Set aside for the moment, if you can, the incompetence, venality and indifference of most of our elected officials and focus on the citizen oversight that the commissions are supposed to provide to protect the public interest.
Commissioners are in charge of every department and their job — in theory — is to insulate the bureaucrats from improper political influence and set policy for them.
In reality, they have become part of the problem, nothing but political appointees of the mayor, serving at his pleasure, doing his bid and taking their marching orders from the mayor and his staff who work board meetings making sure they obey orders.
There is no independent civilian oversight as evidenced by the fact that only two notable commissioners have resigned in protest in recent years.
Jane Usher, who has turned around the civil law unit in the City Attorney’s office in the last year, quit as president of the Planning Commission over the failed billboard policies of the mayor and City Council. Nick Patsaouras quit as president of the DWP Board in a policy fight with the mayor and now is leading the charge for creation of a Rate Payer Advocate to protect the public interest.
The DWP rate hike fiasco has prompted some Council members to call for a change in how the commissioners are appointed — a move that would require a Charter change and opens up a fuller discussion of how all commissioners are appointed.
Today, most appointments are made by the mayor subject to Council approval.
Many people are named to commissions because they are heavy contributors who help keep the leaking City Hall machine running. Many others are made for purely political purposes to bring one segment of the community or another aboard the same machine’s self-serving agenda. And some are nothing but nepotism like Richard Alarcon’s daughter serving at a six-figure salary on the Board of Public Works.
Rarely is anyone appointed because of their independence, commitment to the public interest and their expertise in their area of responsibility.
The result is a political system that is lopsided, tilted overwhelmingly in favor of the elected officials and beholden to the mayor and Council — not the voters and taxpayers.
The city is in deep trouble financially. The gross mismanagement of city affairs is being exposed on a daily basis. City Hall has lost its credibility.
Change is now possible for the first time in decades.
One of the highest priorities for those working to reform City Hall should be to change how commissioners are appointed to all the oversight boards, most of which have five members.
The mayor simply has too much power.
A simple solution that would find popular support would be to allow the mayor only one appointment and give the Controller, City Attorney and the Council one each.
The fifth commissioner should be chosen by the Neighborhood Councils.
This would at least create some semblance of balance and actually empower the Neighborhood Councils in a way that City Hall has fought since their inception.
We don’t need commissions that are simply going to roll over to the orders of the mayor and Council. We need people who will stand up for what’s right, not sign off on what’s wrong.
The Council has opened up this discussion. Let’s see if they mean by putting on the ballot a sweeping reform that will bring every segment of the community to a seat and the table of power where the competing interests can fight about policies and programs from a position of equality.
Is that too much to ask for in a democracy?
The mayor DEFINITELY has too much power.
The entire Commission machine is a joke. Commissioners need to have some actual expertiese in the area, and should not be mayoral appointees.
General managers should not be at-will under the mayor only, but either under the control of the City Council or an elected City Manager (better).
Of course the Mayor power and to some extend that authority is good when its not abused. Can you gurantee me our next Mayor will not abuse his or her power or at least it may be perceived as such. The mayor got free tickets but what did he do good? Put a list together and compare. Then after the term of the next Mayor we shall do the same. Mayors are all the same but none last forever.
Points well taken. However, I wonder if the Council isn’t giving the public more lip service about changing the Charter knowing full well it puts them in a precarious position. Look at the City Planning Commission – what a joke. Every activist knows that if any large scale project goes before them, it is sure to be approved en route for more of the same treatment by PLUM and then the full Council. Some of those members can’t even serve their own communities if a conflicting of interest project comes before the commission. That just neutralizes the people in those areas.
Its up to the movement ((Cleansweep)) to hold Council Members responsible. Not only clean sweep but all constitutients. When something is said its quickly forgotten. We need a BULL HORN at City hall reminding them of their committment.
Its up to the movement ((Cleansweep)) to hold Council Members responsible. Not only clean sweep but all constitutients. When something is said its quickly forgotten. We need a BULL HORN at City hall reminding them of their committment.
