Controller Laura Chick named top state watchdog
City Controller Laura Chick -- the one standout
among LA elected officials over the last eight years -- has been promoted to General, Inspector General of the State of California by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Chick will act as an independent auditor overseeing California's $50 billion share of federal stimulus funding, according to the Sacramento Bee. She will take up the post by the end of the month and her top deputy, Rushmore Cervantes, will fill her LA post until Controller-elect Wendy Greuel takes office in July.
"I am proud to announce this first-in-the-nation position that will make sure the funds we receive from the Recovery Act are used with accountability and transparency to stimulate our economy and create jobs," Schwarzenegger said in prepared remarks.
Long Beach vs. LA: Water Conservation vs. Water Rate Hikes
Long Beach's Water Department reports LA County's second city set yet another record for conservation, reaching a 10-year low consumption in March, 14 percent below the city's 10-year average for the month.
Eighteen months ago, the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners issued a Declaration of Imminent Water Shortage and activated the City's Emergency Water Supply Shortage Plan.
While LA belatedly has imposed modest conservation measures as justification for significant water rate hikes, Long Beach reached out to the community and has gotten such strong support that hits 10-year lows all but a couple of months in the last year and a half.
"Long Beach implemented extraordinary conservation measures long before people were talking about weather conditions or the drought," according to Kevin Wattier, General Manager of the Long Beach Water Department. "Southern California faces a structural imbalance between its water supplies and its water demands, even in normal years, and every Southern Californian needs to heed the Governor's call to reduce their water consumption by 20 percent."
Uncivil funding for LA Civic Park exposed
The LA Weekly tears apart funding for the planned LA Civic Park centerpiece of the Grand Avenue luxury hotel and shopping center
and finds that $27.1 million in state bond money intended to provide housing for the homeless and battered women is being ripped off to pay exorbitant costs for the park.
Related Cos, which has missed deadline after deadline to start building the Grand Avenue complex, was supposed to pay the full $56 million cost of what is mostly "paved spaces that lend themselves more to organized sponsor-driven events than to picnicking or playing Frisbee," reporter Tibby Rothman reports.
The cost of the 16-acre park has soared to $5 million an acre so the city-county authority came up with a way to make the needy make up the difference.
Rothman asks: "Why are politicians pushing what is arguably the most expensive 16-acre park ever built here on public land, located nowhere near park-poor neighborhoods teeming with children?"
Urban critic Joel Kotkin, a Chapman University fellow, offered an answer and his own questions.
"There is no mechanism anymore for the public to question these things because it's all an inside deal. You don't have legislators who are going to question it because they're all part of the same machine."
City Controller Laura Chick -- the one standout
among LA elected officials over the last eight years -- has been promoted to General, Inspector General of the State of California by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.Chick will act as an independent auditor overseeing California's $50 billion share of federal stimulus funding, according to the Sacramento Bee. She will take up the post by the end of the month and her top deputy, Rushmore Cervantes, will fill her LA post until Controller-elect Wendy Greuel takes office in July.
"I am proud to announce this first-in-the-nation position that will make sure the funds we receive from the Recovery Act are used with accountability and transparency to stimulate our economy and create jobs," Schwarzenegger said in prepared remarks.
Long Beach vs. LA: Water Conservation vs. Water Rate Hikes
Long Beach's Water Department reports LA County's second city set yet another record for conservation, reaching a 10-year low consumption in March, 14 percent below the city's 10-year average for the month.
Eighteen months ago, the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners issued a Declaration of Imminent Water Shortage and activated the City's Emergency Water Supply Shortage Plan.
While LA belatedly has imposed modest conservation measures as justification for significant water rate hikes, Long Beach reached out to the community and has gotten such strong support that hits 10-year lows all but a couple of months in the last year and a half.
"Long Beach implemented extraordinary conservation measures long before people were talking about weather conditions or the drought," according to Kevin Wattier, General Manager of the Long Beach Water Department. "Southern California faces a structural imbalance between its water supplies and its water demands, even in normal years, and every Southern Californian needs to heed the Governor's call to reduce their water consumption by 20 percent."
Uncivil funding for LA Civic Park exposed
The LA Weekly tears apart funding for the planned LA Civic Park centerpiece of the Grand Avenue luxury hotel and shopping center
and finds that $27.1 million in state bond money intended to provide housing for the homeless and battered women is being ripped off to pay exorbitant costs for the park.Related Cos, which has missed deadline after deadline to start building the Grand Avenue complex, was supposed to pay the full $56 million cost of what is mostly "paved spaces that lend themselves more to organized sponsor-driven events than to picnicking or playing Frisbee," reporter Tibby Rothman reports.
The cost of the 16-acre park has soared to $5 million an acre so the city-county authority came up with a way to make the needy make up the difference.
Rothman asks: "Why are politicians pushing what is arguably the most expensive 16-acre park ever built here on public land, located nowhere near park-poor neighborhoods teeming with children?"
Urban critic Joel Kotkin, a Chapman University fellow, offered an answer and his own questions.
"There is no mechanism anymore for the public to question these things because it's all an inside deal. You don't have legislators who are going to question it because they're all part of the same machine."
"How come we don't have $50 million
for parks in South Central Los Angeles or the Valley? Has anyone
noticed why we don't have parks or only have crummy parks where people
actually live?"
