Neon Tommy: Los Angeles Politics Archives

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by Holly Butcher | March 8, 2010
Senior Music Editor

Last month, the Department of Cultural Affairs was spared from having almost its entire budget slashed. But with the city now looking to cut 4,000 jobs and shrink its deficit, the arts in L.A. are under threat from landing on the chopping block again.
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Neighborhood Council Agency Getting Folded

by Callie Schweitzer | February 22, 2010
Senior News Editor

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa continued his efforts to close the city's budget gap Monday, ordering that the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment be merged into another city agency.
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Neighborhood Council Funding Spared, 3,000 City Job Cuts Approved

by John Guenther and Callie Schweitzer | February 19, 2010
News Editors

City Council voted Thursday to keep funding for Neighborhood Councils, but how councils spend the money is in danger.
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Neighborhood Councils See Glimmer Of Hope

by Madeline Reddington | February 16, 2010
Staff Reporter

Neighborhood Council supporters voiced their strong desires to see the local systems remain in place. A special session voted not to cut their budgets in half, but the discussion won't end there. [...]

Villaraigosa Defends Call For More Layoffs

by Amy Silverstein and Shelby Stowers | February 12, 2010
Staff Reporters

WATCH: Mayor Villaraigosa called Thursday for an additional 1,000 layoffs of city employees, citing a projected budget deficit of $1.8 billion. [...]

Neighborhood Councils Get Official Reprieve

by Callie Schweitzer | February 11, 2010
Senior News Editor

City Council refers proposed budget cuts to a committee, giving the system time before an official vote. [...]

Council Hears Workers, Grills Villaraigosa

by Madeline Reddington and Alicia De Artola | February 10, 2010
Contributors

The L.A. City Council underwent another marathon session on the city's budget crisis. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa made an appearance before the Council to defend this three-year plan to get the city back on track financially. However, the plan, which included the elimination of 1,000 city jobs, did not sit well with the public.

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Neighborhood Councils Call For Support At City Budget Showdown

by Callie Schweitzer | February 9, 2010
Senior News Editor

In a last ditch attempt to encourage attendance at Tuesday's City Council meeting, neighborhood council members spent Monday blogging, Tweeting, Facebooking and e-mailing their listservs in hopes of preserving the system's funding program. [...]

Neighborhood Council Members Grill Greuel On Future Of System

by Natalie Jarvey | February 7, 2010
Staff Reporter

City Controller Wendy Greuel faced members of the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Coalition who demanded answers. [...]

Councilman's Political Future On The Line

by Kevin Douglas Grant | February 5, 2010
Senior Editor

City Councilman Richard Alarcon's job is at risk as he faces possible felony charges over where he's been living the past few years.
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Neighborhood Councils Get Reprieve Amid Budget Crisis

by Callie Schweitzer | February 5, 2010
Senior News Editor

City Council changes funding program for neighborhood councils, but the changes are not as severe as what was originally proposed.

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Marathon Budget Session Ends In Threat Of Severe Cuts To Neighborhood Councils

by John Guenther and Callie Schweitzer | February 2, 2010
Associate News Editors

The Budget and Finance Committee approved a motion to cut neighborhood council funding in half after an 11-hour session. [...]

Eric Garcetti: L.A.'s Answer To Bill Clinton

by Hillel Aron | December 8, 2009
Senior Editor

Q+A: Eric Garcetti talks about hipsters, LA's missing stimulus money, and his plans for 2013. [...]

L.A. City Panel Recommends Permanent Anti-Gang Office

by Natalie Ragus | November 30, 2009
Staff Reporter

An ad hoc panel charged with analyzing Los Angeles' approach to youth violence recommended on Monday the city create a permanent agency devoted to curbing gang activity. [...]

City Council Panels OK Medical Marijuana Sales In L.A.

by John Guenther | November 17, 2009
Staff Reporter

UPDATE:Going against the advice of the Los Angeles city attorney, two City Council panels Monday amended a proposed pot dispensary ordinance to allow for the sale of medical marijuana. [...]