Is it not telling that upon Jane Usher’s resignation, not a single one of the eight followed suit. Why not? It maybe worth looking into why their self interest was more important than the welfare of the city. What did they have to gain or lose by staying on the commission?
She was quickly replaced by a developer using city pension money for those developments. The APCs, part of Charter Reform, were supposed to represent the communities, and instead, are a bigger joke than the City Planning Commission. Take a look at the makeup of all commissions and you’ll find that most represent only one interest-the development community. You won’t find a single person from a Neighborhood Council, or if independent, with enough skills to understand the complex issues. As such, the policies of the Planning Department knuckleheads, dictated to by the politicians will continue to the deterioration of communities. Either we reform these commissions or abolish them. They are not serving their citizen watchdog role.
Why is it that Cynthia Ruiz the Public Works Commissioner is one of the few paid over $135,000. What other commissioners get paid?
IT CAN BE DONE; ” CHARLIE RANGEL CHARGED WITH ETHICS VIOLATIONS”
Waiting to read the same title in local media in Los Angeles,”MAYOR VILLARAIGOSA CHARGED WITH ETHIC VIOLATIONS AND CORRUPTION
The problem isn’t “the system,” or the laws, or the Mayor having too much or too little power.
The problem is the people holding office.
The cause of that problem is that the voters of L.A. have been ignoring local politics.
The solution is to wake enough of them up so we can elect decent people to office.
Tinkering with laws won’t matter if crooks keep winning elections. Better people is the only solution.
Walter is right on this issue. The problem is not the laws, it is the people. The APCs, a result of Charter Reform are doing no better in protecting communities than where there were none. We can’t keep changing the Charter. It loses all meaning. Change the culture of deceit and dishonesty and elect people of integrity and character.
If the mayor, council, controller and city attorney each pick one and neighborhood councils pick the fifth, then won’t that result in a gang of city chiefs ganging up on one community Indian?
WALTER MOORE IS RIGHT AND HE IS ALMOST RIGHT. WE NEED BETTER PEOPLE!
How do you get better people? From thin AIR. When a MAN announces then the group(s) splinter because they want their man and so forth. But we forget, this is a whole city not divided by Council Districts.
Stop talking about people and start talking to people: thats my Motto.
This is what I want from City
1. Ability to afford its programs and City Services [Address Pension & OT, SR Management Salaries, and Council Salaries=132K]
2. Reliable and efficient Operations from @Dept: Financial Reports [Mandatory]
3. No-Furniture Fund for Councilmembers. Let City Services Service Sidewalks. Use for Libraries & Parks
4. Capitalize off of RECYCLING. Using TIRES to make sidwalks. Bring these parties togehter.
5. Target Smart Grid Technology to each home and residential citizen: Recharging Systems for Electric CARS
Well, the list goes on and on. So, even a goodman, like President Obama will have challenges when starting from a significant DEBT
Sandy Sand, the APCs are 5 people, but the big Daddy, the City Planning Commission, is 9 people.
We changed the charter and no one is following the new rules.
It’s very noble and idealistic to say we need good people of integrity and character, but more often than not, someone who goes into office steeped in those principles and finds himself corrupted by the system. He finds he can’t get anything done unless he plays by ‘their’ rules.
We need a system of rules and oversight where swift action is taken and not dragged out over weeks and months to the point that whatever the infraction was is lost.
There also has to be punishment for whomever is breaking the rules.
We need a media to keep asking questions, because they forget as quickly as we do.
Look at how long the “where does a certain councilman live” has dragged on.
Where does the investigation into the DWP workers who were idling in strip joints stand?
Why did it take so long to get rid of Ed Boks at the animal shelters?
Do you really think any punishment will be meted out to the loafing DWP employees or the animal that probably ruined the blades of a riding mower by giving plastic chairs at the dog park in the Sepulveda Basin a close shave? And on and on the list goes.
It’s enough to make one’s head spin.
Add to that, why did it take so long to fire Gail Goldberg, when all she did was waste city resources without producing anything, other than make 50+ people leave the Planning Department out of frustration.
Start with DWP. The City Council needs to reject Christina Noonan, the Mayor’s nominee who knows next to nothing about DWP, and select a reputable and experienced person to help change the porch dog board of commissioners.
