Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Who Should Pay for Transportation?
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2013/02/who-should-pay-transportation/4822/
By Emily Badger, February 27, 2013
For a variety of well-documented reasons, this compact has been crumbling. Federal and state gas-tax rates haven’t kept pace with inflation. And when gas taxes were first conceived early in the last century, most cars had roughly the same fuel efficiency; now a 50 mile-per-gallon Prius shares the road with an 8 mile-per-gallon rusting pickup truck. That imbalance spoils some of the fairness first baked into the concept.
In this climate, several states are now looking for transportation revenue in entirely new places. The state of Virginia this past weekend passed a landmark transportation bill that aims to raise money for roads and mass transit in part by increasing the state sales tax on nonfood merchandise, from 5 to 5.3 percent (legislators also eliminated the state’s 17.5 cent gas tax entirely in favor or a 3.5 percent wholesale tax on motor fuels). This means that people in the state who purchase school supplies and patio sets and cell phones will help foot the bill for transportation projects.
The idea – particularly in its original incarnation – was widely criticized by transportation advocates who argued that the state was severing the long-standing link between transportation use and funding for it (and precisely at a time when many experts are calling for the opposite solution: a strict vehicle-miles-traveled user fee).
More recently, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has proposed an even more peculiar idea: selling off 37 state-owned power and heating plants to pay off highway bonds. As the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel pointed out: “The move could also have the unexpected effect of linking the prices paid by some utility customers to the financing of the state's road system.”
This incongruous consequence would seem to push the state even farther from the conceptual benefits of a user fee. Charge people directly for using a system, and they may be incentivized to use less of it. But charge them for appliances and utilities to fund transportation, and any incentive disappears (or starts getting convoluted).
There is, however, one argument that complicates this whole picture, and that is that by funding transportation primarily through user fees (or talking about the problem that way), we run the risk of behaving as if transportation exists solely to transport people. Strong transportation networks are integral to whole regional economies. They’re connected to housing and jobs and opportunity. And whether or not you drive on a road, or ride in a subway, you likely still benefit from the presence of those things when they function efficiently in your area (or you’re likely harmed when they’re falling apart).
This isn’t to say that everyone in a community should pay equally for roads or mass transit, whether they use them or not (there is also a separate argument to be had over the best allocation of funding between these two poles). But as we grope around for new transportation funding solutions in an age when the old gas tax no longer suffices, it’s worth remembering that people who “use” transportation are not the only ones impacted by it. When low-income residents can connect to jobs by buses riding down publicly paved roads, driving taxpayers elsewhere in the city benefit. When smarter road networks reduce congestion, and the smog that comes with it, plenty of people who never get in a car benefit from that, too.
Big rig driver unhurt after fiery crash on 210 Freeway in Irwindale
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/breakingnews/ci_22678546/big-rig-driver-unhurt-after-fiery-crash-210
By Brian Day, February 27, 2013
IRWINDALE - A big rig
driver escaped a fiery crash without injury early Wednesday after
falling asleep at the wheel on the Foothill (210) Freeway, authorities
said.
A 32-year-old Rancho Cucamonga man was headed west on the freeway
in a 2000 Freightliner, just east of Irwindale Avenue, about 3:30 a.m.
when he fell asleep and allowed the truck to veer toward the left,
California Highway Patrol officials said in a written statement.
The out-of-control truck veered across two traffic lanes and the
carpool lane before striking the concrete center divider, officials
said. It scraped along the center divider for a distance of about 1,000
feet before coming to a rest west of Irwindale Avenue.
The driver managed to get out of the badly damaged truck and made his way to the right shoulder.
"(The Freightliner's) fuel tank was damaged during the collision
and the fuel contained inside ignited, eventually engulfing (the
truck)," according to the CHP statement.
The fire consumed the tractor of the truck, however the trailer
did not burn, Sgt. Mike Dulong said. It contained non-flammable concrete
slurry.
All lanes of both directions of the 210 Freeway were shut down at
the crash scene, CHP officials said. Officers gradually opened lanes as
the cleanup operation allowed.
The carpool add fast lanes of the eastbound and westbound sides of the freeway remained shut down until after 7 p.m.
Sup. Michael D. Antonovich and Metro CEO Art Leahy welcome transportation marketing professionals to APTA event at Omni Hotel
http://thesource.metro.net/2013/02/27/sup-michael-d-antonovich-welcomes-transportation-marketing-professionals-to-apta-marketing-event-at-omni-hotel/
By Kim Upton, February 27, 2013
Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, Chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and Metro CEO Art Leahy welcomed more than 200 community leaders and marketing and transportation professionals from across the country to the American Public Transportation
Association (APTA) annual workshop for Marketing and Communications held this week at the Los Angeles Omni Hotel.
