Results tagged “salary”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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...

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...

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,...

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...

On Tuesday it was announced that Dodger catcher Russell Martin is joining a fraternity of National League catchers that include Johnny Roseboro, Johnny Bench, Benito Santiago, Tony Pena and even Mike Lieberthal. Russell Martin is now a gold glove winner. Since 1957, Rawlings have been giving out the gold glove award for best fielding performance at each position. Martin is the first full year Dodger catcher since Johnny Roseboro in 1966 to win this...

Lakers 119, Jazz 109 - The Lakers may have won their second straight game against a division champ. Kobe may be playing team ball (and even blocked a dunk, for cryin' out loud). We're still not buying it ... Derek Fisher was 0-for-7 in the first half against his former team, but finished with 19 points ... The Lakers removed press row from courtside, adding 15 more seats which are going for $2,300 per game....

Fire crews are optimistic, but not yet looking to declare victory over the multiple blazes that have burned over 500,000 acres and displaced millions. We agree, it's best to be sure before declaring victory too soon. One blaze that has partially kept officials from declaring an end to the madness, the Santiago fire in Orange County, is expected to be contained by Friday. But it could take years to rebuild charred neighborhoods. Seven people...

Just one week ago, the Kings were a miserable 1-5 and it looked as though desperate managerial measures would be coming down the pipes. After a 6-0 pounding the LA boys laid down on the Nashville Predators tonight, the Kings are a far more respectable 4-6. One storyline has changed, while another has stayed the same. What's different is that the Kings have exhibited stable defending and offensive production, enough to win three of the last four. What has not changed is that the Kings have one hell of a bargain in young Michael Cammalleri.

Fire 1, Galaxy 0 - We happened to be at Chicago-area hotspot Krem last night and saw players from both teams drinking, but for different reasons. The Fire scored in extra time to clinch the final MLS playoff spot and send the Galaxy back to Los Angeles for the year. We think we ran into Chicago mega-star Cuauhtemoc Blanco in line for the bathroom, but it's a little fuzzy. We did see LA's Cobi Jones,...

The LA Department of Water and Power seem to think that LA will just sit back and let them raise rates, hide money, and allow themselves to get rich. In the last few weeks the public utility has been exposed for a few troubling trends and actions that we quietly await to see what Mayor Tony, and our other elected officials, will do about it. On Sunday the LA Daily News discovered that over...

What a waste of a quarter billion dollars. For the same amount that the Galaxy promised David Beckham to come to Los Angeles, they could have paid the salaries of all 26 New York Yankees in 2007 -- plus the Florida Marlins and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. In the NFL, they could have covered an entire team operating at the salary cap for almost two and a half seasons. Granted, it's a five year...

I've had some frustrating jobs in the past--mostly in retail--but there is nothing quite like the pain and humiliation of stumping for a cause and a minimum wage paycheck. When I was a mere young'un, at 18, I spent six months working as a door-to-door canvasser for Greenpeace. Yes, I was one of those annoying neo-hippie crusader types (mind you, I bathed and shaved and did not spread any funk, unlike some of my...

Selected quotes from another Wilshire gridlocked story in the LA Times ("Signal fixes get the green light" by Ron Gong-Lin II):Last month, [Councilman Jack] Weiss asked the city Department of Transportation for its master plan and list of top needs, and found out there were none. "It's municipal malpractice," Weiss said. "We have a strategic plan for other important aspects for our city, but the one most vexing issue, traffic. . . there's no...

Photo of my little sister by my cousin Kevin for LAist, to represent the fact that I was treated like a five-year-old!!! (And also how I currently feel.)

Between the competitive NL West, the blazin’ Brewers, and the surging Indians, there are more compelling stories out there than what A-Rod’s bitter wife wore to a game and what the Bronx Bums aren’t doing.

- Are you a racist? Are you sure? Take this quiz and find out - Harvard.edu

Okay, listen up world: I’m moving to Hollywood. That’s right. I’m living the dream. I’m packing up my bags and my books and my pots and my pans, my clothes and my dishes and my ridiculous second-hand overstuffed lounge chairs, and I’m moving. Ten miles away. Somewhere different, somewhere special, somewhere - cheaper than Santa Monica. I mean, let’s face it: despite the rosy promise of rent control, the price of Santa Monica apartments...

--Kobe Bryant Wednesday night