National economy hurting cities

Faced with a national economic meltdown that is impacting states and cities, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Saturday it means Los Angeles will be forced to re-evaluate its goals and return to the core services of the city. Daily News.

"Make no mistake that even though Wall Street is 3,000 miles away, it is affecting every neighborhood in this city," Villaraigosa told an overflow crowd of neighborhood council members at City Hall during their annual budget day.

"The magnitude of this crisis is far worse than anything we have seen, and it means we have to look at what our core services are for the city and how we can deliver them more efficiently."