As chairman of the transportation agency serving the nation’s largest county, Antonovich discussed his vision for a regional multimodal transportation system serving the county’s 88 cities and 134 unincorporated areas, linking the region’s five regional airports to rail, and upgrading Metrolink to create an integrated system from Lancaster to San Diego.
APTA is the International organization for the bus, rapid transit and commuter rail industry.
LA2050 Challenge Invites Los Angelenos To Change The Future Of L.A.
laist.com/2013/02/26/my_la2050_challenge.php
Having analyzed L.A.'s health via "eight well-defined indicators" in a 71-page report, LA2050 then made projections of what Los Angeles would look like in 2050. And there are issues. But there is something Los Angelenos can do to help shift their town onto a better path for the future.
Today, the foundation began accepting applications for grants totaling $1 million for "impactful and innovative" ideas aimed at a better L.A. The My LA2050 Challenge asks, "How would you use $100,000 to shape and build the future of Los Angeles?" The instructions are quite simple, but the brainpower needed is not. Applicants must first read the full report, then tell the foundation how their ideas will impact one or more of the eight indicators via written word and photo or video. Those eight indicators are education, income & employment, housing, public safety, health, environmental quality, social connectedness, and arts & cultural vitality.
"We believe in the power of Angelenos to shape the future of our region," Goldhirsh Foundation President Tara Roth McConaghy told City News Service. "My LA2050 provides a platform to turn their ideas into action."
Additional details on the application process can be found here, and applications must be submitted by noon PDT March 28.
Express Lanes in Southern California promise relief
and opportunity for commuters and businesses
and opportunity for commuters and businesses
http://fastlane.dot.gov/2013/02/express-lanes-in-southern-california-promise-relief-and-opportunity-for-commuters-and-businesses.html#.US5xBVckR8G
February 26, 2013
When infrastructure investments result in economic benefits to
their communities, it's not magic. It's a formula proven time and again
that improved mobility reduces the costs of road congestion and creates
more opportunities for residents and businesses. We know from last
week's blog post that South Florida is working to bring those very
benefits to Broward County very soon.
And with Friday's opening of the Metro ExpressLanes on the I-10 San Bernardino Freeway in Los Angeles, California has already done it.
President Obama said in his State of the Union address last week that we should both "Fix it First" and make sure our infrastructure attracts and supports businesses and families that rely on them.
These lanes will do exactly that.
Congestion isn’t just an inconvenience. It wastes money, stifles economic growth, and harms the environment. In fact, in 2011 Americans wasted $121 billion in time and fuel being stuck in traffic. It’s an absolute drain on our economy, and projects like the I-10 ExpressLanes offer Angelinos a terrific way out.
As Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez said at Friday's celebration in Los Angeles,
"These express lanes created jobs and brought an innovative solution to a very congested area of Los Angeles. When our highways work better, we have a better chance of attracting businesses and jobs."
Improvements included converting 14 miles of High Occupancy Vehicle
(HOV) lanes on the I-10 San Bernardino Freeway between Union
Station/Alameda Street and the I-605 Freeway into High Occupancy Toll
(HOT) lanes, or express lanes, allowing both car poolers and, for the
first time ever –
solo drivers who pay a fee – to use the lanes.
The Obama Administration believes that the key is to give people choices–better transit options, more buses and bus stops, incentives for carpooling and van pooling.
In this case, the HOT lanes that FHWA supported offer a choice of free or tolled lanes to motorists.
As more drivers choose the option of avoiding congestion by choosing a tolled lane, it actually reduces congestion on the free lanes at the same time.
We think it's a very interesting solution, and across the country state departments of transportation seem to agree as the move to add HOT lanes continues.
At DOT, we want to help people get to work, go to the doctor, and take their kids to school. We want to help businesses attract customers, hire employees, and ship products.
And that means making sure we're always looking for safer, faster, and smarter ways to help people and goods get where they need to go.
Whether it's express lanes or some other innovative solution, DOT is keeping America moving forward.
The Obama Administration believes that the key is to give people choices–better transit options, more buses and bus stops, incentives for carpooling and van pooling.
In this case, the HOT lanes that FHWA supported offer a choice of free or tolled lanes to motorists.
As more drivers choose the option of avoiding congestion by choosing a tolled lane, it actually reduces congestion on the free lanes at the same time.
We think it's a very interesting solution, and across the country state departments of transportation seem to agree as the move to add HOT lanes continues.
At DOT, we want to help people get to work, go to the doctor, and take their kids to school. We want to help businesses attract customers, hire employees, and ship products.