Ron said, “We don’t need commissions that are simply going to roll over to the orders of the mayor and Council. We need people who will stand up for what’s right, not sign off on what’s wrong.”
Why didn’t anyone stand up to protect the CFO over at LADWP? Why is it ok to fire the CFO without a full investigation in light of circumstances.
Ron, I think that’s a great idea. Isn’t that along the line of how Ethics (whatever the heck they do) commissioners are appointed?
For the record, there are a few existing commissioners that don’t do the mayor’s bidding. At least, not always. The problem they encounted is that necessary and accurate info, in management (aka “staff”) reports, isn’t too forthcoming since GM’s are also doing the mayor’s bidding.
Jack, I agree. Noonan should not be confirmed. There needs to be commissioners appointed by the NC’s. The Mayor and city council morons dont’ know any experienced, intelligent people. Why do you think DWP and city depts. are such a damn mess? Have you all noticed council morons are beginning to use city time and council chambers to help each other start campaigning? Its so obvious its insulting. It started with dumb ass Perry giving Parks a certificate signed by the idiots on council for the Grim Sleeper arrest. It was Det. Dennis Kilcoyne and his guys, SID, that did all the work. They are beginning to really show their desperation with bullshit like this.
Aside from the facts that it was too long, badly written and reflected on items about which the City Planning Commission knows nothing, on July 15, 2 commissioners signed off on a letter to Planning staff:
“to reach out to all of you to offer our continued support in this time of transition and commit to our continued confidence in the Planning Department…”
“Your path has been challenged with disappearing budgets and early retirements that have limited the Department’s capacities. But there is much to celebrate in the Planning Department’s accomplishments during Gail Goldberg’s tenure…”
“In this transition time the Commission has reached out to Mayor Villaraigosa for his continued support, for it is the Mayor’s vision that has initiated this “new era of planning culture” in Los Angeles. We thank him,
we thank Gail Goldberg, and we thank all of you.”
The letter is too long to post here, but the independent thinking of the commissioners — Ron’s point — is sorely tested with this breezy letter that focusses on a cult of personality.
I am an elected commissioner on the los angeles fire and police pension commission (elected by retired police officers for the last 10 years) I have testified before L.A. Council Committees and the full Council on this issue and have written about it in our newsletters. What’s odd is that the City’s own Ethics Commission is made up of diverse members and not by the Mayor having a majority of the appointments. We had problems with Mayor appointees having to resign because of a Security and Exchange Commission investigation that revealed ‘pay to play’ and other actions violating the Trust of a fiduciary member. I’ve been waiting for the Council to take action on this for the past few YEARS. One politician should not have the power to appoint the majority of any Board–it can only lead to trouble-and has. The Mayor’s involvement with former San Antonio Mayor and HUD Secretary, Henry Cicneros is a good example of this.
And Cicneros’ son-in-law, Sean Burton, is on the City Planning Commission.
The following is a copy of the City Planning Commision letter to the Planning Department. It is followed by an analysis of this letter.
July 15, 2010
To: All Planning Department Staff
Re: The Resignation of S. Gail Goldberg, Director of Planning
Your City Planning Commission wants to reach out to all of you to offer our continued support in this time of transition and commit to our continued confidence in the Planning Department.
For many of us, our tenure on the Commission has provided the rewarding opportunity to appreciate your work and we would like to applaud the Department’s past successes and encourage your continued focus and determination. It is to the credit of the entire Planning Department that an evolving “culture of planning” for the City of Los Angeles has made its mark through so many of your efforts. The following list represents a few highlights: beginning with a growing excellence in Administrative and Clerical staff
including the Executive Office, the Commission Office and other offices that keep us all operating smoothly; the exciting upgrades in “ZIMAS” and “PCTS” by the Systems and GIS staff; Citywide Planning’s extensive policy planning such as the Housing Element update, multiple housing ordinances,“Green” building, LA River Improvement Overlay (LA-RIO), the Citywide Draft Bicycle Plan and numerous transit oriented design plans; the Community Planning staff’s Update program with its vitalpublic outreach, its specific plans, CDOs and Citywide Mansionization Ordinance; the creation of the
Urban Design Studio and your leadership on community and urban design guidelines and principles; the Office of Historic Resources and your leadership on Historic Preservation Zones (HPOZ’s) and “Survey LA”; the Office of Zoning Administration including the Expediting Unit and Environmental Review’s evident excellence; Code Studies including your important code review work and streamlining efforts and specialized zoning research, including the Citywide Sign Ordinance rewrite; and finally Subdivision’s
fine work on Tract and Parcel Map projects. Please know how greatly each of our Commissioners
appreciates all of your work and efforts.
