EDITORIAL MAKING LIKE A TREE SARNO LEAVES DONE.

LISA Sarno was never supposed to be the long-term head of Los Angeles' Department of Neighborhood Empowerment -- just an interim, short-term placeholder. But even that, it turns out, was too long.

Prompted by complaints from members of the city's neighborhood councils, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has removed Sarno from the position. He's yet to name a new temporary replacement, but in the meantime he's put Sarno in charge of overseeing his "million trees" initiative.

She must be thrilled. Planting umpteen saplings in our concretized desert landscape must seem easy compared with sowing the seeds of democracy in the city's barren and corrupt political climate.

It's likely Sarno is no more responsible for her failings at DONE than was her predecessor, Greg Nelson. It's a thankless job, trying to motivate and lead quasi-governmental bodies that are destined for frustration due to their lack of authority and funding.

So Sarno has moved on to (literally) greener pastures, free from the limitations of DONE. Too bad the same can't be said for the neighborhood councils themselves.