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You've probably read about plans to save the land around LA's famed Hollywood sign. The owner of a plot adjacent to the landmark wants to develop it. Houses, condos, maybe an office building?

Preservationists are scrambling to raise money to purchase the property. Which is sort of ironic, since they are trying to preserve what really amounts to a giant billboard in the Santa Monica Mountains. But, whatever.

Still, it begs the question: is any landmark safe from enterprising enterprisers eager to extract income from the iconic?

Here's a worst-case scenario:

Big Bucks
The Los Angeles City Council is wrestling with a budget deficit that's more than $200 million now and expected to more than triple in the next two years. As they look at laying off workers, cutting back hours at libraries, and even selling off parks and other city assets, a good deal of loathing is being directed at the Council members themselves.

It's no secret that LA Council members are among the highest-paid elected city representatives in the country. At almost $180,000, they make more than Members of Congress and many governors. Taken as a group, they employ a staff of about 320. For comparison, the White House staff is about 480.

Adding to the ire are the perks and practices that critics say allow Council members to variously flaunt the rules or feather their nests.

No Parking Problems
For instance, though the council has raised parking meter fees along streets throughout the city, council members are exempt. They can park without fear of being ticketed at any metered spot and freely walk away without slipping coins (or a credit card) into the meter.

Slush Fund?
Small potatoes, maybe. But a far bigger enchilada involves so-called member "discretionary funds." Not only does each council member get a budget of $100,000 per year to replenish this fund, which can be used pretty much any way the member wishes. But it has been the city's practice to divide the proceeds from certain city revenues with individual council members. So, if a plot of city-owned land is sold in Venice, half of the proceeds go into the general fund, and half would go to the discretionary fund of the member representing Venice.

This week City Controller Wendy Greuel released an audit showing that this sharing arrangement has contributed some $25 million to council member discretionary funds over the past twelve years. The LA Times has reported that one member alone, Westside councilman Bill Rosendahl, has amassed a fund that contains more than $4 million.

Street Furniture?
While most of the money pouring into the member's accounts comes from the sale of city-owned real estate, they also benefit from pipeline fees the city charges oil companies to pump black gold under the city streets. If pipelines run through your district, you get a taste.

Then there's the street furniture fund. No, this is not a tax on those who put couches on their front lawns. It's revenue from things like ads on bus benches or transit shelters and from facilities such as pay toilets. And this ain't pocket change. According to city budget documents, the street furniture fund generates almost $5 million a year.

For their part, Council members defend their big salaries, noting that each one represents about a quarter of a million people, and it's a 24/7 job. But it may be difficult for them to defend the practice of taking a cut of the action from city revenue, especially when it comes to land sales. In a letter to Mayor Antonia Villaraigosa, the City Controller wrote:

"It simply does not make sense that properties are acquired using money from the General Fund, yet when they are sold, the money doesn't go back to benefit the entire City. Further, there are many instances where properties were purchased when they were situated in one Council District, but because of redistricting are now located in a completely different Council District, thus the proceeds of a sale do not even benefit the original District!"

The Mayor has already indicated he'd like to at least "borrow" money from the council members individual accounts and put it in the general fund as a way of chipping away at the budget deficit. And as the city moves toward what appear to be inevitable lay-offs and other cut-backs, the issue of these discretionary funds, and of the council members pay, are sure to remain touchy topics.

Voting 9-3, without debate, the Los Angeles City Council approved a new medical marijuana ordinance this morning. If it withstands legal challenges, it could force the closure of hundreds of dispensaries, and impose tough standards on those allowed to continue operating.

City officials say they believe more than 500 pot shops may be forced to close under the terms of the new ordinance. Hundreds of clinics opened in the past four years, while the council passed, and then failed to enforce, a moratorium on new cannabis outlets.

The ordinance approved today requires dispensaries to be at least 1,000 feet from sites such as schools, parks and libraries. And it also forbids a clinic from operating within 1000 feet of another pot shop.

