April 27, 2025 • 37 mins
Michael Monks breaks down LA’s growing financial emergency. As Mayor Karen Bass proposes a budget that includes 1,600+ layoffs and sweeping department cuts, Michael recaps her State of the City address — and explains why residents and workers are outraged. Plus, Michael reports on a major public backlash in Van Nuys, LA’s downgraded credit rating, and what’s next for a city facing a $1 billion deficit. Also: concerns over a controversial conservative rally planned for Beverly Hills and West Hollywood, and the wild story of a man charged with chainsawing down trees across LA.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports. I'm Michael Monks from KFI News.
We're with you till nine o'clock tonight. It turned out
to be a pretty nice evening here in southern California
after a rocky start to the day. Lots of rain
around their pch closed because of debris that has fallen
(00:25):
into the road. So just another reminder, and we had
a long road ahead with rebuilding after those fires, so
be careful over there, keep an eye out.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
I think a lot more rain than we were expecting.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Our Tim Conway was posting on social that he thought
it was a lot more than what was forecasted, and
we know that is a guy who pays attention to
the TV news and weather, and if he says it,
it must be true.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Sports.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Let's check out what's going on in the world of
LA sports. The Dodgers right now leading two to one
in the bottom of the fourth against the Pirates, and
the Angels drop their second game in a row, losing
at Minnesota five to one. They're now twelve and fourteen
on the season in the basement of the al Wes.
So you may have heard over the past few weeks
as I flirt with being an Angels fan in protest
(01:12):
of the way Angels are talked about by Dodgers fans
and people in Greater LA.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
And I was warned, even though they were a little hot.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
To start the season, that this tends to happen. So
I'm bracing for this. Thanks for the warning. It's made
the bracing a little bit easier. Clippers today lost the
heartbreaker against the Nuggets and that was one one to
ninety nine in the NBA playoffs, so I want to
see if they can get back on track in the
next game there. Lakers play tomorrow and the Kings on
(01:46):
the ice. They lost the last game against the Oilers,
but they lead the series two to one. They'll play
in Edmonton tomorrow as well. So Lakers and Kings in
action tomorrow, and that is your KFI Sports report. Something
that might not be an action starting Monday night, temporary
interruptions or library closures all possible next week when employees
(02:09):
represented by the Service Employees International Union SEIU go on strike.
SEIU seven twenty one has scheduled to begin a strike
at seven o'clock Monday night, and then that might end
just before seven o'clock on Wednesday. So we're looking at
about forty eight hours in total. And one of the
(02:29):
librarians with La County says that they are closely monitoring
this situation. They're preparing their operations for the strikes potential
impact on library services, and this librarian goes on to say,
in the event we have to temporarily close our libraries,
we recommend customers access our digital library, so that's open
twenty four to seven. You don't have to deal with
(02:50):
workers there and the book drops, they'll all still be open.
If you've got a book that you got to get back,
that's not going to be interrupted. But SCIU has fifty
five thousand members across all public sections of LA County,
and this union claims that the county has repeatedly violated
labor laws and failed to bargain in good faith on
issues facing a cost of living increase and health insurance.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
So if you're planning to hit.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
The library this week, keep an eye on this developing
story because they may be impacted by some of these
workers going on strike over collective bargaining issues. Those are
La County libraries. And it's been a pretty busy week
for Los Angeles government officials, especially the ones who count
the pea nuts, because there are many peanuts to count
(03:37):
right now. And on Monday, LA Mayor Bass gave her
State of the City address, and a little bit after that,
she released her budget, and it does not look good.
It doesn't look good for about sixteen hundred employees who
are slated to lose their jobs.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
And it doesn't stop there.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Several departments, maybe all departments, are facing significant cuts and
those are going to impact the services that LA residents get,
that La businesses get, and really across the entire region
if you work or visit La, the situation is pretty bleak.
This hour, we're going to revisit monday speech by the
(04:16):
mayor to see what she has to say about how
the city is doing, and would like to hear whether
you agree, what your ideas might be on how to
improve the situation. You can always join our conversation here
on KFI by opening up the iHeartRadio app clicking on
that talkback button. We will play some of your comments
this hour in the seven o'clock hour, and a little
(04:38):
later this hour, we'll place some of the remarks from
the public. It was packed in Van Nus yesterday. This
was the public's first opportunity to weigh in on what
Mayor Bass has proposed, and they're not happy. Hundreds of
people turned out to Van Nuys. Once a month the
La City Council's Society that it would meet at its
(04:59):
rarely u city Hall building in Van Nuys, and it
happened to be yesterday, So everybody went out to Van
Nuys to talk about the cuts to all of the
various departments. They're worries about it, their concerns about it.
It wasn't pretty. It was so crowded, in fact, that
about one hundred people could not get.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
In the building.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
So the Budget Committee, which was hosting this hearing, had
to recommend to folks who had the opportunity to speak,
could you please leave so that a seat opens up
so that the rest of the people could come in
and offer their remarks. A lot of people talk three
hours long, non stop public comment. We haven't heard yet
from city council members really how do they feel about
(05:40):
this budget. I think it's going to get ugly and
that will start this week. We'll talk about that as well.
Also coming up at the end of the hour, we'll
talk about this conservative rally that's taking place in West
Hollywood and Beverly Hills.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
It could just be a little rally, a little parade.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
No big deal, but folks in that direction are bracing
for or some drama.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
It could get ugly. They're hoping that it doesn't.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
We'll talk about what is being talked about at that parade,
that rally, and why it appears to be controversial. And
the city's financial situation only got worse today as we
learned that the credit rating agency, the S and P
has decided to lower the bond rating for the City
(06:24):
of Los Angeles. It's like taking a hit to your
credit score, and that's because of the city's one billion
dollar budget deficit. So, you know, I don't know what
all of this means exactly. It's just that it's it's
not good news. But basically, the long term rating for
the city's general obligation bonds have been downgraded to AA minus.
(06:49):
They were previously just AA. It's also lowered the rating,
according to the La Times, for the Municipal Improvement Corporation
of Los Angeles' lease revenue bonds. Those are used to
purchase city equipment. So when you think about city equipment,
that's what is concerning about Mayor Bas's budget. We're talking
about fire trucks and that sort of thing. That bond
(07:10):
rating has also been lowered to AA minus what S
and P says According to The Times, the downgrade reflects
the city's weakening financial position and an emerging structural imbalance.
So now that the S and P has weighed in
lower the borrowing rating on the city, is that going
(07:32):
to get people moving it?
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Doesn't.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
You hear me talk a lot about the urgency of
the situation in Los Angeles and whether that exists at all.
It hasn't for many months seem like there was any
fight to stave off this disaster that we're now staring down.
The city controller had been warning about it for months,
He's been on this show multiple times talking about it,
(07:55):
but there was very little action taken by city hall.
And then the fires happened, and that has derailed everything.
Not just for the folks who are rebuilding their lives
now are at least trying to, but for the city
and their focus. It's a lot to handle. We're gonna
break it down for you throughout this hour. Then in
our next hour, US Senator Adam Schiff, he came back
(08:17):
from Washington to visit California. He was here in Burbank,
joined us in our studios. We talked to him about
the Well, really, one of the questions I had for
him was, we got to report this week that California
now has the world's fourth largest economy. It moved up
from the fifth, It surpassed Japan. And I asked him,
why don't we feel that, you know, what does it
(08:39):
mean to have such a large economy, If we have
the conditions we have on the streets, if we have
the high cost of living and the cost of housing,
and frankly, the general unpleasantness that seems to encompass our lives.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
In spite of all the beauty, in spite of all.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
The great weather we have, why don't we feel the
size of this economy. So you'll hear his remarks on
that as well. That's all coming up on Michael Monks's reports.
