Press Release Journalism Continues: Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics
Rick Orlov, who has joined the Press Release School of Journalism, wrote in an article today, "Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is calling on city department heads to cut spending by 5 percent and find up to $20 million in savings for the next city budget."Wow! Spending CUTS! How impressive!
What Orlov omitted to mention, perhaps because it wasn't in the press release: the City's revenues rose by 12% over last year, so the so-called "cut" is, in fact, something on the order of a 7% INCREASE.
But by all means, let's give the public the impresssion that the Mayor is actually cutting the budget. After all, it's what's in the press release that counts, not what's in the budget.
To read the press release -- er, article -- go here: http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_4620776
Oh, equally amusing: Orlov wrote a piece on Measure H, and what a mystery its failure was. He of course interviewed the Council Members who came up with explanations like, "I think there might have been confusion over how this is different from what the state was proposing." Orlov did not bother to interview anyone involved in the opposition to Measure H, like, say, the Howard Jarvis organization.
Here's that one: http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_4624734
Posted by Walter Moore @ 11/08/2006 07:23:00 PM
7 Comments:
Walter,
Is this 12% increase in City revenues spread across the board, i.e., every single City budget and sub-budget is increased by 12%? Or do some departments get a bigger share of the 12% than others? If so, then the Mayor may be on to something, asking some Departments to trim up.
PS, when are you guys going to allow unmoderated comments again? Im all for order and stuff, but it was kinda fun reading some of the flame wars that went on here.
I saw an article where Rush Limbaugh said he felt "liberated" after the Democrats took over both houses of congress. He said "I no longer have to carry the water of those who don't deserve it."
Do you suppose that Orlov is carrying the Mayor's water and he needs to be liberated? ;->
This is BULLSHIT that we tax payers are footing the bill for Antonio and the city to fight the school takeover. That little midget asshole said his committee would pay all costs. This is outrageous. WHY ISN'T HIS COMMITTEE PAYING THE COST FOR THE LEGAL BATTLE? WHY DIDN'T ZUMA DOGG SPEAK OUT AT COUNCIL ABOUT THIS OR DID HE???
City approves $100,000 to defend school takeover... City Council voted Wednesday to spend as much as $100,000 for outside attorneys to defend legislation that gives Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa some authority over the Los Angeles Unified School District. The mayor had indicated that the city would bear no legal costs for his initiative. Plans changed after the district challenged whether his campaign committee could legally fund litigation costs.
Gotta love the great David Z from
LA Weekly...
Nothing changes at City Hall
The day after Measure R passes, lobbyists arrive in full force at the City Council to delay consideration of the living wage issue at LAX hotels. David Zahniser at LA Weekly.
Of course an increase in revenues does NOT automatically flow to department budgets. That's what they have a budget process for. The departments will try to glom onto as much as they can get and the Mayor (and perhaps the Council) will push back.
The Mayor's already told the departments to cut by 5% from this year's levels, not from the 12% increase. That would then leave him some room for discretion on how to use any increased revenues there may be. There are also a couple of pending lawsuit judgements that could knock something like $300M out of the City's revenue stream, so that would come out of the 12%.
This is definitely a "don't count your chickens" situation. It's by no means certain that Walter's characterization is accurate. In fact, it's almost for sure that it's not.
Yeah. The arrogant City Council members took H so for granted they didn't even place a congratulatory call to the winning side.
In fact, they couldn't even think of who to call!
Same reason our NC's agree to pay losses for Private event promoters.
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