March 2009 Archives

Los Angeles Unified officials should adopt a host of tough measures to rein in the power of costly private consultants or face "a loss of government control" of the district's massive $27 billion school construction project, according to an audit released Monday. George B. Sanchez in the Daily News.

The audit by Inspector General Jerry Thornton found that consultants had taken over much of the day-to-day running of the building program and that there were no policies "limiting the types of functions consultants may perform."

Focusing on the 2006-07 school year, the audit said that the district may have saved $77 million that year had they used their own employees rather than consultants.

More than half of the state's gas stations will miss a Wednesday deadline for scrubbing toxic vapors from their pumps, setting them up for hefty fines or eventually even closure, officials say.
Dana Bartholomew in the Daily News.
An estimated 2,000 of the 3,900 service stations in Southern California have not yet installed next-generation vapor-trapping systems, although they've known for years about the April 1 deadline, according to local air quality regulators.

Realizing the scope of the problem, lawmakers have proposed two bills seeking a delay. Independent gas station owners also want a year's extension, predicting a wave of closures if they're penalized for noncompliance.

Mike Miller would like to see his friend - a fellow Vietnam War veteran - get a headstone for his unmarked grave. Troy Anderson in the Daily News.

Charles Bradford wants his grandson - a soldier fighting in Iraq - to get a better reception than he did when he returned home from Vietnam.

And Mary Garcia, a "child of the 60s who opposed the Vietnam War, would like to see a mural painted in honor of those who served their country.

TIPOFFS:: Councilman Tony Cardenas doesn't like name change campaign.

It has all the elements of a spellbinding political thriller: alleged corruption, a coverup and characters described as "snakes and poison from a biblical era." Troy Anderson in the Daily News.

It's not a page-turning bestseller, but a labyrinthine lawsuit involving allegations of unethical actions and misconduct among top Los Angeles County officials.

Three high-level managers who were forced out of their jobs under former Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Conny McCormack claim she engaged in a range of misconduct from wrongful termination to race and age discrimination to attempted insurance fraud.

Like all California public schools, Our Community School in North Hills has felt the sting of state budget cuts. Connie Llanos in the Daily News.

But after laying off three teacher assistants and canceling a popular dance program at the charter school, Principal Chris Ferris decided to approach her staff with a question:

Do you want to keep free health-care benefits or keep more teachers?

For many educators, the fact that charter schools like Our Community can even ask these tough questions puts them in a stronger position to weather the financial storm.

When he was hired to run the Los Angeles Animal Services department in 2006, Ed Boks was to be the latest savior in creating a "no-kill" policy at city shelters and developing the most progressive animal program in the nation. Daily News.

Instead, Boks, like many of his predecessors, finds himself harassed for lack of progress, facing reports of disputes among his staff and taking flak from unhappy political bosses looking to divert attention from their own offices.

The most recent controversy exploded over the last two weeks, as he faced heavy criticism for suspending a popular voucher program that provided discounts on spay-neuter surgeries for pets.

Hopes that the economy may be poised for a recovery got a splash of reality Thursday: The unemployment rolls are still getting bigger as the recession maintains its grip.AP in the Daily News.

For the 10th week in a row, the number of people receiving jobless benefits grew. It now stands at nearly 5.6 million, the government said - an indication that the labor market is still grim.

New claims for unemployment benefits rose again as well, to a seasonally adjusted 652,000, up from 644,000 the week before. The government also said the economy shrank at a 6.3 percent annual clip in the fourth quarter, slightly faster than its previous estimate.

A divided Los Angeles Planning Commission approved a new sign-control plan Thursday in an effort to quell public outrage over runaway growth of billboards, supergraphics and digital signs.
Daily News.
Commissioners including Sean Burton sought to reassure critics that the disputed plan would reduce billboard blight, but some community activists remained skeptical.

The measure would ban digital billboards, establish no-sign districts and impose hefty fines on illegal signs. But it would also establish sign districts in commercial areas where a more intense use of billboards would be allowed.

With city crime rates at the lowest level in 50 years and the popularity of Police Chief William Bratton at an all-time high, two new efforts have been launched to keep him on the job beyond his 2012 term limit. Daily News.

The Los Angeles Police Protective League thinks the police chief's job should be elective, as the county sheriff's is, but with term limits.

In another proposal, Councilman Herb Wesson would keep the job appointive but allow a third five-year term.

An audit detailing Los Angeles Unified's reliance on costly outside consultants to build schools has raised such concern for Superintendent Ramon Cortines that he called in a former bank executive to review the findings. George B. Sanchez in the Daily News.

Cortines asked Bill Siart, former chairman and CEO of First Interstate Bank Corp., to look at the audit, prepared by Inspector General Jerry Thornton, and a defense of the building program by construction chief Guy Mehula.

Siart was not paid for his work. Cortines did not detail the scope or conclusions of his review, but said he would release it Monday.

The San Fernando Valley's housing market could be entering the spring and summer buying season in its best shape since 2006, with prices and foreclosures finally showing signs of stabilizing, officials said Wednesday. Gregory J. Wilcox in the Daily News.

The median price of a Valley house has been in the mid- to upper-$300,000 range for three consecutive months while sales continue to make gains from low levels of a year ago, said the San Fernando Valley Economic Research Center at California State University, Northridge.

"I think we've hit the bottom on median prices," said William Roberts, director of the CSUN center, which tracks the market from Glendale to Calabasas.

Faced with public outrage over his decision to cut a popular voucher program for spay and neuter surgeries, the head of the Animal Services Department tucked his tail between his legs Wednesday and announced he would partially reinstate the coupons. Brandon Lowrey in the Daily News.

"What became crystal-clear is that everybody in the city family sees the value of spaying and neutering and this program," Animal Services Director Ed Boks said Wednesday.

He reinstated the voucher program in advance of Friday's City Council meeting, where he is scheduled to answer for his controversial cost-cutting decision to drop the $30 and $70 coupons.

UCLA economists predict a grim two years for California's economy, with job growth finally rebounding to pre-recession levels in 2011, according to a forecast being released today. Gregory J. Wilcox in the Daily News.

The university's widely watched Anderson Forecast, which is issued quarterly, expects the labor market to shrink 2.6 percent this year and 0.6 percent in 2010 before expanding by 1.8 percent in 2011.

"It's the gloomiest California forecast that we've had for some time," said Jerry Nickelsburg, an Anderson senior economist. The report, which he authored, states: "As the recession deepens, the diverse engines of California's economy find themselves running on fumes."

Los Angeles schools chief Ramon Cortines Tuesday held tough to his recommendations to lay off thousands of teachers and other staff next year despite angry objections from the school board, parents and employees.George B. Sanchez in the Daily News.

