“It’s our turn!” — So the mayor tweeted enthusiastically Sunday after Spain won the World Cup. “Let’s bring WC 2018 to LA! We’ve showed we’re a great international city that will embrace the games. It’s our turn!”
Nothing could better serve as the epitaph for Antonio Villaraigosa’s reign of failure as the phrase “It’s our turn!”
The “our” he refers to shifts with the moment but it never refers to “us,” not all of us. In the case of the World Cup, “our” could mean his benefactors at AEG who would stand to profit handsomely from a World Cup by getting approval for a football stadium downtown and filling the house for weeks on end at LA Live.
In other cases, “our” can mean the unions or Latinos or his rich pals who buy him valuable gifts. Such are the shifting politics of the mayor who has overseen the greatest increases in fees, rates and taxes in the city’s history even as he bankrupted the city treasury and slashed services to the public.
The mayor is not alone in using “our” and “we” and “us” the way royalty does, meaning “my” and “I” and “me.”
The City Council does the same thing as does our state legislature. It’s just part of the corruption of language that has become an ingrained part of our political culture.
Today, the Council is taking up consideration of a $39 a year parcel tax supposedly to support libraries which next week will close on Mondays for the first time in our city’s history because hundreds of library workers have been fired, retired or transferred in the name of balancing the budget.
There is no more vicious form of taxation than parcel taxes, which is why the Democratic-controlled legislature is moving to reduce the threshold for passage of such taxes for education from two-thirds to 55 percent.
If you own a 50-story office tower downtown or a $20 million Bel Air mansion, you pay the same $39 tax as the struggling owner of a cottage in Boyle Heights or Watts.
Personally, I don’t think the Council, even the Council, is dumb enough to put this on the November ballot despite their poll showing it could narrowly pass.
The tax would become a battleground for debating all that’s wrong with our city government, how it has given away our wealth to special interests and special classes, how it mismanaged almost every program, how it pushed the city to the brink of bankruptcy.
This particular proposal has gone from having a five-year sunset clause to being endless, from being a flat $39 to escalating with inflation every year. It has the usual phony safeguards like a citizen oversight committee and annual audits that have proved ineffective in the past and somewhere between a third to two-thirds of the money could go to overhead — not books and library materials and services to the public.
But the ultimate reason this is ridiculous is stated clearly in the proposed resolution:
“WHEREAS, the City’s General Fund has had to provide the tens of millions of
dollars necessary to adequately fund Library operations, but can no longer provide such
funds due to the unprecedented decline in revenues; and
“WHEREAS, for the Fiscal Year 2011-12 Budget, the City Administrative Officer
has estimated that the City’s General Fund deficit will be $318.5 million and is projected
to escalate to $1 billion in subsequent years; and
“WHEREAS, cuts to the Library’s budget include the elimination of 328 positions
or 28% of the workforce resulting in a reduction from 7-day-a-week service to 5-day-a-week
service and reductions to library services and programs; and…”
In other words the mayor and Council — for “our” benefit — have chosen to make the libraries the first department to be hit with massive staff and service
reductions that will dismantle the quality system that former City Librarian Susan Kent built on time and under budget while setting up a cost-effective delivery system to borrowers at their neighborhood library.
In other words the $30 million to be raised with this regressive tax that hits lower income families — the people who need the libraries most — the hardest is just a drop in the bucket when the city is facing a deficit of $318.5 million next year and up to $1 billion in subsequent years.
That is the heart of the problem, the reason the city’s leadership must be held accountable.
This crisis has been building for several years and was forcefully brought to public attention nearly two years ago.
Yet, all they have done is to cut our services and take more money out of our pockets as they will today when they approve increases of up to 40 percent in ambulance fees, fees that they don’t bother to collect a third of the time because of their poor management.
They are cooking the books, borrowing heavily, deferring costs and mortgaging our futures by their cowardly inability to confront the problem that simply is city government costs too much — 80 percent of it for salaries, pensions and benefits — and delivers too little.
There is only one way out of this crisis and it starts with seeing that this is truly “our” city and “our” fates are tied together so “we” need to come to terms with “our” shared reality, balance “our” interests and move forward together.
To me, that means replacing those who have failed with people who can restore credibility to City Hall, bring us all to the table of power and work out a deal that reduces the cost of city government while protecting jobs and services.
That means labor has to take a step back financially and the public a step forward through a fair and transparent short-term tax that fixes the city’s finances once and for all.
This isn’t about the absurdity of a bankrupt city staging the World Cup. But the mayor is right about one thing: It is our turn, the people’s turn to take charge of the city and fix what they have broken.
You’re right. It is our problem, and one of our own making. We keep voting for these inept, corrupt, rubber stamp people.
In our defense, sometimes we don’t have choices in voting, other than vote for nobody and let other voters decide for us, or vote for the lesser of two horrid evils.
