Villaraigosa still pushing for parking lot deal

He's calling on council members to ignore the advice of budget chief Miguel Santana and pursue the cockamamie plan to lease nine public parking garages to a private company. Not cutting a deal would mean the loss of $53 million that the city would have to somehow make up - most likely through furloughs and/or layoffs. From the LAT:

Santana warned last week that it would be financially irresponsible to count on the money in the current budget year, which is already in its eighth month. Villaraigosa said he did not agree with Santana's assertion that the parking deal could not be finalized before June 30. "I reject the CAO's conclusion," he wrote, referring to Santana's advice, "and I urge you to do the same."

For a while, the city had been in talks with a number of firms about doing a deal. But along came complaints from local merchants in Hollywood and Westwood who claimed that if the lots were turned over to private companies, parking rates would go up - and they would lose business. This is what happens when local government tries to jerry-rig short-term revenue gains that do nothing to address the longer-term financial problems. Next year, the city faces a shortfall of $350 million - and officials are running out of gimmicks.