ALPERN AT LARGE - One of the most fulfilling accomplishments about working as a grassroots proponent of major issues (such as transportation and planning) is knowing when your local electeds "have your back". Westside Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl always has the back of those who strive for worthy causes, and now it's time we had his back as well.
The news that Mr. Rosendahl has cancer is spreading like wildfire throughout the Westside, although his excellent and energetic announcement of this unfortunate new development is as reassuring as any. The tumor is apparently limited to non vital regions and organs, is treatable, and he intends to run for and get re-elected for a third term of office to represent the Westside of Los Angeles.
Even in neighborhoods such as my own Westside Village, which just got redistricted into CD5 and is no longer officially represented by Councilman Rosendahl, the recognition of Bill's unfortunate condition and well wishes have started in earnest. Everyone who knows Bill--even if they disagree with his personal views--recognizes his sincerity and his desire to improve our region and city.
One nice thing about Bill is that he started his career relatively late in life--he's got no personal ambitions to prioritize his own self-interest at the expense of his constituents (or anyone else's constituents, for that matter). His fortune and retirement were already established by his successful career in the communications industry, and now his main interest is making sure things can improve for the rest of us.
His health condition emphasizes that health care is a huge issue in our modern day society, and raises again issues such as health insurance, affordability, health care delivery and health care access.
Healthy living trends, exercise, and the need for regular and available and timely interaction with the right health care professionals make each of our individual "to-do" lists.
But beyond the concerns of his personal health (and a reminder for each of us to take care of our own health), Bill Rosendahl has always been one of those City Councilmembers who respects and champions the rights and needs for volunteer/grassroots individuals and neighborhood councils to represent themselves and fight for their communities.
That working/grassroots paradigm needs to continue full throttle while Bill undergoes treatment, with both "Team Rosendahl" (Bill's CD11 council office staff) and Westside neighborhood councils working together more than ever to make sure that potholes, neighborhood blights, and problematic City policy and challenges can be resolved.
Bill will remain in the loop for the immediate future (if not always physically present at all City Council meetings like he was before), and he needs to know that his City staff and community volunteer leaders are doing "business as usual".
Fixing and improving and extending the Expo Line, getting MetroRail to LAX, improving sober/clean group houses and improper policies associated with them, balancing our budget, and using City and volunteer resources when needed--all of these challenges still need debating, consensus, and--most of all--resolution while Bill undergoes his medical treatment.
So let me be among the first to wish Bill Rosendahl a speedy recovery, and let me be among the first to endorse him for a third term while he undergoes what appears to be but a temporary setback. The continuation of his trademark neighborhood City/grassroots outreach and partnership is vital for the Westside to thrive (and beyond just CD11), and I again wish him a speedy and complete recovery.
(Ken Alpern is a former Boardmember of the Mar Vista Community Council (MVCC), previously co-chaired its Planning and Outreach Committees, and currently is Co-Chair of its MVCC Transportation/Infrastructure Committee. He is co-chair of the CD11 Transportation Advisory Committee, chairs the nonprofit Transit Coalition, and is co-chair of the non-profit Friends of the Green Line (www.fogl.us). He can be reached at [email protected] . The views expressed in this article are solely those of Mr. Alpern.-cw