CommentsRANTZ & RAVEZ-The current situation at Los Angeles City Hall is interesting, very suspicious, possibly criminal and an overall embarrassment for many of LA’s elected officials, as well as for those of us who pay to keep City Hall running: the taxpayers.
An FBI raid at Los Angeles City Council Office. Rats residing inside City Hall. A dead rodent found decomposing in a City Hall office ceiling. Possible political corruption with pay-to-play allegations. Political investigations by various entities. A Commissioner appointed by the Mayor suddenly resigning. Fleas living inside City Hall with a Typhus outbreak. Could this situation worsen and lead to Bubonic Plague at City Hall and beyond?
Talk about a serious and frightening combination of circumstances facing people who work and visit City Hall!
Clearly, it’s time for strong leadership -- less talk and more action from those in charge. It’s highly unlikely that Superman will suddenly appear and swing into action to remedy the myriad problems facing City Hall and other parts of LA. It will take some talented City Hall officials who are willing to dig down and resolve these issues before any additional negative and embarrassing situations occur. And it’s not about imposing more taxes to solve our problems. What have additional taxes done to help resolve the homeless population living in the streets, our congested traffic, our affordable housing crisis and on and on?
After serving 12 years as a Los Angeles City Councilmember, I can honestly state that during my tenure in that place of power and influence there was never a time when I observed or heard about rats or fleas roaming the halls or any part of City Hall. (Although we may have encountered some hostile individuals who could be called rats!) The facilities were always well-maintained by the custodian and building services crews.
A $299 million City Hall renovation and seismic earthquake retrofit designed to withstand an 8.2 quake began in 1998 and concluded in 2001 with the grand re-opening in 2002. That is when I entered City Hall as an elected official. No rats or any other pests were detected inside the building at that time. And there were no FBI raids or any other embarrassing situations for Los Angeles to deal with. I guess those were the Good Old Days.
As time passes and investigations continue, we will see how these City Hall situations are resolved. Stay tuned.
It pays to know the law…especially, the California Vehicle Code
For those of you who follow RantZ & RaveZ, you may recall an article I wrote about receiving a parking citation from the Los Angeles Dept. of Transportation (DOT) in January. While some of you untrusting skeptics may believe that I used my law enforcement and political connections to slide on the citation, it was clearly my understanding of the law that convinced DOT to cancel it. The $68 fine was scratched along with the BOGUS citation. As it turned out, the citing officer was apparently not aware of the California Vehicle Code definition of an alley. While I was cited for parking in an alley, the area where I parked was clearly not an alley as defined by the Code. It was a roadway in excess of 25 feet wide; there was no violation of any law. An alley can’t exceed 25 feet in width according to the California Vehicle Code.
How could something like this happen? The citing officer was not aware of the law and made an error. Enforcement personnel are not perfect and do make errors from time to time. It was lucky for me that I know the traffic laws and have an extensive background in Traffic Enforcement and Education, having taught at the police academy and other locations over the years.
The interesting part is how I was brushed off when I visited the Valley DOT office to explain the situation to a supervisor and say that there was no violation. I was given the cold shoulder and told to contest the citation and pound sand. My concern was not only my citation but the citation(s) of others who might not have my knowledge of the law and who parked where I parked and also received a bogus $68 citation. I had to take it to the top of the LADOT, to the Enforcement Chief, to get the matter resolved when the Valley supervisor did not want to deal the matter.
I requested that an audit be conducted at the location by DOT to determine who else may have been improperly cited. For any of you who have been ticketed in the alley at 10600 Balboa Blvd in the past, there is no violation. This location is on Balboa just south of Chatsworth adjacent to a small shopping center.
The Los Angeles DOT Parking Enforcement personnel have a difficult job keeping LA traffic rolling. Like others, they are human and make mistakes. As a taxpayer, I would expect that a DOT Supervisor be more understanding when dealing with motorists who have an issue with parking citations and not just turn them away without trying to resolve or explain the matter.
I want to acknowledge Devon Farfan, Chief of Parking Enforcement and Traffic Control, for her assistance with this matter.
This situation clearly demonstrates that you sometimes have no idea who you are dealing with. Since I have been engaged in Law Enforcement for over 50 years and was an elected City Councilman for 12 years, I do have contacts and know how to get things done. The DOT Supervisor who met with me at the Valley DOT Office should learn something from this situation. Always treat everyone with respect and listen to them rather than blowing them off.
I can be heard from time to time on Channel 11, FOX TV during many of the local law enforcement pursuits. I am also joining Peter Tilden on KABC 790 AM radio from 6 to 9 p.m. when time permits. Stay tuned and listen in.
That’s it for this edition of RantZ & RaveZ. Watch for more rain, snow and cold days that are coming our way. An unusual winter for sunny Southern California!
If you have a question or concern, I invite you to email me at [email protected].
(Dennis P. Zine is a former and retired LAPD Supervisor, former and retired 12-year Los Angeles City Councilman and current General Manager at Bell Canyon in Ventura County. Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.)
