Mayor's gang plan hit

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's spending plan to combat gangs fails to make any significant investment or strides in quelling violence, Los Angeles' leading anti-gang expert told the Daily News in a report by staff writer Beth Barrett.
The criticism surfaced Friday as City Controller Laura Chick said she has notified the mayor that she will not proceed with a planned audit of the city's anti-gang programs.
The review had been hailed by the mayor as a key to streamlining the effectiveness of city anti-gang efforts, but Chick said the audit grew politicized, funding for it never materialized and council members set an unrealistically short deadline.
"I've never had so much active participation on the part of so many people telling me what the scope should be," she said. "I have to defend the independence of the Controller's Office."
The setback came as noted civil-rights attorney Connie Rice criticized the mayor's $168 million budget for youth and anti-gang efforts, saying much of the money is actually tied up in salaries, facilities management and equipment costs. about $19.5 million.