Bankrupting LA -- Who's Fault Is It?

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"As you know we have a problem this year and it's not going to get better in 2010-11 and onward. The picture is not very bright." -- Interim City Administrative Officer Ray Ciranna, May 5, 2009.

"This is just the beginning, next year is worse." -- Assistant City Administrative Officer Tom Coultas, Dec. 12, 2009


Don't blame the bureaucrats for this City Hall financial crisis that will force drastic action to avoid bankruptcy. Blame your elected officials who failed to heed the warnings and follow their advice, and hold them accountable
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Here's a retrospective on what was reported and recorded here, starting with this video and article on May 5 of last year, showing how the mayor and City Council failed in their duties to deal with the financial crisis despite being told over and over that hard decisions were needed.

MAY 5, 2009:
City Council to Unions: Your Jobs or Your Money





MAY 13, 2009:


10,000 LAPD Cops or Thousands of Layoffs? Buyouts or Layoffs? City Council's Fictitious Budget


MAY 18, 2009

Scandal, Failure, Anger, Bankruptcy: Will the Public, Unions and City Hall Partner for a New LA


MAY 19, 2009

Back Slaps, High Fives, Heroes -- and Catastrophe for LA


MAY 21, 2009

Wendy Watch: Is the New City Controller Right in Calling the Budget "Fiscally Responsible"?


JUNE 3, 2009

Shared Sacrifice: You Pay More and Get Less


JUNE 18, 2009

City Budget Mysteries: Dire Consequences of City Hall's Nasty Money Games

JUNE 24, 2009

Is This What They Mean By Shared Sacrifice?

JUNE 26, 2009

An Offer They Can't Refuse: Council Gives City Unions What They Want

JULY 3, 2009

The Sweetheart Deal: City Hall Will Beg, Borrow and Steal to Protect Unions

JULY 19, 2009

All They Want Is Your Money...

AUGUST 3, 2009

Play Now, Pay Later -- The Road To Ruin

AUGUST 4, 2009

The People's Hero, Sally Choi: City's Sweetheart Early Retirement Deal Blowing Up




AUGUST 6, 2009

Days of Reckoning: Don't Forgive Them, They Know What They Are Doing

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8 Comments

The Mayor is going to continue to cut every single service department EXCEPT LAPD until there is nothing left of Los Angeles, while he himself continues to play games with the unions.

That is what has happened for the past three years. That is what he and his friends around the horse shoe are DOING RIGHT THIS SECOND.

How long have we seen this crisis coming?

Three, four years? Yet nothing has changed in terms of the course the Mayor and friends continue to set.

With the new cuts we mere members of the public just learned about in the LA Times today, Service departments - departments who work directly with the public - are looking at a workforce that is nearly CUT IN HALF with this last round of BS.

People will be losing jobs, and citizens will be losing services that, for some, are lifesaving. How can he be so heartless? No problem. No one is fighting him - certainly not the people around the horseshoe. Certainly not the electeds who are supposed to safeguard the citizens of this City.


What on earth is going to make the Mayor change his tactic?

The only way some semblance of a services structure in Los Angeles will survive this insane man is getting rid of him and/or making him cut LAPD - the bulk of the City's budget - along with everyone else, or bankruptcy.

Which do you choose?

Do nothing and you have more of what is going on right now. The Mayor can do this until hell freezes over. He's proving it right now with this next round of cuts - laying off people who have no idea the axe is coming and who he and the City Attorney hope won't fight.

So we have another false "save". Then the man can do it again. And again. Because those who can add 2+2 know this plan won't take care of the problem. They've said so for three, maybe four years.

Having this continue - is that okay with you? With me? With the people of this insane village?

I truly hope not.

"Don't blame the bureaucrats for this City Hall financial crisis that will force drastic action to avoid bankruptcy. Blame your elected officials who failed to heed the warnings and follow their advice, and hold them accountable"

Amen, amen, amen.

Great minds think alike -- and Ron, yours and mine do too, every now and then.

This letter from Villaraigosa and five of his City Council chums to the City Administrative Officer is the most shameful attempt to pass the buck I've ever seen. And believe me, as a trial lawyer, I've seem some real buck-passing.

Anyhow, here's my take on the "Dear Miguel" letter:

http://web.mac.com/waltermoore/WalterMooreSays.com/Blog/Entries/2010/1/21_Villaragosa_And_City_Council_Write_Lame_Letter_In_Clumsy_Attempt_To_Pass_The_Buck_400_Million_Times.html

The bravehearts want Santana to take the fall. They are not only deceptive, stupid , shameless, they are also cowards.

Caruso,

It's time!

I got depressed this morning when I read in the DN that the mouthpiece Szabo " has been assigned the task of developing the overall financial strategy for the City." It is a disgrace and alarming how low we have fallen. No wonder the City is at the brink of bankruptcy.

The sleazy backroom deals are well, alive and healthier now than in Hahn`s administration. The Gephardt group got another $60,000 in lobbying fees at the Port, bringing the total to $265,000. Keep in mind that it is a no competitive contract, as it is at LAWA, awarded under the GM`s authority starting at $150,000. No wonder the city is considering bankruptcy.

Walter, Miguel wrote that letter.

It's not who wrote it that matters, it's who SIGNED it and WHY: Villaraigosa and the four Clowncil Cronies signed it to dupe YOU into thinking it's Miguel's job to balance the budget.

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Ron Kaye

is the former editor of the Los Angeles Daily News who has become a community activist, helping to found the Saving LA Project. He writes on city issues in Los Angeles and is a frequent speaker at community groups on the need to get informed and involved in the effort to make LA a city of great schools and neighborhoods, a city with a healthy business climate and good jobs, a city where the people are respected and have a seat at the table of power.

Email Ron at ron@ronkayela.com

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This page contains a single entry by Ron Kaye published on January 21, 2010 10:24 AM.

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