Not Enough Info for Voters to Move LA City Election
The Herb Wesson led LA City Council voted to place Charter Amendment 1 on the ballot. If approved by the voters on March 3, City elections, which are currently held in May of odd numbered years, would be consolidated with State and Federal elections that are held in November of even numbered years, beginning in […]
L.A. DWP’s $40 Million Fiasco
The trust and confidence of the ratepayers and voters in the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the City Council has dipped to new lows. Jack Dolan of the Los Angeles Times revealed that IBEW Union Boss d’Arcy has denied Controller Ron Galperin and City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana “unfettered access” to the […]
Free Ontario International Airport
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 […]
Why is LA’s City Council Ignoring the Recommendations of the LA 2020 Commission?
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 […]
New Pension Numbers: A Banner Year, but LA Still Billions in the Hole
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 […]
LA on the Hook for Humungous $10 billion Infrastructure Repair Bill
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 […]
L.A. Pensions: Pay Now or Pay Much More Later
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 […]
Will The Los Angeles Times Be the City’s Watchdog?
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 […]
Garcetti, L. A. City Council: Best Advertisement for the Move to Texas
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 […]
Budget Busting Police Contract
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 […]