The Cities of Los Angeles and Ontario are butting heads in court over Ontario’s effort to purchase the under-performing Ontario International Airport at a reasonable price. Ontario International is situated on 1,700 acres in the heart of the distribution hub of Southern California, 50 miles east of LAX on the 10 Freeway and several miles […]

Nine months ago, on April 9, 2014, all twelve members of the LA 2020 Commission endorsed a series of actionable recommendations designed to “enhance transparency and accountability in City Hall, put the City on a path of fiscal stability, and renew job creation in Los Angeles.” These measures were also viewed as an excellent starting […]

While the City’s two pension funds experienced excellent returns on their investment portfolios for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014, it still has a huge unfunded pension liability that will continue to devour a disproportionate share of the City’s budget, crowding out basic services such as the repair of our streets and sidewalks. Last […]

The City of Los Angeles is on the hook for an estimated $10 billion to repair its fractured infrastructure.  This includes not only the City’s 6,500 miles of streets and 10,750 miles of sidewalks, but its curbs and corner access ramps, its more than 400 parks, its urban forest, its street lights, its fleet of […]

As part of Mayor Garcetti’s agenda for fiscal responsibility, the Board of Administration of the Los Angeles Employees Retirement System (“LACERS”) took the long term view when it approved lowering the investment rate assumption to 7.5% from 7.75%, overcoming the objections of the self-serving Coalition of LA City Unions.  This action will require our cash […]

With lots of fanfare, The Los Angeles Times is relaunching the California section with an increased emphasis on local and statewide news with “in-depth coverage of key government institutions.”  This would include the City of Los Angeles, the County, the Los Angeles Unified School District, Sacramento, and other governmental institutions such as the City’s three […]

On Wednesday, the Herb Wesson led City Council approved the Citywide Hotel Minimum Wage Ordinance without considering the impact on the hotel industry, the Convention Center, and the City’s well deserved “business unfriendly” reputation that has alienated employers and investors who create jobs. As a result, on July 1, nonunion hotels with 300 or more […]

The City and the Police Protective League, the union that represents the 10,000 sworn members of our Police Department, are at an impasse over salary negotiations. The PPL is asking for a 3 step, 8% raise over the next two years while the City is essentially offering no raises for the next two years. But […]

In January, the LA 2020 Commission’s report, A Time for Truth, pointed out that the City of Los Angeles had 10% fewer jobs than two decades ago despite a 30% increase in its population.  We also have one of the highest rates of unemployment in the country with almost 20% of our residents living in […]

Now that Austin Beutner, the Co-Chair of the Los Angeles 2020 Commission, is the new Publisher and Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles Times, will the thirteen recommendations of this independent commission contained in its report, A Time for Action, see the light of day at the City Council? Or will these suggestions that […]