As city officials grapple with Los Angeles' budget crisis - a $212 million deficit now and an additional $484 million next year - no one has been talking much about the elephant in the room.

The soaring costs of employee pensions.

City Councilman Bill Rosendahl said he has been trying to get some traction on the issue, without much luck.

"I keep asking for us to move ahead on pension reform, to get something on the ballot if we can, but no one else seems to want to deal with it," Rosendahl said.

Part of the difficulty is that pensions for civilian employees can be resolved through negotiation, while police and fire require a public vote.

Rosendahl said the city could significantly reduce its pension costs by raising the amount that employees pay into the fund and raising the age of retirement.

Meanwhile, Councilman Paul Krekorian, who also served as a state assemblyman, jokingly worries about whether he is the cause of the city's financial woes.

"When I was on the Burbank school board, we had to deal with major deficits," Krekorian said. "Then, at the state, everyone knows what we were dealing with and, now, here, we have all these problems.

"Someone asked me if I was the fireman brought on to deal with this. I told him I hoped people didn't consider me an arsonist."

Krekorian's staff has started a blog (http://cd2policy.wordpress.com) to keep activists up to speed on what he is doing as chairman of the Neighborhood and Education Committee.

"The response has been tremendous," spokesman Jeremy Obserstein said. "We created it to elicit feedback about the future of neighborhood empowerment and are continuing it because of the interest we've received."

With California Republicans set to meet next month in Santa Clara, perhaps the most interesting argument going on is the behind-the-scenes maneuvering by Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner to try to force Meg Whitman into a debate, and the party's reluctance to get involved.

Poizner last week offered to give up his speaking time to delegates to make time for a debate at the event.

"Let's give the people want they want to see," said Jarrod Agen, Poizner's communication director. He said a poll, conducted by Republican Party Vice Chairman Jon Fleischman, showed a 10-1 response in favor of a debate.

Whitman has been criticized for a lack of access and Poizner has said she is afraid to debate him.

But, Whitman spokeswoman Sarah Pompei disputed the claim, saying she has agreed to debate, although not at the convention itself.

"We have agreed to two debates, one on March 15 and one on May 2," Pompei said.

"There will be plenty of opportunities to debate."

Pompei also deflected criticism that Whitman has not been available for questioning.

"She has made over 175 appearances and is campaigning around the state," Pompei said. "She is available."

Part of the Poizner frustration has been his inability or unwillingness to match the amount of television advertising Whitman has put out there to boost her name identification and get her message out.

The party's Chief Operating Officer Brent Lowder put out a statement saying no debates either in the governor's race or for U.S. Senate are planned at the convention.

Over on the Democratic side, Councilwoman Janice Hahn is grappling with what the possible entry of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom means in her quest to be lieutenant governor.

Hahn has collected a number of key endorsements from unions, police officer groups and women's organizations, but worries how Newsom - who had been in the governor's race until recently - will affect her chances in the June 8 primary election.

Her campaign team has issued its own message to Newsom: Bring it on.

Hahn said her campaign will focus on her desire to hold the lieutenant governor's job, while positioning Newsom as using it only as a stepping stone.

"I'm going around and explaining to people how important it is and what can be done," Hahn said.