In its desperation to keep on living high in the Second Great Depression, L.A. City Council -- in its abominable ignorance -- doubled the charges on parking meters everywhere and expanded the hours you have to pump quarters into them or face much high fines.
And now people all over town are going around asking the same question: Can anybody spare a roll of quarters?
A policy enacted by the council as part of the budget for the sole purpose of covering up the fact they have bankrupted the city -- revenue is up a third under Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's tax-and-squander leadership -- is hurting businesses struggling to survive and made life almost impossible for the North Hollywood little theater community.
It's yet another example like the $42 million elephant exhibit and the nightmare of digital billboards where the council excuses its incompetence with the usual if-I-knew-then-what-I-know-now-I-wouldn't-have-done-anything-so-stupid.
Who they kidding?
They knew then that a lot of people hated keeping elephants in cages and they knew everybody but their benefactors in the billboard companies hated giant electronic screens flashing new messages for hyper-consumerism every few seconds, 24-7.
And they knew when they approved the budget exactly what the consequences were because the Department of Transportation told them so.
But they didn't care; they never care, until the public is in an uproar over the loss of business and the need to carry around a pocketful of quarters.
Ed Reyes does care. The councilman cares so much he actually had the audacity to criticize city budget and transportation officials and demand they go around and determine the impact of high parking charges on every business in the city -- a city that can't pay its bills so its slashing public services, a city that is overrun by gangs and doesn't have enough cops, a city turning "pay-to-play" political corruption into a way of life.
"I think we need to see if the increase in parking meters is having an impact on sales tax revenue," Reyes was quoted as saying in the Daily News. "Perhaps it is not the wisest move to raise rates in some parts of the city where we will be forcing people to go to other areas."
By "some parts of the city," class warrior Reyes means what he always means: The "rich" people who live in the other 14 council districts should subsidize every aspect of life in his neighborhoods.
Of course, nobody's rich right now except the truly rich and those on the city payroll (most of whom don't even live in L.A.) who are protected from the impact of the collapse in the economy because they keep people like Reyes in $180,000 a year jobs they could never otherwise get.
These are people who approved the nation's largest solar energy plan in just three weeks without even knowing the first thing about what they were doing, without considering the intended or unintended consequences.
They don't give a damn. All they know is that there will be billions and billions of dollars they can channel to their friends and contributors and when the electricity rates soar and too little solar power is generated, they will call the bureaucrats on the carpet and demand to know why they aren't doing their jobs
And now people all over town are going around asking the same question: Can anybody spare a roll of quarters?
A policy enacted by the council as part of the budget for the sole purpose of covering up the fact they have bankrupted the city -- revenue is up a third under Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's tax-and-squander leadership -- is hurting businesses struggling to survive and made life almost impossible for the North Hollywood little theater community.
It's yet another example like the $42 million elephant exhibit and the nightmare of digital billboards where the council excuses its incompetence with the usual if-I-knew-then-what-I-know-now-I-wouldn't-have-done-anything-so-stupid.
Who they kidding?
They knew then that a lot of people hated keeping elephants in cages and they knew everybody but their benefactors in the billboard companies hated giant electronic screens flashing new messages for hyper-consumerism every few seconds, 24-7.
And they knew when they approved the budget exactly what the consequences were because the Department of Transportation told them so.
But they didn't care; they never care, until the public is in an uproar over the loss of business and the need to carry around a pocketful of quarters.
Ed Reyes does care. The councilman cares so much he actually had the audacity to criticize city budget and transportation officials and demand they go around and determine the impact of high parking charges on every business in the city -- a city that can't pay its bills so its slashing public services, a city that is overrun by gangs and doesn't have enough cops, a city turning "pay-to-play" political corruption into a way of life.
"I think we need to see if the increase in parking meters is having an impact on sales tax revenue," Reyes was quoted as saying in the Daily News. "Perhaps it is not the wisest move to raise rates in some parts of the city where we will be forcing people to go to other areas."
By "some parts of the city," class warrior Reyes means what he always means: The "rich" people who live in the other 14 council districts should subsidize every aspect of life in his neighborhoods.
