Morning Buzz: Thursday 5.21.09

More post-game election pondering:
• Deep cuts inevitable now, affecting services of many kinds. LAT, Bee, LAT (on schools), Rough & Tumble, DN, Which Way L.A.?
• Calls for a constitutional convention to fix California are rising, and so is the scoffing. LAT editorial, Bee, NYT, CalBuzz, Patt Morrison audio
• LAT Op-Ed page invites Bill Maher to opine on the election: Schwarzenegger "came to America with nothing but a jar of protein powder and a nice pair of 36D-cup breasts and became the biggest star in Hollywood despite never learning to speak English." LAT
• Election results are a setback for Villaraigosa. Zahniser & Reston/LAT, DN, Jill Stewart/LA Weekly
• About 3,000 votes remain to be counted in the 5th council district, where Paul Koretz leads David Vahedi by 335 votes. LAT
• Truthanich gets chills thinking about his win. DN
• The special general election in the 32nd congressional district will be July 14. And noted: Incumbent Angela Reddock was knocked off the LACCD board by Tina Park. LAT
• Democracy finally lives in LA, says Ron Kaye.
Plus:
• A state commission voted to slash the pay of legislators and other officials by 18 percent. SF Chronicle, LAT
• Nearly 600 people receive Los Angeles city pensions in excess of $100,000 a year, led by former LAPD chief Bernard Parks' $265,090. LAT
• The L.A. Times live-blogged last night's "American Idol" finale — during the East Coast broadcast. Anti-West Coast bias?
• KIIS-FM still leads the local radio ratings, followed by KFI. LAT
• Effects of Monday's Los Angeles Marathon on Leimert Park. Leimert Park Beat

LA Biz Observed headlines