L.A. County is facing unusually large lawsuit payouts

The L.A. Times reports:

At a time of budget cuts and belt-tightening, Los Angeles County officials now face tens of millions in payouts to settle two lawsuits brought on behalf of taxpayers, plus a new taxpayer lawsuit filed this week. The payouts -- described by county officials as unusually big -- put the county on pace to far exceed last year's settlements.

In June, the county agreed to a $172-million settlement to end a class-action lawsuit involving an illegal utility tax paid for years by nearly 400,000 residents and businesses in unincorporated areas.

You'll want to read the whole article. Who in Los Angeles County had an incentive to stop this madness?