Breaking with its tradition of ducking the real issues, the LA Times Editorial Board dared to push Council District 15 runoff candidates Joe Buscaino and Warren Furutani for solutions to the city’s budget crisis, asking them: “What
would you do about it?”
And what is hopefully a new tradition, they have started printing the answers — not just printing their pathetic responses but making fun of them as well. Here’s the way it looked at LATIMES.com:
Furutani: “I think
everything’s on the table to be re-examined for government.”
Warren Furutani: Everything’s on the table.
What non-core functions should the city no longer try to perform?
Furutani: “[The city should
continue to work on] potholes, streetlights, cleaning up alleys, getting rid of
graffiti.”
Warren Furutani: Potholes, streetlights.
Yes, but don’t you think voters
ought to know beforehand what kinds of choices you would make?
Furutani: “In terms of
details, in terms of what city things, services should be provided, I’m just
not sure.”
Warren Furutani: I’m just not sure.
But surely the new guy, Joe Buscaino, would have a good handle on the decisions
that need to be made? Maybe something somewhere has to be cut, he said, or
maybe we need more revenue, but don’t cut police or fire.
Buscaino: “We just cannot
take a step back when it comes to [public safety] staffing.”
Joe Buscaino: Don’t cut public safety.
Joe Buscaino: Don’t reduce police staffing.
But what trade-offs would you make to ensure that public safety staffing is not
cut?
Buscaino: “For me, being
that grassroots candidate, everything is on the table to address that
issue.”
Joe Buscaino: Everything’s on the table.
But
what would you lead on?
Buscaino: “Waterfront
development.”
One more time: Because you acknowledge we have to cut something, is there
anything the city doesn’t need to do? Anything we could or should cut or leave
to someone else?
Buscaino: “I leave that on
the table, once again, if I get in.”
Promising to post more outtakes of the Dec. 12 interviews prior to the Jan. 17 runoff for who will succeed Congresswoman Janice Hahn in the San Pedro/Watts district, the Times Opinion Blog concluded:
“The upshot with either candidate is that the council
office becomes a kind of suggestion box, without a leader’s vision, knowledge
or power to mobilize; or perhaps it makes no difference what the candidate says
because the ultimate marching orders on what to cut or what taxes to raise
comes from those other folks — the ones raising the campaign money. So
why, again, should voters choose one candidate over the other?”
This is an historic turn of the screw if the Times editorial writers mean what they say.
After four years of cooking the books and ineffectually dealing with the budget crisis could the mayor or any Council member — other than perhaps Bernard Parks — possibly get the endorsement of the Times.
Has Garcetti, Perry or Greuel — the wannabe mayors — or Cardenas, the wannabe Congressman, or any of the others demonstrated “a leader’s vision, knowledge or power to mobilize” or have they all taken their “ultimate marching orders” from the “ones raising the campaign money.”
The Times has rarely if ever held our elected officials accountable in these terms which in no small measure accounts for how the political machine has become so powerful and made such a mockery of the pretense of democracy in the city.
It’s never too late to start.
Let me answer a few, being mindful that I never worked in the City, so elect me..
What non-core functions should the city no longer try to perform?
- giving away Tax Credits to Wealthy Developers.
- perform a detailed inspection, line by line income statement analysis, constantly looking at ways to improve savings.
In my humble opinion, the answers from these run-off candidates lack the dept and knowledge, or at minimum it appears neither have thought about the problems, only their opportunities.
They should have asked whether the Two candidates support the OLA. And if they do how about the costs
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/12/21/mayor-calls-for-budget-cuts-to-offset-millions-in-occupy-la-costs/
I’m sure the tooth fairy will pay.
You all are such suckers.
And why do we even have this election? Oh that is right -you suckers sent that bimbo Hanh to Congress. Wow what a good choice for your representative.
All I can say is that they sure seem like either of the two would fit in the current council.
As for the people of the 15th, goooooood luck to ya!
This is precisely why we need a Financial Control Board that would mandate that the City develop and adhere to a Five Year Operational and Financial Plan that requires a truly balanced budget, the maintenance and repair of our streets and infrastructure, and the proper funding of the City’s two pension plans that are only 65% funded.
Regarding the two candidates–’sounds like more of the same.
