SAVING LA - When they talk about the entitlement class, put at the top of the list the unions, lawyers, lobbyists, businesses, real estate and billboard companies that contributed $620,200 to bamboozle the uninformed and gullible into voting for Proposition A, the sales tax hike on March 5.
They are the shame of the city, greed merchants who should have no place in civil society, pariahs who should be shamed everywhere they go since they have no sense of shame themselves.
Put AEG, beneficiary of $2 billion in entitlements from City Hall for the Farmer’s Field deal, at the top of the list with an initial $100,000 contribution — a small price to pay indeed.
Then, there’s the $231,000 tossed in by other real estate interests, the big boys like Alan Casden, Jim Thomas and JH Snyder and those who want to join them at the front of the line of developers, property managers and contractors getting rich from City Hall’s slavish award of entitlements to those who fund its corruption.
Throw in a more modest $91,750 from a wide range of businesses including a trash hauler hoping for a lucrative franchise, garment makers, a railroad, technology and entertainment companies, even a Warner Bros. executive, $35,300 from assorted lobbyists/lawyers and a puny $5,200 from financial firms.
Add $60,000 from billboard companies, including $25,000 from Clear Channel Outdoor which simultaneously served notice on the city of its intent to sue for $100 million — half the revenue from the tax it is backing — if officials dare to mess with its scofflaw attitude toward regulation of digital, illegal and other signage that makes LA such an ugly city. (Read the rest … including the Yes on LA Contributor’s List … here)
-cw
(Ron Kaye writes on Los Angeles politics at RonKayeLA.com)
CityWatch
Vol 11 Issue 17
Pub: Feb 26, 2013