The Los Angeles Times reports that San Bernardino became the third California City to file for bankruptcy. Phil Willon, San Bernardino Seeks Bankruptcy Protection, L.A. Times, July 11, 2012, at p. A1. The others are Stockton and Vallejo.
Hidden in the middle of this story is the following dispatch:
“City Atty. James Penman said city budget officials had falsified documents presented to the mayor and council for 13 of the last 16 years, masking the city’s deficit spending.”
“For the last 16 years the budget prepared for the council showed the city was in the black . . .” “The mayor and the council were not given accurate documents.”