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7 of 15 L.A. City Councilmembers Have Not Taken Pay Cuts
Inside a city council meeting | Photo by current events via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr
Inside a city council meeting | Photo by current events via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr
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).
The Westside's Bill Rosendahl said if everyone across the board--from the highest paid to the hourly worker--cut their pay by 10 percent, no one would have to be fired. When asked why he hasn't taken a pay cut? “I’ll take the cut if the rest do. I’m not going to take it first. Why should I do that?" So much for leading by example.
South L.A.'s Bernard Parks, the LAPD chief, also won't take a pay cut, and that's on top of his monthly $22,000 city pension from his policing days. “I never speak about my personal salary. It’s a public record and that’s all I can say to you," he said.
Most surprising is the Northeast Valley's Richard Alarcon, who stands up in City Council meeting after meeting yelling about how the city must save everyone's job. And then there is the newly elected Valley councilman Paul Krekorian who took a pay cut in his first paycheck, but went back to full pay after that. Although he's in his honeymoon phase, it's too bad because Krekorian has been a standup guy so far and looking like a potential Mayoral candidate who has a chance.
Of those who took a pay cut are Mayor Villaraigosa, Eric Garcetti, Ed Reyes, Paul Koretz, Dennis Zine, Tom LaBonge, Jose Huizar, Jan Perry, Janice Hahn.
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