Here's my theory of the decline and fall of L.A.
It starts with the election of Tom Bradley as mayor, itself one of the most important positive steps toward healing the profound rift between black and white exposed in the Watts riots. But with all the big-time developer money behind him, the goal of the Bradley years became to build downtown at any cost.
And so the policy of growth around satellite centers like Century City and Warner Center where people would live and work was abandoned and replaced with the crackpot idea of putting the city's wealth and effort behind making downtown L.A. the go-to center of a sprawling metropolis.
With that came the subway and rail system that goes nowhere except downtown. It doesn't go to where people are or want to go. Not the Coliseum, Dodger Stadium, the aforementioned satellite centers. The only community outside of downtown that benefited was Hollywood.
Vast amounts of public money were invested in the form of subsidies and services, robbing most of the city of the resources and attention needed to create healthy neighborhoods.
At the same time forced busing came in under court order. Passions aroused by forced busing undoubtedly had a racist element much as Mexican bashiing does today. But that wasn't the whole story anymore than the controversy over the impact of large numbers of illegal immigrants on L.A. is anti-Latino.
People across L.A. believed they had an ownership stake in their neighborhood schools and so public support waned, middle class people turned to private schools and starting moving in droves to suburbs around L.A.
LAUSD has not recovered. Thirty years of unbroken failure ought to be enough to conviince everyone that it's time for radical action, starting with breaking up the district into locally controlled schools.
Today, the failure of our schools remains the No. 1 negative factor in L.A. It is the driving force in flight of the middle class of all races to the suburbs. It discourages good businesses to locate here or remain here.
The political system has adjusted quite well, however. By buying the loyalty and support of public employee unions, developers and contractors, the politicians just keep rolling along merrily.
That poor people have replaced the middle class has worked just fine for them. That nothing gets better -- except the LAPD and only because of mulltiple high-profile scandals -- has worked just fine for them.
It's my belief the city cannot take much more of this. A city of rich and poor with a disappearing middle class cannot sustain itself as a healthy and vibrant community. That's what happened to old cities in the eastern U.S. Only cities like Chicago with dynamic leadership and establishments who could see beyond their own greedy interests have continued to flourish.
If ever L.A. is to turn around, it has to be now. It's my belief that can only be achieved by a grassroots movement that gives the people power over what happens in their neighborhoods, in their schools, in the city as a whole.
That's why I'm talking to community groups about banding together, why i've stepped forward to try to show people really do care by demonstrating their support for change at the noontime protest at City Hall on July 14, Bastille Day.
Change will only occur if community groups of all tyrpes organize and join together. A demonstration of unity and commitment will break the stranglehold on power now held by a narrow band of insiders.
As things stand now, everybody who gets anything from City Hall has to pay. Unions pay by getting out the votes to make sure the elected officials keep giving them sweetheart contracts. Developers and contractors pay with campaign contributions and staging events that honor political figures as if they contributed something to society.
Anyway, that's my rough history of how L.A. got to this place. It's up to the ordinary citizens to change the course of the city and the time for action is now -- or never.
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 Naitonal Enquirer.
Great take, Ron--sad but true. LA is a dying city--and dying fast. The traffic, gangs, high prices--it is a joke. A family we know visited recently. They could not believe how depressing the drive was from LAX--total urban blight, new sounds walls covered with gang tagging, pictures of Castro on the freeway pylons--they were stunned. They attempted to visit Universal one day--two hours from West LA on the 405 to the 101--they left here numb, depressed and feeling ripped off. This place is a joke, thanks in large part to Antonio and his Mexican mafia.
We don't need to appeal to the career politicians in City Hall to do the right thing.
We need to REPLACE them.
I'm running for Mayor in the March 2009 election, and I've already raised nearly $100,000 for my campaign.
We, the people, need good candidates for the City Council posts that will be filled in that same election, namely, the odd-numbered districts.
So your mission, Mr. or Ms. Reader, is to go to my website to see how you can help elect me, and to scare up some candidates so we can replace half the City Council in March 2009.
The only way to improve this City is to take action. Sitting around whining about it isn't going to work. You need to contribute money to pay for advertising; spread the word to your friends; put a bumper sticker on your car; and sign up for my newsletter to stay posted.
Don't just sit there. DO SOMETHING. Take action to make this city great again.
Walter Moore
http://WalterMooreForMayor.com
Thank you, Ron. A big thank you from all of us who feel our city and Valley are worth saving.
A desert with broken glass and old buildings will be all that is left if this city cannot be turned in a different direction. Even the gang-bangers will want to go somewhere else.
You're going to be sorry you opened your mouth, Ron.
As a committee of one, I appointed myself to nominate you to run against Zine. Motion, seconded.
I can't think of anyone else who would have the clout and backing as you would have.
Next item on the agenda is to come up with a logo and slogan.
Ron is #1 4 the 3rd
Ron is oKaye with me
Zine wasn't fine, but Ron is sublime
Okaye, it need some refinement.