Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was at his best last week when he spoke to the L.A. County Board of Supervisors about raising the minimum wage.
"Poverty is expensive," he said. "When we lose billions in lost wages, when we see folks who can't support themselves, who winds up paying for it? We do."
Garcetti, who can be smooth at the podium, served up a concise, articulate argument.
Home run, knocked it out of the park.
But way too often, the mayor doesn't get the bat off his shoulder.
The Pacific Rim trade pact is a good example of Garcetti demonstrating that he doesn't have the stomach for tough choices that might alienate someone.