ALPERN AT LARGE-Silly me! I thought we were still struggling with an ongoing economic downturn, income inequality, a healthcare crisis, global warming, head lice and gingivitis. Who knew that we were living fat, and living large, and kicking butt, and taking names! The Great Recession is behind us, doncha' know, and it's time to raise revenues because WE CAN ALL AFFORD IT!
Wow-ee, kazowee! I can look forward to being a "useful idiot" once more and urge everyone to pay more taxes because the City needs road repairs...and its track record on spending, as of late, shows what a GREAT investment it is to pay taxes in the City of the Angels.
And--holy canoli--we clearly have to vote for whatever gets put out by our esteemed City Council because their cred is undeniably awesome! As a matter of fact, "LA" even stands for "Legally Awesome!"
Furthermore...if you or I do NOT vote in favor of more bond and/or tax money for our streets, sidewalks, alleys, etc., we clearly hate roads, pedestrians, motorists, bicyclists, buses, people, puppies, babies, etc!
Because we have no reason to believe that the money spent by THIS City Council would be misspent, because THIS City Council has figured out--and made their case to the voters--that THIS City Council spends prudently and transparently, and treats its taxpayers like responsible and intelligent adults.
Furthermore, THIS LADOT and THIS City Planning Department would absolutely neeeeeeeeeeever allow itself to become a "Planning Politburo" where a few developers, lobbyists and city unions would be treated as higher lifeforms than the majority of City residents who are so unreasonable as to expect the City to actually FOLLOW THE LAW.
Why should we have problems with new laws that ensure taxes and bond money get spent in the manner to which they're legally written...because clearly the old laws about traffic, parking, infrastructure and other requirements are adhered to without fail in the City of the Angels.
We play by the rules, right? We keep those Community Plans up to date so we know what metrics and laws to adhere to, right? Our ethics laws are like unbreakable steel in the City of the Angels, right? Those homeowners and landowners asked to pay more property taxes are treated (and LISTENED TO!) like gold, right?
So those of us who pay for past and present transportation sales taxes, infrastructure taxes, police taxes, trash pickup taxes and school taxes would NEVER resort to being the kind of HATERS to decry a new tax because we fear those revenues would be misspent and siphoned off for political and public sector union slush funds, or for early retirement and pension revenues!
Because the City HAS made a great case towards why they've arrived at the figure they came up with!
Because the City HAS a great history and credibility towards listening to its residents, and of spending their residents' money well!
Because the City HAS a great history of focusing on preserving, upgrading and expending its infrastructure in a cost-effective manner!
Because the City KNOWS darn well that to expect everyone to play by the rules, it will set the tone by example--and make sure that all political contributors DON'T get into the habit of expecting a quid pro quo for their lobbying and political funding efforts!
Yep...we're ready to take on and fund this new City initiative, because we can AFFORD anything the City offers to the voters.
So bring on those taxes and bonds! And I'm ready to stand WITH the City as a "useful idiot" to give THIS City Council the reward it so richly deserves for treating its citizens so very, very, VERY well!
(Ken Alpern is a Westside Village Zone Director and Boardmember of the Mar Vista Community Council (MVCC), previously co-chaired its Planning and Outreach Committees, and currently is Co-Chair of its MVCC Transportation/Infrastructure Committee. He is co-chair of the CD11 Transportation Advisory Committee and chairs the nonprofit Transit Coalition, and can be reached at [email protected] This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. He also does regular commentary on the Mark Isler Radio Show on AM 870, co-chairs the grassroots Friends of the Green Line at www.fogl.us . The views expressed in this article are solely those of Mr. Alpern.)
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 12 Issue 15
Pub: Feb 21, 2014