Mayor Villaraigosa did on Thursday what a 30-hour budget crisis marathon could … or would … not: laid off 1,000 city employees. Here’s his statement.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa took immediate action today to balance the Los Angeles city budget and commit the City to long-term fiscal health and sustainability.
Using the authority invested in the Office of the Mayor by the City Charter, Villaraigosa directed the Personnel Department to eliminate 1,000 general fund positions and begin calculating layoffs, displacement seniority, and/or transfers of employees to fill these targeted positions.
Talk about inefficient: the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment has an all in 2009-10 Budget of about $7.6 million, all to administer and oversee the $4 million of Neighborhood Council Funding as well as the Neighborhood Councils themselves. And based on the Controller’s recent report, DONE is not doing a very good of it, despite a staff of 38 people.
Catherine MacKinnon visited LA's City Council twice this week, both times working her way through the standing-room-only crowd to take a seat in the second row and to participate in the review of the CAO's budget recommendations. Once seated, she didn't look at the Councilmembers much and she didn't hear a single word they said.
While the heads of thousands of City employees are on the chopping block because of the City’s projected budget deficit of almost $500 million next year, our peripatetic, globetrotting Mayor is enjoying wine soaked steak dinners at CUT, [LINK] the Wolfgang Puck, Richard Meier designed restaurant at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel, located at the foot of fashionable Rodeo Drive.
Within the report from the City Administrative Officer that recommends major cutting or total elimination of the neighborhood council funding program, there are some fairly unusual comments, such as “these curtailments are all politically unpopular and gaining Council support will be difficult.”
As the city, state and federal government burn money that doesn't exist, City Councilmembers Bill Rosendahl & Paul Koretz are pushing LA to support an extension of the beach bike path at $15 million per mile.
Last spring, when the midnight raid of Greig Smith sought to cut neighborhood council funding to the bone, more than a hundred community activists stormed city hall and stopped it. Not only did this army of citizen volunteers get the $45,000 per council annual allocation, it kept the previous years’ “rollover” money.
BLOG SOUP By Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine (Posted first at Calbuzz.com)
California’s candidates for governor face the gnarliest combination of public anger and economic distress in decades, making the 2010 race a text book case study in political communications: How does a wannabe governor effectively tell extremely pessimistic voters he or she understands the depths of their misery, without succumbing to despair, and while offering hope for the future that doesn’t over-reach or seem totally naïve?
(The scene takes place in the office of a respected councilman, Councilman Goode, who is elected without developer funds and who has a loyal and experienced team of urban planners and attorneys to assist him with his local outreach and planning, as well as his lawmaking and budgetary efforts at City Hall. He is being visited by Developer Deville, who is pitching Goode on his latest, greatest project that, despite several variances, will be loved by all)
MY TURN By Diana L. Chapman (Posted first at theunderdogforkids.blogspot.com)
Besotted with good humor to an overflowing auditorium, San Pedro High School officials promoted their finalized reform package Thursday to turn the overcrowded campus into a more personalized institution using a block schedule and seven learning communities.
The Memorandum of Understanding between neighborhood councils and the Department of Water and Power is a unique conduit of information. It's the only one in the city -- and, given the city's budget crisis, it may remain so for a long time.
Approved by the City Council, the MOU sets out expectations for advance notice, education and access for councils who join in the agreement. Likewise, it sets out expectations that member councils will provide DWP with notice and access to their own deliberations.
ACLU STEPS IN By Katharine Russ (Posted first at northvalleyreporter.com)
Several citations issued by VA police officers against U.S. Army veteran Robert Rosebrock, Director, The Veterans Revolution and Co-Director, We the Veterans Chairman, Veterans Affairs Committee, were dismissed just days after the U.S. Attorney’s office was apprised that the ACLU of Southern California was representing Rosebrock in defense of his right to free speech.
There is good news to report about keeping film and television production jobs in Los Angeles and California. Tax incentives approved by the state Legislature and signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last year are working.
The Office of the Controller released the "Audit of Neighborhood Councils' Expenditures," dated January 12, 2010. In response to the Audit and improve the oversight of safeguarding use of public funds, the following changes to the Neighborhood Council (NC) Funding Program will occur.
GUEST COMMENTARY By Bill Boyarsky (Posted first at LAObserved.com)
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s affordable housing plan--a centerpiece of his administration—has been dealt near fatal blows by a court decision, the recession—and by his own planning director.
Los Angeles … City of the Angels … could be nicknamed more accurately: Los Angeles, City of the Downtrodden.
Those of us who have lived here for more than a few decades understand that the process of marginalizing “John Q Public“ has been going on for years. What we didn't know … or refused to see … is that our failure to elect responsible leaders would inevitably lead to fiscal collapse and the demise of our Quality of Life.
February has always been a time to shine a spotlight on our favorite Valentines. We pay special attention to the ones we care for. But for my fellow neighborhood council leaders and community volunteers, we treat our town as our Valentine every day of the year.
