That's what happens to most people who just don't show up to their jobs one day---if they didn't get fired for neglecting their duties, that is.

 

Yet the nation's highest-paid city council mambers get their $140,000-plus-a-year salary whether or not they feel like rolling out of bed and coming to City Hall at the crack of 10a.m. to do the peoples business.

 

At the meeting on Wednesday November 27,2003, the day before Thanksgiving, not enough members showed up to have a quorum.  That means they were unable to move forward on a proposal to hire more police officers (which the city badly needs) with a federal grant, or a plan for helping neighborhood councils rent space.

 

Only two members (Eric Garcetti and Wendi Greuel) had recieved excuses to be absent from the meeting.  The four other missing concil members Ed Reyes and Martin Ludlow called in sick.  Jack Weiss and Antoniio Villaraigosa had called to say they'd be late because they had decided there were more important things to attend to, such as Weiss' kid's school event.

 

This was an examplew of shameful disrespect for the people they serve and their fellow council members.

 

Citizens drove from all corners of the city fighting the pre-holiday traffic, xome taking off work and losing a day's pay, just to find out that their council members wanted to start the vacation early.

 

The post of City Council member is not a volunteer job.  If members can't show up for meetings, which generally run less than three hours, perhaps they should consider another, more flexible career.

 

City Council member make $140,000 a year which breaks down as follows:

$11,666.67 per 20 work day month

$583.33 per day

$72.91 per 8 hour day  or $194.44 per 3 hour day