worst pollution, the worst crime, the worst schools, and the worst traffic.
They have made LA a safe haven for gang members and foreign criminals. They've
turned LA City services into places where complexion and gender trump
excellence, and union membership trumps public service.
As an LAPD training officer, I was pressured to pass dangerous recruits
simply because they were the right color and gender. But if I told the
public that the mayor forced the LAPD to accept trash bags like Rafael
Perez, David Mack, or Kevin Gaines into our ranks, I would have been
attacked administratively.
I first heard about the NC idea during the 1990s when I was still an LA cop.
I worked out of various Valley City Council offices and handled citizen
complaints for those offices. My de facto job was to keep the phones from
ringing. As long as I prevented headaches for the council offices I could
keep my job.
It was cushy and I was well-liked, but I have a problem with LA cops who run
interference for city politicians. Cops should be working for LA's
residents, not the politicians. But when I sided with a citizen who crossed
swords with one of Michael Feuer's campaign contributors, I found myself
back on the street. Oh well, the LA air was much fresher than his office
anyway.
As the Neighborhood Council (NC) idea grew, I saw it as a place where City
Council members could direct their political gadflies. As long as gadflies
were spinning their wheels at NC meetings, Council members would not hear
them as often. NCs do little more than add another layer of bureaucracy to
an already bloated and dysfunctional city bureaucracy. And for many, the
grinding bureaucracy takes its toll and wears members down.
Nevertheless, I set my cynicism aside and joined an NC as member, board
member, and treasurer. I secured our non-profit status, cleaned up the
books, and participated for several years.
LA City is one big extortion racket. Politicians break our windows with
stupid policies and then tell us that unless we pay more taxes, they can't
educate our children or protect our homes and businesses.
LA is in the middle of a fifty-year-old decline. During most of that period,
Democrats have enjoyed exclusive control in the local and state legislature.
They have appointed hundreds of leftist judges and enjoy a cozy relationship
with the ACLU. They have profited from unions at the expense of public
education and health care. The media is complicit, anesthetizing residents
with stories of cops and robbers and traffic accidents and senseless
shootings and peace marches and so on while burying LA's real stories.
And what's on this evening's NC agenda?
1.. Should we rename the neighborhood of a sewage treatment plant to Lake
Balboa?
2.. Was the "Congress of Neighborhoods" too expensive?
3.. Do we think the latest LAUSD Commission will make any difference to
our children?
4.. Is DONE as useless as NCs?
It's obvious that LA voters haven't felt enough pain from the Democrats who
control LA and Sacramento. It's obvious that the LA media is friendly to the
corrosive nature of local government.
When indoctrinated Arabs in the Middle East stub their toe they blame the
Jews. When the lights go out, it's the Jews. Spoiled food - Jews. Leaky
roof - Jews. Diabetes - Jews. and so forth. LA's indoctrinated and stressed
do the same thing:
Pollution-Republicans
Bad schools - Republicans
Gridlock - Republicans
Crime - Republicans
Racism - Republicans
Poverty - Republicans
. and so on.
The LAUSD has demonstrated the value of stupefied children. Without
information, natives rely on superstition and emotion. If LAUSD produced
high-performance students, Democrats would be threatened - for smart people
don't rely on unions to guarantee artificially high wages. If parents could
choose between charters, vouchers, and public schools, the LAUSD would boast
the best schools in the world, or not exist.
After enjoying what is pretty much exclusive control within the City
Council, County Board, and State Legislature for fifty years, how much
longer will LA voters keep blaming Republicans for THEIR problems, and how
much longer will voters wait for Democrats to clean up the messes they
created?
Until voters wake up, changing the name of a cesspool isn't likely to
generate much e***ment in my household. We've spent our lives in this
city. Between my wife and I, we've generated hundreds of millions of dollars
in business and crime prevention throughout the City of Los Angeles. The
difference between us and most LA politicians, judges, and lawyers is that
we actually made a positive difference for our community. When was the last
time one of your politicians, judges, or lawyers saved tax dollars or
generated business or tourism revenue for LA?
Nope, after decades of contributing to LA we're moving out. We'll be far
enough from the smell, but close enough to watch them swing in their cages.
I'm learning that when you're no longer caged with those moonbats they can
be quite entertaining.
Enjoy the zoo and call it whatever you want.