--- [ LOS ANGELES ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=312) # Beware! The City’s Campaign to Empty Your Wallet JUST THE FACTS--In politics there is always the rule of Strategy. Strategy gets your ideas moving forward and hopefully onto implementation. Elected officials and others in government services use Strategy on many programs and issues similar to what our military and law enforcement personnel use in the various programs designed to protect and serve our communities. Without Strategy, not much ever gets done. Not to be too critical of our elected officials but … I have been thinking about the kind of strategy that was going to be used to convince you to vote for more fees and taxes and bonds to handle problems that have been brewing for months and even years in the City and County of Los Angeles. Take for example the homeless situation in Los Angeles. We have all seen the negative impact on our neighborhoods and read about how it is going to be addressed. We know the police are not doing much of anything about it. Not because they want to see our communities run over by homeless, but because they have been following orders from police leaders who follow orders from the political leaders of our cities. We can all see it every day. The homeless population continues to grow. Many of our communities have become homeless camps. During a recent drive down Burbank Blvd in the Sepulveda Basin, I have found that the homeless are permanently camped in the wooded section of the area on the south side of Burbank Blvd. Some have erected large Army tents in the brush and even parked their cars in the camp. It is like going to Lake Arrowhead and camping in the woods. While our mayor declared the Homeless population in Los Angeles an **Emergency** a year or so ago, nothing much has been done to address or resolve the problem. Sure there have been some dollars directed toward the problem, but nothing of any significance when you look at the billions in the city’s current budget. While our Mayor and other Los Angeles City Elected Officials were on another council recess rubbing elbows with others in power at the Democratic National Convention others from the city council were overseas in foreign countries on a Sister City Mission. So, with no one watching the exploding homeless population chewing up more and more of our neighborhoods, nothing is being done. But wait. There is an answer. Remember ‘Strategy’. There is hope you that you will fall for the increase in **taxes** to address this out of control situation. Yes ladies and gentlemen, ignore the problem after you declare it an emergency and let the problem continue to grow so that the people who pay the taxes will get so fed up with the situation that they vote to support the new taxes. NEW Taxes in the Billions of dollars! Since the city has over an $8 Billion-plus General Fund this fiscal year, it is time to use existing money and finally address the problem that is not going away and only getting worse as the days pass. While the city has throwing a few thousand dollars to address the problem, little impact has been seen. The homeless are not washing away or going to other parts of the country. It is time for you the taxpayers to get off your collective asses and force your city officials to use existing funds to finally address the out of control homeless population in Los Angeles. We all hear about the great economy here in Los Angeles and California. If that is true, existing money is there to once and for all address the homeless crisis the is negatively impacting neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles. For the record, following the DNC our Mayor and his entourage traveled to Rio to view the 2016 Olympics since Los Angeles has put in a bid to host the 2024 Olympics in Los Angeles. This is great. It is 2016 and there are a lot of pressing issues on the plate before attention is generated to 2024. There is strength in numbers and we the taxpayers have the numbers to vote. There will be no less than four local tax and bond measures on the November Ballot. Transportation and homeless are the main ones gaining attention at this time. This will cost us BILLIONS over the coming years. Use your vote to tell city leaders NO NEW TAXES and No Bond Measures. We have existing measures that are still being paid off from years ago! As always, Zine is watching your pocketbook and holding people accountable. *(Dennis P. Zine is a 33-year member of the Los Angeles Police Department and former Vice-Chairman of the Elected Los Angeles City Charter Reform Commission, a 12-year member of the Los Angeles City Council and a current LAPD Reserve Officer who serves as a member of the Fugitive Warrant Detail assigned out of Gang and Narcotics Division. He writes* Just the Facts *for* CityWatch*. You can contact him at* [***Zman8910@aol.com***](mailto:Zman8910@aol.com)*.)* *-cw* Written by Dennis Zine. ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Aug-2016/065u.png) August 11 2016 [](https://www.addtoany.com/share) [Comments](#disqus_thread) JUST THE FACTS--In politics there is always the rule of Strategy. Strategy gets your ideas moving forward and hopefully onto implementation. Elected officials and others in government services use Strategy on many programs and issues similar to what our military and law enforcement personnel use in the various programs designed to protect and serve our communities. Without Strategy, not much ever gets done. Not to be too critical of our elected officials but … I have been thinking about the kind of strategy that was going to be used to convince you to vote for more fees and taxes and bonds to handle problems that have been brewing for months and even years in the City and County of Los Angeles. Take for example the homeless situation in Los Angeles. We have all seen the negative impact on our neighborhoods and read about how it is going to be addressed. We know the police are not doing much of anything about it. Not because they want to see our communities run over by homeless, but because they have been following orders from police leaders who follow orders from the political leaders of our cities. We can all see it every day. The homeless population continues to grow. Many of our communities have become homeless camps. During a recent drive down Burbank Blvd in the Sepulveda Basin, I have found that the homeless are permanently camped in the wooded section of the area on the south side of Burbank Blvd. Some have erected large Army tents in the brush and even parked their cars in the camp. It is like going to Lake Arrowhead and camping in the woods. While our mayor declared the Homeless population in Los Angeles an **Emergency** a year or so ago, nothing much has been done to address or resolve the problem. Sure there have been some dollars directed toward the problem, but nothing of any significance when you look at the billions in the city’s current budget. While our Mayor and other Los Angeles City Elected Officials were on another council recess rubbing elbows with others in power at the Democratic National Convention others from the city council were overseas in foreign countries on a Sister City Mission. So, with no one watching the exploding homeless population chewing up more and more of our neighborhoods, nothing is being done. But wait. There is an answer. Remember ‘Strategy’. There is hope you that you will fall for the increase in **taxes** to address this out of control situation. Yes ladies and gentlemen, ignore the problem after you declare it an emergency and let the problem continue to grow so that the people who pay the taxes will get so fed up with the situation that they vote to support the new taxes. NEW Taxes in the Billions of dollars! Since the city has over an $8 Billion-plus General Fund this fiscal year, it is time to use existing money and finally address the problem that is not going away and only getting worse as the days pass. While the city has throwing a few thousand dollars to address the problem, little impact has been seen. The homeless are not washing away or going to other parts of the country. It is time for you the taxpayers to get off your collective asses and force your city officials to use existing funds to finally address the out of control homeless population in Los Angeles. We all hear about the great economy here in Los Angeles and California. If that is true, existing money is there to once and for all address the homeless crisis the is negatively impacting neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles. For the record, following the DNC our Mayor and his entourage traveled to Rio to view the 2016 Olympics since Los Angeles has put in a bid to host the 2024 Olympics in Los Angeles. This is great. It is 2016 and there are a lot of pressing issues on the plate before attention is generated to 2024. There is strength in numbers and we the taxpayers have the numbers to vote. There will be no less than four local tax and bond measures on the November Ballot. Transportation and homeless are the main ones gaining attention at this time. This will cost us BILLIONS over the coming years. Use your vote to tell city leaders NO NEW TAXES and No Bond Measures. We have existing measures that are still being paid off from years ago! As always, Zine is watching your pocketbook and holding people accountable. *(Dennis P. Zine is a 33-year member of the Los Angeles Police Department and former Vice-Chairman of the Elected Los Angeles City Charter Reform Commission, a 12-year member of the Los Angeles City Council and a current LAPD Reserve Officer who serves as a member of the Fugitive Warrant Detail assigned out of Gang and Narcotics Division. He writes* Just the Facts *for* CityWatch*. You can contact him at* [***Zman8910@aol.com***](mailto:Zman8910@aol.com)*.)* *-cw* [![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/ME%20DENTAL%20SPA/me%20dental%202026%20final.jpg)](http://medentalspa.com/) ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/banners/signup-for-cw.png) ## Get The News In Your Email Inbox Mondays & Thursdays Phone [ ![LA DWP #2 (Pay Your Bill Help)](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/LADWP/dwp%20level%20pay%205-7-25.