Speaking of budget cuts: Last summer, the City Council approved an early retirement program for city workers, all part of an attempt to fix the budget. But it doesn't sound like this is just a simple plan to trim the fat and retire the old dinosaurs.
Over the weekend, the Los Angeles Times contemplated the fallout from the City Council's decision, reporting that "policymakers have only begun grasping the magnitude of the exodus of librarians, building inspectors, traffic officers, city planners and other workers, many of them the city's most experienced employees."
While your local librarian may disappear, here are some examples of what could happen development-wise: The paper reports that up to 40 workers in the planning department could retire, while plans to update old zoning rules will be scrapped. "Development projects mean jobs. They mean investment in this city," Carol Schatz of the Central City Assn tells the Times. "And it's important that they're properly staffed and have the resources to do the job."
City Hall image via You Are Here
