Remember when California State University (CSU) tuition increased 12% last year? And remember when a $400,000 salary package was approved for Elliot Hirshman, San Diego State University's new president? How about the devastating $500-million cut from the CSU system last January? Well, Californians didn't take to any of that news too well, and as a triumphant result, the CSU board of trustees has capped off salaries for newly hired campus presidents at $325,000. more ›

Faculty at California State University's 23 campuses will be holding informal protests today to draw attention to the current "impasse" in an ongoing salary dispute and in the wake of executive pay raises. A strike by the faculty union has been called at two campuses for November 17. more ›

A budget memo released today by the City Controller's office indicates that there are 18 City Departments on track to be a combined $31.9 million over their current budgeted salary appropriation by the end of the fiscal year 2010-2011. more ›

The momentum was there, and now residents in the troubled city of Bell "have gathered enough signatures to put an initiative on the ballot aimed at ousting three City Council members accused of participating in a pay scandal," reports the Long Beach Press-Telegram. more ›

You can predict the cheers from residents on this one. Citing an anonymous source, the LA Times says at least eight city of Bell officials and employees have been arrested. Who and what charges will be brought against them will be announced later today at a press conference, but it's likely that among the arrested include City Manager Robert Rizzo and at least four of the five city councilmembers. more ›

The recent salary scandals in the city of Bell has prompted an outcry from its residents, including members of a group called the Bell Association to Stop the Abuse (BASTA), who have just announced they are gathering signatures to initiate a recall of City Council members, cbs2 reports. more ›

Donal O'Callaghan was one of several city employees in Vernon, the 5.2 square-mile area south of Downtown L.A. whose public employee's salary was found to be sky-high in the wake of the Bell salary scandal. Now O'Callaghan has been "relieved of his duties while," as officials probe his financial dealings, reports the LA Times. more ›

A news conference held yesterday in the city of Bell signaled that the heat is not off the city officials who remain on the payroll, after more administrators "were found to have six-figure salaries in newly released salary documents," reports abc7. more ›

Bell City Councilmembers yesterday voted to decrease their part-times salaries by 90%. That means their $96,000 salaries will now be just over $8,000. The move comes after a LA Times investigation that revealed their and top officials' salaries -- for example, the city manager was being paid nearly $800,000 a year -- prompting community anger and a movement to remove elected officials from office. Two councilmembers, Mayor Oscar Hernandez and Vice Mayor Teresa Jacobo said they would finish their terms without pay. more ›

Following the Bell City Council pay scandal that broke recently, other cities are finding that their elected officials' paychecks are under scrutiny from their constituents. In Pasadena, City Council members, most of whom work other jobs as well, earn "a flat stipend of about $16,410 a year," and the Mayor gets around $24,600, according to the Star-News. more ›

If you're going to work part-time as a pubic official and make $100,000 a year in an unheard of city in southeastern Los Angeles County, it's going to get attention once news breaks. And ever since the LA Times broke the story two weeks ago, the small city of Bell has been immersed in controversy. The latest move came this morning when California's Attorney General Jerry Brown announced that he has subpoenaed records. more ›

Exposed and hung in the court of public opinion, the Bell City Council today will discuss their salaries and the possibility of lowering them, according to the LA Times. As City Councilmembers, they get very little compensation, but they get paid extremely high amounts to serve on other city commissions and panels, some that rarely meet and when they do, sometimes meeting for only a minute. more ›

Despite calls for a resignation or firing of the city's top public official, the Bell City Council last night did succeed at either, setting off even more anger and disdain at the elected officials. more ›

Controversy last week erupted in the small L.A. County city of Bell [map] when the LA Times learned that it's top city official earns a nearly $800,000 salary, which possibly makes him the highest paid public official in the country. That salary a lot more Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and even President Barack Obama. more ›

Nevermind the 4,000 city hall workers slated to be laid off, the furloughs to their staffs and the constant mantra murmuring of "share the sacrifice," about half of Los Angeles City Councilmembers have not taken a pay cut, finds 790 KABC Michael Linder, reporting on the Peter Tilden Show. And we're talking about the highest paid city councilmembers in the nation--an annual salary of $178,789 plus a city-issued car (and health insurance). more ›

Remember last when in 2007 a major LAUSD computer glitch caused thousands of teachers to go without a paycheck while other teachers, including former ones six feet under, got paid extra? That's all fixed now, but the school district is still seeking $9.4 million from 2,400 current and former employees. more ›

As UC Regents meet for a vote on increasing University of California tuition by 32%, Attorney General Jerrry Brown said today that a state panel has the authority to cut the pay of state Senators and Assemblymembers by 18 percent, which would cut pay from $116,208 to $95,291 in December 2010, according to the Sacramento Bee. At issue was if Senate salaries could be cut mid-term, which Brown said was within the law. But still undetermined is if benefits can be cut. more ›

