EDITORIAL REFORM IN NAME ONLY THE CITY COUNCIL IS FOOLING NO ONE BUT ITSELF.

MEMBERS of the City Council seem to think that reforming Los Angeles city government means little more than talking about it in loud, self-congratulatory terms.

Take the council's unanimous vote in support of a ``ban'' on the creation of new billboards, a ban in name only.

The measure allows individual council members to approve new signs in their district as a trade-off for getting rid of other signs, meaning that the ban will last only as long as it takes billboard companies to start buying off city politicians one at a time.

No wonder the measure passed without so much as a peep in protest from the billboard industry.

Yet to hear the council's members applaud themselves, you'd think they just produced the Magna Carta.

``This is not your father's City Council,'' gushed Councilman Jack Weiss. ``This is a council that is listening and wants to protect the quality of life for the entire city.''

Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski chimed in, ``This is a different City Council, a different City Hall. This is a City Hall that responds to communities.''

No, it's same old, same old City Hall, spouting nice words while carrying out the same old finagles.

The council's members would be wise to remember the old saying about putting a pig in a dress: That doesn't change the fact that it's a pig.