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THE VIEW FROM HERE - As the old saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.” Mayor Karen Bass, however, is blessed with what is known in the world of Stand-up comedy as “charismatic delivery.” People are so captivated by her delivery that they accept nonsense ideas. In her defense, Mayor Bass is faced with a system which is so completely corrupt that it may be impossible for her to win more than a few scrimmages here and there. After the pro-Hamas Kill the Jews debacle of the three college presidents, Americans are beginning to realize that our entire society is in peril from economic, moral and social corruptionism. There is no doubt that LA is controlled by the Woker-Developer Alliance. The same mentality that genocide may be acceptable depending in its context has embedded itself within our society. While genocide of Jews is not the Wokers only goal, exterminating Jews was not the Nazi sole objective. Both are similar political agendas which affect every aspect of society.
Woker Political Violence is OK
The eroding of our moral fiber begins with small steps. It was over a year ago that Karen Bass was called out for her protection of political violence. There should be no doubt that Karen Bass placed protecting BLM member Jason Reedy from the consequences of his criminal battery on councilmember Kevin DeLeon ahead of the public good. As we now realize, Karen Bass places the Woke DEI philosophy, which destroyed the moral tenor of America’s universities and colleges, ahead of her sworn duty. Karen Bass also knew that the entire charade about the three Mexican councilmembers being anti-Black racists was nothing but dirty political trick by the Woke DEI crowd to take over council seats based upon intentional character assassination. When Karen Bass had the duty to speak up to protect the public good, she was not only silent about the fraud, she joined in the attack. Karen Bass’ Support for Political Violence Has Come Home to Roost
Now, Los Angeles is again facing its perennial corruption to construct some sort of fixed rail transit system along the 405 Freeway over the Sepulveda Pass. Whether it is a train, light rail, subway, or monorail, the project boils down to the same corrupt nightmare. Since Mayor Bass is also chair of the Metro Board of Directors, she favors this renewed corruption. Here’s one quote which shows the Metro’s thinking:
“Metro could build the monorail using the $7.5 billion put aside by Metro for the project. [It is] estimated that the other option, an underground subway rail, would really cost upward of $25 billion and that Metro would not have the money to complete it.” Guess which one Mayor Bass and the Board favor? The $7.5 Billion option or the $25 Billion subway option.” It is SOP for cities to select the most expensive mass transit systems
But First, Let’s See Some Facts about Fixed Rail Rapid Transit:
Since 1915, Los Angeles has known that fixed rail mass transit systems of any type are not feasible for Los Angeles and are constructed not to benefit the public, but for the financial wellbeing of the contractors and Wall Street which finances them. See 1915 Study of Street Traffic Condition in the City of Los Angeles Mathematics have not changed in the last one hundred years. The cause of traffic congestion is density. A place is too dense when too many people try to access the same place at the same time. The other vital factor which people ignore is topography, e.g. Manhattan which is rectangle (2.5 mi v 11 mi for 27.5 sq mi). Los Angeles County, however, is a huge circular area of about 5,000 sq. miles. (The mass transit system cannot omit Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Santa Monica, etc.) The County’s radius is about 40 miles. Another crucial fact which rail advocates omit – people will not walk more than ½ mile to a subway station.
When one puts these figures into the math hopper, one sees that the maximum radius for a fixed rail transit system is 5 miles. After that point, it is mathematically and financially impossible construct a fixed rail system which serves the wider community. That means 35 miles of the county radius cannot be served by a fixed rail system. (As subway lines diverge, after 5 miles the subway lines are much farther than ½ mile from most residents.)
The Thieves in Charge of Constructing Subway Lines Deceive the Public
The first deception is not informing the public of the inherent limitations of fixed rail lines. Then, they focus on one line at a time, such as the Subway to the Sea or the proposed Sepulveda Pass subway. The number one vital statistic which they conceal is that the subway stations must be within ½ mile of where people embark and disembark. The crooks focus on some high density destination such as DTLA or UCLA, ignoring that Angelenos live is sprawling neighborhoods miles from the subway line. While it is easy to drive one mile, it’s hard to walk. Try walking a mile or more carry groceries, when you’ve got medical problems, it is pouring rain, or it’s 105 degrees. They also lie about transit times since the cited times are not from home to destination, but from station to station, ignoring all the walking and waiting for the subway car to arrive.
