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MY POV - Before I get to Metro, I am reminded of the phrase "What's past is prologue" meaning that the past shapes the present and the future--and look at the mess our broke(n) city is in. Teddy Roosevelt said more than 100 years ago "have enough sense to pick good people to do what needs to get done but self-restraint enough not to meddle with them while they do it." An appropriate and serious lesson for our Mayor who is only in that position because the Democratic Party gave her a consolation prize when she was not picked as Vice-President. She is totally unsuited for the position--she has little executive skills which is why the city continues to sink--and why there aren't capable people in positions to improve the quality of life here and really help the Palisades recover from the devastation of January. Whatever skills she exhibits is too little and too late--and she wants another term in office--nothing like making the same mistake over and over again.
Last week Jamie Dimon--CEO of JP Morgan made the following comments in a speech he gave--which I totally agree with-- "I have a lot of friends who are Democrats and they're idiots. I always say they have big hearts and little brains. They do not understand how the real-world works. Almost every single policy rolled out failed." Socialist societies have great ideas and wonderful words--and miserable quality of life. Apply that to Los Angeles----where the DSA continues to advocate for solutions that have no chance of succeeding--and hold out false hope for some and lessen the quality of life for most--and we wonder why the city is broke. My opinion--- Nithya "I'm truly clueless about the economic impact of the positions I advocate" Ramen who intentionally misled her constituency on ULA---how has that worked out?--revenue only a 1/4 of what was supposed to be collected---building permits significantly reduced by 2/3 from what they were 10 years ago--good paying jobs and significant revenue lost for the city. The economic brilliance of a 15-watt bulb with its filament broken. Further in that context--because our elected leaders are truly awful and, in many cases, oblivious--our City Council representative goes out and helps her friend Nithya campaign and win her election --in effect helping an enemy of the community that you represent get elected--and don't hand me that crap about friendship. This is serious business---and if you forget your constituency, its entirely possible that your constituency will forget you. The city will never get better until its priorities are reset and we have elected officials who can make that happen.
Now, as to Metro---Stephanie----Keep Bel Air Beautiful has reserved the ballroom at the Bel Air Hotel on Thursday, September 4 at 5:30pm for 2 1/2 hours. This will allow 20-minute presentation from senior project executives of Metro, Bechtel and BYD. NO lobbyists, flacks or PR people are welcome, and they will not be allowed to speak---but you can bring your photographer. Time for real answers to real questions---and don't bring Sosa either-his memory leaves much to be desired. Some of those questions I have listed in my prior email below---here are a few more to respond to:
1. What is funding plan for each STC Project alternative--and the real time to build each---no 2023 numbers---2025 numbers indexed for inflation---the public needs to know the real cost of each alternative and where the funds will come from---and stop with Measure M---too many projects that claim Measure M is the solution--not practical, logical or realistic.
2. Does Metro consider parking stations during design phase----or do it at a later time---Metro makes a big deal how tunnel solutions are going to be 18 minutes quicker than monorail--where are those people (riders) going to park? --how are they going to get to station? Has that even been factored in----and what are the economics for monthly parking?
3. What are the details of potential public-private partnerships with each of the bidders---how will they actually work in practice--and what's the cost and the schedule of benefits they will provide.
4. As to noise and vibration, who determines what acceptable levels are? --how is that decided? --and why don't the concerned communities have a role in this--and why are any vibrations or noise levels acceptable to start with?
5. Why isn't the Bel Air community a stakeholder in the project? --and why have its rights been ignored? Your project manager admitted in his testimony that he has had many meetings with UCLA and their lobbyists --but none with ours--how does that even approach community outreach?
6. Why are Metro's surveys always skewed toward the desired outcomes Metro wants to achieve?
As I said, Bob Anderson and I will moderate, and the meeting will be recorded. The public will be able to ask questions that will not be prescreened--spontaneous--and the expectation is that there will be accurate and honest answers to the questions that are asked.
Please respond that you will attend by July 31, 2025--to either me or [email protected]. If we do not hear from you by that date, we will assume that Metro and the bidders have no interest in being transparent to the citizens of Los Angeles--and I will cancel the meeting room--and then it will be apparent to everyone--that what I have been writing about the last 5 years is true--and Metro has no desire to be honest and candid with the public. Ball is now in your court----date is set.
(Fredric D. Rosen is a retired businessman and former CEO of Ticketmaster, where he led the company for 16 years and transformed it into the world’s leading ticketing service. He has served on numerous corporate and nonprofit boards, offering leadership across both private enterprise and charitable initiatives. With decades of experience in business and civic engagement, Rosen brings a seasoned perspective to issues at the intersection of commerce, culture, and community.)
