Steve Lopez: Garcetti too often is 'weaselly'

Garcetti and his wife, Amy Wakeland. Gary Leonard photo.

The turn in Mayor Eric Garcetti's hometown media treatment continues with a Steve Lopez column in this morning's LA Times chastising the mayor for being indecisive on key issues and waffling too much. The term "weaselly" comes up. Here's a sample:

Way too often, the mayor doesn't get the bat off his shoulder.

The Pacific Rim trade pact is a good example of Garcetti demonstrating that he doesn't have the stomach for tough choices that might alienate someone.

If he backs President Obama's Trans-Pacific Partnership proposal for a freer flow of goods, it might tick off local labor leaders who oppose the deal. But if he comes out against it, it would be a snub of Obama, especially because L.A. is a major Pacific Rim trade city with much to gain or lose depending on how this plays out.

So where's Garcetti stand?

He's not even on the fence. He's behind it, where nobody can see him.

In a less-pointed news story with echoes of the same issue about Garcetti, the headline is that the mayor is not taking a side on the key issue that may decide if Los Angeles is a viable candidate for the 2024 Olympics: whether or not to take the Olympic committee's pledge to cover any cost overruns for the games. Boston's mayor refused to sign the pledge and the bid was lost. Los Angeles did not agree to cover excessive costs for the 1984 Olympics, but that was a different time and the international Olympic leaders didn't have an alternative to LA. For 2024 they apparently do — Paris is thought to have a better chance regardless of what Los Angeles does, and maybe other European cities as well.

On yesterday's big City Hall story — the City Council passing 12-0 Councilman Paul Krekorian's motion to ban gun magazines holding more than 10 rounds — Garcetti does have a position. He's for it and says he will sign the measure into law.