What a hot mess. The Department of Water and Power's commission today voted to not only name and pay a Deputy Mayor as the interim General Manager of the utility, but also continue to pay retired General Manager David Nahai for three months for consulting services. Both will earn over $6,200 a week, equivalent to a salary of $325,000. more ›

Elected Los Angeles city councilmembers are paid $178,789, the highest in the nation, although many are taking a volunteered 10% pay cut, according to Rick Orlov in his City Hall column. Now a San Pedro man wants to see a local ballot measure in 2010 asking voters if the electeds' salaries should be halved. He'll need petitions from around 240,000 registered voters to even see the question asked to the public. If that would pass, officials would be paid less than some of their staff. Similarly, another proposal seeking ballot recognition is for the creation of a new city position that would act as a Department of Water and Power ratepayer advocate. "We need someone independent to provide the cost-benefit analysis ... and let ratepayers know the true cost of what the DWP is doing," explained Nick Patsaouras, who is leading the cause. Maybe for once, DWP bills will be crystal clear. more ›

Over a half million dollars in pay raises for State Democrat and Republican Assembly staffers have been canceled amidst media and public pressure that broke yesterday afternoon. “I absolutely don’t want the people who oppose public education and who want to drown government in a bathtub to use this as some sort of club against the responsible, urgently needed ballot initiatives Californians will be voting on,” Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) said at a news conference this afternoon, noting that the issue was becoming a distraction to her campaign for tax increase measures on the May 19th ballot. more ›

When the banking industry tried to justify their expensive habits they do for employees to President Obama last month, he gave them a stern warning: "Be careful how you make those statements, gentlemen. The public isn't buying that. My administration is the only thing between you and the pitchforks." more ›

In New York City, an elected councilmember gets paid $112,500; in San Francisco, $95,868; and in Chicago, $110,556. Save for a handful who opted out of a 2007 raise--Garcetti, Greuel, Janice Hahn and Weiss all get paid $171,648--the going salary is $178,789 and increasing. And that's just the beginning according to a scathing 7,000 word cover story from LA Weekly's Patrick Range McDonald. Considering the salary, the big question is if these politicians are getting the job done. more ›

Since their 2005 contract takes inflation into account when are up for their annual raise, this year's expected 3.25% pay hike for LA Department of Water and Power employees shot up to 5.9% because food and fuel costs have gone up this past year. One problem, that equals out to $16.4 million not written into the budget. Even without the raise, DWP workers are some of the higest paid employees in the city. more ›

Early yesterday afternoon, members of SEIU Local 1877 who work at LAX in a variety of capacities in jobs as janitors, skycaps, and wheelchair attendants, went on strike. They have been seeking "higher wages and affordable health care," explaining that they wish to have more pay and security in order to ensure the quality of their lives and their work. The workers opted to strike only when talks between their union and the 9 contractors who broker their employment with LAX hit a stalemate. Although the walk-out was not expected to derail operations at the city's very busy airport, it did affect travel times for customers of United, Southwest, and American. more ›

Daily News caused quite a stir last week at city hall when they released a database containing every city employee's salary, save for sworn employees (ex. police, fire). You can browse by department or look up by name. Have a friend who works too hard? Now you know they need a raise. Deal with an irritable city employee over the phone recently? Maybe they're overpaid. more ›

In light of ongoing news about the city's budget crisis (a predicted $295 million dollar deficit), information about the number of people employed by the city who earn more than $100,000 is not sitting well with some. more ›

Simon Pastucha is the kind of city government employee Los Angeles needs more of. Why? He walks the talk and the Daily News tagged along for a day of his car-free, public transportation life. The Pasadena resident is an urban designer and planner at the Urban Design Studio, a two-person office charged with making the city a more community oriented, walkable and people friendly one. With his salary, Pastucha used to lease a Mercedes... more ›

Don't know what to get for the gun toting rifleman who has everything? In San Francisco, turning that rifle in to authorities will net you a cool $100 gift card. Eh, you say? OK, how about $200 for AK-47s? I wonder how that conversation might go at home: Honey, where is my gun? Oh, I turned it in sweety, for $100 worth of movie rentals. You did what? Guns don't kill people, gift cards... more ›

Lakers 127, Nuggets 99 - Phil Jackson signed a $24 million contract extension for two years. Two hours later, his Lakers ripped apart the Nuggets. Good day. Heck, even Sasha Vujacic had 22 points -- 19 in the 4th quarter. Luke Walton had 14 points in just 27 minutes. Both were career highs. The Lakers are 9-6 and have recently had some pretty impressive performances. Ducks 4, Flames 1 - After getting yanked in Vancouver,... more ›

The state says the Mayor should get an automatic $8,283 salary increase retroactive to July 1. The mayor says not so fast: “With the City of Los Angeles facing a tough budget year, I do not believe now is the time for me to accept an automatic and retroactive pay raise. Being Mayor of Los Angeles is reward enough, and I’m committed to working twenty-four-seven to protect essential services.” (via a press release) The... more ›