Council's secret slush

Well, what have we here? More than $30 million in off-budget accounts that are used by City Council members for, ahem, special projects in their districts. Why not use some of that stash to help pay off the deficit? And why did it take this long for the subject to even come up? From the LAT:

When City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana outlined options last week for closing this fiscal year's $218-million budget gap, some city officials privately grumbled that the offices of council members looked to be untouched. During a budget hearing Monday, Councilman Bernard C. Parks ordered Santana to generate an addendum report showing all possible cuts across the city, including the Police Department. In a spreadsheet obtained by The Times that was not publicly released as part of Wednesday's addendum budget report, Santana's office showed $26.6 million in the council's "discretionary special accounts." If the council agrees, some of that money could be used to replenish dwindling city reserves, analysts said.

The only adults in the room seem to be Parks and Santana.