Signs of the times

Fiscal emergency sought for city
Warning that Los Angeles could run out of cash this winter, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa asked the City Council on Tuesday to declare a state of fiscal emergency, which would allow the city to impose furloughs and layoffs on its 40,000-member work force without union consent. Daily News.

The move, believed to be unprecedented in the city's history, comes as Los Angeles struggles to close a $530 million deficit in the mayor's proposed $7 billion budget. The gap could grow to $1 billion next year.

Port traffic to decline
International trade - once the driver of Southern California's economy, is in for a grim year, with traffic through Los Angeles ports expected to plunge 13.5 percent from 2008, according to a forecast released today. Gregory J. Wilcox in the Daily News.

But the downturn is predicted to be short-lived, with trade activity rebounding slightly in 2010, said the forecast from the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.

CSUN students face hikes
CSUN stuMany California State University students at Northridge and elsewhere will pay 10 percent more for tuition this fall if university officials approve suggested fee hikes today. Sue Doyle
in the Daily News.

Aimed at generating $127 million in new revenue, the fee hikes would raise full-time undergraduate tuition by $306 to $3,354. Full-time graduate students would pay $378 more, taking their total fees to $4,134. dents face hikes