By Doug Dowie
Correspondent
When Ron Kaye and I worked together at Daily News in the 80's the major issues facing Los Angeles included a dysfunctional LAUSD, gang violence, the city's overflowing landfills, the Wilshire corridor subway, something we called Valley fair share and the safety of Rocketdyne's Santa Susana facility.
Zev Yaroslavsky -- who might, or might not, have been running for mayor -- was complaining about overdevelopment and Valley activists were talking about seceding from the city.
No wonder some people wonder why Ron Kaye, now, even in "retirement," if you can call it that, seems a bit, well, obsessed. From his perspective, nothing much has changed in the last 20 years.
The passion isn't new. He was, in fact, back then, according to former colleagues, a "serial obsessive," at one moment ranting about how City Hall was screwing the Valley, then grabbing the TV listings and marking page after page with felt tip pen in an attempt to tape and collect more movies than what was available at the local Blockbuster.
That was after he attempted to defeat the hand held video game Tetris and before he discovered the stock market (that was a disaster) and, God forbid, golf.
Now he's fomenting revolution. His weapon: Garbage.
Yesterday, perhaps a little addled by jet lag and inspired by being in
the big-shouldered city of his birth, Ron called on you -- his army of
middle-class citizens fed up with an inefficient bureaucracy and what
he lovingly refers to as a "corrupt political system" -- to show up at
City Hall on July 14, Bastille Day, with a bag of garbage to
demonstrate your anger.
If you care about this man and what he stands for, I beg of you to go.
His
friends are a little worried you'll mistake his trash-to-the-ramparts
appeal as mere rhetoric rather than a literal call to action. Mark
Barnhill, the former Daily News editor who labeled Ron a serial
obsessive and who now enables his golf obsession on an almost weekly
basis, sent me this email:
"I hope he knows what he's doing...If
the turnout is him, two old ladies, Zuma Dogg and Mike Hunt, then his
movement could die aborning..."
I told you this was serious.
(Barnhill, by the way, is the only person I know who would use the word
"aborning." I thought it was a typo before I looked it up.)
So,
if you care about this man, who, believe me, cares deeply about you and
the future of this city, please grab a bag of garbage and show up next
month.
Some people -- all of them named "Anonymous" -- have
commented on his blog that they'll be there. Personally, some
complicated legal problems prevent me from participating in actual
civil disobedience, but I'll be happy to drive a few of you if you need
a ride.
You'll have to chip in for gas, however. I'm the last person I know with an SUV. And I don't get paid for writing this stuff.
(Doug Dowie is the former managing editor of Daily News, L.A. Bureau Chief for the United Press International wire service, chief of staff to then Assemblyman Richard Katz and head of the Fleishman-Hillard public relations office in L.A. His appeal of a wire fraud conviction involving Department of Water and Power billing is pending in federal court.)
Ron Kaye is the former editor of the Los Angeles Daily News where he spent 23 years helping to make the newspaper the voice of the San Fernando Valley and fighting for a city government that serves the people and not special interests.
Twice in recent years, Los Angeles Magazine listed Kaye among the city’s most influential people, specifically in the area of politics. Kaye has been variously described in the media as the “accidental anarchist,” “the Patrick Henry of the San Fernando Valley” and a “passionate populist.” He is now committed to
carrying on his crusade for a greater Los Angeles as an ordinary citizen. Previously, Ron worked at the Los Angeles Herald Examiner,
Associated Press, Cleveland Plain Dealer and The Australian as well as papers
in Fairbanks, Alaska and Yakima, Wash. He also wrote for Newsweek magazine, The Guardian in London and the National Enquirer.
Doug Dowie - I salute you! We need to have a crowd as large as the one in Mac
Arthur Park on May 1. This is a real solution to getting the Mayor and City Council's attention.
I am one of the old ladies who doesn't drive freeways anymore. I live near Roscoe and Valley Circle Boulevard on Community Street. If you can give me a ride or get me a ride, I would certainly go - it would be a personal Boston Tea Party for me and my friends.
Now I shall fwd your message to some friends of mine. In fact one of them might go and that would be my ride. July 14th at City Hall. 11:00am? If not, when? TH
Whoever said, "I hope he knows what he's doing...If the turnout is him, two old ladies, Zuma Dogg and Mike Hunt, then his movement could die aborning..."
thanks for throwing me under the bus by lumping me in with the rest. i know it wasn't a compliment.
