By Jack Humphreville, includes “The City of Los Angeles is still looking for a financial bailout from Washington, DC, despite the apparent failure of the Democrats to flip the Senate. … Over the years, the City has relied on smoke and mirrors to ‘balance’ the budget, whether it was by deferring spending for items such as the repair and maintenance of our streets and potholes, by accelerating the receipt of revenues, by issuing debt, or by raiding or shortchanging the Reserve Fund. …”