Not to Worry, The Thieves Have Solution
As soon as the $25 Billion subway is approved, Metro will discover that there will not be enough riders to cover operating costs. Their solution will be massively dense housing projects near each station based on the falsehood that the people who live in the high rises will use the subway. They do not. Since density increases housing costs, the people who live in expensive high rises have cars and do not use the subways. Also, as we now see, people who could afford to live in those apartments are choosing to move to other states.
Thus, traffic congestion gets worse near the Transit Oriented Districts since mixed-use projects add density even if only 30% of the units are rented. Densification, the rise of housing costs, and congestion have caused a worse long-term problem – the growing exodus of Millennials and Gen Zers from Los Angeles and the employers who follow them out the door. As predicted in 2014, the densification of Hollywood would result in a population loss, and if the same false data were used for the city as a whole, Los Angeles City and County would lose population. Los Angeles lost so many people in the last several years (1.7 million between 2016 and 2022) that the state of California lost one seat in Congress. California is set to lose five (5) more congressional seats by the next census. Worse than that, the people who are leaving would have been our middle class who would have paid the property taxes to pay off all the horrendously expensive bonds to construct the fixed rail projects. The remaining taxpayers will have to pay $25 Billion in construction bonds for the Sepulveda Pass subway and with interest that will be over $50 Billion. Moreover, the wealthy who pay the greatest per capita share of California taxes are also moving away; Hence, our current $38 Billion deficit. Hence our current $38 Billion deficit.
Fixed Rail Transit Has Been In Decline for Decades
In 2019, fixed rail national ridership was 7.8 million riders which is the same number as in 1960 when the US population was one-half as large. Car commuting increased from 41.7 million to 91.7 million and work at home increased from 4.17 million to 9.0 million in the same period. “Transit use dropped to 5.0 million in 2022, now accounting for only 3.1% of work access” Also, a huge percent of data on transit commuters comes for Manhattan, where every place is within ½ mile of a subway stop. There is no mathematical way that any fixed rail over, through or above the Sepulveda Pass will attract even a small percent of riders. County taxpayers will have to adsorb about a $8 - $12 billion operating losses each year in addition to retiring the $25 B in bonds.
The sole purpose of these horrendous mass transit projects is to make the construction industry wildly wealthier and the rest of us much poorer –just as The 1915 Street Study told us over 100 years ago.
The Woker-Developer Nefarious Method in this Madness
When one stands back, one can discern the pattern of the Woker-Developer forest. Overall, the Woker-Developer plan is to turn us into a nation of renters, who will be eternally dependent on the Wall Street landlords and their political stooges for our shelter. Renters gain no equity so that by retirement, people will have no assets, but they will have rising rents and inflation. All the earnings which a family would have put into a mortgage will have gone to exorbitant rent. Meanwhile, those Angelenos who see the handwriting on the wall will have moved away to less dense states and countries. With the advances in telecommunications, living in rural communities will be easy. Tradesmen like plumbers and carpenters will find strong demand for their services in the exurbs, where the blue-collar family will also be able to afford a detached home with a yard.
Los Angeles Is Financially Addicted to Construction in the Way a Narco Drug State Is to Opium
Los Angeles will financially collapse if construction stops pumping money into the economy. Unfortunately, the excessive densification is destroying the City in the process. The City is set to ravage its residential homes on the delusion that constructing Poverty Projects in upscale areas is wise social policy. Not only are the Woke politicos clueless about the adverse economics of densification, they don’t care. They have the same mentality as the logger who would gleefully cut down the last Old Growth Redwood.
Let the thieves bleed the city dry with insane mass transit projects and miles of hideous mixed-use projects. Alea iacta est, and Karen Bass cannot unroll the throw of the dice even if she wanted to.
(Richard Lee Abrams has been an attorney, a Realtor and community relations consultant as well as a CityWatch contributor. You may email him at [email protected].)
