The Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley voted overwhelmingly on Monday night to endorse former Assemblyman Paul Koretz for the 5th District seat on the Los Angeles City Council.
"Paul Koretz has earned the respect of grassroots Democratic activists in the Valley because he has always stood up for what is right. It is a quality we need and value in our elected officials,' the organization said in a statement.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, on CNN's Situation Room, said the city is not looking for earmarks from the federal government.
"We are ready to put up our own money," Villaraigosa told host Wolf Blitzer, citing voter approval of a half-cent sales tax measure and several bond issues. "We are looking for an investment from the federal government to get people back on jobs."
The mayor was asked about the state budget difficulties and he said blame should be spread for all involved.
"The governor has not been able to get one Republican to get behind this effort and the state legislature hasn't take the steps to cut spending or raise revenue," Villaraigosa said. "The one thing they can't do is balance this on the back of the cities or the taxpayers."

Councilwoman Wendy Greuel announced she is formally kicking off her campaign for City Controller at noon Saturday, with a picnic at Van Nuys Sherman Oarks Park, 14201 Huston St
Sherman Oaks.
Greuel said she is asking people to bring donations of a non-perishable food item to contribute to the Valley Food Bank.

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg wants to limit the amount of legislation members can introduce in 2009 in an effort to keep lawmakers focused on the state's budget. Capitol Alert.

Steinberg, in an interview with The Bee Capitol Bureau, said Wednesday that the plan is not final, though he has discussed the idea with members of his caucus.

The United Firefighters of Los Angeles City announced this week it is endorsding Councilman Jack Weiss for election as City Attorney on March 3.
UFLAC President Patrick McOsker cited Weiss' experience on the City Council and his support for public safety.
"The United Firefighters of Los Angeles City has a proud tradition of helping elect those who demonstrate a true understanding of the issues facing firefighters and the jobs we do," UFLAC said in a statement.
"Candidates who we endorse become trusted friends who we rely on to advocate for us, our issues, and the issues of all working people."
Weiss, who is a close ally of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, has also received the backing of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO.
He is being challenged by four opponents.

Nick Patsaouras, candidate for City Controller, picked up a key employee group endorsement today, when the 10,000 member Engineers and Architects Association voted to back his election in the March 3 contest.
The EAA broke with other unions four years ago when it endorsed Antonio Villaraigosa for mayor, but have been at odds with him almost from the day he took office in 2005, in an ongoing contract dispute that lead to a work slowdown by the union.
In choosing to back Patsaouras, the union snubbed Councilwoman Wendy Greuel, who has close ties to the mayor.
In a letter to Patsaouras, EAA General Manager Bob Aquino said "we are with you in this effort."

Home Depot has given up its fight to build a store in the Sunland-Tujunga area, delighting community activists who waged a four-year, grass-roots battle against the home-improvement giant.Brandon Lowrey in the Daily News.

"Oh, my gosh," said an enthusiastic Joe Barrett, who headed the campaign against the big-box store, which residents feared would add too much traffic and pollution to their neighborhood. "What a day, what a day."

Home Depot quietly withdrew its lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles late last month and took down a Web site meant to rally community support. The company blamed the project's demise on a tough legal struggle with the city and the sour economy.

Once regarded as a national leader in higher education, California is quickly falling in the ranks as fewer young people graduate from high school and enroll in college, according to a report released Wednesday by the California Faculty Association. Connie Llanos in the Daily News.

In its investment in public higher education and college degree attainment, the state ranks has plunged.

California ranked 49th in the country in terms for its number of adults with at least a high school diploma, 46th for the number of 19-year-olds enrolled in college and 31st for college enrollment among students in low-income families.

Using the 20th anniversary of the acquisition of Billy the elephant for the Los Angeles Zoo, Councilman Tony Cardenas on Wednesday revived the debate over whether the city should exhibit elephants. Daily News.

Joined by actress Mariana Tosca, who serves as an animal-welfare adviser to Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, and Catherine Doyle of In Defense of Animals, Cardenas renewed his call for the city to abandon its plans for a $42 million pachyderm forest.

Voters in the city's March 3 election will be asked to decide on five local proposals, ranging from a controversial solar energy plan to an effort to bring new business to Los Angeles. Daily News.

Measure A would create the post of independent assessor in the Los Angeles Fire Department to oversee reforms aimed at ending sexual and racial harassment that has resulted in high-profile, costly lawsuits.

The proposal came about after a series of audits by Controller Laura Chick and internal review by the department found the need to push through reforms.

Democratic leaders sent Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger an $18 billion deficit-cutting package on Tuesday, a plan he quickly vetoed as anti-tax groups filed a lawsuit to stop it.AP in the Daily News.

The activity came amid the Legislature's third special session since the November election to deal with California's worsening budget deficit, projected at $42 billion over the next 18 months.

With Schwarzenegger's veto, time is running out for lawmakers to find a midyear fix. The state controller has warned that California will be so short of cash it will have to start issuing IOUs in February to vendors and taxpayers expecting refunds.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday called for a pilot plan to reduce gangs and violence in four areas. Troy Anderson in the Daily News.

The four are the Pacoima, Monrovia- Duarte, Florence-Firestone and Harbor- Gateway areas. If the program is successful, the supervisors said they may ultimately expand it countywide.

The supervisors said the county chief executive officer, Bill Fujioka, will form the Los Angeles County Gang Prevention, Intervention and Suppression Coordination Committee to develop a detailed plan over the next 180 days to reduce gang membership and violence in the four pilot areas.

Los Angeles City Council members Tuesday questioned the city's recent decision to raise rates at parking meters, saying it may cost the city tax revenue.Daily News.

Council members suggested that the increase - in some cases going from $1 an hour to $4 an hour - may be causing customers to stay away from Los Angeles businesses in some areas, decreasing the city's take from sales tax.

"We have a whole area of Canoga Park where businesses are concerned about the impact," said Councilman Dennis Zine, who complained the city should have done more outreach to the business community before imposing the new rates.

The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles has bought a $3.5 million office building in Van Nuys, a few blocks from the space it is currently renting. Brandon Lowrey in the Daily News.

The move will make it easier and less costly for the state-chartered agency to provide Section 8 housing assistance for low-income renters in the San Fernando Valley, officials said.

With the 111th Congress being sworn in on Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein wasted no time in introducing series of measures including the closure of Guatanamo and a measure to help homeowners facing foreclosure.
"Today marks the official start to the historic 111th Congress. I am introducing a series of first-day bills that I believe will help bring about meaningful, positive change for our country,: Feinstein said.
The measure to close Guatanamo was co-authored with Sen. John Rockefeller, D-Ky, and Ron Wyden, D-Or.
Other measures include:
· Authorizing at least $25 billion from the government's financial rescue program, the Troubled Assets Recovery Program (or TARP), to provide streamlined loan modifications to keep struggling families from losing their homes (Senate companion to a bill introduced by Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles.
· Providing $10 billion in federal rescue funds (TARP) to ensure the solvency of local cities and counties that have lost investments from failed financial institutions like Lehman Brothers and Washington Mutual;
· Demanding accountability from financial institutions receiving federal rescue funds (TARP) funds. (Cosponsored with several other senators).
· Banning the sale of Inaugural tickets;
· Cracking down on criminal street gangs through a balanced approach of enforcement, prevention and intervention (Co0sponsored with several other senators).
· Implementing a settlement agreement to restore the San Joaquin River, with Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-CA.
· Preventing identity theft and protecting the privacy of sensitive personal information; and
· Establishing a dedicated funding source to clean up hazardous abandoned gold and silver mines on public lands.