And that means making sure we're always looking for safer, faster, and smarter ways to help people and goods get where they need to go.
Whether it's express lanes or some other innovative solution, DOT is keeping America moving forward.
LA Mayoral Ads 2013: Campaign Videos Air On TV & Online (VIDEOS)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/27/la-mayoral-ads-2013-video_n_2736119.html?utm_hp_ref=los-angeles#slide=2158436
If you live in LA and watch TV, you've seen the ads.
If fact, if it weren't for the campaign ads increasingly on TV, the radio and the Internet, you might not know LA is about to elect its next mayor.
A few of the video ad highlights include cute foxes, jam sessions, puppies, Will Ferrell promising free-waffle Tuesdays and Salma Hayek calling a candidate a romantic.
Councilman Eric Garcetti, considered the frontrunner in the race, has aired on TV three ads in English and three ads in Spanish (in which he is fluent). Controller Wendy Greuel, a close runner up, has aired two ads on TV.
Greuel starting airing her first radio ad Tuesday, and it's the first of her ads to directly criticize Garcetti. The ad accuses Garcetti of spending taxpayer money on five-star hotel stays on luxury trips to China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the Middle East. Garcetti's office did not immediately respond to HuffPost for a response to the accusation.
Former radio host Kevin James, the only Republican candidate, has aired one ad on TV and the radio created by BetterWayLA, an independent expenditure committee supporting the candidate. Councilwoman Jan Perry has online video ads only.
Technology executive Emanuel Pleitez has aired one ad on Spanish-language TV channels Univision and Mundofox. He has also spent almost $11,000 on Facebook ads (appearing usually on the right side of Facebook) and on promoted video posts, according to his campaign.
The other candidates declined to specify to HuffPost how much they've spent on video ads. Click on the candidates' names above for HuffPost's interviews with each of them.
The primary election is on Tuesday, Mar. 5, and the general election is on Tuesday, May 21. The video ads below are not in order of which have appeared on TV.
You'll have to go the website to view all the videos. There are 36 of them. Here are four of them:
If Only Every City Had a Masked Lucha Libre Defender of Pedestrians
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2013/02/if-only-every-city-had-masked-lucha-libre-defender-pedestrians/4804/
By Sarah Goodyear, February 27, 2013
You know how it feels when you're trying to cross the street and a
driver comes through the intersection as if you’re not even there? Like
he’s muscling through with that big box of metal as if to say, “Hey, get
out of my way, you little flesh-and-blood weakling!”
Wouldn’t you just love to have a superhero sweep down, stand up to the jerk behind the wheel, and block the car so you could cross safely?
Enter Peatónito, the masked Mexican defender of pedestrians!
Peatónito is the alter ego of Jorge Cáñez, a 26-year-old political scientist in Mexico City who has also worked with the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP).
Cáñez created Peatónito to be a defender of the rights of the pedestrian in public space. He wears a cape and a mask in the tradition of Lucha Libre, the popular Mexican wrestling style. His mission, he says, is to protect the pedestrian’s much-assaulted right of way on the streets of Mexico City, where on average one pedestrian is killed by a motor vehicle every day and countless others are injured. His mask is black and white, the colors of a crosswalk.

Courtesy Peatónito
"The idea of being the defender of pedestrians just came because nobody, not even the authorities, not even the citizens, made something to improve the situation of the pedestrians," he told me in an email (I've edited his words a bit for clarity). "I started off being part of some groups who paint pedestrian crossings in the streets of Mexico City. But I decided that we needed something more visible and friendly. As you know, Mexican wrestling (Lucha Libre) is very popular in Mexico, is part of our culture. That’s why I decided to rescue the values of Lucha Libre and take them to the streets...to reclaim justice for the king of the streets: the pedestrian."
I first heard about Peatónito during Social Media Week in New York, when he was mentioned by Natália Garcia, a Brazilian woman who was speaking on a panel about civic participation in urban development. Civic participation is what Peatónito is all about. "My biggest successes take place when the pedestrians feel safe crossing the streets and they thank me," he says. "Also when the motorists change their minds and understand that the pedestrians have the priority in the streets. Both things are important, because we are talking about a citizen social initiative, from citizen to citizen."
In character, Cáñez and his allies get out into the street and physically block cars that are infringing on pedestrian space, paint crosswalks where they are lacking, give speeches about pedestrian rights, and clear sidewalks of obstructions so that people on foot can pass through. The reception, he says, is good -- because he always stays positive. "The majority of people laugh and have fun with it," he says. "Even the motorists, because we need to be friendly with them. They are also citizens, and in some part of the day they are pedestrians also. There are a few motorists who take it personally and get mad, and my only weapon in that cases is to be more friendly and peaceful."
