Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Monday

The City is going broke yet salaries continue to skyrocket. The Daily News has compiled a database of city salaries. The list of employees who make over $200,000 a year is staggering, including LAPD Chief Bratton who makes $300,000 a year to tell his constituents where to go. City Chief Administrative Officer Karen Sission makes $220,000 and her replacement - Marcus Allen - wants another $70,000 per year. Do these people know this is the taxpayer's money not theirs?

Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Arnold Schwarzenegger all say that immigrants to the United States need to learn English. Schwarzenegger, an immigrant himself who came to America not knowing how to speak English urges Spanish speaking immigrants to turn off Telemundo and watch English television. However, Joe Mathews of the Washington Post disagrees; his view is that local Spanish television news does a superior job of covering the municipal scene.

A transit blogger says that Mayor Villaraigosa's and Supervisor Antonovich's Gold Line extension encourages sprawl and should be ditched in favor of two light rail lines that would serve Glendale and Eagle Rock.

In the Daily News Sunday, Doug McIntyre recounted a recent road trip across the country which allowed him to reflect on life here in LA. While Councilwoman Janice Hahn is reportedly paying gang members to fight gang crime she's been working on ownership of chickens in Los Angeles, a serious issue facing our city.

There could be something sinister happening in Hollywood; development of the area's first skyscraper on the former site of CBS's Columbia Square at Sunset and Gower. Strangely, the project's website is blank.

A group of Black Republicans are raising funds on the notion that the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Republican. According to the group the civil rights leader registered GOP in 1956.

BREAKING NEWS: City Hall Shakeup?

The LA Times is reporting that City Administrative Officer Karen Sisson is leaving her post to take a position at Pomona College. Replacing her is Marcus Allen, yes, that Marcus Allen.

We've also picked up on some chatter - unconfirmed - that Chief of Staff Robin Kramer is leaving as well. No other details.

Developing - stay tuned as we dig more.

BREAKING NEWS!!! City Council to continue discussion on DWP Rate Hikes

DWP General Manager H. David Nahai will have to wait until next Wednesday in getting the Rate Hikes that he seeks, if he gets them at all

The City Council just voted 11-2 (LaBonge and Garcetti voting no) to continue discussion about the proposed rate hikes.

Despite passionate testimony by Nahai on the needs to quickly pass the rate hikes. The council and their allies from the numerous Neighborhood Councils felt that more time was needed to study the impact on selected popoulation groups, outcomes on legal remedies (City of Los Angeles vs. Everyone Lawsuit) and answer questions about oversite concerns.

This continuance can be seen as Nahai's first rebuke as the new DWP General Manager.

Judging by the comments of the various Council members he faces a up hill fight.

BREAKING NEWS!!, from the L.A. Times

Karen Sisson, a widely respected City Hall figure who keeps watch over L.A.'s troubling municipal budget deficit, plans to leave her post, Duke Helfand reports. Sisson will take the post of vice president and treasurer of her alma mater, Pomona College.

Sisson, who plans to finish out the fiscal year, will be replaced by Marcus Allen, Antonio Villaraigosa's former deputy chief of staff. Full story to come.

-- Veronique de Turenne

Story by Daily News reporter Rick Orlov
Story by LA Times reporter Duke Helfand