Some $720 million in budget cuts over the next 18 months will not only slice 8,400 jobs but also lead to larger classes and threaten academic gains made in recent years, possibly increasing the district's already high dropout rate, Cortines acknowledged.

"These cuts are not in the best interest of children, but these are our choices," Cortines said. "What I am recommending negatively affects every aspect of this district."

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced a new city program Tuesday aimed at getting low-income workers to deposit their paychecks in banks instead of cashing them at liquor stores and other check-cashing spots.Brandon Lowrey in the Daily News.

The Bank on L.A. program is a partnership between several banks and city government. It involves an educational campaign in lowest-income areas, including Pacoima, and requires banks to offer starter accounts with reduced fees to attract residents with small paychecks.

Villaraigosa said he hopes it could start getting an estimated 300,000 L.A. households without bank accounts to open them. The city has one of the lowest rates of possessing bank accounts in the nation.

Voters haven't put a Northern California politician in the governor's office in 47 years, which helps explain why San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has already begun campaigning -- 20 months before the election. Wall Street Journal

Mr. Newsom is little known in Southern California, and many voters here who recognize him do so for controversial issues: his championing of same-sex marriage, an affair with a top aide's wife and his admission of alcohol abuse. His likely Democratic challengers, Attorney General Jerry Brown and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, have much wider bases of support

About 8,400 L.A. Unified employees - more than half of them teachers and campus staff - would be laid off and class sizes would balloon under a cost-cutting plan the school board will review today.George B. Sanchez in the Daily News.

While the layoff number is slightly less than the 8,800 originally threatened for the 2009-10 school year, the cuts would still cram more students into classes and increase work loads for campus counselors and administrators.

The cuts take into account some of the expected $1 billion in federal stimulus money set aside for LAUSD. But district officials say they are still not sure when the money will arrive and note that half of it is already designated for specific programs and can not be used to save jobs.

Conditions placed on developers by the city - such as building more parking spaces or planting more trees - are not always completed as intended because of vague requirements, procedural confusion and poor follow-through, according to an audit released Monday.Brandon Lowrey in the Daily News.

So many agencies are involved in the arduous planning process, City Controller Laura Chick said in an audit, that leadership and follow-through become lost.

"There are so many hands in the pie," Chick said. "No one's in charge anywhere along the way - not in creating the conditions, not in imposing the conditions, not in overseeing the conditions."

A City Council panel rebuked the head of Los Angeles' Animal Services Department on Monday as it recommended resurrecting the city's $150,000 spay-neuter voucher program.Daily News.

In a rare public dressing down of a general manager, Councilmen Dennis Zine and Jack Weiss blasted Animal Services Director Ed Boks, saying they had lost confidence in his management of the department.

"It is one blunder after another with you," Zine said. "This is just another example of poor leadership in your department."

Nearly 2.5 million Iraqi refugees continue to struggle to survive outside of their homeland, most of them with temporary permission to remain in Jordan or Syria, according to the human-rights organization Amnesty International. Susan Abram in the Daily News.

Hundreds of thousands of them were Assyrian, Chaldean, Armenian or other minority communities in Iraq.

The refugees lost access to housing, health care and education, and they continued to live in constant fear of being returned to Iraq, where they face death threats, according to the human-rights organization.

As Los Angeles police continue to ratchet up their fight against an intractable social problem, some gang members are trying to escape the attention of patrolling officers by growing out their shaved-off hair, covering up their tattoos and losing the baggy clothes.Brandon Lowrey in the Daily News.

Call it a gang makeover.

"You can't tell who's who anymore," said Rene Avelar, program coordinator for New Directions for Youth, a North Hollywood gang-prevention group.

Tipoffs: Chief Bill Bratton disputes water usage figures; more line up for CD 2 race.

On "Meet the Press," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger scolded host David Gregory for not being positive and pointed to the agreement to resolve California's $42 billion shortfall.
"Republicans and Democrats came together...in an example to the nation,": Schwarzenegger said.
What he left out was the battle to get that agreement.
He did refer to the May 19 vote that is needed to approve the agreement, but he was less confident on its chances.
"It has a good chance of passing," Schwarzenegger said.

Bob Kuebler came home from a February surfing vacation to see a fire hydrant "blasting" water down a drain - and then watched the waste go on for 10 days before the original underground leak was repaired.Kevin Modesti in the Daily News.

The Winnetka resident said his experience with the Department of Water and Power left a bitter taste.

"It was such a blatant waste; that's the part that was upsetting," said Kuebler, who had phoned the DWP to complain about the gusher on Mason Avenue. "There should be some accountability. We're all (being asked) to conserve."

If City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo had his way, the people of Los Angeles would remember him standing atop a bulldozer knocking down gang hangouts. Daily News

Or perhaps as the fighting prosecutor who took on hospitals and insurance companies that dropped off the indigent on Skid Row rather than pay for their treatments.

Anti-truancy program a success
When he steps down in June after eight years as the Los Angeles city attorney, Rocky Delgadillo will leave behind a record that has its fair share of controversy. Connie Llanos in the Daily News.

But one program, designed to curb school truancy through early intervention, will stand out among the city attorney's achievements.
Instead, like the old Maytag man, he could be remembered as the loneliest guy in City Hall.

Los Angeles County's jobless rate soared to nearly 11 percent in February, setting a modern-day record as retailers shed jobs amid dwindling consumer spending, the state said Friday.Gregory J. Wilcox in the Daily News.

Last month the county's jobless rate hit 10.9 percent - the worst since state unemployment surveys began in 1990. The worsening employment picture heightened public pressure on political leaders to deliver jobs soon.

The city election results finalized this week sent a sharp message to city officials - especially Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa - with the defeat of the Measure B solar initiative. Daily News.

That message, city officials said, was not the rejection of solar power. Rather, officials took it as a rebuke of some of the details they wrote into the plan and the way they got the measure onto the ballot, seen by critics as too quick and secretive.

Villaraigosa said he was disappointed that voters shot down the measure, as confirmed by a final tally late Thursday. But he said city officials will still move forward with the basics of the proposal.

Not everything is cutbacks and furloughs in the news business these days,
The Tribune Co., which owns thge Los Angeles Times, is popping to have Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa as its guest at the Gridion Dinner this weekend _ the annual event where the Washington elite make fun of each other about their being.....well, the Washington elite.
Villaraigosa was already half-way there, speaking in Chicago to Latino leaders.
One quirky thing about the mayor's travels, he appeared on teh morning cable shows that were gathered in Los Angeles to cover President Obama's town halls while the mayor was in Chicago.