We're with you for the next two hours here on
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
KFI AM six forty Live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports on Michael Monks from KFI News,
keeping you company until nine o'clock tonight. Mayor Bass has
had a tough go since the new year. Obviously, she
was in Africa when the wildfires broke out in the
Palisades and it's pretty much been downhill since because not
(09:36):
only has she had to deal with the destruction of
one of the finest neighborhoods in America, she's got a
financial crisis on her hands and it's undeniable, even she
acknowledges it now with the release of her budget. But
just before she let her budget out publicly for us
all to take a look at just how bad it
could get, she delivered her state of the City address. Typically,
(10:00):
at least during the first two years of her mayorship,
these were delivered on a Thursday night in the evening,
and it was a nice affair. It was very positive
and uplifting. But this time she decided to do it
on a Monday this week at noon, and that set.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
A different tone.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Obviously, the conditions of the city also helped making it
a different tone. So before we dive into the budget
and why people are upset and what they're upset about.
We want to give you an understanding of how the
mayor views the state of the city right now. The
first thing she talked about, obviously, was rebuilding after the wildfires.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
After the fires were out, Angelino's with resilience and resolve, asked,
how can we rebuild our homes and when can we
go home? Because home is at the heart of healing
and that has been the north star of our recovery
efforts to get at people home.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
So you hear applause there, and there certainly was applause.
During her speech, she tried to strike an optimistic tone,
highlighting what she views as successes as it relates to
rebuilding in the wildfire, the homeless programs, a decrease in
statistical crime, and that sort of thing. Before she got
to the nitty gritty. Here she is bragging about the
(11:24):
speed of the recovery in the Palisades.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
Today in reporting on the state of our city, I
report to Los Angeles that the recovery in the Palisades
is on track to be the fastest in California history.
(11:47):
And we're not just moving fast to move fast. We
know the faster we can rebuild, the faster we can heal.
We still have a long way to go, and for
those who have lost a home, each and every day
is a day too long.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
Right.
Speaker 4 (12:06):
We want to be fast, we want to be safe,
and we want to be resilient. So let me just
tell you, we have issued permits to rebuild twice as
fast as after the camp and Mooseley fires. We restored
water nearly a year and a half faster than after
the campfire, and we restored power in just two months.
(12:31):
Los Angeles, I assure you rebuilding is underway.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
So despite the heavy criticism about her handling of the
fires before, during, and after, she is striking an optimistic
tone on how things are going. It's hard to really
quantify those claims, but she is basically saying we're we're
getting permits out. You might hear some residents dispute that,
and we are moving faster than any other wildfire recovery
(12:57):
in California history. Now, another area of concern for residents
of Los Angeles' crime, and it wasn't that long ago.
I was at this press conference that the mayor was
joined by Police Chief Jim McDonald saying that crime is
down in the city, and she hit that note again
in this speech.
Speaker 4 (13:15):
Chief McDonald and I stand together in reporting good news.
Violent crime and property crime are down in Los Angeles,
and this is the result of a comprehensive approach to safety.
Last year, homicides fell by fourteen percent. Gang related homicides
(13:41):
and communities most impacted fell by forty five percent. The
number of shooting victims fell nineteen percent. And we've intensified
safety efforts on Metro. We have cracked down on organized
(14:01):
retail theft. We're addressing copper wire theft through public safety
efforts and new solutions like solar street lights. And we
are acting boldly around MacArthur Park to bring crime down
in a united effort with Councilwoman Hernandez.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
So crime is down, she says, the Fiery Building is
going great, and of course she has her signature program
inside Safe to address homelessness.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
She says that's going well too.
Speaker 4 (14:32):
Inside Safe has cleared thousands of tents outside of schools, storefronts,
and homes city wide.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
But given that we know that.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
Motels alone are not financially sustainable, we must invest in
long term interim housing places where people can stay safe
and receive comprehensive services to rebuild their lives while we
build housing that Angelino's need.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Now.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Up to this point in the speech, she had not
referenced the budget or the tough economy that the city faces,
and that's what I think everybody was waiting to hear
during the speech. During the speech, she did not actually
discuss specifics about the budget, just vague references to people
(15:24):
losing their jobs as she spoke directly to city employees.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
My proposed budget unfortunately includes layoffs, which is a decision
of appsolute last resort. The city attorney and I will
be in Sacramento this week to meet with legislative leaders
and advocate for resources while also working to manage the
(15:48):
increasing liabilities. So let me assure our hard working public
servants that I will never ever stop fighting for you.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
And so what the that means so far this week
about fighting to save those jobs? The mayor took a
trip to Sacramento, where I don't believe she was able
to meet with Governor Newsom, but she was able to
meet with lawmakers. There are a lot of state lawmakers
from Los Angeles, from Los Angeles County that might be
sympathetic to her pleas, but she is basically essentially asking
(16:20):
for the state to bail out Los Angeles from its
financial situation. That it's in a billion dollar budget deficit,
which she doesn't say anymore. She says it's about eight
hundred or eight hundred and fifty million dollars. But once
you get that high, it's it's pretty scary. Nonetheless, most estimates,
including the one from the city Controller, indicate it is
a one billion dollar budget deficit. That was also a
(16:43):
number that was quoted by the mayor's city administrator, Matt Zabo,
very early on in some presentations about the city's financial situation.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
So what does that mean.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Just after the speech, a couple hours she released her budget,
and that's where we started to hear about the layoffs,
specifically one thousand, six hundred and forty seven proposed layoffs
from departments all over the city, probably departments that you,
(17:15):
as a resident of Los Angeles, or you as a
visitor to Los Angeles, or you as a worker in
Los Angeles, rely on in some way, even if you
never see these people in the flesh. And yesterday at
the City Hall building in Van Nuys, hundreds of people
showed up to say we cannot accept this. We will
(17:36):
hear from the angry public when Michael Monks Reports continues
here on KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports. I'm Michael Monks from KFI
News with you till nine o'clock tonight. If you want
to get your comments in about the propose layoffs the
significant budget shortage at La City Hall, open up that
iHeartRadio app now and click on that talkback button. We'll
(18:07):
be able to play some at the end of this hour.
We won't be able to play any in the next
hour due to time constraints, so get them in now.
We'd love to hear from you. It was a very
busy meeting in Van Nights. The City Council once a
month has decided that they would use their Van Nights
City Hall building to have an official city council meeting,
and it just so happened to be yesterday. So after
the regular city Council meeting, the Budget Committee hosted the
(18:30):
first public hearing about Mayor Bass's proposed budget for the
twenty twenty five twenty twenty six fiscal year, a one
billion dollar budget shortfall. What else is inside of this thing?