When Zine ran in the first election he won the choice was some awful old lady who had worked for another councilman or the ego maniac, fast-talking while saying nothing, arrogant motorcycle cop-strutting, promise-breaking (phony phone tax) Zine.
The only way out of this is to get good people from the community who will run for city council seats and promise not to serve more than two terms in they prove they deserve a second term and aren’t corrupted by the system.
And we need a new City Charter, too.
It’s our turn alright – at the ballot box. That’s where we can keep sending the message that they aren’t fooling us at all. They can run but no longer can they hide from the citizens – downtown. People are starting to notice thanks to those ever-increasing fees, phony attempts to sell on us the next ballot measures, Ticketgate, broken pipes, etc.
The council isn’t smart enough to NOT put the regressive library tax on the ballot.
And if they do, they’ll figure out a way to have ol’ Charlie Beck cut a few ads that tie the library parcel tax into more cops on the streets or lowering the crime just as they’ve done with other ballot measures that had nothing to do with cops or crime reduction.
All thru’ the day I me mine, I me mine, I me mine.
All thru’ the night I me mine, I me mine, I me mine.
Now they’re frightened of leaving it
Ev’ryone’s weaving it,
Coming on strong all the time,
All thru’ the day I me mine.
I-I-me-me mine,
I-I-me-me mine,
I-I-me-me mine,
I-I-me-me mine.
All I can hear I me mine, I me mine, I me mine.
Even those tears I me mine, I me mine, I me mine.
No-one’s frightened of playing it
Ev’ryone’s saying it,
Flowing more freely than wine,
All thru’ Your life, I me mine.
I-I-me-me mine,
I-I-me-me mine,
I-I-me-me mine,
I-I-me-me mine.
All I can hear I me mine, I me mine, I me mine.
Even those tears I me mine, I me mine, I me mine.
No-one’s frightened of playing it
Ev’ryone’s saying it,
Flowing more freely than wine,
All thru’ your life I me mine.
-George Harrison
John Phillips (KABC radio) ranted on for two nights about how libraries are obsolete and no longer needed. He may have a point.
So how about this? We close down all the libraries in wealthy areas of the city where every person has a PC and a laptop and their kids have the same plus hand-held gadgets coming out the wazoo.
There’s no information in a library that can’t be gotten through a quick Google search.
After closing down all the rich-witch area libraries, except for a few central ones, we put all the remaining resources into the libraries that are located in less affluent neighborhoods where they’re really needed.
And we’ll need to preserve all the closed libraries as a hedge against the slim chance that some terrorist sets off a magneto bomb, erasing all the electronics and leaving us as dumb as cavemen.
According to the DN “…..The Los Angeles area remains one of the most difficult places in the nation to land a job……” Mr Mayor, solve this problem instead of daydreaming of World Cup 2018. Oh,I forgot you are a dreamer……….
John Phillips proved he’s a total moron is all. Said that everyone buys books from Amazon now, and only the very poor need libraries, etc. Blathering idiot. I just went to a lovely library in a neighboring RICH town (Sandy Sands, you’re sounding stupid as well) where all the locals go the library, from kids checking out children’s books and attending story hours, to teens doing homework, adults and senior citizens who spend many a hot summer hour there. Got a stack of books that I’d never have bought and would never have thought of, from fiction to near and distant history, and one for a book club. Some I may not finish, but that’s the beauty of a library, the ability to delve into something on an impulse, or skim through something that’s required reading, and just plain hang out in a lovely setting.
Keeping libraries open only for the very poor in L A (Probably mostly Latinos) would ghettoize them, give them a negative stigma, and is just plain stupid. What HAS been dumb in L A is putting such huge resources into the downtown library which is lovely but inconvenient for many, while the branches INCLUDING on the westside, what Sandy calls the “rich-which,” are too run-down for the locals to want to hang out in. But instead of shutting them down, they should add story times and book clubs, offer community events, things that get more people going. For revenue, rent them out. Sandy and John PHilips would give the “Rich witches” who are more likely to read in the first place, just one more reason to leave L A.
I do NOT think a parcel tax, which again hits only homeowners, is at all fair however. Since as it stands the libraries ARE used mostly by the renters and the poor in L A. Especially since the money would not go to their areas, anyway, just like with the school parcel taxes which have built expensive new schools in the Latino areas while “rich witch” areas get maybe a paint job if they’re lucky or a little grass.
That parcel tax again — someone has to stop Council. It’s either the employees pay for it, or the public does. And some people fall for it.
I’m sorry, Ron, but I’m not going to wring my hands over libraries being closed on Mondays. I’ve said for a while that they should have been looking at their usage numbers and closing on the day that consistently gets fewer visitors. OK, so L.A. City libraries won’t be open on Mondays. How about County libraries?
