AT LENGTH-Someone much wiser than I once said, “every time you solve one problem you create two.” I didn’t believe him then, but have come to appreciate that perspective the more I’ve watched government and big businesses solve problems.
The issue of what one doesn’t know is what one just doesn’t know is scaled up in size depending on the size of the organization and its from those affected by the policy that’s enacted. The U.S. Congress or AT&T immediately comes to mind, but this problem of not knowing is rampant in most, if not all, bureaucratic structures. What are the consequences?
A perfect example of this phenomenon has to do with the Port of Los Angeles array of freeway widening and street improvement projects centered around the connection between the Harbor and Terminal Island 47 Freeway, near the Vincent Thomas Bridge. This $53 million-plus project is meant to help alleviate container truck traffic congestion coming from the port. As we have noticed lately, there is not only a need, but also an overarching economic imperative to alleviate congestion at the twin port complex.
Simultaneously, with the launch of this much-needed infrastructure investment, a scattered group of homeless people appeared, camping out in the surrounding neighborhoods and public parks. Many San Pedrans were shocked by this apparent increase in the homeless population and started making phone calls to Councilman Buscaino’s office. Suddenly locals discovered that there was a homeless problem.
Unbeknownst to the Port, the Council office and the residents was that most, if not all, formerly resided in the overgrown areas of the Harbor Freeway interchange-- mostly out of sight and definitely out of mind of the general population commuting to work.
Once the construction started, the encampments in these hidden spaces had to be moved and the port made no accommodation for the “unintended consequences” of progress. Nor did it consider it its problem since the port is not responsible for policing city parks off its territory.
The second problem, created by the solution of the first problem (Remember, you always get two for the price of one), came to light at the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council meeting when the Port Police passed out a flyer asking residents to call in to report graffiti that’s been magically appearing on the sound walls being constructed along the side of the project. So here we have one of the finest examples of the Law of Unintended Consequences.
Question for the community: Does the port have any obligation to mitigate the homeless problem that it created by the freeway construction and what it will do to control the graffiti on the concrete side of the road it has constructed?
The port is not alone in discovering our native population of homeless peoples either. Remember some months ago when the Department of Recreation and Parks announced plans to renovated the former home of Reggie the Alligator, Machado Lake at Harbor regional Park? Well Ken Malloy, for whom the park is now named, would be rolling over in his grave to learn that some 160 homeless folks were discovered living in the tule marshes.
In the past, the Los Angeles Harbor Area communities have objected to the unintended consequences of industrial port expansion when it came to the air and water quality impacts on public health. These communities may now begin raising questions about other quality of life issues exacerbated by the industrial expansion of the port or action taken by some other city department.
These seemingly externalized consequences come with real costs to the community. And I am wondering if Mayor Garcetti and the Los Angeles City Council might have something to learn from this as they move forward with the $1 billion plan to remake the Los Angeles River.
Since the most recent homeless count, there has to be at least a couple thousand people camped along side our neglected namesake river. And when the length of the river is they gentrified, just where are they planning to have those people move next?
If the past is precedent for the future, they will probably end up camped out in your local neighborhood park unless the great minds of the city figure out what they don’t know before they start doing it.
(James Preston Allen is the Publisher of Random Lengths News, the Los Angeles Harbor Area's only independent newspaper. He is also a guest columnist for the California Courts Monitor and is the author of "Silence Is Not Democracy- Don't listen to that man with the white cap on he might say something that you agree with!" He was elected to the presidency of the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council in 2014 and been engaged in the civic affairs of CD 15 for more than 35 years. More of Allen … and other views and news at: randomlengthsnews.com where this column was first posted.)
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CityWatch
Vol 13 Issue 8
Pub: Jan 27, 2015