All of these successes aligned with and helped to implement the “Do Real Planning” principles defined by our Commission four years ago. We thank you for this vital support. These and other department accomplishments are significant and their value needs to be recognized and championed during this transition to both ensure continuity and to further empower City Planning staff.
Your path has been challenged with disappearing budgets and early retirements that have limited the Department’s capacities. But there is much to celebrate in the Planning Department’s accomplishments during Gail Goldberg’s tenure. This Commission has every confidence in the continuity of leadership of interim Director of Planning, Vince Bertoni, Deputy Director, Eva Yuan-McDaniel, and Chief Zoning Administrator, Michael LoGrande to follow through on the Department’s promise and deliver continued
pride in our Los Angeles City Planning Department.
In the next 6 to 12 months our combined commitments, including both the Planning Department and the Planning Commission, are substantial with issues of critical importance to the City of Los Angeles. Together we are poised to complete the Department’s reorganization, streamlining of the permitting
process, code reviews, citywide urban design guidelines, and multiple community plan updates. In this transition time the Commission has reached out to Mayor Villaraigosa for his continued support, for it is the Mayor’s vision that has initiated this “new era of planning culture” in Los Angeles. We thank him,
we thank Gail Goldberg, and we thank all of you.
Sincerely on behalf of the City Planning Commission with excitement for the future of planning in Los Angeles,
William Roschen, FAIA, LEED AP Regina Freer
President, L.A. City Planning Commission Vice President, L. A. City Planning Commission
CC: The Honorable Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor
THE FOLLOWING IS AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE SENSE OF THIS LETTER:
“Your City Planning Commission wants to reach out to all of you to offer our continued support in this time of transition and commit to our continued confidence in the Planning Department”.
The Planning Commission reaches out to staff through a parody of a letter, which only shows the Commission’s ignorance of the Department and uncalled for closeness. How is it helpful?
“For many of us, our tenure on the Commission has provided the rewarding opportunity to appreciate your work and we would like to applaud the Department’s past successes and encourage your continued focus and determination. It is to the credit of the entire Planning Department that an evolving “culture of
planning” for the City of Los Angeles has made its mark through so many of your efforts”.
“continued focus and determination”
On what?
Please explain “culture of planning”.
The following list represents a few highlights: beginning with a growing excellence in Administrative and Clerical staff including the Executive Office, the Commission Office and other offices that keep us all operating smoothly;
Does the Commission realize that most of the Planning Commission reports are never attached to the Planning agenda, and the community has to jump through hoops to get a copy of the staff report? It does not appear as an attempt at transparency or to promote public participation.
“the exciting upgrades in “ZIMAS” and “PCTS” by the Systems and GIS staff;”
Nothing new. They were there before this Commission came on board.
“multiple housing ordinances, “Green” building, LA River Improvement Overlay (LA-RIO), the Citywide Draft Bicycle Plan and numerous transit oriented design plans; the Community Planning staff’s Update program with its vital public outreach, its specific plans, CDOs and Citywide Mansionization Ordinance;”
One of those multiple housing ordinances must include the disgraced SB1818 ordinance, which gave away far more than was necessary and that continues to create a mess in the department. Just how many years does it take to write a simple LA-RIO or that 4-1/2 years later not a single Community Plan has been produced. The bicycle Plan after several years with huge monies spent on consultants is still a draft. Yet to see a TOD Plan. The Citywide Mansionization Ordinance would never have been accomplished if not for the efforts of the past President, Jane Usher.