Judge Postpones End To Legal Tussle Between City Attorney And Controller

by Annenberg Radio News | November 10, 2009

LISTEN: A complicated court battle between the L.A. City Attorney and the City Controller will continue for at least another week. L.A. County Superior Court Judge Mark Mooney has delayed a decision until he sees the City Council's next move. [...]

New LAPD Chief Nominee To Give Divisions More Local Control

by Natalie Ragus | November 9, 2009
Staff Reporter

Charlie Beck, nominated to be Los Angeles' next police chief, said he would continue the progress former Chief Bill Bratton made but would differ by giving more local control to divisions.

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L.A. Police Chief Nominee Shares Plans For Future At Forum

by Natalie Ragus | November 6, 2009
Staff Reporter

More than 150 East Los Angeles residents packed the El Sereno Senior Center Thursday night to meet Deputy Police Chief Charlie Beck, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's top pick to succeed outgoing chief Bill Bratton. [...]

Beck Selected As New LAPD Chief

by Neon Tommy Staff | November 3, 2009

LISTEN: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa selects Deputy Police Chief Charlie Beck to run third-largest police department in the nation. [...]

Tom LaBonge: L.A. Confident

by Hillel Aron | October 30, 2009
Staff Reporter

Q & A: Councilman Tom LaBonge tells Neon Tommy he's for the Subway to the Sea and other subways; he thinks hipsters are OK when they're nice to their neighbors; and he supports a constitutional convention to re-tool California's government. [...]

Mayor Supports Police Hiring Freeze Until End Of Year

by John Guenther | October 12, 2009
Staff Reporter

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Monday he supports a City Council proposal to suspend police officer hiring until the end of this year, as part of an effort to close a $400 million city budget deficit.

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Neighborhood Council Leaders Spar with Mayor's Budget Expert Over Future Funding

by Callie Schweitzer | October 12, 2009
Staff Reporter

Ballooning pensions and cutbacks to city payroll of 2,400 workers anger representatives at a special weekend session at Los Angeles City Hall. [...]

New Social Service System Aims To Streamline Service Delivery

by Andrew Khouri | October 10, 2009
Staff Reporter

L.A. City Council passed an ordinance to streamline social service delivery in the city and add greater oversight. It's now headed for the Mayor's desk to be signed. [...]

LAPD Furloughs And Layoffs Averted For Now

by John Guenther | October 7, 2009
Staff Reporter

The size of the LAPD has survived another round of negotiations and debate in a special joint City Council committee meeting to determine how to trim the department's budget amid a $400 million city budget deficit. [...]

L.A.'s Neighborhood Councils Face Budget Cuts

by Callie Schweitzer | September 28, 2009
Staff Reporter

The $400 million hole in the Los Angeles budget has raised tensions over the future of the neighborhood councils, a system of 89 councils scattered throughout the city that often covers funding gaps left by City Hall.

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Local Politicians Call For Divestment From Iran

by Hillel Aron | September 24, 2009
Staff Reporter

A group of local politicians held a press conference Thursday afternoon to denounce Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for his public statements denying the holocaust and to call for a full divestment of city pension funds from the Iranian government. [...]

Firefighters Call For An End To Cutbacks

by Hillel Aron | September 10, 2009
Staff Reporter

Los Angeles City firefighters went to City Hall to protest brownouts, which keep nearly 87 firefighters off duty each day. [...]

Health Care Sparks Heated Debate In Duarte

by John Guenther | September 3, 2009
Staff Reporter

President Obama will be revealing details of his administration's health care plan to a joint session of Congress next Wednesday. [...]

In 'Tour LaBonge' Riders Visit Classic L.A. Neighborhoods

by Carollyn Nguyen | July 14, 2009
Staff Reporter

WATCH: Los Angeles Councilman Tom LaBonge's weekly bike rides draw about 50 people. They continue for the next two weeks. [...]

Villaraigosa Promises Recommitment To City During Second Inauguration

by Carollyn Nguyen | July 2, 2009
Staff Reporter

WATCH: The Los Angeles mayor said he was "renewed and reinvigorated." He pledged to tackle the city's high unemployment rate as he begins his second and final term.
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