His efforts got him invited to speak at the Walk 21 conference in 2012 and has met with officials from Mexico City's department of public security to discuss the importance of putting pedestrians first in street design and traffic enforcement. He is hopeful about government efforts to improve infrastructure. At least, he says, they are now talking about giving pedestrians priority -- which would only make sense in a city where 80 percent of the population doesn't drive.
His may be a humorous approach, but the problem is deadly serious. Mexico City has some of the highest pedestrian fatality rates in the world, according to a 2003 report from the National Institute of Public Health of Mexico:
"Everybody can wear the mask and fight in the streets for the pedestrian rights," Cáñez says. "As long as everything is peaceful and friendly."
Wouldn’t you just love to have a superhero sweep down, stand up to the jerk behind the wheel, and block the car so you could cross safely?
Enter Peatónito, the masked Mexican defender of pedestrians!
Peatónito is the alter ego of Jorge Cáñez, a 26-year-old political scientist in Mexico City who has also worked with the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP).
Cáñez created Peatónito to be a defender of the rights of the pedestrian in public space. He wears a cape and a mask in the tradition of Lucha Libre, the popular Mexican wrestling style. His mission, he says, is to protect the pedestrian’s much-assaulted right of way on the streets of Mexico City, where on average one pedestrian is killed by a motor vehicle every day and countless others are injured. His mask is black and white, the colors of a crosswalk.

Courtesy Peatónito
"The idea of being the defender of pedestrians just came because nobody, not even the authorities, not even the citizens, made something to improve the situation of the pedestrians," he told me in an email (I've edited his words a bit for clarity). "I started off being part of some groups who paint pedestrian crossings in the streets of Mexico City. But I decided that we needed something more visible and friendly. As you know, Mexican wrestling (Lucha Libre) is very popular in Mexico, is part of our culture. That’s why I decided to rescue the values of Lucha Libre and take them to the streets...to reclaim justice for the king of the streets: the pedestrian."
I first heard about Peatónito during Social Media Week in New York, when he was mentioned by Natália Garcia, a Brazilian woman who was speaking on a panel about civic participation in urban development. Civic participation is what Peatónito is all about. "My biggest successes take place when the pedestrians feel safe crossing the streets and they thank me," he says. "Also when the motorists change their minds and understand that the pedestrians have the priority in the streets. Both things are important, because we are talking about a citizen social initiative, from citizen to citizen."
In character, Cáñez and his allies get out into the street and physically block cars that are infringing on pedestrian space, paint crosswalks where they are lacking, give speeches about pedestrian rights, and clear sidewalks of obstructions so that people on foot can pass through. The reception, he says, is good -- because he always stays positive. "The majority of people laugh and have fun with it," he says. "Even the motorists, because we need to be friendly with them. They are also citizens, and in some part of the day they are pedestrians also. There are a few motorists who take it personally and get mad, and my only weapon in that cases is to be more friendly and peaceful."
His efforts got him invited to speak at the Walk 21 conference in 2012 and has met with officials from Mexico City's department of public security to discuss the importance of putting pedestrians first in street design and traffic enforcement. He is hopeful about government efforts to improve infrastructure. At least, he says, they are now talking about giving pedestrians priority -- which would only make sense in a city where 80 percent of the population doesn't drive.
His may be a humorous approach, but the problem is deadly serious. Mexico City has some of the highest pedestrian fatality rates in the world, according to a 2003 report from the National Institute of Public Health of Mexico:
The overall crude mortality rate for pedestrian injuries in Mexico City was 7.14 per 100,000 …. A concentration of deaths was observed in 10 neighborhoods at specific types of street environments. The underlying factors included dangerous crossings and the absence or inadequacy of pedestrian bridges, as well as negative perceptions of road safety by pedestrians.These are all issues that this masked defender stands ready to fight. "The motorists think that the city was made for them, but the reality is that we are all pedestrians, and the streets must be made for the people," he says. "Once the government has adopted the 'pedestrian is the king' in their speeches, I’m going to monitor and help them till the day there’s no pedestrian fatalities nor accidents, and also decent sidewalks and safety crossings in the streets. But even if the government calls me to collaborate, I will always be a non-partisan citizen hero of the public domain." He has registered Peatónito as Creative Commons, so that anyone who wants can become Peatónito.
"Everybody can wear the mask and fight in the streets for the pedestrian rights," Cáñez says. "As long as everything is peaceful and friendly."
