CommentsFIRST PERSON-The elephant in the room when it comes to increased density in California is FAILING INFRASTRUCTURE.
Politicians do not want to talk about it; instead, they would rather talk about how California is for everyone but if our infrastructure does not improve, California will be for NO ONE except those who cannot escape.
California’s Infrastructure is rated C- (C minus) by the American Society of Civil Engineers https://ascecareportcard.org/. Their REPORT CARD FOR CALIFORNIA’S INFRASTRUCTURE 2019 should send a shiver down everyone’s spine. The problem with most of our political leaders is they have no spine. The 2019 Report Card rated California’s energy at a D- so is there any wonder why we are seeing rolling blackouts for the first time in 20 years? If Politicians are not aware of how bad our infrastructure is then they are incompetent and should be recalled immediately. If they do know, that makes the Bills they are pushing through the Legislature an act of pure evil. They are on a build, build, build at all cost diet but what happens when bridges, dams, and levee’s fail, and our power systems crash from strain? At a D- our power system is somewhere between (D) poor at risk with many elements approaching end of service life and (F) failing/critical: unfit for purpose, many of the components of the system exhibit signs of imminent failure.
As if right on cue, Governor Newsom had to sign an emergency proclamation to deal with the current heatwave in California and rolling blackouts, the first in 20 years. Newsom pledged a full investigation into the cause of the power shortage. “We’ve always maintained that a golden oldie, you can’t control the weather, but you can prepare for the weather events,” he said. “And let me just make this crystal clear: We failed to predict and plan [for] these shortages, and that’s simply unacceptable.”
Governor you are right, rolling blackouts during a heat wave are unacceptable. Until you can solve our State’s energy issues you must not sign any bills that opens the door to more density in our neighborhoods. Public Safety must come first. That is your number one responsibility.
Here in Los Angeles, we have an independent source of power (LADWP) but our infrastructure is probably much worse. When the wind blows or the rain falls, we lose power. The wind knocks tree branches into power lines, and we go to black. When it rains, vaults flood and we go to black. Our power transformers are old and even the power poles are old -- so why are we allowing so much more density without tying it to adequate infrastructure as required by the Framework Element and our Community Plans?
The answer is, we have systemic corruption throughout the planning process. Corruption does not mean that everyone is looking for a financial payoff; some believe in a vision of Los Angeles that does not comply with the current rules and policies. These people are true believers in an alternative Los Angeles that is much denser and where vehicles are no longer used or allowed. This is the battle being fought in neighborhoods all over LA.
There are groups of activists who constantly lobby the City to move Los Angeles towards their goal. Groups like Abundant Housing LA, Friends of the Purple Line, Streets For All and others have sympathizers in the City Council, Planning Department, Department of Transportation and various Commissions. They all work for a vision of Los Angeles not shared by the majority of people who live here. It is certainly their right to do so, but the question is, what will we do?
Here in the neighborhoods we are just trying to live and let live as best we can. We follow the rules and get upset when others do not. But we persevere. We need to organize and get out the vote to oppose our elected officials who do not stand up for the neighborhoods. Many say they do but if truth be told, their allegiance is to the “City Family” which is made up of the other elected officials and department heads at a minimum. They are inside the bubble while we are outside. We are like starving children with our noses pressed up against a restaurant window watching as the City Family gorges itself with no thought for the rest of us. We must find a way to pierce the bubble and make them follow the rules.
We have had some success, but we have not gone far enough. For instance, when David Ryu first ran for City Council, he took a pledge to include transparency and accountability in running his Council Office. His initial programs of posting meetings with developers on his website and establishing a Task Force of community members to deal with Discretionary Funds in the Council’s possession were groundbreaking. In hindsight, however, the pledge should have gone further. It was meant to but, as the author of the pledge, I must take responsibility for dropping the ball.
To my chagrin I have not followed up on some of the most important items in that pledge. I am working on a new pledge highlighting how we can pierce the City Hall bubble and make room for all people at the table. It will be up to Councilmember Ryu as well as his opponent Nithya Raman to agree or disagree. It is time for Los Angeles to be for all the people -- not just those who can lobby the City for their new vision.
(James O’Sullivan is a long-time community activist and the President of the Miracle Mile Residential Association.) Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.
