Mission No. 1 - Protect the president

While motorists expressed anger about being stuck in gridlock when President Obama visited Los Angeles last month for a fundraiser, city officials said Thursday they have little ability to avert similar problems in the future. Daily News,

The federal government and the need for presidential safety overrule City Hall and local motorists, officials said.

"None of us want to be sitting before a congressional subcommittee saying we decided to save money at the risk of presidential safety," Councilman Bernard Parks, the former Los Angeles police chief, said during a hearing.