Los Angeles Hires a Jobs Chief By TAMARA AUDI Facing a widening budget deficit and regional unemployment stuck above 12%, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has decided to place a vast swath of city government under a former private-sector executive charged with making Los Angeles more business friendly. On Monday, Mr. Villaraigosa is expected to name Austin Beutner, a former partner at private-equity giant Blackstone Group and co-founder of the boutique investment-banking firm Evercore Partners, as the ailing city’s first economy chief. The 49-year-old Mr. Beutner will have broad powers. About half of city government departments — from the Port of Los Angeles to the city’s sprawling Department of Water and Power utility — will report to him. Mr. Beutner will report directly to Mr. Villaraigosa. In a letter Mr. Villaraigosa sent to Mr. Beutner when hiring him, the mayor said, “I recognize we need a top to bottom revitalization and refocus… Read More
