EDITORIAL : A DREAM THAT WORKS; PULL THE PLUG ON TAX GIVEAWAYS FOR PLAYA, VAMOS.HERE, in the cold light of morning, the Playa Vista development deal doesn't look quite so beautiful. Without the Hollywood glamour of SKG SKG Stichting Kwaliteit Gevelbouw (Dutch) SKG Spielberg, Katzenberg,and Geffen (DreamWorks Studios) SKG Thessaloniki, Greece - Thessaloniki (Airport Code) SKG Smith and Kraus Global - Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen - and DreamWorks, the idea of giving away tens of millions of taxpayers' dollars for a development that threatened to kill frogs in the Ballona Wetlands and clog streets and freeways on the congested con·gest·ed adj. Affected with or characterized by congestion. congested ENT adjective Referring to a boggy blood-filled tissue. See Nasal congestion. Westside just doesn't seem so appealing. By pulling out because the sweetened sweet·en v. sweet·ened, sweet·en·ing, sweet·ens v.tr. 1. To make sweet or sweeter by adding sugar, honey, saccharin, or another sweet substance. 2. To make more pleasant or agreeable. pot wasn't sweet enough for DreamWorks' superstar businessmen, the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. and Glendale will become the second-choice home to the glitzy glitz Informal n. Ostentatious showiness; flashiness: "a garish barrage of show-biz glitz" Peter G. Davis. tr.v. studio, at least for a while. Five years of controversy ought to be enough for Mayor Richard Riordan and the City Council to renege on their $35 million giveaway in tax credits. It ought to be enough for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to redesignate the fortune in street and freeway improvements earmarked for Playa del Rey to projects that would make life better for the other 11 million people in Los Angeles County. We can think of about $100 million worth right here in the Valley and Glendale areas that are at least as worthy as the Westside ones that were planned. But we won't hold our breath. Perhaps if Spielberg, Katzenberg and Geffen bought homes on this side of the hill and threw parties for the petty bureaucrats and small-time small·time or small-time adj. Informal Insignificant or unimportant; minor: a smalltime actor. small politicians who made these decisions, this region would get a fairer share of the tax credit and tax dollar deals for the 1.5 million or so ordinary people who live here. That, of course, isn't going to happen. What could happen is for the studios that call this area home - Warner Bros BROS Brothers BROS Benefits and Retirement Operations Section (King County, Washington) BROS Barnes and Richmond Operatic Society (London, UK) ., Disney, Universal and DreamWorks - to put some of their political muscle behind projects to upgrade the 101-405 interchange and other critical transportation projects that would improve life for their employees and their employees' neighbors. The greater Valley area is proud to be the real Hollywood. If the region's political leadership and business community start paying attention to our problems and work together, we believe the greater Valley area could flourish as never before with workable transportation, quality education and a prosperity of life you've never seen. Now that's a dream that could work. |
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