What a joke

Are you serious? The man who Mayor Antiono Villaraigosa wants to nominate as the finance director is requesting a $290,000 salary, which is $70,000 more than the outgoing CAO is getting. The increase comes at a time when the city is dealing with a $406 million budget shortfall, the Daily News reports.

It's amazing to me that as we all deal with a crappy enonomy and many of us can barely finagle a minimal cost of living adjustment that our governmental officials are generously giving themselves raises on our dime.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's nominee to oversee Los Angeles' finances is facing growing opposition from the City Council over his lobbyist connections and his request for a $290,000 salary - far higher than the pay of the current city administrative officer.

The mayor nominated his former chief deputy, Marcus Allen, in March and since then Allen has been meeting with council members to lay out his plans for the post and discuss his salary request, which is $70,000 more than the salary of outgoing CAO Karen Sisson.

The pay request comes even as the city faces a $406 million budget shortfall and would make Allen the fourth-highest-paid official in the city - making even more than the mayor.

The mayor also has the option to give general managers a 5 percent merit bonus that could boost Allen's pay to $305,000 a year.