Which Way, L.A.?

Bond Fails, What about the Levees?

Despite months of hand-wringing about California's infrastructure, Governor Schwarzenegger and the legislature have failed to agree on a massive bond issue in time for the June ballot. Among the projects that will be delayed is repair of deteriorating levees in the Central Valley. In the days when state government worked effectively, governors and legislatures raised pools of money for infrastructure improvements. Then--and only then--independent boards decided which public works projects were needed most. Now, that process has been turned around. We speak with Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Walters and UC Davis geologist Jeffrey Mount about how decisions were made when California had effective government, compared to the way things are done now. Reporter's Notebook: Klimt Paintings Return to Los AngelesA painting so valuable it's protected like the Hope Diamond is about to go on display at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. It's one of many works by Gustav Klimt that were looted by Nazis during World War II. With a total value of $300 million, five of those paintings have been returned to the family of Maria Altmann, an LA woman who's spent seven years battling to get them back from the state of Austria. Stephanie Barron is senior curator of modern art at LACMA.