Los Angeles is a city facing economic decline, weighed down by poverty, strangled by traffic and suffering from a crisis of leadership, according to a report released Wednesday by a 13-member panel of influential civic leaders.

The Los Angeles 2020 Commission offered a harsh assessment of government decision-making, warning that the nation’s second-largest city is heading to a future where it can no longer afford to provide public services. Among a litany of problems highlighted in the report are underfunded retirement programs for City Hall employees, slower police and fire response times, and government spending that is growing faster than revenue. …

Among the challenges highlighted by the panel: a poverty rate higher than many other American cities; city revenue that has remained flat since 2009; a shrinking middle class; and “wishful” responses to a “continued economic decline.”

Garcetti focuses on public safety, building standards

But Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, elected in May 2013, continues to focus on other issues and not take on what the commission depicts as the causes of his city’s broad decline. That was evident Tuesday in his second State of the City address, as reported by the L.A. Times:

[New] public safety initiatives … headlined the mayor’s second State of the City speech, delivered at Cal State Northridge. During the broad-ranging address, which lasted nearly an hour, Garcetti recounted accomplishments of his first two years in office and elements of his agenda he is still pursuing.

Among the ongoing initiatives the mayor cited is a proposal to raise the city’s minimum wage and mandate the strengthening of buildings that could collapse in a major earthquake. In the San Fernando Valley, where Garcetti chose to deliver his speech, the latter topic has special resonance for residents who suffered the worst effects of the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

He said he hopes a major earthquake “will not happen during my time as mayor, and God willing, not in our lifetimes. But it will happen. It’s overdue.”

The mayor announced new technology-related policy proposals that could prove controversial: Collecting taxes from the vacation-rental company Airbnb and allowing the ride-share services Uber and Lyft to pick up customers at Los Angeles International Airport. (Currently, the app-based ride services can only pick up limited numbers of passengers at LAX.)

On a more pedestrian note, Garcetti pledged to place 5,000 new trash cans in the city to help remedy what he called “dirty streets lined with broken TVs and abandoned couches.”

40 percent of city’s residents live in poverty

The Times also noted the mayor emphasized his accountability by saying “as long as I’m your mayor, I won’t duck bad news. I’m going to own it.”

Bruce Bialosky, a Los Angeles writer, doesn’t agree. This is from his sad take on his home city on Townhall.com last year:

Eight percent of Los Angelenos earn poverty pay. If you include those out of work, they state 40 percent of residents live in misery.

Los Angeles is the only one of seven major metropolitan areas in the country to have a net decline in employment over the last decade.

Major industries are leaving; none are moving here. Twelve companies on the Fortune 500 used to call Los Angeles home, and now just four do.

The school system graduates just 60 percent of its students from high school and only 32 percent are qualified for either the UC or Cal State University systems.

The pension system has set aside only 10 percent of the future needs of city workers.

The “Time for Truth” report can be read here.

It is not the only grim look at Los Angeles’ economy. According to a UCLA Anderson report issued last year, L.A. saw a 3 percent decline in payroll jobs from 1990 to 2013. During that span, L.A.’s population went up 11 percent, from 3.49 million to 3.85 million.

But what we’re not seeing nearly enough of from the Democrats who want Filner out is contrition for their role in inflicting him on the female staff of City Hall. The warnings that Filner didn’t have the right temperament for mayor began the day he declared for the race in June 2011 and never stopped. Too many people had seen too much ugliness to not expect much more when Filner was under the spotlight 24/7/365 as mayor, as opposed to being an anonymous congressman in Washington surrounded by lobbyists  who aren’t likely to complain about his forward manner.

No apologies from key supporter, just anguish

CityBeat, the city’s strongest progressive voice, openly worried about Filner in its 2012 primary endorsement of him.

“We already knew that Filner can be cantankerous and overbearing and has a reputation for creating a work environment that’s not always pleasant. Meanwhile, with Filner—how shall we put this?—the threat level for scandal of varying sorts is at least orange. Color us concerned.”

But it didn’t worry enough. Now CityBeat is worrying about the damage Filner is doing.

“San Diego has a mayor who’s not allowed to be alone with a woman on city property. We repeat: San Diego has a mayor who’s not allowed to be alone with a woman on city property. Let that sink in. …

“The mayor’s chief of staff, who’s supposed to serve him and help create an environment conducive to success, is tasked with making sure that he doesn’t prey on women. His security detail, whose job is to protect the mayor from those who might harm him, is charged with protecting female city staffers and members of the public who might be harmed by the mayor. San Diego is a sad, sick joke, manna from heaven for cynics who like to giggle at politicians’ pratfalls.”

It’s good to see the anguish. But it would also be nice to see a flat apology: “We were wrong, and we’re sorry we helped Bob Filner gain power.”

DeMaio has tough decision to make

In the mean time, the Filner fallout has both local and national Republicans worried about the 52nd congressional seat won by Democrat Scott Peters last November despite GOP-leaning demographics. GOPer Carl DeMaio was seen as mounting a very strong challenge to Peters in 2014. But most people assume DeMaio, who lost narrowly to Filner nine months ago, would much rather be mayor than have to fly back and forth across the country 40 weekends a year. This would leave the GOP in a pickle in the 52nd race.

Here’s part of the U-T San Diego analysis:

“DeMaio’s name now appears on everybody’s list of potential contenders to replace Mayor Bob Filner if the recent sexual harassment accusations force him from office.

“It’s undoubtedly a tough call for DeMaio and many within the Republican Party. DeMaio has a large, core group of supporters who like to see him in the Mayor’s Office. But abandoning or suspending his congressional run in next year’s election could torpedo the party’s hopes in that contest and upset many of those who have donated to that campaign.

“Complicating any decision is one simple fact: there is no mayoral election. If there is one, right now there’s no telling when it would be. Filner seems determined to stay put. Yet the clock is already ticking for DeMaio to make a choice.

“In order to run for mayor, DeMaio would have to abandon or suspend his congressional effort, one that has raised close to $500,000 in less than a month and has his name being widely mentioned as a potential rising GOP star and one to watch. …

“On the surface, DeMaio appears focused solely on that race, spending most of last week fundraising and meeting with Capitol Hill movers and shakers in Washington.

“But the prospect of an open mayor’s seat may be too much to let slip by.”

DeMaio will need to decide soon. Or at least that’s the consensus of GOP insiders who have talked to big donors.