Austin Beutner to the Rescue

L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Monday appointed First Deputy Mayor Austin Beutner as interim head of the Department of Water and Power.

He has a simple task. Lati reports:

Villaraigosa said Beutner’s primary task will be to salve the lingering animosity that ratepayers and the City Council have toward the DWP.

This should be as easy a task to perform as playing basketball with hockey skates on, since L.A. is basically broke and the public doesn't want taxes raised and the public is on to the scam that the city would like to raise power and electric rates  (instead of raising taxes)and divert the funds to the city's general fund. In the meantime DWP employees attend lactation classes.

Tom Garrett profiled Beutner, earlier this week, in an excusive for EPJ, here.