Buoyed by adoring Los Angeles crowds far from Washington's political wars, President Barack Obama guaranteed Americans on Thursday that the nation's economy will recover, though he asked them for patience. Daily News.

At a town hall forum held at the Miguel Contreras Learning Complex, Obama looked every bit the campaigner as he sometimes mocked his GOP critics and sometimes asked people to forgive his shortcomings. In general, his demeanor and message were more upbeat than in recent days when public fury over executive bonuses dominated politics.

And on Leno
Lining up outside NBC Studios Thursday to see President Obama tape "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," Nancy Frysinger of Victorville hoped the leader of the free world would take the opportunity to lighten the nation's serious mood with a joke or two.Bob Strauss in the Daily News.

"We need a laugh," said Frysinger, 62. "America needs a lot of laughs right now."

Six staff members at Taft High School who had been reassigned from their duties following investigations of hazing incidents have now been returned to their positions, Los Angeles Unified officials announced late Thursday. Daily News.

Superintendent Ramon Cortines said he carefully reviewed the allegations of failing to properly report the hazing incidents, and believes that it is appropriate to return the six to the Woodland Hills campus.

"I want you to know that we have taken steps to make sure that all employees know the procedure and requirements for reporting either the suspicion of or actual issues that involve the health and welfare of young people," Cortines said in a written statement.

Despite word from Washington that there'll be fewer federal raids on medical-marijuana dispensaries, Los Angeles police and city officials said Thursday they'll still go after storefront pot peddlers who sell to school kids and recreational users.Brandon Lowrey at the Daily News.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder declared this week that the federal Drug Enforcement Agency would not arrest medical-marijuana patients or raid dispensaries that had not broken state laws.

It was a clear break from the Bush administration's pot policy, which called for raids on medical-marijuana dispensaries even after California voters legalized them.

The Los Angeles City Clerk's office completed the final vote from the March 3 electin, showing that Measure B narrowly lost and San Fernando Mayor Nury Martinez narrowly won an election to the Los Angeles School Board.
Those were the only two races in question as the clerk's office completed the tabulatin of 46,000 uncounted votes.
The results now go to the full City Council for certification and opens the period for any campaign to seek a recount.
Go to the City Clerk's website here for press release and results

Counclman Jack Weiss pickied up the backing of state Treasurer and former Attorney General Bill Lockyer on Thursday in his race for City Attorney against attorney Carmen Trutanich.
Lockyer said he made the decision bases on Weiss' " integrity, intelligence and legal skills to be a great City Attorney. He is a strong force for environmental protection and gun safety. He has been a leader on the use of DNA to investigate rape cases. On issue after issue, Jack Weiss is the best choice for City Attorney."
Lockyer was Attorney General from 1998 to 2006, when he was elected State Treasurer.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa hits the road again, going go Chicago on Friday where he will deliver remarks to the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Conference,
From there, he is going on to Washginton, D.C., for another lobbying trip to get federal stimulus funds.

President Barack Obama was greeted in Costa Mesa Wednesday by chants of "Obama, Obama" from a mostly young, enthusiastic crowd of 1,000 people, most of whom had spent Monday night waiting for tickets to the free, but limited Town Hall at the Orange County Fairgrounds. Daily News.

Obama was scheduled to address the crowd at 4 p.m. but the crowd didn't have to wait - the president arrived 15 minutes early.

He told the group that they need a government that will do things right now.

President Barack Obama is expected to discuss his proposed budget with more than 1,000 Angelenos today at a downtown high school that illustrates many of his goals for education reform while highlighting the financial pressures facing Los Angeles schools. George B. Sanchez and Connie Llanos in the Daily News.

Miguel Contreras Learning Complex is touted as a model of urban-education reform for its smaller classes, increased autonomy and innovative programs - ideals delineated by the president in an education speech last week.

The school is also set to lose half of its teachers and a large portion of its administrators next year, and only half of its seniors graduate in four years. The contrast makes it challenging, said Monica Garcia, president of the Los Angeles Unified school board.

Now that a long-missing cross is back on its perch atop the historic San Gabriel Mission, County Supervisor Michael Antonovich wants the image of the cross also to be returned to the depiction of the mission on the Los Angeles County seal. Troy Anderson in the Daily News.

But that would likely reignite a holy war between county government and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Antonovich argues the cross on a Los Angeles County seal should be seen in its historic context, not as a religious display in government.

Angry city officials said Wednesday they will try to force the Animal Services Department to resume a popular spay-neuter voucher program ended abruptly last week. Daily News.

The decision to end the low-cost vouchers, which provide $30 to $70 toward the cost of a spay or neuter operation on pets, has drawn ire from the animal community and city officials, who said they were not given advance notice the program was being suspended.

Kicking off the runoff campaign for city attorney, Councilman Jack Weiss said he has accepted invitations for 10 debates or forums around the city leading to the May 19 election against attorney Carmen Trutanich.Daily News.

Weiss campaign spokesman Larry Levine said the invitations are from a broad cross section of the city.

"These are neighborhood councils, a Chamber of Commerce, various ethnic constituencies, a radio debate and others," Levine said. "We will continue to consider additional invitations as they are received."

The San Fernando Valley's largest anti-poverty agency will close its doors every Monday, one of several nonprofits finding new ways to cut costs at a time of ever-growing needs. Susan Abram in the Daily News.

Meet Each Need with Dignity will begin the Monday closures on March 30, a cost-cutting move that will allow it to continue providing services such as emergency food baskets, showers for the homeless, a clothing center and job skills training programs.

To help continue providing those services, MEND will offer extended hours throughout the rest of the week, said Marianne Haver Hill, executive director of the multiservice agency.

The relentless wave of foreclosures across Southern California helped push February home prices down to early 2002 levels, even as home sales spiked on healthy bargain-hunting, a market tracker said Tuesday.Gregory J. Wilcox in the Daily News.

Last month, 15,231 new and previously owned houses and condos were sold in the six-county region, said MDA DataQuick. That was up 42 percent from the previous February.

But the median price fell 39 percent to $250,000, with foreclosures accounting for 56 percent of February sales.

Sales have now increased from their year-ago level every month since last July.

he city of Los Angeles spent nearly $185,000 last year on bottled water, despite a mayoral directive that it should not be provided at the city's expense, according to an audit released today. Daily News.

City Controller Laura Chick found that $184,736 was spent on bottled water in 2008. Instead of purchasing water for special events, the Department of Water and Power encourages city officials to use coolers or pitchers to serve tap water.

