Villaraigosa makes budget pitch in Valley

Far from the union halls where Los Angeles' new budget battle may ultimately be fought, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Thursday chose a plush living room south of Ventura Boulevard to make his first public pitch for the shared-sacrifice approach to deficit-cutting.Kevin Modesti in the Daily News.

A relaxed but serious Villaraigosa stood between an easel holding colorful charts and a coffee table bearing a big book called "Home Landscaping" and told about 20 neighborhood council leaders how he'll try to avoid pruning 2,800 jobs by asking city employees to give up some income.

"We have a budget deficit that's historical and unprecedented, and I believe there's a way out," the mayor declared.