Election 2009: The day after

Public fed up

Low voter turnout and the rejection of five state propositions that would have helped reduce the state's multibillion-dollar deficit show the public is fed up with the way government handles its business, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said today. Daily News

In Los Angeles County, 17.39 percent of the 4.33 million eligible voters participated in the election, which cost $28 million. The voters who did show up at the polls soundly defeated Propositions 1A through 1E, which Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had touted as critical to prevent the state's budget gap from growing even larger.

Local governments scramble

Los Angeles city, county and school officials Wednesday began bracing for - and plotting to fight - yet another round of budget cuts after California voters rejected a package of budget-reform ballot measures in Tuesday's election.Daily News.

Anticipating the state will take money due local governments, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced plans for a Sacramento lobbying trip next week to try to head off some of the expected losses.

Trutanich savors win

Winning by a landslide, City Attorney-elect Carmen Trutanich on Wednesday said he was still in a state of disbelief about his victory over Councilman Jack Weiss. Daily News.

"It gives me chills," he said. "I looked at this like an athletic contest: You go on the field and lay it all on the line and that's what I did. I gave it my all."