Update below: IBEW releases its own ad, saying the city is “on the verge of bankruptcy.” Wendy Greuel had the airwaves to herself for two full weeks — but no longer.
This ad features none of the high-flown, history-making rhetoric that we've come to expect from Garcetti. There's nothing about Silicon Beach or smartphone apps or a clean energy revolution or a 21st century rail network.
On fiscal matters, Garcetti has been encouraging voters to see the glass as half-full for a while. He has also argued that the other candidates stood on the sidelines of the city's fiscal debate while he and his council colleagues made difficult decisions to balance the budget. In a debate yesterday, Garcetti took credit for reducing the city's budget deficit by 80%. Without the cuts in staffing and pensions, the city was expected to face a $1 billion deficit this year. Instead, it's only $200 million.
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