EDITORIAL : THE BIG PROMISE; WE'VE HEARD IT BEFORE - NEW POLICE AND FIRE STATIONS IN THE VALLEY. BUT WILL THE CITY COME THROUGH THIS TIME?PARDON us if we're wary about the prospects of the ambitious $744 million bond measure on April's ballot that, if passed by two-thirds of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. voters, will pay for construction of new police and fire stations across the city. 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. residents and law enforcement officials were promised, in exchange for support of a similar construction bond measure in 1989, new police stations. The police officers and firefighters who work in the Valley still operate out of aging, cramped stations, some of which are miles and miles from sections within their coverage area. Chief Legislative Analyst Ron Deaton explains it away like this: ``It wasn't a promise. The measure clearly said those would be built if money was available.'' Hiding behind the fine print won't be tolerated ever again. To gain the Valley's support for the current proposal - the first of possibly four public safety measures safety measures, n.pl actions (e.g., use of glasses, face masks) taken to protect patients and office personnel from such known hazards as particles and aerosols from high-speed rotary instruments, mercury vapor, radiation exposure, anesthetic and in the next 20 years - city officials must do several things to guarantee that each and every project will be completed within the prescribed time and that each one will come in on budget. We applaud the inclusion of oversight panels to ensure the money is spent wisely and the work is being done. We hope the panels will have the authority to penalize pe·nal·ize tr.v. pe·nal·ized, pe·nal·iz·ing, pe·nal·iz·es 1. To subject to a penalty, especially for infringement of a law or official regulation. See Synonyms at punish. 2. contractors who do not abide by the rules or take too long to do the work or do it incorrectly. The city has a terrible legacy of performance on bond measures and every safeguard that can be instituted to gain the trust of voters should be included in the measure. After being stung by the devious de·vi·ous adj. 1. Not straightforward; shifty: a devious character. 2. Departing from the correct or accepted way; erring: achieved success by devious means. wording - and devious politicians - in the $2.4 billion Proposition BB school bond, the city's lawyers should write in bold, capital letters how the money will be spent. Anything short of fulfilling its promise will shatter shat·ter v. shat·tered, shat·ter·ing, shat·ters v.tr. 1. To cause to break or burst suddenly into pieces, as with a violent blow. 2. a. what little credibility the city has when it asks the public to shell out more money in the future. A blue-ribbon panel Blue-Ribbon Panel (sometimes called a Blue Ribbon Commission) is an informal term generally used to describe a group of exceptional persons appointed to investigate or study a given question. estimated that the city needs $2 billion in public safety improvements in the next two decades. That same panel suggested the city only ask voters to approve a bare-bones, $500 million public safety bond measure now, something the City Council pumped up 50 percent. A smaller, smarter approach was the right way to go to regain the public's trust before going after the big bucks. But taking smaller steps in the short term to ensure effective long-term gains Long-term gain A profit on the sale of a capital assets held longer than 12 months, and eligible for long-term capital gains tax treatment. has never been the council's strong suit. City Hall's motto, after all, is: Let the taxpayers beware. |
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