"The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power provides us with some of the cleanest, healthiest and best-tasting drinking water in the world," Chick said. "There is no reason why the city should continue purchasing large quantities of bottled water. If employees wish to drink bottled water, they can do so at their own exp

The Los Angelse County Young Democrats announced they have endorsed former Assemblyman Paul Koretz in his May 19 runoff election against David Vahedi for the 5th City Council District seat.
In announcing the endorsement, political director Dante Atkins said: "Koretz has had a deep
commitment to public service for a long time. Politics just happens to be the vehicle he uses to
be of service. For young people, who are becoming active and engaged, Paul is an example of
how to be effective by keeping the focus on helping people."

When San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom visits Los Angeles today for a town hall session with voters, his campaign will dramatize a strategic - and tantalizing - theme in the 2010 Democratic race for governor. SF Chronicle
It will be the second time in two weeks that Newsom has taken his road show to the urban backyard of a potential gubernatorial challenger, a move that sets up what eventually could become the Battle of the Big City Mayors.
Last week, Newsom crossed the bay and campaigned in Oakland - the city that state Attorney General Jerry Brown calls home and governed as mayor for two terms.

A federal judge found the city of LosAngeles in contempt of court Monday for violating an injunction by issuing citations against a company that erects enormous outdoor advertising signs.
AP in the Daily News.
U.S. District Judge Audrey B. Collins ordered the city to rescind its citations against World Wide Rush LLC for its massive signs draped across two buildings within 10 days and to pay the company's legal fees, which are expected to be around $100,000.

Collins noted that World Wide Rush was cited for hanging signs without permits, although the city had refused to issue permits, citing a ban on so-called supergraphics.

The California Republican Party has been pummeled by some tough body blows in recent years - and results at the ballot box have been just part of the pain. San Francisco Chronicle.
Now, at a time when the national GOP is trying to find its voice and cultivate new candidates, California GOP activists have begun engaging in a new pastime: issuing "fatwas" to punish state Republican legislators deemed too moderate on tax issues.

For the Fourth of July, they throw their own parade and block party, where more than 150 people and the Sherman Oaks Fire Department come out to celebrate. Troy Anderson in the Daily News.

They feel safe walking their dogs day or night and can only recall a couple of serious crimes. And unlike many parts of Los Angeles, they know most of their neighbors by name.

"We're kind of a throwback to the 50s," said Van Nuys resident Gail Salem. "It's an odd community and it's like nowhere else."

The High Desert community of Palmdale has been hit hard by the recession, as plummeting revenues forced the city to slash its work force by 20 percent and scrap its traditional Rose Parade float. Brandon Lowrey in the Daily News.

But the situation could get even worse if scared consumers continue to steer clear of Palmdale Auto Mall, one of the city's biggest cash cows.

So officials have come up with an idea they hope will jump-start stalled auto sales: They'll give a $300 gift card from the Antelope Valley Mall to anyone who buys a new car in town.

"No one knows for sure if it's going to work, but it seems like it's driven more people to think about it," said Palmdale spokesman John Mlynar.

America's detention system for immigrants has mushroomed in the last decade, a costly building boom that was supposed to sweep up criminals and ensure that undocumented immigrants were quickly shown the door.AP in the Daily News

Instead, an Associated Press computer analysis of every person being held on a recent Sunday night shows that most did not have a criminal record and many were not about to leave the country - voluntarily or via deportation.

An official Immigration and Customs Enforcement database, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, showed a U.S. detainee population of exactly 32,000 on the evening of Jan. 25.

TIPOFFS: Councilman Richard Alarcon looking for big savings in budget.

Re-evaluations have begun on about a half-million properties across Los Angeles County, with officials saying they'll result in lower tax bills for tens of thousands of homeowners.Gregory J/ Wilcox in the Daily News.

Assessor Rick Auerbach's decision to order the review may bring good news for Charles Tapia, who is paying more than $10,000 a year in property taxes on the Porter Ranch house he bought in 2005 for $772,000.

Tapia is appealing after a 3 percent increase in his tax bill, although a real-estate industry tracker says home prices in Tapia's community have fallen 25 percent in the last four years.

When he was discharged from the Marines in 2001, Christopher Duarte of Chatsworth felt lost and unsure of his future, especially in the wake of 9-11 and the United States gearing up for an invasion of Iraq.Tony Castro in the Daily News.

"I didn't know if I should re-enlist - I was just looking for a mission where I could best serve," he recalls.

Duarte soon found his mission - helping returning veterans like Ramon Contreras of Pacoima navigate through the seemingly endless red tape of a vast government bureaucracy to get the benefits they were promised for serving their country.

While some cities have mayors who are mild-mannered, paper-pushing bureaucrats, Santa Clarita has Frank Ferry, aka Mayor Dude, who rides a skateboard, is addicted to Twitter and jams on an electric guitar.Jerry Berrios in the Daily News.

Mayor Dude isn't Ferry's alter ego, but an extension of his exuberant personality. At www.mayordude.com and forums held around the community, Ferry reaches out to young people, encouraging them to volunteer in their schools, communities and houses of worship and to continue that tradition for the rest of their lives.

"In the United States, there are thousands of mayors. But in the city of Santa Clarita, there is only one Mayor Dude," said Ferry, 43. "For the youths of the community, they will take a dude any day over a talking-head, stuffed shirt."

California prison officials, grappling with severe overcrowding, are considering shifting more long-term inmates to the only state prison in Los Angeles County, it was reported today. Daily News.

But that possibility has officials in Lancaster worried that additional permanent inmates living there would mean their relatives would flock to the area, bringing gang members and unsavory people to an area hard-hit by the recession.

Weiss: History of public service
Public service is at the heart of Jack Weiss' campaign for city attorney - what he's accomplished, and whether or not it's enough to qualify him for the post.Daily News./

Weiss touts his six years as a federal prosecutor and two terms representing the politically involved 5th Council District, which extends from the San Fernando Valley to West Los Angeles.

Trutanich: Bringing fresh view to office
Although he'd worked as a legal adviser to the city attorney, Carmen Trutanich had never really considered holding that job himself. Daily News.

Then about a year ago, District Attorney Steve Cooley approached Trutanich and suggested he run to succeed Rocky Delgadillo, who terms out this year. Cooley promised to help his friend with all the details of a political campaign. All Trutanich had to do was be himself.

The recession will take an $8 billion bite out of California's finances next year unless Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and lawmakers make more spending cuts or close some tax loopholes, the state's leading budget analyst said in a new report Friday.AP in the Daily News.

Despite a budget deal last month that was meant to close a $42 billion deficit through June 2010, the report from the Legislative Analyst's Office said state finances already have fallen short as revenues come in lower than expected.

