PARKS’ PLACE- I know cops are getting a bad rap these days, but that doesn’t mean you should buy a uniform and badge on the internet and start enforcing the law yourself.
Have you heard of the Masonic Fraternal Police Department? I hope not. Three people (photo) on this "force" were charged with impersonating police officers; one of them was actually an aide to California Attorney General Kamala Harris (not a good look on her road to Senate).
Apparently the "Chief", David Henry, is also referred to as the "Absolute Supreme Sovereign Grandmaster"- real legitimate. Please be vigilant and always ask for a badge number when you encounter any member of a law enforcement agency. And if you encounter someone more decorated than a Michael Jackson military jacket saying he or she is a police chief…steer clear.
Do you remember the 1983 new wave hit, "Promises Promises" from Naked Eyes? Of course you do.
The hook goes :
"You made me promises promises
Knowing I'd believe
Promises promises
You knew you'd never keep"●●●
Yes South LA, SOLA, I hate to tell you but we got played yet again in the hunt for a sacred Promise Zones designation. I had to hear the news from 2urbangirls of all places, who get stories half-right, half the time.
Yes very quietly on April 28, the President announced the second-round of Promise Zones designees. Minneapolis, Minnesota, Sacramento, California, and St. Louis and St. Louis County, Missouri were some of the new cities included in the second round.
There was no real expectations for SOLA to ever win the second round of the promise zone grants, despite the mild hoopla that occurred last year when LA Trade Tech submitted a Promise Zones application on behalf of SOLA.
The city had already received an earlier grant, designated for another part of the city, with $30 million implementation funding and the ability to apply for over $500 million in grants. The playing field was set up unequal in the beginning so it was unrealistic to believe that the city of LA would get a second grant prior to other parts of the country being given initial/additional consideration. It’s interesting to note that the second round of grants eliminated the implementation funding, which was the only real dollars in the system. The $500M figure only provided an opportunity to apply for grants but did not guarantee any money to the community.
It is my belief that the request for SOLA to participate in the second round of grants was ceremonial and nothing more; it was merely a gesture to placate minority communities that did not receive consideration initially. Living in SOLA long enough, a lot of us have seen and heard our share of promises that weren’t kept. When 2017 comes around, be sure you ask yourself if you want to continue to support elected officials who play favorites with everyone else but you and your community.
●●●
DWP… WTF (Why the Friction)?
It’s Soooo Cute, Brian and Marcie Finish Each Other’s Sentences!
I was pleased to see the city release the audit on two non-profit trusts created by the Department of Water and Power(DWP). In short and to absolutely no one’s surprise, the audit revealed that the DWP was mismanaging taxpayer dollars (add shocked expression here). Trips to Vegas, Hawaii, New Orleans… Questionable credit card charges and carelessly overspending on gas, which is ironic because reading the audit gave me gas …
But, I digress. I was proud to see City Controller Ron Galperin inform the public on how badly they are being treated by a public utility company that was built to serve them. Understandably, Galperin has been lauded for his tough stance—even by the people who most often stood in his way, as he tried to bring transparency to the DWP—namely, our city government.
In the one step forward, three steps backwards approach that our city electeds have often taken when it comes to DWP, it was fitting that just as the ink was drying on Galperin’s finely-tuned audit, that our city got in its own way once again.
In the one step forward, three steps backwards approach that our city electeds have often taken when it comes to DWP, it was fitting that just as the ink was drying on Galperin’s finely-tuned audit, that our city got in its own way once again. In stepped DWP General Manager Marcie Edwards, who signed a letter with DWP union boss, Brian D' Arcy, criticizing the audit and the auditor, Mr. Galperin, instead of taking umbrage with, you know, all the free money and sight-seeing trips the non-profit officials enjoyed.
And then no faster than LA Times Columnist Steve Lopez called for her head, Edwards announced she had changed her mind and instead backed the audits. She blamed the whole thing on "frustration". Imagine how the ratepayers feel.
When the Mayor hired Edwards, there was talk of "a new chapter", "a mandate to reform DWP" and (my favorite), "rebuilding customer confidence." Now, we’d just be lucky to stop Edwards and D’Arcy from being pen pals. Moving on ...
(Bernard Parks is Los Angeles Councilman for the 8th Council District. He is also former Los Angeles Police Chief. He can be reached at [email protected] )
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 13 Issue 39
Pub: May 12, 2015
