revision does not loosen restrictions.
Autobytel CEO Replaced Amid Delay in Results
Online automotive marketing service Autobytel Inc. replaced its chief executive Thursday in a shuffle aimed at resolving mounting accounting woes, the Los Angeles Times reported. The company said that board member Richard A. Post succeeded Jeffrey Schwartz as chief executive and president. Richard G. Walker, who had been in charge of corporate development at the company, was promoted to chief operating officer. In March, Irvine-based Autobytel said it would have to restate its financial results for 2002, 2003 and the first half of 2004. The company said it would probably post a reduction in its net income of at least $1.8 million over the 30-month period.
U.S. Online Advertising Climbs 33 Percent in 2004
U.S. Internet advertising surged 33 percent in 2004 to a record $9.6 billion, surpassing levels seen during the early Web boom, and will grow at a similar rate in 2005, according to data from the Interactive Advertising Bureau. The figures bolster reports from individual advertisers that say they are moving more of their marketing budgets online, Reuters reported.