A proposal to layoff one than six hundred and forty
seven workers. Now, last year, when the budget was around,
we heard a lot about the elimination of vacant positions
(18:53):
and how money that is typically allocated for various departments
four positions that are not filled would be returned to
the general fund, and those positions will be eliminated. This year,
we're talking about flesh and blood workers, one thousand, six
hundred and forty seven of them. She's also talking about
eliminating another one thousand and seventy four vacant positions, just
like last year. So what does that mean? When you
(19:18):
break it down, it means a lot. WISH departments are
hit the hardest. Youth Development forty seven percent budget cut
compared to this year, Disability thirty seven percent. City Planning,
which will lose hundreds of jobs under this proposal, cut
by thirty three percent. Animal Services, WISH we've been reporting
all year has been struggling with capacity and staffing issues.
(19:43):
Another cut to that department by thirty two percent. The
Transportation Department cut by twenty four percent. So it's flesh
and blood people that you rely on in your daily lives,
and that's not lost on many members of the public.
This meeting in Van Nis was absolutely packed to the
(20:05):
gills with folks who wanted to speak their mind about
what has been proposed. It's not just about police, it's
not just about fire, it is about those services. Let's
hear from some of those folks.
Speaker 6 (20:16):
Issues affecting our city's pets are issues that concern a
majority of the people in this city, and we can
say that.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
About very few other issues.
Speaker 6 (20:23):
Budget reflects priority of city and mayor, and it should
reflect priority of the public. Yet this proposed budget cuts
one hundred and twenty two positions from ally Animal Services,
which is a thirty three percent reduction to an already
underfunded department.
Speaker 7 (20:36):
Right now, they want to move and dissolve the Department
of Aging and cut budgets. If there's anything that we
need for these baby boomers is more money. We have
more seniors and a growing population that needs you, guys
more than ever, so please think about not taking aware money,
but giving us more.
Speaker 8 (20:55):
I'm here in solidarity with city workers who are fighting
to protect over one thousand jobs. These are workers who
fix our streets, who repair our sidewalks, to maintain the
basic infrastructure that Angelina's depend on. And at the same time,
the city of Valet spends three million dollars in interest
in fees and sends over a billion dollars in debt
service annually to Wall Street banks.
Speaker 9 (21:17):
How can young voters believe that you have our best
interest in mind while functionally eliminating the only department dedicated
to them. Mayor Karen Bass has talked about how she
wants to invest in the youth. Two weeks ago, she
attended a community cleanup that I was present at. I
stood right behind her in frame as she spoke about
the importance of creating a better world for future generations.
And immediately afterwards, she proposes a budget that would functionally
(21:41):
eliminate the Youth Development Department. And I don't know if
the mayor was lying when she spoke about the worth
of my generation. I don't know if she sees us
the youth as anything other than a beautiful backdrop for
her public image and to be there, I don't know
her true motivations. I cannot say if she is a
liar and I cannot say if her word is worth nothing.
What I can ask is if you will be the same.
Speaker 5 (22:00):
There are one hundred and fifty civilian employees within LAPD
slated to be laid off. These positions are just as
critical as having officers in the field. That work will
still need to be done. Who will do it sworn?
Having sworn police officers make two to three times more
than admin's staff is anything but cost saving measure. Bureau
(22:22):
Street Services could potentially lose thirty five employees. Again, who
will do this work? We are already asking city employees
to do more with less.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
So you heard from a variety of perspectives there there
are many issues that the folks who spoke in Van
Nuys yesterday are concerned about. It might be the Department
of Aging, It might be the Department of Youth. You
heard that last guy talk about the police department. There
are cuts to the police department. This is a department
that has struggled to fill its ranks with sworn officers.
(22:54):
They have a stated goal and budget to have ten
thousand officers, but they're about thirty teen hundred shy of that.
They're actually projected to be lower than that. The LAPD
is slated to lose four hundred and one jobs in layoffs. Now,
these are not the sworn officers, the guys with the badges,
the guys driving around your neighborhoods. These are civilian workers
(23:17):
within the department. And as that guy said, they do
important work. And if you pull them off the job,
then somebody will probably have to do that job. And
that somebody is a sworn officer, And what does that mean.
That means that officer might be making overtime and that
person already makes more money than the civilian worker who's
(23:38):
in there, So this could end up hurting the budget more.
When it comes to the police. That department's not the
only one with more than four hundred cuts coming. The
Transportation department has four hundred and six jobs that are
slated to be eliminated, one hundred and eighty seven from
city planning. Now, what do you need planning for? Yeah,
(24:01):
they can be annoying if you're trying to build something
on your property, no question about it. But when you're
trying to build something, you need a permit. And that's
the department that handles permits. And who needs permits?
Speaker 3 (24:14):
Right now? Where is there a lot of.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Permitting taking place in Los Angeles what place called the Palisades.
But of course it's not just the fire Ravage neighborhood.
It's across the city. If you're trying to build an
accessory dwelling unit on your property, if you want to
put some sort of addition, if you want to plant
a tree, if you want to have something placed on
(24:38):
the Historic Preservation List, it's the Planning department. One hundred
and eighty seven jobs slated to be gone. One hundred
and twenty jobs at Animal Services. We already know how
troubled that department is and how sad it is to
see the dogs and cats that are just busting at
the seams.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
There.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
Two hundred and sixty four jobs in street services, Well
what do they do the street lights that are burned
out all over town? One hundred and twenty two jobs
in personnel, that's human resources. More than two hundred jobs
in general services, more than one hundred engineering jobs. Again,
(25:21):
when you're building something in Los Angeles, this is a
very important department, and this is a city that needs
to do a lot of building right now, that also
wants to do a lot of building outside of the
fire situation. One hundred eighty six positions to be cut
from wreck and parks. There are a couple of departments
(25:44):
that are expected to get more employees than they had
in the last budget. One is the Housing Department. They're
expected to get seventy four more positions compared to the
year before, and the Fire Department. So there won't be
any questions of merit bass based on this budget about
funding the fire department. Two hundred and twenty seven new
(26:06):
positions for the LAFD, and that comes after a lot
of questions about whether the fire Department's budget was cut.
That is what led to the ouster of Fire Chief
Crowley after the Palisades fire, when the former chief now
says the mayor didn't fund us right and that's why
we were ill prepared to fight the wildfire.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
No questions here.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Two hundred and twenty seven new positions added for the LAFD.
But everybody else, everybody else just about it's getting hurt.
The departments that won't lose any positions, a couple of them,
the Mayor's office, the Council Office, city tourism, cannabis regulation,
(26:54):
public accountability, emergency management, those are all staying flat.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Year to year.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
The next budget hearing is at La City Hall in
downtown La Monday at four o'clock. I think this might
be the first time that we hear from at least
the chair of the Budget Committee, and that is Councilwoman
Katie Yaroslavsky. And I will be curious to see if
(27:23):
we hear from other members of the Budget Committee, because
we've yet to hear from council members about how they
really feel about these proposals.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
And I'll be.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Following this for you all week long, these budget hearings
and the various departments that start getting marched in next
week to talk about the financial situation that's going to
go on for the next couple of weeks, and I'll
be covering it for you every day here on KFI,
so keep it right here. Up next, there is a
conservative march rally west side of town coming up tomorrow
(27:54):
and some city officials are pretty nervous about it. We'll
talk about that next.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
You're listening to KFI ams on demand.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports on Michael Monks from KFI
News with you till nine o'clock tonight. So I've asked
you Towagh in a bit on the budget, and Jeff
has called in let's hear from him.