L.A. electric car company Coda looks like it's barely breathing
http://www.laobserved.com/biz/2013/02/la_electric_car_comp.php
By Mark Lacter, February 27, 2013
Well, this is embarrassing for City Councilmen Eric Garcetti and Herb
Wesson, along with a list of high-powered investors that includes
former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and Limited Brands CEO Les
Wexner. In various ways, they all bet on Coda Automotive's electric car -
Wesson using $1 million of his district's slush fund to entice the
company to move to L.A. from Santa Monica (reported in LA Weekly),
and investors plunking down more than $200 million on the new business.
Early on, the Coda people were talking about selling 10,000 cars in
their first year, and I must say their nifty creative space in Santa
Monica made a great first impression - as did their mission statement in
front of the office: "Our goal is to put an electric car into every
garage in the world." Which of course is a lesson to all those
contemplating a start up: Ever be humble. As of this month Coda has laid
off much of its staff, and there's not enough money in the kitty to pay
off suppliers. One of them, UQM Technologies, has written off its
contract to supply drive trains because of doubts about being paid;
other vendors are in court. The capper is that the automaker's highly
visible showroom at Westfield Century City has closed (Tesla will be
moving in, according to a sign in the space). Truth is Coda has run out
of money because it's barely sold any cars (a few hundred deliveries,
according to the stories I've seen). Even in the electric car business
Coda is at the bottom of the pack - and that's saying something, given
the difficulties that all battery-only manufacturers are facing. Here's a good update from the Economist, and here's what I wrote about Coda in the June 2011 issue of Los Angeles magazine:
Start-ups are always supposed to be ambitious and aim for the new and different (intoxicating words for deep-pocket investors). But breakthrough success requires more--namely a product that offers some added value compared with what's already on the market. Think digital cameras. Think iPhone. Electric vehicles don't do that, at least not now. If anything, they create hassles, starting with the high price (Codas cost $44,900, although federal tax credits are worth up to $7,500), limited driving range (90 to 120 miles), lengthy recharging times (up to six hours), and the dearth of public recharging stations. Plus the Coda isn't exactly stylish, with a generic chassis that resembles Mitsubishi's midsize models. Given all these drawbacks, Coda has plenty of explaining to do--never a great way to sell a product. "How are you going to get a consumer to pay more for a lesser good?" asks Brett Smith, an analyst with the nonprofit Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan. "The electric vehicle is a significantly lesser good than the internal combustion engine. --At some point the technology has to be economically viable."I had real doubts about Coda's viability in early 2011, but then again, so did lots of people.(When I asked the CEO at the time of my reporting what his expectations were, there was a long pause and finally he said, "I have absolutely no idea."). I bring this up not to take any credit, but to ask a basic question: Why didn't Garcetti and Wesson get those same bad vibes many months later? Also, why was the $1 million given out without an application from the company or any written analysis from the city? Why did the council unanimously sign off on the payment without debate, according to the Weekly piece? And why was there no provision for repayment in the event that the company did not survive, which is looking more and more likely? Seems that city officials were so desperate to trumpet their efforts at generating jobs - Coda promised more than 600 - that they forgot to look at the P&L statement. Or maybe they don't know how to read a P&L statement. Either way, it doesn't look great.
METRO starts Geotechnical Tests for SR710
From Sylvia Plummer, February 27, 2013
Investigations
will be conducted 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday Testing will
consist of geotechnical boring (soil/rock), ground water level
measurement, and vibration testing. The schedule includes locations,
cross streets and exploration depths.
This is the start of the EIR process.
It is probably safe to say that Metro is no longer studying the Avenue
64 highway and San Rafael area tunnel alternatives. However, we must
all remain very concerned about METRO's proposal to extend the 710 by
boring two 58' diameter tunnels that would surface next to the
Huntington Hospital in Pasadena. These tunnels will severely impact our
quality of life and change Pasadena as we know it today. Metro has
admitted that the tunnels will make our air quality worse.
There
is no question about this, the tunnels will be for trucks to move cargo
from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, up state and across the
country. Congestion on the 210 and 134 freeways will increase. There
will be a toll to use the tunnel in the amount of $5 - $15 each way.
All of us should be concerned about the impacts of the 710 tunnels. We must all continue to actively oppose any 710 extension.
Crescenta Valley Town Council to Host 710 Community Forum
Wednesday, February 27
7 - 9 pm
Rosemont Middle School, Cafeteria
4725 Rosemont Avenue
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Crescenta Valley
710 Community
Forum
Speakers
Frank Beyt, Vice President, Crescenta Valley Town Council
Ground Rules
Anthony Portantino
Welcome
Michelle Smith, Project Manager, LA County Metropolitan Transit Authority
5 Alternatives for Further Study
Ara Najarian, Glendale City Council, Metro Board Member
Project Overview
Donald Voss, La Cañada Flintridge City Council
Benefit or Detriment?
