Well, it's Academy Awards time again, and the City Council for our city is still not getting the message to cut excess spending when they grant this even SPECIAL EVENT WAIVERS- that means, the extra expense to the city that "your" event will create in police, traffic, fire and trash and other services from the CITY OF LOS ANGELES is FREE to you. The taxpayers will absorb the cost. It comes down to who you vote for and "do they care about 'YOU'?"
So watch the Academy Awards or not, you are paying for a chunk of it by City C0uncil's 11-0 vote for it, $410,000.00 in fees and salaries that the City will eat, while going beyond the parking meter hikes, trash fee boosting rampage and other people-gouging measures to meet nearly $450 million in the red for city operations. Actually, "we" are the city, and the $410,000.00 is taken out of the General Fund, the city's "piggy bank," that we have to re-fill.
"First Grammy, now Oscar gets fees waived by L.A. City Council," L.A.Times, by Maeve Reston, 1-30-09. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/01/first-grammy-no.html This brief news item (It's no wonder lots of people don't see these things happen under their noses) also reminds us that Council approves $5 MILLION dollars each year for special event fee waivers. Some might be justified for community benefit where all are welcome and have a common interest, but I still have not ever received an invitation to the Grammys or the Academy Awards shows for all the dollars my city government spends for them.
"Los Angeles City Council votes to waive fees for Academy Awards," UPI News Service, 1-30-09. http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/los-angeles-city-council-votes-waive-fees-for-academy-awards-1015876.php Another short item- very little splash in the news, but it's an example of special interests continued influence, all credit for the business it brings included, but REALLY, DID THEY EXPECT the Academy to pack up and take it's business elsewhere?
The Academy needs L.A. to bolster its image as much as L.A. wants to keep them pulling in some dollars this night will generate. The economy is in a recession, and in case you haven't noticed, the movie industry really has less and less of real MOVIE STARS and good movies each year. The glamour days of Tracy, Gable, Hepburn and that era are gone. Even the action heroes are getting to be covered by lesser knows. Fine that some movies are outstanding, but we have a time now that PEOPLE of the city are covering the bill, and it somehow doesn't make me feel better, and certainly not "warm and fuzzy," when you see this kind of money-spending going on in such tough financial times.
No, you might have a hard time seeing that the City is in a crisis, even the mayor was gleeful in noting the passage of more TAX measures (sales tax increase) for transit in "a recession." The guy just loves to spend money on things that VILLARAIGOSA WILL TAKE CREDIT FOR, even if things like subway to the sea will not be done for 30 years or MORE, by estimates and will remain all taxpayer's responsibility to cover meanwhile.
So enjoy the "stars", most of whom really are "celebrities" and not "stars" because, in terms of talent, many of them are interchangeable with one another, some just get more publicity to make them more noticed- and you might see that the publicity does not have to be all "good publicity" to help their careers.
More reasons to go VOTE on Tuesday, March 3, and show your displeasure- or maybe, as some I have talked with say, "Oh, they are all like that," and "What difference will my vote make?" A low voter turnout multiplies the influence of the few voters who DO come out. You have sample ballots- mark them BEFORE you get to the voting place and you will be done in a flash. Again, you know I have little admiration for most politicians, not just the city ones. And they need to be rotated OUT- are you getting your money's worth from the $186,000.00 salary that each council member makes? (and they get their 20 person staff, and 8 free cars with gas credit cards to "work for YOU.")
Again, you are the people in charge- not the representative. Can you FIRE them if you don't like their performance? YES, It's all about voting. Don't let the tail wag the dog.
I say, if they are ALL are like that, at least get some NEW ones in to begin different connections that will break the current choke-hold on city government. A biased and corrupt government benefits from voter APATHY, and if you don't vote, don't complain- you only get this chance for SHOWING your views to Council and Mayor ONCE every 4 YEARS. Don't ignore it- their special interests groups sure won't be missing this vote.
Do not let the developers continue with all the other special interests, to tell THESE elected officials what they want. Did you know that some of these guys get private meetings with the council members very easily when most in the public don't have the privilege of the same consideration? And it's all connected to "how much did you say you contributed to my campaign (or "favorite charity," etc.)?"
Voting is free and with 11% OF REGISTERED VOTERS IN THE CITY being the predicted turnout- EACH vote means an enormously significant part of the decision. Besides, the ballot is short, there probably won't be ANY lines for voting and parking meters WITHIN ONE BLOCK of the poll are NOT to be observed- FREE to go vote. 5 minutes and you are done.
The poll workers will be the most bored people at work on Election Day with such a small turnout- be part of that, give them some company for five minutes and stop assuming you don't matter. If you don't vote, you REALLY don't matter.
IN Lincoln Heights, are you happy with Ed Reyes' job? HE IS part of all this and if you don't like it, voting does send a message, especially when HE TAKES THE VOTE FOR GRANTED, like his boss, MAYOR VILLARAIGOSA who refuses to debate and thereby avoiding big time embarassment- Ed can win, but he doesn't have to get it with YOUR vote.
The same goes for other areas besides just Lincoln Heights- our poor performing, loud talking LAUSD Board member MONICA GARCIA is running unopposed because of power of the political machine, NOT MERIT- and, as VILLARAIGOSA'S team player, she's done nothing to make any real changes to boost performance of your child or your neighbor's child. Handpicked by the mayor is not a good sign, so what did you expect- she's a pal of Jose Huizar, worked for him when HE was LAUSD president (and that was a sad performance, too, but JOSE still doesn't see it as such). IT'S ALL POLITICS and you need to act NOW, and not when the next bunch of changes is dumped on you. That's too late.
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