Although the council approved the measure today, there's still more to be done before it goes into effect. The council must approve fees it will charge operators of the clinics - fees which are designed to pay for the cost of monitoring the cannabis clubs. And the ordinance will require the mayor's signature. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is expected to sign it.

Below is a copy of the ordinance (you must have the latest version of Adobe Reader to view it).

SoCal Connected brought home six Golden Mike Awards for 2009, more than any other television news outlet in Southern California.

The awards, announced Saturday by The Radio & Television News Association of Southern California, included Best News Public Affairs Program, Best News Special, Best Hard News Reporting, Best Light News Reporting, Best Individual Writing, and Best Original News Commentary.

“SoCal Connected is honored to receive six Golden Mike Awards,” said Bret Marcus, the show's executive producer and senior vice president of programming and production at KCET. “SoCal Connected is committed to bringing viewers stories that can make a difference in their lives, and we’re proud to be recognized for our efforts.”

Below are links to the winning segments and series.

Best News Public Affairs Programming

"Is Anybody Listening?" - Correspondent John Larson follows the students at Village Academy High in Pomona as they produce an eight-minute video about their personal struggles in a down economy. He's still with them when their video goes viral and gets the attention of President Obama.

Best News Special

Inside Locke High - Correspondent Angela Shelley profiles a group of teens at Locke High, a school where students are more likely to drop out than graduate.

Best Hard News Series Reporting

Billboard Confidential - Correspondent Vince Gonzales reports on a two-month investigation, looking at the political alliances—so-called “sweetheart deals”—that have brought billboards to virtually every neighborhood in the city. Here's the full series:
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Best Light News Series Reporting

The Year Of Living Dangerously - Correspondent Angie Crouch reports through interviews and remarkable home video shot at sea by sailor Zac Sunderland, the youngest person to sail around the world solo. Here's the full series:
Original Report | First Update | Second Update | Zac's Return

Best Individual Writing

Safe Haven - Correspondent Judy Muller investigates a day in the life of the Los Angeles Public Library, as Phillip Saffell shows us how this public space serves as his home and workspace.

Best Original News Commentary

Commentaries - Marcos Villatoro, David Lazarus, Jill Stewart and Patt Morrison were recognized for their work. Here are some samples:
Marcos Villatoro | David Lazarus | Jill Stewart | Patt Morrison

One big problem with earthquakes - unlike hurricanes or even tornados, scientists simply cannot predict them.

Meanwhile, myths abound. Earthquake weather, or animals who can "hear" earthquakes coming.

Correspondent John Larson separates the facts from the fiction, and looks what scientists and emergency organizations are doing to help predict - and prepare for - the next big one.

Almost a week of heavy rains - with more expected - are starting to take their toll, especially in residential areas near the burn zone of last summer's Station Fire.

Residents in some 600 homes in the communities of La Canada Flintridge, La Cresenta and Acton were ordered to evacuate yesterday.

LA County and other local fire departments continue to have sandbags on hand for residents still trying to mitigate the flow of mud and debris.

Here's a list of shelters for displaced residents and their pets.

La Canada High School
4463 Oak Grove Dr
La Canada Fltrdg, CA 91011

Sunland Recreation Center
8651 Foothill Blvd.
Sunland, CA 91040

The Glendale-Crescenta Valley Chapter is opening the following location:
Glendale Civic Auditorium
1401 North Verdugo Road
Glendale, CA 91208

The Antelope Valley Chapter has opened the following evacuation center:
Marie Kerr Park Recreation Center
39700 30th St W
Palmdale, CA 93551

The American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles has provided the following safety tips on what to do if you are at risk of potential flooding and mudslides:

Know What to Expect
Know your area’s flood risk. If it has been raining hard for several hours, or steadily raining for several days, be alert to the possibility of a flood and listen to local radio or TV stations for flood information.

Floods Can Take Several Hours to Days to Develop

• A flood WATCH means a flood is possible in your area.
• A flood WARNING means flooding is already occurring or will occur soon in your area.

