Government Employees Communications

Now that it's joined the age of computers and portable phones, our local government still has to figure out how to control the costs of the technological revolution. Cellular phones are an example. Last week, Times reporter Jeff Brazil revealed about $3 million in bills from 3,400 Los Angeles city- and county-owned cellular phones in the last fiscal year. City and county cell phone bills here--averaging $242,000 a month--are much higher than in other cities.

Now that it's joined the age of computers and portable phones, our local government still has to figure out how to control the costs of the technological revolution. Cellular phones are an example. Last week, Times reporter Jeff Brazil revealed about $3 million in bills from 3,400 Los Angeles city- and county-owned cellular phones in the last fiscal year. City and county cell phone bills here--averaging $242,000 a month--are much higher than in other cities.

In a major departure from its political stance of four years ago, the AFL-CIO announced Tuesday that it will not endorse a presidential candidate before the primaries begin next year. Lane Kirkland, president of the 13-million-member labor federation, said that union members were not close to achieving a consensus on a candidate. "Our rules say we have to have a two-thirds majority to endorse. We don't have it," Kirkland said.