EDITORIAL ARTFUL SOLUTION.

AFTER hinting that Los Angeles' tight budget could result in the demise of some nonessential departments, such as the Cultural Affairs Department, Mayor James Hahn was hit with a loud outcry from the arts community.

So he came up with a novel approach: Form a public-private cultural partnership that raises private funds to supplement the department's budget. As such, Hahn created the Mayor's Council for the Arts headed by philanthropist Eli Broad and attorney John Emerson to raise funds and promote the wonderful cultural attractions of the nation's second largest city.

This is exactly the right approach for funding a nonessential but clearly beloved city service in times of economic woe. The Zoo Department, for example, gets a substantial amount of funding from a nonprofit created just for that purpose. And business people certainly could teach elected officials a thing or two about fiscal prudence.

In fact, if this public-private partnership works out, the mayor might consider using it as a model for other city departments.