CommentsVOICES-With the announcement by the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) of SR14 as the Preferred Alternative,
reducing the threat posed to people along the E1 and E2 routes, some people in the NE San Fernando Valley and north LA County are exuberant that the threat has lessened, some remain devastated and face a worsening threat, and some are relieved to have information while still feeling threatened either for themselves, their friends, their neighbors, their animals and wildlife, or their environment and open space.
This imperfect announcement matches its imperfect timing, its imperfect result, its imperfect intent, and its imperfect agency. Rather than clearing the decks by abandoning all three flawed alternatives and heading back to the drawing board as we've strongly recommended, CHSRA believes they've chosen the alternative that is the "best candidate" or "strikes the best balance." That's their cold, detached perspective or, as they say, "the science" behind their decision. Their statement could have gone much further to state that they actually heard our voices, understood our fears, considered our losses, and took action to work with us or to protect us. Fact is, we've not heard from them since early 2016, and their silence speaks volumes.
Our perspective is that CHSRA settled, in some respects, on the lesser of several poorly planned evils, and that it should be a crime that anyone remains threatened by a project so poorly conceived, poorly managed, over-budget and politicized that it likely will never materialize.
We have always and will continue to fight the good fight; we could never sell out or compromise as we are the long-time, invested stakeholders and must fight to protect our communities. We extend our concern, love and ongoing support to all who remain most directly in the crosshairs of this project along SR14, within the Burbank to Palmdale Project Section, and beyond, wherever they reside and work.
The most important outcome of this announcement is this: our communities are working together and realize we must remain strong at the grassroots level. Effective leadership from most of our elected officials never materialized over four brutal years. We thank those elected officials that did communicate with us and those that did help us. But, this process served as a window into the souls of many of our elected officials...at least those that have one.
The City of Los Angeles in particular, from the mayor's office, to the City Council leadership, to the council representatives in the most impacted communities were given every chance to support us, to fight for us and to represent us. They failed us and, by their delay, petty politics and lack of communication, fought against us. A draft Motion (File16-1068) calling for the City's opposition to all the routes has languished in the Council for so long, since October 2016, that it actually expires on Friday of this week. While we've tried exhaustively to have that Motion resurrected and amended to reflect the will of the City's residents, it remains in limbo and, unless action is taken in the next 48 hours, will serve as a memorial to the failed City leadership.
We, the northeast San Fernando Valley and north LA County, are stronger for this process. Stronger for fighting. Stronger for pursuing the truth and the facts. Stronger for working together. And stronger for our patience and our fairness in dealing honorably with CHSRA and our elected officials. As stated earlier, we fought and will continue to fight the good fight.
(Dave DePinto is with the SAFE Coalition.)