The grim news suggested another round of budget fighting in the Capitol, just weeks after Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders hammered out a hard-won compromise that closed the gap by cutting $15.8 billion from state programs, raising $12.8 billion through tax increases and borrowing billions more.

In a spring rite that has become as predictable as cherry blossoms in the nation's capital, public school employees throughout California warned of wrenching classroom cuts Friday as local officials faced a deadline for issuing layoff notices to educators.AP in the Daily News.

The state Department of Education estimates that preliminary pink slips will have been handed to 26,500 teachers by the Sunday cutoff - 22 times as many as were issued last year. An additionalother 15,000 bus drivers, janitors, secretaries and administrators also were expected to receive the written warnings, said Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell.

Because of the state's less-than-rosy economic outlook, California's 1,000 school districts in kindergarten through 12 th grade have been instructed to absorb more than $8 billion in funding cuts over the next year. To draw attention to the situation, teachers and parents wore pink clothes and waved pink protest signs for a day that California's largest teachers' union dubbed Pink Friday.

"It's kind of depressing for your overall moral

Blaming dwindling city funds, the Department of Animal Services says it will no longer issue certificates for free and discounted spay and neuter surgeries - just months after officials required Los Angeles pet owners to fix their pets. Daily News.

Veterinarians and pet owners said the decision will not only hit pet owners in the pocketbook, but also affect the general community by triggering a surge in the feral cat population.

"Animal Services is not immune to the current economic downturn," General Manager Ed Boks said in a statement released this week announcing the end of the program.

Despite the debate over federal funding for earmarks, millions of dollars for local projects will soon be pouring into the San Fernando Valley. Connie Llanos in the Daily News.

The $411 billion appropriations bill signed by President Barack Obama includes millions of dollars for lawmakers' pet projects, including community health clinics, local colleges - even a controversial tattoo-removal program.

"The public has come to see earmarks as political footballs - all pork, all waste - and that's far from the whole truth," said Jaime Regalado, executive director of the Pat Brown Institute of Public Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles.

More than 10,000 Angelenos identified as gang members and governed by court injunctions can apply to have their name erased from the city's records, but just 20 have tried and only one has actually succeeded, officials say.Sue Doyle in the Daily News.

Now, a year after city government launched a program allowing people to petition to be removed from the lists, officials are asking why more haven't stepped forward. They had expected more people to try to shed the label of "gang member" and the restrictions of a court injunction.

"We are doing community outreach to get the word out," said Deputy City Attorney Bruce Riordan, who heads the anti-gang effort. "We are doing training to make sure the process is working."

Standing amid the rubble of one of the area's worst-ever fires, Los Angeles officials on Thursday announced a $1.2 million federal grant that will be used to clear the debris from the Oakridge Mobile Home Park and set the stage for rebuilding. Daily News.

"The people here were just frozen out," Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said. "Now, they can begin to see a light where they can rebuild their homes and their lives."

Making his first trip to Los Angeles since taking office, President Barack Obama is scheduled to be in the city next Wednesday to meet with local officials regarding the economic stimulus plan.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said it is expected to be a quick trip by the president, where local officials will talk with him regarding efforts to deal with home foreclosures and plans for use of the economic stimulus money.
Villaraigosa said his several trips to Washington, D.C., over the past month have been to make the case that the city is looking to be a partner.
"We aren't there with a hand out," Villaraigosa said. "We have shown we are willing to put up a share and be a partner with the federal government."
Details of the president's trip have not been released.

More than half of the inmates at the Los Angeles County women's jail are routinely taunted and humiliated by the deputies who guard them and one was even kept shackled while giving birth, says a scathing report issued Wednesday.Troy Anderson in the Daily News.

The report by Merrick Bobb, special counsel to the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, also accuses some of the sheriff's deputies who guard the 2,200 inmates at the nation's largest women's jail of retaliating against those who complained about their treatment.

City officials took steps Wednesday toward closing a $35 million deficit in Los Angeles' $7 billion budget but warned of a "Titanic" financial threat facing taxpayers in the coming year.Daily News
The City Council managed to eke out $19 million through a series of cuts and funding shifts, such as using long-term financing to finance construction of a parking garage in Hollywood rather than paying for the project up front.

However, with a shortfall of $430 million projected in next year's budget, officials warned of more dire cuts ahead.

Meruelo Maddux Properties said Wednesday it had stopped making payments on 26 real estate loans totaling $266 million, and that independent auditors were likely to issue a "going concern" opinion questioning the company's ability to remain in business. Los Angeles Business Journal.

The largest landowner in downtown Los Angeles, which made the statements in its fourth quarter earnings announcement, also said it was seeking to renegotiate its debt but that effort might not be successful.

The Los Angeles Police Protective League announced Wednesday that it has picked up the support of St, Paul cops in tgheir efforts to keep Sara Jane Olson in California.
"(Olson) was an accessory to murder during a bank robbery and attempted to murder LAngeles police officers with bombs," St. Paul Police Federation President Dave Titus wrote in his letter. "These crimes occurred in California and her entire sentence should be served in California."
The move by the 650-member St. Paul, Minn. police union joins the Los Angeles Police Protective League's effort to keep her in California, despite her wishes to move back to St. Paul. The League submitted its own letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on March 6 arguing that Olson would be better monitored in California because Minnesota does not have sufficient interest to do so.
Olson was convicted of crimes as a member of th4 Symbionese Liberation Army and had been living in Minnesota as SaraJane Olson before being discovered and arrested.

After decades in the public eye, California first lady Maria Shriver says she has no intention of running for public office in 2010. Associated Press.
The Democrat said she is too much of a free spirit to be tied to a desk job.
During a stop in Fresno on Tuesday to promote a tax program for low-income Californians, Shriver said she is focused for now on her latest projects, a best-selling book and an HBO special about Alzheimer's disease. She did not expressly rule out a campaign for public office in the future, howeve

This from Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Tarzana:

"Congressman Brad Sherman announced that Congress today approved over half a million dollars in federal appropriations funding for juvenile justice related programs serving the San Fernando Valley.
"The funding was included as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2009 which will be signed by the President soon.
"The funds Sherman secured are for three specific projects: Phoenix Academy in Lake View Terrace, New Directions for Youth in Van Nuys, and the Court Appointed Special Advocates program serving the San Fernando Valley."
The funding amounts to a little more than $500,000.

As a teenager, Sherry Fatemi saved her lunch money so she could buy a pack of cigarettes after school. Susan Abram in the Daily News.

Now 26, the seasoned smoker said a proposed $1.50 per-pack tax would make no difference.

