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How to Save Thousands of City Hall Layoffs
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Yesterday during the meeting of the Los Angeles City Council, alternatives to laying off up to 4,000 employees was discussed. But in order to see those results, the mantra of "sharing the sacrifice" reared its head again. LA Times' Steve Lopez poses the question: "Would you take a pay cut to save your co-workers' jobs?" A 10% cut to a worker paid $50,000 a year would mean $5,000 less annually. If that happens, it won't be the first time many city employees have taken a cut.Another option floated was asking contractors to take a pay cut. "Councilman Paul Koretz said the city has $2 billion in contracts - which officials said include service and construction contracts," reported Rick Orlov at the Daily News. "'A 10 percent return would give us $200 million,' Koretz said. 'I don't expect that, but we should be able to get $50 million for this year.'"
Whatever decision that needs to be made, it must be made fast. Everyday without action is a loss of money in the hundreds of thousands. "The longer we wait, the less we will get," said Councilmember Bernard Parks. "And, if we rely on one time solutions, the more pain we will create later. The one-time solution is over."
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