Rob McConnell, MD, Southern California Environmental Health Sciences Center
Keck School of Medicine, USC
Health Impacts
Bill Weisman, Glendale Transportation Commission
One Valley, One Voice
Q & A
Susan Bolan, Crescenta Valley Community Association
Please fill out a question card and return to the Card Collectors
Hosted by Crescenta Valley Town
Council
|
La Cañada Flintridge City
Council,
Glendale City Council,
and No 710 Action Committee no710.com
For further information, please contact
Councilmember, Frank Beyt at beyt@att.net
Parks to Santana: “Only by Slaughtering ‘Sacred Cows’ Can We Move Forward and Feed a Starving City”
http://ronkayela.com/
February 26, 2013
“Government Making a U-Turn”– Response to “City at a Crossroads” Report
Dear Mr. Santana,
I have reviewed your analysis of the city’s budget over the past several years and, I must commend you for your overall efforts and specific priorities to keep the city solvent.
The pressures from various special interests groups, city officials and the demands from the general public have been overwhelming.
Because of our previous conversations, I know that there are many more things you would have liked to have done and believe should have been done prior to the city reaching its current “Crossroads”.
Unfortunately, many of your warnings and recommendations were not followed nor implemented.
Your “City at a Crossroads” report now recommends a one-half cent sales tax as a last resort to maintain the current service levels allocated in the 2012-2013 fiscal-year budget. I’ve concluded that it is premature to request the public to tax itself with a permanent sales tax increase.
This proposal has not been vetted. There are no council committee studies or reports, no assessment of the regressive nature of sales tax, no evaluation of the overall impact of the cumulative tax and fee increases on the city’s general public or rate payers and no evaluation of the impact on local businesses, the economy or jobs. Also, there has not been sufficient outreach to the community for input, insights or alternatives.
That is why I encourage you to consider alternative options to those expressed in your report concerning Prop.A, based on the very real possibility that the measure fails at the polls next month.
This city has experienced more than its share of unemployment, underemployment and foreclosures. Sadly, those who suffer these misfortunes are the ones hit hardest when government decides to levy additional fees and taxes.
During this same period of personal income loss and financial upheaval, there has been a cumulative barrage of significant increases in taxation and bond indebtedness which ultimately falls on the shoulders of the general public:
• In 2004, California voters approved Proposition 57 and 58, which authorized the sale of $15 billion in bonds and mandated balanced budgets, respectively. Nine years after the passage of the two measures, the state is looking at an additional 21 years of debt service, and all $15 billion was absorbed by the deficit.
• In the November 2012 election, Prop. 30 passed, triggering a state sales tax increase, with the hopes of raising $16 billion to balance the state’s budget.
• Billions of dollars of community college and Los Angeles Unified School District construction bonds debt.
• Hundreds of millions of dollars for Los Angeles police, fire, animal shelter and library construction bonds debt.
• City’s MICLA debt increased by hundreds of millions of dollars.
• 10% increase in city power rates over the next two years (an additional 30% increase pending).
• City water rate increase pending.
• State Measure R half-cent sales tax for transportation construction- 30 year debt.
• Cost of Sanitation Charges (Sewer Services Charges and Solid Resources Fee [Trash Fee]) have tripled.
• Hundreds of millions of dollars of indebtedness for sewer construction.
• Substantial increase in city fees and permits.
• Parking citation fines increased six of the last seven years.
• Multiple increases in both employee medical and pension costs.
• L. A. County gas prices- highest in the state.
I agree with many of the residents and business owners in my community when they claim that government has priced itself out of business.
The city receives over $7 billion in general and special funds annually but will be unable to sustain its solvency going forward, unless it makes significant changes in the near future.
The city’s number one problem is its inability to sustain and maintain its personnel costs. Our local government’s addiction to hiring personnel and maintaining a workforce in which the size and cost are not sustainable is the root cause of its ongoing structural deficit.
The salaries, but more specifically the overhead (medical, pension, workers’ compensation), costs are growing well above the real and/or projected revenue increases.
Before asking the public to absorb another permanent financial obligation, we suggest that you and your staff evaluate and prepare a savings analysis for the following recommendations:
1.) Allow the new administration taking office July 1, 2013 to make the decision about new taxation, as they will be responsible and accountable for the city’s financial health. The new administration will certainly have new and different budget and deployment priorities.
2.) Study the “DROP” program for cost neutrality as mandated in the implementing ordinance #174540, section 4.2100, subsection C(CF# 00-2463).