Re a Financial Control Board–any such board appointed by the city would be beholden to those who appointed them and, as such, would be another layer of useless tax paid for government that would approve what the “appointers” want. The only way this could be a board for the people would be to have them included in an election ballot. This would be a group that cannot receive any campaign donations (conflict of interest), endorsements or advertisements.
‘Not saying I believe this could happen. ‘Just saying what should happen.
Questions I wish the Times would ask of these two:
1. What is your position of the proposed stadium? Justify this position in terms of tangible benefits to all of the citizens of LA. (I know that’s tough to do, when AEG’s proposal still isn’t firmed up yet.) Example, why should we tear down the Convention Center when its bonds are not yet paid off? How will the increase in traffic be handled on the Harbor and Santa Monica Freeways for the stadium on Sundays? Where will the tailgators gather? What will the stadium be used for on the other 350+ days of the year?
2. What will you do about collecting the millions of dollars owed to the City by the companies who contractually manage the parking structures? I’d suggest turning the accounts over to collection agencies or sending the LAPD out to padlock the lots, but then nobody asked me!
3. What will you do about reducing the various grants to artists and performers (like the low-riders that were sent to a book fair in Mexico) and instead increase funding to VITAL services, such as libraries?
4. Private corporations around the country have been downsizing for 5+ years, yet the City doesn’t reduce staffing significantly. What will you do to make a change to that policy? Don’t hide behind “Union contracts” – automobile plants and other union shops have closed somehow. A job with the City does not come with a lifetime guarantee of employment – just ask the former employees in Bell and Carson and other cities in California.
5. Will you say NO to the mayor the next time he wants to expand his already bloated and grossly-overpaid staff, in other words cut the Mayor’s Office budget?
6. Will you continue the history of the Council voting 99+% in agreement on everything or will you speak up and represent ALL of the citizens of your district? Give an example.
7. What will you do to over-ride LAPD’s Special Order 40 and terminate the “Sanctuary City” policy of the Council or do you favor these positions – yes or no?
8. What do you propose to get this City back to financial sanity and reduce the deficit and solve the budget crisis – give specific proposals, please. “On the table” doesn’t count – if you have no answer now, how can we believe that you will have one after a month in office? That only suggests you haven’t done your homework and are not prepared to become a representative of us in the 15th District as a Council member.
9. What ideas do you have to turn around the flight of businesses from LA?
These are some of the REAL issues, not just the usual babble about jobs.
Oh, and,
10. What are your personal goals for your term of office? And how will you report progress on them to us?
11. So bottom line, why should the citizens of the 15th District vote for you? At this moment I’m inclined to vote for “none of the above”!
CD 15 already was AUCTIONED OFF! A piece of deadweight SHIT is going to be anchored to that chair for 12 years selling off the Port one Berth and one Lease at a time. No one should vote for these two piss poor candidates. WRITE IN THE ONLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATE—BRUNO THE WONDER DOG!!!!!!!!!!!!
I bought a Lotto ticket to try to win the 178 MILLION JACKPOT. I’m putting it here right now—IF I WIN IT ALL, I’LL BUY THE L.A. TIMES AND FIRE EVERY FUCKING PERSON WHO WRITES FOR THE PAPER, THE EDITORIAL BOARD, AND THE PUBLISHER, EVERY ONE! I’ll then give a 20% payhike to all the other Times Employees and let VOLUNTEER REGISTERED REPUBLICANS WRITE THE ENTIRE PAPER! This would do more good for America THAN A CURE FOR CANCER! It’s the Times and the other bottomless pit of Vipers, rats, turncoats, and scumbags that write our newpapers, magazines, and other media who allow a CD15 to even occur like this. They write about the Kardashians and give 5 words to what matters in OUR LIVES.
I’d continue about the Times, but it would result in too many four letter words, and a great rise in blood pressure. SHAME SHAME SHAME ON YOU TIMES AND THE LITTLE VALLEY MAFIA PAPER THE DAILY NEWS! Look what you’ve done!
NOW they get snarky?
Despite all the opportunities last time around?
Jose Huizar?
Tom LaBonge?
Mitch Englander?
That’s the Times for you; always a day late and a dollar short…