The parking meter changes are reaching more parts of the city. The job in San Pedro was done last week, according to the Daily Breeze newspaper. "SP parking meter rates hit $1 an hour; FEES: Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa estimates citywide increase will bring in $18 million to help close deficit," http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5453145. They also had hours of operation extended from 5 and 6 pm to 8 pm, and the article covers that pinch that this is having on businesses in the San Pedro area.
You see that the money expected by hitting you harder at parking meters, $18 million, would have been nearly offset by a cut in spending or even the by not having the management fouling up and causing the enormous payout from the May Day Melee of 2007, $13 million settlement approved by City Council. "Los Angeles to pay $13 million to settle May Day melee lawsuits," By Maeve Reston and Joel Rubin, February 5, 2009, and the L.A. Weekly, "May Day Melee Tab: $12.85 Million" By Steven Mikulan, Feb. 4, 2009.
Both stories mentioned the other settlement a week earlier, "Only last week the council agreed to pay $20.5 million to four cops who said they'd been falsely charged in the aftermath of the LAPD Rampart Division scandal," from the L.A. Weekly's report.
So $13 million and $20.5 million, that's a total of $33.5 million for the management's mistakes, and the Melee WAS the fault of the LAPD managers for not providing proper training of officers and that includes practicing what could be expected that day. And the LAPD's error in accusing falsely the 4 officers is again how things were managed in LAPD's operations. That's the Chief's responsibility and it costs us again, as it has in the past.
Now look at the damaging impact inflictied by the city's decision to squeeze more money from us. Business and motorists feel the pain that quadrupling the rates causes. Parking is a very real need and it comes at too high a price for some people, discouraging some parking. Downtown was $1.00 an hour in most places in the civic center. I knew it was coming but I still was amazed that first week when I was in Highland Park and saw the lots and street meters all converted and the "8 p.m." ending time now.
Now you need 16 quarters for an hour downtown to cover the $4/hour meters. Don't have change? Don't worry because lots of machines are being put into city parking lots that take your credit card. For your convenience? Don't kid yourself. It's all to get more money that been given out on the other end by your City Council decisions. I remind you of the event fee waivers for last months Grammy Awards and the Academy Awards, over half a million dollars that is given away in City services and City salaries.
The mayor now is considering selling off the rights to meters and city parking lots for some quick lump-sum cash. to a private sector company, like Chicago did. We would really be at the mercy of those businessmen who would only pay for this right TO MAKE A PROFIT. WHY should the city do that but to be TONY'S plan to balance the budget so he gets that credit? That way he then uses that dubious "ACCOMPLISHMENT" for another reason to be governor, "I balanced the budget."
That would be a lie. It woulb be like taking care of your relative's home while they go off on vacation and then getting out their lawn mower and maybe some tools from the garage to just sell them to a gardener. They won't need them since the gardener will do the work himself now and you just keep paying him. And since it's not YOUR house, you don't care, but use the money collected for something like putting in more plants that will need evem more gardener attention. Not an exact comparison, but TONY will leave us with the mess from a bad deal, never having to worry about it after it's done, but WE will live with this like all the things he's left us with.
HERE'S THE MAYOR'S IDEA TO MAKE HIMSELF LOOK GOOD- all in the L.A. TIMES:"Los Angeles exploring deal to lease parking structures and meters to a private firm; Mayor Villaraigosa finds the idea attractive after Chicago received a $1.15-billion infusion from Morgan Stanley for running its parking facilities and meters." By Steve Hymon February 25, 2009. And he's thinking of letting go of the Zoo to a private operator, too. Is that really the solution?
And what did Tony leave us with? More building that's going on to have more people put into smaller spaces, and the existing building codes and ordinances get waived for them in sweetheart deals that ther regular guy doesn't get. And much of the building is in "transit corridors" so the required parking spaces can be excused for the developer. I read somewhere that this savings by cutting out each parking space can be $30,000.00 to the developer.
But you now will have less that the normal 2 required spaces. And if you have a couple or a family living there, usually at least 2 cars will be involved- but your unit was cut by 1 space to get it built. Who did that benefit but the developer who saves money and sells for a bigger profit. Now we have parking more stressed. AND "TRANSIT CORRIDOR" is a made-up term for "being next to a bus or rail route"- as if EVERYONE will do all of their travel by bus or gold or redline? It's all a fiction created to BYPASS BUILDING AND SAFETY CODES that were created for a reason, and help developers turn a bigger profit.
AND, I have not even reached discussion on the subsidies and incentives given out by the city, where WE the city are paying a big part of the costs and the tax bills for these folks to make MORE money by putting up all this construction. If the City (MAYOR and Council) will allow the city to be devastated by loss of more space and increased infrastructure burdening, then WHY be PAYING on top of that to make it happen? They say we NEED IT. I leave that for now, but you already know it's not for YOUR benefit.
There are more negatives from all this- they don't like to say it since it's not for your benefit.
More development means more WATER USAGE and now rationing is requested. How does that make any sense?
More traffic and the already mentioned parking problems will be worsened by more people crammed in.
More need for fire and police protection? Aren't we still getting financially squeezed by the tripled trash fees that were supposed to be paying for the extra 1,000 police that we didn't get (more broken promises, done expensively)? How's more building in every available space going to help if we NEED MORE police NOW and they want MORE people into L.A., as well? Doesn't that mean that it's CERTAIN that we will NEVER catch up to the balanced level that we need?
We are not able now to handle this "PLAN" that is not helping the living conditions in Los Angeles. But TONY wants MORE things for his RECORD, and career climb.
End this on Tuesday.
Pick a new mayor. I have chosen Zuma Dogg-he sees all this happening and wants to change it- and you can make your choice. But it's ABSOLUTE MADNESS to allow this adminsitration to continue unless you're making a ton of cash on the deals like the special interests are doing.
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