Posted on 04/07/2010 1:38:21 PM PDT by Zakeet
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa called for shutting down non-essential agencies two days a week Tuesday as he and City Council members remained locked in a standoff over the intertwined issues of electricity rates and the city's worsening budget shortfall.
Villaraigosa's action topped another day of threats and name-calling at City Hall.
During a morning news conference, the mayor said the council had caused the latest financial crisis by engaging in the "politics of 'no' " and accused it of "the kind of demagoguery you see in the Congress."
Those were "the kind of scare tactics you saw around the healthcare debate," he said.
[Snip]
The mayor directed acting City Administrative Officer Ray Ciranna to prepare to shut down parks, libraries and other general fund services starting Monday. Public safety, trash collection and revenue-generating agencies would be exempt.
"I am duty bound to make sure that I'm not in a position to make people work if we don't have the cash to pay them," Villaraigosa said. Union leaders questioned whether the mayor had the authority to enact what amounts to a furlough program in which thousands of city workers would see their paychecks cut by two-fifths.
"We take this absolutely seriously," said Julie Butcher, regional director for Service Employees International Union Local 721, which represents more than 10,000 city employees. "The mayor's endangering services and people's lives."
[Snip]
Freeman told council members that the failure to approve an electricity rate increase had "decimated our financial future."
He noted that on Monday, one of the nation's top bond-rating agencies withdrew a AA rating on two DWP bonds worth $720 million, which could increase the agency's borrowing costs.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Mexican Standoff.
Tee Hee!
Shut da gubmint down. The citizenry will not notice. Then they will realize just about every gubmint agency is “non-essential.”
Is Tony Villar racist?
Tony Villar looks like he should be playing the Eric Estrada character in a gay porn version of CHIPS. Has he been seen around Chatsworth or Canoga Park?
We don't need that garbage, and we certainly don't need the tax parasites running government to tax us for this crap. If some idiot wants a freaking book, they can go buy one...
Enough government bullshit.
A little more Chris Christie, a little less Tony Villar.
nya...God forbid they terminate a few pension bennies for themselves...
Very funny!
Tony Villar is an attention whore, an ex gang member from years ago who tried to pass the ‘bar’ to become a lawyer and failed so often he could not take it again.
Big loser all the way around - dumber than dirt — big time womanizer too — almost everyone wants him OUT now, even many who voted for him. If all this were not so tragic it would be a joke.
Think squatters, think tents and fires and charcoal grills and blue tarps and trash
There will be no playground superviser, no police patrol, no running water for the drinking fountain, no water for any fountains or pools for that matter. No repairs to playground equipment, bike/walk trails, or parking lots...
Enter the parks at your own risk.
The city is rolling in revenue. They are lying to us, messing with us. Villar’s on a power trip. The only question is whether City Council will stand up to him. If they won’t, will the People...???
But, don't expect the Attorney General Jerry Brown to endorse that law.
It's happening all over the state. City councils raiding garbage, sewer, power funds etc.
lost angeles deserves whatever happens to it.
the city council told police not to pick up illegals in the late ‘80s.
now, 2/3 of the 10,000,000 are latinos.
More popcorn and more coke.
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