Op-Ed: How to reform L.A. City Hall to avoid future corruption and scandal
L.A. County Supervisor Gloria Molina’s plan to spend $100 million in new resources on downtown could transform a city of “broken promise” into one of “broken promise” again.
The plan to spend $95 million in new resources on improving service at county offices in the Los Angeles County Public Works Department isn’t about improving service but about fixing politics.
In fact, the plan would put money into politics instead of building a better bureaucracy.
There’s a reason city Hall is one of the worst run local governments in the country.
Los Angeles’s city hall sits atop its own grave.
In fact, I’d put that grave at the bottom of the Potemkin Village below the Hollywood sign.
L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and his predecessor, Antonio Villaraigosa, have made no secret of their disdain for city hall. The city of L.A. is one of the worst places in the country to do business, if doing business means paying taxes.
The City Council has had virtually no oversight of the Public Works Department.
In its first two years, the department’s budget of $100 million was half of what it took in last year.
Los Angeles’ mayor is also spending money on his own pet projects.
His campaign to open a new sports arena for the LA Kings received a $1 million contribution from a company that just made an anonymous donation to the mayor’s campaign.
And that $1 million contribution from the company that just made an anonymous donation to the mayor’s campaign.
Garcetti’s City Council is a collection of cronies.
Only one member, Councilman Jose Huizar, is up for re-election. The other eight are up for election