3.) Implement the negotiated “no code seven” policy within the LAPD. It is estimated that the benefit would be an increase of 250 patrol cars deployed, annually (CF#11-1430). This negotiation reduced LAPD officers’ workdays from 12 hours and 45 minutes to 12 hours with the stipulation that officers would not formally request a 45-minute lunch period during the 12-hour work day. It is apparent that even after the reduction to a 12-hour day, officers have continued to receive permission to eat while on duty. These actions, in effect, reduce officer availability by 90 minutes a day.
4.) Eliminate the three-and-four-day work week (12 and 10 hour shifts). It’s been estimated in a report done by your office (CF# 01–2394–S1) that within the LAPD alone, uniform car deployment would increase between 20% and 30% annually.
5.) Re-evaluate LAFD’s “constant staffing” requirements and criteria with the emphasis on reduction of over-time allocations. Refine the recently-implemented deployment model which is based on incident response data that allowed the department to match current resources with the real needs of the city’s diverse communities. Study the potential financial benefits and savings of contracting out paramedic services.
6.) Support the recently-approved “feed in tariff “ordinance, which will initially pay over market rate for excess solar power as an incentive to encourage community participation. Then, after the first two years, support the recommendations of the ratepayer advocate on solar costs due to “feed in tariff”(CF# 11-0617-S8). This change of reducing pay to market rate for excess solar power from private parties would mitigate, reduce and possibly eliminate proposed rate increases in the near future. Also, include a requirement that storage batteries be included in future “feed in tariff” infrastructure.
7.) Implement the recommendations listed in August 9, 2011, Parks – Perry letter to the Executive Employees Relations Committee which requested:
a.) Compliance with Parks-Smith motion CF# 11-0690 through 11-0690 – S4 to identify cost containment and mitigation of medical costs within the Department of Water and Power(LADWP).
b.) Creation of strategies to reduce LADWP’s salary and pension costs. This report identified 197, common job classes within the city and LADWP and 15 job classes performing similar duties. Of the 197 job classes, 195 classes received higher salaries working for LADWP, ranging from 1% to 43% with an average of 16.4%. All 15 job classes performing similar duties received higher salaries at LADWP; from 6% to 35% with an average of 18.1%. This letter also contained a recommendation to replicate the strategies within LAPD which reduced salaries for all entry-level positions by 20%.
8.) Freeze hiring citywide. Stop filling vacancies, unless they are of the utmost importance and critical in nature.
9.) Cut the size of the city’s workforce to a sustainable level. To reduce the impact on service loss, contract out workload that can be done by private industry, local entrepreneurs or local contractors.
10.) Reduce full-time city worker positions, where appropriate, to part-time positions. This will reduce the cost of salary and benefits in the labor force and allow for a more strategic deployment. The best example in the city is the recent deployment of part-time traffic officers at the Department of Transportation.
11.) Establish new budget priorities, deployment strategies and department organizational structures.
12.) Maximize civilianization.
13.) Prepare the legal bases for a city position to defer, mitigate or eliminate the current proposed employee raises and initiate the formal process for negotiating new contracts as current contracts expire in 2013 and 2014.
During future negotiations, eliminate percentage increases and replace them with flat-rate salary increases. We should also eliminate all bonus-paid positions as pension based and ensure all future employee contracts contain mandatory re-opener language. Future raises should be based on revenue projections, not cost-of-living increases. And, employee contracts should be valued on the package’s total compensation.
14.) Increase employee contributions to pension, current medical and retiree medical plans.
15.) Seek needed changes to reform the state’s workers’ compensation administration and seek changes in the city’s administrative rules addressing overtime pay.
16.) Reject the current approved recommendations regarding the “exclusive commercial and multi-family solid waste franchise hauling system”(CF#10 – 1797 through 10 – 1797 S15) and implement your office’s recommendations for a non-exclusive system which could be implemented immediately with significant revenues being directed to the general fund.
Your office’s recommendations will have a positive impact on the community, as the franchisee would pay a fee to the city for the privilege of collecting solid waste within the city’s boundaries. This would be substantial, new revenue that could be realized immediately, while the community would retain its leverage to negotiate with a variety of haulers to obtain the best service and price for that service.
17.) Follow your office’s recommendations (CF#09 – 1914 – S8), regarding the elimination of the city’s gross receipts tax (GRT), also known as the business tax. Your office along with several independent consultants have stated specifically that the GRT should not be eliminated until a new source of permanent revenue can be found to replace this $480M in revenue. Also, there should not be any additional reductions or reclassification of GRT, unless it is accompanied by an independent economic analysis report.
18.) Expand Public-Private Partnerships. Such city entities as the Convention Center, Zoo and Information/Technology Agency and paramedic functions are all viable for privatization. In addition to removing the expense and workforce cost from the city’s payroll, the business-oriented redirection will be unencumbered by city processes and will produce a better overall product.
