RANTZ & RAVES-(Long time City Councilman Dennis Zine joins CityWatch as a featured columnist. We welcome his views and perspectives. This is his first CityWatch column.) What has happened to Dennis P. Zine since he was termed out of office as a 12 year member of the Los Angeles City Councilman and defeated in his election to become the Los Angeles City Controller?
Well, life has not been that bad for me. I continue to serve with the LAPD as a Reserve Officer and enjoy “Protecting and Serving” the People of Los Angeles. With time on my hands, I have joined a number of organizations devoted to helping members of our community. Members ranging from the youth to those most in need including the homeless.
I have also been appearing on Talk Radio Shows KFI, KABC and KRLA discussing current affairs in Los Angeles. There are so many challenges in our city that it is sometimes very difficult to put them in any sort of priority.
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The current crime wave has forced the LAPD and other law enforcement agencies in California to redirect resources to combat the mounting problems associated with the State Prison cleanout known as Proposition 47 and Measure 109. These two measures have single handedly turned the balance of victim’s rights to criminal’s opportunities to commit crimes without any sort of real consequences.
For example, if your car was stolen in the past, it was a Felony since car theft was a Felony in and of itself . Now, your car must have a value of at least $950 to be considered a Felony. Forgery and bad checks must also have a value of $950 to be considered a Felony. When we consider the drug abuse in our city and how it leads to violent crimes, many of the drug violations are now a Misdemeanor.
The difference is that a Felony can land you in State Prison and a Misdemeanor can get you a citation and court appearance with little to no local jail time and the ability to do community service in lieu of paying any sort of fine. It is how the criminal justice system usually treats those annoying traffic citations.
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Another matter gaining more and more attention is the water crisis in our state. We truly have a growing water crisis. Little snow combined with little rain means a reduced flow of precious water to our city.
I have visited some of the lakes in our state and was shocked at how low the water level has become. Where there was fishing and water sports and people enjoying the cool refreshing water at many of our state’s lakes, there is now dirt filled with weeds and debris. It is truly a very serious situation that is not improving.
When our Governor recently imposed a 25% reduction in the use of water by all of us, it gained headlines. The problem like anything is enforcement. Who is going to do the enforcement? To date, fines have not really impacted the problem with the local sanctions imposed by the City of Los Angeles.
There needs to be real teeth if we are going to have sufficient water to survive in the desert of Los Angeles. Remember that the San Fernando Valley and entire City of Los Angeles can only survive with the benefit of water from other regions of the state and the Colorado River.
I find it truly interesting that while the DWP provides financial incentives for homeowners to replace their lawns with rock and desert plants that require little water there are large Sod Farms in Los Angeles and other regions that are pouring thousands of gallons of water to grow grass. Just drive along Roscoe Blvd west of the 405 freeway and see for yourself.
Truly amazing how our leaders say one thing and permit other situations to take place. Since our water crisis is truly real and not manufactured, our leaders should look at banning Sod Farms during this lingering water crisis.
I have so many items to bring to your attention and will be doing that in future articles.
(Dennis P. Zine represented the 3rd Council District from 2001-2013. He was an officer with the LAPD for 28 years. He continues to serve as an LAPD reserve officer. Dennis is a CityWatch contributor. He can be reached at: [email protected])
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CityWatch
Vol 13 Issue 30
Pub: Apr 10, 2015