Speaker 10 (28:18):
Hey there, liking your show.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
Thank you.
Speaker 10 (28:22):
I've lived in Los Angeles for sixty five years and
the last three mayors that we've had have been absolute
total idiots. The current one is totally and completely incompetent
and costing US hundreds of million dollars in extra revenue
that we don't need to pay that billion.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
Yeah, I guess who's going to get to pay that.
We are. They will find a way. It really sucks
fire them.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Well, we'll see what happens, because if Sacramento comes through,
then LA will get a pass this year. But it
doesn't mean there won't be some serious soul searching needed
in the way the city prioritizes the needs of its
residents and its employees. If that bailout doesn't come, it's
basically forcing their hand. There is going to have to
(29:08):
be a change in the way the city deals with
its spending and how do we boost business? How do
we boost revenue? Revenue can mean tax increases, and that's
that's a path no politician really wants to take because
electorally it's it's not good. But revenue also comes from
having more businesses, more residents, better properties, and frankly, having
(29:32):
an inviting and safe environment that people visit and spend
money in stay in hotels. All of those things are down.
By the way, why is it a billion dollar budget shortfall? Well, one,
the city's been sued to high heaven multiple times and
have had to settle all of these lawsuits way over budget,
to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars lawsuits.
(29:54):
But the revenue is down, property tax down, sales tax revenue,
business down, and hotel tax down. All of that adds
up to a really difficult financial situation. And the way
that you fix a lot of those requires investment, and
(30:16):
investments require money, and now they don't have any. So
how does this situation get fixed? That's the answer that
we'll be looking for over the next couple of weeks,
because it can't just be about solving this current fiscal crisis.
They have to figure out a long term plan on
how to make this city better. The world is coming
(30:37):
to town in a few years, and right now La
is on track I think to embarrass itself really what
else is coming to town? A conservative rally scheduled for
tomorrow and West Hollywood in Beverly Hills one o'clock in
the afternoon, and City of West Hollywood officials have distanced
themselves from this planned march and it's called the American
(31:00):
Restoration Tour. It's been organized by a group called walk Away.
This was a social media engineered campaign created by a
hairstylist from New York named Brandon Straca. He created this
back in twenty eighteen during the midterm elections. He says
his goal was to encourage voters to leave the Democratic Party.
This march begins at one o'clock Tillmorrow afternoon at the
(31:22):
corner of North Robertson and Santa Monica Boulevards, with marchers
arriving at Beverly Gardens Park in Beverly Hills for a
rally set for two o'clock now. There's been a flyer
posted online by the walk Away campaign and it says
speakers include this guy, Brandon Straca. Former Florida Congressman Matt
Gates is also on the list. La County Republican share
(31:43):
Roxane Hoague is on the list. Several others The City
of West Hollywood put out a statement. The City of
West Hollywood and its public safety partners at the Los
Angeles County Sheriff's Department are aware there is a planned
American Restoration Tour march rally schedule to take place on Sunday,
April twenty seven, in the City of West Hollywood and
in the city of Beverly Hills. The City of West
(32:04):
Hollywood has received calls from residents and businesses with concerns.
Community members have expressed alarm that this assembly stands in
contradiction to West Hollywood's core values and community ideals. Additionally,
there is concern about the potential for counter protests and response.
West Hollywood officials say that this is not a city
(32:26):
permitted event. Instead, the City of West Hollywood says it
respects the Constitution and honors the First Amendment rights of
free speech and assembly, but they also say language and
actions matter.
Speaker 3 (32:38):
Quote.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
The city remains steadfast and uplifting the dignity and rights
of our community members and remain vigilant in denouncing words
and actions that may seek to do value, divide, or
diminish us. There will be Sheriff's Departments deputies there for
public safety reasons. West Hollywood warns there may be substantial
threats to public safety, and a gathering may be declared
(33:01):
unlawful and ordered to disperse in order to protect people
and property. Beverly Hills officials said organizers had a permit
for the rally, but no road or sidewalk closures were permitted.
City officials said police, park rangers, and code enforcement will
be monitoring that event. So that is tomorrow afternoon. We'll
see if anything comes of that. It may just be
a rally, or it may be high drama, and we'll
(33:23):
have it covered for you here on KFI during the
Sunday news shows. How about downtown Los Angeles? You weren't
going to get out of here without me talking a
little bit about that. The trees in downtown La massacred
this week by a homeless man who apparently hit a
few neighborhoods. His name is Samuel Patrick Groft. He's forty
four years old. He pleaded not guilty this week, but
(33:45):
he's still in jail on three hundred and fifty thousand
dollars bail, and he's supposed to be back in court
on May the seven. He's been charged with dellony vandalism.
That could be six years and six months in prison
if he's convicted. The Deputy District Attorney, Dan Wright told
La County Superior Court Judge Teresa McGonagall, the defendant brought
(34:07):
eight chains excuse me. He bought a chainsaw at Harbor
Freight and then chopped down eight trees valued at three
hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The prosecutor said Groft had
a long history of violence and said he believes he
is a danger to the public. Just bought a chainsaw,
(34:29):
got on a bike by the way, and did this
over the course of several days in downtown in two
spots in Glacelle Park and in Westlake. He was finally
busted on Tuesday afternoon, riding a bike armed with the
same chainsaw. They do say they're seeking. Police say they're
seeking additional victims because it's believed that this Groft guy
(34:53):
maybe responsible for additional unreported crimes.
Speaker 3 (34:57):
Now.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
The district attorney put out a statement about these trees.
He says what took years to grow only took minutes
to destroy. Trees not only provide shade and comfort, but
nourish those who live and work in our communities. Selfish
and senseless acts that strip away a vital piece of
our ecosystem are profoundly disturbing, and my office will prosecute
(35:22):
anyone who engages in such criminal contact conduct to the
fullest extent of the law. City Councilman Isabel Herado, who
represents downtown and Northeast LA. She has called for tougher
penalties for people who engage in this sort of thing,
sort of a teared system. How old is the tree,
how much damage was done. She drew a lot of
(35:42):
attention back in the campaign when she was first elected.
Just before she was elected in November, Remember she's the
one who was recorded speaking to cal State LA students
and she said f the police, and that got a
lot of play. But ultimately she trounced incumbent Councilman Kevin
de Leon and claimed the seat. So she's tough on crime,
at least when it comes to trees, that's for certain.
(36:03):
So she has asked for harder penalties when it comes
to this. She's also said that there are organizations who
are working to help replace these expensive trees, because again
the city has no money. Now, the guy who's Abel
Herado beat to be the new councilwoman for Council District fourteen.
Kevin daly On, Yeah, a lot of problems, of course,
caught up in that racist audio scandal that rocked the
(36:26):
city building back in twenty twenty three, and his situation
got worse this week. The City Ethics Commission fined former
La City councilan Kevin da Leon eighteen seven hundred and
fifty dollars for failing to disclose his financial ties to
organizations benefiting from three votes that he made. So Kevin
daly On getting kicked around even though he's no longer
(36:49):
in office. That's it for the first hour of Michael
Monk's reports. Coming up next hour, we're going to be
joined by US Senator Adam Shift, excuse me Shift in
the studios. I asked him a bit about the new
report that came out showing California's economy is now.
Speaker 3 (37:06):
The world's fourth largest. It's bigger than Japan.