“the creation of the Urban Design Studio and your leadership on community and urban design guidelines and principles;
The reality is that there was never any serious commitment. It was no more than a PR stunt. An urban design studio for city of LA composed of two people, one of whom retired.
“the Office of Historic Resources and your leadership on Historic Preservation Zones (HPOZ’s) and “Survey LA”;
The Office was already there. What is the point here?
“the Office of Zoning Administration including the Expediting Unit”
Is the Commission aware that the Zoning office backlog of cases is several years, and the quality of reports deteriorate by the year.
As for the expediting unit, it is well known that for a few extra bucks, it rubberstamps everything that comes its way. It has to be the greatest return on the money for a developer.
and Environmental Review’s evident excellence;”
No idea what this is about. Huge case backlog.
“Code Studies including your important code review work and streamlining efforts and
specialized zoning research,”
Are we talking about the Code streamlining efforts that would make it easier for developers to sail through with little community input now or later on projects that impact their quality of life?
“and finally Subdivision’s fine work on Tract and Parcel Map projects”.
Is the Commission aware that the last Advisory Agency quit abruptly and left the city for no lack of support from management besides being kicked out of management meetings? Huge backlog.
“All of these successes aligned with and helped to implement the “Do Real Planning” principles defined by our Commission four years ago. We thank you for this vital support. These and other department accomplishments are significant and their value needs to be recognized and championed during this transition to both ensure continuity and to further empower City Planning staff”.
Surely, the Commission reads the same staff reports we do. Their mediocrity is a complete departure from “Real Planning”. It seems the primary purpose of this commission is to approve more density, regardless of community opposition and its impact on their quality of life.
“and championed during this transition to both ensure continuity and to further empower City Planning staff”.
Continuity of what and empowerment of whom and to what end? The morale in the department has never been lower.
“Your path has been challenged with disappearing budgets and early retirements that have limited the Department’s capacities. But there is much to celebrate in the Planning Department’s accomplishments during Gail Goldberg’s tenure”.
Surely the Commission jests. Until April this year, the Planning Department had almost 300 staff. The ERIPs started only in January. If 300 employees were inadequate, than just how many are needed. 400, 500 or 600? It is a sad testimony that an intelligent Planning Commission bought into Gail Goldberg’s BS to the extent that they must repeat it as an excuse for producing so little in 4 and a half years.
“This Commission has every confidence in the continuity of leadership of interim Director of Planning, Vince Bertoni, Deputy Director, Eva Yuan-McDaniel, and Chief Zoning Administrator, Michael LoGrande to follow through on the Department’s promise and deliver continued pride in our Los Angeles City Planning Department.”
This is the part where it truly gets frightening. Why is the Commission involved in personnel issues when the City Charter gives them no such power.
“In the next 6 to 12 months our combined commitments, including both the Planning Department and the Planning Commission, are substantial with issues of critical importance to the City of Los Angeles. Together we are poised to complete the Department’s reorganization, streamlining of the permitting
process, code reviews, citywide urban design guidelines, and multiple community plan updates. In this transition time the Commission has reached out to Mayor Villaraigosa for his continued support, for it is the Mayor’s vision that has initiated this “new era of planning culture” in Los Angeles. We thank him,
we thank Gail Goldberg, and we thank all of you”.
Once again, the Commission is getting involved with the department’s internal reorganization, a personnel issue. Interestingly, the community has not heard anything about this re-organization. Ditto on the code streamlining. No explanation provided as to why it would be beneficial to the communities.
“for it is the Mayor’s vision that has initiated this “new era of planning culture” in Los Angeles”.
The Commission talks about a vision, which has not been shared with the community that affects their quality of lives. Should not the Planning Commission entrusted with this job make an effort in sharing this vision.
“CC: The Honorable Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor”
Now Planning Commission, you have really hurt the communities’ feelings. No cc to the APCs, Neighborhood Councils or the communities? If anything, the Mayor, Commission and the Planning Department alignment shows how entwined the three are and how the Commission has lost all semblance of even pretending to be independent citizen watchdogs.
Thank you 5:27 p.m. for your excellent highlighting of the unholy alliance between the Mayor, City Planning Commission and the Planning Department.
Read this article and am shocked that these characters represent us.