"Less Talk - More Action" -- That's the theme of an innovative program coming this Saturday as a counter to the city-run and organized Congress of Neighborhoods set for the following Saturday, Oct. 10.
The Neighborhood Councils Action Summit grew out of widespread frustration over the pace of change within the decade-old NC movement and was organized by Greg Nelson, the first General Manager of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, along with Stephen Box and others
Like the title of the program suggests, NCs too often talk issues to death without ever getting around to doing something about them.
So the Action Summit -- being held from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Los Angeles City College,
Faculty/Staff Center, 855 N. Vermont Ave.-- hopes to change that targeting a number of issues, getting participants to vote on what action to take and then using what's decided to develop campaigns for broad community support.
The subjects on the agenda with expertise on the issues are cutting city officials' salaries in half, creating a DWP Ratepayer Advocate office,city budget reform, the cyclists bill of rights, reducing the backlog of sidewalk repairs and the explosion of marijuana dispensaries.
These are all worthy subjects to address and the summit represents an important step in trying to bring NCs around the city together on specific issues that affect every neighborhood.
City Hall has all the money and power, hundreds of media spinners and bureaucrats, the unions and other special interests to control the agenda and get people elected who will serve the political machine, weak and failing as it is.
The only answer is people power, ordinary citizens armed with good information about what's going on at City Hall and around the city.
The Action Summit is a well-organized and structured event that will open with remarks by guest speakers LA Times editorial writer Robert Greene, South Central Farmers Cooperative Coordinator Tezozomoc and David Bell, president of the East Hollywood NC.
Panelists include Wave newspaper columnist Betty Pleasant, former DWP Commission President Nick Patsaouras, Street Services Department head Bill Robertson and a number of NC leaders.
"A growing number of neighborhood council board members and stakeholders want to find a new way for the voices of neighborhood councils to be heard.'' organizers of the Action Summit said in their event announcement.
"The Action Summit is being designed to provide neighborhood councils and their stakeholders with opportunities they haven't had at City Hall's Congress of Neighborhoods, which has now been combined with the initial meeting of the Mayor's Community Budget Day process."
Go to their website http://ncactionsummit.wetpaint.com/ to find out more about this important event that I believe will help move a growing city rebellion against City Hall's failure to the next level.
A large turnout will send City Hall a message that the time for change has come and that the community is getting stronger and better organized.
The Neighborhood Councils Action Summit grew out of widespread frustration over the pace of change within the decade-old NC movement and was organized by Greg Nelson, the first General Manager of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, along with Stephen Box and others
Like the title of the program suggests, NCs too often talk issues to death without ever getting around to doing something about them.
So the Action Summit -- being held from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Los Angeles City College,
Faculty/Staff Center, 855 N. Vermont Ave.-- hopes to change that targeting a number of issues, getting participants to vote on what action to take and then using what's decided to develop campaigns for broad community support.
The subjects on the agenda with expertise on the issues are cutting city officials' salaries in half, creating a DWP Ratepayer Advocate office,city budget reform, the cyclists bill of rights, reducing the backlog of sidewalk repairs and the explosion of marijuana dispensaries.
These are all worthy subjects to address and the summit represents an important step in trying to bring NCs around the city together on specific issues that affect every neighborhood.
City Hall has all the money and power, hundreds of media spinners and bureaucrats, the unions and other special interests to control the agenda and get people elected who will serve the political machine, weak and failing as it is.
The only answer is people power, ordinary citizens armed with good information about what's going on at City Hall and around the city.
The Action Summit is a well-organized and structured event that will open with remarks by guest speakers LA Times editorial writer Robert Greene, South Central Farmers Cooperative Coordinator Tezozomoc and David Bell, president of the East Hollywood NC.
Panelists include Wave newspaper columnist Betty Pleasant, former DWP Commission President Nick Patsaouras, Street Services Department head Bill Robertson and a number of NC leaders.
"A growing number of neighborhood council board members and stakeholders want to find a new way for the voices of neighborhood councils to be heard.'' organizers of the Action Summit said in their event announcement.
"The Action Summit is being designed to provide neighborhood councils and their stakeholders with opportunities they haven't had at City Hall's Congress of Neighborhoods, which has now been combined with the initial meeting of the Mayor's Community Budget Day process."
Go to their website http://ncactionsummit.wetpaint.com/ to find out more about this important event that I believe will help move a growing city rebellion against City Hall's failure to the next level.
A large turnout will send City Hall a message that the time for change has come and that the community is getting stronger and better organized.
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.
Robert Greene is a good guy and was instrumental in getting the Times to endorse Trutanich over Weiss -- came to the Times from the Weekly where he was very critical of Villaraigosa and his bunch, before that was with the Metropolitan News, owned by a long-time proudly Republican community leader as well as attorney.
Ron....how do I send an email to you?
david barron
Nevermind, Ron, I screen finally opened. I located your email.
If you want to fix this City, you should get one really good person to run for City Council in each of the even-numbered districts that are up for grabs in 2011, and start raising money in October.
Imploring corrupt politicians to do the right thing is pointless. Rather, you must replace those politicians.
Walter Moore - thanks for forgoig smart alec cynicism and making sense.
Walter Moore - I "you" (whoever, "you" is) does try to get one really good person. But you assume people can make a decision to get behind one person or that a really good person will run and that there is money in October for this. But it's a great idea because it is very easy to say. How about if "you" are the "you" Walter and "you" get "one" really good person and get everyone to agree.
While we're at it, I think City Council should sit down and close the budget deficit.
And your solution is what, Brian? Sit around thinking of reasons why change is impossible?
If YOU want to advance the public interest, you must organize the public to support candidates. That is what any groups should focus on.
Ron will, I expect, be able to get people to come to a meeting. When he does, I hope he urges them not to petition the existing crooks, or to appoint an ombudsman who will be subordinate to the crooks, but instead to find people with suitable credentials and experience to run for office.
Can it be done? I don't know, but I think it can. I got nearly 72,000 votes without the support of any political party, union or other organized group. There were enough of us focused on some basic issues -- waste, welfare for the rich, excessive density, inadequate police -- to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars and qualify for matching funds.
My point is to avoid wasting time writing reports, or forming study groups, or just talking to one another. Instead, get candidates, and start raising money for them. A city-wide slate of eight candidates could raise much more money and generate much more publicity than just eight people trying to go it alone.
You don't like my solution? Propose another.