DWP's Deaton resigns

Considered one of the most powerful players at City Hall, General Manager Ron Deaton said he was leaving "with a heavy heart." He'll also be leaving with a $267,000 separation package, according to the LAT. That's a bargain compared with the $690,000 the utility would have shelled out if Deaton had stayed on disability for the next two years. He's been on medical leave since July, when he suffered a severe heart arrhythmia that left him in a coma for two days. The most likely successor appears to be one of the mayor's cronies, H. David Nahai. Some on the Council would like the city to actually go through a full-fledged search (before Nahai gets the job). Others said a search wasn't needed.