PUBLIC FORUM : VOTERS SPLIT ON BONDS FOR SAFETY AGENCIES.Since Proposition 46 was passed by the California voters in 1986 to reinstate To restore to a condition that has terminated or been lost; to reestablish. To reinstate a case, for example, means to restore it to the same position it had before dismissal. general-obligation bond financing, local government agencies and school districts have been increasingly using this off-budget approach to increase funds for facilities and maintenance. Although the bond proposals need a two-thirds majority to pass, in recent years voters have been passing a high percentage of the proposals. As a consequence, homeowners and businesses are seeing their property tax bills steadily increasing with new charges to pay for these bonds and their interest. These new tax assessments are liens on homeowners' property for many years, even if there are no direct benefits to the property. The United Organization of Taxpayers, which led the petitioning and campaigning for Proposition 13, strongly opposes the grandiose grandiose /gran·di·ose/ (gran´de-os?) in psychiatry, pertaining to exaggerated belief or claims of one's importance or identity, often manifested by delusions of great wealth, power, or fame. $744 million bond proposal coming before the voters 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. on April 13. In the past 10 years we have seen funds wasted, misappropriated mis·ap·pro·pri·ate tr.v. mis·ap·pro·pri·at·ed, mis·ap·pro·pri·at·ing, mis·ap·pro·pri·ates 1. a. To appropriate wrongly: misappropriating the theories of social science. and not spent efficiently from voter-approved bonds for police and fire department facilities. The Los Angeles Unified School District's recently approved $2.3 billion bond proposal has become a boondoggle boon·dog·gle Informal n. 1. An unnecessary or wasteful project or activity. 2. a. A braided leather cord worn as a decoration especially by Boy Scouts. b. , riddled with sweetheart deals Sweetheart Deal A merger or company sale where one company involved in the deal gives the other very attractive terms and conditions. Notes: In other words, a sweetheart deal is a transaction that a firm simply cannot pass-up. This is usually considered to be unethical. for contractors and political patronage outside the view of the oversight committee. Now the mayor and city politicians want us to trust them with this huge bond obligation. We say there is enough regular revenue available from taxes in these prosperous times to budget for upgrading facilities for the police and fire departments. This takes a disciplined budget plan and responsible leadership. By authorizing more bond debt, the voters will be allowing waste and corruption to continue, with their burdens of higher taxes on Los Angeles homeowners. - Ernest Dynda President Agoura Hills The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association helped sponsor Proposition 13, the property tax-cutting initiative in California in 1978 which slashed property taxes by fifty-seven percent and initiated a national tax revolt. It was founded by California republican Howard Jarvis. strongly opposes the $744 million public safety bond measure because it is, first of all, too much money. It is 50 percent more than was recommended by the mayor's own Blue Ribbon Committee Noun 1. blue ribbon committee - an independent and exclusive commission of nonpartisan statesmen and experts formed to investigate some important governmental issue blue ribbon commission . City politicians claim bond proceeds will be used for public safety facilities, a worthy cause, but the city has a terrible record on keeping its promises about bond measures. Voters should be extremely wary before agreeing to raise their taxes. Ten years ago, after approval of a police bond, the city failed to deliver on a 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. station that voters were led to believe would be built. When voters approved money to retrofit ret·ro·fit v. ret·ro·fit·ted or ret·ro·fit, ret·ro·fit·ting, ret·ro·fits v.tr. 1. To provide (a jet, automobile, computer, or factory, for example) with parts, devices, or equipment not in high-rise buildings high-rise building Multistory building taller than the maximum height people are willing to walk up, thus requiring vertical mechanical transportation. The introduction of safe passenger elevators made practical the erection of buildings more than four or five stories tall. with sprinkler systems, the project was not completed because the money was used to purchase a new building. And how about the $235 million bond for the new 911 communications center An agency charged with the responsibility for handling and controlling communications traffic. The center normally includes message center, transmitting, and receiving facilities. Also called COMCEN. See also telecommunications center. ? Although it was approved six years ago, the new facility has still not been delivered. Officials would like us to believe they have cleaned up their act, but we are learning that the city is not keeping faith with voters who approved the Proposition K assessment for parks less than three years ago. Park projects that were promised are being leapfrogged by new proposals that were not submitted to voters. Still, city politicians say we can trust them because the new bond proposal provides for an oversight committee. But an oversight committee can be stacked with members more interested in shielding public officials from criticism than in protecting taxpayers' interests. And oversight committees are only as good as the information the bureaucracy is willing to provide. Our experience on the Proposition BB school bond oversight committee convinces us that oversight committees provide insufficient safeguards. In fact, there are few, if any, binding legal requirements for the city to perform as promised. And Valley residents may want to consider that, while sections of the city are petitioning for separation, this is the wrong time to be lavishing almost $80 million on a centralized cen·tral·ize v. cen·tral·ized, cen·tral·iz·ing, cen·tral·iz·es v.tr. 1. To draw into or toward a center; consolidate. 