RIORDAN SEEKS TO ASSURE VOTERS; BALLOT WORDING LIMITS USES FOR SAFETY BOND.Byline: Rick Orlov Daily News Staff Writer Seeking to assure voters a proposed $744 million public safety bond issue will be spent as promised, Mayor Richard Riordan Richard J. Riordan (born May 1, 1930) is a Republican politician from California, U.S. who served as the California Secretary of Education from 2003–2005 and as Mayor of Los Angeles from 1993–2001. Riordan ran for Governor of California unsuccessfully in 2002. has released ballot language and legal opinions spelling out the money could not be diverted di·vert v. di·vert·ed, di·vert·ing, di·verts v.tr. 1. To turn aside from a course or direction: Traffic was diverted around the scene of the accident. 2. to other projects. ``The mayor wants the public to know that we are doing all we can to make sure the money will only be spent on what is promised,'' Deputy Mayor Jennifer Roth said Friday. The list of projects and their order of priority will be listed in two locations on the ballot for the April 13 election as part of the official ballot language itself and in the independent analysis of it, Roth said. A memo from the City Administrative Office debt finance group said legal opinions from the City Attorney's Office and independent bond counsel have said the money could only be spent consistent with what voters approve. Riordan and other city officials have been campaigning to overcome voter VOTER. One entitled to a vote; an elector. skepticism skepticism (skĕp`tĭsĭzəm) [Gr.,=to reflect], philosophic position holding that the possibility of knowledge is limited either because of the limitations of the mind or because of the inaccessibility of its object. - particularly in 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. - over how the money will be spent because of past bond issues. In a recent meeting with Daily News editors and reporters, Riordan acknowledged he felt the same frustration, and that was part of the reason he was trying to be as specific as possible with the bond measure. It will require approval by two-thirds of the voters. If approved, it will add $32 a year to the average $162,000 home. But despite the attempt at assurances, the measure continued to draw opposition from a major anti-tax group. Kris Vosburg of 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. said his group believes the amount of the measure is too high. ``They keep selling the taxpayers the Brooklyn Bridge Brooklyn Bridge, vehicular suspension bridge, New York City, southernmost of the bridges across the East River, between lower Manhattan and Brooklyn; built 1869–83. The achievement of J. A. Roebling and his son W. A. Roebling, it has a span of 1,595. over and over again,'' Vosburg said. ``The money is too high. We thought they should have had a smaller bond issue that was more easily managed, and they could prove themselves to voters.'' The ambitious measure would build a replacement for the aging Parker Center Parker Center is the headquarters for the Los Angeles Police Department, and is located in Downtown LA. It is named for former LAPD chief William H. Parker. Originally with the prosaic name, the Police Administration Building, ground for the center was broken on December 30, 1952 police headquarters with a new 300,000-square-foot building on the same site, construction of four replacement police stations, two new police stations - including one in the north San Fernando Valley - 17 new fire stations and a new fire air operations facility in Van Nuys. Of the new fire stations, regional stations would be built in Arleta, Northridge and Woodland Hills, and standard stations would be built in Encino, Studio City and Sun Valley. Much of the work will be going on simultaneously, with individual managers assigned as·sign tr.v. as·signed, as·sign·ing, as·signs 1. To set apart for a particular purpose; designate: assigned a day for the inspection. 2. to each project. The speed with which they are built will depend on land acquisition. The city also is going to a new system in which it will use master designs for police and fire stations so that separate plans are not needed. The proposition also calls for creating two oversight
Oversight may refer to:
The bond measure is part of a 20-year, $2 billion plan to replace or build new facilities to meet the demands of a growing city. ON THE DRAWING BOARD Here are the San Fernando Valley area projects proposed in the $744 million public safety bond issue on the April 13 ballot and their estimated costs: FIRE STATIONS Arleta $12.9 million Studio City $9.2 million Northridge $12.4 million Sun Valley $7.0 million Encino $7.7 million Woodland Hills $20.8 million POLICE STATIONS West Valley $26.3 million Valley area station $41.5 million FIRE HELICOPTER FACILITY Van Nuys $42.3 million Source: City of Los Angeles
CAPTION(S): Box BOX: ON THE DRAWING BOARD (see text) |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion