Talking jobs in D.C., Mayor Villaraigosa gets cold shoulder from John Boehner

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, in town as president of the bipartisan U.S. Conference of Mayors, said that try as he might, he could not get face time with House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) to talk job creation.

“Unfortunately, after a few weeks of trying, we were unable to get a meeting with Speaker Boehner,” Villaraigosa said Tuesday. “They couldn’t find time to meet with America’s mayors.”

Boehner’s office did not immediately comment.

Villaraigosa is having sit-downs with Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, as well as Democratic leaders Rep. Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada during the D.C. visit.

Villaraigosa and his colleagues also met with White House officials and members of the congressional “super committee” on deficit reduction as the mayors group shops its jobs proposals.

Highlights of the mayors’ “Common Sense Jobs Agenda” include extending the payroll tax cut that expires in December, offering companies a tax break for new hires and providing financing for transportation and other infrastructure construction. The organization is made up of nearly 400 mayors of cities across the nation.

“We’re here to reinforce the message that Job 1 is putting people back to work,” Villaraigosa said.