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Los Angeles 2010: Is the Glass Half Empty? |
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VOICE IN THE CHEAP SEATS-LA ‘09/’10
By Charles Tarlow
 Another year has come and gone as Los Angeles accelerates ever faster into the future. A future of more people, more cars, more pollution, and more problems.
It seems like only yesterday that we were fighting to expose the perils of Congestion Pricing and Over-development. The recent election of City Council Members gave us hope that we might bring sorely needed leadership to Los Angeles.
Now … here I stand … looking back fondly at the past … sadly at the present … and hopelessly at the future.
Our battle against Congestion Pricing has been lost. There will be no effort to create the additional public parking needed in our city. We will be lucky if we can get our leaders to ensure new developments provide barely adequate parking. And existing parking … well … it is already being set aside for the rich. Take a look around; parking prices are going up all over the city … and not by pennies … by dollars.
To add insult to injury, the city has announced their intention to sell our highways to the rich as well. The Santa Monica Freeway (10) will have toll roads in both directions creating a fast commute for the few who can afford it and a long commute for the masses who can't. The end result will be more pollution, wasted time, and frayed nerves.
Congestion Pricing is a failed public policy that serves the rich at the expense of the society at large … AND LOS ANGELES IS COMMITTED TO THIS FAILED POLICY.
As this year comes to a close and we hurtle at breakneck speed into 2010, I wonder what we can do to save this city. While I rail against Congestion Pricing, I have to acknowledge that the root cause of our problems is population growth ... or more specifically “Development”.
Our leaders seem to think they can build their problems away. With each new project, each new building, they are convinced they are closer to resolving all their problems. To this end, they see what they want to see and hear what they want to hear.
More people translates to more tax revenues ... they don't see the costs associated with more people.
New beautiful apartments and hotels replace older time worn structures, renovated neighborhoods, and invigorate local businesses … they don't see the strain on resources from water to power to police to fire fighters to schools or to waste removal. And they certainly don't see the impact high density has on the quality of life of the average Joe.
We “Average Joes” have a voice and some of us are at every hearing and focus group screaming our concerns. Our leaders can't say they don't hear us and we can't say they are listening. They hear what they want to hear often manipulating public hearings and focus groups to their own ends … short-circuiting the intent of the hearings and the focus groups.
I want to be optimistic about our future. It is no fun and certainly not gratifying to be a pessimist.
Maybe I missed something that would indicate our leaders know what they are doing … that we are headed in the right direction … and that Los Angeles will be a better city tomorrow than it is today.
Maybe. I'd like to think so.
(Our “Average Joe” is Charles Tarlow, a mid-city resident and community activist. Tarlow writes Voice in the Cheap Seats for CityWatch. He can be reached at
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CityWatch
Vol 7 Issue 104
Pub: Dec 23, 2009
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