Well, the city council meeting today is underway as I checked by the coucilphone audio and they were still heaping praise upon praise of one person or another- the one name I recognized was Tavis Smiley, host of shows on KCET and an African-American political and air personality, and a millionaire, too, on top of everthing else.
Well, all that aside I did hear a quick action on agenda ITEM NO. (7)- 09-3036, that sounds like an innocent matter to clear up the visual landscape, but really will have an impact on the growing number of homeless. Lots of these vehicles ARE the home and enaction of the statute will undoubtedly impact this category of people. Not a very humane trend but that's happening without any solutions seen to try help this group who maybe would like to NOT be in this category.
The over-sized vehicles are the homes for many and areas for parking during normal sleeping hours is what is being banned more and more. You will see the city doing things like this for a way to push out people in this situation but not being a solution for them, displaced again, but by the city this time. There should be some better way to allow some space that doesn't conflict with residential neighborhoods.
The language in the agenda does not hint at any of this collateral impact- and it might actually be a directly designed impact, but you can't say that publicly and still be cosidered to be "a caring" person.
Here's in relevant part, is the Agenda Item (7):
========================================
"TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE REPORT relative to amending the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) regarding oversize vehicle parking.
Recommendation for Council action, pursuant to Motion (Rosendahl - LaBonge for Hahn):
REQUEST the City Attorney, with the assistance and cooperation of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), to prepare and present an ordinance amending LAMC Chapter VIII, Sections 80.69.4, 80.76.2, and 89.60 that prohibits or limits parking of oversize vehicles on certain streets between 2 AM and 6 AM as follows:
a. Revise the definition of oversize vehicles.
b. Provide a process for a Councilmember to establish oversize vehicle restrictions if no permits are involved.
c. Allow the LADOT to install oversize vehicle parking restriction signs at the request of a Councilmember.
* * * ."
There is a comment submitted as an impact statement that gives the opposition point of view from one person that also applies to many others. It might be worth reading to see the downside of increassing this kind of regulation that you can envision will be applied to more areas than the ones here where the residents' complaints first arose and caused this to be created.
Please read the letter from Peggy Lee Kennedy that was submitted to the Council http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2009/09-3036_misc_1-13-10.pdf It shows the uneviable situation that many persons are find themselves in and maybe it can give you another view of the situation to consider.
Posts