I just did a search using Google Maps. Within about two miles of City Hall, I found FOUR libraries, and that’s not counting the two law libraries that are downtown. Two in Little Tokyo — one for the City and one for the County. One in Chinatown (which is close enough to walk to from Little Tokyo, unless you were brought up in L.A. and have to drive to go next door), or you can (gasp) take the Gold Line. I bet if I moved the map over to the east a little, I could find a City library just east of Little Tokyo, in East LA, or maybe another county library.
Why, instead of duplicating functions, don’t agencies work together? Why did we build a City library in Little Tokyo when they already had a County one? Why does no one point out that the County library WILL be open on Mondays, in the unlikely event that someone absolutely, positively, has to get to the library on a Monday? Is Council or the Library management really that stupid and/or self-serving?
Oh, wait …
There is no County Library in Little Tokyo or Downtown.
There is a County Law Library on Temple and Hill next to the Mosk Courthouse. The City Law Library is in City Hall East.
The point of this article to me is not so much about the benefit of libraries (obvioulsy City Hall thought enough of libraries to spend millions upon millions constructing new ones post-Internet, post-Amazon.com), but the mismanagement of the budget to the point layoffs and contraction of services became necessary.
The other point, why is it Angeleno voters only start to pay attention once the problem has gotten this bad instead of BEFORE the problem gets this bad?
Okay, this is for all of you guys who are starting to buy into the library b.s. discussed so far. Plain and simple – we need them. Just because you don’t see the value and necessity of libraries, doesn’t mean our communities should lose them. In fact, let me show you how one library, in an affluent part of town, is used.
Go in there at any time, and every single computer is in use to access the internet. Our neighborhood council and other community groups hosts meetings there in an well-outfitted community room. There is always a long waiting line – filled with people of all ages patiently waiting to check out books. There is always people looking for cds, videos, magazines, etc. Then, there are the teachers who come in there and check out scads of books for their students. An eagle scout earned one of his crucial badges because he volunteered to re-landscape the front planters of the library. (He raised the money too). There is a huge draw at the monthly book sales which goes to purchase more books for this branch. There are bulletin boards, free magazine and newspapers, clean restrooms, and a drinking fountain. Even though there are benches that are used by the homeless at night, they are used during the day by library patrons. Then, there are all of the reading groups – that’s priceless especially for the children.
The fact is if we don’t speak up for our libraries, then the next time the budget cut-backs come around, something else that makes a community valued, that supports business and residential property taxes, etc., will be slashed.
People like John Phillips are looking for ratings. I want to keep looking for books when I find them thanks to an excellent website the central library hosts.
I pay thousands and thousands of dollars per year in property taxes. Each time I walk into the library, I know I am getting value for those taxes.
And, no I won’t vote for a parcel tax (fully expecting to see it on a ballot) because it is just tax increase ruse.
The L.A. County Law Library isn’t even run by the County. It is a separate organization from the County of Los Angeles Public Library and is funded in part by court filing fees.
County Libraries have a wide variation in hours depending upon whether or not they are in an unincorporated area, a contract city which agreed to chip in extra money for longer hours, or a city that didn’t chip in extra money.
Many L.A. residents are particularly close to a County of L.A. Library. People in the Valley would have to rely on the very small library in San Fernando or head over to La Canada Flintridge or La Crescenta. On the west end of the Valley, you’d have to go out to Agoura Hills.
For people on the Westside, the nearest libraries would be in Culver City (which is usually very crowded) or Marina del Rey. And God forbid you live down by the Harbor.
However, why the City Council felt the need to pay to build a brand new branch in Silver Lake when the budget was getting dire will remain one of life’s enduring mysteries.
Also, the parcel tax measure was not placed on the November ballot.
For grins and giggles I brought up the Mayor’s Office phone listings on my computer at work. (I work for the Evil Empire)
I counted up the number of named employees and hit 229. The man has more office help than some small nations. Counting Tony and it comes to 229 and a half.
I have given the City of Los Angeles good service and for that I’m compensated fairly. But 229 slackers on the City dole is reprehensible.
Vote the rascals out
Of course we need libraries — what I’m saying is not to eliminate them, but to look at a more creative way of providing the service to the public. Some of these responses are so typical — denial, not getting the point, arguing against a solution I never proposed — do you all work for public industry or something?
First — yes there are multiple libraries in Little Tokyo, and whether the second one is run by the county itself or by a library agency is beside the point, really.
I agree with the person who listed the dearth of libraries on the West Side — especially the part about Silver Lake’s new library. That’s an example of the kind of poor planning and “thinking as usual” that goes on.
The bottom line is that throwing more money at the issue so that libraries can stay open is not the only solution, and I don’t think it’s the best solution. Yes, we need to keep the libraries running and viable, but we need to think of a better way to do it.