Under the Cloak of Fiscal Crisis, Our Watchdogs will be Eliminated
VOICES By Jane Usher
Los Angeles residents need to know that the concept of "shared sacrifice" has been fully abandoned in the Mayor's latest budget "solution," which was released this past Friday at 5 PM for City Council debate on Monday.
NCs Get Reprieve: Immediate Funding Cuts Pulled from CAO Report
CITYWATCH By Ken Draper
Nine and a half hours into a marathon session the City’s financial chief told the Budget and Finance panel that he was pulling “Recommendation ‘J’” … and Neighborhood Councils were finally allowed to exhale. At least ...
Putting Our Money Where Our Mouth Is: Helps Get Federal Bucks
MOVING LA By Ken Alpern
The good news: California just got roughly $2 billion out of $8 billion in high speed rail funds from the Obama Administration towards the construction of the California High Speed Rail Project that will help transform it into a 21st century super ...
While most of the oxygen in the room is being sucked out by the political and financial crises surrounding the projected budget deficit of about $3.5 billion over the next 4½ years, there are two important issues that will d...
PENSIONS & THE ROAD TO BANKRUPTCY By Michael Cohen
Pensions expert Alexander Rublacava told an Emergency BudgetLA meeting on Saturday that without pension reform Los Angeles is headed for bankruptcy. [LINK]...
To catch a bus to ride is pretty basic after the preliminary work finding which bus route(s) are needed for the trip. In the sprawl of Los Angeles, usually more than one bus is needed to complete a trip.
Representatives from nearly half of LA’s Neighborhood Councils gathered Saturday to discuss the City’s proposed funding cuts and to mount an effort to protect the resources they believe are required to fulfill their Charter-mandated re...
alk about inefficient: the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment has an all in 2009-10 Budget of about $7.6 million, all to administer and oversee the $4 million of Neighborhood Council Funding as well as the Neighborhood Councils themselves. And based on the Controller’s recent report, DONE is not doing a very good of it, despite a staff of 38 people.
Catherine MacKinnon visited LA's City Council twice this week, both times working her way through the standing-room-only crowd to take a seat in the second row and to participate in the review of the CAO's budget recommendations. Once seated, she didn't look at the Councilmembers much and she didn't hear a single word they said.
e City Council did not form the citywide Neighborhood Council (NC) System -- or the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment – the voters did.
ile the heads of thousands of City employees are on the chopping block because of the City’s projected budget deficit of almost $500 million next year, our peripatetic, globetrotting Mayor is enjoying wine soaked steak dinners at CUT, [
Within the
As the city, state and federal government burn money that doesn't exist, City Councilmembers Bill Rosendahl & Paul Koretz are pushing LA to support an extension of the beach bike path at $15 million per mile.
Last spring, when the midnight raid of Greig Smith sought to cut neighborhood council funding to the bone, more than a hundred community activists stormed city hall and stopped it. Not only did this army of citizen volunteers get the $45,000 per council annual allocation, it kept the previous years’ “rollover” money.
California’s candidates for governor face the gnarliest combination of public anger and economic distress in decades, making the 2010 race a text book case study in political communications: How does a wannabe governor effectively tell extremely pessimistic voters he or she understands the depths of their misery, without succumbing to despair, and while offering hope for the future that doesn’t over-reach or seem totally naïve?
(The scene takes place in the office of a respected councilman, Councilman Goode, who is elected without developer funds and who has a loyal and experienced team of urban planners and attorneys to assist him with his local outreach and planning, as well as his lawmaking and budgetary efforts at City Hall. He is being visited by Developer Deville, who is pitching Goode on his latest, greatest project that, despite several variances, will be loved by all)
Besotted with good humor to an overflowing auditorium, San Pedro High School officials promoted their finalized reform package Thursday to turn the overcrowded campus into a more personalized institution using a block schedule and seven learning communities.
The Memorandum of Understanding between neighborhood councils and the Department of Water and Power is a unique conduit of information. It's the only one in the city -- and, given the city's budget crisis, it may remain so for a long time. 
Several citations issued by VA police officers against U.S. Army veteran Robert Rosebrock, Director, The Veterans Revolution and Co-Director, We the Veterans Chairman, Veterans Affairs Committee, were dismissed just days after the U.S. Attorney’s office was apprised that the ACLU of Southern California was representing Rosebrock in defense of his right to free speech.
There is good news to report about keeping film and television production jobs in Los Angeles and California. Tax incentives approved by the state Legislature and signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last year are working. 
The Office of the Controller released the "Audit of Neighborhood Councils' Expenditures," dated January 12, 2010. In response to the Audit and improve the oversight of safeguarding use of public funds, the following changes to the Neighborhood Council (NC) Funding Program will occur.
yor Antonio Villaraigosa’s affordable housing plan--a centerpiece of his administration—has been dealt near fatal blows by a court decision, the recession—and by his own planning director.
February has always been a time to shine a spotlight on our favorite Valentines. We pay special attention to the ones we care for. But for my fellow neighborhood council leaders and community volunteers, we treat our town as our Valentine every day of the year. 
