VIDEO: Should Politicians Accept Free Tickets to Games and Showbiz Events?

The Los Angeles City Ethics Commission is scheduled to meet tomorrow to approve a total of $34,149 in fines for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and four City Council members who violated the city’s Government Ethics Ordinance and accepted gifts whose value was more than $100 from restricted sources.

While the mayor accepted free tickets to Dodgers games, two Northeast L.A. politicians, City Council President Eric Garcetti and CD 14 , accepted free tickets to entertainment industry events—Huizar accepted tickets to the 2007 Oscars and Garcetti accepted tickets to the 2007 Emmy Awards as well as the 2007 and 2008 Oscars. Garcetti and Huizar are expected to be fined $4,800 and $2,100 respectively. (See the pdf file in the photos section for details about the Ethics Committee's agenda for April 12 as well as the Ethics Ordinance.)

Eagle Rock Patch asked a cross section of people in the neighborhood what they thought of the ethics violations.