The Courier’s Desert —pg 19-20, Active Retirement—Pg 21
BEVERLY HILLS VOLUME XXXXVIII NUMBER 10 $135 PER YEAR - $1.25 PER COPY •
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SINCE 1965 JUNIOR AMBASSADORS—This week actor Matt Lillard helped Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) launch its Ambassador Program . Pictured at the launch, front from left: Macey Lillard , Arden MacLaren, Javier Arreola and Katie Hoffman; second row: Julia Pinney, Johnny Hoffman, Craig MacLaren, Addison Lillard, Max Page and Els Page. Matt Lillard in back. Photo by Keats Elliott Photography
Joan Rivers reviews William Shatner’s one man show. 2
Beverly Hills Little League celebrates opening day. 4
CHLA Partners Up To Launch Ambassador Program Michael Jackson hat to be auctioned at Good Shepherd Gala. 5
Two Southern California families have come together to support the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Though their hospital experi-
ences and hometowns were six years and 80 miles apart, the Pages from San Clemente and the Hoffmans of Pasadena came
March 9, 2012
Israeli President Shimon Peres Addresses Community In BH By Laura Coleman New York and Washington. Last night, Israeli President A Nobel Laureate, the 88Shimon Peres addressed the year-old Peres is regarded as the community at The Beverly Hilton last founding father of Israel who about the Israeliis still active in Pa l e s t i n i a n politics. peace process, Pressure the role of modcontinues to esern technology, calate in the the entertainMiddle East with ment industry respect to Iran. and the danger At this year’s anposed by Iran. nual AmericanOther parIsraeli Public Afticipants includfairs Committee ed Michael convention earOren, Israel’s lier this week, IsPresident Shimon Peres ambassador to raeli Prime Minthe United ister Benjamin States; David Siegel, consul gen- Netanyahu indicated that time eral of Israel, and Jewish Federa- was running out before military tion officials. action would be used to quell The event was part of Peres’ the threat posed by Iran. four-day visit to the Southland— During a press conference the final leg of his U.S. tour on Super Tuesday, President which included the Bay Area, (see ‘PERES,’ page 18)
(see ‘AMBASSADORS,’ page 16)
City Staff Cost Increases The “Winter House” to go on sale next week. 5
BHPD to participate in 2012 Unity Bike Ride.
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•Health & Wellness •Birthdays
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How much is the right amount to pay city employees? Apparently Beverly Hills has never really asked whether the average of $168,000 total cost for each employee (along with 13 weeks paid time off) is “out of line” with pay in the private sector. Compared to widely reported salaries for federal and California workers, Beverly Hills’ costs are dramatically out of line. U.S. Census Bureau data show that the average annual salary of a California state government employee in 2007 was $53,958, nearly 32 percent
greater than the average private sector worker ($40,991). In 2006, the state compared state and private sector compensation for the first time in two decades. While the State of California Department of Personnel Administration survey did not include all job classifications, the analysis determined a number of benchmark job classifications and found that state compensation was greater than private sector compensation for clerical jobs, accountants, custodians, electricians, stationary engi(see ‘CITY SALARIES,’ page 26)
Staff Alleges Parking Fund ‘Deficit,’ Pushes New Financing
George Christy, Page 6 A Conversation Starter, Hollywood Rides A Bike , Is Chockablock With Vintage And Current Photos Of Celebrities; DinnerDancing On New Year’s Eve With The President And First Lady At Sunnylands Editorial from Rabbi Pressman AND MORE
CLASSIFIEDS • • • • •
Announcements Real Estate Rentals Sales and More
GRAND OPENING—Audi of Beverly Hills celebrated its grand opening last night. A great neighbor from the get-go, Audi of Beverly Hills announced last week a four-year, $100,000 commitment to supporting Beverly Hills Schools. Pictured (from left) are Owner Ted Jones, BHUSD Superintendent Gary Woods, President of Audi America Johan de Nysschen, Board of Education member Lewis Hall and Board of Education President Brian Goldberg. Photo Courtesy of WireImages
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OPERA’S 30-YEAR-OLD ROMEO—Cleveland-born matinee idol Alek Shrader stars in Benjamin Britten’s comic opera Albert Herring at the LA Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion through March 17. Bring the youngsters—they’ll love it! More photos in George Christy’s column on page 6, and check out Joan Rivers’ review on page 2 of William Shatner’s oneman show playing on March 10 at the Pantages Theatre. Robert Millard
The City Council took up its “Parking Enterprise Fund” Tuesday with a staff report showing a projected deficit of $40 million by FY 2020/2021. The “Parking Enterprise Fund” is not really a separate, segregated “fund,” but is an accounting entry used to track certain revenues and expenses generally related to parking. According to City Treasurer Eliot Finkel, the components of this “fund” have changed frequently over the years. This means that any “deficit” or “surplus” can be affected, created, decreased or enlarged simply through ac-
counting entries. City staff has frequently used an alleged “deficit” in the past to support demands to eliminate free two-hour parking in Beverly Hills. Those efforts have been soundly defeated by Beverly Hills voters who clearly support the tradition of two-hour free parking. Residents and businesses view “free parking” as a “cost of doing business” to support the retail business community in Beverly Hills that generates millions of dollars for the City from sales taxes. Nonetheless, city parking facilities still need up(see ‘PARKING DEFICIT,’ page 26)