It's impossible to know with this group if anything is ever final, but the initial group of 542 positions being eliminated went out to department heads with a message from Mayor Villaraigosa’s chief of staff, Jeff Carr, that “full cooperation” was expected. The list cited by the L.A. Times is heavy on child-care workers in the parks department, library messengers, clerks and librarians, and tree surgeons in the Bureau of Street Services. Some of the affected employees are expected to land jobs in the Department of Water or the airports and harbor department.

Budget on KCRW: Controller Wendy Gruel, Council President Eric Garcetti and City Hall activist Ron Kaye guest with Warren Olney on Which Way, L.A.? at 7:30 p.m.