May 16, 2014
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Published Friday, May 16, 2014
Third District Supervisor - Sheila Kuehl
The Courier has the
highest regard for the service of Zev Yaroslavsky as 3rd District
supervisor all these years. That said, we continue to have a vital
disagreement with him over his actions to put two subway tunnels barely
30 feet underneath Beverly Hills High School and right through the oil
field. After more than 250 articles The Courier has researched and
written, The Courier believes without a doubt that these tunnels
jeopardize the safety of our children and staff at Beverly Hills High
School. We also disagree with how he has helped JMB Realty use a
virtually-unknown loophole in Los Angeles to get the OK to build a
massive new project in Century City that violates the Century City
Specific Plan. Now that he is leaving office, who should succeed him?
The Courier believes the
entire subway fight involves political contributions, politics
overriding child safety, traffic, quality of life, "pay for play,"
overdevelopment, traffic impact on Beverly Hills and the adjoining areas
- not to mention the key reason our School Board fights. If the
tunnels go under Beverly High, they create an existential threat to our
only high school and thus the entire school district and city. The
increase in cost compared to the Santa Monica route posed by this
ill-conceived "S" curve squiggle is $250 million and climbing, just to
move the subway 800 feet.
It should thus come as
no surprise that this is the #1 issue for The Courier in considering the
leading candidates to succeed Zev. Based on that issue - including
the "spinoff" issues above - The Courier endorses Sheila Kuehl for 3rd
District supervisor. Kuehl told The Courier yesterday that she is
adamantly opposed to the routing under Beverly Hills and "never
understood why it was moved from Santa Monica Boulevard." As more and
more science comes out about seismic safely and faults, Kuehl is clearly
on top of the facts.
This is a close call.
Bobby Shriver also has a fine record. He impressed the editorial board
of The Courier with his diligence, determination and his fight for
veterans at the Los Angeles Veterans Administration facility in
Westwood. If veterans are your top concern, then your choice should be
Shriver. In a late call yesterday and the day after The Courier's
editorial board interviews, Shriver said he would oppose the route under
Beverly Hills High School. Shriver will tour the Beverly High campus
next week and do some more reseach on his own, but the election is
coming and as of today The Courier backs Kuehl.