Assemble a Disaster Supplies Kit Containing

• First aid kit and essential medications.
• Canned food and can opener.
• At least three gallons of water per person
• Protective clothing, rainwear, and bedding or sleeping bags.
• Battery-powered radio, flashlight, and extra batteries.
• Special items for infants, elderly, or disabled family members.
• Identify where you could go if told to evacuate. Choose several places . . . a friend’s home in another town, a motel, or a shelter.

When a Flash Flood WARNING Is Issued

• Or if you think it has already started, evacuate immediately. You may have only seconds to escape. Act quickly!
• Move to higher ground away from rivers, streams, creeks, and storm drains. Do not drive around barricades . . . they are there for your safety.
• If your car stalls in rapidly rising waters, abandon it immediately and climb to higher ground.

Be alert of mudslide danger
Landslides and mudslides are typically associated with periods of heavy rainfall. In areas burned by forest and brush fires, a lower threshold of precipitation may initiate landslides.

• If your area has a history of mudslides, stay alert. Many fatalities occur when people are sleeping. Listen to local radio for warnings of intense rainfall.
• If you are in areas susceptible to landslides and debris flows, consider leaving if it is safe to do so.
• Listen for any unusual sounds that might indicate moving debris, such as trees cracking or boulders knocking together.
• If you are near a stream or channel, be alert for any sudden increase or decrease in water flow and for a change from clear to muddy water.
• Be especially alert when driving.

The powerful force of the shaking earth has been bedeviling mankind since the dawn of history. Scientists can now measure the energy of earthquakes, although the most powerful are not always the most deadly

Here's a look at eight great quakes from the past 300 years.

The USGS has an amazing array of data regarding quakes, including a list of earthquakes sorted by magnitude.

Is the agency charged with protecting the safety of California workers failing to do its job?

A six-month long investigation by SoCal Connected shows that many of the inspectors who enforce California's worker safety laws say the system is strained if not broken.

Our investigation discovered that fines levied against employers who violate safety rules are routinely reduced or even dismissed, often over the objections of Cal-OSHA workers who cited the companies for safety hazards.

Watch this exclusive investigation and find out why workers in California may have more to fear than just losing their jobs.

More on Cal-Osha and Worker Safety

Dole Food's Leaked Memo And Official Response
Read the leaked Dole Foods memo about worker safety, along with a response to SoCal Connected from the company.

Cal/OSHA Documents
Read a letter Cal/OSHA employees sent complaining about the actions of the board that can reduce or eliminate fines for violating worker safety rules.

A History of Worker Safety
Scroll through a brief time line of the history of worker safety, from ancient Sumeria to modern times.

Job Safety: Top 10 Violators
Which employers have been most often cited for workplace safety violations? We've got a top ten list, and it's sure to surprise you.

Cal/OSHA: Are Employers Getting Off The Hook?
Employers are often able to get fines for workplace safety violations reduced - or thrown out all together. An inside look at the process...inside.

Average Workplace Safety Fine: $1200
We've compiled a table that shows all the Cal/OSHA safety violations, and fines imposed, for the past fiscal year. Plus a link to more data.

When news of a major earthquake in Haiti broke, many in these parts took notice. Southern Californians are all too familiar with powerful tremors.

Many are opening their hearts and some are opening their wallets to help out victims of the Haiti quake.

A wide variety of organizations are collecting donations to provide help to Haitians in need. Here's a short list of links to a few:

CARE

UNICEF

Catholic Relief Services

American Jewish World Service

Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres

Mercy Corps

International Rescue Committee

Also, the Red Cross has a program that allows you to send a $10 contribution to their Haitian relief fund. Just text 'Haiti" to 9099. Or you can donate at their Web site.

There is, as to be expected, a very active Twitter stream on Haiti. Along with news from the island, many tweets concern ways to contribute. And Twicsy.com has a continually updated collection of pictures sent via Twitter of the devastation in Haiti.

The US Dept. of Labor collects statistics from all the state OSHA agencies, including California, and they publish timely data on citations for violations. We compiled this table from data retrieved from the Dept. of Labor databases. It represents all reported workplace safety citations and fines in California for the most recent fiscal year.

