Mayor blames DWP

Now Villaraigosa says that the utility's problem lies with its high-level supervisors - something he says it out of his control. Really? The guy picks general managers and board members - and besides, if this is the big problem, why is he first bringing it up now? He spoke to LAT opinion writers and editors.

"They undermined [former General Manager Ronald] Deaton, they undermined [former General Manager David] Nahai. Even [outgoing General Manager S. David] Freeman," said Villaraigosa. " ... I'm talking about that upper-level management.... You can't fire them. They just go back to the Civil Service system" and they lose about $15,000 in salary as well as their city-provided cars, but they stay in the DWP. "They out-wait you. They've out-waited everybody."

The DWP's resistance to change, says Villaraigosa, contributed to the recent fight with the City Council over boosting electricity rates. He took a mild swipe at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 18, which seems to own the place. In searching for a new general manager, the mayor says he prefers someone from the outside who can be a "change agent." The person would probably come from a private utility.