"I have to smoke," she said. "I don't care about the $1.50."

Her sentiment was shared by many smokers who sipped coffee or dined outdoors along Ventura Boulevard Tuesday.

Home foreclosures in Los Angeles County soared more than 60 percent in February after moderating for several months, a sign that mounting job losses are exacerbating the market's woes, an industry tracker said today.Gregory J. Wilcox in the Daily News.

Foreclosures and notices of default both made huge jumps from the prior month and the previous year, suggesting that unemployment has joined bad loans in beating down the housing market, Foreclosures.com analysts wrote in a new report.

Waving signs and chanting, "We won't let you cut our future," hundreds of teachers, parents and students protested Tuesday outside of LAUSD headquarters after the school board voted to send layoff warnings to nearly 9,000 employees.George B. Sanchez and Connie Llanos in the Daily News.

More than 200 educators wore red T-shirts that symbolized their allegiance to United Teachers Los Angeles during the 45-minute rally at Fourth and Boylston streets. Many carried signs reading "Students lose when we lose" as passing motorists honked in support.

"Students and teachers need to unite to rally and protest, to put pressure on the board and prevent these cuts," said Edin Barrientos, 17, one of 60 Crenshaw High students who joined the rally.

In what critics describe as "backroom swaps," some smaller cities in Los Angeles County are selling their federoyral stimulus funds to other municipalities in cash deals as low as nearly 60 cents on the dollar.Troy Anderson and Alfred Lee in the Daily News.

Expecting to receive $800 million for transit projects, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is allocating at least $500,000 to each of the county's 88 cities for shovel-ready improvements, ranging from overpasses to bike paths to pothole repairs.

With votes still being counted in the Measure B election, opponents of the solar-power initiative launched an effort Tuesday to achieve the goals of the renewable energy program, regardless of whether the ballot issue wins or loses. Daily News.

Unofficial results show Measure B was defeated at the March 3 election by 1,322 votes. And, although there are some 46,000 ballots left to count, most believe the outcome will stand.

It was not all :We Are the World," for the trip by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and 230 business leaders on the Access D.C., trip on Tuesday.
Rep David Drier, R-San Gabriel Valley, thought he was winning over the locals when he told them:
"The nation relies on Southern California's infrastructure and innovation. Strategic federal investments in these areas will yield tremendous returns from coast to coast. I look forward to continuing to work with local leaders and job creators to advance the policies that will deliver the most benefit to the region and the nation."
But, Andy Stone of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said Drier has twice voted agaisnt the stimulus project.

Carrying a wish list for more federal funding and a message about the economic clout of Southern California, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and 230 business and civic leaders will launch a lobbying assault today on Washington, D.C. Daily News.

Leading the Access Washington trip taken annually by the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, Villaraigosa plans to use his access to the Obama administration to push for a bigger chunk of the federal economic stimulus package.

Nearly a dozen protesters rallied Monday in support of taxpayer advocate Richard I. Fine, claiming his incarceration on contempt-of-court charges was an act of judicial retaliation.Troy Anderson in the Daily News.

Fine, 69, of Tarzana, was ordered jailed indefinitely last week after he refused to answer questions about his assets in connection with an order to pay legal fees in a lawsuit, said Allan Parachini, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Mayor candidate Walter Moore, who won 26 percent of the vote in the March 3 election, reports he is staying active with his local commentary at a new blog: WalterMoore Says.com
"Now that the Mayoral election is over -- except for the part where there's enough un-counted ballots to force a run-off -- I don't want to burden you and your in-box with essays you may not feel like reading at that particular moment. There's just no urgency any more, is there?" Moore said in an email.
"I'll probably keep writing just as much. But instead of sending you every single essay via e-mail, I'll post my essays, along with some podcasts and video, at my new website, WalterMooreSays.com. Just now, for example, I posted an essay entitled "Four Fun Facts About The Election Statistics So Far."

Born with severe physical disabilities caused by her biological mother's drug use, Kawehena Mooney was thrown into the foster care system - labeled as a "failure to thrive" baby who would never walk, talk or play.Connie Llanos in the Daiily News.

Brian Mooney and his wife Kahea ignored suggestions from caregivers and adopted Kawehena when she was 6 months old, hoping the diagnoses were wrong. Now 7 years old, Kawehena is thriving, reading at a fourth-grade level and occasionally giving her parents a hard time.

Brian Mooney credits a small school for much of his daughter's progress.

Tipoffs: Election results have an impact.

Each week, two or three parishioners at West Valley Christian Church lose their jobs. Some have homes in foreclosure, while others have lost their nest eggs in the carnage of Wall Street.
Troy Anderson in the Daily News.
In such times, people might also be expected to lose their faith. Yet, Glenn Kirby, the senior minister at the nondenominational church in West Hills, said he's never seen the congregation growing more quickly.

Throughout Los Angeles County and the nation, ministers and rabbis say they've seen dramatic increases in attendance in recent months as people worried about the worsening economy and turmoil in the world turn to religion.

Despite the likely defeat of a ballot measure to create a massive solar-energy project in Los Angeles, the prospects of harnessing Southern California's best-known asset are still bright. Daily News.

In fact, officials are already looking at ways to develop a similar program within the Department of Water and Power without the need for voter approval.

And that's just fine with opponents who successfully challenged Measure B - as long as the public is included in the planning process.

A $10 million contribution meant to revive the financially troubled Children's Museum may be imperiled - and the future of the project itself may be at risk - as federal investigators pursue charges of securities fraud against the donor. Dana Bartholomew in the Daily News.

Officials at the Children's Museum of Los Angeles said Friday that the loss of its largest-ever gift could deal a death blow to the $58.5 million museum.

"We have our attorneys looking at it," said Richard Katz, who serves on the museum's board. "A $10 million loss to the museum would be devastating. ... A $10 million loss could mean an end to the museum."

ocal crime-fighting efforts are getting a boost, thanks to millions of dollars in grants allocated to Southern California as part of the federal stimulus package, the White House announced Friday.
Jerry Berrios in the Daily News.
The grants can be spent to retain or rehire law enforcement officers, create or enhance drug and gang task forces, and for crime prevention or domestic violence programs, officials said.

Los Angeles is eligible for more than $14.2 million, while Los Angeles County can get more than $3.5 million.

Faced with a dire need for more hospital beds and intense pressure to create jobs in Los Angeles, the City Council on Friday swept away obstacles blocking the controversial expansion of Providence Holy Cross Hospital Daily News..

Work on the $180 million four-story expansion was halted in October when a judge essentially ruled the City Council had the right to demand more environmental studies.