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/82 "LA DWP #2 (Pay Your Bill Help)") [ ![Home - HHR Rent is too High - SB-2](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/HHR/AHF-rent-too-high.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/104 "Home - HHR Rent is too High - SB-2") --- ## Featured CityWatch Stories [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/fd/064h-fdb0b507.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29355:remembering-ken-draper-citywatch-and-transparency-are-his-legacy&catid=12) ### [Remembering Ken Draper: CityWatch and Transparency Are his Legacy](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29355:remembering-ken-draper-citywatch-and-transparency-are-his-legacy&catid=12) LA WATCHDOG - Ken Draper, the editor and publisher of CityWatch for more than 20 years, passed away on August 8, 2022… [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/0f/061a-0f1ada2f.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33148:brace-yourself-for-a-worse-housing-crisis&catid=398) ### [Brace Yourself For A Worse Housing Crisis](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33148:brace-yourself-for-a-worse-housing-crisis&catid=398) PLANNING WATCH - The California State Legislature will soon vote on the following draft legislation. Please carefully… [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/54/064j-54f0ecbd.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33204:be-prepared-to-protect-our-democracy-in-november-from-a-trumpian-plot&catid=9) ### [Be Prepared to Protect Our Democracy in November From a Trumpian Plot](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33204:be-prepared-to-protect-our-democracy-in-november-from-a-trumpian-plot&catid=9) BE AWARE - Back in the days when conservatives were so hungry for media platforms that they’d come on progressive shows… [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/ab/063e-ab3b1ba1.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33174:nithya-raman-loses-the-homelessness-gavel-her-record-explains-why&catid=396) ### [Nithya Raman Loses the Homelessness Gavel — Her Record Explains Why](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33174:nithya-raman-loses-the-homelessness-gavel-her-record-explains-why&catid=396) THE BOTTOM LINE - Raman wants Los Angeles voters to promote her to mayor. Before handing her the keys to City Hall, v… [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/75/064a-75d5dbb3.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33199:your-boss-owns-your-workday-not-your-brain&catid=425) ### [Your Boss Owns Your Workday—Not Your Brain](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33199:your-boss-owns-your-workday-not-your-brain&catid=425) THE NEURAL WORKPLACE - California must protect workers before workplace surveillance crosses the final frontier: the hu… --- ## [ LOS ANGELES ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=312) [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Aug-2026/064n.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33207:how-los-angeles-homeowners-can-use-home-equity-to-finance-major-home-improvements&catid=312)### [How Los Angeles Homeowners Can Use Home Equity to Finance Major Home Improvements](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33207:how-los-angeles-homeowners-can-use-home-equity-to-finance-major-home-improvements&catid=312) [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Aug-2026/063j.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33170:will-the-mayor-city-council-and-school-board-find-boldness-to-convert-empty-schools&catid=312)### [Will the Mayor, City Council and School Board Find Boldness to Convert Empty Schools?](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33170:will-the-mayor-city-council-and-school-board-find-boldness-to-convert-empty-schools&catid=312) [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Aug-2026/062g.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33166:la-county-executive-job-candidates-new-and-old-sincere-and-opportunistic-are-lining-up&catid=312)### [LA County Executive Job: Candidates New and Old, Sincere and Opportunistic, are Lining Up](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33166:la-county-executive-job-candidates-new-and-old-sincere-and-opportunistic-are-lining-up&catid=312) [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Aug-2026/062n.png) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33169:shame-on-da-nathan-hochman-the-prosecution-of-lapd-officer-daniel-flores&catid=312)### [Shame on DA Nathan Hochman: The Prosecution of LAPD Officer Daniel Flores](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33169:shame-on-da-nathan-hochman-the-prosecution-of-lapd-officer-daniel-flores&catid=312) [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Aug-2026/061k.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33147:boyle-heights-warehouse-fire-lessons-learned&catid=312)### [Boyle Heights Warehouse Fire: Lessons Learned](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33147:boyle-heights-warehouse-fire-lessons-learned&catid=312)