Advice to Eric Garcetti from a friend and former aide

Eric Garcetti last week on his final day as a City Council member. Gary Leonard photo.

I didn't see Josh Joy Kamensky's op-ed piece when I looked at the LA Times website this morning, but I'm glad I finally found it. He offers ten suggestions for new Mayor Eric Garcetti, as a former communications deputy who helped stage Garcetti's first City Council campaign in his Silver Lake apartment. As the councilman's deputy, Kamensky notes that "I distinguished myself by getting his wife's hybrid car a parking ticket at a news conference announcing free meter parking for hybrid cars."

The advice is informed by years and years and years of City Hall and LA experience. Examples:

Dream big. But for the love of God, don't tell anyone about it. Have you ever listened to someone tell you his dreams? Bo-ring. And weird....

Be a friend to the working man. A casino economy has left the working man adrift in a vast gulf of inequality. Also, his union spent all his money trying to beat you in the election, so he's short on cash. At least buy him some fish tacos....

Tailor the job to your own brand of pizazz. Two things come up in every profile of you: You're in the Navy Reserve, and you used to write musicals. The conclusion is obvious: Turn your first major address into a revival of "On the Town," set in L.A....

Settle this "Eastside" business once and for all. For traditionalists, it's where the L.A. River cut off immigrant communities from access to power and influence. For hipsters, it's where you'll find more artisanal lotion depots and fewer Jaguars/boob jobs. A conclusive determination from City Hall will herald peace and the invention of the red velvet burrito.

And finally, Kamensky urges his friend to enjoy the job. "As a three-term City Council member, you've already held the most powerful position in the city (quibblers, note: "Maitre d' at Dan Tana" is technically in West Hollywood)."