Speaker 2 (37:09):
But when do we get to start feeling that what
does it mean to have such a large economy if
those of us living here can't really sense it. You'll
hear his response coming up in the next hour here
on Michael Monk's Reports on KFI AM sixty
Speaker 1 (37:22):
KFI AM six forty on demand
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports. I'm Michael Monks from KFI News.
We're with you till nine o'clock tonight. It turned out
to be a pretty nice evening here in southern California
after a rocky start to the day. Lots of rain
around their pch closed because of debris that has fallen
(00:25):
into the road. So just another reminder, and we had
a long road ahead with rebuilding after those fires, so
be careful over there, keep an eye out.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
I think a lot more rain than we were expecting.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Our Tim Conway was posting on social that he thought
it was a lot more than what was forecasted, and
we know that is a guy who pays attention to
the TV news and weather, and if he says it,
it must be true.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Sports.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Let's check out what's going on in the world of
LA sports. The Dodgers right now leading two to one
in the bottom of the fourth against the Pirates, and
the Angels drop their second game in a row, losing
at Minnesota five to one. They're now twelve and fourteen
on the season in the basement of the al Wes.
So you may have heard over the past few weeks
as I flirt with being an Angels fan in protest
(01:12):
of the way Angels are talked about by Dodgers fans
and people in Greater LA.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
And I was warned, even though they were a little hot.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
To start the season, that this tends to happen. So
I'm bracing for this. Thanks for the warning. It's made
the bracing a little bit easier. Clippers today lost the
heartbreaker against the Nuggets and that was one one to
ninety nine in the NBA playoffs, so I want to
see if they can get back on track in the
next game there. Lakers play tomorrow and the Kings on
(01:46):
the ice. They lost the last game against the Oilers,
but they lead the series two to one. They'll play
in Edmonton tomorrow as well. So Lakers and Kings in
action tomorrow, and that is your KFI Sports report. Something
that might not be an action starting Monday night, temporary
interruptions or library closures all possible next week when employees
(02:09):
represented by the Service Employees International Union SEIU go on strike.
SEIU seven twenty one has scheduled to begin a strike
at seven o'clock Monday night, and then that might end
just before seven o'clock on Wednesday. So we're looking at
about forty eight hours in total. And one of the
(02:29):
librarians with La County says that they are closely monitoring
this situation. They're preparing their operations for the strikes potential
impact on library services, and this librarian goes on to say,
in the event we have to temporarily close our libraries,
we recommend customers access our digital library, so that's open
twenty four to seven. You don't have to deal with
(02:50):
workers there and the book drops, they'll all still be open.
If you've got a book that you got to get back,
that's not going to be interrupted. But SCIU has fifty
five thousand members across all public sections of LA County,
and this union claims that the county has repeatedly violated
labor laws and failed to bargain in good faith on
issues facing a cost of living increase and health insurance.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
So if you're planning to hit.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
The library this week, keep an eye on this developing
story because they may be impacted by some of these
workers going on strike over collective bargaining issues. Those are
La County libraries. And it's been a pretty busy week
for Los Angeles government officials, especially the ones who count
the pea nuts, because there are many peanuts to count
(03:37):
right now. And on Monday, LA Mayor Bass gave her
State of the City address, and a little bit after that,
she released her budget, and it does not look good.
It doesn't look good for about sixteen hundred employees who
are slated to lose their jobs.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
And it doesn't stop there.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Several departments, maybe all departments, are facing significant cuts and
those are going to impact the services that LA residents get,
that La businesses get, and really across the entire region
if you work or visit La, the situation is pretty bleak.
This hour, we're going to revisit monday speech by the
(04:16):
mayor to see what she has to say about how
the city is doing, and would like to hear whether
you agree, what your ideas might be on how to
improve the situation. You can always join our conversation here
on KFI by opening up the iHeartRadio app clicking on
that talkback button. We will play some of your comments
this hour in the seven o'clock hour, and a little
(04:38):
later this hour, we'll place some of the remarks from
the public. It was packed in Van Nus yesterday. This
was the public's first opportunity to weigh in on what
Mayor Bass has proposed, and they're not happy. Hundreds of
people turned out to Van Nuys. Once a month the
La City Council's Society that it would meet at its
(04:59):
rarely u city Hall building in Van Nuys, and it
happened to be yesterday, So everybody went out to Van
Nuys to talk about the cuts to all of the
various departments. They're worries about it, their concerns about it.
It wasn't pretty. It was so crowded, in fact, that
about one hundred people could not get.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
In the building.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
So the Budget Committee, which was hosting this hearing, had
to recommend to folks who had the opportunity to speak,
could you please leave so that a seat opens up
so that the rest of the people could come in
and offer their remarks. A lot of people talk three
hours long, non stop public comment. We haven't heard yet
from city council members really how do they feel about
(05:40):
this budget. I think it's going to get ugly and
that will start this week. We'll talk about that as well.
Also coming up at the end of the hour, we'll
talk about this conservative rally that's taking place in West
Hollywood and Beverly Hills.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
It could just be a little rally, a little parade.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
No big deal, but folks in that direction are bracing
for or some drama.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
It could get ugly. They're hoping that it doesn't.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
We'll talk about what is being talked about at that parade,
that rally, and why it appears to be controversial. And
the city's financial situation only got worse today as we
learned that the credit rating agency, the S and P
has decided to lower the bond rating for the City
(06:24):
of Los Angeles. It's like taking a hit to your
credit score, and that's because of the city's one billion
dollar budget deficit. So, you know, I don't know what
all of this means exactly. It's just that it's it's
not good news. But basically, the long term rating for
the city's general obligation bonds have been downgraded to AA minus.
(06:49):
They were previously just AA. It's also lowered the rating,
according to the La Times, for the Municipal Improvement Corporation
of Los Angeles' lease revenue bonds. Those are used to
purchase city equipment. So when you think about city equipment,
that's what is concerning about Mayor Bas's budget. We're talking
about fire trucks and that sort of thing. That bond
(07:10):
rating has also been lowered to AA minus what S
and P says According to The Times, the downgrade reflects
the city's weakening financial position and an emerging structural imbalance.
So now that the S and P has weighed in
lower the borrowing rating on the city, is that going
(07:32):
to get people moving it?
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Doesn't.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
You hear me talk a lot about the urgency of
the situation in Los Angeles and whether that exists at all.
It hasn't for many months seem like there was any
fight to stave off this disaster that we're now staring down.
The city controller had been warning about it for months,
He's been on this show multiple times talking about it,
(07:55):
but there was very little action taken by city hall.
And then the fires happened, and that has derailed everything.
Not just for the folks who are rebuilding their lives
now are at least trying to, but for the city
and their focus. It's a lot to handle. We're gonna
break it down for you throughout this hour. Then in
our next hour, US Senator Adam Schiff, he came back
(08:17):
from Washington to visit California. He was here in Burbank,
joined us in our studios. We talked to him about
the Well, really, one of the questions I had for
him was, we got to report this week that California
now has the world's fourth largest economy. It moved up
from the fifth, It surpassed Japan. And I asked him,
why don't we feel that, you know, what does it
(08:39):
mean to have such a large economy, If we have
the conditions we have on the streets, if we have
the high cost of living and the cost of housing,
and frankly, the general unpleasantness that seems to encompass our lives.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
In spite of all the beauty, in spite of all.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
The great weather we have, why don't we feel the
size of this economy. So you'll hear his remarks on
that as well. That's all coming up on Michael Monks's reports.