19.) Evaluate and implement appropriate recommendations of the Commission on Revenue Efficiency (CF#12-0430 thru 12-0430-S6) and gain full adherence to Executive Directive No. 5 and the Citywide Guidelines to Maximize Revenue Collections.
20.) Reduce the use of “one-time revenue” expenditures on multi-year/ongoing debt. Return special fund revenue (e.g. Special Parking Revenue Funds, ITA’s Public Access and Infrastructure Funds,…etc.) back to their intended purposes and fund the prescribed activities of the special funds rather than the current method of filling budget shortfalls.
21.) QUIMBY Funds- Revise city policy to expand area of usage, mandate usage within a short period after its allocation, concentrate on design build, local hiring, contracting for the construction. Allow interest earned on QUIMBY deposits to remain under the jurisdiction of the city’s Recreation and Parks Administration so that consistency, continuity and accountability can be clearly established. The goal is to prioritize, facilitate job creation and accelerate completion and expansion of green space and park land by using the millions of dollars that have stockpiled over the years.
22). Explore the feasibility of creating expanded maintenance districts modeled after the current city’s lighting districts which would include tree trimming, sidewalk, curb and American Disabilities Act(ADA) curb cuts repair. The goal is to create a vehicle for local communities to generate local revenue, hire local contractors, repair and maintain basic infrastructure needs and reduce liability to the city and adjoining land owners.
The above suggestions are submitted as both long and short-term recommendations to achieve budgeted solvency for the City of Los Angeles.
I am fully aware that by addressing the three-day workweek, pension contributions, privatization and the size of the city’s workforce, I have taken aim on some “sacred cows” in our budget. We need to realize that only by slaughtering these “sacred cows” can we move forward and feed a starving city.
Respectfully,
BERNARD C. PARKS
Councilmember
Teen driver deaths spiked in 2012
http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_22673065/teen-driver-deaths-spiked-2012
By Eric M. Johnson, February 26, 2013
Teen driving deaths in the United States
increased in the first six months of last year, further eroding
a decade-long reduction, possibly as a result of more accidents
caused by texting and talking behind the wheel, state highway
officials said on Tuesday.
Deaths of drivers ages 16 and 17 increased roughly 19
percent, to 240 in the first six months of 2012 compared with
the same period in 2011, according to a study by the Governors
Highway Safety Association.
Officials who compiled the report said the improving economy
has put more teens behind the wheel, but use of mobile devices
to text and talk while driving is a likely cause of more
accidents and fatalities.
The increases
came after 16-year-old driver deaths dropped
by nearly two-thirds, to 157, between 2000 and 2010. Fatalities
of 17-year-old drivers were cut by more than half in the same
period, to 253, the data showed. But the downward trend ended in
2011.
came after 16-year-old driver deaths dropped
by nearly two-thirds, to 157, between 2000 and 2010. Fatalities
of 17-year-old drivers were cut by more than half in the same
period, to 253, the data showed. But the downward trend ended in
2011.
"Teen drivers are not only a danger to themselves, but also
a danger to others on the roadways. So these numbers are a cause
for concern," said association Chairman Kendell Poole.
The numbers, while preliminary, were still better overall
than in the previous five to 10 years, a spokesman for the
group said.
Dylan
Young, 18, poses as a vehicle cruises by, June 6, 2012, in North
Arlington, N.J. Young, a senior at North Arlington High, was in a
fender-bender accident caused by being distracted while texting and
driving.
Decreases in driver deaths from 2003 to 2010 have been
attributed to states' new and strengthened graduated driving
laws that placed restrictions on inexperienced drivers.
But those laws, some of which were introduced in the 1990s,
need to be revised to meet with changes in technology, said
spokesman Jonathan Adkins. He said all states should ban cell
phone use for new drivers, limit passengers per car and keep
teens off the road at night, among other restrictions.
"This isn't some mystery illness," Adkins said.
States should also work to increase the role parents play in
enforcing safe driving practices, officials said.
Among specific age groups, deaths of 16-year-old drivers
increased by 24 percent in the first half of last year, while
deaths of 17-year-old drivers rose by 15 percent, according to
preliminary data compiled across 50 U.S. states and the District
of Columbia.
Overall, 25 states reported increases in teen driving deaths
in the first half of last year, 17 had decreases, and eight
states and the District of Columbia reported no change.
Dylan
Young, 18, poses as a vehicle cruises by, June 6, 2012, in North
Arlington, N.J. Young, a senior at North Arlington High, was in a
fender-bender accident caused by being distracted while texting and
driving.
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