Of course, nobody's rich right now except the truly rich and those on the city payroll (most of whom don't even live in L.A.) who are protected from the impact of the collapse in the economy because they keep people like Reyes in $180,000 a year jobs they could never otherwise get.
These are people who approved the nation's largest solar energy plan in just three weeks without even knowing the first thing about what they were doing, without considering the intended or unintended consequences.
They don't give a damn. All they know is that there will be billions and billions of dollars they can channel to their friends and contributors and when the electricity rates soar and too little solar power is generated, they will call the bureaucrats on the carpet and demand to know why they aren't doing their jobs
Ron Kaye
Ron, I believe that you hit on something when you pointed out that many of those that work for and live off the city trough,
"Of course, nobody's rich right now except the truly rich and those on the city payroll (most of who don't even live in L.A.)"
Where exactly do they live and spend our tax dollars?
And why, in this financial mess does the city council feel that they are immune to the economic downturn?
Why don't we demand that the city council, Mayor, and all elected officials take a substantial pay cut? Not a lesser increase, a real cut.
Maybe then they would find some genuine initiative to get this economy back on tract. Have their pay tied to the Financial health of the City.
Glenn
Another great article, Ron. I am SO angry on SO many levels - I don't know where to begin!
Let's start with the exhorbitant salaries these kleptomaniacs have awarded themselves. They are amassing a bloody fortune on the backs of us...the citizen taxpayers. How is it that they earn TWICE the amount of that earned in every other city??? If they had real jobs as, let's say, CEO of American Airlines...they would have been fired in a nano second by the stockholders.
NONE OF THESE INCOMPETENT, IGNORANT, PHONY, SELF-INDULGANT, SELF-ORDAINED PASHAS...HAVE EARNED AN HONEST DOLLAR SINCE THEY INVADED CITY HALL!!!
I would like to know when the salaries and perks for these lowly public servants escalated to this ungodly level! It's outrageous!
This 'feed the pig' meter madness may just be the straw to break the camel's back! Combined with the potential solar energy scam, the unmarked Prius DWP water police, the unmarked cell phone/texting police, and the red light camera scam...AND the potential hikes in the gas tax, the sales tax, and the illegal surcharges and fees...IT'S TIME TO REVOLT!!!!
Karl Marx would be proud of his BIG BROTHERS occupying City Hall! WE have to throw them outta town! WE have to take back our city!!! Villar cannot get another 4 years! It's already almost too late...but another 4 years of the Kleptocrats will finish us off!
Everything in LA is Pay to Play...why is Villar not getting the same treatment as Blago??? We need to launch a Federal investigation into all the nefarious activities of Villar and his Gang of 15! They are out of control - drunk with power!
Can we get a map of where the $4/hr. meters will be installed??? And how about a map of red light camera locations???
Do ya think they are being equally distributed in places like Boyle Heights, Watts, Pacoima, and East L.A.??? Or is it only those who live, work and shop in affluent areas that are going to be victims of discrimination???
During the discussion of this in the council meeting yesterday, you would have thought that someone else approved the budget that included the increase in parking meter fees. LaBonge and others, but mostly LaBonge were trying to pin this on the poor guy that ran over from LADOT because the council was pitching a hissy fit. He told them flat out that LADOT was simply implementing what they had legislated. They complete ignored this and tried their damndest to paint LADOT and it leadership as the ones that had imposed these staggering increases on "their" constituents. I could barely believe what I was hearing, except that it was after all the Los Angeles City Council. Any time that the public speaks out against some crooked, back-room deal the council tries to slide in under the radar, they immediately take to their bully pulpit and plead ignorance. Lame. Lame. Lame.
Great article, Ron, and thank you continuing to put the City Council and Mayor's feet to the fire! This passing of the buck by our City leaders from parking meters to billboards to irresponsible development is tiredsome. It's clear to me that the majority of City Council members have little concept of what it's like to be an average resident of this City and having to deal with the consequences of their decisions.
I am hopeful that on March 3 we will see some true change in City government all across the board.
Excellent job.