ON POLITICS-So what would happen if the City electorate got so used to the City breaking the law that they stopped expecting it to do otherwise? Would they go along with all the distractions and diversions, stop voting altogether, or even jump on the social issue bandwagon if they wanted to be in the "correct" voter constituency?
Or would the voters go along with the commonly held belief that the mere NOTION or even MENTION of the City breaking its own laws on the environment, planning, transportation, transparency on budget and spending issues is just ... hearsay and crazy talk, left only for those who just need to get a life.
Just to get this straight: we've moved on beyond a government that was too tied up with Christian or related religious ideals (separation of Church and State) to a government, and a society that empowers that government, to figure out what social or moral issues are the important issues instead of, say, balancing the budget and following its own City laws:
1) Is it crazy talk to mention that the City cannot legally throw up developments that are greater than its traffic, parking and infrastructure can handle because of safety and environmental reasons?
2) Is it crazy talk to suggest that the City cannot legally throw up developments or pass policies impacting a given neighborhood, or the budget and tax-related issues that impact the voters, with sufficient notification?
3) Is it crazy talk to suggest that Neighborhood Councils have insufficient abilities to legally stop the City Council from enacting policies without sufficient Neighborhood Council input?
4) Is it crazy talk to suggest that there are so many social, moral and other issues that the City Council talks about that there is little left to highlight on the infrastructure, budget and pension crises facing this City, which are done behind closed doors and without Neighborhood Council input?
Certainly, Angelenos are sensitive to the fact that there is a racial problem in the nation, although many of them are probably wondering if those screaming about the race problem are the ones causing it?
Most Angelenos, out of common sense, and a greater history of cooperation with different ethnicities (even with shared neighborhoods and intermarriage), have no desire to go back to racial balkanization...but anyone who observes the City Council's actions know that racial politics and associated bloodsport remains the name of the game (much to the chagrin of their more civilized and emotionally mature constituents).
And the events and issues that unfolded related to the Expo Line's grade crossing, mitigation, and commuter amenities were horrifically caught up with race rather than common sense and common decency...which is particularly awful, in that the Expo Line was meant to bring different racial and regional neighborhoods together.
Certainly, Angelenos are sensitive to the fact that there is an income inequality problem, and that there is a broken immigration system that has led to the flooding not of the educated labor but relatively unskilled labor and has shredded the income power of lower-skilled workers.
{module [1177]}
Most Angelenos, out of common sense, and a greater history of cooperation with both legal and illegal immigrants, are aware that we have to have SOME form of laws, and SOME form of worker protections, and SOME form of penalties to employers who violate the law in order to have a supply/demand system that favors better worker wages at all levels ...
... and without being called a bigot, a hater, a xenophobe because we care about lower-income workers, including legal immigrants and those with proper worker permits.
Certainly, Angelenos are sensitive to the needs of homosexuals, police/minority relations, children of all backgrounds and a clean environment, but in terms of what the Mayor and City Council SAYS and what it DOES, perhaps the answer is Charter Reform to make sure we see the following to keep local government's eye on the ball:
1) Evening meetings for all variances and other planning/transportation/environmental issues so that working Angeleno voters and residents and workers can be present to provide input, instead of having to miss work.
2) Facilitate the rights and requirements of the Neighborhood Council to take legal action against the City whenever it breaks its City Charter on issues of transportation, planning and environmental law--currently, the City Attorney provides little to no support to the Neighborhood Councils because that office reports to the City Council, and decidedly NOT to the Neighborhood Councils
3) Require Neighborhood Council representatives at all budget/pension meetings with public sector union representatives, and for such discussion of taxpayer money/resources to be addressed with by far greater transparency than what has been the routine for decades.
So it's fun to play the moral card, the social issue card, the civil rights card ... and, to be certain, that's part of governance. When those cards are dealt in a manner which hides the most vital issues of City and local government--the budget and management of the City of Los Angeles--however, it shows either laziness or cowardice or sneakiness on the part of representative City government.
And the City of Los Angeles has long ago run out of time for laziness, cowardice or sneakiness in addressing the growing tsunami of infrastructure and financial woes preventing our City from succeeding in the 21st Century.
(Ken Alpern is a Westside Village Zone Director and Board member of the Mar Vista Community Council (MVCC), previously co-chaired its Planning and Outreach Committees, and currently is Co-Chair of its MVCC Transportation/Infrastructure Committee. He is co-chair of the CD11Transportation Advisory Committee and chairs the nonprofit Transit Coalition, and can be reached at [email protected] He also does regular commentary on the Mark Isler Radio Show on AM 870, and co-chairs the grassroots Friends of the Green Line at www.fogl.us. The views expressed in this article are solely those of Mr. Alpern.)
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 13 Issue 38
Pub: May 8, 2015