Police Chief Bill Bratton said he had no regrets over his endorsements in the March 3 election, particularly for Councilman Jack Weiss, who is in a runoff for City Attorney against attorney Carmeny Trutanich.
"I'm more than happy to continue supporting Jack Weiss in the runoff," Bratton told KABC radio (790) during the Doug McIntyre morning show.
"Nothing has change in relation to the police department."
Bratton's endorsements have become an issue during this recent campaign. In addition to Weiss, Bratton appeared in commercials and political mailings for Weiss, Mayor Antonio Villaraiogsa, Council President Eric Garcetti's re-election campaign and for Councilwoman Wendy Greuel in her bid for Controller.
Los Angeles police chiefs have generally shied away from political involvement and efforts were made to insulate the chief from political influence.
But, Bratton said he recognizes he has a bully pulpit, "and I know how to use it."

The people have spoken, and they've chosen the city's Most Valuable Player over its Most Visible Politician in this week's battle of L.A. newsmakers. Kevin Modesti in the Daily News.

The Daily News asked readers, "What matters more to you, the re-election of Mayor Villaraigosa or the Dodgers' re-signing of Manny Ramirez?"

And, as of Thursday afternoon, 75 percent of those answering the online poll at dailynews.com had picked ... Manny.

Now that Los Angeles voters have elected Wendy Greuel as city controller, political hopefuls are maneuvering for her City Council seat in a district including the Studio City area. Daily News.

Among those who are -- or are rumored to be -- eyeing the District 2 post are Los Angeles Board of Education member Tamar Galatzan, Assemblywoman Cindy Monta ez, council field deputy Joan Pelico, Studio City Neighborhood Council President Ben Neumann and former Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council President Ken Gerston.
e.

For the first time since 1993, the unemployment rate hit 10.5 percent in Los Angeles County in January as thousands of workers lost jobs in nearly all occupations in the economic downturn. Troy Anderson in the Daily News.

The number of unemployed people in the county rose from 9.2 percent in December - a record jump, increasing from 456,000 in December to 521,000 in January.

"There are huge problems," said Stuart Waldman, president of the Valley Industry and Commerce Association. "I can't tell you how many people I know who don't have a job right now. Business is scared."

A man who began his career driving buses on the streets of Los Angeles became the most powerful person in local transportation today. Daily News.

Art Leahy, 60, who has been director of the Orange County Transportation Authority, was confirmed to the $310,000-year post at chief executive officer of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He starts April 6.

"I was born and raised in Los Angeles. I went to L.A. city schools in Los Angeles, Franklin High. Go Panthers," Leahy said, as an MTA bus pulled up behind him reading, "Welcome Aboard Mr. Leahy.

While Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa reads the tea leaves and ponders the results from Tuesday's election, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is moving on with his plans to run for governor.
Newsom is holding a town hall at 7 p.m., March 17, at Santa Monica High School, the south gymnasium, 601 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica.
Newsom has already held several town halls around the state and this is the first in a series of Southern California events.
"I'm looking forward to the next series of meetings in Southern California," Newsom said. "We need real solutions to the serious problems our state is facing, and they're not going to be found in Sacramento."

A whopping 23 percent of Southern California homeowners are "underwater" on their mortgages, drowning in the wave of foreclosures that sent prices tumbling, says a new report issued Wednesday. Gregory J. Wilcox in the Daily News.

Analysts said the region's 307,000 homeowners who owed more on property than it was worth at the end of 2008 are exactly the kind who could benefit from the $275 billion bailout that was also rolled out Wednesday by the Obama administration.

Two big, if long-anticipated, Los Angeles news developments became official Wednesday: "Antonio Re-Elected." "Manny Re-Signed." Kevin Modesti in the Daily News.

Or maybe, based on the reverberations, those headlines should read: "MANNY RE-SIGNED!" "Antonio re-elected."

What will mayor do?
Now that he has won re-election to a second four-year term, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa found himself faced with the same question over and over Wednesday: Will he be around for four years, or will he succumb to the lure of running for governor? Daily News.

As he has for the past several months, the mayor - who received 55.5 percent of the vote Tuesday - continued to be coy.

Waiting for Measure B final vote

As Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's Measure B seemed poised for a narrow defeat Wednesday, he held out hope that uncounted votes would save the solar-energy proposal. Daily News.

"I hope it passes, but if it doesn't even those who are opposed to it said we should move ahead with the solar program, notwithstanding the vote of the people," Villaraigosa said. "I agree."

CD5 runoff
Neighborhood council leader David T. Vahedi and former Assemblyman Paul Koretz are heading to a May runoff vote in a tight election for the 5th District City Council seat.

Vahedi led Koretz in the early results by the slimmest of margins - just 60 votes, according to the early results from the City Clerk's office. Some absentee and provisional ballots still mu
st be counted.

School board races
ictory seemed certain Wednesday for one L.A. Unified school board candidate endorsed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the teachers union, but another was ahead by just a hair.George B. Sanchez in the Daily News.

While it may take some time before an official winner is announced in the race for District 6, which covers the northeast San Fernando Valley, Villaraigosa was already planning for the future.

Chick uncertain on future

Termed-out City Controller Laura Chick announced today that she does not plan to run for the Los Angeles City Council, a job she held from 1993 to 2001.

In yesterday's election, City Councilwoman Wendy Greuel was elected as the next controller with 65.2 percent of the vote. Some City Hall insiders speculated that Chick would run for the soon-to-be vacant 2nd District seat, which is now held by Greuel.

City government's budget shortfall may soar to $1 billion within two years, forcing it to cut services and trim jobs as the economic recession deepens, officials told the City Council on Wednesday.Daily News.

Interim City Administrative Officer Ray Ciranna predicted the budget deficit - $430 million this year - will worsen as revenue declines in virtually all areas, including taxes on sales, hotel rooms and parking.

The city also is likely to lose more than $70 million in state funding for law enforcement, education and transportation programs, officials said.

While it was not the landslide he hoped for, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa won a second term inm Tuesday's election, capturing 55.5 percent of the vote as he saw mixed results in other elections Go here for the full results..
His biggest loss appeared to be the Measure B solar inititive although the results are still very close,
In the City Attorney's race, Councilman Jack Weiss will face attorney Carmen Trutanich in a May 19 runoff,m that is espected to be a rough campaign.
In the 5th Council District race,there will be a runoff bettween former Assemblyman Paul Koretz and former council deputy Adeena Bleich neighborhood council leader David Vahedi.
The mayor did see the two candidates he supporte for the LAUSD Board of Education, Nury Martinez and Steve Zimmer, win easy election. That means the seven-member board if entirely composed of people he backed.