Another question is how does this square with slashing fund for park programs all over the city and increasing fees for youth sports programs?
Ron Kaye
I love Laura Chick!! This is the best news about our state I've heard in months.
Ms. Laura Chick would make an outstanding Govenor in 2010. A yes vote!
THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM WAS BUILT ON A LIE AND
a drastically undersized and inappropriate site.
The Children's Museum was constructed on a bastard piece of property that took over the former site of a 200 sq ft burger stand and gas station.
Originally one of the immutable specifications for the Children's Museum was that it be built on a minimum of 2 acres. This would allow for landscaping, parking and generous interior space.
The Burger stand/gas station site is a mere 2/3 of an acre, triangular AND BISECTED BY AN OPEN FLOOD CONTROL CHANNEL. It's squeezed into a tight hi traffic corner. Viewed from Foothill Blvd, which is only a few feet away, the "modern" design looks literally like a train wreck or a half sunken ocean liner.
Viewed from busy Osborne, it overshadows the new $12 million public library and its shiny metal exterior looks like an uptilted runway on a half sunk aircraft carrier.
It fits the rural habitat area like a gucci loafer fits a 2 day hike into a protected wilderness.
Worse yet, there's NO parking except in Hansen Dam = a flood control basin and park that has been known to, duh, flood. According to the the Federal Insurance Rate Mapping FIRM = the building's lower level is built in the 25 year flood zone, which the Army Corps of Engineers denies.
This area was once a private community, in 1938, THE AREA WAS CONDEMNED and taken by eminent domain in order to build Hansen Dam Flood Control Basin to stop destructive flooding in the San Fernando Valley.
Early on, one of the requirements for operation of the Children's Museum was a requirement for life vests to be on hand to mitigate the threat museum visitors faced from drowning. Museum designers proposed a hanging "wall" on which the 635 vests would be displayed.
Putting students in a school in a flood zone and making part of the uniform a life vest will be a tough proposition to float - even at LAUSD.
Ms Gotcha moves to Sacramento where she can continue to make enemies by concentrating on headlines instead of saving money. Let's see if she starts with governor's office? No, that will never happen. He'd slap the shit out of her like Bratton has. She'll look for the weakest in the pack and pounce. Maybe some state employee will use stimulus money for Arrowhead water, perhaps for firefighters. (She doesn't like them very much. Too macho.) That's good for a press conference. And the state spends millions on outside PR. She really, really hates that! Another press conference. But just like in LA, the practice will continue after she gets her headline and she'll never notice. Better yet, she can claim to have secret evidence that "pay for play" exists at state Capitol. Who needs proof? By the time it's detemined she was wrong, her lap dogs in the media will have forgotten. Arnold, you might live to regret this appointment when you realize that knife in your back isn't a prop.
It is so great to know that powerful people in the city read this blog. But the arrogance of the city and the self righteousness from the obvious public employee comments are nakely apparent...and pretty damn nasty.
Hi Ron,
I have some information that I would like to pass on to you. I wish to remain confidential. What I wish to share can be confirmed through documents. I just need to point you to them.
So, here are my questions. How do I contact you? And, do you honor requests for confidentiality? Is there a phone number I can reach you at?
Thank you.
Try Ron@ronkayela.com
I want to thank Laura Chick for caring so much for this state and city we live in. Discussing how to change things for the better needs to be taken seriously, that leaves the ignoramuses out even with all their vicious threats. Unless you would care to discuss these matters in court? Some of us would like to put you in jail for making threats. You see, if threats are taken seriously someone could get hurt. If so, it should be you and not the people who are trying to live here in peace and safety.
Ms Chick, you go girl!!!!
Well put 4:27! Thank God for Laura Chick. The only one to stand up to the lowly City Hall!
Go, Laura Go....we are behind you 100%! Pay no minD to that that nasty comment that may have come from Rocko's office!
La Civic Park -- do not point fingers at Rec and Parks on this one.
THE BLAME ===>>>> Jan Perry, backed by her developer friends. Carol Schatz has been railing on rec and Parks. She's determined to steal millions in Quimby funds that she is not entitled to for this ridiculous park.
These two psychos will steal until their folly is built, no matter the cost.
Arnold, ya done good.
Will Laura run for governator next? Stay tuned....
Thank you, Weekly and Ron Kaye for exposing Reliant's taxpayer subsidized L.A. Civic Pork, the 16-acre Grand Avenue slab that will fulfill no Park purpose. Between carefully scripted civic events, it will be nothing more than a place to smoke and, of course, buy things from concessionaires who will stuff politician's pockets for the privilege of vending. It's cousin across town is the proposed $950 million (just shy of $1 billion) 44-acre park intended to manufacture open space for highrise congested Hollywood. It will require flat-topping the Hollywood Freeway which will put tons of money into big pockets all over town, from bond issuers and their law firms to concrete companies and infrastructure engineers and contractors. Health issues aside for users and drivers, this developer-spawned eden will never be built. But, by gesturing to this mirage, even more density will be granted real estate corporations. In the meantime, local land prices are at a new low--making this the perfect moment to purchase ready to use acreage in park-poor areas of L.A. on which to build parks we need and can afford. How about an article on these twin "park" projects from hell?
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