We're with you for the next two hours here on
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
KFI AM six forty Live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports on Michael Monks from KFI News,
keeping you company until nine o'clock tonight. Mayor Bass has
had a tough go since the new year. Obviously, she
was in Africa when the wildfires broke out in the
Palisades and it's pretty much been downhill since because not
(09:36):
only has she had to deal with the destruction of
one of the finest neighborhoods in America, she's got a
financial crisis on her hands and it's undeniable, even she
acknowledges it now with the release of her budget. But
just before she let her budget out publicly for us
all to take a look at just how bad it
could get, she delivered her state of the City address. Typically,
(10:00):
at least during the first two years of her mayorship,
these were delivered on a Thursday night in the evening,
and it was a nice affair. It was very positive
and uplifting. But this time she decided to do it
on a Monday this week at noon, and that set.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
A different tone.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Obviously, the conditions of the city also helped making it
a different tone. So before we dive into the budget
and why people are upset and what they're upset about.
We want to give you an understanding of how the
mayor views the state of the city right now. The
first thing she talked about, obviously, was rebuilding after the wildfires.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
After the fires were out, Angelino's with resilience and resolve, asked,
how can we rebuild our homes and when can we
go home? Because home is at the heart of healing
and that has been the north star of our recovery
efforts to get at people home.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
So you hear applause there, and there certainly was applause.
During her speech, she tried to strike an optimistic tone,
highlighting what she views as successes as it relates to
rebuilding in the wildfire, the homeless programs, a decrease in
statistical crime, and that sort of thing. Before she got
to the nitty gritty. Here she is bragging about the
(11:24):
speed of the recovery in the Palisades.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
Today in reporting on the state of our city, I
report to Los Angeles that the recovery in the Palisades
is on track to be the fastest in California history.
(11:47):
And we're not just moving fast to move fast. We
know the faster we can rebuild, the faster we can heal.
We still have a long way to go, and for
those who have lost a home, each and every day
is a day too long.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
Right.
Speaker 4 (12:06):
We want to be fast, we want to be safe,
and we want to be resilient. So let me just
tell you, we have issued permits to rebuild twice as
fast as after the camp and Mooseley fires. We restored
water nearly a year and a half faster than after
the campfire, and we restored power in just two months.
(12:31):
Los Angeles, I assure you rebuilding is underway.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
So despite the heavy criticism about her handling of the
fires before, during, and after, she is striking an optimistic
tone on how things are going. It's hard to really
quantify those claims, but she is basically saying we're we're
getting permits out. You might hear some residents dispute that,
and we are moving faster than any other wildfire recovery
(12:57):
in California history. Now, another area of concern for residents
of Los Angeles' crime, and it wasn't that long ago.
I was at this press conference that the mayor was
joined by Police Chief Jim McDonald saying that crime is
down in the city, and she hit that note again
in this speech.
Speaker 4 (13:15):
Chief McDonald and I stand together in reporting good news.
Violent crime and property crime are down in Los Angeles,
and this is the result of a comprehensive approach to safety.
Last year, homicides fell by fourteen percent. Gang related homicides
(13:41):
and communities most impacted fell by forty five percent. The
number of shooting victims fell nineteen percent. And we've intensified
safety efforts on Metro. We have cracked down on organized
(14:01):
retail theft. We're addressing copper wire theft through public safety
efforts and new solutions like solar street lights. And we
are acting boldly around MacArthur Park to bring crime down
in a united effort with Councilwoman Hernandez.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
So crime is down, she says, the Fiery Building is
going great, and of course she has her signature program
inside Safe to address homelessness.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
She says that's going well too.
Speaker 4 (14:32):
Inside Safe has cleared thousands of tents outside of schools, storefronts,
and homes city wide.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
But given that we know that.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
Motels alone are not financially sustainable, we must invest in
long term interim housing places where people can stay safe
and receive comprehensive services to rebuild their lives while we
build housing that Angelino's need.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Now.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Up to this point in the speech, she had not
referenced the budget or the tough economy that the city faces,
and that's what I think everybody was waiting to hear
during the speech. During the speech, she did not actually
discuss specifics about the budget, just vague references to people
(15:24):
losing their jobs as she spoke directly to city employees.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
My proposed budget unfortunately includes layoffs, which is a decision
of appsolute last resort. The city attorney and I will
be in Sacramento this week to meet with legislative leaders
and advocate for resources while also working to manage the
(15:48):
increasing liabilities. So let me assure our hard working public
servants that I will never ever stop fighting for you.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
And so what the that means so far this week
about fighting to save those jobs? The mayor took a
trip to Sacramento, where I don't believe she was able
to meet with Governor Newsom, but she was able to
meet with lawmakers. There are a lot of state lawmakers
from Los Angeles, from Los Angeles County that might be
sympathetic to her pleas, but she is basically essentially asking
(16:20):
for the state to bail out Los Angeles from its
financial situation. That it's in a billion dollar budget deficit,
which she doesn't say anymore. She says it's about eight
hundred or eight hundred and fifty million dollars. But once
you get that high, it's it's pretty scary. Nonetheless, most estimates,
including the one from the city Controller, indicate it is
a one billion dollar budget deficit. That was also a
(16:43):
number that was quoted by the mayor's city administrator, Matt Zabo,
very early on in some presentations about the city's financial situation.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
So what does that mean.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Just after the speech, a couple hours she released her budget,
and that's where we started to hear about the layoffs,
specifically one thousand, six hundred and forty seven proposed layoffs
from departments all over the city, probably departments that you,
(17:15):
as a resident of Los Angeles, or you as a
visitor to Los Angeles, or you as a worker in
Los Angeles, rely on in some way, even if you
never see these people in the flesh. And yesterday at
the City Hall building in Van Nuys, hundreds of people
showed up to say we cannot accept this. We will
(17:36):
hear from the angry public when Michael Monks Reports continues
here on KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports. I'm Michael Monks from KFI
News with you till nine o'clock tonight. If you want
to get your comments in about the propose layoffs the
significant budget shortage at La City Hall, open up that
iHeartRadio app now and click on that talkback button. We'll
(18:07):
be able to play some at the end of this hour.
We won't be able to play any in the next
hour due to time constraints, so get them in now.
We'd love to hear from you. It was a very
busy meeting in Van Nights. The City Council once a
month has decided that they would use their Van Nights
City Hall building to have an official city council meeting,
and it just so happened to be yesterday. So after
the regular city Council meeting, the Budget Committee hosted the
(18:30):
first public hearing about Mayor Bass's proposed budget for the
twenty twenty five twenty twenty six fiscal year, a one
billion dollar budget shortfall. What else is inside of this thing?
A proposal to layoff one than six hundred and forty
seven workers. Now, last year, when the budget was around,
we heard a lot about the elimination of vacant positions
(18:53):
and how money that is typically allocated for various departments
four positions that are not filled would be returned to
the general fund, and those positions will be eliminated. This year,
we're talking about flesh and blood workers, one thousand, six
hundred and forty seven of them. She's also talking about
eliminating another one thousand and seventy four vacant positions, just
like last year. So what does that mean? When you
(19:18):
break it down, it means a lot. WISH departments are
hit the hardest. Youth Development forty seven percent budget cut
compared to this year, Disability thirty seven percent. City Planning,
which will lose hundreds of jobs under this proposal, cut
by thirty three percent. Animal Services, WISH we've been reporting
all year has been struggling with capacity and staffing issues.
