Mayors complain about stimulus spending

On a conference call with elected officials Friday, Biden fielded a complaint about stimulus money flowing to states rather than to cities. Some of the local elected officials on the call said Biden seemed to take their side. But DeSeve, who also was on the call, said the vice president was merely trying to show empathy.

With the economy in a slump, some lawmakers believe a second stimulus is necessary. If Congress were to take up a second stimulus, mayors said they would press hard for new rules routing money straight to cities.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said he was satisfied with the transportation dollars the city has received. He said he increased Los Angeles' share by lobbying state officials.

If a second bill comes around, however, the mayor said he wanted some changes.

"The money should have been distributed more proportionately," Villaraigosa said, "based on population and congestion."

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peter.nicholas@latimes.com