2. downtown police station. The city should come back with a more modest proposal with which to prove good faith to taxpayers. - Jon Coupal President, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association Los Angeles Regarding the proposed public safety bond measure that will be on the city ballot this April: There is nothing more important to our city and the Valley's future than public safety. The construction or replacement of new fire and police stations in the Valley will enable paramedics, firefighters and police officers to reach victims of heart attacks, fires or crimes more quickly and thus help save more lives. The Valley will benefit from six replacement fire stations, one new police station, one replacement police station, a new facility at Van Nuys Airport Van Nuys Airport (IATA: VNY, ICAO: KVNY, FAA LID: VNY) is a public airport located in Van Nuys, California in the San Fernando Valley, within the Los Angeles city limits. for emergency fire helicopters and the repair of several older police and fire stations. All this will result in faster and improved service, essential to our personal safety and the quality of life in the Valley. To help assure adherence to the purposes and the priorities set forth in the proposal, new safeguards never before included in city bond measures guarantee, at last, that all the money raised from sales of the bonds will be spent only for these much-needed improvements and additions - spent on time and on budget. The mayor, who is a ``hard sell'' when it comes to bonds and borrowing, is championing this measure. He has put his personal reputation on the line. For those who know him, as many of us do, that's about as good as it gets when it comes to an iron-clad guarantee that money will be spent prudently and in keeping with the priorities provided for in the measure. For all those reasons and more, I urge Valley residents to vote yes on the upcoming public safety bond appearing on this April's city ballot. - David W. Fleming L.A. City Fire Commissioner Yes, we need upgraded police and fire facilities. But even if the $744 million is approved and spent efficiently, less than half will pay for the facilities, while the balance will pay for bond costs and interest. We still need more taxes to pay for more police and fire personnel, for maintenance of streets, sidewalks, infrastructure, schools and a host of other public services Public services is a term usually used to mean services provided by government to its citizens, either directly (through the public sector) or by financing private provision of services. . Obviously, our city fathers are not going to ask for it all at one time. I find it deplorable de·plor·a·ble adj. 1. Worthy of severe condemnation or reproach: a deplorable act of violence. 2. that those at City Hall ask for more taxes while using the Community Redevelopment Agency to steal nearly $1 billion of our property taxes in the last 20 years, plus an additional $1.8 billion committed to pay its current bond debt. Not only has the city diverted this money from public services without voter approval, it is increasing redevelopment areas fivefold fivefold Adjective 1. having five times as many or as much 2. composed of five parts Adverb by five times as many or as much Adj. 1. , committing $12 billion more without voter approval to benefit favored developers and multimillion-dollar corporations. When City Hall stops diverting our property taxes behind our back, I'll be happy to support needed bond measures. Redevelopment agencies are exempt from Proposition 13. They can issue property tax bonds without voter approval. - Don Lippman Los Angeles Let's cut to the chase. Anyone who ever votes yes on another bond issue is mentally challenged or just plain stupid. To begin with, we already pay enough taxes for everything the city needs if the money were properly used. It is not. Every election the greedy politicians ask us to vote for mom and apple pie apple pie typical, wholesome American dessert. [Am. Culture: Flexner, 68] See : America - more money for police and schools - and, like lambs led to the slaughter, we do as asked. But what happens to the money? We voted bond money to update our 911 system. What happened to the 911 system? What happened to the money? There are hundreds of examples, but the best one lately was Proposition BB. Did you vote to have your bond money spent on a shopping mall and an overpriced o·ver·price tr.v. o·ver·priced, o·ver·pric·ing, o·ver·pric·es To put too high a price or value on. overpriced Adjective costing more than it is thought to be worth Adj. school built on a toxic area that cannot even be used by children? Who has to answer for this multimillion-dollar screw-up? No one. Who has to pay for it? We do. Please vote no on any future bond issues. Make our elected officials work within the budget they are given, just as you have to do. - Jerry Hays Studio City I am among those in a citizen group who have raised money in Brentwood to correct the dismal living conditions living conditions npl → condiciones fpl de vida living conditions npl → conditions fpl de vie living conditions living in our local fire station. None of these improvements would have been implemented by the city had we not jumped in. If citizen oversight is included in the $744 million bond issue to be voted on April 12, I definitely am for it. We were so pleased to help our firefighters. They were glad to be helped, and the raw truth is that those who fight to save our lives should have their facilities upgraded. - Nancy Z. Freedman freed·man n. A man who has been freed from slavery. freedman Noun pl -men History a man freed from slavery Noun 1. Brentwood I am a native Angeleno, a resident of the city of Los Angeles
This proposal is the first step of a visionary multiphase Mul´ti`phase a. 1. (Elec.) Having many phases; Adj. 1. multiphase - of an electrical system that uses or generates two or more alternating voltages of the same frequency but differing in phase angle program designed to replace and update the city's aging emergency infrastructure. The ever-broadening demands on public safety employees - such as urban search and rescue The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. , swift-water rescue, hazardous materials and increasing numbers of calls for paramedic par·a·med·ic n. A person who is trained to give emergency medical treatment or assist medical professionals. paramedic services - require new facilities. The public safety employees are working in facilities built without provision for female firefighters History Historically, firefighting has been regarded as primarily a male activity. Nonetheless, there have been numerous women who actively fought fire alongside their male counterparts. , larger modern fire trucks and modern seismic codes and telecommunications. The police and fire-safety workers need facilities that are safe and that will meet the needs of emergency operations for years to come. This proposal is the result of a collaborative effort by city government, fire and police personnel and a Public Safety Oversight Committee. To ensure that goals and objectives of the measure become reality, the following safeguards have been addressed: Extensive research in relation to projected costs of the buildings and their ability to meet changing needs of the emergency service in the future. Specific projects, a manageable number of projects and clear accountability. Two independent oversight committees. Project manager empowered to manage the entire construction project. A yes vote on this bond measure will ensure faster response times and provide for an updated, more reliable 911 system, which will ultimately save lives. Additionally, it will result in safer, more efficient living and working conditions for the city's firefighters, paramedics and police officers. The citizens of Los Angeles deserve nothing less. - Roger Gillis West Hills CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Los Angeles police discuss Academy Awards traffic. Officers say they have their own ``gridlock'': crowding in police stations. David Sprague/Daily News |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion