L.A. City Council Puts Off Massive Layoffs

• Please stop voting for any elected official who is endorsed by any union. The unions are a big part of our financial problem in the city and state. The money unions use to donate to campaigns should be used toward their retirement funds, salaries, and all those other benefits they have for a job not so well done. The CalPERS retirement fund structure should be dismantled and converted to 401k's manged by each individual employee like it is done in the private sector. I do not understand why we are responsible for these unrealistic demands when the chances of finding a job with the same type of benefits package in the private sector are not that great. If we all seek city and state government jobs who will then pay for all these benefits? CA is a Greece in the making it is time to get some leadership that will enforce our laws and stand up to these gangs/unions. It is obvious our City Council has sold out to the unions and illegal immigration, not to mention the constant increase in fees and taxes. Every bill you pay have increased fees and taxes this is in addition to the highest sales tax (9.75%) in the country (with the worst and unprofessional service) and all this money is constantly mismanaged and unaccounted for. I wonder if our Mayor will be collecting a check from the Calderon while he is in Washington because it appears that our city, state, and country is for sale to the highest bidder.

• Every day, City Councilmember�s make important decisions that affect the lives of each and every LA resident and employee working for the City. For the past several years, City Councilmember�s have known the City was spending more money than they were taking in. Year after year, City Council has deferred need action to address the deficit and implement systems conducive to consolidating multiple accounting operations that would ensure reliable financial reports. The record show, despite knowledge of the accumulating Debt, Councilmember�s ignored the warning signs of 8-10 �quarters� of decreasing revenue,increasing expenditures and an unfunded pension fund in the Billions of dollars. The record show, Councilmember�s traveled first class, stayed in first class hotels, rented the best cars. Councilmembers are negligent failed to uphold their fiduciary responsiblity and violated public trust by controlling taxpayer money known as �Street Furniture Funds�. On March 8, 2010 Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa ordered City Council to move [transfer] $40 million dollars of �Street Furniture Funds� to the depleted Reserve Fund. However that action did not go far enough. All tax payer money should be placed in the General Fund after sufficient funds replenish the reserve fund. Controller Greuel released an audit showing City can�t find 45% of items purchased with taxpayer funds. Hundreds of items purchased more than one year ago, were found sitting unused. 59 assets were unable to be located costing more than $938,000. The City doesn�t know if these assets were expensed or capitalized because many purchases were never booked on the balance sheet. Wendy Greuel said, �Unfortunately, we found that no one was minding the store.� Indeed, no one is minding the store. The City of Los Angeles Office of the Controller should direct City Council to approve a forensic audit to ensure bogus vendors and bogus employees are removed from the accounting system. During the Budget process, what measures were implemented to safeguard City assets? Were structual changes made to address the 4 Billion Pension Debt? Did City Council approve a DWP rate hike without first hearing DWP's plan to build up renewable energy? Why hasn't any City Councilmember presented a Motion or the Mayor draft an Executive Order calling for Street Furniture Funds out of control of City Councilmembers permanently?

• AGAIN, councilmember�s have delayed the fiscal reality; kicking the can down the road. The unfunded pension obligation as of 6/30/2009 was 2.3 Billion. Losses on investments as of 6/30/2009, was 19% translates to 4 Billion. To fund the pension debt, Employee contributions will need to increase between 19.4% - 29%. Each year DWP's Health Insurance costs with Kaiser are about 65 Million Dollars. This includes current employees and retired employees. Why wait until 1 October 2010 to implement the following cost saving measures: 1. Employees pay 35% of their Health, Vision, and Dental Benefits. Employees pay 100% of Spouse and Family members enrolled. 2. Non-Union Members such as Department Heads that earn more than 150K, take a Salary cut of 20% 3. Street Furniture Revenue Fund must be taken out of the hands of city council.

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