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Mad as Hell and not Going to Take It Anymore |
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Pico/Olympic War
By Barbara Broide
The Westwood South of Santa Monica Blvd Homeowner Assn has opposed the Mayor's Pico - Olympic Priority Express Corridor plan in its current form as has our Westside Neighborhood Council.
 We well recognize the need to implement strategies to improve the flow
of traffic on our major traffic arteries and had hoped to have the
opportunity to work with the City and our neighbors to the east and
west to develop a plan that addresses the needs of commuters and local
drivers AS WELL AS THE CONCERNS OF LOCAL RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES.
There was (and we believe still is) a way to implement improvements
that will be a "win-win" for all.
IT IS MORE THAN UNFORTUNATE THAT THE MAYOR HAS INITIATED THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN AT THIS TIME and specifically immediately following the Council's Transportation Committee meeting where all present, including a number of WSSM representatives) spoke and were heard by that Committee initiating what we hoped was the beginning of a process to address the problems with the Mayor's plan. The Transportation Committee held the proposal and had initiated a process to work with the Planning Dept. to review and address concerns.
At every turn in our dealings with the City we are told that there is a process and that we must follow that process to be heard. We followed that process in this instance and are suddenly being told that that process is no longer relevant.... that the Mayor is and was going to do what he wanted to do anyway. This explains why our tough questions at the community meeting were NEVER answered. This is why members of the various communities were NOT ENGAGED in addressing the specific concerns and problems in neighborhoods where parking shortfalls, north-south street connections are problematic etc. It is a complete and total sham and insult to report that numerous community meetings have been held when the only purpose of those meetings was to serve as an excuse for saying that the community had had the opportunity to have input.
A GOOD LEADER HAS NO PLACE PITTING RESIDENTS AGAINST COMMUTERS, and BUSINESS OWNERS AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNERS AGAINST COMMUTERS. A GOOD LEADER BRINGS TOGETHER THE COMMUNITY TO CREATE CONSENSUS, TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. A GOOD LEADER DOES NOT SPEND SCARCE CITY FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM THAT HAS NOT BEEN SUFFICIENTLY FIELD TESTED BY THE MOST BASIC OF TRAFFIC ENGINEERING STANDARDS. A GOOD LEADER DOES NOT CHARACTERIZE CONSITUTENTS WITH STUDIED AND SERIOUS CONCERNS AS NIMBY'S WHO SEEK TO SERVE THEIR OWN INTERESTS.
AS CITIZENS OF THE CITY, AS TAXPAYERS IN THE CITY AND AS INDIVIDUALS FED UP WITH A CITY GOVERNMENT THAT ALL TOO OFTEN REFUSES TO ANSWER TOUGH QUESTIONS RAISED IN MEETINGS, IN DEIR CHALLENGES AND OTHER SETTING WHERE OUR "INPUT" IS SOUGHT, WE REGRET THAT THE CITY'S ARROGANCE AND INTRANSIGENCE ONCE AGAIN WILL SEND US TO OUR ATTORNEYS TO SEEK RELIEF. WE RESENT THAT OUR LEADERS FORCE US TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST OUR OWN CITY WHEN WE STAND READY TO BE A BRIDGE BETWEEN CITY GOVERNMENT AND OUR CONSTITUENTS, WHEN WE STAND READY TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE THIS PLAN AND OTHERS, WHEN WE STAND READY TO BE PARTNERS. INSTEAD WE ARE CHARACTERIZED AS ADVERSARIES. THIS IS MORE THAN UNFORTUNATE.
IT ISN'T REASONABLE TO USE TRAFFIC AS A POLITICAL INITIATIVE... THE ENTIRE MANNER IN WHICH THIS PROPOSAL HAS BEEN HANDLED IS A FIASCO AND A TESTIMENT TO POLITICAL STRATEGISTS WHO HAVE NEITHER THE RESPECT FOR THE CITIZENS OF THIS CITY NOR THE ABILITY TO PROPOSE AN IMPORTANT INITIATIVE AND THEN DO THE WORK NECESSARY TO FINE TUNE IT AND AMEND IT UNTIL IT WORKS.
THAT BODES POORLY FOR ALL THE CITIZENS OF THIS CITY.... IN WHATEVER THE INITIATIVE, COMMUNITY OR CIRCUMSTANCE. THIS IS NO LONGER ABOUT TRAFFIC AND CONGESTION, MOBILITY AND SAVING TIME, THIS IS NOW ABOUT THE CREDIBILITY OF OUR MAYOR AND COUNCILPERSON, ABOUT THE CONFIDENCE BUSINESSES CAN HAVE WHEN THEY ENTER INTO LEASE AGREEMENTS FOR THEIR PLACES OF BUSINESS, ABOUT RESIDENTS WHO MAY HAVE THOUGHT THAT THEIR INVESTMENTS IN THEIR HOMES WERE BASED ON SOUND ASSUMPTIONS AND MORE. THIS IS A SAD DAY IN LOS ANGELES.
LET THE LEGAL FUNDRAISING BEGIN.
(Barbara Broide is President of Westwood South of Santa Monica Blvd and a member of the Westside Neighborhood Council.) _
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