I'm glad KCAL/CBS News makes the distinction like everyone else watching. They had me on in the 9pm hour for their election coverage. They called cause they, "needed someone to talk politics" -- so I guess ZD was the guy to go to.
Whoever said, "I hope he knows what he's doing...If the turnout is him, two old ladies, Zuma Dogg and Mike Hunt, then his movement could die aborning..."
thanks for throwing me under the bus by lumping me in with the rest. i know it wasn't a compliment.
I'm glad KCAL/CBS News makes the distinction like everyone else watching. They had me on in the 9pm hour for their election coverage. They called cause they, "needed someone to talk politics" -- so I guess ZD was the guy to go to.
Zuma saith: "thanks for throwing me under the bus by lumping me in with the rest. i know it wasn't a compliment."
Hey, ZD, it's simply a fact. You can be counted on to show up.
I do care about Ron and have already started a bail Ron out of jail fund raising drive. His is a fine idea and I'm with him 100 percent.
But maybe we should start small by tossing old Daily News Viewpoints on Dennis Zine's lawn, and work our way up and over to the steps of Van Nuys City Hall where we can leave several bags of clean recyclable paper trash.
After all, it's our Valley; we don't want to trash it up with the stinky stuff. That's for step three.
I just had an office-cleaning-shredding party and have three clear plastic bags of shred.
Like a progressive dinner, we move to the mayor's office and leave used catnip and old toilet brushes scattered all over his office.
For dessert, a fire proof bucked filled with dog poo flambe outside his office door.
My big dog can contribute his bit to that effort with no effort at all.
Then we go for the grand slam and dump bags and bags of the stinky stuff on the steps of City Hall.
A clean small start that ends up big and smelly.
I am seriously thinking about taking a day off work to do this. I have never participated in any form of civil disobedience so laugh at me if you want when I ask this...Will LAPD try to arrest us for littering if we leave trash at city hall? Are we to bring "symbolic" trash or the actual stinky, nasty stuff? I would probably take the Red Line down to City Hall so I am thinking a symbolic trash bag with paper inside and a message of some sort on the outside. Nothing stinky to offend other riders, but a message so they will see what's going on. Maybe a big black garbage bag with a picture of my councilman's face on the outside. Just a thought. For me personally if I am going to do this I need more specifics than just a general "let's do this thing".
I believe Zev is running for Mayor. Check our blog for more details. He's getting in shape and speaking all over town. And the term limit math gives him a free ride to run without endangering his County Supe seat. You heard it here first!
Why does it not surprise me that people are getting fed up with LAUSD and others. I retired early from teaching in LAISD as I too, got fed up with all the bureaucracy that surrounds the district. I not only retired but left the state, just too many illegals, gangs, corrupt politicians, dishonest police among other reasons. L.A. was my home since my birth at the Queen of Angels hospital in the 40's. I saw an absolutely fantastic, beautiful American state become a cesspool of graffiti, garbage, along with non-English speaking residents stealing from the state. No wonder so many hospital ER's closed down. I'm ashamed of telling people where I am from. LAUSD is NOT concerned with the education of your children, if they were, they would let teacher's teach and discipline, but they don't allow it. Parents, too, have to take the blame. They will not support teachers who try to educate their children. Homework is never completed, there is no structure or discipline in the house, just send them to their room to play games, eat, and watch TV. God help all those true Americans who remain in Little Mexico.
"I not only retired but left the state, just too many illegals, gangs, corrupt politicians, dishonest police among other reasons."
"I saw an absolutely fantastic, beautiful American state become a cesspool of graffiti, garbage, along with non-English speaking residents stealing from the state. "
Michelle, are you kidding? In your haste to be against the school district (among other things), the very one that is paying your early retirement, you proceed to denounce a whole city as a sespool full of "illegals" and gangbangers. What a wonderful perspective!!
Although I do think LA has its share of problems, I do believe your denounciations are a contributing factor to those problems moreso than an accurate assessment. Rather than blame individuals, why don't you take the idea of "each one, teach one"? Rather than leave the state because your version of being a "true American" is being challenged, why not try to understand what it is like growing up in the 21st century and understand what it means to live in a global, not american centric society?