LA City Council: STILL Livin' Large

The feature above, on salaries for Los Angeles City Council members, was a big hit when we posted it last month. Council members make a base salary of just under $179,000, plus lots of perks. Meanwhile, the city budget is more than $200 million in the red, and employees are being fired. Those that remain are being asked to take pay cuts and/or unpaid leave days.

This week KABC radio reporter Michael Linder surveyed members, and found at least seven who don't appear willing to go along with everyone else in sharing the pain.

Westside Council member Bill Rosendahl told Linder, “I’ll take the cut if the rest do. I’m not going to take it first. Why should I do that?"

And Bernard Parks, who gets an amazing $22,000 city pension check each month for his service with the LAPD, gave Linder this tart no-comment: “I never speak about my personal salary. It’s a public record and that’s all I can say to you.”

It should be noted that a number of members, and the Mayor, have taken voluntary cuts. Here's the rundown, again, according to Michael Linder:

• Mayor Villaraigosa: 16% cut in his $223,000 salary
• Eric Garcetti: 4.16% in July. Raised to 10% in mid-January.
• Ed Reyes: 10% pay cut in mid-February
• Paul Koretz: 10% cut since August.
• Dennis Zine: 5% cut January 1.
• Tom LaBonge: 5% cut January 1
• Jose Huizar: 10% cut January 30
• Jan Perry: 5% cut as of this montn.
• Janice Hahn: 4.16% cut July 1.