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Labor Day Special
By Julie Butcher
Budget woes threaten governments at every level. The tax-paying public seems willing to accept modest tax increases but only if they believe that government is doing everything it can to be efficient and cut costs. Workers know best how to do the work best, so it behooves union members to be at the table working to help figure it all out, being part of the solution that, after all, saves jobs along with vital services.
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Empowerment Report
By Greg Nelson
Imagine if there were to be a time when any agency that receives governmental funds must allow the public Internet access to all of the organization’s internal operations in order reduce the opportunity for corruption and improve collaboration between all stakeholders.
Imagine using the Internet to allow the public to vote on proposed governmental laws.
Neighborhood councils would be created through e-votes. In Los Angeles this would eliminate the slew of restrictions that have resulted from the fact that the councils are created by an action of the governmental agency, the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners.
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Prop R in Court
By Ron Kaye (Posted first on www.ronkayela.com )
(The appeal of Proposition R … the extension of terms for LA’s City Council members cloaked in ethics reform clothing … was back in Appeals Court last Tuesday. Here is Ron Kaye’s take on those events.)
Too bad lawyers don't have to take an oath to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth when they argue their cases before judges.
If they did...
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Land Use Crossfire
By Michael Eveloff
I recently read CD5 candidate Robyn Ritter-Simon’s article on ending the “Developer/Homeowner War.” I think she entirely missed the essence of this critical issue and in the process forgot who actually votes in elections. While she missed the point on development, she did provide a clear insight into the way she would approach the job of Councilperson, who she considers to be her constituents and how she would approach development issues.
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GuestWords
By Mary Benson
VICA Needs a New Vision-The Stonehurst area’s value is an economic driver for the Horse Industry. That was the first time an argument based on the economics of horsekeeping had ever been presented according to Vision 2020 Bob Scott. Sounds like lack of vision on capitalizing on an areas unique attributes.
Would anyone in their right mind opt for a Home Depot on private land at the entrance to Yosemite?
I’ve looked at the inappropriateness of a Sunland Home Depot in another context.
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| Prop R Battle Energizes LA’s Dissidents |
First Person Insight
By Michael Cohen
Last Tuesday I attended the Prop R Legal Challenge at the 2nd Court of Appeal, Ronald Regan State Building.
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| Legal Right for NCs to Issue Grants Approved |
NC Watch
By Deanna Stevenson
The Neighborhood Purposes Grant Program has been approved by the City Council. The Council vote came after several years of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE) involvement in helping to craft legislation that will allow Neighborhood Councils (NC’s) ... | | Read more... |
| Super Burke Fighting with Residents Over LA’s Oil Fields |
ViewPoint
By Betty Pleasant (Posted first in the WAVE Newspapers.)
The communities surrounding the Baldwin Hills Oil Fields are another collective hot spot where residents are doing battle with their elected representative, Supervisor Yvonne Burke. Residents decry Burke’s intent to ru... | | Read more... |
| Another Shot in the Math Wars |
Education
By Peter Schrag (Published first in the Sacramento Bee)
Who says Jack O’Connell doesn’t have a sense of humor? Last week, O’Connell, the state superintendent of public instruction, called for an additional $3.1 billion a year to all... | | Read more... |
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| Bicycle Plan Advice for the Advocate |
The Feedback Cycle
By Stephen Box
Feedback, both pro and con, is great. Especially if it leads to a discussion, a dialogue, a conversation that gets the issues out and into the public arena where they belong.
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| Recipe for a Bank Disaster |
The Economy
By Rickey Gelb
In today’s world, you don’t need a lot of ingredients to create a run on a bank…with all the resultant lost jobs, concerned depositors and shareholders, and loss of confidence in our system.
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A Modest Proposal
Legally, it’s DONE’s job to be a clearinghouse of information for neighborhood councils. Practically, it should be promoting NCs’ accomplishments. Realistically, it does neither.
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| Usher on Planning: It’s Something You Do, Not Something that’s Done to You |
Citizen Guide
Edited by Sara Epstein
Outspoken Planning Commission chief Jane Ellison Usher told the Playa del Rey Neighbors she came to “rally the troops” and get them ready to participate early-on in the planning process. Here’s some of the advice she offered, ... | | Read more... |
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State of the State
By Dan Walters
If you’ve been paying attention to California’s chronic budget problems, you know they fundamentally stem from a disastrous decision in 2000 by then-Gov. Gray Davis and legislators of both parties to squander a one-time reven... | | Read more... |
GuestWords
By Ron Kaye (Posted first at RonKayeLA.com )
Even as they were spending the city into a $500 million deficit four months ago, your City Council members came up with yet another bright idea to make yo... | | Read more... |
The City
By Betty Pleasant (Full story published first in the WAVE Newspapers)
Efforts by the city to preserve the historic houses on East 52nd Place came too late for one of them, as the first of the highly cherished California Craftsman style masterpieces t... | | Read more... |
Scam Alert
LA in the Eye of the Foreclosure Storm
(This warning and report provided to CityWatch by the LA Neighborhood Housing Services)
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Week Ahead - August 19, 2008
Edited by Sara Epstein
Nominations open this week for the election of officers to the LA NC Coalition (LANCC).
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First Person
By George Garrigues
I was certainly impressed a few weeks ago when I e-mailed the Bureau of Street Services with a complaint.
I had noticed that some damned idiots had posted big advertising signs
really high on the power poles on Overland ne... | | Read more... |
Need to Know
Edited by Sara Epstein
The Mayor and the DWP Chief have presented a new water conservation plan and say they plan to enforce it.
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Blog Soup
By Dan Walters
California’s unemployment rate soared to 7.3 percent in July, with nearly 400,000 more workers in the jobless ranks than a year earlier, indicating that we still haven’t hit bottom in this recession.
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2003
A Daily News editorial criticized DONE seeming to “obstruct and hamstring the councils as much as possible …”
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LA Transpo
By Stephen Box
For the last three weeks, the agendas of the Transportation Commission, the Transportation Committee and the City Council have contained LADOT proposals to increase the speed limits on streets th... | | Read more... |
The City
By Walter Moore
Mayor Villaraigosa and the City Council won't let our police protect you and your family from illegal alien gang bangers, but apparently have no qualms about deploying the police, in significant n... | | Read more... |
GuestWords
By Ron Kaye (Posted first at RonKayeLA.com )
I admit I drive too fast so you can imagine my delight in knowing that it's speeders like me who d... | | Read more... |
News that Was
By David Lowell
With time running out for Sacramento to act on legislation, the state Senate has forwarded a bunch of bills to Governor Schwarzenegger. Among them, on the somewhat controversial side, is a la... | | Read more... |
CityWatcher
By Harold Katz
I have been following Ron Kaye’s effort with interest and I congratulate him. On August 1, Steve Lopez wrote one of his usual great columns headed “Political Integrity tossed i... | | Read more... |
Retrospective-1998
Edited by Sara Epstein
“This is indicative of something much greater that’s wrong with the system. Elected officials are beholden to the people who get them elected. The public doesn’t... | | Read more... |
Perspective
By Ken Draper
One of the rallying anthems of the activists out forming neighborhood councils eight years ago called for changing the way City Hall does business. We all know that hasn’t happened. Worse, ... | | Read more... |
Empowerment Report
By Greg Nelson
Friday’s column suggested workshops that could be held at the next citywide Congress of Neighborhoods to make the event more attr... | | Read more... |
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