Desperate days for state, city

Governor releases plan to lay off thousands

- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday called for laying off thousands of state employees and slashing billions from education to deal with California's latest budget deficit. AP in the Daily News.

The governor also wants to sell state property, including the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Ventura County Fairgrounds, to raise $600 million to $1 billion over the next two to five years. He said the state could save millions of dollars by eliminating or consolidating certain boards and departments.

Mayor goes on offensive
In a rare showdown pitting Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa against the City Council, the dispute over expanding the LAPD escalated Thursday as the mayor blasted a Westside councilman who switched positions to oppose his budget.Daily News

Flanked by police officers, firefighters and business leaders at a news conference, the mayor criticized Councilman Bill Rosendahl, who'd previously promised to support an expansion of the Los Angeles Police Department. On Wednesday, however, Rosendahl was one of three budget committee members to vote against the mayor's proposed $7 billion budget, which includes money to continue hiring officers.