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LA WATCHDOG - Ken Draper, the editor and publisher of CityWatch for more than 20 years, passed away on August 8, 2022, at the age of 89. Under his leadership and propelled by his quiet energy, CityWatch morphed from the delivery of PDF files to a fully functioning web site that allowed many Angelenos to “sound off” on a variety of topics that otherwise would not see the light of day.
CityWatch also provided a voice for Neighborhood Councils and the elected directors of the 99 Neighborhood Councils. This included criticisms of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment and its General Managers by the elected members as well as recommendations on how DONE could better support the Councils.
CityWatch was also supportive of the early efforts to organize the Neighborhood Councils, including the City Alliance that morphed into LANCC (Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Coalition). This includes Budget Day, the Congress of Neighborhood Councils, Regional Councils (VANC, WRAC, SLAANC), PlanCheck, and the DWP Committees.
Many writers increased transparency into the workings of government, including the City of Los Angeles, and to a lesser extent, other governmental entities, including the County, Metro, LAUSD, and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
There was also increased coverage of elections, not only of candidates but of ballot measures, including those on the State ballot.
A major focus of the diverse group of contributors directed their efforts to the City. These include corruption (Jose Huizar, Mitch Englander, Mark Ridley-Thomas); the inefficient Homeless Industrial Complex; the Police Department, public safety and the increase in crime; real estate development and planning (or lack thereof) and the impact on residential neighborhoods; unfunded pension liabilities; the Ethics Commission; transportation, including increased congestion, road diets, bike paths, and the Sepulveda Pass Transit Project; the mismanagement of Animal Services, electronic billboards and bus stops and the lack of transparency; the defunding of Recreation and Parks; Public Works (Sanitation, Street Services and $5 billion of deferred maintenance, and Street Lighting), to mention a few.
Many elected officials and bureaucrats referred to Ken and CityWatch as “troublemakers” and pot stirrers” as well as names that are not fit for public consumption. Of course, Ken viewed these labels as compliments because they showed that CityWatch was doing its job by increasing transparency into our government’s operations and its secrets.
From my perspective, Ken encouraged me to write about the finances and budgets of the Department of Water and the City and provided me with a vehicle to disseminate my opinions based on my financial research. Unfortunately for Angelenos, the DWP and the City provided me and will continue to provide me with too much material.
I lost a good friend two years ago. May he rest in peace knowing our elected officials will not rest in peace because of the transparency CityWatch and his legacy will provide.
(Jack Humphreville writes LA Watchdog for CityWatch. He is the President of the DWP Advocacy Committee, the Budget and DWP representative for the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council, and a Neighborhood Council Budget Advocate. He can be reached at: [email protected].)
