Libararies, grafitti targets for budget cuts

Short $155 million this year, the Los Angeles City Council began trimming the budget Thursday by freezing new hires in most departments and delaying the opening of two police stations by several months. Kerry Cavanaugh in the Daily News.

But the budget committee members rejected - at least for now - the few proposals to cut services. Instead, they asked for other funding options rather than halt new book buying for libraries, reduce graffiti-removal funding or cut community beautification grants.