The Budget LA Meeting
April16, 2011
BudgetLA Town Hall Debate In a Nutshell
STATE OF THE LA BUDGET-Video
Stephen Box

“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function." Oscar Wilde

BudgetLA’s “State of the Budget” Town Hall drew eighty to a hundred stakeholders from throughout Los Angeles to Hollywood where they were presented different perspectives on LA’s budget deficit and recommendations on how Los Angeles can survive the crisis. Deputy Mayor Larry Frank (link) opened the dialogue by positioning a “fully burdened projected deficit of $463 million” and then proceeded to offer budget balancing solutions (link) that include $101 million in reductions and efficiencies.

Jack Humphreville took issue with the “balanced budget” and pointed out that it failed to include any commitments to maintaining infrastructure and that it hardly qualifies as an operating budget and instead simply postpones the inevitable.

Ron Kaye (link) went further and called it a plan lacking in substance, one that simply relies on hope.

Matt Szabo, (link) Deputy Chief of Staff to Mayor Villaraigosa, took to the dais to offer his perspective on the difficulty of navigating a budget deficit landscape that starts with over $300 million in increases in salaries, pensions, and healthcare. Adding to the difficulty is the fact that there are 15 Councilmembers with a finger in the pie, a scenario that makes it more difficult to commit to the delivery of city services.

Julie Butcher of the Service Employee International Union (SEIU) and Paul Hatfield, (see Hatfield BudgetLA report elsewhere on CityWatch home page) CPA and MBA, agreed on the folly of short-term furlough solutions but disagreed on the assumptions that are the foundation of LA’s pension strategy.

Commissioner Ron Galperin presented the Commission on Revenue Efficiency (CORE) (link) recommendations for balancing the budget and the Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates (link) presented their White Paper, both of which are powerful steps in the right direction, if only a little political will were added to the mix.

BongHwan Kim, GM of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, challenged the audience to engage the community in the process, starting with the budget hearings and getting local neighborhoods involved in the establishment of priorities.

The Mayor’s proposed 2011 - 2012 Budget, will be released on Wednesday, April 20, 2011.

The City Council’s Budget & Finance Budget hearings begin on Wednesday, April 27, 2011.

● BudgetLA State of the Budget Forum Video links: (Frank/Galperin-1); (Frank/Galperin-2); (Butcher/Hatfield); (Szabo)