(19:43):
Another cut to that department by thirty two percent. The
Transportation Department cut by twenty four percent. So it's flesh
and blood people that you rely on in your daily lives,
and that's not lost on many members of the public.
This meeting in Van Nis was absolutely packed to the
(20:05):
gills with folks who wanted to speak their mind about
what has been proposed. It's not just about police, it's
not just about fire, it is about those services. Let's
hear from some of those folks.
Speaker 6 (20:16):
Issues affecting our city's pets are issues that concern a
majority of the people in this city, and we can
say that.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
About very few other issues.
Speaker 6 (20:23):
Budget reflects priority of city and mayor, and it should
reflect priority of the public. Yet this proposed budget cuts
one hundred and twenty two positions from ally Animal Services,
which is a thirty three percent reduction to an already
underfunded department.
Speaker 7 (20:36):
Right now, they want to move and dissolve the Department
of Aging and cut budgets. If there's anything that we
need for these baby boomers is more money. We have
more seniors and a growing population that needs you, guys
more than ever, so please think about not taking aware money,
but giving us more.
Speaker 8 (20:55):
I'm here in solidarity with city workers who are fighting
to protect over one thousand jobs. These are workers who
fix our streets, who repair our sidewalks, to maintain the
basic infrastructure that Angelina's depend on. And at the same time,
the city of Valet spends three million dollars in interest
in fees and sends over a billion dollars in debt
service annually to Wall Street banks.
Speaker 9 (21:17):
How can young voters believe that you have our best
interest in mind while functionally eliminating the only department dedicated
to them. Mayor Karen Bass has talked about how she
wants to invest in the youth. Two weeks ago, she
attended a community cleanup that I was present at. I
stood right behind her in frame as she spoke about
the importance of creating a better world for future generations.
And immediately afterwards, she proposes a budget that would functionally
(21:41):
eliminate the Youth Development Department. And I don't know if
the mayor was lying when she spoke about the worth
of my generation. I don't know if she sees us
the youth as anything other than a beautiful backdrop for
her public image and to be there, I don't know
her true motivations. I cannot say if she is a
liar and I cannot say if her word is worth nothing.
What I can ask is if you will be the same.
Speaker 5 (22:00):
There are one hundred and fifty civilian employees within LAPD
slated to be laid off. These positions are just as
critical as having officers in the field. That work will
still need to be done. Who will do it sworn?
Having sworn police officers make two to three times more
than admin's staff is anything but cost saving measure. Bureau
(22:22):
Street Services could potentially lose thirty five employees. Again, who
will do this work? We are already asking city employees
to do more with less.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
So you heard from a variety of perspectives there there
are many issues that the folks who spoke in Van
Nuys yesterday are concerned about. It might be the Department
of Aging, It might be the Department of Youth. You
heard that last guy talk about the police department. There
are cuts to the police department. This is a department
that has struggled to fill its ranks with sworn officers.
(22:54):
They have a stated goal and budget to have ten
thousand officers, but they're about thirty teen hundred shy of that.
They're actually projected to be lower than that. The LAPD
is slated to lose four hundred and one jobs in layoffs. Now,
these are not the sworn officers, the guys with the badges,
the guys driving around your neighborhoods. These are civilian workers
(23:17):
within the department. And as that guy said, they do
important work. And if you pull them off the job,
then somebody will probably have to do that job. And
that somebody is a sworn officer, And what does that mean.
That means that officer might be making overtime and that
person already makes more money than the civilian worker who's
(23:38):
in there, So this could end up hurting the budget more.
When it comes to the police. That department's not the
only one with more than four hundred cuts coming. The
Transportation department has four hundred and six jobs that are
slated to be eliminated, one hundred and eighty seven from
city planning. Now, what do you need planning for? Yeah,
(24:01):
they can be annoying if you're trying to build something
on your property, no question about it. But when you're
trying to build something, you need a permit. And that's
the department that handles permits. And who needs permits?
Speaker 3 (24:14):
Right now? Where is there a lot of.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Permitting taking place in Los Angeles what place called the Palisades.
But of course it's not just the fire Ravage neighborhood.
It's across the city. If you're trying to build an
accessory dwelling unit on your property, if you want to
put some sort of addition, if you want to plant
a tree, if you want to have something placed on
(24:38):
the Historic Preservation List, it's the Planning department. One hundred
and eighty seven jobs slated to be gone. One hundred
and twenty jobs at Animal Services. We already know how
troubled that department is and how sad it is to
see the dogs and cats that are just busting at
the seams.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
There.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
Two hundred and sixty four jobs in street services, Well
what do they do the street lights that are burned
out all over town? One hundred and twenty two jobs
in personnel, that's human resources. More than two hundred jobs
in general services, more than one hundred engineering jobs. Again,
(25:21):
when you're building something in Los Angeles, this is a
very important department, and this is a city that needs
to do a lot of building right now, that also
wants to do a lot of building outside of the
fire situation. One hundred eighty six positions to be cut
from wreck and parks. There are a couple of departments
(25:44):
that are expected to get more employees than they had
in the last budget. One is the Housing Department. They're
expected to get seventy four more positions compared to the
year before, and the Fire Department. So there won't be
any questions of merit bass based on this budget about
funding the fire department. Two hundred and twenty seven new
(26:06):
positions for the LAFD, and that comes after a lot
of questions about whether the fire Department's budget was cut.
That is what led to the ouster of Fire Chief
Crowley after the Palisades fire, when the former chief now
says the mayor didn't fund us right and that's why
we were ill prepared to fight the wildfire.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
No questions here.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Two hundred and twenty seven new positions added for the LAFD.
But everybody else, everybody else just about it's getting hurt.
The departments that won't lose any positions, a couple of them,
the Mayor's office, the Council Office, city tourism, cannabis regulation,
(26:54):
public accountability, emergency management, those are all staying flat.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Year to year.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
The next budget hearing is at La City Hall in
downtown La Monday at four o'clock. I think this might
be the first time that we hear from at least
the chair of the Budget Committee, and that is Councilwoman
Katie Yaroslavsky. And I will be curious to see if
(27:23):
we hear from other members of the Budget Committee, because
we've yet to hear from council members about how they
really feel about these proposals.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
And I'll be.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Following this for you all week long, these budget hearings
and the various departments that start getting marched in next
week to talk about the financial situation that's going to
go on for the next couple of weeks, and I'll
be covering it for you every day here on KFI,
so keep it right here. Up next, there is a
conservative march rally west side of town coming up tomorrow
(27:54):
and some city officials are pretty nervous about it. We'll
talk about that next.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
You're listening to KFI ams on demand.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports on Michael Monks from KFI
News with you till nine o'clock tonight. So I've asked
you Towagh in a bit on the budget, and Jeff
has called in let's hear from him.
Speaker 10 (28:18):
Hey there, liking your show.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
Thank you.
Speaker 10 (28:22):
I've lived in Los Angeles for sixty five years and
the last three mayors that we've had have been absolute
total idiots. The current one is totally and completely incompetent
and costing US hundreds of million dollars in extra revenue
that we don't need to pay that billion.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
Yeah, I guess who's going to get to pay that.