The fact that the clowns on council didn’t place the library tax on the ballot this week shows they are reading blogs like this one. Its the pressure THE PEOPLE put on them to do the right thing. WE don’t need more libraries. Look at all the new schools even though we have one of the highest drop out rates. LAUSD just approved $6 mil more for the RFK school which tops over $500 mil. Why aren’t we questioning them when teachers are being laid off? ON another note, Ethics Commission voted to overhaul the lobbyist ordinance to make politicians report all free tickets and gifts. Funny thing is Garcetti has been sitting on the ordinance for over a year. WHY???
As long as Eli Broad can get a $10 million chunk of land from our City Council for $1 for his ego-museum, we have a problem.
The taxation must fall more heavily on those who can afford to pay it. It is the only way to have a decent middle class. Instead, this City Council and this State Legislature robs the middle class to give more and more to the few wealthy. Like Eli Broad and his arrogant thought that we owe him a valuable piece of land in downtown for just a $1.
That single act of wealthy entitlement says so much about the greed and selfishness of Los Angeles’ wealthy class. They have no sense of civic responsibility for the city in which they have prospered.
OMG Broad must heard all the backlashing of him getting that downtown land for only a buck. Yesterday his people have come out saying he’ll pay $7 million for it. CRA is having meeting on Thursday to decide. With so many other top priority issues, I don’t get why Broad, Caruso and Lieweke are wasting money fundraising for a street car that will end up costing $100 mil? That’s INSANE!!!
“Guero on July 13, 2010 4:26 PM”
It’s the construction contracting.
Branches in Echo Park, Silver Lake, Los Feliz and Hollywood all within the last decade.
Pay more for diminished service? These people are nuts!
Los Angeles City Ethics Commission
A five-member panel of part-time Commissioners appointed by the Mayor, City Council President, City Council President Pro Tem, City Attorney, and Controller. Each Commissioner serves a five-year term and can be removed only for cause.
Helen E. Zukin, President (July 2006 – Present)
Paul H. Turner, VP June 2008 – Present)
Nedra Jenkins, (June 2008 – Present)
Valerie Vanaman, (August 2009 – Present)
Marlene Canter, (September 2009 – Present)
Los Angeles City Ethics Commission Mission Statement
As an independent voice for more open and responsive City government, the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission acts through its voter-established mandate to preserve the public trust. Through meaningful public disclosure and effective education, the Commission is committed to supporting and equipping an informed citizenry. Dedicated to upholding the public interest, the Commission shapes, administers and enforces City ethics, campaign finance and lobbying laws that ensure Los Angeles elections and government decision making are fair, transparent and accountable.
MEMORANDUM
July 7, 2010
To: Members of the City Ethics Commission
From: Heather Holt, Director of Policy and Legislation
Re: AGENDA ITEM 9
Governmental Ethics Ordinance Review:
Impartiality and Fairness, Part B
Impartiality is critical to good government and helping to “restore public trust in
governmental and electoral institutions.” LAMC § 49.5.1(C)(7). Government decisions should be made in the best interests of the public—not based on bias for or against a particular citizen or based on a public servant’s own, personal interests. The state also acknowledges this by declaring in its Political Reform Act that “government should serve the needs and respond to the wishes of all citizens equally …” and that “[p]ublic officials, whether elected or appointed, should perform their duties in an impartial manner ….” Cal. Gov’t Code §§ 81001(a)–(b).
http://ethics.lacity.org/pdf/agenda/2010/July/071310_A9_GEO_Review.pdf
I support public libraries. In earlier Ron Kaye blogs, I read that there is already a property tax for the libraries. I would not support the $39.00 fee because most of it would go to the General Fund.
I remember a college class when I was in my 20′s. It was before the days of the computer. I had to write a term paper. And I used the Tarzana library. As my college education became more advanced, I used the college libraries at Pierce College, CSUN, and at UCLA.
While I do most of my research online, I do know a retired teacher that volunteers at my local library.
My husband uses the “order online” feature more than I do.
However, last year, there was a very technical research book that I wanted. They had it downtown. This book would cost more than $130.00 on AMAZON. I used it, and then I loaned it to a medical doctor to read. We got “two for the price of one” – two of us on that one library order.
Yes, we need our libraries as someone else stated to give people who do not have access to the internet a chance to use it. This is a way for people who do not have jobs to go online and to look and to apply. There are many people who believe that borrowing a book or CD is more ecological than buying one.
I grew up in an age when I went to the library at least once a week. I read 10 – 15 books a week in the summer. Those were the days of “Nancy Drew” and “The Hardy Boys”. I attribute my level of English placement in junior high based on that library reading. If we want children that are literate, we do need to support reading and libraries.