On Wednesday, Controller Ron Galperin indicated that he will not authorize the “improper” payment of almost $4 million to the Joint Safety and Joint Training Institutes because these two nonprofits have refused to disclose how they spent in excess of $40 million of Ratepayer money over the last fourteen years. Later in the day, City […]

IBEW Union Boss d’Arcy is planning a massive demonstration at 11 a.m. on Tuesday in front of DWP’s downtown headquarters to protest City’s Hall’s “assault on collective bargaining” and “war on workers” and is urging other unions throughout the City to support his call to arms. But this so called assault is nothing more than […]

The City Council will not place the half cent, $4.5 billion increase in our sales tax on the November ballot because the lack of trust in City Hall makes the odds of a majority of voters approving this measure slim. And achieving the necessary two-thirds approval is even more of long shot. Under the “Save […]

As expected, Union Boss Brian d’Arcy, the business manager of IBEW Local 18 that represents over 90% of the workers at our Department of Water and Power, has refused to come clean over the use of more than $40 million of Ratepayer money that was funneled to the Joint Safety and Training Institutes since 2000 […]

In the most honest and straight forward budget presentation in the last ten years, Mayor Eric Garcetti presented his “Back to Basics” budget at a Monday morning press conference at City Hall. This $5.1 billion General Fund budget is $250 million greater than last year’s Adopted Budget, representing a 5% increase. Garcetti’s budget focuses on […]

Everybody agrees that our failing streets and broken sidewalks need to be repaired. However, there is a difference of opinion about how to finance the $4.5 billion street and sidewalk repair program that was developed by Miguel Santana, (see photo) the City Administrative Officer, and Gerry Miller, the Chief Legislative Analyst, in their March 17 […]

“A Time for Truth,” the January report issued by Mickey Kantor’s LA 2020 Commission, indicated the City was shortchanging its two underfunded pension plans by at least $400 million a year because of its reliance on the overly optimistic investment rate assumption of 7.75%. But this $400 million that financial wizards at City Hall have […]

Eric Garcetti is considering a proposal to phase out the $470 million Gross Receipts Business Tax to stimulate the City’s economy and create jobs. Unfortunately, our cash strapped City cannot afford to forego $30 million in revenue next year as this unilateral phase out without any offsetting revenue will increase the budget deficit to $280 […]

The last thing that the professional politicians on the City Council wanted to discuss on Friday was the City’s dismal finances that were outlined in “A Time for Truth,” the “lacerating” report that was a “stark reality check” on the City’s finances and economy that was issued by The Los Angeles 2020 Commission headed by […]

Mayor Eric Garcetti and the Herb Wesson led City Council of Los Angeles have refused the recognize the severity of the City’s almost $10 billion unfunded pension liability and the impact it will have on the City’s ability to provide core services such as public safety and well maintained streets and sidewalks. As of June […]