Councilman Bernard Parks, chairman of the Budget Committee and proposer of the 80 percent cut in funding for Neighborhood Councils, has responded to a constituent’s criticism of his action by asserting his primary concern is saving city jobs.
He also wants to know what cuts should be made to restore NC funding. Anybody got any ideas? Let’s hear them.
Here’s his email:
I PERSONALLY APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERNS THAT YOU HAVE EXPRESSED TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP. ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS APPRECIATE THE WORK NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS HAVE DONE IN THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES.
I WOULD JUST REQUEST THAT AS YOU SOLICIT THEIR SUPPORT TO WRITE AND CALL
COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MEMBERS OF THE BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE THAT YOU ALSO HAVE THEM IDENTIFY WHAT CUTS THEY WOULD RATHER SEE TO RESTORE THE NDC’S TO FULL FUNDING.
THE BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE IS ATTEMPTING TO SAVE 3000 TO 4000 JOBS
OF CITY EMPLOYEES . ONE MILLION DOLLARS CAN KEEP 10 POLICE OFFICES OR FIRE FIGHTERS ON THE JOB AND APPROX 20+ NON-SWORN POSITION EMPLOYED.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE DECISIONS WE HAVE TO MAKE. IT IS NOT TAKING A
STAND ON WHAT YOU WANT TO SAVE THE OTHER PART OF THIS IMPORTANT EQUATION IS WHAT DO YOU GIVE UP TO KEEP WHAT YOU WANT. MY PRIMARY EFFORTS WILL ALWAYS LEAN TOWARDS SAVING JOBS AS JOB = EMPLOYMENT AND MORE SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE..
THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND TO YOU.
1. Cut council members discretionary funds by 80%
2. Cut out anybody in the Mayor’s office who is employed by virtue of nepotism, “a favor”, “who you know”, or isn’t producing tangible results
3. Bid out City work wherever possible–one City employee lost is 1.5 to 2 jobs in the private sector
4. Justify employee salaries based on prevailing wage for like work
5. Create a sustainable pension plan for new workers who will ultimately be required; police and fire MUST be included
6. Quit hiring sworn personnel until cheaper vacant police department civilian positions are filled, thus freeing desk bound officers for field work.
7. Make use of more “community service” labor as provided through the court system–look at the City of San Fernando as a role model
8. Fully fund Neighborhood Councils so they can “partner” with Council members to prioritize funds funds.
9. And look at the all too obvious, Council members salaries, expense accounts, cars, slush funds, fee waivers, and so on.
10. Mr. Parks may not realize that Council members are expendable; the populace isn’t. Maybe Mr. Parks should have given thought before granting City employees a 25% increase, and thought about the pension liabilities and other soft costs. And NOW he asks the Neighborhood Councils where to cut? Not to worry Mr. Parks–you can’t save all the City employees–next year thousands more will go, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing for the rest of us. Someone will have to start thinking about how to run a more efficient show. Have you done that lately?
1.Be Transparent – Stop telling everyone to share the pain when Neighborhood Councils didn’t create the budget deficit.
2.Why is it that the politicos keep bringing up they want to save police officer’s jobs. Budget & Finance Committee needs to ask the hard questions. What happened to the trash fee increases for more police?
3.Eliminate the slush funds for each council district for fiscal year 2009-2010.
4.Each Council member and mayor should identify a pet project in their control and place it on hold until all elected officials can control their spending.
The FACT of the MATTER is, both the MAYOR and CITY COUNCIL, who rubber stamps everything, have created this budget deficit.
A special thanks to the L.A. Times. L.A. Times should reveal the $LUSH FUNDS and PET PROJECT$ to the public.
L.A. City Council committee outlines drastic budget cuts
By Phil Willon
May 14, 2009
“The council voted today to put slush over safety,” said Matt Szabo, the mayor’s spokesman. “At the same time the committee voted to gut the Police Department, they pumped millions back into their special SLUSH FUNDS.”
Villaraigosa criticizes decision to cut LAPD hiring
By Phil Willon and David Zahniser
May 15, 2009
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Thursday criticized three City Council members who voted to cut police hiring, accusing them of “devastating public safety” while preserving PET PROJECTS in their council districts.
L.A. Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-labudget14-2009may14,0,4609355.story
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lapd-budget15-2009may15,0,461094.story
1. So the San Diego U-T is NO LONGER owned by the Copley Family in La Jolla? OMG!
2. If Cong. Maxine Waters ever resigns her seat – over the documented profiteering she and husband enjoy from bank bail-outs from both Bush and Obama Administrations – I hope LA City Councilman Bernard Parks is her replacement. In LA County Supes race, his position cost him the elction but “make a better supervisor from his victorious opponent. [Issue = King Drew hospital services vs. closure].
3. Autobiographically = I left US Vets in Jan 06 after over-much Black on White and Black on Brown racism, condoned by both the on site management and the US V-A [West LA]. To no one’s surprise: The LA Time’s continue to spike stories on subject. Likewise the “[Fed funded] Fair Housing office [sic.] to whom complaints are directed for such allegations – but never to have a response, if complainer is non-Black.
4. I left CA after few weeks of leaving US Vets.
5. The “obit” for “The Daily News” pained me, as a long time Valley residence (after USAF active duty which ended in 1967).
TERENCE LYONS, news editor @ Santa Monica Mirror weekly is also a former US Vets resident, as was I. He was a commissioned US Army artillery captain. Our mutual friend [also a former US Vets resident] is Glenn [a.k.a. Randy] Primm who does ‘RealityFrame’ blog on line. When I first arrived [Dec 05] we three were ‘quad mates’ on third floor.
“CORRRECTION” to second post above – Item #3 – of 5 + I LEFT US Vets in Jan ’09(!) – vice ’06.