Even as he burnished his image as an international political figure, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa faced heightened challenges at home last year over his aggressive efforts to consolidate and assert his authority...

And after a lengthy honeymoon in office, Villaraigosa's frenetic public pace and wide-ranging reforms -- including raising wages, hiking trash fees and hiring more cops -- have begun to prickle critics who say the mayor must start turning promises into actions...

Joel Kotkin, senior fellow at the New America Foundation, said the mayor was skillful in his use of political power during his first full year on the job.

"We are in this kind of strange period where (Villaraigosa) and the governor are both governing from the center -- or at least what passes for the center in Los Angeles and California -- and there is no real opposition," Kotkin said.

Kotkin said that even when Villaraigosa has suffered a setback -- such as the court ruling against AB 1381 -- he used it to his advantage.

"From a political and P.R. point of view, it's brilliant," Kotkin said. "This way he can argue he tried to make reform but was blocked by the courts. And it enables him to do that while approving giveaways of downtown Los Angeles."

Kotkin has been among a handful of critics who question the city subsidies granted for the Grand Avenue civic center project being developed by billionaire Eli Broad and the l.a. live entertainment complex that broke ground in 2006 near Staples Center...

The city has agreed to waive the hotel bed tax for a number of years for both projects -- some $60 million that otherwise would flow to the city's coffers.

"I just don't see why public money should be used for those," Kotkin said. "He's been able to push through subsidies that a (former Mayor) Dick Riordan would have been crucified for..."

Ultimately, Kotkin believes Villaraigosa's political future depends on the local economy -- particularly property values -- as much as any other factor.

"As long as the economy is humming along, he will do fine," Kotkin said. "But I think there are storm clouds out there. As a city, Los Angeles is not doing as well as some of its neighbors."

"As long as he keeps the property values up, he will be able to continue to do things."

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