Were posted by the City Clerk's Office at 10:12 p.m., and showed no major changes in the returns, with Villaraigosa moving up slightly as did Measure B. Still Koretz-Vahedi heading toward runoff but too close to call. Still only a few Valley precincts reporting.

Absentee ballots show Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa with 53 percent of the vote, Councilwoman Wendy Greuel far ahead in the Controller's race, while City Attorney Jack Weiss was far below a majority and appeared headed toward runoff with attorney Carmen Trutanich.
In the 5th District race, it will be a long night. Former Assemblyman Paul Koretz was the slight leader over neighborhood council leader David Vahedi, but it was a very close pack of candidates behind them, with former council deputy Adeena Bleich, attorney Robert Schwartz, businesswoman Robyn Ritter-Simon and neighborhood council leader Ron Galperin.

It's 8 p.m., do you know where your ballot is?
With any kind of luck, it's on it's way to the City Clerk's office tobe counted.
First results are expected in 30-45 minutes with the absentee and mail-in ballots.
Next results should be coming in about an hour after that and t hen steadily through the evening.

Political analysts say some initial poll checks (which differ from exit poling) shows it will be a light tunout election _ slightly more than 15 percent. That's low, but nowhere near the record lows. It also showed that absentee ballots represent about 38 percent of all votes.
The heaviest voting is in African-American and Latino areas, which are slightly higher than the city as a whole.
Howefver, one out of six votes is coming from the 5th Council District, which includes portions of the San Fernando Valley and where five candidates are fighting to succeed Councilman Jack Weiss.
Campaign adviosrs to Weiss, who is running for City Attorney, have said they believe he will do better than many believe in the 5th District.
The poll checks also say that Measure B, the solar initiative will pass comfrotably.

One of the more technologically sophisticated, City Council President Eric Garcetti has a blog thta he regularly feeds. He is being challenged in the election by attorney Gary Slossberg.

This from earlier today at his campaign website:

I voted at 7:15 this morning. Turnout at my polling location looked to be slow but steady.

Polls will be open until 8pm tonight. If you're not sure where to vote, you can look it up here. Then be sure to join us at our election night party at the Avalon. Details are here.

What was your voting experience like today? Hearing of or seeing any problems at the polls?

Remember, parking restrictions will be loosened near polling places to make it a bit easier to vote. Please remind your friends and family to get to the polls.

Thanks, everyone, for your support!

It's a blast to the past for City Councilwoman Wendy Greuel, who is running for the job of City Controller.
Greuel is holding her election night celebration at the soon to be closed Sporstmens Lodge _ which for years was THE place to be if you were a local politician.
The Sportsmens has run on hard times in recent years.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Councilman Jack Weiss and the Yes on Measure B folks are gatheirng at the Westin Bonaventure in downtown Los Angeles, which along with the Biltmore, has been a mainstay for decades.

The final hourss before the votes begin being tabulated is still the wonder zone for candidates.
They haven't lost. Yet. They haven't won and hope still springs eternal.
For the major candidates, like Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, they were greeted at t heir polling places with television cameras seeking any sort of statement.
Villaraigosa complied as he entered the garage of a home in Hancock Park with two of his children.
``I'd just like to say to the people of Los Angeles that it's been a
honor to work for you for 3 1/2 years,and I would be be honored
to have another term,' he told the assembled cameras. "But, please, come out and vote -- whether you vote for me or not.''
And, he was prepared for the question he has been asked for months:
Will he stick around for four years or run for governor.
``Whether or not I seek another office down the line -- and remember,
it's 2010, not tomorrow -- I can tell you it'll have nothing to do with who's
in the race. It'll have everything to do with where I can best serve, Don't be surprised that I did say I'm not going to do it.''

The Los Angeles Police Department now has more officers than at any other time in its history with 9,895 sworn personnel, a figure that includes those still going through the Police Academy, Chief William Bratton announced today. Daily News.

A class of 65 recruits started work this morning, bringing to 756 the number of additional officers on the rolls since Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa took office four years ago. The mayor is up for reelection tomorrow, but said the timing of this morning's announcement was unrelated to the campaign.

For every new recruit, there are 12 to 15 applicants who were not accepted into the academy, Bratton said.

Los Angeles voters go to the polls today following a flurry of last-minute attack commercials and news conferences by candidates seeking to run the city for the next four years.Daily News.

In the most prominent race, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa used his incumbency to boast Monday of overseeing record recruitment in the Los Angeles Police Department, which is on track to hit 10,000 officers by year's end.

Pay no attention to that eerie silence wafting across the nation's most populous county this week, it will simply be the sound of 10 million people not cussing.AP in the Daily News.

At least that's the reaction McKay Hatch is hoping for when the erstwhile 15-year-old South Pasadena High student's relentless campaign to clean up people's language is recognized by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

Villaraigosa takes to the streets
After waging his re-election effort from television studios and fundraising events, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa took his campaign to the streets of the San Fernando Valley on Sunday, insisting he is aware of the economic anguish many feel. Daily News.

The effort was a final burst in a nonstop campaign that took him from the harbor to the Valley, to restaurants and churches, including Lake View Terrace American Baptist Church, where he was met by the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a supporter.

City Attornety race
One of the most hotly contested races Tuesday is for city attorney, with incumbent Rocky Delgadillio termed out.Daily News.

Councilman Jack Weiss, with a $1.5 million war chest, has faced a tough campaign waged by private attorney Carmen Trutanich, a former deputy district attorney, and Deputy City Attorney Michael Amerian.

Measure B

Los Angeles voters Tuesday will get the chance to decide if their city undertakes the most ambitious solar-energy plan in the nation. Daily News.

From Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to state Assembly Speaker Karen Bass and unions in all fields, the list of supporters for Measure B is long. Advocates tout environmental benefits and potential to create jobs and a new industry in the Southland.

Controller's race
In the race for city controller, the two principal candidates want to let you know one thing: They are not Laura Chick, the charismatic, strong-willed current controller of Los Angeles. Daily News.

But, both Councilwoman Wendy Greuel and businessman Nick Patsaouras say they will try to continue the crusading approach Chick has adopted in her eight years as controller - and expand on it,

5th District

The vacant 5th District seat on the Los Angeles City Council will be the subject of perhaps the most unpredictable race in Tuesday's city elections, with six candidates close in funding promising fiscal reform and better responsiveness than their predecessor. Brandon Lowrey in the Daily News.

Most refrained from attacking one another. They instead bluntly characterized current Councilman Jack Weiss as a politician disconnected from his constituents. Weiss is running to become the city attorney.

Tipoffs: Is there any wonder voters are tired. This is the land of non-stop elections.