	Cal Osha Enforcement	Citations	Fines	Ave. Fine
	totals: all industries	16753	$20,279,343	$1,210.49
	October 2008-Sept 2009
	Industry	Citations	Fines	Ave. Fine
	Agriculture, Forestry, And Fishing	1605	2479843	$1,545
	Mining	317	300355	$947
	Construction	3880	$4,959,146	$1,278
	Manufacturing	4802	$6,639,700	$1,383
	Transportation	795	$1,152,982	$1,450
	Wholesale Trade	452	600270	$1,328
	Retail	1365	$1,098,139	$804
	Finance, Insurance, Real Estate	177	$232,095	$1,311
	Services	3153	$2,472,116	$784
	Public Administration	207	$344,697	$1,665
	source: Dept. of Labor
	Penalties shown reflect current rather than initial fines

Cal-Osha, the agency charged with enforcing workplace safety, writes thousands of citations each year against employers who fail to follow safety regulations.

Here's a short video compilation of the top ten violators. The names on the list may surprise you, especially some at the top of the top ten.

Since last fall, SoCal Connected has been investigating a revised flood map project instituted by FEMA.

The agency's actions meant homeowners throughout Southern California, and the entire nation, suddenly found their neighborhoods designated as flood zones. That meant they needed to purchase flood insurance, at a cost of hundreds and even thousands of dollars per year.

Our investigation showed that FEMA's maps were based on often flawed data, and since we began airing a series of stories, the agency has backed off, removing flood zone designations for some areas, including two we reported on - in South LA, and in Ventura County.

Here's a reference to our reporting on this story, presented in chronological order:

Hung Out to Dry
Long-time residents say there's never been any standing water, but some homeowners in South Los Angeles are paying thousands for flood insurance. Find out why in a special SoCal Connected investigation.

Hung Out To Dry: The Documents
If you like being a nosy reporter yourself, do the legwork. Check out these primary sources used to produce our segment "Hung Out To Dry?"

Update: Ventura Country
Residents of Ventura County also face steep insurance rates due to changes in flood maps prepared by FEMA.

Am I In A Flood Zone?

Check out this interactive map, and then visit Floodsmart.gov to get your flood risk profile. (Requires Google Earth.)

Hung Out To Dry: Victory In Ventura
Our investigation pays off for some Ventura County residents. After we found some holes in FEMA's plan to declare some neighborhoods as flood zones—and require the residents to pay big insurance premiums—FEMA backed down and now says it will revisit its decision.

FEMA Backs Down in South LA
Following SoCal's coverage, hundreds more homes the agency at first put in high-risk flood zones are suddenly safe.

Our investigation pays off for some Ventura County residents. After we found some holes in FEMA's plan to declare some neighborhoods as flood zones—and require the residents to pay big insurance premiums—FEMA backed down and now says it will revisit its decision.

Top: On a version of Oxnard's flood map dated April 2009, yellow indicates a high-risk area (blue shows the Santa Clara riverbed), but flood depths are left off. Above: A map showing the same area dated August 2009, after the final community meeting. Here, only the blue areas are high-risk, and the red lines indicate flood depths.

Some Ventura County homeowners can breathe a bit easier now that they are no longer being required to buy flood insurance.

Two weeks after SoCal Connected's investigation, FEMA said it would postpone a flood insurance requirement for certain areas of Oxnard and Fillmore.

"FEMA has basically given us everything we would have gotten had we gone to federal court," Richard Tentler, an attorney representing homeowners via the Flood Zone Justice Association, said in a telephone interview.

A map revision the federal agency unveiled in July prompted a public outcry, since it would have required some residents to pay for flood insurance without giving them the information they say they need to appeal their cases. In addition, homeowners claimed, the federal agency had not allowed enough time for public comment.

The matter became further complicated when FEMA released a different map to SoCal Connected. It showed a high-risk area about 40 percent smaller than the one revealed to the public, and provided the missing information homeowners and local officials said they needed.