We are. They will find a way. It really sucks
fire them.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Well, we'll see what happens, because if Sacramento comes through,
then LA will get a pass this year. But it
doesn't mean there won't be some serious soul searching needed
in the way the city prioritizes the needs of its
residents and its employees. If that bailout doesn't come, it's
basically forcing their hand. There is going to have to
(29:08):
be a change in the way the city deals with
its spending and how do we boost business? How do
we boost revenue? Revenue can mean tax increases, and that's
that's a path no politician really wants to take because
electorally it's it's not good. But revenue also comes from
having more businesses, more residents, better properties, and frankly, having
(29:32):
an inviting and safe environment that people visit and spend
money in stay in hotels. All of those things are down.
By the way, why is it a billion dollar budget shortfall? Well, one,
the city's been sued to high heaven multiple times and
have had to settle all of these lawsuits way over budget,
to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars lawsuits.
(29:54):
But the revenue is down, property tax down, sales tax revenue,
business down, and hotel tax down. All of that adds
up to a really difficult financial situation. And the way
that you fix a lot of those requires investment, and
(30:16):
investments require money, and now they don't have any. So
how does this situation get fixed? That's the answer that
we'll be looking for over the next couple of weeks,
because it can't just be about solving this current fiscal crisis.
They have to figure out a long term plan on
how to make this city better. The world is coming
(30:37):
to town in a few years, and right now La
is on track I think to embarrass itself really what
else is coming to town? A conservative rally scheduled for
tomorrow and West Hollywood in Beverly Hills one o'clock in
the afternoon, and City of West Hollywood officials have distanced
themselves from this planned march and it's called the American
(31:00):
Restoration Tour. It's been organized by a group called walk Away.
This was a social media engineered campaign created by a
hairstylist from New York named Brandon Straca. He created this
back in twenty eighteen during the midterm elections. He says
his goal was to encourage voters to leave the Democratic Party.
This march begins at one o'clock Tillmorrow afternoon at the
(31:22):
corner of North Robertson and Santa Monica Boulevards, with marchers
arriving at Beverly Gardens Park in Beverly Hills for a
rally set for two o'clock now. There's been a flyer
posted online by the walk Away campaign and it says
speakers include this guy, Brandon Straca. Former Florida Congressman Matt
Gates is also on the list. La County Republican share
(31:43):
Roxane Hoague is on the list. Several others The City
of West Hollywood put out a statement. The City of
West Hollywood and its public safety partners at the Los
Angeles County Sheriff's Department are aware there is a planned
American Restoration Tour march rally schedule to take place on Sunday,
April twenty seven, in the City of West Hollywood and
in the city of Beverly Hills. The City of West
(32:04):
Hollywood has received calls from residents and businesses with concerns.
Community members have expressed alarm that this assembly stands in
contradiction to West Hollywood's core values and community ideals. Additionally,
there is concern about the potential for counter protests and response.
West Hollywood officials say that this is not a city
(32:26):
permitted event. Instead, the City of West Hollywood says it
respects the Constitution and honors the First Amendment rights of
free speech and assembly, but they also say language and
actions matter.
Speaker 3 (32:38):
Quote.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
The city remains steadfast and uplifting the dignity and rights
of our community members and remain vigilant in denouncing words
and actions that may seek to do value, divide, or
diminish us. There will be Sheriff's Departments deputies there for
public safety reasons. West Hollywood warns there may be substantial
threats to public safety, and a gathering may be declared
(33:01):
unlawful and ordered to disperse in order to protect people
and property. Beverly Hills officials said organizers had a permit
for the rally, but no road or sidewalk closures were permitted.
City officials said police, park rangers, and code enforcement will
be monitoring that event. So that is tomorrow afternoon. We'll
see if anything comes of that. It may just be
a rally, or it may be high drama, and we'll
(33:23):
have it covered for you here on KFI during the
Sunday news shows. How about downtown Los Angeles? You weren't
going to get out of here without me talking a
little bit about that. The trees in downtown La massacred
this week by a homeless man who apparently hit a
few neighborhoods. His name is Samuel Patrick Groft. He's forty
four years old. He pleaded not guilty this week, but
(33:45):
he's still in jail on three hundred and fifty thousand
dollars bail, and he's supposed to be back in court
on May the seven. He's been charged with dellony vandalism.
That could be six years and six months in prison
if he's convicted. The Deputy District Attorney, Dan Wright told
La County Superior Court Judge Teresa McGonagall, the defendant brought
(34:07):
eight chains excuse me. He bought a chainsaw at Harbor
Freight and then chopped down eight trees valued at three
hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The prosecutor said Groft had
a long history of violence and said he believes he
is a danger to the public. Just bought a chainsaw,
(34:29):
got on a bike by the way, and did this
over the course of several days in downtown in two
spots in Glacelle Park and in Westlake. He was finally
busted on Tuesday afternoon, riding a bike armed with the
same chainsaw. They do say they're seeking. Police say they're
seeking additional victims because it's believed that this Groft guy
(34:53):
maybe responsible for additional unreported crimes.
Speaker 3 (34:57):
Now.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
The district attorney put out a statement about these trees.
He says what took years to grow only took minutes
to destroy. Trees not only provide shade and comfort, but
nourish those who live and work in our communities. Selfish
and senseless acts that strip away a vital piece of
our ecosystem are profoundly disturbing, and my office will prosecute
(35:22):
anyone who engages in such criminal contact conduct to the
fullest extent of the law. City Councilman Isabel Herado, who
represents downtown and Northeast LA. She has called for tougher
penalties for people who engage in this sort of thing,
sort of a teared system. How old is the tree,
how much damage was done. She drew a lot of
(35:42):
attention back in the campaign when she was first elected.
Just before she was elected in November, Remember she's the
one who was recorded speaking to cal State LA students
and she said f the police, and that got a
lot of play. But ultimately she trounced incumbent Councilman Kevin
de Leon and claimed the seat. So she's tough on crime,
at least when it comes to trees, that's for certain.
(36:03):
So she has asked for harder penalties when it comes
to this. She's also said that there are organizations who
are working to help replace these expensive trees, because again
the city has no money. Now, the guy who's Abel
Herado beat to be the new councilwoman for Council District fourteen.
Kevin daly On, Yeah, a lot of problems, of course,
caught up in that racist audio scandal that rocked the
(36:26):
city building back in twenty twenty three, and his situation
got worse this week. The City Ethics Commission fined former
La City councilan Kevin da Leon eighteen seven hundred and
fifty dollars for failing to disclose his financial ties to
organizations benefiting from three votes that he made. So Kevin
daly On getting kicked around even though he's no longer
(36:49):
in office. That's it for the first hour of Michael
Monk's reports. Coming up next hour, we're going to be
joined by US Senator Adam Shift, excuse me Shift in
the studios. I asked him a bit about the new
report that came out showing California's economy is now.
Speaker 3 (37:06):
The world's fourth largest. It's bigger than Japan.
Speaker 2 (37:09):
But when do we get to start feeling that what
does it mean to have such a large economy if
those of us living here can't really sense it. You'll
hear his response coming up in the next hour here
on Michael Monk's Reports on KFI AM sixty
Speaker 1 (37:22):
KFI AM six forty on demand
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